After being attacked by Gwyneth and then her impromptu picnic with Winter, Flynn’s brain was already on overload. They had ridden home in companionable silence, exchanging silly little smiles but very few words, and she had felt surprisingly content. When they arrived at the mansion, he had walked her up to the front door and pointed the way to the pool where he assured her Melissa was waiting for her. Then he leaned in, called for Storm, who came running down with a backpack, and the two of them had gotten into that sleek car of his and sped off.
His abrupt personality change had almost caused whiplash and she had quietly made her way through the brightly lit halls wondering what had happened, why did he go from warm and flirty to a man who could barely wait to get out of her presence. Seeing Melissa lying on the chaise with her perfect body and exquisite face reminded Flynn that she was so far out of her league she was in a completely different solar system. Dismissing Winter and his mesmerizing blue eyes and his perplexing behavior, she sat on the edge of her seat and listened as Melissa discussed Storm’s birthday plans without Flynn’s input. Flynn was fairly certain she’d remember ninety percent of what Melissa said.
If only she could strip off the long sleeved t-shirt and slacks, maybe dive into that tempting pool and swim a few laps, she’d be able to concentrate on her job. Sweat trickled down her back between her shoulder blades and she struggled to keep from fidgeting. She eyed the reclining back of her chair, wondering how inappropriate it would be to kick off her shoes and lay down.
Pretty damn inappropriate.
Melissa’s chuckle brought her attention back to the present and she startled, looking at the beautiful actress with wide eyes. “Sorry, it’s just such a beautiful day and I really have no excuse to be wool-gathering.”
“You should change into one of the swimsuits we have in the pool house and take a swim.”
Flynn stared at her as a small but very vocal part of her brain furiously tried to convince her that would be a spectacularly horrible idea while the rest of her was wondering how quickly she could change. Catching her lower lip between her teeth, edging closer to the end of the chair, she reminded herself that she wasn’t really a party planner and she had told them that from the very beginning and still they hired her….
“Go,” Melissa laughed. At Flynn’s dubious expression, Melissa laughed harder, “I swear, if you don’t go and change into a swimsuit right this very minute I’ll fire you.”
“That’s not much of an incentive,” Flynn reminded her, standing up anyway. “But the pool is too tempting to deny so I’ll go change.”
“Excellent.” Melissa leaned her head back and closed her eyes, a smile on her lips. “I’m sure Winter will be disappointed when I tell him what he missed.”
Flynn ignored the words even as a little grin played upon her lips. She was still smiling as she entered the pool house, a beautiful building that was larger and far more luxurious than the apartment she and her sister were currently renting. It looked like an English cottage, with the angled roof and ivy on the walls and if not for the mansion not too far away, she could have believed it was an actual house and not just a place to change into and out of swimsuits. It would have been tempting to explore all of the rooms but she was already abusing her relationship with her client so she found the room with spare suits and picked out the least revealing one.
It was still too revealing but it covered what it needed to cover and there was no one other than Melissa around to see her. Besides, she imagined the beautiful actress wouldn’t spare her a second glance, not when she could look into a mirror and see the most beautiful woman in the world. Grabbing a towel, she headed back to the patio and sat down, unable to wipe the smile from her face, “Thank you, Melissa. You have no idea how much I appreciate this.”
Looking at her over the top of her sunglasses, Melissa smirked, “Nice choice.”
Running her hand over the white material of the bikini, Flynn frowned, “Should I change?”
“Not at all,” Melissa grinned, swinging her legs over the edge of her chaise and sitting up. “By the way, your sister called when you were changing. I took the liberty of answering it, I hope you don’t mind.”
Flynn looked around and saw her purse sitting on the ground, her phone sticking out the top. Even though it was something she’d never do, she didn’t mind too much that Melissa answered her phone. “Of course not. What did Fallon want?”
“She got the role of the dandelion and she wants to take you out to celebrate tonight,” Melissa replied, relaying the message and managing to sound suspiciously like an excited Fallon. “You’ll have to congratulate her for me.”
Narrowing her eyes, Flynn asked with wary suspicion, “Did she know who she was talking to?”
“Goodness no,” Melissa laughed. “Could you imagine the media storm if it came out that I answered your phone when I don’t even answer my phone?”
“Um, no,” Flynn answered with a frown, shaking her head no because she couldn’t believe anyone would care. “I just figured if Fallon knew, she would be picking your brain about your craft and she’d never hang up.”
Melissa chuckled but didn’t say anything more about the phone call. Instead, she stood up and held out her hand, pulling Flynn to her feet. Sashaying towards the pool, she called over her shoulder, “I like you, Flynn Rogers. You amuse me.”
Flynn wasn’t sure whether or not she should be insulted or terrified. “Um, thanks?”
Melissa chuckled before she dove into the water, her slender form executing a perfect dive. Swimming a few feet, she emerged and pushed her blond hair away from her face, an enigmatic smile on her too lovely face, “Come on in, Flynn, the water feels glorious against overheated skin.”
Because she was on the swim team in high school, Flynn performed a shallow dive and swam underwater until her lungs felt like they were going to burst. In the quiet stillness beneath the water, she pondered Melissa’s strange behavior and was no closer to any insight when she surged through the surface. Sucking in some air in the shallow end, she stood and turned, watching as Melissa gracefully swam through the water until she reached Flynn’s side.
Once more pushing her wet hair from her face, Melissa smiled, “I probably should have warned you that white swimsuits are practically see through when they get wet and that one more than most.”
At first, Flynn didn’t believe Melissa because her team suit had been white but it had been lined so it didn’t become transparent when wet. Looking down, she could make out the outline of her areolas and nipples and knew that the neatly trimmed hair between her thighs was just as plainly visible. Feeling the heat spread through her entire body, she crossed her arms over her chest and sank down until the water covered her to her neck. Who the hell designed a swimsuit that became transparent when wet? It defeated the whole purpose of wearing a swimsuit! “Well, this is embarrassing. I don’t think I’ll ever get out of the pool now.”
“Nonsense,” Melissa said, gliding towards her and coming to a stop a little closer than was comfortable. Brushing Flynn’s wet hair off her shoulder, Melissa murmured, “You have a lovely body, Flynn, and we’re both girls. There’s no reason to be embarrassed.”
Though she wasn’t uncomfortable with Melissa’s nearness, she wasn’t exactly comfortable either. But she was being absurd and she forced her body to remain motionless. “Still….”
“Shh,” Melissa murmured, lifting her head and looking at Flynn with a grin that belied her interest and eyes that were bored. “Let’s just enjoy the water and leave modesty on the deck.”
Swallowing her unease, Flynn offered a wobbly smile, “Maybe we should discuss menus so I don’t feel as if I’m totally shirking my duties and maybe that will take my mind off the fact that I am practically naked.”
Melissa chuckled, lifting her legs and floating on her back. Slowly moving her arms to keep her body afloat, she turned her head and looked directly at Flynn, “Tell me what you think of Winter.”
Flyn
n sputtered, not expecting that question, especially from Melissa Irish, his supposed fiancée and the mother of his child. Curious, knowing it would be the height of stupidity to ask, she asked anyway, “Are the two of you engaged?”
“Why do you ask?”
“Well, he’s, um, very flirtatious and I’m not sure how I’m supposed to react,” she offered lamely, since she couldn’t very well come out and say that she was attracted to the man and he sort of asked her out. “I mean, I know it’s harmless and he doesn’t mean anything by it, but it would make me really uncomfortable if the two of you are engaged.”
“We’re not engaged,” Melissa said with a slight curling of her lips that could have been a smile or a sneer and since she was wearing sunglasses, Flynn wasn’t entirely sure which expression it was. “And I imagine he’s told you we haven’t had sex?” At Flynn’s nod, Melissa’s sneer-smile twitched as she sighed, “Our relationship was dreamed up by our agent and the only reason I’m telling you this is because you’ve signed the NDA. I mean, most of the stuff you read about celebrities is carefully crafted lies and innuendo, to obscure the truth or to create a false narrative. It’s all part of the game and my game with Winter is going to end soon.”
“Why do you play?”
This time, her smile was genuine as she stood up and held her hands out to the sides, “Look at my life, Flynn. I’m famous, I live in paradise with a gorgeous man and his son, and I make more money than I could spend in a dozen lifetimes. What more could a girl want?”
Flynn frowned because she didn’t know how to answer that. Fame wasn’t something she sought because she didn’t like the idea of her life being open for such scrutiny, often times scathing and cruel. She imagined fame was a double-edged sword, giving you everything you could ever want but exacting a huge toll until you no longer knew what was real and what was make believe. “Well, I guess not having to go through life pretending to be something you’re not would be nice.”
Melissa gasped, her arms flailing as she splashed beneath the water. When she surfaced a heartbeat later, a serene smile graced her lips as she smoothed her hair back, looking incredibly beautiful for a drowned kitten. “So, what do you think of Winter?”
Flynn sputtered a moment before she answered, “He’s great, really.”
Melissa heaved a sigh, laying back and floating once again. “He really is a great guy and Storm absolutely adores him.”
“Well, he should,” Flynn murmured without thought. “I mean, Winter’s his dad.”
Melissa sucked in a sharp breath and looked at Flynn with wide, surprised eyes, “Winter told you about Storm?”
Crap. Nodding her head, Flynn muttered, “Yeah. But you don’t have to worry about anything because I’m not going to tell anyone. I won’t even tell my sister and I tell her everything.”
“I’m not worried,” she said but she was frowning. “I’m just surprised Winter admitted it to you. Of course, after everything else he’s told you I probably shouldn’t be that surprised.”
“It’s not his fault,” Flynn said, standing up and forgetting about her inappropriate attire. Melissa’s eyes darted to her breasts but Flynn didn’t think anything of it as she continued, “I mean, anyone with two eyes can tell they’re related and I sort of mentioned it and he told me the story. Mostly.”
Melissa let out a low whistle, a distant expression clouding her face for a moment as she lost herself in thought. “He must like you.”
“He tolerates me,” Flynn corrected, hesitant to put a rift between Melissa and Winter because she was still confused by the weird dynamics of their relationship. Wading a few feet away, she looked over her shoulder and with a wry smile, she added, “In much the same way that I’m sure you do.”
Melissa startled, staring at her with wide, almost guilty eyes before she threw her head back and laughed, “Oh, having you plan Storm’s party is going to be interesting.”
Flynn agreed one hundred percent. “Well, since we’re supposed to be planning his party, what are your thoughts for food? Do you want it to be kid friendly or are you hoping for something a little more… upscale, like lobsters and caviar?”
“Storm loves caviar,” Melissa protested, her eyes twinkling with laughter. Shaking her head, her hair floating in the water, she grinned, “We’ll want caviar for the adults, as well as other fare for more discerning palates, but for the kids… what do you think?”
“Burgers and hot dogs,” she said automatically. “Grilled with all of the fixings on the side.”
“You’re very….”
“Boring, I know,” Flynn agreed with a smile. “But burgers and dogs are the foods of the gods. I know I’ll be able to find a caterer for the fancier food but for the burgers, there is this small diner that serves the best food I have ever eaten and I’m sure I could get them to agree to grilling at the party.”
“Is this another one of your quirks from back home?”
“No.” Flynn shook her head. “It’s this little hole-in-the-wall diner that I discovered when we first moved out here. It’s simply called Harry’s and, my God, Harry is a genius. Storm will love the food.”
“We’ll try it first before we make any decision,” Melissa said with skepticism, as if burgers from anywhere other than a chic restaurant were suspect. “I’d like you to get Xai or Neptune for the catering.”
Flynn nodded, taking a mental note to price out Xai and Neptune and see if they were available for a child’s party out in the country. “Of course. Do you want to work with them on building a menu?”
“I’m sure whatever you decide will be fine.” Melissa closed her eyes and floated beneath the sun, leaving Flynn to worry about the food. How the hell was she going to come up with a menu when her suggestion was obviously unacceptable? “Now, what about invitations? I want them engraved with gold.”
Flynn was thinking of making a treasure map and putting them in bottles, since that would go with the pirate theme. Maybe she could incorporate the two. “How about a treasure map with the location marked with a gold X?”
Though she didn’t open her eyes, Melissa smiled, “Draw up a few options and we’ll see.”
Great, more homework. As soon as she got out of the pool, she’d write all of this down, making sure to make a note to price the food and design the invites. It was important to please the client but in this case, wasn’t it just as important to make sure Storm enjoyed his party? Of course, having grown up surrounded by wealth, his palate was probably far, far more discriminating than hers. If she didn’t feel sorry that the poor boy was potentially missing out on some of the best foods out there, she’d be embarrassed that she had such simple taste in foods.
Ooh, while she was out with Fallon, they could stop at Harry’s and have a burger.
♥~♥~♥
“I have no idea what I’m doing,” Flynn admitted, wiping her mouth with a napkin after polishing off half of the gigantic burger. She was almost positive that the food got better every time she ate there. Pulling out her tablet, she swiped her finger across the screen to unlock it before she tapped on an icon. “I mean, look at this. This is the menu at Xai’s. They don’t even list their prices because if you have to ask, you can’t afford to eat there.”
Fallon smirked, “How did you get the menu?”
“Simple,” Flynn grinned, glancing at the unpronounceable food items. While the food was presented as minor works of art and it might be delicious, Flynn struggled with the idea of needing to take out a loan just to have a meal there. She shuddered to think about how much it would cost to cater a party, even a birthday party for a six year old. “I told them I was from Gilded Dreams and my client was thinking about using them for her party and could I please have a menu.”
“So they emailed you their menu?”
“More or less.” They emailed their menu to Diane, who in turn forwarded it to Flynn on the promise that she wouldn’t send it anywhere else. “But look at the choices, caviar and truffles and some strange mus
hroom and Steak Tartare. Fish eggs, two fungi, and raw hamburger. Gross.”
“You have such an unrefined palate, Flynn,” Fallon teased, picking at her mostly whole burger.
“I’m just saying if I had more money than I knew what to do with I wouldn’t be spending it on food that has questionable origins.” Taking a drink of her pop, she continued, “It doesn’t matter if they have aphrodisiacal properties or not. I’m not swallowing something slimy to get horny.”
Fallon sputtered as her drink went down the wrong pipe and her face turned red but she held her hand up when Flynn tried to pat her on the back. “I’m okay but, Flynn, you shouldn’t say things like that out loud.” Leaning forward, she lowered her voice as she grinned, “And swallowing isn’t so bad, not if you love the man you’re with. Besides, guys really get off on it.”
Flynn opened her mouth to reply but then thought better of it as she wondered if Winter got off on it and then slammed a door on those thoughts before she could think any further. Grabbing the burger and sinking her teeth into it despite the fact that she was full, she mumbled something in the hopes that her sister would let the matter drop. She did not want to discuss blow jobs while thinking about Winter. “You mean Dylan got off on it.”
“I’m so over Dylan,” Fallon said with a gleam in her eyes. Leaning forward, she asked, “Do you know he went and slept with Tiffany two nights ago? It’s not that I care because we broke up ages ago but Tiffany? She’s such a skank and he could do so much better.”
“You know, I always thought the two of you would get back together,” Flynn admitted, stirring her straw in her pop, a little sad to see the utter end of Fallon and Dylan even though it meant Fallon was available to date a certain chef.
“Yeah, but even before we left I knew that we weren’t meant to be together,” Fallon murmured, studying the barely touched burger still sitting on her plate. “He was my security blanket, my fall back guy, and that wasn’t fair to him.”
Winter's Heart Page 8