“Ow.” Her entire right side vibrated with pain.
More aware of her surroundings, she crawled over to the sink to pull herself up but her feet slipped again. Thankfully she was prepared this time. However, when she fell her face hit her balled up fist. A slight pain radiated in her skull. Finally, she found her feet and towels. Throwing the stack of towels onto the floor and leaving one for herself to use she looked at herself in the mirror. A wonderous glow colored her cheeks along with a red mark that she hoped wouldn’t become a bruise.
That would definitely be the last time she had a Max fantasy in the bathtub. They would be bedroom only. She shook her head. What the hell was she thinking? She shouldn’t even be having Max fantasies.
With a sigh, she wrapped the towel around her. Using two hand towels as makeshift skates, she skate/shuffled her way to the door. Opening the door, she finally stopped her skate/shuffle with the towels and dropped the one she was wrapped in.
“Chrissy are you—”
Chrissy and James screamed at the same time. She dove for the bed as he slammed the door shut. Her still slick body slid across the bed and landed hard on the other side. She lay there, blinking at the ceiling.
Her boss had just seen her naked. And she was laying on the floor yet again.
“Ow.” She didn’t know what hurt worse—her pride or her butt.
Chapter 22
Secrets and Surprises
James stood as far as he could away from her in the elevator. After the very embarrassing moment of having her boss see her naked, she pulled her aching body off the floor and dressed for the evening. She decided on a plain blue maxi dress that showed a bit of cleavage but not enough to be obscene. Brushing her shoulder length hair loose to allow the wave from the humidity to look natural. Chrissy lightly brushed some bronzer on her cheeks, slipped on a pair of low-heeled sandals then grabbed her purse.
When she entered their shared room, James was pointedly looking at the wall. A giggle almost escaped. She cleared her throat and headed toward the door. He beat her there and pulled the door open for her. They walked silently to the elevators. As the empty elevator opened, she heard him sigh then move all the way across the small space.
As the elevator crawled from floor to floor, Chrissy knew she needed to break the tension. “This is a really pretty elevator.” What the hell had just come out of her mouth? If it would have been appropriate, she would have smacked her forehead.
James looked at her strangely. “I’ve never heard anyone call an elevator pretty, but I guess if one can be this one would be.”
Her stupid comment hadn’t broken anything. Finally, she turned to him and said, “Look it’s fine you saw me naked, but we really need to get past it.”
James’ eyes opened wide. Chrissy furrowed her brow and turned toward the elevator doors. Frank was standing at the open doors with a cat that ate the canary grin.
He stepped onto the elevator. “Hello, James. Chrissy.”
“It’s not what you think,” Chrissy said quickly.
“I am not one to judge, Chrissy. I’ve had my share of office affairs so to speak.” His knowing smile never left his face.
“It was an accident.”
“It really isn’t what you think.”
Chrissy and James spoke at the same time.
“Like I said, it doesn’t bother me. However, I feel like a certain leading man would have one hell of a problem with it.”
Chrissy glared at him. Finally, the elevator dinged, opening the doors. They watched as Frank strode off toward the restaurant.
“It really was an accident,” James said quietly.
“I know, James. It really is ok. You just have to promise me that every time you look at me you aren’t picturing me naked.”
“Oh, God, no,” he said emphatically.
His quick dismissal of the idea hurt a little. “You could have at least pretended that you would think about me naked. I hope you don’t get sick over the idea.”
She walked a bit quicker so she wouldn’t be walking next to someone who seemed to find her disgusting. James ran up to her and pulled her arm stopping her.
“I’m sorry, Chrissy. I didn’t mean for it to come out that way.”
Chrissy shook her head. “It’s fine. I guess it just rubbed me the wrong way.”
“The thing is—” James looked around them for anyone nearby. He continued, quieter than before. “The thing is, I don’t think of any naked women. If you know what I mean.”
She opened her mouth to say something, but words escaped her.
“Please don’t say anything. There are a lot of people in this industry that would love to use information like that to ruin me and the company.” A look of panic floated through his eyes.
Leaning in she pulled him into a hug. “Your secret is safe with me,” Chrissy whispered in his ear.
She felt James relax in her arms. “Thank you, Chrissy. You are the only person who isn’t family who knows.”
“Well, it won’t go anywhere with me.” She mimed locking her lips and threw away the key then linked their arms guiding them toward the noisy restaurant.
Quiet fell between them. James smiled then said, “Though if I’m being honest, if I thought about naked women, I would definitely think about you.”
She knocked his shoulder with hers. “Aw shucks, that’s sweet.” She put some of her Georgia accent into her words. They were both chuckling as they entered the crowded restaurant.
For it only being the cast and crew of the movie, they were a very noisy crowd. There was also a lot of them. Chrissy had to weave her way through the gossiping crowds of people. She overheard snippets of conversation as she passed by small groups.
“I heard he just got work done,” a skinny blonde stage-whispered.
“She has to be sleeping with someone,” a middle-aged man said before taking a sip of beer.
“Brutus did not bite your son,” an older woman said angrily while holding what had to be the ugliest dog on the planet.
Chrissy did a double take at the woman and her dog. Why did she have a dog in the restaurant? She couldn’t take her eyes off the scrawny dog with a tuft of white hair on top of its head. Its tongue lolled out the side of its tiny mouth.
“What do you think you’re looking at?” the woman asked.
“Oh. I’m sorry. I just noticed your little precious there,” Chrissy said with a pained smile.
The woman squinted her eyes and petted the top of the poor dog’s head. “It’s rude to look but he is precious. He would never bite a soul.” Just as the woman said it, the dog snapped at her hand.
“I bet.” Chrissy proceeded to the bar.
As she approached, a man carrying two glasses of champagne stepped away leaving an opening for her. The handsome bartender smiled at her as he made a drink for the woman leaning over the bar thrusting her ample cleavage at him. Chrissy watched as he handed Busty McGee her drink while she handed over a card and a piece of paper. The bartender pocketed them with a wink.
“What can I get you, gorgeous?” he said.
Chrissy raised an eyebrow. “A white wine, please.”
“Sure thing.” He winked at her.
It took everything in her being not to give a full body eye roll. He quickly gave her the wine. When he didn’t get a card or a piece of paper again, he looked dejected. Chrissy took her wine out to the deck away from the crowd.
The murmuring of the crowd was drowned out by the surf crashing. She watched the sun sink into the ocean. After a few minutes alone and her wine halfway gone she felt a presence approach her. Visions of Max floated through her head. However, the voice she heard wasn’t Max.
“Beautiful, isn’t it?” A deep Irish lilted voice sent spikes of ice down her spine.
She turned to see a face she hadn’t seen in years. However, the eyes she saw every day of the last six years.
“Ben,” she breathed.
Chapter 23
An Irish Idiot
Ben smiled down at Chrissy. He held out his hand to her. “That’s right. Ben McGee. Have you heard of me?”
Chrissy blinked at him. Ben McGee was standing in front of her introducing himself. Mariah’s father didn’t remember her. Anger shot through her.
“Chrissy Benson,” she snapped.
A puzzled look crossed his features. She watched as his face went from puzzled to alarmed to puzzled again then finally landing on a fake smile.
“Oh…yes, Chrissy. I remember you. We had that steamy time in Fiji, right?”
“What the fuck are you talking about?”
“Maybe it wasn’t Fiji, but I remember that body of yours and your lips.” He added some sultry notes to his voice.
Chrissy looked around the deck. “Am I on a practical joke show right now?”
Ben looked around. “I don’t know what you’re talking about, baby. However, we can go back to my room and relive our time in Paris?” The last bit lifted in question.
“Oh, my God! How could I have ever loved you? You are a fucking idiot.” Chrissy grabbed her wine finishing it in one gulp.
“Come on, baby.” His voice grated on her nerves as his hand caressed her bare arm.
“Get off me,” Chrissy growled.
Ben continued to rub her arm. “I can make it feel incredible. I’ve learned things since then.”
“I said get off.” She yanked her arm away.
“I believe the lady asked you to leave her alone.” Max’s voice was like a whip.
With a sigh, Ben said, “Here comes Mr. Superstar. We had a deal. I get the low-level hotties while you get the starlets.”
Anger burned through Chrissy. He just insulted her completely. But, before she could point that out, Max grabbed Ben by the arm pulling her away.
“Stay away from Chrissy. She isn’t for you.” Max stood nose to nose with Ben.
“Come on, Max. I’ve had this one before. I can’t remember where, but I recognize that ass and those tits.”
Chrissy opened her mouth to scream at him, but Max already had him on the ground. His punch landed so quickly she didn’t see it until Ben was sprawled out before them.
“What the fuck! No bitch is worth a punch to the face.” Ben held his face.
Max bent down and punched him again. “She isn’t a bitch. I better never hear you talk to her like that again.”
Chrissy looked between the two men. Her emotions were finally catching up to her. She felt tears begin to pool in her eyes. Bending down to Ben, who was now holding his nose, she whispered, “I am the mother of your daughter, you moron.”
Ben looked at her with recognition this time. Pain lanced her heart. She quickly stood and ran back into the restaurant. Pushing through the blurry crowd she could vaguely hear someone calling her name. She found the bathroom and locked herself into one of the stalls.
Chrissy was hiding in the bathroom. She heard people coming in and out, but no one knew she was in there silently crying. When she finally got her tears under control, she pulled out her phone. Calling Talia on FaceChat was probably a mistake but she needed help.
Talia picked up after only two rings. Her face looked puffy as if she’d been the one crying. “Hey. How is Costa Rica?” she asked with little enthusiasm.
“Uh…it’s ok,” Chrissy whispered.
“Why are you whispering?” Talia squinted at the phone. “Where are you? It looks like you are squatting on a toilet.”
“Congratulations, Sherlock. You figured it out.”
Talia rolled her eyes. “What’s wrong? Why are you calling me already? Did you fall in love with Max and agree to have his love child like I did with Zeke?”
“We are engaged and will be married before that baby is born so stop calling her a love child,” Zeke’s voice called from somewhere off screen.
“Semantics. So…are you?”
“Am I what?” Chrissy whispered softer when she heard someone come into the bathroom.
“Are you having Max’s love child?” Talia’s voice echoed through the bathroom.
“Dammit. No. There is nothing going on with Max.” Chrissy moved the phone to turn the volume down on Talia’s booming voice.
“Well, if it isn’t that then what’s going on?”
“I’m at the kickoff party. I had just gotten a glass of wine and walked out to the deck to listen to the ocean. A guy came up and introduced himself. Only I already knew him. It’s Mariah’s father.” Chrissy rushed out the last sentence just as a group of giggling women entered the bathroom.
Talia didn’t have a reaction to Chrissy’s big news. It was the whole reason she was calling her. Just as she was about to ask what she thought, Talia put the phone down and Chrissy could hear her throwing up. The sound of someone throwing up echoed through the bathroom. The chatty women stopped what they were doing and hurried out of the bathroom. Good thing the person getting sick wasn’t there. She wouldn’t have been given any help.
“Ugh! This kid is going to kill me.” Talia’s voice came back. She still hadn’t picked up the phone, so Chrissy stared at Talia’s ceiling.
“Are you ok?” she asked.
Finally picking up the phone, Chrissy saw Talia looked a wreck and still had some throw up on her mouth. “I’m fine. So, where were we? You saw Mariah’s father.”
“Yes, but I have to tell you there is still some puke around your mouth.” Chrissy motioned where she saw it on Talia.
“Ew! I’m sorry. Did you get sick with Mariah?”
“I was lucky and didn’t really get sick with her.”
“You suck. This kid must just hate me. We already have a horrible relationship.”
“You will be fine, Talia. Trust me. You will be a great mom.”
Talia’s lip began to tremble, but she quickly shook her head. “Nope. I refuse to cry. Tell me how that douche of an ex is doing. Please tell me you kneed him in the nuts.”
“Nothing so grand. He didn’t even recognize me. He thought I was some one night stand he’d had in a foreign country. Then Max showed up, and it got worse.”
“Ooo, Max showed up? What happened there? Did they take their shirts off and use baby oil?”
Chrissy furrowed her brow. “What? No. He did punch him twice, though. In the face.”
Talia stuck out her bottom lip. “No baby oil?” She shook her head again. “These damn hormones have me swinging from sad to happy to horny. Good thing I always have a supply of batteries available.” She laughed.
“Don’t you have a man for that?”
“Yes, but he’s busy sometimes.”
“Talia, are you telling people about how you have to use a vibrator again?”
“Again?” Chrissy asked.
“He’s just referring to when I had to explain to the grocery store clerk why I had so many packages of batteries.”
“You didn’t.”
“She did. The poor girl blushed so hard I thought her uniform was going to catch fire.” Zeke sat behind Talia rubbing her shoulders.
Talia started making a purring sound that was making Chrissy uncomfortable. “I’m going to let you go. This is making things weird.”
“What? Wait? Are you going to be ok?” Talia asked pulling herself away from Zeke.
“I’ll be ok. I need to find my lady balls and leave this bathroom then promptly run to the elevator and the room I’m sharing with my boss. I will catch up with you two later. Zeke, remember crackers and ginger ale always help with the nausea.”
“You’re sharing a room with who?”
“Bye.” Chrissy waved then ended the call before she could ask any more questions.
Turning the camera on her phone back on she used it to check her appearance before leaving the stall. Freshening up her lipstick and wiping away the smudge of mascara had her looking fresh as a daisy. She just had to make herself leave. When she finally got it together, she flushed the toilet for effect in case anyone was still in the bathroom. She quickly washed her hands then slowly o
pened the door. No one was waiting for her. A sigh of relief left her in a whoosh.
With her back straight and her head held high she left the sanctuary the bathroom had provided. Determined to go back to her room she slid past a few intoxicated couples leaning dangerously close together. Other than those few obstacles it was relatively clear sailing out the restaurant doors. The hallway leading to the elevators was clear. The click of her sandals was all that could be heard. When she pushed the button to the elevator a hand landed on her shoulder. In an instant she had her assailant’s arm behind his back.
“Chrissy, it’s me,” Max choked out.
She didn’t let go but twisted it higher. “Why are you following me, Max?”
“I wanted to make sure you were ok.”
She let go of his wrist. “I’m fine. You can go back to the party.”
“Are you going back?”
“No. I’ve had enough of an opening party.”
“I’m not going back if you aren’t going to be there.”
The elevator announced its arrival. Chrissy stepped into the empty elevator. Max held the doors open and stared at her.
“Can I walk you back to your room?”
The fight had gone out of her for the evening. She didn’t have any more in her. All she wanted to do was sleep. “Fine.”
“Great.” His toothpaste commercial smile spread across his face.
“It’s just walking me to my room. There will be no funny business.”
“I know. I didn’t think there would be funny business.”
“Ok.” Chrissy pushed the button to her floor, and the elevator began its slow ascent.
Scandal (Dirty Laundry Book 2) Page 13