by Xavier Neal
After the many photos and well-rehearsed answers to questions in regards to missing my mother, the two of us are allowed into the building held exclusively for high end events and weddings.
I do miss her...but at this point, I've spent half of my life with her and half of it without. As much as this would kill my father to hear me admit this out loud, Nadie's as much my mother as my mother was.
With me still on his arm, we enter the over-sized grand ballroom where the black and white attired landscape is so boring a sighs falls out of me.
Colors. I love colors. The brighter the better. Beautiful clashes and combinations that when meshed together are full of passion. Like life is supposed to be. This...well look at it. Don't you feel like we're in mourning? Death of fun....obviously.
Looking around, I force myself to smile at familiar faces until my eyes land on Tyler, the Mayor's pride and joy. Quickly moving my eyes elsewhere, I catch the vision of a handsome young brunette who matches my height in these heels.
Not a deal breaker.
“Stay away from Mike Miles,” Dad instructs catching onto where my eyes landed. “Fresh out of the academy. Doesn't have enough respect of the law in my opinion. Not for a kid whose father is such an impressive detective.” Before I can say anything he stops and steps in front of me. “And Jeremy Smith. Oh, and Cole Cooper. I don't like the way his eyes typically wander. And--”
“I got it Dad. Stay away from the male population.”
“And Jessyka Lindel.”
“Understood,” I politely assure him. “Now go. You're being summoned.”
He hesitates, but eventually plants a kiss on my cheek. “Thank you Jo'.”
“Welcome Dad.”
So is it easy being the Commissioner's daughter? No. Not dating, not seeing the world, not experiencing what should be the best years of my life all fucking suck, but the small sliver of dependency he shows only me, makes a helluva difference. I'm the only person in a world that's always trying to fall down on him, that can hold him up. Doesn't justify it all, but eases the sting. Problem is...I'm not going to be lifting him up much longer and I don't know if he'll let Nadie finally be the shoulder he leans on.
Merrick
Ben is by the far the world's biggest fucking moron. He's done some really dumb shit in life, but this....this takes the goddamn cake.
“Ben.” I grab a glass of champagne from a waiter. “Explain to me again how crashing a charity event… No, correction! A cop charity event is fun.”
“Come on.” He nudges me in the side, wiggling his eyebrows. “What's more of a rush than this? Crashing the cop party that campaigns to stop the very thing we do for a living. Not getting caught in a room full of people whose main mission is to catch people like us.”
Fucking. Moron.
“How many of these cops are on Vinnie's payroll?” My voice whispers out.
“Not many...which is where the fun comes in.”
“Ben―”
“No.” He grabs a bacon wrapped scallop that's being offered. “We're not gonna do that. I didn't get us all dressed up for you to bitch out. You were looking for a little more in life, so here it is. A rush. Now, do something fun. I know I'm about to.” With a wink he tilts his head at a female who is giving him her best seductive look. “If you'll excuse me....”
There's no possible way this is gonna end in any other scenario than jail time. You've got Madden's number right? Yeah, don't call him. Call Knoxie.
Ben strolls away leaving me stranded on the upper level of the event. Planting both my hands on the railing I look down at the crowd of cops who wouldn't hesitate to throw us behind bars if they had any idea what we really did for a living. The crowd whose lives are spent hunting us. Hunting me and my brothers.
I gotta get the fuck out of here.
Quickly I turn and bump into a female damn near sending her flying backwards.
Smooth move right? Injure a cop at the charity function. That'll make an easy ass exit.
Catching her before she can fall, I rush out an apology, “I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to. I didn't even see you there. I―” My mouth stops flying. With a deep sigh I say, “I know you.”
The pair of brown eyes that were looking up at me last night, that were looking at me through the restaurant window, are right here in front of me. Looking just as alluring as they were then, except now, they aren't the only thing that has my attention.
This chick is fucking beautiful.
“I don't think so.” She slides out of my grip and stands up straight.
“I mean...” the words seem to get suffocated during the anticipation of an explanation. I try to regain my composure. “I don't know you, know you. I've just...I've seen you around.”
“I doubt it,” she hums before turning to walk away.
“Wait!” I call out, stopping her.
She turns back around curiosity painted on her face. “Yeah?”
“Yesterday...” I take a step towards her. “At Olympus. You tripped over my foot.”
Her cheeks heat and she quickly snaps in a whisper, “I hate heels.”
“And before that.” I take another step so I'm right in front of her. “You were heading into some store across the street. I saw you through The Box's window while I was having lunch.” Watching her brain scramble to place me, I don't waste another minute introducing myself. A hand extends for her. “Merrick.”
“Jovi,” she softly answers, shaking it in return. “Nice to meet you.”
“Pleasure.” My eyes fall over her light brown skin that's just asking to be tasted. Curves like a classic sculpture of a Greek Goddess. The way her dress hugs all she's packing up top and cleverly hides what she may or may not possess below, twists my mind into wondering how long until I can get a look to see.
Don't look at me like that. You saw how girls melt for me. This'll be a piece of cake.
“I should go,” Jovi declares getting ready to walk away again.
Okay so maybe not a piece of cake. Pie...there's more resistance with pie. Honestly? I'm kind of glad she didn't just fall to her knees for me.
“Wait.” I stop her again, this time grabbing her hand. “Why are you in such a rush? Boyfriend waiting?”
She giggles out an appalled laugh. “Boyfriend? Are you joking? You really have no idea who I am, do you?”
From the way she's looking at me, I get the feeling that sentence is a two way street. I like that. I like that a lot.
“Why don't you give me a chance to find out?” the offer gets a brief smile.
“And why would you want that?” Her challenge causes a heavy thump in my chest as does the fact she has yet to pull her hand away from me.
“The girl with the bright brown eyes in the Van Gogh dress? Why wouldn't I?”
Suddenly her smile grows even brighter, but her hand stays still. “I would say he used more yellows than oranges.”
“I would say it depends where you're looking.” I do my best to keep my eyes in hers and not on the gorgeous rack that's calling my name.
This girl likes art too? No idea who I am and shares my passion? Yeah. This night just found something worth its risk.
Jovi bites the corner of her lip and I whisper, “Wanna see something awesome?”
She looks like she wants to fight against it by the way she glances down at the crowd. Unsure of who is down there that would make her weary, but know it's not a boyfriend, I gently persuade.
“From one Van Gogh fan to another. Trust me. It's worth it.”
Without hesitation this time she demands, “Show me.”
Folding her fingers with mine, I slip her around to the side exit Ben and I used to come in. As soon as the cool night air hits our faces she lets out a shiver that runs through her and straight into me. Intoxicated by the feeling of her touches against my skin I try to focus on where we are headed.
Holy shit that's new.
When we reach the bottom of the emergency stairs, now on the side walk she questions, “Are we goi
ng far? I told you, I hate heels.”
Abruptly I stop and turn to face her. “It's a couple buildings over.” Her stunning face that I bet is just as beautiful without make up, looks like it wants to make an argument to stop the expedition, so I quickly ask, “Your dress stretch?”
On a gasp she goes to step back. “Why?”
“I'll carry you,” I offer. “Piggy back style.”
Jovi lets out a laugh that's so beautiful, so tantalizing, all I wanna do is figure out how to spend the rest of my life being the only one who makes her do that.
That's better than any moan I've ever had a girl make. And trust me. I've heard hundreds.
“You're serious?”
“Dead serious.”
Still smiling, she hikes up her dress revealing legs that have my mouth watering.
Oh those in the air...fuck. I'm gonna need your help to keep my head in the game on this one. Just a good 'Merrick Focus' occasionally please.
I turn around, squeezing my eyes tight to will my rising hard on down. Her legs wrap around me as do her arms around my neck. Whispering in my ear, her hot breath like lava to my thoughts, “Am I too heavy?”
At the temperature my brain has risen to, my mouth forgets how to function.
God. Fucking her against this building would be― Right! Focus!
“No.” My throat clears. “Hold on tight.”
Taking the sidewalk around the back of the building, I head us towards the spot I haven't shown any one.
Appreciation of it is key.
“You do this often?” Jovi's head falls on my shoulder. “Kidnap girls from parties.”
“They go willingly most of the time,” I reply. She lets out a small giggle again and my heart immediately swells. “What about you? You go running off with strange men?”
“All the time,” her sarcasm gets a smirk out of me. “Hotter they are, the further I let them take me.”
The joke spurs a bit of a jealous grunt out of me. I grip her a little tighter.
I don't know what the fuck that was, but, just shut up about it.
Reaching the fire escape stairs to the city building, I lower her to the ground, taking her hand to lead her the rest of the way. On the rooftop, I drag Jovi over to the edge, and position her right where I want her. With my body standing behind her, I point to an old building that's not directly next to us, but the one on the other side.
“See it?”
The sharp gasp of excitement answers for me.
“Holy shit!” She looks over her shoulder at me. “Holy shit! That's awesome!”
I smirk. “I told you.”
“Holy shit!” Jovi lets out that laugh again. “That's totally a modernized version of Van Gogh's Skull painting! I can't believe someone spray painted that. Do you know who did?”
“Me.” My answer causes her to spin around, so her back is against the brick and her hips are nestled with mine.
Her dress would be easy to just lift up.
“Seriously?” When I nod her beautiful smile returns. “You painted that?”
“Yeah.”
“Why?”
“I like to paint. And I love classic art. Van Gogh particularly. I think spray painting with subtle differences makes for a perfect blending of the two.”
“I couldn't agree more,” her voice whispers out as the wind picks up blowing the curled ends of her hair up.
“What about you? Like to paint?”
“Can't paint to save my life.” She folds her arms across her chest. “But, I love art and poetry. Mostly paintings. Feel like I was born in the wrong century sometimes.”
“I know the feeling,” I sheepishly confess. “Art major?”
“Yeah. Minor in English. That's the hope anyway,” she replies. Jovi glances back at my artwork on the side of the building and mumbles, “God, I wish I would've brought my phone so I could take a picture of that...” Suddenly panic rushes across her face. “Oh no. Fuck. What time is it?”
Pulling out my cell, I check. “9:15.”
“Shit! Shit!” She shrieks. “I gotta get back before the big speech.”
“No worries. Your chariot will make sure you get back on time under one condition.”
“Oh yeah?” Her head tilts. “What's that?”
“You save me a dance after dinner. I think I've earned that much.”
With another light chuckle she nods. “Agreed. You've definitely earned that much. Now, can we get going before they send a search party? Believe me when I say that's the last thing you want.”
She has no idea. Who would've thought the one place I should be avoiding like the black death is the exact place I would find that spark of life I've been longing for? Poetic justice or some bullshit, I guess. That's the only kind of justice I'm looking for. After all, the other one would land me in that orange jumpsuit that would even make Van Gogh gag.
Jovi
Dropping into the seat at our table which is beside the Mayor's, I place my napkin in my lap, like I'm not running late from a mid-party escape with the hot stranger who came out of nowhere.
Zip it. Lock it. And put the judgment in your pocket. Save the 'he could've been a serial killer' lectures for my dad. That's his job. He gives me plenty of 'em.
Tyler's voice floods my ear, “You look hot in that dress. Jovi. Dance later?”
“My dances are all booked, Tyler.” I grumble back as my dad sits down in the seat beside me.
Looks like a Hollywood star, acts like a Hollywood douche.
“All of them?”
“Every single one.” My attention turns to where it should be. “Hi Dad.”
“Where have you been?” He questions quickly. “One minute you were there and the next I swear you weren't.”
“Mingling. Like you instructed. Away from the recruits.”
Not real sure what Merrick does for a living or who he is related to, but it's a safe bet he's not a member of the law. Tagging buildings is something that's typically frowned upon. Though, that didn't even look like tagging. It looked like art ripped out of time and plastered and pasted in the present to be the most breath taking thing in a lifeless area.
Not sold, his eyebrows furrow. “Jovi―”
“Those bacon wrapped scallops are not as good as they were last year.”
The remark causes him to relax as he nods in agreement. “Too much pepper this year.”
Definitely.” Casually, I glance the direction of the upper deck where guests that didn't pay for the dinner are still socializing.
With my luck in the time it takes us to eat and the dreaded speech, Merrick will have been informed of who I am, come to his senses and run the opposite direction. Ugh. Being the Commissioner's daughter sucks. I can't wait to move.
Dinner is served and my father begins his typical uncomfortable parade of questions about the small existence that is my life. We keep the conversation light, treading around the very obvious topic of where I'll be going at the end of the semester, knowing this isn't the place to have that discussion.
After dessert is delivered, the announcements of winners from the auction starts. As it drags, no immediate ending in sight, my eyes drift up, curiosity once again getting the better of me. Before my eyes can locate Merrick, my father's being summoned, which redirects all my attention to the stage.
I fold my hands into my lap, preparing for the last obstacle between me and a dance promised to the guy whose path I can't stop crossing.
Dad begins from behind the microphone, “Thank you ladies and gentleman for joining us. I know you're all anxious to get back to the dancing and your open bar drinking,” the joke gets a light chuckle from the audience. “But for those of you who have been to this event in the previous years, you know this is the moment I like to take the time and express my thanks for all the donations that help families who have experienced a loss that hits home. Over a decade ago, my family experienced a loss as a result of reckless ways on the roads. Our struggle to get through it was very r
eal and sparked an awareness that spread like wildfire. With the money raised from tonight we can continue to help raise consciousness and continue to help other families who have suffered as ours did. Once again thank you. Please enjoy the rest of your evening.”
The applause is followed with many people lifting their glasses in praise of his speech. I watch my dad get bombarded on his way off the stage by many admirers who want a word and to express their condolences as they do every year.