Contemporary Nights Volume One

by C. J. Ellisson

  Her dream seemed so real that in her half-awake state she thought he lay next to her. She rolled over and buried her face in the pillow.

  Just when she thought she was finally getting over him and starting to heal, something happened to remind her that she missed him as much as the day he’d left.

  *****

  The magazine was propped open and placed in a conspicuous location. Rico picked it up, wondering what his meddling sister had left for him to find. He frowned as one of the pictures caught his eye. He scanned the accompanying caption:

  Matt Larsen, football’s most notorious playboy and dangerous quarterback, was caught at a Seattle nightclub. His date for the evening is a local interior designer.

  Rico’s stomach curled in a tight knot. Six months—he hadn’t seen or talked to her in six months. He should’ve forgotten about her long ago. Instead, he thought about her almost every waking moment. This picture ripped opened old, self-inflicted wounds. He sighed and sank into the closest chair, taking the magazine with him. He didn’t know if he could love her, but he definitely needed her.

  Rico had grown weary of living by himself day after day. The loneliness seeped into his soul and his body. Once he’d blamed his discontent on not liking his work in the import business, but now he loved running his recording company. It’d started to turn around. In just six months, profits increased and expenses decreased. His rescue of the struggling company won praise from many industry insiders. He should be dancing in the streets. Yet, he wasn’t.

  He could almost afford Mariah now, at least in the manner that she wanted to be accustomed to financially. The emotional piece was another story.

  His month with Mariah had been the best month of his life. He couldn’t do better than her—except for Carmen. Carmen. Always Carmen. But Carmen had moved on. He needed to do the same. What he had with Mariah came close. Close enough to make a life with her.

  Frowning, he laid the magazine on the coffee table.

  A lot had changed, yet none of those changes fixed what was really broken. Instead of dreading his job, he loved it, a definite improvement. He’d taken complete control of his professional life for the first time ever. He was writing songs. Yet, something was still wrong. Still missing.

  He was irritable and depressed. Like a match to gasoline, his temper ignited at the slightest provocation. His friends and family tiptoed around him never knowing what would trigger his explosiveness. Even worse, emptiness lurked inside him like a stalker, never seen but always felt.

  The doorbell interrupted his attempt at self-exploration. Carmen swept into the room. He inhaled her familiar scent and waited for the little thrill he always felt in her presence. Only nothing happened.

  “I’m sorry I’m a little early. Max is anxious to get to the party.”

  “It’s fine, Car. It’ll be a welcome change of pace.”

  “Rico, are you sure this is okay? Angel will be by in an hour or so to pick her up.”

  “It’s not a problem. I don’t mind at all. I love babies.” He actually meant that. He really didn’t mind. In fact, he’d been looking forward to it.

  Smiling, Carmen placed his goddaughter in his arms. Rico stared at the small little bundle in absolute awe. His throat constricted with an unnamed emotion. Unable to speak, he smiled instead. As he gazed at the baby, something changed inside him. Something profound and beautiful and as powerful as his epiphany with the orca whales.

  Susannah drooled, blowing little bubbles as she breathed and laughed her musical laugh. “God, she’s beautiful, Car.”

  “Isn’t she?” Carmen peeked over his shoulder, wiping tears from her eyes. “I never knew being a mother would feel so good.”

  Rico tenderly stroked the baby’s cheek, reveling in her softness, breathing in her baby scent. He held her and rocked her carefully. She cooed at him. He met Carmen’s eyes. “I’m happy for you, Car. Truly, I am.” For once, he meant it.

  “You need a baby, Rico. A houseful. You’d be such a good papa.”

  “I will be. Someday.”

  “What are you waiting for?”

  “I guess the right woman would be a start.”

  Carmen touched his cheek. “Oh, Rico. Don’t give up the best thing that ever happened to you.”

  “What?” He stared at her, confused.

  “Mariah. She’s perfect for you, and you’re perfect for her.”

  “How do you know that? Have you been attending Eva’s psychic classes?”

  Carmen raised her eyebrows. “Eva has psychic classes?”

  “Hell if I know, but it wouldn’t surprise me.” They both shared a laugh, a painful reminder of good times long gone, never to be recovered.

  “Have you talked to her?”

  “Who? Eva?”

  “No. Mariah. Have you talked to Mariah?”

  “No, not at all. Not since I left. It’s best this way. I can’t be the man she needs.”

  Carmen breathed deeply and tightened her jaw. She gnawed on her lower lip, as if trying to keep the words inside. She didn’t. “I shouldn’t be telling you this, but she’s in a little financial trouble. Eva told me, but no one is to know.”

  “What kind of trouble?” Rico’s brow furrowed as he considered Carmen’s words.

  “I guess her aunt took out a loan to pay for her medical bills with the farm as collateral. Mariah didn’t know about it until the day the loan came due. It’s a lot of money, in the form of a balloon payment due about a month ago. Mariah’s ex loaned her aunt the money after he got her to sign over half of the farm to him. He’s foreclosing on the rest.”

  “What’s Mariah doing about it?”

  “She’s trying to get a loan to pay him off. If he takes that property, he’s going to develop it and remove the camp that’s been there for years. She’s pretty upset about it. Maybe you should call her just to say hi and tell her you’re thinking about her? Cheer her up a little. You do think about her, don’t you?”

  “Carmen, it’s over between us. I can’t call her. It wouldn’t be fair to her.”

  Carmen nodded her understanding and smiled sadly. She bent down and kissed her baby. “You have all our numbers?”

  “Sí, all of them.” His melancholy expression betrayed him. Carmen hesitated then met his intense gaze.

  “I love Max. You know that. I could’ve never loved you like I love him. You deserve more. I’m sorry.” She frowned and squeezed his arm. “Don’t look at me like that. We weren’t good together. We would have destroyed each other.”

  Rico didn’t see it that way, but she didn’t need to know that. “Carmen, I understand. Don’t waste your time worrying about me.”

  “Rico, I didn’t love you. I wanted out. We’d been together since we were kids. I grew one way, and you grew another. Then that poor girl was found in your room and all hell broke loose. I panicked, I couldn’t deal with the media circus. I’m so sorry. I know I hurt you. My timing was lousy, but to stay would have prolonged the inevitable.” Guilt was written all over her face.

  “Carmen, there’s one thing I have to know. Were you seeing Max while we were together?”

  “No. No, I swear we wouldn’t have done that to you, Rico. Yes, we were attracted to each other, but we never acted on it until after I left you for good. You need to move on.” She smiled a sad, little smile. Without another word, she walked out the door, closing it quietly behind her.

  Her words should have pierced him like a lance. Instead, he felt nothing.

  Rico carried the baby to a rocking chair. She played with a button on his shirt, fascinated by it. He held her close to him. His heart ached for a little one like this to protect, to nurture, to love. He rocked her, humming softly to her. His humming turned into a gentle ballad, Susannah’s ballad. The words came easily to him. They tumbled from his mouth as if they’d been waiting for just the right moment. Peace and contentment filled him. Perhaps he’d been fighting the very thing his life needed—a family of his own. As he considered Carmen�
��s words, a plan took shape in his mind. A crazy plan, an outrageous plan, yet the more he toyed with it, the more plausible it seemed.

  “Rico, you look good with that baby in your arms.”

  Rico jumped then glared at Angel. “Do you know how to use a doorbell?” Thank God, the baby was a heavy sleeper.

  Angel crossed in front of him to admire the baby. “You’d make a good wife, dear brother, you even cook.”

  “Thanks, thanks a lot. There’s one problem. I don’t want a husband.”

  “Oh, does that mean you want a wife?”

  Oops. He’d walked right into that one. Rico refused to answer that question under grounds that he might incriminate himself.

  Angel crossed the room and picked up the magazine. “This is her, isn’t it?”

  “Did you leave that here?”

  “Nope, you can’t pin that one on me.” She studied the picture. “She’s gorgeous, Rico. Just your type. Why don’t you do something about it? You’ve been as crotchety as a cat thrown in a bathtub since you came back.” She met his eyes in a silent challenge.

  “Yeah, it’s called no sex in six months.”

  “I don’t buy it. If it was that simple, half of the women in California would be willing to accommodate you.”

  She put her face close to his face, her dark eyes boring into his eyes. Rico shifted the baby in his arms and gave the child his full attention, ignoring his sister. Unfortunately, that didn’t deter her in the least. “You’re a pain in the butt. No wonder you can’t keep a man for more than one night.”

  She flopped down next to him. “You hide behind sex. You know that?”

  Oh God, there she went. She should have majored in psychology and used her nosiness for people who wanted help instead of torturing him.

  “Angel, not tonight.”

  “Rico, it’s about more than sex with you. It always has been. You’re not nearly the love ‘em and leave ‘em type you pretend to be. I know you don’t want to be like Dad, but you’ve taken it to the opposite extreme. Just because you were with Carmen for years doesn’t mean that you can’t fall in love again.” She shook her head and sighed. “You know what you need?”

  “No, but I bet you’re going to tell me anyway.”

  “Don’t be a stubborn ass.”

  Rico moaned and rolled his head back against the couch. Angel pointed at the magazine. “Go get her. I’ve never met her, but I have a good feeling about her. She looks like a nice person.”

  “How can you tell by that picture?”

  “I have good instincts. Come on, brother dear. What are you afraid of?”

  “Mariah needs more than I’m willing to give.”

  “Why aren’t you willing to give what she needs?”

  “It’s all so complicated.”

  “No, it’s not. Only because you choose to make it that way. That gives you a convenient excuse.” Angel leaned forward, taking the baby from him. She stood up. “I love you, Rico. I want to see you happy. You’re not the person you think you are. You’re actually a better person. You just want someone to love and someone to love you. Until you quit fighting that, you’ll never be happy. Never.”

  After she left, Rico crawled into bed and closed his eyes. Sleep claimed him and transformed him elsewhere. He traveled to a dark place, a place not familiar to him. He smiled at the blond vision before him. Carmen. Puzzled, his smile faded, and he frowned ever so slightly. She was the one and yet she wasn’t. Confusion flooded his brain.

  She floated toward him covered in a fine mist. A white light bathed her naked body. He moved toward her, holding out his hands. She took them. They merged together as one to fill a longing, a need, an emptiness within them.

  Suddenly, the mist cleared. The body joined with his wasn’t Carmen’s. In her place was a certain green-eyed, sassy beauty with a dazzling smile, a wicked sense of humor, and an innocent sensuality. She offered everything to him for the sheer joy of making him happy. She expected nothing in return. What she lacked in experience, she made up for in enthusiasm and passion. He returned her gift with eagerness, offering all he had to offer. They climbed higher and higher together. When he reached his climax, he cried out her name and pledged his heart to her.

  Sated and relaxed, Rico rolled onto his back to pull her into his arms, but his arms were empty. The cold bed contained only him.

  God, he yearned for her—body and soul. “Te quiero, Mariah. I need you,” he whispered into the night.

  Chapter Fifteen—The Scheme

  “My God, Rico. Are you hung over?”

  Rolling over in bed, Rico rubbed his eyes and squinted at his sister. Angel walked to the window and opened the blinds. He threw the blanket over his head as the sun intruded into his dark sanctuary. Tasha, his little mutt, opened one eye and glared at Angel, annoyed at having her beauty sleep interrupted. With a little growl, she burrowed under the pillow. Bo, his black lab, snored loudly from his location at the foot of the bed. Normally, Rico didn’t allow his dogs in his room, but last night he was too lonely to kick them out.

  “How’d you get in here?” He tried to snarl, but it came out as a feeble grunt.

  “I have a key. Remember, brother dear?” Angel bounced on the edge of his bed and pulled the blanket off his head.”

  “I musta been drunk when I gave you keys to my house.”

  “Rico, it’s after eleven. Why are you still in bed?”

  “I’m tired. Okay? I didn’t sleep last night.” He’d stayed up until 5:00 A.M., plotting and planning.

  “Well, don’t get your boxers in a bunch. Everyone started worrying when you didn’t show up at the office this morning. We tried calling, but you aren’t answering your phone.”

  “I unplugged all the phones.” He opened his eyes wider as Angel pulled a breakfast tray out of thin air and shoved it under his nose. “You didn’t have to do that.”

  “Yes, I did. I’m worried about you.”

  “Don’t you have something better to do? Like rob a bank or harass some poor guy who runs a red light? Hell, I don’t know. Just leave me alone.” Even as he said it, his nose picked up the heavenly scent of bacon. With a flourish, Angel sat the tray on his lap. Not waiting for an invitation, she jumped on the bed, grabbed a plate from the tray and helped herself.

  “Rico, you’re lovesick,” Angel noted as she watched him wolf down the bacon and eggs.

  “That’s ridiculous. We were good friends, and we had good sex. That was it.”

  Angel looked knowingly at Rico. “We were, huh? So you know exactly who I’m talking about?”

  “Stop that. I know what you’re thinking. It’s not true. I’m not down, not at all. For the first time in years, I love what I’m doing, and I’m good at it.”

  Angel nodded. “I know you love running the recording company, Rico. Everyone knows it, but you’re pushing too hard. Your people know their jobs. You need to trust them.”

  “I do trust them. I just—”

  “Expect them to work 24-7 like you do?”

  “No, I don’t expect that.”

  “Oh, excuse me, that’s only 16-7, right? Rico, people are grumbling. They appreciate what you’ve done with the company, but they don’t like your unreasonable expectations.”

  “I don’t expect any more of them than I expect of myself.”

  “What makes you think your expectations of yourself are reasonable?”

  Rico couldn’t think of an answer for that. He tossed a piece of bacon to Bo, who sat patiently at the side of the bed. With that sixth sense dogs have that tell them when one of their kind is getting a treat, Tasha emerged from her hiding spot. Rico gave her a smaller piece.

  “You’ve signed several hot new singers and some brilliant unknowns. You’ve made the music industry stand up and pay attention to Insignia. It’s no longer the butt of everyone’s jokes.”

  “So what is your point?”

  “You’ve won back their respect, Rico. No one talks about that night four years ago a
nymore.”

  Rico shrugged. He guessed that was good. Really good.

  “Did you ever think that you need to balance your life with a little personal joy? Loving what you do hasn’t filled the void, has it? You thought it would, but it hasn’t. That’s why you’re so edgy and restless.” Angel paused to point at the picture of Mariah he’d left sitting on the nightstand. “You need a woman. You need to get a life, so the rest of us can have one, too.”

  “Angel, I’m one step ahead of you. For once, you’re right.”

  “I’m right?” Angel choked on her words. “Okay, whoever you are, what did you do with my brother?”

  Rico laughed. “I am going to get a life. Work isn’t enough. I need more.” He took a deep breath, savoring his next words. “I’ve made a decision, a life-altering decision.” He had her attention now. Her ears pricked up, and she practically salivated. He waited an appropriate amount of time to build a little drama then he socked it to her. “I want a family. I want kids.”

  Angel stared at him with an open mouth. He’d finally managed to say something to render her speechless. He mentally patted himself on the back. Chalk one up for the males of the world. “Babysitting Susie got me thinking. I’m good with kids, love kids. Now is the best time for me to have them. I’m still young enough to enjoy them, do things with them. It’s perfect.”

  “Don’t you need a woman for that? Unless you know something I don’t.”

  “I already have a woman in mind.”

  “Oh, and she’ll just go along with this crazy idea of yours?” His sister cast a quick glance at Mariah’s picture.

  “Yeah, she will. I think. I have something she needs desperately, and she has something I need.”

  “She has a womb, but what do you have for her?” Angel raised her eyebrows.

  “You mean besides being irresistible, charming, and sexy? Oh, yeah, and don’t forget hot in bed.”

  “What else, Rico?” Angel rolled her eyes, pretending to gag.

  “Money. I can scrape together enough to save the one thing she holds dear above all else.”

  *****

  Rico rubbed his eyes with his fists. He was so tired he saw double.