A Sea of Smoke_A Dark Romance

by Karen Lynn

  Franky chuckled. “How does Miami grab you for a business vacation?”

  Jake froze, his hands glued to the front of his shirt. Pulling himself together, his fingers fumbled to close the buttons. “Where?”

  “Earth to Jake!” He laughed, waving a hand in front of his face. “What part didn't you hear? I thought you'd be happy to get away.”

  “Yeah, I am. Why Miami?” It was a lame question, and he knew it.

  “Why do you think? That's where Henry's clubs and galleries are, duh!” After a silent pause, “Don't get too excited yet. I'm still finalizing it.”

  Jake exhaled deeply, closing the remaining buttons. “Sounds great, really. It's just—I didn't expect it to be Miami.” Of all the places on Earth!

  “Well I don't know of any galleries in Alaska, but I can check if you want.”

  Jake was dumbfounded. “Here's a few canvases. It's been a dry week.”

  Franky eyed them with admiration before he brought them to the living room. “Nice. Too bad there's not more. I expect a big crowd tonight. But maybe more for Thursday?”

  They sat on the couch with a couple of beers.

  Jake mulled it over in his head. Inspiration had to come from somewhere, or he'd be screwed. “Yeah. I have a few days.”

  “Good, because Henry will probably want to see as much of your work as possible.”

  Jake began to space out with jumbled thoughts centered on the future, his artwork, Miami, his possible son. He flinched at the idea of being a father. His mother couldn't be the judge of that. She was biased. The desire had to come from him, and whether any existed remained a mystery.

  Maybe he'd call her to see if she could paint a clearer image in his head. His mother had always been good at that.

  LOGAN

  When he went out to pick up some food for dinner, he never expected to be followed. After two quick detours, he screeched to halt in front of Bertha's BBQ on Collins Avenue. The parking lot was full. He decided to sit in the car a few minutes and see if the black Mercedes SUV pulled in. When nothing happened, he racked his brain to recall what Kristen wanted as he whisked through the parking lot to the entrance.

  The black SUV came out of nowhere, speeding towards him. Lucky for him he turned his head just in time, managing to leap out of the way a second before impact. In shock, he remained frozen, his eyes glued to the area it sped away to.

  “You should be more careful,” he heard a familiar voice say. Fighting to catch his breath, he whirled around to face Gina. Her hair was tied back in a ponytail, huge earrings dangled from her ears, brushing the sides of her long, slender neck.

  “What are you doing here?” he blinked hoping to clear his head.

  It had only been a few weeks since they'd spoken but all of a sudden it felt like an eternity. Still wobbly, he reached out taking her arm for support. With a huge smile, her eyes fixed on it.

  “What? I can't eat BBQ also?” Her tongue flicked provocatively across her lips. “Or is your pregnant wife planning to clean it out?”

  Logan ignored her comment, concentrating on her tongue. When he jolted out of his trance, he gripped the handle on the door and pulled it open.

  “How is your appetite these days anyway, mi amor?”

  She rushed to enter the restaurant alongside of him, her body sweeping across his before coming to an abrupt halt and blocking his way.

  It didn’t take long. In an instant his legs weakened, his arousal nearly bursting through his pants. The restaurant was really packed. His eyes sailed across her body, taking in every inch.

  He leaned down, brushing his lips across her ear. “Big enough.”

  They placed their orders, stepping to the side. Gina moved in for the kill, flush against him now, her full, red lips set in a sensuous smile. “Maybe we can go to my car until its ready?”

  A quick assumption was the dinner order could take up to an hour to prepare. Feasting on her could fill in the gap. Logan sighed. It took him less than a second to consider her offer.

  “Let's go.” He took her hand, allowing her to lead him to additional parking behind the restaurant. He jerked back, releasing her when he spotted the black SUV.

  Gina gripped his shirt, yanking him to her. “You like it? Daddy gave it to me for the day, and even included his driver, Roberto. Isn’t he sweet?”

  She tapped on the driver's door, whispering something in Spanish to Roberto, the handsome, burly man behind the wheel. After she gave him a seductive look, he grinned back with a knowing one, stepped out and sauntered away.

  Logan continued to track him becoming suspicious when he peered back at them. Once Roberto had disappeared from view, he whirled around to confront Gina.

  “He could've killed me!”

  “Oh please! Don't be so melodramatic!”

  When she opened the rear passenger door and slid in, her eyes burned with desire. A wide grin spread across Logan’s face. Without a word, he dug his fingers into her soft flesh, pushed her back onto the seat and slammed the door behind him.

  * * *

  Kristen must’ve texted Logan at least a million times. It was almost 9:00 p.m. when he finally opened the door of the condo, carrying two shopping bags filled with food. Pretending to be engrossed in a movie, she glanced up waiting for him to stumble over. After dropping the bags on the coffee table, he knelt next to her. One look in his eyes and she could tell he was stoned.

  “Sorry it took so long.” He smiled sheepishly, intending to kiss her. She smirked, yanking her face away. The satisfaction that washed over her from the look of surprise in his eyes, almost outweighed her anger.

  “You had to stop to get high? Really?” So much for staying stress free. She jerked back when he reached for her face. “Who were you with, Logan?”

  “No one, sweetie. Come on, give me a break! I almost got hit by a car tonight!” he sulked lifting himself onto the couch.

  “Oh, bullshit, Logan! You just want my sympathy again!” She bounced up, about to leave, when he rose and grabbed her arms.

  “I mean it, that's what took so long.”

  “Let go of me! I'm sick of your cheating. After the baby is born, I'm out of here!”

  “That's crazy, Kristen! You need to calm down. Listen to me!” He raised his voice, trying to restrain her. She wrestled him, desperate to break out of his hands. “Stop it. You're gonna hurt yourself again.” He squeezed harder until she gave up.

  “I'm not eating. You can dump it,” She pouted.

  “Cool. I'll eat it all. You starve,” Without moving, he waited for her to lift her bright red face to him. Unable to resist, he started to laugh.

  “How'd you almost get hit by a car, Logan?” Both curious and famished, she filled her plate with ribs while humoring him.

  “Some asshole was speeding in the parking lot. I was trying to remember what you wanted and wasn’t paying attention.”

  “Aww, how sweet. So you're blaming me?”

  “No, Krissy. I'm not blaming you. I'm just telling you what happened. Can we forget about it now?” He opened his beer.

  “By the way, what ever happened to that girlfriend of yours?”

  Logan stopped eating. “I never had a girlfriend.”

  “Right, and I'm not fat and pregnant!”

  He pushed a strand of hair out of her face to wipe BBQ sauce from her cheek.

  “You don't have to baby me, Logan.”

  “I want to.”

  She let him kiss her, unable to ignore the chill surging through her. When she broke the kiss, and stared up at him, a different feeling took over. It wasn’t related to desire.

  “I want you.” He whispered leaning in again.

  Inching out of reach, she turned her back on him. Not this time bastard. Not bothering to respond, she wiped her mouth with a napkin, crumpled it into a ball and hurled at his face.

  “But, I don’t want you.” His shocked expression filled her with a satisfaction that she hadn’t experienced in quite some time.
/>   JAKE

  Ben and Jenny were immersed in an intimate conversation in a corner of the bar. Jake refused to let it get to him. If Ben wanted to play with fire, let him.

  The customers were beginning to stream in, many hovering around the bar before moving to the dance floor. The noise amplified, loud voices, laughter, and music blending into each other. The pounding in his head kept increasing, making it difficult to concentrate on the orders. As much as he strived to work vigorously without paying attention to the lack of help, it was getting to him. Jenny continued clinging to Ben, giggling and following him around while he worked.

  “Hey man, I ordered my drink ten minutes ago!” An overweight, extremely inebriated man shouted. He elbowed his way through the crowd, hanging onto the bar next to Jake.

  “Go tell her!” Jake snapped back pointing to Jenny.

  What a shock! She’s goofing off again!

  He handed drinks to a couple of women, keeping a steady eye on the drunk. As if the women sensed trouble brewing, they anxiously moved to the side.

  The drunk looked up at Jake, then turned his attention to Jenny and Ben. Jake stood rigidly in place, tensing as he watched the dark red hue rising from the drunk’s neck to his face. Without another word, he turned away from Jake, arrogantly marched toward Jenny, stood on the edge of a bar stool and hurled his beer bottle over the bar. It crashed against the back mirror. Jenny managed to leap out of the way just in time.

  “Hey bitch! Where's my drink!” he yelled, swaying back and forth before latching onto the counter top.

  “What the fuck is wrong with you?” Ben quickly whirled around to face the man, but kept his distance. Jenny rushed to Ben’s side and grabbed his arm.

  “I want my fucking drink now, bitch!” The drunk wagged his finger at her. The bar stool slipped out from under him, sending him tumbling backward onto the ground.

  There were screams and loud gasps as the surrounding customers scattered. Before they had time to clear the area, several other patrons sprinted over, hoping to get in on the action. Jake chuckled, reversing discretely away from the center of attention.

  In a matter of minutes, Jonny and two bouncers were next to the guy, bending down to see if he was alright. Jenny separated herself from Ben, standing off to the side with an innocent look on her face. When, they eventually lifted the drunk to his feet, Jake saw blood streaming down his face. Someone announced that EMS was on its way.

  Jake glanced over at Jenny, unaware that she had been staring at him. Their eyes locked in a vicious glare until she huffed and broke the connection. His body inflated in victory. He couldn’t hide his amusement. Without looking back at him, she stalked around the bar to Jonny.

  Show over, back to business. Jake chuckled to himself, turning his attention back to a new influx of patrons that were more concerned with getting intoxicated than senseless drama.

  After a while EMS arrived, worked diligently to stop the bleeding and started questioning the man. The bouncers returned to their patrol of the club. Something was off though and Jake couldn’t quite put his finger on it. He watched closely as Jenny whispered to Jonny. Instantly he jerked around, glared at Jake and charged towards him. By that time Jenny had returned to her station, a big, satisfied smile on her face. But she continued spying on them as she took care of customers.

  “Hey Jake, can I see you in my office?” Jonny gestured to him, his mouth set in a grim line.

  Jake nodded, handing a beer to a guy. He took a deep breath and began weaving his way through the crowd of customers lining the dimly lit corridor. Jonny held the door open for him, slamming it shut once he entered. He slumped in the huge arm chair behind his desk and motioned for Jake to take a seat.

  “It seems these meetings are becoming an unpleasant habit, Jake,” Jonny grumbled.

  Jake had no idea what was going on. He stiffened, waiting. Jonny took his time, slowly lighting a joint, dragging, and handing it to Jake. With some uncertainty, he took it, hoping the effects would be instantaneous.

  “So, Jake, it seems you and Jenny don't get along too good out there.” He stared at him.

  Oh, that's what it’s about! Jake grunted, rubbing his suddenly irritated eyes. “I keep my distance.”

  “We were wondering if you instigated that little incident just now…” Jonny leaned back, the chair creaking loudly under his weight.

  “What? I have no idea what you're talking about!”

  “I think you do. A couple of people said they heard you telling him to do it...”

  “That's bullshit, Jonny! Maybe if she was working instead of fucking around with Ben none of this would've happened!” Jake was losing it. He stood up, shaking with anger.

  Jonny popped up now, his face raging. “That's not your business, Jake! I pay you to do your fucking job, not supervise!”

  Jake’s chest heaved, his breathing erratic and stressed. He envisioned grabbing Jonny by the throat and hurling him against the wall, but struggled to regain his composure. “Look man, I always mind my own business. I had nothing to do with that. Someone is lying.”

  “So now you're calling Jenny a liar. Jake, I know you have your issues with your girlfriend being married and all...”

  At that moment everything clicked. So that’s where Jenny got her information from. Jake’s arms tensed. In one quick, reflexive movement, Jake’s fists clenched and he lunged forward. Jonny leaped out of the way, smashing into a large table. Several china vases toppled over, crashing to the floor. Jake froze, snapping back to reality. His arm dropped to his side, but he was still shaking.

  “Don't bring her into this!”

  In a temporary state of shock, Jonny swiped his hand across his watery eyes, took a long gulp and returned to his chair. Without taking his eyes off of Jake, he gave his greasy hair a couple of nervous pat downs and eased back. But Jake couldn't sit. He was way too agitated. Still panting, he shifted his weight anxiously from one foot to the other.

  “Calm down, Jake. We're just having a conversation here.” He beckoned him to sit. Finally letting out a reluctant groan, Jake fell into the chair. An uncomfortable amount of time passed. Jonny finished off the joint and started fidgeting.

  Jake knew something was coming that might not be pleasant. On instinct, his hands gripped the edge of his seat.

  Jonny abruptly stood up. “I think you should take a break, Jake—clear your head. Sort out your priorities...” He wouldn’t look at him.

  Jake wasn't exactly sure what he meant, but didn't want to drag it out any longer.

  “Are you firing me?”

  Jonny couldn't avoid his eyes any longer; they were burning through him. “If you can't find a way to co-exist with Jenny, then yeah. For now, just go home. Think about it.” He shuffled closer to the desk drawer, his hands out of sight.

  Jake’s eyes narrowed. For a brief moment he stood emotionless, running Jonny’s words through his head. As soon as it processed, he nodded, turned and walked back into the club. He didn't stop, say a word, or look at anyone at the bar, just kept walking until he hit the street. After a quick glance over his shoulder to confirm there was no one behind him, he picked up his pace down the block to his truck.

  MONDAY

  LOGAN

  Succumbing to Gina had to be one of the biggest mistakes Logan ever made, and there had been no shortages of them. Their brief sexual encounter in her car wasn't worth all the aggravation that followed with Kristen. Just when he thought she'd forgotten, or at least forgiven him for what she believed he'd done, she started up again. Sunday was an endless stream of arguments, crying bouts, and ultimately making up. Or so he thought. To make matters worse, Gina's renewed pursuit was in full gear with endless texts and voice messages.

  When Kristen announced that Alicia was coming over for a walk, he almost applauded. Until she arrived. Suddenly the sight of them babbling non-stop stirred up strange and uneasy emotions. He found himself taking Kristen’s hand and urgently pulling her aside. “What about going f
or those art supplies you wanted. I'm free right now.”

  Kristen wrinkled her forehead. “Why now? We're going for a walk. Then we need to set up a work schedule.”

  “Because... I just remembered.”

  “Maybe afterwards then.” She started to back away, but he wouldn’t release her hand.

  “So now you're choosing her over me?” It just came out. He could hardly think through the uncontrollable tremors surging through his body into his head.

  “What? I knew it. You are jealous!” Her eyes sparkled.

  “So! I have a right to be.” His eyes were wild and he wasn't about to give in.

  “You shouldn't be. I'm not fucking her.”

  Her seething words repelled him. He knew where she was coming from and didn't want to go there. Without another word, he dropped her hand and walked away from her.

  For a few minutes he sulked, listening to them ramble on in the other room. Just as they were about to leave, he returned to the living room, dangling his keys around noisily to catch her attention.

  “Where are you going?”

  “Out!” he snapped, sauntering into the hallway without closing the door behind him. As he waited for the elevator, he turned back to look at her. A despicable smile spread across his face at the sight of her wide-eyed face staring back at him.

  KRISTEN

  She needed to sit down and take deep breaths before they went for their walk. Alicia had a worried expression as she handed her a glass of ice water.

  “You shouldn't let him get under your skin like that, Kristen. That's exactly what he's trying to do, you know.”

  Sinking further and further into a state of despair, Kristen found herself caving. Unable to stand it any longer, she leaned her head on Alicia’s shoulder. “I know. He always gets to me one way or another. I hate it!”

  Alicia smiled, rubbing Kristen’s arm, anxious to console her. Kristen's phone interrupted the momentary serenity. With a frustrated sigh, she checked it, sure it was Logan planning to beg her some more.