Close-up: Take 1 of the Kanyon and Daylen Series

by K. B. Draper

  Amused at Daylen’s awkwardness, she gave her an indulgent smile. “Wouldn’t think of being anywhere else.”

  Chapter 15

  Showered and changed, they met back at the office. “What’s that for?” Daylen asked, looking at the large duffle bag Kanyon carried in and dropped on the floor.

  “Stake out essentials.”

  “What exactly are stake out essentials?”

  Kanyon unzipped the bag and began pulling out items. “Ho Hos, beef jerky, granola bars, binoculars, water, matches, jumbo pack of wet wipes–”

  “In case you run into more fish?” Daylen interrupted.

  “Valuable lesson learned. Let’s see, camera, little black dress …”

  Daylen arched an eyebrow. “Little black dress?”

  “James Bond always has a tux handy, you never know.”

  “Yep, you never know when you might end up at a high price poker table with a guy wanting to take over the world.”

  Kanyon shrugged. “It could happen.”

  “Right. What else?” Daylen stood and gathered the things she needed from her desk while peering into Kanyon’s bag.

  “Word search puzzle book, a Rubik’s Cube, and an empty jar.”

  Daylen reached out and took the jar by two fingertips, “No way in hell,” and dropped it in the trashcan.

  “Fine. But if we miss something because you’re off tinkling …”

  Daylen rolled her eyes. “I’ll risk it.”

  “I’m bored,” Kanyon informed Daylen from the passenger seat. “If we would’ve brought my car we could’ve watched DVDs.”

  “We’re on a stake out, not having a pajama party. Play with your Rubik’s Cube,” Daylen suggested.

  Kanyon held out the perfectly color matched, solved cube. “I already did. Weird. I’ve never been able to get more than two colors before, but it all just seemed to fall into place this time.”

  “You solved this in the few minutes we’ve been sitting here?”

  “Yep.”

  “Play with something else,” Daylen said as she turned a little in her seat to get more comfortable while she watched the front door of Lydia’s house. Her comfort was short-lived, as she heard Kanyon snicker. She ignored her. More snickers came from the passenger seat and she couldn’t help but turn to see the cause of Kanyon’s amusement. “You’re peeping into people’s windows, aren’t you?”

  Kanyon didn’t take the binoculars from her eyes. “Totally.” She bit off a chunk of beef jerky. “There’s a guy up there making faces behind his wife’s back every time she turns away from him. He’s so going to get busted. There’s another lady trying different outfits on her dog. The dog doesn’t look happy.”

  “You’re supposed to be watching for Lydia. If you’re going to peep, peep into her windows.”

  Kanyon turned the binoculars to Daylen. “Whoa, I can see up your nose when you flare your nostrils like that.”

  Daylen snatched the binoculars and glared at Kanyon.

  Kanyon held out the bitten off piece of beef jerky. “Jerky?”

  “Geez. We’ve been here ten minutes. We could be here for hours. Try to find a quiet way of entertaining yourself.” Daylen turned back to look out the window.

  “You want to play the license plate game?” Kanyon asked a few minutes later.

  “No.”

  “Want to play I Spy with My Little Eye?”

  “No.”

  “Truth or Dare?”

  Daylen hesitated at the possible questions and tasks she would make Kanyon answer or do, but then again she would have to give Kanyon a turn. “No.”

  “Twenty questions?”

  “No, though I feel like we’re already playing it.” Daylen turned to Kanyon. “Didn’t you bring a word search book? Why don’t you work on those for a while?”

  Kanyon held out the book, showing her a completed puzzle. “I already found them all.”

  “Well, do another puzzle.”

  “No, I already found them ALL.”

  Daylen grabbed the book and flipped through the pages. “You did all the puzzles in this book in the …” she looked at the dash clock, “the thirteen minutes we’ve been sitting here?”

  “Yeah. They were super easy. I must’ve gotten a kid’s book or something.”

  Daylen closed the book and looked at the front cover. She held it up for Kanyon to read, “Difficult.”

  “Hum?” Kanyon shrugged.

  Daylen contemplated the puzzles, the Rubik’s Cube, the way Kanyon had navigated effortlessly through the warehouse and then Supermaned over the fence. In answer to her unasked question, Guardian, whispered through her thoughts.

  “Ah, our girl is dressed for slut-ccess,” Kanyon said, interrupting Daylen’s thoughts.

  Daylen turned to see Lydia locking her door then walking down to the street in a very tight, very short red dress and impossibly high, high heels. A black Lincoln Town Car pulled up, the driver got out and opened the rear door, and Lydia slid in smiling.

  “Same car as last night?” Daylen pulled out and fell into traffic behind the car.

  “Nope,” Kanyon said, reading the license plate.

  “How do you know?” Daylen asked as she maneuvered around a slower moving vehicle.

  “Last night’s car was DFALCO1. This is DFALCO2. I guess he could have a fleet of Lincolns.”

  Daylen had a flash of the younger faceless man in the warehouse. “Or it’s Junior.”

  “Or it’s Junior,” Kanyon agreed.

  They followed the car for several miles to Hollywood’s trendiest club, Xi. Daylen tried to slow down so they could see who got out of the Lincoln with Lydia, but her decreased speed was assaulted by a firing of car horns. “Damn it!” She sped back up and found a place to pull over down the street. “You didn’t happen to see who got out, did you?”

  “Nope,” Kanyon replied.

  “Well, I guess we’ll just have to stay here until they come out.”

  “That’s a three a.m. bar.”

  “I understand if you don’t want to stay. We could call you a cab,” Daylen offered.

  “Oh no, I’m staying. I was more thinking we should just go in.” Kanyon reached back, fumbled in her bag, and then held out her black dress. “Guess I’ll just have to go on this recon alone since my partner didn’t come prepared.”

  “No way. Not going to happen. The last time you went by yourself you got chased by two guys and came over smelling like a longshoreman.”

  “There are limited options here. I don’t think you really want to sit in this car with me for ...” Kanyon looked at the clock, “four hours, do you?”

  “God no!” Daylen responded a little too violently.

  Kanyon rutted her brow. “I think I should be insulted.”

  “Whatever. Anyway, I’ve got another idea.” She stepped out of the car dialing a number and was back within a minute. “Aunt Ruby’s on her way with a change of clothes for me.”

  “I’ll go ahead and change,” Kanyon said after sitting bored in the car for a few minutes. Daylen only shook her head when instead of getting out and getting in the backseat, Kanyon crawled over the console and through the narrow opening.

  “You know,” Kanyon said as she wiggled out of her jeans, “this scene seems a little young for Senior. I’m thinking you’re right, it’s probably Junior. How do you think it plays if it is?”

  Daylen automatically looked in the rearview mirror to answer, but hesitated when she saw Kanyon pulling her shirt over her head, catching a glimpse of Kanyon’s bare shoulders and arms. Desire surged through her. She diverted her eyes before she either burst into flames or she found herself crawling over the console herself. “Ah, well maybe Junior and Lydia are having an affair behind the old man’s back and …” She lost her train of thought as she stole another glimpse in the mirror as Kanyon pulled the black dress over her head and smoothed it down over her torso.

  Kanyon pulled the hair tie out of her hair, freeing it. She bent over,
shook her hair out, then flipped it back as she raised her head and caught Daylen’s eyes in the mirror. She let the corner of her mouth curve slowly. “And?”

  Daylen, preoccupied at the sight directly in front of her or more accurately behind her. “And what?”

  “Junior and Lydia are having an affair behind the old man’s back annnddd …?” Kanyon prompted, not quite holding back the smile in her voice.

  “Right. And I don’t know. Maybe they decided to take it before Senior could so he doesn’t find out about their affair?”

  Despite wearing a curve hugging, mid-thigh length dress, Kanyon crawled back into the front seat via the previously-used over the console route.

  “You do know there are doors conveniently located on each side of this vehicle to allow you an easier ingress and egress?” Daylen offered.

  Kanyon dropped in the front seat. “This is a more direct route.”

  “Right.” Daylen looked at Kanyon’s simple transformation from beautiful in a T-shirt and jeans to stunningly beautiful in a simple black dress, which followed every natural curve and muscle of her body. “Kanyon, you are bea–”

  A rapping on the window cut off Daylen’s words and they both turned to see Aunt Ruby smiling, waving with one hand, and holding up a garment bag in the other. “That was fast.” Kanyon put on her heels and got out of the car to wait with Aunt Ruby while Daylen made her own backseat transformation. Kanyon was surprised when she rounded the car and saw Eddie standing crossed armed and all-intimidating-like next to Ruby. “Oh hey, Eddie. How are you?” She got a grunt in response. “You haven’t been around lately. You’ve been out on your motivational speaking tour, right?”

  Ruby laughed and slapped Eddie’s bicep. “He’s been working on another little case for me. We’d typically go together, but I thought I’d be more useful around here.”

  Kanyon eyed Eddie, working a case? She then eyed Ruby and then Eddie, so does that mean? “He’s a …” Kanyon realized she couldn’t say Guardian, “an employee, employee? Not just a ‘keep the house’ employee?”

  Aunt Ruby saw the confusion, then the connection. “Yep, employee, employee. He turned me down on the pool boy offer too.”

  She assessed Ruby. Okay, so Eddie is either Ruby’s boy toy or since Ruby is likely a Seeker like Daylen that means Eddie is her Guardian? She took another assessment of Eddie, taking in his large frame and well-developed muscles. So, either You go, Cougar Ruby, she looked at Eddie’s massive size again, but ooouch. Or damn, he’s a Guardian. She flexed her biceps. To do list tomorrow: Buy protein shakes.

  Daylen stepped out of the back of her vehicle. The form fitting light blue dress was the same shade as her eyes, and they both shimmered in the light of the street lamp. Kanyon stood hypnotized by the sight. Daylen was amazingly beautiful and the only thing left moving was Kanyon’s heart, which was pounding in her chest in a desperate effort to escape and get to Daylen.

  Aunt Ruby smiled proudly as she leaned in to whisper to Kanyon, “You can thank me later.” Kanyon would’ve thanked her right then and there if she could breathe deep enough to form a sentence.

  “Daylen, Kanyon, you’re both beautiful. You girls have fun.” Ruby slapped Kanyon on her back hard enough to break the spell and nearly knock her off her heels.

  Kanyon righted herself. “You look amazing.”

  “Thank you.” Daylen smiled in appreciation, but then let it fade. “Kanyon, we need to talk about this. I think we got caught up in seeing who Lydia’s with and didn’t think this through.”

  “What do you mean?”

  Daylen took Kanyon’s arm and walked her to the end of the car and pointed at the club. There was a line of people a block long waiting to get in. Music thumped and expensive cars lined the street with the hottest people in Hollywood exiting them.

  Kanyon scoffed. “No worries, I can get us in,” she said even though she had an inkling that wasn’t what Daylen was really worried about.

  “You know that’s not what I’m talking about. Are you okay with this?” She pointed again. “With that? The paparazzi, the scene, the … you know, all of it?”

  Kanyon turned and looked at Daylen. She was transfixed by the woman, the dress, and knew right then she’d walk through the 7th, no each and every ring of hell for her. “I’m perfectly fine with it. There’s no need to worry. Let’s go.”

  As Kanyon expected, they had no problem getting in. As soon as they saw her coming, the velvet ropes were released. The bouncers fought back the paparazzi, keeping them from crushing in as they went into a photo taking frenzy at the sight of the two women together.

  Kanyon leaned into Daylen. “Are you sure you can handle this?”

  Daylen took Kanyon’s hand. “We can handle it.”

  They fought their way through the bar, getting fake hugs from fake people, invites to join different cliques, dance offers, drink offers, and varying other offers that they politely declined as they made their way to the bar. “What do you want to drink?” Kanyon asked Daylen as she made eye contact with a bartender she knew.

  “Whatever you’re having is fine,” Daylen replied as she turned her back to the bar and began to scan the room for Lydia.

  “You won’t like what I’m having. I’ll get you a girlie drink.”

  “Fine. But no tiny umbrellas or anything named after a body part or sexual innuendo,” Daylen said, trying to be unconcerned about what exactly Kanyon was going to order.

  Kanyon leaned in to pull the bartender playfully to her and over the bar top by his tie so she could whisper their drink order in his ear. Done, she released him and with his nod of understanding she gave him a hundred-dollar bill and a lazy yet flirtatious smile.

  Daylen added Kanyon’s smile to the list of things she was going to try and actively avoid tonight, right after the tight black dress, dark sexy blue eyes, newly glossed kissable lips, and the leftover tingle in her after holding Kanyon’s strong yet soft hand. “I don’t see any sign of her. I think we’re going to have to move around.”

  Kanyon handed Daylen a martini glass with a pale pink liquid and two umbrellas. Daylen gave her a look. “Sorry. I told him no umbrellas.” She shrugged innocently. “You just can’t find good help these days.”

  Daylen caught Kanyon’s grin before she lifted her glass to her lips. Cute. She plucked the umbrellas from her drink and dropped them in Kanyon’s shorter glass, filled with a non-girlie brown liquid. Whiskey? Regret for letting Kanyon walk back into the temptation crept past her wall of non-concern.

  Kanyon scanned the room. “I think we should split up. This is a big place. How about you take this floor and I’ll go upstairs? We can meet back here,” she looked down at her watch, “say one o’clock?”

  “Kanyon, are you sure you–”

  “I’m fine. Let’s find Lydia.” At that she turned and headed toward the back of the club.

  Daylen took a drink to calm her rising concerns. Not too bad for a girlie drink. Doesn’t even taste like alcohol. Kind of like a pink lemonade. She took another sip and scanned the room to see where she should start, counter clockwise she decided.

  Kanyon made her way through to the back staircase, stopped a few times by ex-party companions excited she was back out on the scene, wanting to celebrate by buying her a drink. She declined, holding up her glass in a got-one-already gesture. “Catch me later,” she repeated before quickly moving on. The upstairs was a more intimate setting. Though the music from the DJ below was audible, it wasn’t as overwhelming. There were fifty or so tables in the middle of the room with semi-circular booths along the walls, providing an area for groups to sit, drink, and talk. More were designed without tables, just hosting large, deep leather couches for full-body lounging. And making babies apparently, she thought as she walked by a couple who obviously had no qualms about public displays of affection. She made her way around the room, as nearly everyone recognized her and tried to make conversation. She politely evaded endless requests to join parties and answering an
y questions about the scandals and rumors surrounding her over the last few months. She glanced at her watch, it was nearly twelve thirty and she’d barely made it halfway.

  After turning down another invite to join a group on one of the couches, she only made it a few feet when she thought she saw Lydia, or at least the back of Lydia. The woman was the right size, with the right hair color, and had on the right color dress. But she was turned away from Kanyon, straddling a man’s legs on one of the couches. Kanyon moved sideways a few steps to try and get a better view. She still couldn’t see the woman’s face or who was giving her the lap pony ride, but she did recognize their companions, Buzzcut #1 and Buzzcut #2, from the warehouse. She maneuvered her phone out of the annoying little purse and pressed the button for the camera, but froze as a chill went up her spine.

  Kanyon sensed her a second before she felt an arm slide around her waist and then a tall, curvy body press up against her back. “Well, hello there, beautiful,” Lexi’s silky voice whispered.

  “Lexi,” Kanyon responded coldly, while keeping her eyes on Lydia.

  “I’ve missed you.” Lexi nipped at her ear.

  Kanyon leaned her head away. “I can’t say I feel the same.”

  “Ahh, sweetheart. Are you still mad at me over that little misunderstanding at the Geekfest?” Lexi slithered around Kanyon to face her.

  “I’m not mad. Mad would imply that I care, and I don’t.” Kanyon didn’t move away, instead staying focused on the task and using Lexi as a cover while she snapped photos of Lydia. She prayed Lydia would get down from her joyride soon so she could get a picture of her companion.

  At twelve forty-five Daylen made her way back to the bar, unsuccessful in her search. She waved at the bartender who served their drinks earlier. “Can I have another one please?” she asked as she slid her empty glass toward him. “I’m not sure what it’s called.”

  “A Pink Tuna,” he replied.

  “Of course it is.” Daylen quirked a smile. “Another one of those please, but minus the umbrellas.”