by Zuri Day
Frustrated that the sleep he chased stayed one step ahead of him, Ike threw back the covers and got out of bed. Halfway to the door and the nighttime tea he remembered was in his cupboard, the phone rang.
The clock on the nightstand read twelve forty-five. Fearing a family emergency, he picked up the phone without checking the ID.
“Ike Drake.” No response. Ike was already frustrated from not being asleep. Bad timing for a prank phone call. He spoke again, more brusquely, demanding. “Hello?”
“Um, Ike, it’s me, Quinn.” Her voice was soft, a bit unsteady.
Her voice sent shock waves through very specific parts of his body. “Quinn, what’s going on? You sound frightened.”
“You sound angry. I probably woke you up.”
“Not at all.” Ike stepped into house slippers and headed downstairs. “In fact, I’m headed downstairs right now for a cup of sleepy tea.”
“What’s that, tea with bourbon in it?”
“No, but that might not be a bad idea, either. It’s an herbal concoction. I have no idea what kind of herbs or whether it will work. But after tossing and turning for over an hour, I’m willing to give it a try.”
“Having a problem sleeping, huh?”
“Yep.”
“Me, too.”
“Is that why you’re calling?”
Only a slight hesitation before the reply. “That’s part of the reason.”
“What’s the other part?” Teapot filled and on the stove, Ike pulled the herbal tea and a mug from one cabinet and packets of raw sugar from the other. He walked over to the fridge, opened it, won the battle to not have a late-night snack and closed the door. “Quinn. What’s the other part?”
He heard an exasperated sigh before words spilled out rapidly, one after another. “The other part is that I’ve been here for three months with no sex and no prospects. That kiss set my body on fire and you’ve got the hose that can put it out!”
The barrage was unexpected. Her explanation direct. Ike vacillated between incredulity and a begrudging respect. Honesty ranked high among virtues Ike valued.
“I guess you weren’t expecting that.”
Ike chuckled. “Not at all.”
“Well, what’s the answer?”
“Absolutely not.”
She sighed. “I knew you’d say that.”
“If you knew, why’d you ask?” Ike poured hot water over the tea bags he’d placed in the cup, put a lid over the brew and walked back upstairs.
“Because I couldn’t stop thinking about your fire hose and was pretty sure it could, you know, put out all of my flames. But then I said to myself, He’s old-fashioned and will probably think I’m being too aggressive.”
“You don’t think that was an aggressive question?”
“Not at all. You asked me why I called. I told you.”
“Because you’re looking for fire hoses.”
“Because I’m looking for your fire hose. The one pressed against my thigh this afternoon in the grass, and when I shifted, it was hot and hard against my—”
“Quinn!”
“Yes, Ike?”
The question asked with a sultry feigned innocence only served to increase Ike’s discomfort. He reached his bedroom, but lying down? Not in this condition. Going to sleep? Highly unlikely. His body hummed. His penis throbbed. He needed to end this call or else he’d explode.
“I’m going to hang up now.”
“I knew you were a jerk.”
“Ha! I’m a jerk now? Again?”
“Yes,” she said with a pout.
“How do you figure?”
“Because if you were a nice guy you’d help me. Don’t I sound like a damsel in distress?”
“You sound like the spoiled woman I met in the town square.”
“Let’s have sex, Ike.”
“Good night, Quinn.”
“You know you want to.” Her voice dropped, became breathy, raspy. “I’ve never been with someone like you. An older man, handsome, experienced, with that broad chest I can still feel crushing my breasts. And the way you kiss. You want to know my favorite thing about you so far?”
He told himself not to respond, that he didn’t want or need to hear the answer. “What?”
“Your tongue. It felt so amazing in my mouth, I can only imagine how it would feel licking me all over, everywhere.”
“I’m hanging up.”
“Okay, Mr. Drake. But when you see me later at the ball? Know that what’s on my mind now will be on my mind then. Good night.”
Ike tossed the phone on the bed and headed straight for the shower, took one as cold as he could stand. That helped to deflate the hose, but sleep was still a long time coming. Why hadn’t he taken Quinn up on her offer? It’s what he wanted, what he’d told himself he’d go after as soon as she left the company. Even as he asked these questions, though, he knew the answer. Fear. Plain and simple. Quinn’s unpredictable, spontaneous, free-spirited nature didn’t work in the safe, ordered life Ike had created and until now enjoyed. He liked being in control. Of everything. He rarely went into a situation until he was sure that the outcome would be in his favor. Ike recalled Audrey’s warning—A woman like that will crush you.
Perhaps, Ike mused, as his eyelids finally began to droop. But it’s a risk I’ll have to take. Because the same thing that Quinn said would be on her mind was now on his mind, too.
Chapter 18
Quinn ran down the stairs and out the door. “Trent!”
A tall, slender man jumped out of the car, wrapped his arms around Quinn’s waist and twirled her around. “Q-Tip! What’s up, girl!” He eased her down and away from him as he held her hands. “I thought these months in the country would drive you insane, but look at you! Still couture!”
“You’re such a nut. I missed you!” They hugged again. “Come on, let’s grab your stuff and go inside. Are you tired? Have you eaten?”
“I’m exhausted and starved. But the trip was worth it. He got the house. Did I tell you?”
“No. Did he get a good deal?”
“An amazing deal, considering there’s so few properties available and his is near the beach. The house needs a lot of work, but once that happens the value will soar.”
“I’m glad it worked out for your uncle. And I’m so excited to see you!”
They entered Maggie’s immaculately restored bungalow. “We’ll take your luggage upstairs,” Quinn said, reaching for his hand. “Then we’ll go for grub and gossip. I want to hear about the latest goings on in Paris and what you did back east.”
“Whoa, wait. Where’s Mrs. Grandma?”
“She’s having lunch with a friend. Now, come on!”
“I’ve waited so long to meet her,” Trent complained as they thumped up the stairs.
“She’s preparing a special dinner tomorrow...just for you.”
Thirty minutes later Quinn and Trent arrived at Acquired Taste and took the booth farthest from the front door and bar. With her motley crew of friends, Quinn was sure there’d be stories meant for her ears alone. Both were starving, so they placed their food and drink orders at the same time. The waiter hadn’t taken two steps from the table before the gossip began.
“Guess who’s dating Max Tata. It’s the first text I saw after landing in Sacramento.”
“I don’t know who that is. What do I care?”
“Oh, Lord. You really are out of touch. Do they even have internet in this town? Or cable?”
“Oh, shut up.”
“Max is only the biggest producer/director in Hollywood right now. Or the world, for that matter. He produces the fanatica films.”
“Huh?”
“They’re a cross between fantasy and erotica, soft p
orn meets suspense-filled fantasy. Lots of smoke and mirror–type filming. Is she naked? Did they really just show her lady bits?”
“Ha!”
“Stuff like that. They’re hard to explain, but the femme fatale leads of the first two movies are now poised to become A-list stars. He’s said to have the Midas touch, the ability to turn an unknown into an international star with just one movie. Oh, and he also tends to have them in his bed throughout the process. Does the name Shelly Madden ring a bell?”
“Of course! She’s in that controversial underwear ad and has been on TMZ a few times. Who doesn’t know her?”
“Her star power was created by Max Tata. Before starring in his film she was waiting tables at a café in Bulgaria, her native country!”
“Wow.” Quinn reached for her phone and went online.
“They just went through a really nasty breakup. She didn’t want to leave the lap of luxury and all the perks that come with simply being with a guy like him. She complained of not knowing many people in America and having nowhere to live. So get this, he bought her a house, spent a half a frickin’ million dollars just to get her out of his—ten-million-dollar mansion in Pacific Palisades, but I digress—and she still refused to leave. That was the breaking news about a month or so ago, while you were obviously under a rock.”
“I was doing time at Drake Realty Plus,” Quinn replied, her eyes glued to internet pics of Shelly as she scrolled her phone.
“The police were called and there was a three-hour standoff before they got tired of the nonsense and bum-rushed her ass!
“But this just in, hot off the private Trent Corrigan press.” His hushed voice exhibited the excitement he felt. “Just two days ago, he showed up at a private dinner, no cameras allowed, with the new girl. Telling folks all about how she was the star in his next movie, one that would be bigger than the first two combined.”
“So...who is it?”
“Guess.”
“Really, Trent? After that soliloquy of a buildup you’re still holding out?”
“Okay, okay. It’s London.”
“The model London?”
“No, the bridge. Of course the model, silly. Who else do we both know with that name?”
“And this next film is going to be like the others, with erotica and stuff.”
“From what I hear, it’s going to be the sexiest one yet, really pushing the R-rated envelope. But you can’t say anything about this. To anyone. I’m not even supposed to know.
“On the way here, I called her but got voice mail. I wasn’t surprised. At least it was still her number. For now. Our girl London, a movie star. Isn’t that wild? Imagine what this means for our social calendar! But mum’s the word, promise?”
“We share everything in confidence,” Quinn said sincerely. “You know that.”
Two years older and worlds wiser, beautiful bi Trent was the one who’d introduced Quinn into the circle of young, beautiful, wealthy expats to which London belonged. He’d met London when he was dating a designer who booked her for a number of runway shows. They’d partied together and whenever she was in Paris they’d hang out.
The waiter delivered their drinks.
Quinn pulled her glass closer. “I can’t believe it. London, an actor? Who knew?”
“Nobody, apparently. But that doesn’t necessarily matter to a good director. The perfect woman, the right shot and fifty takes if necessary to get the desired scene and voilà! Anyone can be amazing.”
He lifted his glass. “Here’s to movies and mayhem in Paradise Cove.”
“Calm down, Trent. Mayhem is a strong word. You’re just visiting. I have to live here.”
She said it to try to lighten the mood but secretly thought he’d delivered a prophecy.
“Are you getting soft on me? Since when do you care what people think?”
Since meeting Ike.
“Do you think I’m serious? You actually look...I don’t know...worried.”
Troubled was a better word. The odds had to be a billion to one that so many coincidences would collide into one big ball of WTH? Meeting London in Europe and then running into her brother, literally, on the other side of the ocean. Receiving the weirdest form of community service ever, working with London’s brother, toward whom she then developed a crazy attraction, and then learning the family might be doing business with a potentially deadly international gang of political and business thugs. But was this enough? Oh, no! Why not throw a soon-to-be porn star into the mix? One who happened to be the mayor’s sister and a member of one of the town’s founding families. And by the way, she had to keep her mouth shut about it all. Since she’d talked to Ike about the report, she’d all but forgotten about it and its implications. This latest news placed it back in the now crowded spotlight of secrets. And put her in the middle of the mayhem Trent foretold.
He placed a hand on her arm. “Hey, you okay?”
“Oh, yeah, I’m fine.”
“You sure?”
“Yeah, I’m sorry for spacing out like that.”
“I wouldn’t have told you if I’d known you’d get upset.”
“No, I mean, what you just shared is definitely a lot to take in. But a thought popped into my head about something at work, and I got distracted.”
“Hey! Tell me about that. What does it feel like to work a nine to five?”
Quinn had never been so happy to talk about Drake Realty Plus in all of her life. “I thought it would suck, but it wasn’t so bad.”
“You used the past tense. Are your thirty days over?”
“Yes, but Lydia, the woman who trained me, was swamped last week. Then her kid got sick on Friday and she had to leave early. So she asked me to come in a couple days next week just to make sure everything I’d been given was either completed or transferred to someone else. And since this is post-penalty, I’ll earn my first paycheck!”
“You say that as though it’s a good thing.”
“Excuse me. I forgot I was talking to a trust-fund child who’ll likely not work a day in his life.”
“That’s not true. I just won’t work a conventional job. But don’t get upset. If you’re happy, I’m thrilled. But enough corporate talk. Reminds me of my father, who’s like your father, pushing us in directions we don’t want to go. I’m about to break out in hives. Let’s have another drink. Waiter!”
“Oh, I almost forgot.” Quinn reached again for her phone, pulled up a picture and turned the screen toward Trent.
“Adam and Eve.” He looked at Quinn, a brow raised. “Is this a clue about something?” She nodded. “You’ve taken up gardening.”
“Hardly.”
“You went to church with your grandmother.”
“Not yet, but she’s pushing.”
“You...made an apple pie?”
Quinn cracked up. “It us, you nut. These are the costumes I ordered for tonight’s masquerade ball.”
Trent snatched the phone. “I don’t know, Quinn. I’m not sure Adam’s loin leaf is big enough for me, know what I’m sayin’?”
“I know what you’re implying. Sounds like a page from one of Tata’s fantasy films.”
“Ha! This is a pretty cool idea. I like it.” He smiled at her, eyes gleaming. “From the woman who balked when I mentioned mayhem.”
“What?” She reached for the phone and studied the pic. “They’re a tad racy, but everything’s covered. There were options that exposed way more skin than this. One had the guy wearing just a big leafed G-string and the woman touting pasties with a leafy thong.”
“That’s the one you should have ordered!”
“I wanted to,” Quinn admitted. “But as I said before, I live here.”
After leaving the restaurant, Quinn directed Trent around parts of Paradise Cove on
the east side, where Quinn lived. When they returned home, her grandmother was there to greet them with freshly baked chocolate chip cookies. Trent fell in love on the spot. For the next couple hours Trent took a nap and Quinn went to her spa treatment. When she returned, they got ready and headed to the ball.
It had started at eight, but Quinn waited until almost nine to make her entrance. At first she’d been unsure about the costume she’d ordered, but when her grandmother saw it and didn’t pass out, her confidence was restored.
“Ready, Adam?”
“Absolutely, Eve.”
“Good. Let’s start tongues a-wagging.”
* * *
From the time Ike entered the ballroom, he was distracted. Waiting. Wondering. Looking toward the door. Anticipating her arrival. He remembered how she looked at the other ball, during the Days of Paradise weekend. The dress with a back so low it showed the crack of dawn. Too much skin showing, making him want her. Along with every other man in the room. With that as her outfit for a regular dance, he couldn’t begin to imagine how she’d be dressed tonight.
“Look at you, two! How adorable!”
A woman dressed in 19th-century Victorian style, complete with a hoopskirt and tightly laced corset, floated toward them. One hand clasped her gold mask’s stick, the other a glass of champagne. From the shrill sound of her voice, it wasn’t her first.
Ike easily recognized Audrey’s coworker. But in the spirit of the evening, he adopted a cool stance and adjusted his sunglasses. “Who are you?”
“Why, kind sir. My name be Victoria, Queen of London.” She executed a curtsy and promptly stumbled. The champagne splashed in Ike’s direction. He jumped back but some of it still hit the side of his suit coat.
“Oh, no, Ike. I’m so sorry.”
“I’m not Ike. I’m Jay.”
Audrey lowered her voice. “And I’m Kay.”
“And we,” they said together, “are the men in black.”
Victoria didn’t seem too impressed. Ike didn’t care. He wasn’t big on masquerades, Halloween or costumes, but had come out to be supportive. When Audrey suggested dressing as the characters in one of his favorite movies, he was all in. Black suit, sunglasses, oversize gun and boom. Ready for the masquerade.