by Kelly Kay
“No one of consequence. Let’s just say, in my business, the women get left, cheated on, or occasionally meet unfortunate days. There’s never been anyone that I needed that was worth the risk to me or her. So, no. It’s a good philosophy, Josh. You should get back to fucking supermodels to get your shit off.”
“Thanks.” I brush off his advice. I need off this topic. This man has no attachments that I can think of that he wouldn’t sacrifice. So would he respect mine? I don’t like him here in my space. I don’t want him here putting faces and names into context for him.
“Now Joshie, where am I putting this eight I got burning a hole in my pocket?”
I force a laugh at this odd business meeting. Eight. Sal’s numbers are increasing as well as his neediness. I pull out my phone, and I’m shocked we have decent Wi-Fi. She thinks of everything. I scroll and pull up this luxury boutique California hotel chain that I was starting to work on when I left Santa Barbara this morning. I slide my phone to him.
“Might take more than eight to play in this sandbox. The company might expand to Florida after this as well. Get in now, and it could be a good thing for you.”
He bellows a giant dark laugh and lights the cigar. “There you are! Send me the prospectus. I’m about to get bought out of a decades-old sanitation deal and need to put the scratch somewhere. Should be enough to play. Next couple of weeks are dicey, and I don’t need a single hair out of place. I don’t have time to chase your fucking ass around the fucking state. We’ll be so busy you won’t see the light of day. Get a bunch of shit ready for me to unload large sums quickly.”
He slaps me on the shoulder, and I sip my wine, well aware that he just vaguely threatened me for the first time in our relationship. We finish the bottle then ride back to his chopper. I shake his hand, and he pulls me into an embrace.
He says sternly in my ear, so I don’t miss it. “You’ll be back in the office just after that party.”
I back up, cross my arms, and ask, “What party?”
“The Wine Club people party. The fucking tiki party happening here.”
“You should keep my calendar.”
“Your assistant is for shit, you know. No sexy voice on the other end when I call. Who has a male assistant?”
“Someone not looking to bang their secretary. But John does have a sexy voice if you listen.” Sal laughs loudly.
“You’ll be there. In your office when I call. No excuse and no second chances.”
I’m not afraid of him, but I am getting pissed off. “Salvatore, I’ll get a plan together and be there next week sometime.”
And then his entire demeanor shifts. There’s a chill coming off him. And I’m faced with something I knew would rear its ugly head someday. The money was just too good, and I should have ditched him long ago. Shit.
“The nice part of our visit is over. No fucking way. You do as I say, Josh.”
He’s clearly unaware of how big my balls really are. “Or what? You’re going to threaten me? I work with you, not for you.”
“It’s a good little set up your family’s got here. And that sweet little cunt you’ve been chasing. They seem like good people. They don’t need any hassles or accidents.”
“Are you fucking kidding right now? What the fuck are you doing? This isn’t who we are to each other. I’m not a lackey. You don’t fuck with me like this.”
I am full of rage at a veiled threat at my family and Elle. I want to rip the man apart, and now I’m screwed. Fucked in the ass by this capo cocksucker.
I will figure a way out of this before it gets too fucking deep. Shit. Maybe I should get to know more about him. I need to know his business as well as he knows mine. I’ve had a ‘don’t ask, don’t tell’ attitude up until now.
His voice is gruff and resonates in the air, “I got shit, Josh. A ton of it raining down on me right now. You’re my shit umbrella, Joshie. I gotta get out of it, and you are the one I need to fix it. I’ll do whatever I can to protect my family, and you’ll do whatever I need you to do to protect yours. Get your ass back home after that party. No more fucking around Josh. You fucking get me? Do we have an understanding? You help me fix shit for my family, and yours stays out of all of this.”
There must be some legal pressure on him, so he’s putting pressure on me. Nobody tells me what the fuck to do. I step to him, and we’re eye to eye. I don’t blink, and I don’t fuck around.
“I will go back to my office in a timely manner. But listen to me, hood. Don’t you ever fucking even hint a threat in my direction again. I will break ties with you so fast your head will spin. And although I don’t know where the bodies are, I certainly know where you buried the profits. I have people too.”
“Big man talking. No need for name-calling, Joshie.”
He straightens up in my face, and I don’t blink but continue speaking. “I don’t owe you a muthafucking thing, thug. You want my trust and loyalty? It goes both ways. You watch your tone with me. Don’t ever come back here. And don’t ever, ever fucking summon me again. Take your money moroned helicopter and get the fuck off my family’s property.”
We stand there, nose to nose, and the hulk in the background reaches for his chest. Without breaking eye contact, Sal waves him off. The man’s hand returns to his side. I hate that he brought this to LaChappelle/Whittier.
“You’re the kind of guy I like, but this is beyond me, Josh. My hands are tied. I will make this right by you someday. But for now, you do what I tell you to do when I fucking tell you. And everyone wins. I’ll be in your office in two days, and so help Blondie if you’re not.”
I back up and outstretch my hand, he takes it and pulls me into an embrace. We slap each other’s backs, and I’ll only exhale as soon as he takes off.
“My back is up against all the walls. I have no choice, Josh.”
“Then I guess I don’t either. But know that you’ve taken us to a different place. One we can’t come back from.”
“So be it.”
“So be it? You’re a fucking son of a bitch.”
“You don’t know the fucking half of it, Joshie. You’re lucky I still like you.”
I don’t want to be likable. I want away from him. He will fucking pay for his threats.
Chapter Forty-Six
Elle
I’ve double-checked all of the details, and I think we’re ready for tonight. I’m standing in the kitchen with Sarah; she’s giving last-minute orders into the intercom. “Well, then let’s make this one hell of a party, shall we?”
“You know you’re going to the city for dinner with the potential buyers, right? You and the four wineries that they’re thinking of buying. You have to go now. There’s a car waiting.”
“I do know this. Have fun with Josh. I can’t believe he came back up here.”
I sip the end of my water bottle and smile at her. She’s so thrilled he’s in their lives again. “I think he likes being around the two of you more now.”
Sarah says, “Sweet girl. I’d guess it has very little to do with us.”
My stomach flips. She disappears out the back door as I head upstairs to get ready for this insane party that apparently is the favorite of the season around here.
Josh is at the top of the stairs, looking stressed but still impossibly handsome in cargo shorts and an athletic fitting tank top. Damn those are some good arms. I want to bite his biceps, but I restrain myself. His look is sour as he stares at his phone. He doesn’t notice I’m down the hallway.
I startle him. “Who do I need to kill?”
He looks up and smiles. “What?”
“Who made your face look like that?”
“Research. I need information. I’m not sure how to get it.”
I walk to him and put my hand on his bicep. I almost swoon but collect myself. “I’m excellent at research. Try me.”
“I think this is beyond both of us. Kind of an underground shit thing.”
“Cool. Like secret research? I got tha
t on lock too. I have a hook up for you.”
“What are you talking about?”
“Dark web? CIA hack? I got a guy. Well, a girl.”
“No, you don’t. I have friends who can help.” He rolls his eyes at me. I can’t wait to prove him wrong. I do know someone. She said she’d be there if I needed her. I just never knew I’d need a hacker.
“Trust me. You want her?”
“How?”
“Give me your phone.” I tap out an email from him to me, and the subject says, Melissa! The body says:
Mel,
This is Josh and his email. He needs you to work your magic. I trust him like I trust my favorite flaw. I don’t know what it’s for.
Hoping your underwear is clean,
-Noelle
“How does that help?”
“She reads my email. But she reads the ones sent to me faster. She finds the ones I write boring.” I shrug. She sent me an email a while back just checking in on me and wondering why I was in California. I told her what was going on, and she told me about how she usually reads my incoming mailbox rather than my outgoing.
“And you let her?”
“I can’t stop her. But if you meet her, she likes guacamole. A lot.”
I turn tail and close my door to get ready as his mouth stays open in surprise.
Chapter Forty-Seven
Josh
Within twenty minutes, this mystery Melissa texted me a number, date, and time to contact her. She did it all without ever getting my phone number. Then there’s a message for Noelle that says:
BLOCKED NUMBER: Tell Noelle to be careful with her email. Flaws are everywhere.
It’s a call set for four days from now. How does Elle know a hacker? Is she a spy? What the hell does her message mean?
A film crew and a photographer show up, and she has yet to come down to the tasting room and barn areas. This year it’s a coconut bra themed party is all set up in and out of the tasting room. On the other side of the cave, there’s a large field. The cave is essentially a tunnel that leads out there from the courtyard. Elle has set up dinner on the opposite side of the courtyard through the cave. She’s set up the courtyard for the cocktail hour, and then it will turn into the dance floor while everyone is on the other side eating dinner. I look like an idiot, but it’s for the good of the winery. The staff convinced me to wear Jams and a Hawaiian shirt.
My dad loves these parties, I’ve always hated them. I hated theme parties at college. The irony is, I’d like to be in a suit glad-handing at a swank restaurant in the city, and he’d rather be here talking about the wine and doing the limbo with some of our favorite customers. But Elle is here, so I’m here. Tonight’s the night she won’t say no.
Some of the wine club members have been with us for decades. I’ve known them since I was little. Should be an interesting evening, especially with the bulk of my childhood crew in attendance. I move tables around and help string lights. It’s an all-hands-on-deck situation except for Princess Elle who has yet to report for duty.
I hustle to the cave tasting room. It’s basically a winery conference room. A long table surrounded by wine and barrels. I’m setting up a legacy vertical tasting in there for some high-end wine club members, those who order a large number of cases a year. The bottles need to breathe. When I emerge, Elle is stepping around the stone, dark wood building that houses the commercial tasting room. She’s stunning in a floaty white dress with large bright flowers. Her sunshine hair is twisted up and playing off the blue flowers on the dress. Her eyes, in contrast, are sparkling like the most perfect emeralds. Her peaches-and-cream skin is radiant as the sun begins to set and gives everything that golden glow. It brings out the gold in her eyes. I can see it from here.
She’s looking around but doesn’t see me staring. Probably a good thing because I just had to close my mouth from hanging open. The dress skims the tops of her knees, and if she bent over, I’d pay someone to kick up a breeze. She’s pointing to different pieces of furniture and moving them around much to the chagrin of Randy. He had a vision for the cocktail hour seating nooks, hers is better. The entire courtyard now flows and looks like a high-end nightclub. She runs away and returns with several giant bags from World Plus Market and hands them to some employees. They begin arranging tropical throw pillows on the couches and chairs at her command. Suddenly all of this seems custom instead of rented. Then she pulls out these small colorful paper cups similar to cupcake pa that she has the staff place over each individual light on the main string that runs around the entrance to the party.
She’s the queen of the tweak. Of seeing what one more little thing can make something perfect. I’ve seen her doing this by adding one more sentence to a paragraph to a statement or email. I’ve also seen her angling one bottle towards the light or raising them up a small bit in the merchandise area. I’ve even seen her add one more piece of jewelry, from her own neck to my mother’s outfit to make it perfect. She cares so much about the small and the large. Then she crooks her finger and beckons me.
“Yes?” I land in front of her.
She bites her bottom lip, and I want that lip. She says, “Can you do me a huge favor?”
I cross my arms. That’s the phrase she uses to get anyone to do anything. Another amazing feature of this captivating and infuriating woman. “What?”
“Like two things.”
“One.”
“But Josh, I really need your help with this.” She bats her damn eyelashes at me. But it’s the thought of her ruby red glossed and painted lips that grab my attention.
“It’s not enough that I set this entire courtyard up to your specifications while you were applying makeup?”
“I’m the beauty, and you’re the beast. Look, can you not fight with Asher tonight?”
“Damn fucking straight I’m the beast. Wait, what?”
She glares at me and says, “You heard me.”
“Who invited that fuck? Of course, he’s coming. He wouldn’t miss free food and wine. Are you seeing him again?”
She knows I’m teasing but scolds me anyway. “You know I’m not. I don’t want him. I don’t want anything to do with him, really. But he’s been helpful with the sale, bringing a big prospective buyer to the table and he always shows up if I invite him. Tonight, I promise to make him understand that we’re purely professional.”
“Don’t you find it kind of creepy he wears a big gold signet ring with a dragon on it?”
She rolls her eyes and wobbles her head back and forth. “Okay. Yes. I do. The ring is super weird.”
“When we were joking about him the other night, I thought…”
“I feel obligated to him because he introduced me to your parents and then let me stay at his house for a couple of nights. He didn’t make it a big deal when I moved in here. I promise this is my last invite to him. Unless I need him at a dinner, and you don’t have to be there.”
I crooked an eyebrow at her. “Is he your date?”
“Stop it.” She shoves me.
I smirk. “Does he think he’s you’re his date?”
She pops her hip and bites her bottom lip again. Fucking adorable. Those legs perfectly shapely and long considering her height. She’s all legs and I want them wrapped around my waist right now. So hot. How can she be both? She’s equal parts cute kitten and sexy Hellcat.
She answers, “Maybe?”
“Let me put it this way.” I walk very close to her ear as I pass by and whisper. “Is this stunning and sexy as hell dress for him?”
She turns her head to capture my eyes, not backing down. “No. Not him.”
Then she grins, walking away from me. That body, that woman, and that sass all drive me out of my mind. Tonight, she finds out she’s mine. She’s all I think about. Damn, I need a drink. And I don’t need wine. I head to the tank rooms to grab a beer and possibly a shot of Hornitos Reposado tequila from the bottle our winemaker hides for her own personal use.
Chapter Fort
y-Eight
Elle
I don’t know what he’s playing at, but that last smidge of distrust is gone. He nudged his way into my life and heart, and I like him in those places. That knot that usually lives at the base of my belly has untied over the past couple of weeks and been replaced by a bright shiny feeling.
Randy and I meet and greet the first group of guests. We’re at Fire Marshall capacity, so we need to keep count and check people into the party. A uniquely beautiful woman with big beachy wavy blondish hair is walking towards us with Wade Howell. His rich chocolate eyes and dark shaggy hair look casual and cool as if nothing could ruffle him. He’s a reporter for the Chronicle. I invited him to cover the event. He’s also written a book I keep meaning to read.
Wade waves as he comes down the hill to the courtyard. He turns slightly to his date as she trips over what appears to be her own grass skirt, and just before she takes a tumble, Wade grabs her elbow and saves her. She holds onto his arms and pulls her grass skirt up as they both laugh.
Randy was halfway up the hill to help but turns back around to me. “That’s Meg. She tends to do that. She runs the local film festival. Super funny and fun but a bit of a klutz. Don’t give her real stemware. She tends to break things.” I hit Randy, and Meg throws herself at him. They hug and giggle.
Wade pulls me into a hug. “Ms. Parker, the pleasure is mine this evening.”
“Wade. I’m thrilled you could come.” Tonight’s a bit humid, and he’s wearing a palm tree print button-down underneath the blazer. Always in a blazer. Like it’s a superhero uniform. He’s thoroughly entertaining each and every time we cross paths.
I ask, “Is this your wife?”
Wade turns to his companion and motions to me. “Meg, darling, this blonde vision is Noelle Parker. And this is my life companion, Meghan Hannah.”