The Paradise Box Set

by Pike, Leslie

  We go our separate ways, and I snake through the crowd to connect with my friends on the couch.

  “Hi. Got room for one more?” I ask.

  “Sit your ass down woman,” BB says patting the empty seat next to her.

  She looks sexy and sassy as usual in her sky-high heels and red dress that hugs every curve. It completely covers the front of her, all the way up to the high neckline. But the back dips low, showcasing and highlighting her spectacular assets. You could bounce a coin off that ass, and I’m sure most of the men here would like to try.

  “You look beautiful tonight, BB. Love that color on you.”

  Dick makes a disgusted face at my compliment to his daughter. I ignore it.

  “Thanks. Paul likes it too.” She squeezes his leg and gives him a sultry stare.

  “What’s not to like?” he says smiling as only a satisfied man does.

  Paul’s had a cat that swallowed the canary look on his face since meeting the wild one. He’s tamed her as much as the taming’s possible. Maybe it’s his huge penis that did the job. The only reason I know that is because BB refers to it in conversation, as if it’s a separate entity. She calls it the sledgehammer. Now we’re all calling it that. Funny that of all the couples here they may be the most drama free.

  I direct my next comment to Vivian. “You must have had to beat the boys off with a stick when BB was a teenager.”

  Vivian’s face lights up. “Practically. She was always popular in school”

  Dick humphs his opinion then adds “No big mystery there.”

  “What’s that supposed to mean?” BB barks.

  Oh crap. I thought I was making small talk. Instead I may have ignited a firestorm.

  “You know what it means. The way you dressed like a hooker may have had something to do with your popularity.”

  He gives a pleased with himself little laugh. What a crass thing for a father to say. All of us are horrified at his remark, especially Paul. His face shows no amusement with Dick’s comment.

  “Please rethink how you’re talking to your daughter. That was unnecessary and I’m sure inaccurate,” says Paul, daggers shooting from his eyes.

  “Not so inaccurate,” Dick says.

  “Just show a little respect. I don’t think that’s too much to ask,” Paul answers.

  Dick’s face contorts. “You don’t know what you’re talking about. Just wait. You’ll find out.”

  “You’re really a piece of work,” says Paul. Although he’s acting calm, the vein that runs down the center of his forehead is visible in his anger.

  BB touches his hand. “Thank you. Believe me, there’s nothing you can say that will get through. I’ve got this.”

  She turns to her father and fixes her eyes on him. “You like to give me zingers when Mom’s within earshot, don’t you?”

  “Why would that matter?” he says with a smug expression.

  “Because you know I’m not going to embarrass her by saying what I want to you.”

  “Go ahead, tell me.”

  Vivian looks tired at what must be a thirty-year argument between her daughter and husband. “Please stop you two. Can’t we have one normal conversation?”

  Seeing her mother’s unease, BB backs down. “No worries, Mom. Come on, Paul, let’s go get a drink.”

  Crisis averted for the time being. I hear the muffled sound of our doorbell over the music. Steven’s in the kitchen so it falls to me. Saved by the bell, thank God. Poor Nicki will be left to mop up the mess here. I know she can handle things.

  “I’ll be back, think I hear someone at the door.”

  I cross through the traffic of dancers. The bell sounds again right before I answer. I find a smiling Alec standing on the porch carrying a beautiful bouquet of lilies. He looks at me and puts one hand over his heart. With the other he offers the flowers.

  “O! She doth teach the torches to burn bright!” he says quoting his favorite bard.

  “How lovely of you. Thank you, Alec. Come in.”

  As we step through the door I realize his son isn’t with him. “Where’s Darius?”

  “He’ll be along. He’s in the car making a call. Hopefully he’ll find his way in. The boy’s a little shy for his age.”

  I smile my doubt. “What? With you for a father? How did that happen? Come on, Steven will make you a drink.”

  Back inside I lose track of Alec almost immediately. Within thirty seconds he spots Aunt Amelia and makes for another room. But I think she saw him come in, so I’m expecting her to follow. I’m a few steps from the door when I hear a soft knock. The door cautiously opens and Darius steps inside, looking out of his element. When he spots me he casts his dark eyes downward and says a quiet hello.

  “Hi, Darius. I’m Bliss. Glad you could join us.” I greet him.

  What a good looking young guy, definitely better looking than his father. I’ve seen pictures of his Greek mother and her features show up in his face. But he’s very masculine, with not a hint of the feminine in his beauty. He’s a nineteen-year-old boy in a man’s body. Alec wasn’t exaggerating, Darius is very timid, as some actors are. But how did a child of Alec’s turn out this way? The father has too much self-confidence and the son acts like the concept is foreign to him.

  “Come on, let me introduce you to a few people. We’ll start with your co-star. Have you meet BB yet?” I ask, taking him by the arm.

  “Not really. I saw her when I had my fittings in LA, but I don’t think she noticed me.”

  I don’t want to tell the boy BB’s not the type to let someone like him go unnoticed. She must have been very distracted that day to miss this one. I lead him through the crowd to where BB stands at the bar.

  “You’ll love her. She’ll seem like a friend after five minutes. Just don’t be shocked by anything she says.” I warn.

  He looks scared. As we approach BB, I see her antenna go up. Hot young guy within fifty feet, beep, beep, beep. She turns to us, leans on the bar and watches Darius walk toward her. Poor guy, I bet he’s shitting his pants. Paul’s nowhere to be seen, so she can let the wildcat out. I’ve seen this with her. She has no intention of cheating on her man, but she just can’t rope in her personality. She loves to mess with men. The fact that this one is technically still a teenager doesn’t factor into the equation. She doesn’t break her stare, but she’s added a little smirk.

  “BB, this is Darius. Or should I say young Finn.”

  “Hi honey.” Her voice is low and seductive.

  Darius wears a bright shade of red on his face. God, the woman hasn’t done anything yet. What’s he going to do when she turns around and he sees that ass? He can’t even think of a response, so BB keeps talking.

  “I like that. Every woman enjoys when a man is tongue tied in her presence. Come here and let me give you a warm hug hello. That’ll melt your Popsicle.”

  She doesn’t wait for his response, but just takes his hands and brings him close to her body. BB puts her arms around his shoulders and holds on tight. It’s five seconds too long.

  “Hi,” Paul says sizing Darius up. And that one little word says a mouthful.

  I’m just the witness to the drama unfolding. Paul’s walked up behind us, and he’s got a pissed look on his face. Darius doesn’t know what to do with his hands, and BB’s loving it all. She didn’t skip a beat. She finally releases the boy.

  “Darius, this is my boyfriend Paul.”

  Darius extends his hand. “Hi. Nice to meet you, sir.” I swear I heard his voice crack.

  Paul begrudgingly shakes it, then just grunts and walks away. Across the room BB’s father is watching the whole scene. Now I know where she got her smirk. Thank God I see Steven approaching. Before he reaches us, I meet him halfway.

  “Let’s dance,” I say pulling him onto the dancefloor. Once we’re locked in each other’s embrace, swaying to JT, I can exhale.

  “What was that about?” he asks.

  “BB met Darius and turned on her charm. Paul wa
lked up and wasn’t too enthused with her performance.”

  “I’m so glad we don’t have any of that nonsense going on.” His mouth curves into a smile.

  “Don’t be so smug, Mr. French. I seem to recall a little nonsense named Caprice.”

  He can’t deny the truth of that statement. It makes us both laugh.

  “Point taken. And please, Bliss, never say that crazy ass woman’s name to me again.”

  He swings me around and dips me for emphasis. When I get upright, I spot Carl across the room, looking very pale, almost gray. Amelia sits him down and is fanning his face with her Oriental fan she brought.

  “What’s up with Carl?”

  Steven looks their way and frowns. “He doesn’t look right. Let’s go see.”

  We make our way across the room. Carl looks as if he’s going to be sick.

  “Are you ill?” I ask.

  He waves me off. “I’m fine. I guess I shouldn’t have had that last tequila shot. Alec and Amelia and I were playing a drinking game.”

  I give Amelia a look that tells her what I think of their idea of fun.

  Steven takes Carl’s arm. “Come on, let me take you to the guest room. You can rest for a few minutes.”

  Carl doesn’t argue. He accepts Stevens arm and the two walk off toward the hallway.

  “Amelia, he can’t be having shots! The man has a pacemaker.”

  “I wasn’t thinking. He asked me to do one with him, and one became three. You’re right. That was stupid of us. I think we still think of ourselves as being thirty. When I tracked Alec down in the kitchen, he started having shots and we joined in.”

  I see her concerned expression and I feel sorry for her in this moment. It must be sad to see your sibling aging and sad to see it in yourself.

  “Don’t worry. He’ll be fine after a good night’s sleep. You two can stay here tonight if you want.” I touch her hand in friendship.

  “Thanks, honey. We’ll do that. In the meantime I’m going to go out on the porch and light one up. Wanna join me?”

  She’s a one-woman party.

  “No thanks. But you go. Enjoy.”

  It’s not three seconds later when I hear Jack’s booming voice. And I see Alec laughing and helping him walk upright.

  “I’d like to makje an arrouncment,” he attempts to say.

  Alec gives him a hand up on top of the coffee table in front of the couch. Jack has the complete attention of the partygoers. He’s wearing a crown on his head that someone has fashioned from one of the paper plates in the pantry. I see Nicki coming from the hallway into the room. When she sees her husband and hears his slurred speech, her eyes widen in fear of what he’s about to say. She makes it to the table and takes his hand.

  “Come on, Jack. Step down here and let’s head out. It’s been a long night.”

  The crowd thinks it’s dandy that Jack is having such a great time. They egg him on, yelling their encouragements.

  “Shank you my subjects! The King has a very very importment annountzmentz.”

  The crowd starts chanting. “Speech! Speech! Speech!” which only encourages him. Nicki knows it’s out of her hands now. She tries to back away, but Jack holds on to her hand. But with him standing on the table, her arm is stretched up in the air. I see Steven come into the room. He looks at me and we both acknowledge with a look the clusterfuck that’s happening. But what can we do?

  “Here’s the shing. My beautiful bride and I have shumm verrry exciting news to tell you all.” His hand sweeps the width of the room. “Believe it or not….I’m pregnant!”

  The crowd breaks into screams of laughter.

  “Wait! Wait! I’m not pregnant. My Nicki is! Isn’t that the most wonderful newge you’ve ever heard? It is to me.” He slaps himself over his heart. “I’m very very very exzited.”

  The guests break out in applause and whistles. Jack steps down from the coffee table with the help of his wife. She’s smiling, but I know my Nicki. She’s boiling with anger inside.

  “Come on, let’s get you back to the hotel in one piece,” she pleads.

  “Wait! Let me just shit in thish chair for a minute.” And with that, Jack sits in the chair and passes out. Fortunately he doesn’t shit.

  It’s one forty a.m. and no one looks like they’re thinking of leaving any time soon. The noise level has risen, and I’m waiting for the neighbors to call the police on us. It feels as if everyone’s let their demons out for the night. There’s a moment in every party that’s the tipping point. It’s when people have had that one too many drinks, when it goes from a happy fun night to a bacchanal. The arrival of Alec and Darius was this ones. It set off the chain reaction that resulted in BB and Paul being pissed at each other, Carl ill in our guestroom bed and Jack passed out in the chair, his angry wife wanting to kill him. So much for our good intentions.

  Chapter Nine

  BB

  I sense Paul is waking up. He’s on his stomach catching the last few z’s while I’m lightly connecting the dots of his freckles. This fine Sharpie is working nicely. If I don’t wake him, let’s see how long it takes him to find my handiwork. So far I’ve created a star, a lightning bolt and a big penis with one testicle. It takes all my willpower not to laugh. After a minute or two, he stretches his leg outside the covers. I put down the Sharpie. Then he lets loose with a big yawn. But there’s no attempt to roll over and pull me close.

  “Are you still mad?” I say.

  I glide my fingers lightly over his back. He likes when I barely make contact with his skin, in just a whisper of a touch.

  “Yes, I am.” He turns his face toward me. His heavy stubble and messy black hair look sexy in the morning’s light. “And don’t think I’m going to forget because you’re naked.”

  I don’t detect any playfulness in the statement, so I stop touching and pull my hand away.

  “What’s the big deal? You know me. I’m a comedian. I was just messing with a young kid. And come on, Paul, he’s at least fifteen years younger than I am. You’re blowing this out of proportion.”

  Now he turns over and sits up. He shakes his head in disgust.

  “No, I’m not. It’s not asking too much to expect your partner to act appropriately. Comedian or not, you were way out of line, and I don’t like it. And who do you think you’re kidding with that kid stuff? He’s a horny eighteen-year-old who’d fuck you in a hot minute.”

  “He’s nineteen,” I say, pushing the limits.

  Paul has an infuriating way of staying perfectly calm when he’s pissed. It only makes me madder.

  “But I wouldn’t fuck him. That’s what’s important,” I add.

  “But you’re making him think you would.”

  “How do you know who he’d do or for that matter if the guy’s even horny?” My voice is getting louder and higher pitched at the same time. Meanwhile, Paul keeps an even tone.

  “Well he’s nineteen and a man. There’s that.”

  I start laughing. “You’ve got a point. Okay, let’s agree to disagree. I don’t want to be arguing on your last day here.”

  “I don’t either BB, but this isn’t an agree to disagree situation. We need to come to some sort of a resolution.”

  “I’m going to tell you something, Paul. This is my personality. Maybe I go a little too far, but wasn’t that what you liked about me when we met?”

  I know I’ve scored with that one. After all, I’m sure he hasn’t forgotten the threesome we had with Finn not forty-eight hours after we were introduced in Park City.

  “That’s true. But there’s more to us now. We weren’t a couple then.”

  “Okay. What do you propose, Doctor Cruz?”

  “I’m not speaking as a psychologist. I’m speaking as your lover and your mate.”

  That triggers something I wanted to ask him about.

  “That’s another thing. Last night when I introduced you as my boyfriend, I saw the look you gave me. What did I do wrong there?” I ask.

 
; “I don’t know. It just bugged me. I think I was so fucking pissed off by you putting your body against him that everything looked and sounded off to me. I guess I feel like so much more than your boyfriend. Know what I mean?”

  He’s so damn adorable right now I can’t stay mad. “Yeah, I do.”

  We connect in this moment, successfully talking out what bothered him. Is this what a mature adult relationship looks like? Hmmm.

  “Okay. I’ll try to understand your point of view, and you try to enjoy who I am,” I say.

  He lies back down and pulls me to his body. “Let me enjoy who you are right now.”

  My ass is against his hard morning cock, and I feel his warm breath on my neck. As he presses against me, his hand runs over my stomach and down, covering the mound between my legs. He cups it and holds still for a few beats. I push against his fingers, begging for action. Then he starts rubbing.

  * * *

  I drove Paul and my parents to the airport. After we dropped off Mom and Dad, we had time for a long goodbye. Now, all the way back to the condo all I can think of is our conversation in bed this morning. Damn it to hell. Never have I bent to any man, and I won’t start now. But I have to concede, this one makes me consider it. Just that one thought makes me shiver. Get ahold of yourself, BB. You’ve seen what a controlling man can do to a woman. His domination will grow and suck the life out of her. And she becomes a person who walks on eggshells, afraid of everything she says or does. Afraid she’ll displease the master. It’s a slippery slope.

  My father was always that way, forever a dick and a prick. And my mother’s reward for her allegiance was his unfaithfulness. I remember when I was very young, watching my little friend’s father and thinking what a wonderful thing it would be to live in their house. I couldn’t reconcile how I’d take my mother with me though, or even if she’d come. But it was such a nice place to be. I noticed the funny little moments that passed between the man and his wife. She never seemed on edge, or quiet around him. He hadn’t stolen her own personality. I wished that for my own mother.

  Yet somehow she could never break away from him or his control. I thought maybe when I left home at eighteen she’d find her strength. But that didn’t happen. Now I think she’s tied to him for the long haul.