8 | BURIED TREASURE
The hall exploded with applause and whistles as the company of Swan Lake took their final, ecstatic bows. The opening performance had been flawless.
“You were so good!” Olivia exclaimed to the muscular man who played Prince Siegfried. She embraced her dance partner and an elated laugh bubbled from her chest.
Michael lifted her and spun around once. “So were you! Are you coming to celebrate at Mia’s?”
She nodded as they headed to the dressing rooms, feeling as if walking on air. “I just have to find my date first.”
After she had removed all traces of her heavy stage makeup and changed out of her costume into the slightly more comfortable jeans and a loose cashmere sweater, Olivia ventured out of the dressing room in search of Daniel. Halfway down the hall, she was intercepted by an impossibly tall Swede with short blond hair, piercing blue eyes and an impeccable grey suit.
“Can I get an autograph?” he said with a flirtatious smile.
“Alex!” Without a second thought, Olivia threw her arms around his neck.
He kissed her cheek and chuckled. “Good to see you, Mei,” he said in his flawless English.
She pulled away and smiled up at Alexander Dahlgren, his classically handsome face bringing back memories of her early twenties. “You’re still calling me that?” she said with a wide smile.
“That is your name, isn’t it?” He winked and hugged her again, lifting her off the ground. “You were wonderful up there, Mei. You get better with each performance. I swear, sometimes your jumps defy gravity.”
“Thank you.” If she was happy before, she was absolutely giddy now at the sight of her old friend. She regarded his lightly tanned face closely, noting that he no longer sported his signature golden goatee. Nevertheless, clean-shaven Alex was just as breathtaking as a print and runway model, which, incidentally, had been his profession before he’d returned home to Sweden. “So how long are you in town for? Business or pleasure?” she said, wagging her eyebrows suggestively. Over two years had passed since she’d seen him last, and still she couldn’t help but revert back to their suggestive banter. Old habits, it seemed, died hard.
“I’m back for good.” Alex’s blue eyes roved over her face as if he were a starving man facing a feast. “At least, for a little while.”
Olivia smiled to herself. It was just like Alex to be so non-committal, especially to things that mattered.
One side of his lips curled up. “And when it comes to you, Mei, pleasure. Each and every time.”
She tried to conceal her flush with a chuckle. “Does that line work for you in Sweden?”
“Only when I don’t say your name,” he said with a grin. He reached into his suit jacket and pulled out a small box. “Anyway, I got this for you. To celebrate your opening night.”
“Thank you.” She flicked a surprised glance his way before accepting the little package. Inside was a velvet bag that held a cut crystal grizzly bear. “Orion’s Major,” she said, grinning wistfully.
“You remembered.”
She could feel his eyes on her face, warmer than the spotlights on stage, making her flush from its heat. “How could I forget? It was from that pool party at Nikki’s rooftop,” she said softly, turning the bear in her fingers and watching the light glint off its facets. “Back when my life was a blender full of alcohol, men and fabulous parties.”
She and Alex had been in the pool during one of those fabulous occasions, atop a ritzy apartment building in Tribeca, drinking straight out of the Cristal bottle and flirting like hell. Alex had been trying to impress her with his knowledge of the constellations, pointing them out one by one in the ebony sky, and she’d been disagreeing with him simply to get a rise. An exasperated Alex was almost as fun as a flirty one.
“No, that’s Orion’s Belt, you goofball!” she’d said at one point. She wasn’t so much impressed with his knowledge as she was drunkenly smitten.
He had shaken his head vehemently. “That’s Ursa Major,” he’d said and reached up to connect the stars with his long fingers. “See? It makes a bear.”
She had shrugged, mumbling something about not being a nerd major, and had taken another swig of the champagne. She had been pleasantly surprised to feel his arms wrapping around her waist, thinking it was about damn time as she felt his bare chest against her back. She had leaned her head against his shoulder as they’d looked up at the stars and had relished the simple pleasure of skin against skin.
“When I’m gone, every time I look up at that Orion’s Major, I’ll think of you,” he had whispered in her ear, and in the next moment, she had felt his teeth nibbling on her earlobe, making her entire body tingle with pleasure.
They had spent the rest of the evening pressed against each other, kissing as if they were nearing the end of the world. He’d sought more from her after that night but she’d refused, not wanting to begin a relationship with a definite expiration date. A month and a half later, he had stepped aboard a plane and had flown back to his homeland across the world.
Olivia sighed ruefully as she came back to the present, to the bear in her hand and to the man who stood before her. Lacking words, she wrapped her arms around his chest and squeezed. “There’s a big bear hug for you. I’m so happy to see you.”
He laughed, deep and sexy. “What are you doing tonight? Are you free for a celebratory drink?” he said, his disarming smile on full display. With his slanted eyes and high cheekbones, he was quite possibly the most handsome man she had ever laid eyes on. They sure knew how to grow them in Sweden.
“I can’t,” she said, suddenly feeling guilty that she’d almost all but forgotten about Daniel. “I have to meet up with someone.”
He nodded casually, though his disappointment was evident in his expressive eyes. “That’s a pity. I was hoping we could catch up. But anyway, my number’s still the same. Give me a call soon, okay?”
She hugged him again before he walked away, looking over his shoulder once more to throw her a playful wink. As she turned to go, a hand caught her by the elbow. “Okay, Alex, maybe we can – ”
“Excuse me, Miss King?” An immense, dark-skinned stranger stood in front of her, dressed in a dapper black suit. His long black dreadlocks were held together in the back in a ponytail, and his face was attractive in an almost overwhelming way. With his square jaw, long nose and stately forehead, he gave her the impression of Polynesian royalty, big as a statue and just as imposing.
He let go of her arm once he had her attention. “I just wanted to tell you that your performance moved me.”
“Thank you. I hope that means you enjoyed it?”
“I did. Very much,” he said with a smile that didn’t quite reach his eyes. “Olivia King. Any relation to Richard King?”
Olivia, still high from her performance – and in a way she’d rather not admit aloud, from Alex’s unexpected return to her life – replied without hesitation. “Yes. He’s my father.”
The man sighed, visibly deflating from her answer. “Ah, I see,” he said.
“Is something wrong? Were you expecting someone else?”
He shook his head and stood straight once again. “I just wanted to meet you. Congratulations once again,” he said before walking off. A dark-haired woman met him at the end of the hallway and he whispered in her ear before they strolled off hand in hand, suddenly reminding Olivia of her own love interest.
She pulled out her phone and dialed Daniel’s cell phone number. When it went straight to voice mail, she hung up and tried his apartment.
He picked up halfway through the first ring. “Hello?” he said with his raspy voice. She was surprised momentarily; what was he doing at home? Did he attend the play at all?
“Daniel, did you use the ticket I gave you?” she said, trying to sound nonchalant when she was actually rapidly running out of patience.
“I did. I was there.” He paused a moment, then said, “You were… amazing.”
“Thank
you, but did you leave early or something? Your apartment’s way up town.”
“No. I’m just really… fast.”
“I thought we were going to meet up after the ballet and maybe go to the after party?” She leaned against the wall. “Well, I assumed we would do that.”
“I’m sorry. I was just trying to avoid, uh, someone. Do you still want to me to come?”
“No, just stay there. I’ll come over. We still need to talk.” His reaction, an audible gulp, was so comically executed it made her snicker. “Give me about forty minutes.”
“No! I’ll just come and get you.”
“I appreciate that you’re trying to be chivalrous, but that plan makes no sense.” She caught a glimpse of blond hair in her peripheral view. Her eyes rested on Alex, who was at the end of the hall, talking to one of the dancers in a very friendly manner. He caught Olivia’s eye and winked.
“Don’t worry about it, Daniel. I’ll just get a ride from a friend.”
9 | THE COIL UNRAVELS…
“I realize that we are just friends and all, but this is…” Alex began to say as he parallel-parked his gunmetal gray Audi. “Highly unethical.”
Olivia looked out the window at the non-descript apartment building. “What is?”
“My dropping you off at another man’s doorstep,” he said. Before she could say anything, he continued, “I may be a model, but I have enough brain cells to know that I just delivered you to your boyfriend’s place.”
“He’s not my boyfriend.”
He raised one groomed eyebrow. “He’s not?”
“No. We haven’t touched on that subject yet.”
“Well, then he’s a fool. If we were dating, I’d have already touched that subject. Amongst other things I’d have already touched,” he said with a megawatt smile.
She grinned despite herself. “You haven’t changed one bit.”
He sighed as he leaned back in the leather seat, looking at her in earnest. “What if I told you that I’m a different person now, Mei? That I’m not that same guy you knew before. What would you say to that?”
“I’d say it’s a miracle.” He had had a reputation of being a player, a title he had rightfully earned. Olivia had flirted with disaster, but in the end, had been smart enough to avoid becoming just another notch on his bedpost.
Alex was unable to keep from smiling at her. “When you tire of this game we’re playing, the same one we were playing a few years ago, you know where to find me.”
“Funny, and here I thought you were the only one who had been playing games all along,” she said, trying to stop the bitterness from seeping into her words.
“Like I said, I’ve changed.” His eyes bore into hers, willing her to believe the improbable. She had faith in his conviction well enough; she just couldn’t say the same about his follow-through.
“You’ve said that before.”
“This time, it’s true.”
“I’ve heard that too.”
He paused, fiddling with the leather steering wheel. “It took a while, but I finally figured out why you kept saying no to me back then.”
“Because you couldn’t keep it in your pants?”
He nodded slowly. “I guess you could say it that way.”
“How would you say it?” she said incredulously.
“I wasn’t mature enough for a monogamous relationship yet.”
“Nope, you certainly weren’t.” She shook her head ruefully. “And, honestly, I don’t see any indications of this change you speak of.”
“That’s not... You don’t even...” He blew out a sharp breath of exasperation and exited the car. “Goodnight, Mei,” he said as he held the door open for her.
“I’m sorry,” she said as she stepped out, wondering when their happy reunion had suddenly become so serious. “I guess it’s one of those things that needs to be seen to be believed.”
He swatted her words away with a casual flick of a hand. “Do you want a ride to the theater tomorrow night?”
“Sure, Alex.” She eyed him skeptically, sensing something definitely different with her old friend. The old Alex would have argued with her until he was blue in the face, possibly even calling witnesses to support his case. This alternate-reality Alex had just admitted defeat, a response that left her more than a little bewildered.
As she took the stairs to apartment 209 on the second floor, she entertained the idea of a more mature Alex, one who was ready to commit to a single relationship. She thought about the cut crystal bear that still lay in her purse and, despite the tiny prickle of guilt, hoped that he truly hadn’t changed. Because as much as she liked Daniel, she couldn’t help the fact that she’d always felt a strong chemistry with Alex, one that was still left unexplored.
If given an ultimatum, she didn’t know which man her finger would point to, and frankly, she didn’t want to have to make that choice at all.
Daniel heard the soft footsteps coming up the stairs and he quickly leaned against the doorway in an attempt to appear casual. He had seen Olivia pulling up in a grey Audi and had wondered why she was taking so long in the car. When the blond guy had emerged from the car to open the passenger door, Daniel had felt an unfamiliar urge to dash down there and shake him by the collar, a feeling that left him dazed and discombobulated. Was this what happened when emotions were allowed to wreak havoc in one’s life?
When Olivia finally made it to his floor, she greeted him with a tentative smile and a quick hug.
“Uh, did you get here okay?”
She nodded. “Yes. A friend gave me a ride.”
He looked at her expectantly, hoping to hear an explanation on this friend’s very existence. But Olivia simply met his eyes and said nothing.
They stood around awkwardly for a few moments before Daniel finally invited her into his humble apartment. Since her phone call, he’d had time to pick up in the living room and wash the dishes in the sink. He didn’t have to do much more to make his apartment presentable, sparse as it was.
“So this is where you live…” She stood in the middle of his tiny living room, looking out of place in front of the sterile white walls and his collection of ill-assorted second-hand furniture. If she thought him low-income and lacking a creative bone in his body, then she would be right.
“Yep, this is it.” He headed towards the narrow galley kitchen, which was but three steps away from the living room. “Would you like a drink?”
“Just water, please,” she said and took off her long, black coat. She laid it on the edge of the faded blue couch, along with her purse.
Daniel took his time in the kitchen, trying to delay the inevitable. He had promised to tell the truth, and in that he would deliver, but he wasn’t exactly looking forward to her reaction. She would think he was certifiable, that much was certain.
“Are you desalinating the water first?” came Olivia’s voice, reminding him that her patience would not endure forever.
“Sorry,” he said as he returned, handing her a glass of water from the faucet.
She took a small sip then set the glass on the water-stained coffee table, never once taking her eyes off him. “So… talk.”
As he sat down beside her, his mouth immediately began to move on its own volition. “Well, when I was a boy, I once had a crush on Kelly from Saved by the Bell.”
Olivia closed her eyes and took a deep breath, clearly trying to dig into the deepest reserves of her patience. “Daniel, honestly, I’m beginning to seriously doubt if you’re worth all this aggravation. If you aren’t going to tell me, then just say so and we can stop all this bullshit.” She paused, biting her lower lip. “Is it drugs?”
Daniel looked at her in mild horror. “No. Hell no.”
A look of relief briefly crossed her features. “Then tell me why you disappeared for four days.”
He sighed. It was time to pull away the mask he’d so long hidden behind; he couldn’t stop himself now if he tried. “I was lured into a trap and shot.
Lots of times. Then they tied me up and left me for dead in the bottom of the Hudson.” He paused for a moment, shocked at how much he was willing to reveal, then continued, “Four days later, I woke up cold and starving.”
God, she must think I’m completely batshit insane, he thought as he searched her face for a reaction.
“Okay,” she said carefully. “So who shot you?”
“I don’t know, some drug lord I’m assuming. All I saw was that he had a ponytail.”
Olivia visibly stiffened. “A ponytail?” she asked, her eyebrows knitting. “Did he look Polynesian or Pacific Islander?”
Daniel shrugged. “I don’t know. I didn’t get a good enough look at him. It was dark inside that building…”
“A man came up to me today, after the performance. His hair was in a ponytail. He asked me if I was related to Richard King.”
“And?” He leaned closer and held his breath.
“I told him he was my father.” When he exhaled sharply, she added in a fluster, “I mean, how was I supposed to know? I thought he was just a fan coming to chat!” She threw up her hands in frustration. “I might as well have given him my social security number too!”
Suddenly, she paused and her eyebrows furrowed. “Hold on a minute…”
Daniel froze, knowing the instant when the jig was up. For a moment there, he thought he had actually pulled it off.
“So you were shot by this guy, and you were where? Underwater? For four days?” Olivia said, her frown deepened the more questions she asked.
Shit. Crap. Damn! He had hoped that she would be distracted enough to forget about that little detail. Though he’d had plenty of time to ponder, he still had no clue how to breach the subject of his abnormalities without sounding mentally ill.
“You were great tonight, by the way. At the ballet,” he said, cupping her cheek in his hand in a last ditch attempt at diversion. “You danced so beautifully.”
One perfectly-shaped eyebrow rose. “Thank you, Daniel. But you’re stalling.”
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