"Nah." Shit, he needed a present. He thought of the hotel maid and her Cupid's bow lips kissing the top of a beer bottle last night. More than once, he'd caught her closing her eyes and humming as she savoured the taste of the sweet brew. "Get me a case of your mango beer to take home, though."
She beckoned to one of the glassies and he returned less than a minute later, carrying a carton. Jay nodded his thanks, hoisted the box onto his shoulder and headed out to his car. He shoved the box in the back seat and slid behind the wheel.
Jason gunned the engine, then crunched the car into gear. Now he remembered what had gotten into him last night, why he'd begged the girl to stay. It was all that pent-up passion inside her. He could see it in every sip she took of her beer, every time she glanced at his bare chest – of course he'd taken his shirt off; he knew what the sight of his six-pack did to women. She played her part in life as well as he did. Showing one thing while feeling another. Always putting on a show. But she'd seen through his act just as he'd seen through hers. He wanted to be the one to shatter that brittle shell so she could shine like a fucking beacon.
The only girl he wanted in his bed tonight was Audra. Shit, he even remembered her name. It had to be love.
Jason slammed his foot down on the accelerator and screeched out of the parking lot. He had a helicopter to catch, and a woman to romance.
TWENTY-ONE
"What in hell did you do in here?" Audra surveyed the grisly scene in the gym. It looked like there'd been a bloodbath and there were suspicious, red splatters on the ceiling, too. "Where are the bodies?"
Serge coughed. "Um, he's resting in his room and his girlfriend's tending to him."
Audra waved her arms at the blood-soaked walls and floor. "One man lost this much blood and he's still alive?"
"It's not all blood."
Audra sighed. "Does Annette know about this?" He nodded. "Fine, then. I'll help you clean it up, but you're going to do half the work and while we're working, you'll tell me how you turned the gym into a slaughterhouse."
"Well, it started with this kid who wanted to impress his girlfriend, so he showed up at the gym but refused a session with the personal trainer..."
Audra wiped down the walls on one side while Serge took the other, telling her the whole story.
The kid had come to keep his girlfriend company at the gym. While she did her cardio on the bikes, he'd decided to show his awesome muscles off by bench-pressing some weights. His sweaty, straining hands had slipped, though, and he'd managed to smash the barbell onto his nose. Blood spurted, he'd sneezed and most of the weights area, along with the wall behind it, had gotten sprayed in blood. A trail of it had followed the kid and his angry girlfriend out the door to the first aid room.
Serge had called Housekeeping and Annette had sent Penny, who'd claimed she was an expert in cleaning carpets and using the shampooing machine.
Audra knew otherwise, but she just shook her head. Perhaps it hadn't been quite as bad as she suspected.
Actually, it was worse.
Penny had filled the machine with foam, switched it on and set to work. Serge had headed over to the free weights area to work with a client. The next thing he'd heard from Penny was some shrieked swearing before the carpet cleaning machine exploded. Bloodstained water coated the walls, the ceiling and the carpet. Penny had picked up the gym phone and called Annette, whining about the faulty equipment that had almost killed her. Before she could hang up, Serge grabbed the phone off her and requested a more senior member of the Housekeeping staff to help with the mess, as this girl evidently needed first aid.
He'd rid himself of Penny and Annette had suggested Audra. So there they were.
Audra sighed again. "I'll go get the shampooing machine. I'm sure it'll be fine when I put the reservoir in properly."
Serge shook his head. "No, that thing exploded. It's too dangerous."
"Were you or your client flexing your muscles during the training session?"
He snorted. "Weights training. It builds and flexes muscle. Of course. I'll show you, if you like." He dropped his cleaning cloth and took an eager step toward the dumbbells.
Audra waved him away. "I believe you. Some other time, maybe. Penny's easily distracted. She probably put too much shampoo into the machine, wasn't watching the foam and the pressure popped the reservoir. It's not the first time it's happened, though it wasn't quite as messy then."
Together, they finished cleaning the gym with the now-operational carpet shampooer and switched the gym sign from open to closed while the carpet dried. Afterwards, they walked back to the staff accommodation together to shower and change into their civilian clothes for dinner.
When they met again outside, Audra eyed his wet hair and her thoughts strayed to what would happen if she took Penny's advice and shared a shower with Serge. She'd never done anything aside from wash in a shower before, given how both hot water and shower time had been rationed at home in a house with seven people and one bathroom.
Serge gave her an exaggerated bow. "I owe you my eternal servitude for saving me from that mess."
"Don't you mean gratitude? You know, you're grateful for what I did? Servitude is like slavery and that was abolished years ago."
He waved a hand airily. "Either. Both. If you ever need a favour, just ask me." He grinned. "Now, the least I can do is take you to dinner."
Audra laughed. "The finest the staff dining room has to offer, I'm sure. I wonder what's been burned tonight."
Mango chicken, as it turned out, and they talked and laughed through the meal, as easily as if they'd known each other for years. Scrubbing blood off a ceiling together evidently did that to people.
After they were finished, Serge wanted to check on the dampness of the gym floor, so Audra bade him goodnight and headed back to the staff accommodation on her own. She glanced at the empty helipad, wondering if the pumping music and the shriek of the shampoo machine had drowned out the sound of Jay's return to the island. She hoped he was safely ensconced in his villa, entertaining his guest. If he needed her, he'd surely page her, but her wristband had remained mercifully silent since Serge's emergency call just after lunch.
Hoping to get an early night, Audra trudged back to her room and locked the door. She figured she'd check her emails and messages on her laptop, then go to sleep. Most of the messages were advertising, so she scrolled down the list, deleting as she went, until she came across an email from her sister, Sam, asking if she'd be free for an online video call. She'd sent it twenty minutes earlier, so Audra quickly responded that she was free now, if Sam wanted.
Five minutes later, Sam's excited face filled her screen. "Guess what, guess what!"
Thinking of her conversation last night with Serge, she said, "Mum finally won the lottery?"
Sam giggled. "She won thirty bucks last week – her first win in months – but no, she didn't win the jackpot, even though Mum still buys a ticket every week. No, better than that."
Audra couldn't think of anything better that she'd want to voice to her fifteen-year-old sister. "I don't know, Sam."
"Josh kissed me today!"
"Oh...but that's not your first kiss, is it?"
Sam rolled her eyes. "No, of course not. I'm fifteen, not ten. But it's my first French kiss with the captain of the Year Ten basketball team. And he didn't drool much!"
Audra fought laughter. "So this Josh is a good kisser?"
"Well..." Sam scrunched up her nose. "He wasn't at first, but we got better with practice. He only licked my nose once. After a while, like, all of lunch, my tummy felt all fluttery. Almost like I was in love. Tad laughed and said it was all the saliva exchange making me sick, but he's just jealous. Maybe he's right, though. Does kissing make you sick? Because I can't be in love with Josh."
Aw, first love. Audra couldn't hold back a happy sigh. "Why not? Love's not something you can control. It just sort of..." Creeps up on you, wrenches at your heart and breaks it when he leaves you.
&n
bsp; Sam groaned. "I'm so not a kid any more! I'm in love with Jay Felix. Kissing Josh doesn't make me anywhere near as hot as kissing Jay would. I mean, just kissing his poster..." She blushed.
Audra fought to find the right words. "Rock stars like Jay aren't worth your time, Sam. He wouldn't notice normal people like us over his enormous ego." Even as she spoke, she knew it was a lie. Jay had poured out his heart to her, read her a story and even ordered her breakfast. He was worth her time, and not just because she got paid for it. "Don't pin your hopes on something that'll never happen," she finished lamely.
"One day it will. Ooh, they announced concert dates for Chaya's next tour. Jay's coming to Perth for their farewell tour next year. Guess that means he won't be a rock star any more and I'll have even more of a chance. Do you think if I..." Sam continued, but Audra stopped listening.
Chaya's farewell tour.
The missing pieces fell into place. No wonder he kept insisting he was a rock star – when Chaya broke up, he'd be just an ordinary bloke again. No longer rock royalty. He was running out of time to impress this girl with his rock star charms. Poor Jay. Audra hoped the fondue she'd left would help. To lose your identity and the girl you loved all in one hit would be quite a blow to anyone. If he needed help with anything...
Audra's eyes darted to her ID, but the display was still dark. She wasn't wanted in Maxima tonight.
"So what d'you think?"
Audra blinked. "Um, sure," she replied, hoping it was the right thing to say.
Sam cheered. "Awesome. I'll pay you back, I promise. Tickets go on sale for the concert tomorrow and if you're coming, then you can drive us."
"The Chaya concert? Yeah, okay." Standing in the audience, watching Jay and his band perform for the last time. As long as he didn't spot her in the crowd, it would be fine. The tickets wouldn't come cheap, though. There goes this week's pay, she thought.
After a few more minutes of small talk, Audra ended the call and closed her ageing laptop.
She could ask Jay for tickets. Maybe even the chance to go backstage. She wouldn't ask for herself, but she'd do almost anything for Sam. The worst he could say was no, and then she'd just buy them like she'd planned. But she'd have to do it tonight, before tickets went on sale in the morning, because if it was anything like other Chaya concerts, they sold out fast.
Audra slipped on her shoes and headed for Villa Maxima.
TWENTY-TWO
How were you supposed to see the road when it was the same red dirt as the bush on either side and there weren't any street lights? Every road should have fucking street lights, Jason fumed as his car bounced over another rut. So much for the best four-wheel-drive the dealership had to offer. The suspension on this was shit. He may as well have been driving the little shitbrick of a hatchback he'd owned before Chaya made it big. And where was the damn hotel, anyway? The helicopter flight hadn't taken half this long and he couldn't see a single building anywhere.
Jason floored the accelerator, trying to get the stupid car to go faster, but all it did was bump harder down the unsealed road. Maybe he should call the helicopter to come and pick him up. It couldn't be that hard for it to find him – the headlights of his car had to be the only lights for miles. He fished around in his pocket and withdrew his phone, glancing between the screen and the road as he searched for the pilot's number. Or the hotel's. He didn't care as long as he got back.
Jo's number came up. That'd do. She could fix anything. He hit the call button and held the phone to his ear.
It emitted an irritating beep, followed by silence. Why wasn't it calling?
He glared at the screen. "No mobile access – emergency calls only," he read, then punched the dashboard. "It is a fucking emergency! I need to get back to the hotel so I can...can..." Tits. Something about tits. Scooping them out of a skimpy French maid's uniform and...
No, there weren't any frills. He didn't want her in her maid's uniform, French or Aussie or fucking Chinese. He wanted her naked. Wanted to see if her arse was as sweet as her tits.
Wondered what she'd taste like – salty like the sea around the island, or sweet like the mango beer? Fuck. If it wasn't an emergency before, it was now. His pants were too tight. He needed her now.
He tried, but the phone only beeped and beeped again, until he threw the stupid thing into the back seat. Fuck the phone. Fuck the helicopter. No, wait. He wanted to fuck a woman. Sweet and sassy and sympathetic and on call...
He'd never gone without sex so long in his life. Not since high school, anyway.
What the fuck was that in the middle of the road?
Jason squinted at the tall shape. Was some fat bloke standing in the middle of the road? Nah, no one'd be that stupid. Or that huge.
Jason found himself staring at the biggest cow he'd ever seen, lowering its horns and charging his car. Fuck.
Jason wrenched the steering wheel right, taking the car to the other side of the track. Lights blinded him and the deafening blare of a horn sliced into his head. It sounded like a car, not a cow.
There was a jarring crunch, accompanied by the sound of a million tinkling bells before he was in flight, spinning like a skydiver in freefall. Only what skydiver took their car with them and opened their parachute in the car? Parachute everywhere. In front of him. Beside him. Sticking out of the dash like a big balloon. Holding him in his seat so he couldn't move.
Upside down. Sideways. Right way up. No, sideways again. Fuck. Upside down in a car full of parachute, but the landing was gentler than he expected. Skydiving in a car was awesome. Jason unclipped the straps holding him upside down and slid to the roof of the car. Pain flared in his hand, but he ignored it. Adventure sports came with a bit of pain, didn't they? And chicks dig scars.
Ooh, there's one.
A moving blue blur outside resolved into a woman bent double so she could see into the car window. Purple. No, blue. Purple again. Why was her shirt changing colour? She looked concerned. "Can you hear me? You hit me with your car! You could've killed me!"
He'd landed on a hot chick? Cool. Jason grinned lazily, hoping she looked as hot as she sounded. He couldn't see so clearly right now. There was something in his eye. Probably his hair. He reached up to casually flick it away in the sexy way he knew melted any woman's underwear, and tried to catch the niggling thought in his head about car crashes. Car crashes and rock stars. Numbers! That's what he had to get. Give. Whatever.
"Get me out of here and I'll give you my number, babe," he said.
Lights were flashing. Why were they flashing? They made it hard to think. Lights only flashed at concerts and he couldn't see his guitar, or the rest of the band. And why did his hand hurt?
Jason held up his fingers so he could see them better. Something black was oozing over his hand. Like tar, with sparkling diamonds in it. The light flashed red and the ooze wasn't black any more. It was ruby red. Like...blood. Fuck. It couldn't be. When he saw blood, he...
"Sir! Can you hear me? Are you all right?"
All the lights at the rock concert in Jason's head went out.
TWENTY-THREE
One of the path lights flickered. First it was blazing white, then off, then blue before brightening to white once more. The solar panel or the batteries must be on the blink again. Audra tapped her ID and knelt by the path beside the light until her display read LOGGED. Maintenance would receive her report in the morning and hopefully do something to fix it.
Rising, Audra shivered in a night breeze. Back home, she wouldn't dare walk outside this late after dark. Here, the only low-lifes who'd attack a lone woman were the rats rustling in the palm fronds above. No matter how much baiting the resort did, wherever there were people, there were rats.
Maybe they were seabirds getting comfortable, she told herself. That's what she usually told the tourists, but she didn't believe it. She'd only seen a handful of rats in her time here, but for every one she saw, she knew there were a dozen more watching. So much for paradise.
She took the long way round, circling Maxima to see which lights were on, but the whole villa was dark. Even with the blinds drawn in every room, some light should've leaked out the edges. Unless Jay and all his guests were asleep...or they were only using the romantic tealights she'd left in the house.
Audra stopped dead. What if the romantic lighting and all the other stuff she'd arranged had worked for him? What if Jay and his lady love were getting it on in the villa right now? She didn't dare interrupt them.
She forced herself up the steps to the door. The scanner wouldn't allow her entry if he was inside, and there were protocols in place if the guests were in bed: if all the guests' wristbands stayed in bedrooms for more than ten minutes, they triggered the electronic version of a DO NOT DISTURB sign on the door. The guests could set that manually, too, though none of hers ever had. She'd expected the hotel to be full of couples having kinky sex, but she'd never encountered the signs in use. Maybe the time for kinky sex was the wet season, not the dry. She'd find out when she got the permanent job here.
Gritting her teeth, Audra scanned her ID at the door, rocking on her feet as she waited to be told to go away or alert the guests that housekeeping was at the door.
The door hissed open. No one was home.
Audra hesitated on the threshold. Entering the house now, when she was off-duty and he hadn't called for maid service, smacked of an invasion of Jay's privacy. What if he was out for a night-time walk on the beach with someone and he brought her back here, only to find a maid he hadn't called for in his villa? Talk about killing the mood. She'd gone to so much trouble to help him, too.
Besides, who was she to ask for favours from someone as famous as Jay? He probably got asked for free tickets to his shows all the time and was sick of it. How would she feel if someone asked her to clean their house for free? A couple of concert tickets cost a month's worth of housecleaning.
Good thing Jay wasn't home.
Silently wishing him and his partner good night, Audra headed back to the staff accommodation to sleep. She'd have to be up early to get the best tickets before they sold out. Front row at one of his concerts was the closest she'd ever get to him, and she'd be satisfied with that, damn it. Even if she dreamed of more, who was she fooling? He'd never be hers.
Maid for the Rock Star Page 7