by SUE FINEMAN
“The next day Ma started packing, said she wasn’t going to live anyplace where her kids weren’t safe. Two weeks later, my oldest brother hooked a rented trailer on the back of Ma’s car and we moved to Washington. Vinnie had a job and a dumpy little apartment he shared with two friends, but Ma wouldn’t leave him behind. They had a big fight about it, and she made him promise to come with the family and stay a year.” Tony smiled. “Vinnie’s still up there, with his wife and kids. Owns a landscaping business. He does all the landscape work on the houses that Max and Company builds.”
That fight with the gang bangers turned Tony into a fighter. After they moved, he started working out in the gym before school every morning, until he was strong enough to handle himself in any situation. He did a little amateur boxing after he graduated from high school, but he wasn’t bloodthirsty enough for the sport. Defending himself and his family was one thing. Beating some guy until his eyes were swollen shut and blood poured from his nose was another. Ma didn’t like it at all, and she wasn’t shy about saying so.
Catherine guided him off the freeway and into the parking lot of her apartment complex. He’d just turned off the engine when his cell phone rang.
“Hey, Tony,” said Nick. “Sorry to be calling so late, but something happened you’ll want to know about. Melissa Juno climbed up on the Narrows Bridge and threatened to jump off if you didn’t marry her.”
“Aw, shit.”
“She said she was having your baby.”
“That’s a good trick, since we never had sex. What happened?”
“Her father and the cops tried to talk her down, even promised her a fancy wedding. A fireman climbed up and fastened a safety harness on her. From what I saw on television, it looked like she jumped and almost pulled the fireman off with her. Anyway, she’s back in the hospital, and I expect her to stay there this time.”
“I didn’t want her, but I didn’t want this to happen.”
“Yeah, I know.”
Catherine walked inside her apartment while Tony finished his call. He should’ve handled things better with Melissa, but how was he to know her mind was this warped? He knew she was obsessive, but he had no idea she was suicidal. “If I’d known she was this sick, I would’ve called her family or somebody.”
“According to the cops, it wouldn’t have made any difference. You’re not the first guy she’s been obsessed with. She lives in a dream world.”
“She sure does. Thanks for calling, Nick.” Tony locked the car and carried his bag into Catherine’s apartment. It was smaller than he expected. One bedroom and a study with a daybed. Nice little apartment, but kind of ordinary for a woman like Catherine Timmons.
“You take the bedroom, Tony. I need to get some work done tonight.”
He didn’t offer to share the bed, and she didn’t ask. He had other things on his mind, like Melissa trying to jump off a bridge because he wouldn’t marry her. Her mind was so messed up, she probably thought she was pregnant with his baby.
He went to bed, but his mind wouldn’t quiet down.
Catherine tapped on the door and opened it. “Tony? Are you awake?”
“Yeah.”
“You haven’t said two words since that phone call. Do you want to talk about it?”
She sat on the side of the bed and he told her what Nick said.
“Would you want to live in a mental hospital for the rest of your life?”
“What else can you do with someone like that, Tony? If they can’t treat her so she can function in society, she needs to be in a hospital.”
He sat up and plowed his hand through his messy hair. “What does that say about my judgment in women? Have I been so damn busy looking for the next lay that I couldn’t see past a gorgeous face and body? And why in the hell am I going on a stupid television show to find another woman? So I can send her off the deep end, too?” He shouldn’t let this get to him, but it wasn’t something he’d be able to put out of his mind anytime soon.
Catherine heard the raw anguish in his voice. “You did nothing wrong, Tony. Don’t blame yourself. She could have chosen any man to fixate on.”
“You don’t understand. I’ve spent my entire adult life screwing around with one woman after another. I’ve slept with so many women I can’t even count them all, and right now I couldn’t give you a half-dozen names, because they meant nothing to me. The one I didn’t sleep with, this one, is the one I’ll remember.”
She rubbed his knee through the sheet. “I can count the number of men I’ve been with on one hand. I’m not the kind of woman men want. I’m the one the pretty girls talk to about their hot dates, the one the guys come to when they want to know how to handle their girlfriends.”
“Honey, there’s not a thing wrong with you. You’re pretty, intelligent, funny, and you have a body any man would lust after.”
“Even you?”
“Especially me.” Tony put his arms around her and pulled her close.
They lay back on the bed together, but this wasn’t about sex. Tonight, he needed someone to hold onto. A friend. And she needed Tony.
“Melissa Juno is gorgeous on the outside, a tall brown-eyed blonde. I loved the way she looked, but something about the way she behaved turned me off. I should’ve seen the madness then, but I’ve never known anyone who was mentally ill, and I didn’t recognize it for what it was until her obsession got so bad she drugged my dog.”
Catherine felt honored that he trusted her enough to talk it over with her, but it felt like college all over again, when the star quarterback came to her to talk about another girl. He didn’t choose her. None of them chose her unless they were desperate or interested in her money. Tony wasn’t desperate. With his good looks and charm, he’d never be desperate for a woman.
After Tony ran out of words, he just held her. It was the first time she’d ever slept with a man without sex, but it felt intimate because he’d shared his feelings with her. Tony had been deeply affected by the woman’s attempted suicide, and she knew that no matter what anyone said, a part of him would always blame himself. At least Melissa was back in the hospital, where she could get the help she needed.
Where she couldn’t bother Tony again.
<>
Standing in front of the mirror, Tony couldn’t believe the costume Catherine had picked out for him. The black boots came all the way up past his knees, and the pants clung to his body like a second skin. The only thing that fit loose was the white shirt, with those big sleeves, but there were no buttons on the front. He stared in the mirror and rubbed the hair on his chest. “Does this mean I have to shave my chest?”
Her eyes sparkled. “And have you itching and scratching through the rest of the show while it grows back? I don’t think so. Besides, the chest hair adds a little naughtiness to the costume.”
He leaned down close to say, “Honey, the tight pants will add plenty of naughtiness, especially in a room filled with gorgeous women.”
Tony twisted around, admiring himself in the three-way mirror. “I’ll be a babe magnet in this outfit.”
Catherine started giggling and couldn’t stop. Tony threw her over his shoulder and swatted her on the behind.
“Unhand me, you brute,” she said, but the words lost their punch in her laughter.
“What else does he need?” asked the woman with the tape measure hanging around her neck, and the mood was broken. Tony set Catherine on the floor, kissed her on the tip of her freckled nose, and went to change out of his pirate outfit.
After the fitting, Tony took Catherine out for lunch and then drove her back to Santa Barbara to visit Walt’s tailor, where she helped him choose clothes to wear on the show. He’d never felt so pampered. Whatever he said he liked, she bought.
“This is a switch. Women don’t buy me things. I’m the one who buys things for women.”
“It’s for the show, Tony. The budget covers clothes.”
“Does that mean I have to give them back after the show?”
“No, you get to keep them.”
He dipped his head for a slow, sweet kiss. “Thanks, Princess.”
She cocked her head. “Tony, can you dance?”
“I’m not John Travolta, but sure, I can dance. Ma made all of us learn to dance and sing, cook and clean and do laundry. She said it was part of our education.”
Her eyes widened. “You can sing?”
“Not like Angelo, if that’s what you mean. He always sings at Cara’s birthday party.” He saw the gleam in her eyes. “Get that thought out of your pretty head right now. I’m not singing on television. If you want someone to sing, ask Angelo. He’s been singing since he was two.”
“Maybe I will,” she said, but the gleam in her eye said she had other ideas.
<>
Catherine and Tony spent a pleasant evening at her father’s home in Santa Barbara, and Tuesday morning, they flew to Cara’s estate. A golf cart drove up to the plane and a beautiful golden retriever jumped off, tail wagging happily.
Tony slapped his chest, and the dog jumped up to lick his face. “Hey, Riley. Did you miss me, boy?”
Catherine scratched Riley’s head and his long, pink tongue slurped across her face in a friendly greeting. “Ooh, yuk, dog slobber,” she said, laughing. “Does he do that to everyone?”
“Only to people he likes.”
The golf cart driver handed Tony a ball, and Riley jumped around, barking for Tony to throw it. He sent it flying toward the house and the dog took off running. “That’s unconditional love. He doesn’t care if I had a bad day, if the client changed her mind about the cabinets or doesn’t like the kitchen floor. He’s just glad to have me home.”
“Maybe if you found the right woman, you could come home to more than a dog and your mother.”
He gazed down at her and his smile slipped away. “Are you offering?”
Her chin came up. “What if I was?”
“I don’t know, Princess. Right now I’m not sure I know what I want.”
Catherine took a deep breath and blew it out. He didn’t know what he wanted, and she knew exactly what she wanted. She wanted to open a hotel. Next year she wanted to open a second one, and the year after another one. Maybe she’d stop at three, and maybe she wouldn’t. She hadn’t planned to add a family to the mix, but now that she’d met Tony, she wanted more than hotels. She wanted a great guy by her side, a guy who would love her unconditionally, like Riley loved Tony. She wanted children, but she wanted her children to grow up with a whole family, not with one parent who was gone a lot.
If she ever had children, they would not grow up lonely like she had.
Tony remained quiet during the ride to the house, and she regretted saying anything to him about family. She didn’t mean to push him away, but that was what she’d done. Pushed him away.
She should learn to keep her big mouth closed.
That afternoon, while Tony finished the steps to the gazebo, Catherine went through the house with Mr. Pettibone, trying to figure out which rooms would work best on the show.
“The staff is excited about the show,” said Mr. Pettibone.
“I hope to use some of them on camera, especially you, if you agree.”
“You have our complete cooperation, Miss Timmons. If you want us on camera, we shall make ourselves available.”
“Thank you, Mr. Pettibone.”
“You’re quite welcome, Miss Timmons. How many people can we expect?”
She gave him an estimate on the staff and told him she’d nail down a more precise number as June approached. “We’ll start out with thirteen girls and pare it down to seven the first week. I’d like to put the girls together, as many as we can fit in one room or suite, so the cameras can capture some of their banter.”
“Perhaps two suites?”
“Yes, that was what I was thinking.”
They walked upstairs together and inspected one suite. The rooms were huge. If they added beds, they could easily get half the girls in one suite. After the costume party, when they were down to six girls, they could share one suite. There should be some interesting dynamics and conflicts between the girls by then.
There were six guest bedrooms with private baths on the second floor. Those could be used by some of the production staff, and there were several smaller attic rooms to take the overflow. Catherine wondered if those attic rooms had ever been used.
The small ballroom would be perfect for the costume party. The wood floors were polished to a shine, and at one end there was a conversational grouping of two settees and four chairs. The raised platform at the other end could easily accommodate a small group of musicians.
One side of the room had several sets of French doors which opened to a huge balcony. The camera could pan over the ocean and gardens below and then inside for the costume party. Tony could bring each girl outside for a private talk. With the violin music in the background, it could be a very romantic scene. Tony would kiss them and hold their hands, and…
Stop it, Catherine. Tony hadn’t even met the women, and she was already jealous.
She should have stuck with the fireman.
Chapter Nine
Tuesday afternoon Henry called Catherine at Cara’s estate. “Mitzi wants to see the house, and the technicians need to scope it out, so I chartered a small plane to bring us up tomorrow morning. We’ll fly back the same afternoon.”
“I’ll let Mr. Pettibone know you’re coming. He’s the one who runs the house.”
“You said there’s an airstrip on the property?”
“Yes, there is. The staff uses golf carts to transport people to the house.”
While she waited for them to arrive, Catherine reviewed the work the writers had done and walked through the house again. Cara’s home was the picture of understated elegance, and even though the original artwork now hung in the John Andrews Museum, the copies looked real. The staff took good care of everything. Guest rooms were kept fresh and ready for Cara and her family should they decide to pay a visit. The grounds were immaculate. Even though it would mean more work for them, everyone on Cara’s staff seemed excited about the show.
Catherine met Henry and the crew at the plane. Before they boarded the carts for the ride to the house, she cautioned everyone not to mention the name of the show or the concept to anyone, especially Tony.
On the way back to the house, she asked Henry, “Can we get a shot of Cara’s household staff, maybe in front of the house?”
“We’ll have to pay them all, Cat.”
“We can afford it. We’re paying next to nothing for the use of the house. The least we could do is pay a few hundred to the members of the staff who’ll be taking care of all our creature comforts for the entire month of June.” One of the sponsors Henry had lined up, a manufacturer of women’s clothes, had offered to furnish casual clothes for the women on the show, and that savings could be used to pay the staff.
“Yes, all right. We’ll put them all on television.”
After a tour of the house and grounds with Mr. Pettibone, they ate lunch in the sunroom with Tony. Romeo and Juliet, Cara’s colorful birds, chattered away in a big cage in the corner of the sunroom. Riley stretched out under the glass-topped table. Tony slipped his shoes off and rubbed the dog while he ate.
Mitzi gave Tony a come-on look. “Tony, Cat said you liked blondes.”
“What’s not to like?” he replied, flashing that killer smile.
Catherine shared an amused look with Henry. Tony was a big flirt, and he charmed every woman he met. He’d probably been flashing that smile since he was old enough to look in a mirror and admire himself. He’d have woman all over the country lusting after him.
Tony wouldn’t have to act surprised when he heard the concept of the show. He thought he was going to have thirteen beauties to choose from. Some were beautiful all right, but he could end up rejecting all the pretty ones before he could put their faces with their names.
He could end up hating h
er for doing this to him.
<>
Wednesday evening, after Henry and the crew left the estate and Tony went outside to play with Riley, Catherine pulled on a bathing suit and skirt and went down to the pool. The freeform pool was in a natural woodland setting, quite private, with a rock waterfall on one side and soft green underwater lights. The sylvan setting would look wonderful on camera, especially at night.
Tony walked down the path with his dog by his side and stopped at the side of the pool. “Hey, Princess. How come you’re swimming without me?”
“Did you bring a bathing suit?”
Tony hunkered down beside the pool and splashed her. “Do I need one?”
He gazed into her eyes and motioned her closer, telling her without words what he wanted. She climbed the ladder part way, far enough to reach his lips. One touch of his lips released the desire she’d been fighting to keep hidden. She untied her top and put it beside her towel. To hell with the show. She wanted Tony.
Tony stepped behind the bushes and stripped off his clothes. Fully aroused, he was the most incredible creature she’d ever seen, and he wasn’t completely naked. She ran her hand up his leg to touch the latex covered organ. It throbbed under her touch. As he eased his body into the pool, she kicked off the rest of her bikini and put it beside her towel. Tonight, she’d have what she’d been dreaming about since the day Tony Donatelli walked into her life.
One passionate kiss led to another, as hands explored and rubbed and excited bodies that were already wound tight with need.
Tony pushed her back against the ladder. “I can’t wait, honey. I want you so much I’m about to explode.”
Catherine couldn’t wait either. All that dampness between her legs wasn’t from the water in the pool. Holding onto his shoulders, she wrapped her legs around him and he plunged inside her, filling her completely. “You’re so big,” she whispered.
“That’s your fault, baby.”
Tony pulled almost out and shoved in deeper, bringing a moan from deep inside her. He held her there while she writhed against him and begged, “Don’t stop, Tony. Please don’t stop.”