Stories by Kiera Dellacroix

by Dellacroix, Kiera

  "How does the Colcord on Division sound?"

  "Sure, when?"

  "About an hour?"

  "I'll be there."

  "Great! See you then, Maddie."

  "See ya in a few."

  I put the phone back in my jacket with a conceited little smile. I had a lunch date and a dinner date all in the same day. I was a playa! I was the Thang! Yo, G. I got game!

  ----------

  The Colcord was a medium-sized restaurant that catered to the trendy business types that worked downtown. The food was overpriced and I wouldn't walk a mile for it, but the company promised to be exceptional.

  I was a little early so I walked in and made arrangements for a table for two. It was busy and I decided to wait at the bar instead of hanging out in the foyer like a wallflower. The bar was situated in the center of the room, offering me an unobstructed view of the entrance. I ordered a girly drink because I wanted to taste sweet and sat down to study the people around me. All in all, it was a pretty good-looking crowd.

  My eyes eventually landed on the television behind the bar and I frowned. Geraldo Rivera sickened me. The man had no shame. When he didn't have his tongue up the ass of the politically corrupt, he undoubtedly spent a lot of time trying to give himself head. I immediately turned away and occupied myself with the much more enlightening endeavor of identifying the best set of tits in the room. It was an arduous process and I was still at it when I caught sight of Sarah.

  I felt an instant arousal and fired off a wave as soon as her eyes moved in my direction. She was wearing a silky white pantsuit that clung sensuously to her figure as she moved toward me. My eyes were riveted upon her as she advanced and I burned the image into my memory. I would replay the scene later, when Stephanie and I had some quality time.

  "Hi, Maddie."

  "Hi there," I said, leaning forward to place a peck on her cheek.

  She giggled and I swooned for a second. "Nice greeting."

  "I kinda thought so."

  "Did you get us a table?"

  "Yep, they haven't called my name yet. Would you like a drink while we wait?"

  "Just a soda I think."

  "Okay," I said, waving to get the bartender's attention.

  She hopped up on the stool next to me and beamed a smile. "I'm glad to see you. You've been on my mind a lot lately."

  "Good thoughts, I hope."

  "Very."

  I felt my heartbeat begin to pick up and a heat rise to my face.

  She chuckled. "You're an easy read, Maddie."

  I tried a casual shrug and indulged in a generous helping of my drink. Fortunately, I was saved by the announcement that our table was ready. Sarah placed a possessive hand on my back as we trailed our hostess and with the gesture, a pleased warmth spread throughout my body. I reluctantly severed the contact as we took our seats and I picked up the menu. When I removed my sunglasses to peruse my options, a chuckle greeted me as I hooked them on the neck of my shirt.

  "Where did you get the black eye?"

  "Uhm… I fell down."

  "On to what?"

  "A doorframe."

  "Ouch," she said sympathetically. "That must've hurt."

  "It did. In more ways than one."

  She laughed. "Poor thing."

  I pursed my lips and nodded in agreement.

  She shot me a wink. "So tell me, what exactly does a private eye do?"

  "Nothing glamorous."

  "Oh?"

  "Most of the stuff I do revolves around unfaithful couples."

  She smiled knowingly. "So you spy on cheating husbands?"

  "Actually, it's split pretty evenly among cheating husbands and cheating wives."

  "Really?"

  "Yep. Chicks are just as bad."

  Her eyes sparkled with amusement. "Is that a fact?"

  "In my experience, yes."

  "How much experience do you have, Maddie?"

  I looked up from my menu. "I've been around the block a few times."

  "Was is it an eventful trip?"

  "Mostly painful, but if you wanna play, ya gotta travel."

  "Do you want to play?"

  With an effort, I struggled to keep an impassive expression. Hell yes, I wanted to play! Anticipating an overdue return to the winner's circle, the pit crew maintaining my criminally underused sex drive began to blur into motion. However, the crew chief was cautious; he'd been tricked before. "To be perfectly honest, I'd love to play," I said carefully.

  She raised an eyebrow. "But?"

  I took a breath. "But, I think I want things to feel right first."

  She leaned back in her chair and studied me curiously. "And they don't now?"

  I debated. Should I try to open up or just shoot off a flippant remark? A week ago, I probably would've chosen the latter, but today, for reasons unknown, I chose to be sincere. "I just don't know."

  Her face became thoughtful. "Are there possibilities with me?"

  "If I didn't think so, I wouldn't be here."

  A brilliant smile. "Then I'm very fortunate."

  I didn't know what to say so I settled for an uncomfortable grin and returned my attention to the menu, acutely aware of her eyes still on me. Finally, she giggled and let me off the hook.

  "Would you like to get together tonight?"

  "I'm afraid I can't this evening."

  She frowned. "Tomorrow then?"

  "Uhm… Gus's funeral is tomorrow."

  "I'm sorry," she said quickly. "How about if I give you a call in a couple of days?"

  "Okay, I'd like that."

  As if sensing my suddenly darkened mood, she deftly steered the conversation into a light small talk that lasted the duration of the meal. It suddenly struck me that I was playing a dangerous game and I should endeavor to make a choice between Sarah and Anabel as quickly as possible. I certainly didn't want to hurt anyone and I already had more enemies than I cared to count. But then again, I was very, very tired of always making the wrong choices. I could only hope that this time, just maybe, I could follow my heart and truly go where it led me.

  ----------

  As Sarah and I stepped into the parking lot, she took my hand and turned a sly look in my direction.

  "Which car is yours?"

  "That one," I said, pointing a finger.

  She rushed ahead and began pulling me toward the Grand Am excitedly.

  "What's the hurry?" I asked amusedly.

  She stopped in her tracks and turned to face me. "I want a little private time. Indulge me?"

  "You bet," I said immediately, taking the lead and pulling her quickly toward the car. As I neared my destination, I noted a previously unobserved feature on the vehicle that Joey had given me. On the rear bumper someone had placed, probably Joey himself, a sticker that read 'Mafia Staff Car'. I chuckled but didn't let it interrupt my forward momentum. If it weren't physically impossible, I would've sworn I was suddenly sporting a boner.

  I reached into my jacket for the keys and abruptly found myself pressed pleasantly up against the door, a firm, two-handed grip around my waist that rapidly found its way under my shirt. The hands were cold but warmed rapidly as they flattened against my belly and began to make long, slow circles.

  She pressed her body into mine erotically and before I could object, I was rendered almost completely helpless. When she spoke her voice was pitched low and carried with it a sexual charge that left me momentarily breathless. I felt myself lean harder into her embrace.

  "I don't think I've ever seen a woman I wanted more than I want you, Maddie."

  I swallowed.

  "Don't make me wait too long. It's hard to be around you and think straight."

  The hands on my belly began a trail upwards and fingertips brushed against the bottom of my breasts. Much to my dismay, a whimper was my only response and as soon as they made contact, her hands dropped again to my stomach. Battling between frustration and relief, my eyes widened in alarm as fingers began to play at the waistline of
my jeans, teasingly probing as if they might venture underneath.

  I fished for my voice, it wasn't easy to find. "Please don't," I finally managed.

  Her hands moved to my hips and prompted me to turn in her embrace. "I guess you can't hurry love," she said with a little smile, coming up on her toes to place a gentle kiss on my lips.

  I took a long moment to compose myself. "No, you can't. As much as I'd like to."

  "That sounds like experience talking."

  "Unfortunately."

  She nodded reluctantly. "I'm sorry."

  "Don't be. Life is what it is."

  A giggle. "You're an odd bird, Maddie."

  I shrugged.

  "I'll call you soon."

  "Please do," I said, unable to resist the urge to lick my lips. She tasted good. Better than good.

  She smiled and placed a peck on my cheek. "Are you gonna check me out as I walk away?"

  "Uh huh."

  "Enjoy the view," she said sexily and turned to saunter in the direction of her vehicle.

  I did exactly as I was told.

  ----------

  After Sarah drove away, I sat behind the wheel for close to a quarter of an hour and struggled to get my libido under control. For the first time in my life, I understood how sex could be used as weapon. Never before had anyone been able to hold that kind of power over me. My plea for her to stop had been halfhearted at best and if she had refused, there was no doubt in my mind that we'd be doing the nasty right now in full view of anybody who happened by.

  I tried to tell myself that I was just weak and it had been way too long since I had gotten any. Way, way, too long. In my current state, and if presented to me at exactly the right time, I'd probably fuck the paperboy. However, I didn't buy it. There was no question that I was pathetically desperate, but there was more to it than that. Perhaps it was my own desire that bothered me or maybe it was because Sarah and I weren't the only ones in the picture. There was Anabel to think about.

  As I made my way into traffic, I played Anabel and Sarah against each other, trying to weigh the pros and cons of each. It was an exercise that provided me with no answers and only managed to add to my confusion. A thought suddenly struck me, a thought I considered somewhat profound. Of course, that in itself was kinda meaningless since I occasionally found episodes of 'Buffy' to be profound. Sarah wanted me and made no secret of it. Anabel, on the other hand, would like to be with me, but it obviously wouldn't kill her if it didn't work out. Was I thinking about choosing the path of least resistance?

  I shook my head back and forth several times, I had the annoying tendency to over analyze and it always led to disaster. Pushing all thoughts of women from my mind, I decided to focus my attention on other matters and pulled the cell phone from my jacket.

  "Winters."

  "Hey, Billy. Wanna do me a favor?"

  "Depends."

  "On what?"

  "On what it is."

  "Verify Tish Binkowski's birth certificate."

  "Hmmm, I can do that."

  "She had to be fingerprinted as well, can you check that out too? Maybe she'll turn up somewhere."

  "Alright. Anything else?"

  "Not that I can think of."

  "Ya gonna drop the certificate off? I'm not in the office."

  "I'm not that far from my office, can I fax it over?"

  "Sure."

  He was being too brisk. It was out of character. "Something wrong, Billy?"

  "Nope, just caught me at a bad time."

  "Ahh, then I'll let you get back to it."

  "Okay, talk to you later, Maddie."

  The phone returned to my pocket and I spent the time it took to get to my office trying to think about nothing at all. I succeeded in doing just that until my piece of shit fax machine threatened to eat Tish's birth certificate. After some choice words and a few strategic blows, it gave in to my wishes and I recovered it intact.

  I spent a few moments going through my mail, the majority of which were bills and therefore immediately slam dunked into the garbage can. Always eager for more good news, I decided to listen to my messages, giving up halfway through and deleting the rest. My administrative duties complete, I grabbed my keys and headed for home. The house was a sty and there was no need to clue Anabel in on what a slob I am. She'd find out eventually, but I hoped to keep that knowledge under wraps until we had at least slept together.

  III

  Four hours later, I awoke with a yawn and looked around at my untidy abode. I had come home and immediately planted myself in front of the television. Suddenly realizing my dilemma, I jumped up with a start and began running around in a minor panic; I hadn't even gone to the store for groceries. Cursing myself for procrastinating, I policed up all the dirty clothes littering the floor and headed for the kitchen, where I paused and surveyed the damage in growing horror. Every dish I owned was filthy and stacked up in the sink and on the counter. Three large Hefty bags filled to capacity were lined up against the cabinets and the kitchen garbage can was overflowing. I ventured cautiously to the sink and instantly turned up my nose at the food encrusted dishes that were cheerfully going about creating a life of their own.

  I was disgusting. If I was dating a chick and this is what her kitchen looked like, I'd dump her faster than prunes through a fat man. I wondered if I could hire a cleaning crew that could get here and be done within the next three hours. I was turning for the yellow pages when my cell phone rang. I hurried across the room to dig it out of my jacket.

  "Ledoux."

  "You know the marina on 59th?" Joey asked.

  "Yeah."

  "Jimmy will be looking for ya. You met him the other day remember?"

  "On my way."

  "Make it fast."

  I hung up and got into my jacket with a curse. I wasn't expecting Joey's call until well into the night. I'd have to cancel on Anabel. I lifted the phone to dial her number, but on an impulse, entered Billy's number instead.

  "Winters."

  "Wanna do me another favor?"

  "Why is it that every time you call you want something?"

  "I'm just special I guess."

  "That's debatable. What can I do you for?"

  "Anabel is coming over tonight and…"

  "Really?" he interrupted excitedly.

  "Yes, and well I…uh… have to go out for awhile and I don't think I'll be here when she arrives. So I was kinda hoping you would let her in and keep her company for a bit."

  "You realize I'm gonna spend a lot of time talking about you, right?"

  I sighed. "I knew I could count on you, Billy."

  He laughed. "What time do I need to be there?"

  "Seven."

  "Will do."

  "Oh… and Billy?"

  "Yeah?"

  I braced myself for the explosion. "Could you take out the trash and…"

  ----------

  The sun had almost disappeared by the time I got to the marina. I didn't see any sign of Jimmy so I parked and stepped to the front of the car to light up a smoke. The mere fact that this little get together was taking place near a body of water didn't bode very well at all for Mr. Merchant. He must've pissed the fellas off.

  A whistle got my attention and I scanned for the source, finally spotting Jimmy giving me a wave. I strode toward him as I worked on my cigarette and he disappeared when he saw me start to move. When I reached the slips, I looked around again and came up empty.

  "Maddie."

  I tracked the source of the voice and found him waving at me from beside a cabin cruiser a short distance away. I crushed out my smoke and made tracks in his direction. He ushered me aboard and instantly went about throwing off the lines. A few minutes later, he waved at the pilot and we were under way. Other than myself, it seemed that Jimmy and his accomplice were alone.

  "How many on board?" I asked.

  "Including you and the corpse?"

  I grimaced internally. Merchant was in trouble. Big trouble. "Ye
ah."

  "Five. Your friend is below. Ya want company?"

  "Not at first. Can he walk away from this?"

  He took a deep breath. "Doubtful."

  "What would you need?"

  "Impress upon him how serious the situation is. If you can get through to him, we'll discuss it."

  "Fair enough."

  "Put a rush on, it's fuckin' freezing out here."

  That was no lie and I gave him a nod before heading below. As I shut the door behind me, a pinch on the ass sent me hopping forward with a surprised squawk. I spun around to find Sophie's husband chuckling and grinning at me roguishly. Anthony Leone was of average height with rugged good looks and gentle eyes.

  "Fuckin'A!" I exclaimed. "Why do guys think scaring me is so goddamn funny?"

  "Quit whining and say hello, Maddie. It's been a long time."

  I gave him a glare. "Yeah, it has."

  "Ya still mad at me?"

  Was I? He'd stolen my best friend. All three of us had been close at one point in time. My shoulders slumped, admitting to myself, in an unwelcome second of insight, that he hadn't stolen anything. The only thing he was guilty of was falling in love. I was the one at fault. I'd been the one that had let her slip away. I was the one who started an argument every time we spoke. I was the one who didn't return her calls. It wasn't a lack of effort on Sophie's part, but rather too much effort on my part to separate us. All because I was jealous and mending a broken heart over a love that Sophie couldn't return. It was way past time to make amends.

  "No, I'm not mad. If anything I envy both of you," I said, surprising myself and completely baffled over my emerging ability to give a voice to my feelings.

  He looked at me strangely. "Envy? Why?"

  I hesitated, looking at him carefully. "Because you have each other."

  He blinked a few times. "Where's the real Maddie and what have you done with her?"

  I rolled my eyes. "Shut the fuck up."

  "That's more like it," he said with a grin, but it changed quickly to a scowl. "I was damn sorry to hear about Gus. Sophie was devastated. We know how much you loved him."

  I felt tears begin to sting my eyes. "Be quiet, Tony. I don't want to be crying right now," I said, bringing a hand up to quickly wipe at my face.

  He nodded. "Does the asshole downstairs have anything to do with Gus?"