Finding Kia

by Airicka Phoenix

  There was no doubt in my mind what my friend was thinking and I had no idea how to explain my way out of the situation as I hurriedly untangled myself from her brother’s incredibly comfy embrace.

  “Just saving your friend from nearly decapitating herself,” Adam said offhandedly. “How do you keep her alive when you guys go out?”

  Outraged, I swooped down to snatch up the cracked phone. “I did not nearly decapitate myself!”

  Adam plucked the receiver from my hand. “I think you belong in a bubble.”

  He had some nerve considering it was his fault I was in that state. No other species had ever made me fumble the way he did. He was constantly wreaking havoc on my system, making me seem like an idiot when I wasn’t. Yeah, I fell to pieces under attention, but never to that extent. He made everything go into overdrive.

  “I think we need to keep you two apart,” Nessie decided as she scowled at both of us.

  Thrusting his hands into his pockets, Adam grinned. “I don’t know about that. I kind of like the distraction.”

  By some blessed miracle, I managed to survive through supper with only dropping my fork and nearly upending my water glass. Nessie held up most of the conversation, to my relief, saving me from blurting something really embarrassing. Adam said little, speaking only when he was questioned, but otherwise kept his attention focused on his meal, and me. I never actually caught him, but I felt his eyes on me more than once.

  It was nearly eleven when I was given permission by Nessie to head home. I was in the foyer, thrusting on my jacket when Adam strolled in and pinned me with a look that got my legs trembling.

  “It’s raining out.” He announced.

  I yanked open the door, not because I didn’t believe him, but because I suddenly needed air. Lots and lots of air. The gentle patter of rainfall pulsed around me as I gulped greedily at the misty breeze.

  “Rotten,” I muttered, snatching my backpack off the ground next to my feet. The pack was reasonably less weighty with all my books being left behind for Nessie to copy, which was no doubt a very bad idea since I was almost certain I would never see my books again. It had been purely guilt that had inspired me to offer in the first place.

  “Let me drive you.”

  I glanced over my shoulder to where Adam stood, watching me solemnly. “You don’t have to do that. The bus stop is just down the hill.”

  His expression never changed as he removed his left hand from his pocket and dangled a set of keys. “I already have my keys.”

  I wasn’t given the chance to argue as he slipped past me through the door, leaving me no option but to follow.

  The sleek, silver Mercedes gleamed in the dark, looking powerful and dangerous once the doors slipped upwards like wings.

  “It won’t bite,” Adam teased when I continued to stand in the downpour blinking at the machine with uncertainty.

  It wasn’t the car I was worried about. I was about to climb into a car, alone, with Adam Chaves, a car with only two seats and very little space between us. Worrying my bottom lip, I slipped into the soft leather and watched as the door slipped closed behind me.

  The world was instantly shut out. The warm heat blowing from the vent caressed my chilled cheeks and sent shivers racing through my damp body. Adam didn’t utter a word as he pushed down on the gas and sent us roaring through the night. The usual ten minutes it took to get to the bus stop was shortened by five, but instead of pulling over, he kept going.

  “You passed the bus stop.” I pointed out, jabbing a thumb over my shoulder.

  He glanced at me from the corner of his eye. “I didn’t say I was taking you to the bus stop.”

  I dampened my lips. “Should I be worried?”

  The corner of his mouth tilted. “I’m taking you home.”

  I shook my head. “Oh no, you don’t have to do that!”

  He merely shrugged. “It’s a nice night for a drive.”

  I tried to fight back my feelings of guilt, but it sat heavy in my gut. “Thank you.”

  He nodded, drumming long fingers on the stirring wheel. “Van says it’s your birthday next weekend.”

  I nodded, keeping my gaze firmly locked on my lap.

  “Am I allowed to ask your age or will you throw a hairdryer at me?”

  I snorted, arching an eyebrow. “Does it look like I carry hairdryers with me?”

  His beautiful eyes dropped to the bag tucked between my feet. “You mean you don’t have everything and the kitchen sink in there? It sure seemed like it.”

  I slanted him a dry glower. “Funny. I’ve never heard that one before. I just happen to like being prepared.”

  He rolled his tongue over his teeth. “For Armageddon?” he teased.

  I couldn’t help it, I laughed. “You never know when you’re going to need something.”

  He nodded slowly, chewing my statement over carefully. “And when do you expect you’re going to need a pair of portable wire cutters?”

  I shrugged unabashedly. “Those banks I apparently robbed didn’t just open their doors to me.”

  Adam laughed, soaking the cramped space with the rich sound. “I like you, Kia. You’re funny.”

  I blinked at him, fighting to keep the grin off my face. “I wasn’t joking. I plan on making a fortune knocking over banks.”

  It surprised me how easily he managed to calm my nerves since my earlier rampage through his kitchen. Maybe it was the fresh air, but I didn’t blurt out anything strange or fumble for words. I even managed to sit still without fidgeting. It was a miracle.

  The drive continued on smoothly with us bantering back and forth until he pulled up to my house and hit the brakes. I was having such a great time talking to him that I didn’t realize we’d arrived and had to smother my disappointment.

  “Thank you for the drive,” I murmured as I gathered my things, my awkwardness returning in droves.

  “I’ll see you again.” It sounded so much like a promise that I couldn’t help darting a glance at him in surprise. “You’ll come by the house again, won’t you?”

  I nodded slowly. “I guess so …”

  “I’ll make sure to Kia-proof it,” he teased with a wide grin, his eyes twinkling.

  Face scrunched in a frown, I huffed haughtily, my hand fumbling blindly for the doorknob. “I’ll have you know I’m …” I trailed off mid-sentence when my searching had yet to locate the handle. “Doesn’t your car have door handles?” I demanded, squinting through the blackness.

  Lip twitching, he reached across me and clasped the bar I’d overlooked. But instead of opening the door, he tilted his head to the side and pinned me with his blue eyes.

  I felt my breath catch and my body tense when my nose nearly brushed his. Pressed stiffly against my seat, I watched with wide-eyed fascination as his gaze dropped to my parted lips. His warm breath fanned my flushed cheeks as he traced my mouth with his eyes.

  I was pinned between him, the seat and the door, but the two latter objects didn’t worry me half as much as the possibility of being kissed by Adam did. I wasn’t sure I knew what to do if he did, or if he didn’t. It was daunting and paralyzing. I wanted to lean in, to close the space between us. I wanted also to lean back and burrow into the upholstery. The raging war didn’t end there. My mind was a twisted knot of indecision and conflict. But the loudest voice was horrified, screaming that I did not, absolutely did not want Adam to kiss me, while a meeker voice debated the possibility, the temptation of being kissed by Adam.

  “I can almost see the wheels turning up there,” he mused in a voice much huskier than before. “What are you thinking, Kia Valentines?”

  I gulped. “My books,” I blurted stupidly. “I’m never going to get them back from Nessie.”

  Adam chuckled. “Is that what has you looking so torn?”

  I moistened my lips. “What … what else could it be?” Oh yeah, I had this suave business in the bag.

  His grin was devastating as he dropped his gaze, releasing me
from their scalding grip. “I don’t think you’d believe me if I told you.”

  I didn’t know what to say to that, so I said nothing.

  “So will your boyfriend be taking you out for your birthday?” he asked unexpectedly, still not giving me an inch.

  I shook my head, tongue plastered to the roof of my mouth.

  Blue eyes left mine to fix once more on my mouth. “He must be an idiot.”

  “I don’t …” I cleared the squeak from my throat. “I don’t have a boyfriend.”

  Something flickered behind his grin. It was impossible to tell in the dark, but it seemed like satisfaction, like he was pleased by the lack of boyfriend in my life. “I guess that saves me the trouble of finding room for a body.”

  He gave me no chance to question him as he popped open the door and eased back. Confused, but eager to leave him before I did something to further embarrass myself, I jumped from the seat as though bitten, but paused before slamming the door shut.

  “I’ll be seventeen,” I murmured to his previous question. “In case you still wanted to know.”

  He smiled slowly, but said nothing as I hurried inside, thankfully without tripping on my face.

  In the safety of the foyer, I slumped against the door and squeezed my eyes closed. I pressed a trembling hand to my heart and tried to ease the hectic knocking before I had a stroke.

  What. Was. That?

  Chapter III

  The Unbroken Rules

  I felt stupid. Put aside the stupid strappy dress, the stuffy mask, the makeup and the pinchy shoes and focus instead on my mother as she bustled around me, taking enough photos to wallpaper the house. You would think she’d never seen me in a dress before.

  “Mom, enough!” I whined, stomping down the stairs, hoping to break the heels on those stupid shoes so I wouldn’t have to go.

  “Aw, come on, baby! I never see you so dressed up.” She flitted back and forth in front of me, blinding me with a rapid succession of photos. “Jo-Jo did such an amazing job!”

  I wore a black gown that was something straight out of some Victorian Goth era, with a puffy skirt, a tight corset top and delicate off the shoulder sleeves. There was black lace cascading in layers down the front while the rest shimmered in miles of black silk. Someone, I assumed Joanne, had sewn a red bow just beneath the bodice, drawing eyes to that general area. Between the two of us, her boobs were way bigger and she liked the attention. It was nice, for a Halloween costume. I wouldn’t know where else one would wear it, but if I was bitten by a vampire at some point throughout the evening, I would totally wake up looking fab and in character.

  Also, Joanne had spiced up my hair so I had a wig on. It was heavy and itchy and with the amount of bobby pins keeping it in place, I would so not make it through airport security. The thing was actually kind of cute, very Goth with highlighted strips of bright red running through the shiny black. It had bangs with red tips and a thick, red ribbon on top. The red and black motif carried onto my mask. It was an elegant design with ends that curved up around my eyes. It covered my brow, nose and cheeks, but even with all that covered, Joanne had painted my face in a way that intensified my eyes, drawing out the brown beneath my contact lenses. My lips were a blood shade of red and every inch of skin showing was powdered white. Not sure what I was exactly, but I looked hot.

  Despite that fact, I didn’t want to go. I wasn’t anxious to rub shoulders with Claudia and her gang of angry supermodels. I didn’t want to meet her friends. I didn’t want to know the goings-on of her party. I wanted to stay home and give out candy. I wanted to stay home and watch the Alfred Hitchcock marathon on TV. But there was no turning back now.

  Joanne drove me. She gave me her cell phone and told me to phone the minute I was ready to come home.

  “So in like two minutes?”

  She laughed. I loved how she thought I was joking.

  “Have fun! And, Kia?” She waited until I looked at her before continuing. “Don’t do anything you’ll regret in the morning.”

  So … don’t go? Because I knew I was going to regret that in the morning. But I promised and got out of the car.

  Claudia DeLorenzo’s house was something out of a fairytale. I mean that quite literally. There were fairy lights everywhere and floating lanterns in the trees and different colors of light shimmering in the columns of water rising and falling in a giant stone fountain. The cobblestone pathway was littered with rose petals and lined with short, coiling wires that wound and looped all the way to the front doors. The soft thrum of music trickled into the night as I raised a hand and knocked lightly.

  A man wearing a tux answered. He inclined his balding head and in a very British accent, said, “Good evening.”

  “Hey … hi!” I said stupidly. “I’m here for—”

  “Do you have your invitation?”

  I blinked. “My what?”

  “Your invitation,” he repeated in that same even tone.

  “You mean the card? Yeah, I got one, but I left it at home.”

  “Then I’m sorry. No invitation, no attendance.”

  Sweet!

  “Oh well, that’s too bad. See ya!” I twirled on my heels, fingers already flipping open Joanne’s phone when I slammed face first into a wall of spicy cologne and masculine heat. Pain erupted up the cavity of my nose, spearing the back of my eyeballs with tears “Ow!”

  Firm, gentle hands rested lightly on my shoulders, steadying me. “I’m sorry. Are you all right?” That voice!

  My head snapped up, my heart already lodged in my throat. “Adam?” I blurted.

  Ironic that just earlier I’d been thinking about vampires, because low and behold, that was exactly what Adam Chaves was dressed as, cape and all. He wore a dark suit underneath with a red tie and had slicked his hair back, leaving his gorgeous face exposed, so I didn’t miss the confusion crinkling his brow.

  “Do I know you?”

  I quickly ducked my head. “Uh… yo no hablo Inglés. Adiós!” I quickly tried to dart past him when …

  “Adam! You made it.”

  How the hell did Claudia DeLorenzo know Adam? How did their circles even touch? Oh wait. Two gorgeous people in the same vicinity must have been like two magnets. They just sort of gravitated towards each other.

  “Who’s your friend? You know the rules, Adam. No dates.”

  Bad time to freeze.

  “Uh … we just kind of ran into each other,” Adam said. “I’m not sure who she is.”

  “Well? Who are you?”

  I turned very slowly until I was facing the trio of eyes watching me, Adam, Claudia and the doorman.

  “Oh!” Claudia’s face perked with interest. “You made it. Lovely. Come in. Come in!”

  I touched my mask. How the hell did she know it was me? Maybe Nessie was right. Maybe Claudia did know everything. I wasn’t sure how I liked that notion. But the queen in question was draped in a glorious gown of shimmering gold that complimented her tan complexion and brought out the flecks of gold in her eyes. Her mane was coiled into an elegant knot at the back of her head with tendrils left lose to tumble around her bare shoulders. She reminded me of Belle from Beauty and the Beast, minus the whole, you know, nice business.

  “Madam,” the doorman hissed in a low murmur. “She doesn’t have an invitation.”

  It took all my willpower not to French kiss the guy. “Yeah, my bad. No hard feelings. Bye!”

  “Not so fast.”

  Damn it! I needed to work on that faster exit.

  “You’re fine.”

  There was no turning back. Grudgingly, I slipped my phone into the bodice of my dress —just another bit of proof that the dress had once belonged to Joanne … plenty of room to double as pockets—and crossed over the threshold into the land of no return.

  As expectations went, I didn’t really have any. I’d never been to a party before so I was going by what I’d seen on TV, but what lay on the other side of the doors was not what I’d envisioned.
/>
  The soft strum of harps floated in the air, the perfect level to just ghost over the gentle hum of conversation. There were about thirty people moving throughout the place, mainly men. There was the odd flutter of bright fabric that indicated a girl, but it was hidden amongst a sea of black tuxedos. Everyone was chatting and standing around and drinking what I would swear was champagne. It was not what one expected from a teen party. I was kind of disappointed. I was kind of looking forward to seeing Claudia do a keg stand.

  “Mingle, but do not remove your mask,” Claudia said to me, never raising her voice, because there was no need. I could hear her perfectly in the near silence. “The refreshment bar is over there.” She gestured with a jerk of her chin towards the back of the room. “If you’re drinking, drop your car keys into the bowl.”

  I had no idea what she was talking about, but I did as she suggested … I mingled. Well, not exactly. I more like lost myself in the crowd, skirting the room along the wall towards the back where I was hoping to melt into the shadows until the end of the evening.

  The house was something out of a picture of Buckingham Palace. All the tones were gold and crimson that looked amazing with the drops of crystal dancing from the dripping chandeliers. Every light in the place was on, casting a very dreamlike hue over the place. I noticed I was the only girl wearing black. Everyone else was dazzling in eye-popping red and shimmering blue and sparkling green. Some wore elaborate headpieces that doubled as masks. Some wore masks like mine in shape. Others had feathers or rhinestones. I also noticed a few heads turn my way. I really tried not to notice when the whispers began.

  I found the refreshment table. It was actually a mahogany strip of table laden with crystal bowls of punch and silver trays of bite sized pastries. No flimsy fold up table for Claudia. I was almost certain even the table cloth was real silk. At the far end, a crystal bowl sat with a small cluster of keys inside. A waiter stood over them, holding a small tag on a string and a pen. Every time someone gave him their keys, he wrote down their name, twisted the cord around the keys and dropped them into the bowl.

  Clever.