Idolize (Dark Storm Book 1)

by Maggie Mundy

  “No, I don’t need anything. I just wondered if I could chat.” She sat down and was silent for a moment, as if contemplating what to say next. “I wanted to ask a favor. Sasha told me you have a little boy. Please don’t be annoyed, I wheedled it out of her when I heard her talking to you one day. His name’s Tommy, isn’t it?”

  Cassi wondered where this was going. She liked to keep Tommy away from prying eyes.

  “Yes. His name’s Tommy, but what can I do?”

  “My son moved to New York a few years back, and I only have one grandchild. I get to see him at Christmas. I wondered if you would be willing for Tommy to come and visit me. We could draw, paint, dig in the garden or cook, and you would be present at all times. It would just be nice to spend some time with someone younger.”

  Cassi hadn’t expected that. Tommy was a friendly boy, so it would be fine, but was it what she wanted to do? Cassi bit her lip, hesitating. Mrs. Winters peered at her, as though waiting for an answer. Cassi thought the woman expected her to say no.

  “I could pay you some money that you could put toward things for him. I can’t imagine they pay you a lot here.”

  “No. I wouldn’t need that. I’ll talk to him about it. We could try once and see how it goes. I might need to check with the manager though.”

  “I hope you don’t think me forward, but I already checked that out before I spoke to you. It would mean a lot to me.”

  “I’ll let you know after I talk to him, Mrs. Winter.”

  “Call me Audrey.”

  “Maybe not when the boss is around, but I’d like that.” She didn’t know if this was a great idea, but she went with her gut for now. She liked this woman and reckoned she was merely lonely.

  Audrey smiled as they stood up, and she then embraced her. Cassi could feel tears coming to her eyes. Her own mother never hugged her, or it was so far back she couldn’t remember her ever having done so. There was never a chance of a hug after she met Steve. He was an asshole so she couldn’t blame Mom for that one. Cassi could blame them for not taking her back when she was beaten up with a babe in her arms and on the run. Mom used to say “you’ve made your bed of roses with the thorns, so lay in it.”

  Audrey walked back to her designated resident area of the home and Cassi suddenly realized how little physical contact any of the residents made with anyone from outside.

  One stranger offered her comfort and another stranger offered her fun. This was one unusual week. She was happy to take on some new experiences as long as things stayed safe. The door to the kitchen opened and Sasha walked out.

  “That’s it. Food is on its way up. I tried some little French tarts. The boss said I better not upset the tender stomachs of the residents or I’ll be in trouble. Not sure what he’s worried about as most of these guys have lived a life on caviar. I think they can cope with my quiche. Was that Mrs. Winter I saw?”

  Cassi noticed Sasha was biting her bottom lip and looking away. Her friend didn’t usually act coy.

  “It’s okay. She said you told her. I don’t mind her meeting Tommy. I reckon most of the folks here are not that bad. Some I think, were foolish when they were younger from what I hear. Most thought love would buy them things and are shocked to find themselves alone. Audrey seems different. She’s sort of like you and me, but with cash.”

  “That’s a big distinction in my book. She is unique though, and she loves my food, so she is obviously highly intelligent. I really didn’t tell her anything she didn’t know. Plus, she just wants to feel alive again. I did think of smuggling her out to one of my friends’ parties, but thought it might give her a heart attack.” Sasha said.

  “I should get back to work.”

  The two of them worked together and everything was done in a couple of hours. Later, when she was at home with Tommy, Cassi put his artwork he had done at childcare up on the fridge. Even at four he was drawing beyond his age. That was a skill from his father, as she could barely draw stick figures. Steve was so talented she sometimes wondered how much of it was the drugs, and how much was innate. It didn’t matter since she wouldn’t go back to the violence now that her little boy was happy.

  She told Tommy about Audrey and he said he was excited to do some more painting. Cassi wasn’t sure how much would end up on the paper and not on him.

  As Tommy watched cartoons she opened her computer and started her next assignment. Only another six months and she would have a bookkeeping certificate. Sasha came and looked over her shoulder.

  “I don’t know how you can do that stuff. All I see is numbers that don’t mean a thing to me.”

  “It’s weird, but I like it. It was about the only thing I was good at when I was at school. It also means I won’t be a cleaner forever if I can get a job doing someone’s books.” It was a pity she had never finished her business degree, but there was nothing she could do about that now. She would need money to do that and she didn’t have any.

  “As long as you’re not cooking the books for the mafia. I’m going to shower and get ready for my sexy date with my cute drummer. I’ll see what I can do with my hair. I’ve brought some quiches home from work for supper. I made too many and the boss said it was okay. Just don’t tell Tommy there are vegetables hidden in them.”

  When Sasha was gone, she sat down with Tommy and ate. The food Sasha made was incredible and her friend’s talent was wasted at the village. She could easily have been a chef. Neither of them ended up where they expected. The truth was, L.A. was as good as anywhere. No wonder Cassi found herself attracted by the light relief of a TV star wanting to have fun with her. It beat working on her assignment any day.

  With Tommy in bed asleep, and her eyes going cross-eyed from study, she decided to call it a night. Lying in bed, she glanced across at her cell phone on her bedside table. It was so tempting to send Declan a text. She’d only known him a few days and yet she was looking forward to hearing his voice again. This was silly. It was only one day and she needed to be sensible. She should go to sleep and tomorrow she could put it into some perspective.

  ****

  The next night, Sasha was out again and the following twenty-four hours had made no difference. She still wanted to talk to Declan again. Cassi kept imagining him lying on the bed naked in the cabin. What the hell, she was going to do it. She picked up her cell and sent him a text. Her heart pounded at what his reply might be. It was like being young again.

  Would you like to chat?

  She considered that was fairly non-committal. It didn’t mean she wanted to have phone sex with him again. Two hours went by as she read a book. She rubbed her eyes and yawned. Cassi grabbed her phone and pressed the button, and it said it was now twelve. She went back to reading. Her eyes drooped, and the words on the page flowed together. She was a fool to think he would be sitting there waiting for her call. He had probably moved on to some TV groupie by now.

  Cassi checked on Tommy, who was fast asleep. As she walked into her room her cell phone lit up and went ping with a message. Her heart beat fast as she peered at the screen. It was from Sasha. She sighed in disappointment.

  Had too much to drink so will stay at Jeff’s place. See you at work. Can you bring my uniform? Meet you in the parking lot at eight.

  Cassi replied. No problem. See you there.

  Cassi tried to remember if Jeff was the drummer or one of the other guys Sasha knew. Her best friend never had a shortage of men wanting to go out with her, and she never brought any of them back here because of Tommy. Cassi appreciated that. She yawned and set her alarm to go to sleep as no one else was calling now.

  Chapter Four

  Declan prayed Cassi would still be awake and not tell him to get lost. He sent a text and crossed his fingers. He wanted to think she lay there waiting for a message to come through from him. The truth was, she would probably be getting on with her life and he had been a little bit of fun. He hoped she wanted more like he did. He glanced at the time and noted it was one. His message had been simp
le. He knew he was pushing his luck but had to take a chance.

  Is it too late to chat?

  She might be getting up early for work, but he didn’t want her to say yes. He stared at the phone waiting for her to punch in her reply.

  No, it’s fine.

  “Yes,” he yelled as he thumped his fist in the air. He wasn’t going to waste any time in case she changed her mind. He dialed her number and waited for her to answer. It didn’t take long, but felt like forever.

  “Thanks for answering. I’m so sorry it’s late. I was stuck on set again. I only just saw the message.”

  “That’s okay. I was reading and just drifted off to sleep a short while ago.”

  “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to wake you. What are you reading?” He wanted to know more about her and hoped she wouldn’t mind.

  Cassi might want to keep this detached and not pretend they really knew each other. He wanted more than just talking dirty to her, not that the dirty talk wasn’t great.

  “Agatha Christie. I’ve read them all more than once. I’m addicted to murder mysteries. Those and everything Jane Austen wrote, and I love Lord of the Rings.”

  “I love them, too, but can’t say I’ve read much Austen. I rarely get a chance to read anything except the next script these days. I did a small part in a Christie movie once, when I was in the UK though.”

  He wanted to kick himself for the simple statement. It would remind her how different they were. She read books and he performed in movies of them. She had gone quiet and he didn’t want her to feel uncomfortable.

  “How was your work today?” she asked.

  “It was good, and my ankle feels much better now the swelling is starting to go down. We did a few retakes which was why we finished late. How was your day?”

  “Fine, but I don’t think it’s a good idea if you learn more about my life.”

  “That’s okay. We can talk about me. I come from South Australia and my dad owns a vineyard, called Reed’s Vineyard. Mum left Dad once us kids grew up. He wasn’t exactly a one-woman man, so I don’t blame her. I think Dad always thought we would go into the family business, but it’s only my sister who stayed. She loves it. Is this shit boring you?” He was prattling on like a kid.

  “No. Tell me more about Australia.”

  He talked on about his home and the business and then heard her yawn.

  He looked at the clock. It was two and she would need to get some sleep, but he didn’t want the call to end.

  “I’m sorry. I’m keeping you up blabbing on like this.”

  “I’m really enjoying it, but I have to get up early.”

  “Then I guess more phone sex is out of the question.” He laughed.

  “Not tonight.”

  “I’ll take that as a yes for another night then.”

  “Maybe.”.

  “That’s good enough for me. Good night, Cassi, and I hope you have hot dirty dreams of me.”

  “I just might. Good night Declan,” Cassi replied and hung up.

  If he could have talked to her all night long, it would not have been enough. She would be falling asleep now, but his dick was rock hard. He needed to do something or he would never get to sleep. He walked out to the pool and went for a dip. By the time he had done ten laps of the pool, he was a little more in control. He peered out over the city and for a moment wished he was just another guy and not on TV.

  Back in the shower inside, he couldn’t keep Cassi off his mind. He was hard again and he knew there was only one way he would be getting any sleep. The water pelted him as he gripped his cock tight and imagined he was inside Cassi. Declan closed his eyes and imagined he had Cassi in front of him, up against the wall of the shower. He was buried deep inside her as she placed one leg around his hip. He thrust into her as hard as he could, and she screamed she wanted more.

  Declan ran his hand up and down his cock and jerked with release. It would help for now, but one thing he knew for sure. He had to convince Cassi that he could see her again.

  Chapter Five

  It was Friday night and she wouldn’t need to work tomorrow. The weekend always brought a smile to her face. Sasha was cooking something up in the kitchen which smelled incredible, and Tommy was playing with his huge pile of Legos. Cassi opened a bottle of red wine they would share and her whole body relaxed as she took a sip. She never drank much with Tommy around, but it was nice to share a bottle on a weekend.

  She bit her bottom lip as she contemplated telling Sasha about Declan. A few times over this past week, she had been so close to opening up, but then thought it was better the less people knew. Plus, it was probably going to go nowhere.

  “I can’t believe it’s Friday night and you’re staying home,” Cassi said, as she sipped her wine.

  “I have fun plans for tomorrow night and I need to pace myself. Come and taste this sauce. I’m doing it for the village on Monday night. The boss has asked me to do the shifts again next week. Not sure if Cook is ever coming back. He’s also agreed to pay me extra,” Sasha said, as she handed over a spoon.

  “I’m pleased he’s paying you more, but the truth is your cooking is wasted there.” Cassi tasted the sauce.

  She didn’t know how her friend did it, but somehow Sasha created wonderful flavors. It would be great to have some talent, or any talent, instead of just being good with numbers, though she was apparently good at phone sex, too. She smiled to herself at the thought. Numbers were logical and yet she had done so many things in her life that were completely illogical. Declan Reed was continuing that theme.

  “Well, if you come into a shitload of money, you can buy me a restaurant. Deal?”

  “Deal.”

  “Shit,” Tommy said, from the other side of the couch. Cassi shook her head and wagged her finger at Sasha.

  “Sorry, Tommy. I said a bad word. Don’t say it again or you’ll make Mommy sad.”

  The sauce tasted wonderful and Sasha went on to cook some salmon. Even the salad dressing made Cassi’s mouth water. The dessert was just as good with a chocolate mousse. Tommy loved it. They spent the evening watching a movie with Tommy. When he went to bed, Cassi put on a romantic comedy. She hadn’t realized when she chose it that Declan played a small part in it. Her pulse raced as she watched him on the screen. He was younger, but still hot. Seeing him on the screen was so surreal. The fact she knew him, and had been intimate with him as well, just added to the craziness of the situation.

  When she went to bed, she checked her phone again, but there was nothing. Typical. Tonight she would have agreed to phone sex and yet her elusive star was nowhere to be found. She would text him and hoped she didn’t sound too desperate. What the hell, she was desperate. Apart from him, she hadn’t enjoyed sex in years. And he was a hunk.

  Free for a night time chat, or maybe more?

  As soon as she sent it, she regretted it. Looking at the message, it appeared so tacky. What the heck was she doing?

  Ten minutes later a text came through. She hesitated before looking at it. What if he said he wasn’t interested? For all she knew, he could have laughed about her with his friends after the first time. Taking a deep breath, she viewed the screen.

  Stuck at event. Would rather be stuck with you.

  Of course he was stuck at an event. If she went online, she could probably find out where and with whom. She was at home with her little boy in the other room. Declan was out rubbing shoulders with the rich and famous people, because he was one. Yet again, she considered what the fuck she was doing, apart from deluding herself.

  An hour later, she’d read the same page of her book three times. She turned off the light and lay there. Another hour of tossing and turning went by before sleep came.

  She woke up and couldn’t believe it had been a dream. It had felt so real. Declan had been on top of her, slowly pushing in and out and grinding against her. His lips came down on hers as his hand reached down and touched her. She’d been about to come when she woke up. Her whole bod
y ached with need, especially between her legs. The dream must have been the result of seeing him in the movie. She peeked across at her phone. Still no messages. What the hell did she expect?

  A thought entered her head and would not go away. She didn’t play with herself often, but maybe it would relax her so she could sleep. After all, he was busy with the rich and famous, not the horny and lonely. She reached down and pulled off her panties and touched herself, replaying the last moments from the dream. She was already wet. This might have eased the need, but there was an aching between her legs that she knew would not go away unless she eventually had sex with him again. Her legs were twitching as she touched her clit and moved her fingers in and out, imagining it was him.

  The phone went off and she grabbed it. She hoped it hadn’t disturbed Tommy.

  “Cassi. I’m sorry, I couldn’t get away. Tell me to piss off if you want. I know it’s late, but I wanted to talk to you. Well, I want more if it’s still an offer.”

  There was no way, mentally or physically, at this time she would say no. The need for him was building each time she heard his voice.

  “It’s not too late, but only just.” Dear God, she could hear the sex in her voice. She sounded breathy and not like her at all. There was silence and she wasn’t sure if she was overstepping the mark. Then again, they were making this up as they went along.

  “You sound so fucking sexy. You started without me, didn’t you? I can’t blame you. You amaze me every time we talk. To think I spent an evening with people who drive me crazy when I could have been listening to you coming.”

  His voice was sending her over the edge. This was not going to be long and slow. They could chat afterward.

  “I had a dream.”

  “You had a fucking hot dream about me. Don’t wait. I’m with you. My zips undone and I’m imagining you’re beneath me, waiting for me to push into your wet pussy.”

  She could picture him there, looking down at her pussy as he pushed into her opening and then slowly moved back again. She loved the way he talked dirty to her.