Exquisitely Yours: A Sin City Tale

by M. Jay Granberry

  Jessica: I just did

  BigBro: Ah always the smartass.

  Jessica: I learned from the best.

  BigBro: Just get out here.

  I make my way through the house toward the open sliding glass door, passing a couple of familiar faces and quite a few that I don’t recognize. They offer polite smiles and curious eyes that make me feel self-conscious and out of place.

  You know, like that skit on Sesame Street, one of these things is doing its own thing, one of these things isn’t the same.

  I totally feel like an orange in the land of apples right about now. The people in this house are a close-knit group of friends and I’m…not.

  Outside, an infinity pool with sweeping views of the valley dominates most of the backyard. Patio furniture lined with thick pillows covered in vibrant fabric are gathered in small clusters, some around the fire pit, others around tables, but all with a perfect view of the Strip.

  I can’t wait to see the lights once the sun goes down.

  Chapter 8

  Daniel

  I take a deep pull on the spliff. The mixture is the perfect balance of tobacco and cannabis; the buzzy effects go straight to my head. Maybe that’s why I blink repeatedly at the apparition that walks across the backyard.

  Her yellow-brown skin literally glows under the rays of the sun. The lime-green bikini top peeks from under a fitted tank top that prominently displays the high rise of her firm breasts, and the Daisy Duke shorts accentuate her tiny waist and long legs. Coiled ringlets, that I can easily imagine twisted around my fingers while her head tosses on a pillow, are pulled into a bun on top of her head, leaving the graceful slope of her neck bare.

  Sunglasses cover her eyes, but I recall with perfect clarity that up close they are hazel and honey. A fascinating combination of green and brown that sparkles with some internal wisdom or light.

  Jessica Johnson.

  The pretty little lady I ran into backstage.

  The fucking stunner who dipped before I could initiate a proper reintroduction that didn’t include a thirsty groupie hanging on my arm or hands that I wished smelled like the fruity soap from the bath store instead of said groupie.

  Jessica turns in my direction, pushing the shades up to rest on the top of her forehead. Her gaze sweeps the backyard at first, brushing past me, but it stutters back, latching on to mine.

  One inky brow slowly arches and I’m not sure if that’s a ‘hey, how you doin’?’ arch or a ‘not this guy’ arch, but then she bites the inside corner of her glossy, full lips. Her gaze travels down my body.

  And I know… It’s the former.

  Contrary to the messed-up first impression, the not-so-stellar reputation, the overbearing brother that I’m sure has spouted all kinds of unflattering, cockblocking rhetoric, Jessica Johnson still wants me.

  Her eyes travel back up to drill mine. It’s a carnivorous stare. The same subtle mix of curiosity, seduction, and wide-eyed wonder she gave me the first time we met.

  My body heats recognizing the initial steps of this dance.

  And I want it—her—so bad.

  “Jess, over here.” She blinks startled eyes at me but then her head snaps to the opposite side of the pool where Sin and Jake lay buoyed up on a double lounger.

  Jessica turns, striding in their direction. Her steps measured. A naturally sensuous gait that draws looks of appreciation from the other men around the pool.

  She glances at me once again over her shoulder, a furtive glance that has me.

  Lock, stock, and barrel.

  And damn, why is it difficult to breathe?

  “Ex…hale,” Miles says, swinging curious eyes in the direction of my gaze, taking an inhale from the spliff now pinched between his thumb and forefinger. His cheeks balloon with smoke before he blows it out in a steady stream.

  “Nah-uh…don’t even think about it,” he says in a strained voice, looking at me over raised eyebrows.

  “About what?” I know exactly what he means.

  “About messing with Jake’s little sister.”

  “She’s not so little, Miles. You saw the exact same thing that I saw, and real talk, Li’l J, that’s what I’m calling her.” I clarify just in case he wasn’t sure, “Is an old-school Commodores kind of brick house.”

  “No, sir. What I see is drama and a headache, and quite possibly a foot in your ass when her brother gets an inkling you want to defile his sister.”

  “You know me better than that.”

  “Exactly, D. I know you, and your ho -ish ways.”

  I place an offended hand over my heart. “Ho-ish? That one hit me right here.” I tap a finger on my chest. “In my soft gooey center. Never have I ever charged for my services.”

  “Just the fact that you use the word ‘services’ in relation to making love speaks volumes.” He takes another inhale from the spliff, extending it to me on the exhale, but I shake my head.

  “And the fact that you use the terminology ‘making love’ instead of ‘fucking’ speaks loudly to the balls you relinquished. Did it hurt? Asking for a friend.”

  “So good.” A wide, satisfied grin splits his face.

  I barely hear his response because my eyes are drawn across the pool to Jessica Johnson peeling shorts down toned legs. Revealing lime-green bikini bottoms that match the top and glow like a beacon saying, ‘Come get me, Danny boy.’

  I’m digging the picture, every part.

  The bikini, the skin that seems to glow from the inside out, the hair that I know without proof will be soft and dense and perfect for pulling. She’s totally giving me the Linda Barrett wet dream à la Fast Times at Ridgemont High and I’m picking up everything she’s putting down.

  “Do not…” Miles leans forward, cuffing my shoulder, shaking hard enough to rattle brain cells or possibly insert some sense.

  “What?” I question, unable to take my eyes off the alluring creature less than nine feet away.

  “Jake’s sister.”

  “What about her?”

  “C’mon, man. She’s too young, too related to his royal asshole-ness, and the genesis of drama, which you will never live down.”

  “Dude.” I finally turn my head to look at him. “I’m simply appreciating the view.”

  Which is true, or at least true enough. Maybe I’d give it a shot if my time in the city was finite and in the next couple of days I’d be rolling out for the next place, or if she wasn’t damn near my bandmate’s little sister.

  Add to those issues the time needed to help take care of my grandmother, and Jessica Johnson is a no-go.

  “Good, let’s keep it that way.” Miles falls back on his elbows, not lowering completely until I relax into my chair.

  Chapter 9

  Jessica

  It doesn't take long to find Jake and Sin coupled up on one of the larger chaise lounges.

  I don’t know how she deals with my brother always in her presence. I would lose my mind if every time I turned around, I was dealing with someone’s hands on me and their body in my space.

  But hey, if they like it then I love it.

  In all honesty, I’m happy they found their way back to each other.

  “Ahem…” I clear my throat to get their attention.

  “Ahem yourself,” Jake replies, lifting the wild curls hanging on Sin’s neck to place a kiss in the spot between her neck and shoulder.

  “Oh my God, do you always have to be such a Neanderthal?” Sin laughs but she settles deeper into his grasp. Contrary to her words, her contented look says that she has a thing for Neanderthals.

  “Says the woman who last night asked me to…” Sin raises a hand to cover Jake’s mouth, but he laughs, lacing their fingers and kissing her palm before lowering her hand back down.

  “You do know there are certain thing
s that we don’t talk about in public, right? What is it with you today?”

  “Nothing. I just thought before we got here, around all these people, we’d have a little more personal time.” He waggles dark brows above the lenses of the classic Ray-Ban Wayfarer sunglasses sitting on the bridge of his nose.

  “We can have personal time when we get home,” she mimics his deep voice, waggling her eyebrows in much the same way he did his.

  “I’m ready to go now, just say the word,” Jake says, swinging his legs over the side of the chaise, placing his feet on the deck.

  Sin playfully pushes against his chest, finding an inch of space.

  “Don’t think I’m not onto you,” she says, sitting on the edge of the lounge chair, slipping her feet into the waiting flip-flops before she stands.

  Sin is a good five, maybe six, inches shorter than me. Her skin, a deep umber, shines like polished mahogany against a bold African print bikini. The pattern of scarlet red, budding green, and metallic gold expertly molds to her curvy form, displaying all of her…um, assets. Delicate gold cuffs grip her biceps, and matching fabric earrings sweep her collarbones. Colorful waist beads hug her midriff to complete the sexy look.

  “You look stunning, as always.”

  She might as well be on the cover of the Sports Illustrated swimsuit issue because only models pull off looks like this.

  Next to her, l feel like my gangly sixteen-year-old self. The little sister who was plain and awkward but trying so hard to be cool.

  I knew her before the fame and she’s the exact same woman that I met and practically idolized all those years ago.

  Down-to-earth, fun, super talented, and against all odds still totally in love with my brother. So much so, Sin didn’t even notice that half the guys stopped talking, swimming, and eating just to watch her stand, but the scowl pulling down the corners of my brother’s mouth says he did.

  “Hey, Jess,” Sin says. Her voice rasping over my name as she pulls me into a hug.

  “Let’s leave this one…” She tilts her head toward Jake, tossing a sassy smile over her shoulder. “Here to cool down a little bit and I’ll show you where you put your stuff, go to the bathroom, and get out of the sun if you need to.”

  “She’s a big girl, babe. I’m pretty sure she can follow directions to the pool house.”

  “Jacob. Jesus, would you stop already?” The first threads of true irritation creep into Sin’s voice. “We’ll be right back.”

  Sin doesn’t wait for his acknowledgement as she walks off. She doesn’t turn to ensure I’m following, which I am, to the pool house located in the far corner of the backyard.

  A bifold glass wall opens half the pool house to the outdoors, creating a refined extension of the pool deck. An open floor plan integrates a simple kitchen, dining table, a Murphy bed that’s currently down, and a large sectional that can be used both indoors and outdoors.

  It looks almost like a studio apartment or mother-in-law quarters.

  The color palette is neutral but things like the tongue-and-groove wood ceiling, brass accents, and white-gloss slab-front cabinets keep it visually interesting.

  “The bathroom is on the other side of the divider.” Sin points to the open door just beyond the canvas-covered sofa, coffee table, and of course a huge TV.

  What is it with guys and their TVs?

  “Girl, thank you for showing up when you did. I thought I was gonna have to pry your brother off with a crowbar.” Sin tunnels her fingers into her hair, lifting the strands at the roots to add volume.

  I can’t help the giggle that escapes my mouth. “I wasn’t sure you realized he was clinging to you like a spider monkey.”

  “I can’t help but to realize. Most of the time I’m not bothered, but he seems a little extra today.”

  “It could be the outfit.” I shrug pointedly, eyeing her bikini.

  “This old thing. You think he noticed?” She winks conspiratorially, twirling in a circle so that I get the full effect. “Sometimes a girl just wants to feel pretty.”

  “You’re so wrong for that. You know exactly what you’re doing. Poor Jake.”

  “I know you meant poor Sin,” she says with a roll of her eyes.

  “As much as I love you, I’ll always be team Jacob. He’s my big brother.” I shrug. “What can I say?”

  “I get it. We’ve been on tour for a year. Jake completely underestimated how grueling it could be, especially in Europe when all you have is rain and fog and it takes forever to get from one place to the other. It was time to come home, and I’ll admit I felt like Jake needed a little reminder of what I look like under the heavy coats and rain boots.”

  “I’m pretty sure he knows what you look like. You’re not wearing rain boots and heavy coats on stage.”

  “True enough, but that’s another ball game. Me on stage and me at bedtime are two completely different animals. One is a persona. The other is real. When it’s just the two of us, super late, in bed, doing all the na…”

  “TMI, girl!” I stick fingers in my ears and raise my voice, cutting off whatever she was about to say. What is it with the two of them? I can go an entire lifetime without hearing one word about their sex life. “Do not finish that statement. I categorically refuse the image of my brother doing anything nasty… That’s just…” I flare my nose and purse my lips like I’m smelling something bad.

  “I’m just saying.” She laughs.

  “Well, please don’t say.”

  “Anyway.” Sin rolls her eyes exaggeratedly like I’m being childish and her talking about my brother’s sexual prowess is a thing every girl discusses with her brother’s fiancée. “Right now Jake gets a reminder that I have options. There’s nobody on this planet that I’d pick over that man, let alone at this party. I’ve known all of them way too long, seen the slimy little hood boogers that creep in and out of their beds, but a little competition never hurt anyone, even if it’s feigned competition.”

  “It’s all fun and games until someone gets their block knocked off.”

  “I’d never let it get that far.” She laughs.

  “Now, go freshen up. Adam only knows how to make carne asada and tacos. Most of the time he tries to pull together something vegan for me if that’s your thing.”

  I head into the bathroom, setting my tote on top of the closed toilet lid. I pull the strings of my lime-green bikini, adjusting the top and bows tied high on my hipbone.

  My reflection in the mirror is bland, especially after seeing the gloriously regal ensemble that Sin is sporting. To jazz it up a little I pull the band from my hair, letting the ringlets fall over my shoulders and down my back and I am…nope, not jazzier. Just plain old Jess. It doesn’t matter if my hair is up or down, or if I chose a swimsuit that’s a loud and in-your-face neon.

  “Why do you even care, Jess? It’s not like Daniel Xu has been chewing his nails to the quick waiting for the next time he’d see you,” I mumble to myself.

  What the hell, Jess? You’re not interested in Daniel—Dan, whatever.

  At least not in a tangible, grab-drinks-and-see-where-the-night-goes kind of way, and where did that thought come from?

  Good one, girl. You know exactly where that came from. The look that you felt all the way down to the pinkie toes on your feet less than five minutes ago.

  That was…something, but does it really matter?

  Not at all.

  At the end of the day, Daniel is safe. A nonentity. He’s nine years older, a whole lot sluttier, and a guaranteed prison stay for my brother.

  Even if I was a little curious. That man falls securely in the off-limits column, but just because I’m not interested doesn’t mean that I’m blind.

  The man is eye candy. Well over six feet with thick black hair that hangs to the middle of his chest. Heavy-lidded brown eyes that singe the molecules in the
air and melt your heart from a thousand paces, and a perfectly trimmed beard that makes me imagine how it would feel up close and personal. I bet it’s soft.

  The downside of not being blind is that I’ve come face to face with one of his sexual exploits backstage and, yeah, that wasn’t…pleasant. My nose crinkles at the thought of him reaching for my hand still smelling like the groupie who just left his bed, back seat, bathroom stall, or wherever she came from.

  I spent the latter part of the same night googling him. Trying to fill in the blanks of what I didn’t know.

  Carefully I fold a beach towel before placing it in the bag. I open the door and pause. For the first time ever, I feel self-conscious around Sin, like I don’t really belong with the people in this house or in her sphere of influence.

  “Oh my God…” she squeals excitedly. “You look so cute.”

  “You don’t have to say that.” I self-consciously run a hand through my curls.

  A deep frown pulls the smooth skin of her forehead down into deep wrinkles and she looks at me with surprised eyes. “What do you mean I don’t have to say that? You’re beautiful. It’s so hard for me to believe that you’re the same girl who used to come to our house and try to teach us the latest dance moves.”

  We both laughed at the memory, but the laughter fades, replaced by a seriousness that has no place at a swim party while standing in the middle of a pool house.

  “Jess, I never really got a chance to apologize to you.”

  “Apologize for what?” I ask, doing my damnedest to sound light when I feel heavy and weighted down by time, and distance, and hurt feelings. When Sin and Jake broke up, in a sense, so did we. She had been this combination of friend and cool older sister. She was the first person I confided in about my first crush and the only person to recognize the inherent limitations that came with being Jake’s little sister.

  As much as Sin was Jake’s, in part she was mine too. I believed with a juvenile naivety that the demise of their relationship would have little impact on us.

  I was so wrong.

  Sin and I didn’t speak for four years. She didn’t answer my phone calls or text messages. I even tried to send her an invitation to my sixteenth birthday party. The pretty red envelope was returned via the post office, the letter unopened.