Finding Real Magic

by Shawn Keys

  Judge her? That was odd. Zahn glanced out the window to see if he could guess where they were headed.

  The late evening had knocked down the worst of LA’s traffic. They were making good progress into the best areas of East Hollywood. The limo glided through the streets, making its statement without any rush. Jake turned them into a small, sleek little apartment block that didn’t quite qualify as a high-rise. Overlooking a trendy street filled with thematic restaurants and independent coffee houses, Zahn was sure any real-estate in this area wouldn’t come cheap.

  The limo pulled into a secure parking entry, then down into the underground lot. Francois eased them into a stall with a permanent reservation number on it – double long, double wide, made to fit the limo with room to spare. Soon, the guard was opening the door and holding it while Zahn crawled out.

  Deciding to play the gentleman, Zahn exited, but then reached back and offered his hand to Angelica.

  She took it with a smile and rose to her heels with admirable grace. Angelica said to Francois, “We shouldn’t be more than an hour. I’ll text you if that changes.”

  Francois looked rebellious. “I could see you to the door.” He glanced at Zahn, obviously not trusting an outsider after what happened.

  Angelica gave him a fond smile. “Building security here is tight. And Zahn’s already saved my life once. Stay here. Relax. Call your daughter. She probably misses you. I’ll be back soon.” Leaving the mollified guard behind, Angelica took the lead into the elevator room.

  Zahn strode along beside her. “His daughter? Thought he lived on your compound?”

  “He does. Divorced. It happened before I met him, so I wasn’t there to see it happen. Not very amicable though. If he doesn’t call his daughter often enough, his ex-wife will drive the wedge between them even deeper. Very sad.” The elevator binged , and they entered. Angelica tapped the penthouse button.

  Soon, they were arriving on what Zahn noticed was the tenth floor. He had only counted nine from ground level. “Didn’t think the building was quite this big.”

  Angelica said, “It is hard to see the penthouse from the ground. It is only a small apartment at the center of the building, set way back from the rail. I own the whole roof, and I’ve had some gardens put in. This is my little retreat from the world when I don’t want to go all the way to my house in the suburbs.”

  The doors opened into a white-marble foyer. Angelica stepped forward and placed her thumb on the door lock scanner. It clicked, but she paused for a few more seconds. “ No judging, right?”

  Again with the judging, huh? Confused, Zahn could only agree with an honest smile. He had no idea what she could possibly find embarrassing about this upscale apartment and what sounded like a peaceful oasis.

  With his promise given, Angelica cracked the door and pushed it open.

  The lights activated automatically, flooding the expansive entryway with cheerful brightness. Beyond the entry way, the apartment swept into an open concept interior. From a modern, sleek fireplace built into a grey-brick wall to the polished cabinets of the kitchen, everything was balanced perfectly between black, white and a blend of violet and yellow accents. Glass windows ran floor to ceiling on every wall, broken only by the occasional support pillar along the way. Those windows offered majestic views of the gardens outside and the LA skyline beyond.

  Zahn whistled, truly impressed. But the décor wasn’t what drew his appreciation. It was just the backdrop for the real value in the apartment. On every surface, on every wall, and standing in every corner were tributes to the life and career of one Angelica Laviolette.

  In the largest display case, there were various awards, including her single Oscar for The Adventures of a Seamstress in Africa , two golden globes for the same movie as well as Rain in the Sky , and a smattering of other ones from the People’s Choice through to more fan-service awards. He was surprised to see she had displayed her Razzie. It wasn’t specifically hers, but she had been a minor supporting actor in Fresh Blood Outta Kansas. The movie had won the prize for worst costume design six years ago. Next to the Razzie was a picture of her looking miserable in a farm-girl vampire outfit that was laughably fake. He cringed for her sake, but he had to admit he was impressed the had the sense of humor to include this ‘award’ in a place of honor.

  On the support columns, there was a sword she had wielded in Rain in the Sky . The next one over displayed one of the power-couple business suits she had worn in Climbing the Wall , in which she had played the wife of a financial guru who was cheating on her with the lead actress’s character. Zahn found the concept laughable; who would ever cheat on a woman like this? But it was her first official ‘principal supporting actress’ role, and that led to her first lead not long after.

  More and more, all around the room, there were tributes to her career. Letters of appreciation from people she had met around the world while filming. Costumes and props. Pictures of days on set during iconic moments. Signatures from co-stars on items they had given her. The entire apartment was a shrine to the rising career of Angelica Laviolette.

  Zahn whistled again, walking slowly around the living room. Standing in the middle, he finally turned to face her. “Wow.”

  She was blushing furiously, her hands wringing as she watched him absorb it all. “I know how it has to look.”

  Zahn grinned, now understanding why she was a little nervous. It would be easy to call this collection pure narcissism. “Like you fall asleep staring at your own gorgeous face, lost in a fog of self-adulation?” He blinked innocently.

  His intentional exaggeration broke the ice. She snatched up a pillow and threw it at him. “No!” She laughed again, then sighed. “I can’t seem to give any of it up. At first, I kept thinking that one day it might be worth something and I could sell it. Then, when I realized I didn’t need the money, it became a habit. One day I’ll probably cut down what’s here and only keep what truly matters to me. But I haven’t been able to decide. They’re all memories.”

  Zahn soothed her worries. “Honestly, Angelica, I’m not judging. A lot of arrogant people with so much to brag about wouldn’t keep it in a secret apartment. It would be in their office, and they would make sure to rub it in everyone else’s face.”

  Her nerves melted away even further. “Thank you. I had a feeling you would understand.”

  Zahn tilted his head a little, asking, “The question is then…”

  “Why did I bring you here?”

  “Got it in one.”

  Angelica turned around once more. Her eyes hung on each piece, briefly remembering the history behind them. Then, she looked back to him, “I remembered what you confessed before that Dana woman attacked me. You said you had seen all my films. All my work. You sounded like a fan. But you didn’t even pressure me for an autograph. You just helped me figure out how to make my next film better. It was sweet.”

  Zahn simply nodded, never good at taking compliments.

  Angelica went on, “The whole idea came to me this afternoon. I was here, waiting for the party, struggling to find a way to thank you. Then I decided.” She swept her hands out, indicating the apartment around them. “What do you want?”

  Zahn tripped over his own thoughts. He wasn’t sure what he had been expecting, but the immensity of her offer blew away any expectations. “Excuse me?”

  She smiled, repeating what she said, “I want you to pick one thing in this room. Doesn’t matter what. Nothing is off limits or too special.” Her soft lips trembled a little as she said it. Zahn guessed he might seriously hurt her if he chose certain items. But she didn’t pull back from the offer. “Wherever you travel, I want you to have a part of me to take with you. I want you to remember me. Just like I will always remember you.”

  Zahn tried to say, “But the value –”

  Angelica hushed him quickly. “You saved … my life … Zahn. Nothing could ever match that. This is the best I can do. But I know it’ll never feel like it’s enough.”


  Zahn’s mouth went dry. Every inch of her was vulnerable. She meant every word. This was a genuine look into the most private corners of her world. Standing there in her stunning beauty, she was offering more than he had ever been willing to give to anyone. Her generosity and sincerity were superhuman, no matter what he could have done to deserve it.

  He didn’t walk through the apartment, weighing the relative values of what was there. Didn’t try to pick something that struck him as particular to her, or that reminded him of her. She asked, and by the time she finished speaking, he already knew what he wanted.

  He met her eyes. “Anything?”

  She didn’t flinch. Didn’t waver. “Whatever your heart wants.”

  “Then, I want you.”

  Her mouth parted a little. Her already luminous eyes widened. She exhaled a halting whisper, “Wh…what?”

  Zahn took a step closer to her. Every inch they drew nearer, his certainty grew. “Nothing in here could hold a candle to who you are. You said you would give me anything. I want you.”

  “Oh…my.” Her hands fidgeted, not knowing where they wanted to be. But her response wasn’t a rejection. “For… for how long? I can’t be yours forever…”

  Zahn halved the distance between them, his intensity softening with a smile. “Why not?”

  The ridiculous answer bubbled a small, helpless laugh to Angelica’s surface.

  Zahn washed away his own joke with a more serious tone. “I don’t know. How long would it take for me to drown myself in memories of you? Hours? Days?”

  Angelica looked torn. There was a clear part of her that was drawn in by the idea. She had an irrational yet irresistible desire to say yes. But nothing was that easy. “My life is complicated, Zahn. I don’t… can’t…”

  Zahn took a small step closer, not rushing. “I’m not asking for what you can’t give, Angelica. The only real answer is ‘for as long as you’re willing to be mine’. But for however long that it, I want you to promise me one thing.”

  Her eyes had fallen as she struggled with what to say. Desire fought against whatever conflicting pressures existed in her life. As he spoke, her gaze flashed back up to his. “What?”

  He came into her personal space, standing right in front of her. His hand came up and laid warmly along her cheek. “If you say yes, then you’re choosing to be mine. So if you say yes, that’s the last choice you’re going to get until you need to leave.”

  Those expressive lips of hers trembled again. And not just with words anymore. “Wh-what?”

  He brought his other hand up to her other cheek, framing her face with his palms. His eyes locked hers in place. “You heard me. I want all of you. I’ll have no secrets about what I want from you. I don’t want to restrain myself. What I want might not be considered ‘proper’. I don’t want you to be ‘proper’. For as long as you’re mine, You’re not the princess of Hollywood. In here, away from any watching eyes… you’re mine. In whatever way I want. However I can dream of having you.”

  A soft moan escaped her lips as he spelled out what he wanted.

  Zahn knew this was a risk. It could so easily go both ways. But he was willing to take the chance. He suspected her other lovers would treat her like the porcelain doll they dared not shatter. He wondered if some part of her wanted to be free of that. Even if just for a short while. To succumb completely. To give up control and stop being the living icon for at least one person in the world.

  She called him her hero. Maybe he could be the icon she could worship for a time.

  He eased closer, filling his whole world with her eyes. Their lips hovered achingly close. “Just say the words, Angelica. And you’ll be mine.”

  Fractions of seconds dragged out like an eternity.

  Then, she breathed out, “Yes. I’m yours. All…all yours.”

  They melded together. His strong arms slipped around her back, drawing her firmly in close until her breasts cuddled into his hard chest. Their lips crushed together intensely. Zahn’s mouth tasted her for the first time, then he bushed his tongue teasingly along her lips. Probing lightly inward, he used his tongue to call hers out for a dance. She replied willingly, and they were soon lost in it. As their kiss deepened, Zahn’s hands splayed across her back, tracing up and down her spine. His palm cupped the back of her head, encouraging her to stay fixated on their kiss.

  Even that sort of fire had to end, and they parted in a breathless haze. Angelica looked totally dazed, destroyed by the sudden emotion. Her voice turned husky, “How do you want me, Zahn?”

  The heat in her gaze stoked a matching bonfire in Zahn’s core. Building fast, threatening to consume his good sense. Fantasies exploded from every part of his brain. A thousand ways to see this Hollywood star’s flawless reputation corrupted into wanton sexuality. He gestured at his jacket hanging open. “Explore me. And when you’re finished…”

  He let his desires dangle.

  Still half breathless, her teasing smirk threatened to return. Angelica knew he was making her ask. Making her beg to hear him say the words. And she was loving it. “Yes?”

  “Finish with me in your mouth. On your knees.”

  She knew. He could see in her eyes that she knew what he really wanted. It wasn’t just the molten heat of her mouth around him. He wanted to see what millions and millions of others around the world might want but never have. He wanted to see this famous woman surrender and fulfill his torrid dreams. The sort of sacrifice that even the wealthy and powerful could not buy.

  The gift given only to her hero.

  For a brief moment, Angelica settled back a step from him. Far enough that he could see the full measure of who she was. Regal. Perfect. Every choice in her life had been toward sculpting her image and convincing the merciless film industry that she should be their chosen goddess. She tilted her chin up a little, using her acting flair to assume the proud stature of unyielding beauty.

  Then, the pristine beauty succumbed to his commands. Her hands reached forward and traced along his collar bones. Sweeping out over his strong shoulders, she pushed the grey jacket off and let it fall down his arms. Zahn let the jacket run freely to the ground behind him.

  Angelica paused to massage the flesh of his shoulders, admiring the hidden strength buried under the linen shirt. She then found the concealed button of his banded collar. Plucking it open, her fingers slipped inside and brushed along his neck in a brief caress. Drifting lower, she opened one button after another until she could peel apart his shirt to hang loose in front. Pushing inside the material, her palms came to rest on his chest.

  Zahn’s heartbeat raced under her touch, and knew Angelica was poised to shatter his whole reality.

  Her hands pushed outward, taking his shirt with them. She stripped away the fabric to reveal his whole torso. Her eyes fell to drink in his body as she unveiled it. She gasped, and Zahn knew both reasons why.

  He wasn’t overly arrogant, but his demanding lifestyle had driven him hard. His whole body was a living testament to his need for supple strength, endless endurance and explosive power on demand. His muscles were etched from stone, but not from endless hours in a controlled gym environment. He had earned the rock-hard abs and broad pectorals and rugged contours along his back by venturing recklessly into caverns filled with death. He’d spent his adult life pitted against adversaries that wanted him dead, or at the very least in a great deal of pain. He had heard it said those who entered the special forces in militaries were selected for their versatility – not hulking brutes, but rather a perfect blend of hard, flexible, fast and capable to endure nearly any punishment. That was him, though he belonged to a group far more elite than any special force ever created.

  As much as Angelica’s gasp came from desire, she couldn’t miss how much his lifestyle had cost him. Scars blemished those same muscles. Knife slashes and claw marks. Grated skin from being dragged over granite and a couple of burns from when he had gotten too close to a volcano. The scars were a road map of his
adventures.

  Her eyes rose again to meet his, her mouth parted in surprise. He could see blended in her expression both sympathy and arousal.

  Zahn felt his connection with her grow. But right then, he only wanted the latter. “Don’t stop. You know what I want.”

  Angelica was pulled back into her role of the moment. “As you wish.” Her hands finished with his shirt, sending it falling down to join his jacket. She planted a single, warm kiss on his sternum. Her fingers lightened in their touch, running the tips of her fingernails along his sides and toward the waistline of his trousers. As they descended, they raised tingling gooseflesh which excited every nerve ending they passed. Angelica’s mouth sank lower as well, blazing a trail across the rippling pattern of his abs. Past his navel and further south, she prolonged the sweet agony of anticipation.

  Her hands found the top hem of his pants and unfastened the clasp. Pausing wickedly, she peered up past his exposed torso and asked with deliberate submissiveness, “Is this what you want?”

  It wasn’t just her words that had him enraptured. It was everything he could see from this vantage as well. Her pouting lips still flushed from their kiss as she begged him. The swell of her breasts past the upper lines of her dress. The wonderful blonde waterfall of her hair spilling over her shoulders. Seeing her sinuous leg extending out through the slit in her dress as the skirt pooled on the ground. He was seeing this elegant woman submitting, giving up her pride so she could become his sexual fantasy.

  It brought out new levels of sexual hunger in him. He growled down to her, “Yes. This is what I want. Don’t you dare stop again.”

  Angelica visibly shuddered. Her fingers pried open the button and tugged the zipper downward. She grasped not only his pants but the underwear beneath. Her next kiss sizzled right onto the skin below where his button had been. Then just like on his torso, her mouth matched the pace of his clothing being stripped away.

  Zahn was secretly pleased his strange lifestyle had kept him well-prepared for a moment like this. She tasted only skin as she went down; all the hair was shaved away. It was not due to vanity. He often spent days away from showers and baths while spelunking under the ground. He made it a habit to shave clean to prevent pests and sweat. He wasn’t sweaty now, but the hair was still gone and would make this that much more pleasant for her.