“It could be a trap house,” I said then explained my encounter with Nel.
Kylie’s eyes gleamed with excitement. “Now you’re talking. So, what next?”
I hadn’t said anything about Alexia and the mystery woman. I knew Kylie well enough to know she would stay on my ass until I told her something that would satisfy her curiosity.
“Nothing’s next, Kylie. Another lead would have to fall into my lap. But nothing came up that was it.”
“Bullshit,” she said.
“I don’t know what you want me to say or do.”
She shook her head continuously. “This is not the kind of reporter you are, Holls. You don’t want to know more because you have feelings for Jasper Christmas. Admit it.”
If only that were true. I actually wanted to know more because I had feelings for Jasper Christmas. Normally, I would work profusely to change Kylie’s mind about her assumptions. To throw her off my trail, I had to exhibit a different kind of behavior.
“What about Bryn Christmas? I’ve been out of the loop for a few days. Do you know if the authorities are close to finding her?”
Kylie looked at me with wide eyes. I could see her thinking behind them. Changing the subject and bringing up Bryn to remind Kylie that she was someone I had always been concerned about appeared to be working.
“Nothing yet.” Her tone was sympathetic.
It was time to reveal a secret to her. I checked over both shoulders then leaned across the table. “Did I ever tell you that she was supposed to marry Carlton Valentine?” I whispered.
At first, she frowned as if she didn’t recognize the name. Then her eyes grew wide. “Oh, the Carlton Valentine? Arthur Valentine’s son?”
I sat back and nodded.
“But she was…” Kylie turned her head slightly. “Jasper is…”
I smiled smugly, knowing I had helped her put the pieces together.
“The Valentines are trying to regain the political power they lost in the nineties?”
“It seems so.”
“Fuck, Holls, then that’s why Bryn hired you. I racked my brain, trying to figure out a logical reason why. She wanted you to destroy her family.”
My nod confirmed that I believed her theory.
“Well, we’re very close to doing just that.” She lowered her eyebrows. “That’s if you don’t sell us out.”
She was referring to my investigation of the sexual harassment allegations. Kylie went on to repeat Rachel’s concerns about the claims and how fast Jasper Christmas could make the accusations go away if he got wind of them.
“But you know he’s going to learn the allegations exist the moment I mention them to him.”
Kylie shook her hands in frustration. “Be the fucking reporter I know you to be, Holly. Gosh, you know what to do. You’re the best at getting what you need without asking direct questions. Please bring that Holly to the table and not this subpar journalist.”
I rolled my eyes indifferently even though her statement cut me to the core. She was right. The mistake I’d made with the mystery woman earlier was not like me at all. I’d even left Nel’s house too quickly. I could’ve gotten her to admit the house across the street was occupied by drug addicts. Deep down, I believed she knew more about the people who lived across the street than she was willing to admit. So yes, Kylie was right. I was better at my job than I had been in recent days.
“I’m sorry,” Kylie finally said.
I hadn’t realized I was gazing out the window with a faraway look in my eyes. I shook my head. “It’s okay.”
“Listen, I would have Rachel take you off this story, but you’re the only person who can keep us in front of it. But here’s what I want to know. Are you really able to blindside Jasper Christmas?”
I could see the desperation in her eyes. Kylie knew I was her only hope at nailing the Christmases. The moment the women filed a lawsuit against the company, Jasper would make sure it went away. The same would happen if the story leaked. Without his cooperation, no journalist on the planet would be able to confirm a source.
I looked at Kylie with focus because I didn’t want her to skirt the question I needed an answer to. “Why are you so insistent on taking down the Christmases? Surely this isn’t all about your ego.”
Kylie sat up straight and spread her fingers over her chest as though she were offended by what I had just said. “My ego?”
I nodded curtly. “Yes. Your ego.”
She watched me, blinking, as I waited for an answer. The seconds ticked by, and that was when I realized that across from me sat another story to investigate.
Chapter Ten
After a moment of silence, I allowed Kylie to change the subject. I would eventually get to the bottom of her motives. But my ability to prioritize whenever I was overwhelmed by too many subjects at once helped me put Kylie at the bottom of the list. First, I needed to figure out who the mystery woman was and come up with an effective way to broach the sexual misconduct allegations.
For the next three hours, Kylie and I talked about moving to New York, how she and Rachel had pitched the new show to the executives at BCN, and all the highs and lows of that. The more she talked about the ins and outs of dealing with TV execs, the less sure I was about my decision to take the job. Regardless, time zoomed by. But before Kylie and I parted ways, she assured me that she and I would be seated at the same table.
As soon as I made it back to my suite, I tried calling the mystery woman’s number but received a recording telling me that the number was no longer in service. I called Alexia and received the same recording.
I flopped down on the sofa. “Fuck!”
The plot had just thickened, and I was more determined than ever to figure out the story. Due to the sloppy way in which I’d handled my trip to Chattanooga, I had forgotten to get Nel’s phone number. I wouldn’t have called her tonight. I would’ve waited until tomorrow after Alexia and I met. Then I would have informed Nel that her daughter didn’t show and that her number was out of order. If Nel knew nothing about Alexia’s change of heart, she would’ve been extremely worried, and I would’ve been able to ease her fears. I would’ve offered to check on her daughter since I was already in the city. However, if Nel knew her daughter was shirking me, then she would’ve made some asinine excuse and eventually changed her own phone number.
My mind raced as I tried to figure out what to do next. I got up and raced to the bathroom to brush my teeth. I realized I had to let go of the investigation for the night. The sources that could help me would be out of commission until the next morning.
My cell phone rang, and I darted into the bedroom to answer it. I hoped it was the mystery woman or even Alexia, but it was Rod Huff informing me that I was eleven minutes late for meeting him in the lobby at eight p.m.
I quickly pulled the phone away from my ear and looked at the time on the screen. My mouth fell open. Shit. The time changed to 8:12 p.m. before my eyes.
I gushed with apologies and told Rod I would be downstairs in less than fifteen minutes after admitting that time had gotten away from me.
“Working on a story?” he asked.
“Yes,” I said.
“Then you’re excused. Take your time.”
Rod was a good guy, and from what I remembered, he was handsome as well. Too bad I would never be attracted to him, not as long as Jasper Christmas was alive.
I took a quick shower. After the day I’d had, it was imperative that I washed before putting on such a beautiful gown. Once my body was clean, I dressed, applied a light dusting of makeup to make it look as though I had tried, and swept my noncompliant hair into a back bun while leaving soft hairs cascading along the sides of my face. A glance in the mirror nearly took my breath away. It had to have been the combination of the dress, red lipstick, and the way I’d fixed my hair.
My mind betrayed me as it pictured Jasper ceremoniously loosening my hair and sweeping my tresses to one side so that his tongue and lips could fer
vently but delicately taste my neck.
“Stop, Holly,” I whispered then took a deep breath.
Since I’d vowed to compartmentalize in order to get through the night without being stressed out by all my worries, Jasper had to remain banished from my thoughts.
I rushed into the living room to grab the cocktail purse that matched my dress. I plucked it off a chair and my room key off the coffee table. Then I stopped in front of the door and looked around to make sure I hadn’t left anything.
“My coat!” I ran as fast as I could into the bedroom area and snatched the gold trench coat that had come with my dress. After I put it on, I still felt as if I were missing something even though I had everything I needed.
I felt like a ball of mess when I saw Rod in the lobby. His eyes went from his cell phone to me. By the way his gaze devoured me, I was pretty sure I didn’t look like it. I was getting more attention than I’d expected, not only from my escort but from whomever else I passed. People’s gazes made me want to shrink to the size of an ant and scamper away.
I pressed my lips together and breathed deeply through my nose. Here goes nothing. I smiled at Rod, who smiled back. He was still tall, blond, and in good shape. The dimple on his chin still made him look like a movie star. It was obvious two and a half years had done him well, being that he looked more like a man.
“Wow,” he said when I reached him. “You look amazing.”
We hugged.
“So do you,” I said after we let go of each other.
He curled an arm around my waist. “We should go.”
I was mildly taken aback by the ease with which he made such an intimate gesture. However, I felt obligated to allow him the freedom to make us appear as if we were a real couple. After all, I was almost forty-five minutes late, which I apologized for again.
He tightened his hold on me as we made our way through the lobby.
“It’s no big deal,” he said. “I’m just glad to be with you.”
I looked at him with wide eyes, hoping he meant that in a way in which two people were friends and not lovers.
As soon as my face hit the cold, I put Rod’s last comment out of my mind. It was freezing outside. I hugged myself tightly as Rod guided us to our limousine. He took off his coat and laid it over mine, giving me an extra layer of warmth.
“Oh no, you don’t have to do that,” I said, postured to give him his coat back.
“No, you keep it. I’m from Alaska. The cold is going to have to do better than this to get to me.”
We chuckled. I forgot how charming he was. If only Jasper were that amiable. Rod even took the driver’s place and held the back door open for me.
“Thanks,” I said as I entered.
“My pleasure.” His tone was flirty, and so was the way he watched me with raised eyebrows.
I felt confused. Shouldn’t I let myself enjoy a night out with a handsome man? I smiled at him as he slid into the back seat with me. He was clearly happy to be seen with me. Ever since I’d started my association with Jasper, I felt as though I were his dirty little secret. Even the way he’d shown up at my room earlier in the day, kissed me, asked a bunch of questions, and then slipped out had rubbed me the wrong way.
“So, how’ve you been, Holly?” Rod asked as the car pulled away from the curb.
“I’ve been well,” I said because it was the customary reply. “And you?”
He smiled. “I’m well. You really do look beautiful tonight.”
I blushed because of the way he was watching me. There was a sweetness to it. When Jasper gazed at me, I saw something intense, burning with fire and desire. It was as though the simple fact that he wanted me so much made him angry. As long as I lived, I would never be able to fully figure out Jasper Christmas. He was the abyss, the dark sea, and buried in his depths were treasures—wonderful, beautiful treasures.
“Thank you.” I pointed my hand at him. “So do you.”
Rod tossed his head back and laughed as though I had said something terribly entertaining. It was then that I realized he was very nervous. We had history, and I was certain his goal was to rekindle our past, which hadn’t ended on a high note.
When we met at the conference in Chicago, we had sat next to each other during the first panel of the day. There was an ease between us as we made comments under our breath when the silly girl from Outlast magazine tried to sell us on using search engines to churn out more articles. Halfway through her talk, which had been dispensed in a mind-numbing Valley-girl accent, Rod looked over both shoulders and asked out loud, “Is this for fucking real?”
I was the only one who laughed out loud. We decided to accompany each other to the next panel, which was just as asinine as the first. By the third, I realized we had attended a conference for bloggers. Our companies picked up the tab, which included room and board, so we decided to stay and make a good time of it.
Even then, I had regarded him as someone who was especially handsome. Ken dolls were based upon men who resembled him, even though he wore a little scruff on the lower part of his face and had windblown blond hair. The wilder parts of his appearance didn’t seem natural. It was as though he were attempting to shed his all-American-boy image.
I couldn’t remember if we’d had a deep conversation, but I did recall the fact that he’d complimented me a lot on my looks. And the more he gushed about my looks, the less authentic he became in my eyes. But he was fun. And he talked a lot about how much I would love Alaska and how much he missed home. He asked questions about me too. I couldn’t recall them, but I remembered that every time I had answered, I’d felt as though I were failing the “my first wife” test.
By the end of the night, we had gone to my room for drinks. One thing led to another, and we started kissing. Then we had the most awkward sex ever. I remembered saying “ouch” a lot. He directed me left and right. He spent most of the night trying to keep his dick from softening. And he assured me that it wasn’t me; it was him. I really didn’t care who it was. I figured it had just been a severe lack of sexual chemistry.
As I sat in the back seat of the limousine with him, I wondered if he remembered that night. I was surprised it hadn’t turned him off so much that he never wanted to see me again.
“By the way,” I said after a question dropped out of the blue and into my head. “How did you know I was staying at the hotel, let alone my room number?”
Rod kept his eyes cast down as he grinned. “I saw you at the counter checking in earlier.” Then he abruptly shifted in his seat. “Hey, I wanted to congratulate you on The Howsley Project and In Defense of Bad Air. Two times out of the gate, you hit all the major best-seller lists.”
I smiled graciously. “Thanks.”
“So, are you seeing anyone?” he asked.
I felt a pinch of discomfort because I hadn’t expected that question. One face came to mind, which made me say, “Nope.” Suddenly, I felt as if I had just told a big fat lie.
He grunted, intrigued. “I can’t believe you’re still single,” he said as if my relationship status were the oddest thing he’d ever heard.
For some reason, I felt as if I would be more honest if I found a way to mention my encounters with Jasper. “Well, I just got out of a relationship. A hot but short one.”
Shit, now the lust was back in his eyes.
“Damn, he was a lucky man. Remember the night we tried to fuck?” he asked.
I wanted to run and hide as I swallowed hard. “I do.” I was barely audible.
He smirked. “I’m more experienced now.”
Holy shit, was he implying a do-over? Shock made my head feel light, then I remembered to breathe.
“Aren’t we all?” I managed to say. But I didn’t like how suggestive that sounded. “I mean, experienced in everything. I’m a better journalist than I used to be. I’m now a reporter for this new show on BCN, Deep Source Real News…” Damn, I wish I’d been able to remember the name of the show when Jasper was in my suite earlier
. It would’ve lent veracity to my claim about being in New York for work and not because of him.
Rod smiled weakly, and I could see his disappointment as he gazed at me. At least he’d gotten the message I had intended to send by way of my carefully crafted comment.
His posture was a lot looser. “Oh, we’re part of the same show,” he said.
I wanted to be that ant again, the one I’d envisioned earlier in the lobby of the hotel. I wanted to crawl out of the back seat of the limousine and through the creases and crevices of the door.
I forced a smile. “Finally, we’re colleagues.”
He smirked. “Maybe we can have lunch or dinner together soon.”
“What about you?” I asked with gusto in an effort to change the subject.
He frowned. “What about me?”
“Do you have a girlfriend? Wife?”
Rod scoffed. “No wife. I had a girlfriend. She was crazy,” he said with a snarl.
I smiled. “Aren’t they all?”
He appeared even more irritated. “Aren’t they all? What do you mean by that?”
I shrugged timidly. Apparently my little, and very bad joke, had gone over his head. “Ex-girlfriends.”
He shrugged indifferently. “It takes two.”
“Then you’re crazy too?”
He frowned as if he hadn’t comprehended my meaning.
“You said she was crazy, and then you said it takes two. So…”
“I see,” he finally said.
Thank goodness our car stopped in front of the Guggenheim, the venue for the gala. The hoopla of our colleagues getting out of vehicles and walking into the circular structure with flashing lights following them stole my attention.
“Are you nervous?” I asked, my eyes shining while I rubbed my hands together.
A veil of disappointment covered Rod’s expression. “It’s just a gala.”
I had hoped my manufactured enthusiasm would infect him, but it hadn’t. Finally, the driver opened my door. I scooted out in a rush. For some strange reason, I felt free and wanted to get as far away from Rod as I could. Time sped up as we got out of the vehicle and began mingling with colleagues we hadn’t seen in ages. It was as if I had stepped into a time machine, as a lot of people I had known from past jobs or journalism conferences were there. By the time I made it to the setup to take my press photo, Rod and I had lost each other, and that was a relief.
Desire: The Dark Christmases Page 8
