First Wife Club

by Sterling, Rex

  “I didn’t give this sofa enough credit. It’s deceptively comfortably,” I said.

  Bella sat facing me with her knees drawn up and her elbow resting on the back of the couch. “I know, right? I’ve fallen asleep on this baby more than once.” She patted the couch affectionately.

  I leaned my head back against the sofa and let out a contented sigh. “That was an amazing dinner. Thank you,” I said, gazing over at her. “I can’t remember the last time anyone cooked for me.”

  “You’re not leaving,” she said. “In fact, I insist you spend the night… on the couch.” She smiled sweetly.

  “I might take you up on that. I just need to text Brooke.”

  “So you and Brooke are an item?” Bella asked without a hint of surprise in her voice.

  “Yes. But it’s complicated,” I said.

  “I think I get the gist,” she said. “That’s why Peter Patlee invited you to his masquerade ball. Who else is in your family?”

  “Is that what it’s called? A family?” I asked. “This is all brand new to us. It just sort of work out this way.”

  “Will you tell me about them?” she asked, gazing at me intently.

  “You know Brooke,” I said. “It’s really new between us and then there’s Samantha Monroe.”

  Bella’s jaw dropped. “Lindsay’s daughter?”

  Heat welled in my cheeks. “Don’t look at me like that. To quote the great Forrest Gump, we fit together like peas and carrots.”

  “Timothy Ashford. What is she, nineteen?” But Bella’s smile told me she wasn’t really put off by the age gap or the threesome.

  “She’s twenty and smart as hell,” I said. “It’s also new, but my feelings are strong.”

  She sipped her wine and studied me for a long time. “It’s just the two of them and you?”

  “Just the two of them? How many would there be?”

  “Five,” she said without hesitation.

  I frowned. “That’s awfully… specific.”

  She sighed. “Without it sounded too fantastical, there are powers in the universe that we don’t understand. Those powers are guarding the king’s treasure.”

  She knew about King Itzcoatl? It seemed I was way behind the curve. While Butch was chasing down the Lady Dancer, everyone else was searching for the actual treasure. “Okay. Now you’re scaring me.”

  “Tim, Peter Patlee tried to recruit me two years ago,” Bella said. “I was doing some legal work for him and he had the impression our relationship was more than professional.”

  “Recruit you? As in, he tried to make you one of his… wives? Is that the right term? You’re a lawyer. Tell me how that’s legal.”

  “It is the right term. It’s right in more ways than you might realize. But it’s not legal. At least not by current day laws.”

  “What did you tell him?”

  “I told him no, of course. I have zero romantic interest in the man.”

  “Is he dangerous?” I asked.

  Bella frowned, as if considering my question. “Not in a conventional sense. He’s been a player in the treasure hunt for most of his adult life. That’s why he’s so interested in the Lady Dancer.”

  “For the artifacts we found. And yes, we found them. A figurine and a piece of the map,” I said.

  Bella’s eyes widened. “You found a physical piece of the map? And the figurine? Wow. Thats a game changer.”

  “Yes, but I don’t know what to do with them.”

  “Tim, listen to me. Do not sign any agreement with Peter Patlee without legal counsel. Not even a verbal agreement. If you don’t trust me, then hire someone you trust. That’s where the man’s dangerous. He’ll screw you out of the treasure if you let him.”

  “Like he did Butch?” I asked.

  “Butch was a victim of his own big heart,” Bella said. “I became a lawyer to protect him, but all his big discoveries were already behind him. I’m not too late to protect you.”

  “Do you want a cut of the treasure?” I asked.

  “I told you earlier. I don’t care about the treasure. Not anymore. What I want is happiness. No treasure can buy me that.”

  “You said you knew where to find another piece of the map. How?”

  She let out a long sigh. “You won’t believe me.”

  “Try me,” I said.

  “I think you should hear it from Peter directly,” she said. “But like I said, don’t agree to anything.”

  “Did you get an invitation to the ball?” I asked.

  “Yes. Peter invites single women to these events. Women with mating potential. You know… those who might join a family.”

  “You mean a harem?” I asked.

  “They don’t call it that,” she said. “If you use that phrase you will offend Peter and his guests.”

  “Do you go to these things often? Is this your kink?”

  She laughed. “I’ve never been to one of Peter’s parties, although he’s invited me countless times. I only accepted the invitation this time after I found out you were coming.”

  “What’s going to happen tomorrow?” I asked.

  “I’m not privy to all the details. It’s all very hush-hush and the guest list is top secret. The Patlee’s play their cards close to their vest. I only know about the map because Peter told me he knew where it was, but he needed my help to get it. That help would require me to join his family.”

  “Your help?” I frowned. “That makes no sense.” I studied her face for a long time. “You know more you’re not telling me.”

  She nodded. “I made a promise to someone very special to me that I wouldn’t say a word.”

  “Who is he?” I asked.

  “She,” Bella said. “She’s my friend. Not my lover. Please don’t ask me to break that promise.”

  I pulled out my wallet, fished out a one-dollar bill and handed it to her.

  She frowned. “What’s this?”

  “I want to hire you as my attorney,” I said and put the billfold away. “Oh… and I want you to come with my… family to the ball. I’ll need you with me every step of the way.”

  She stared at the dollar bill and back up at me. “You’re sure you trust me?”

  “Bell, if I can’t trust you, then all hope is lost. You’re either a superb liar or you’re telling the truth. I want to believe that you wouldn’t hurt me like that. Besides, I’ve known you a long time and other than lying about your feelings for me, you’ve played it straight up in the past.”

  Bella nodded. “Okay. But this doesn’t mean I’m joining your harem.”

  I grinned. “I thought you said not to call it a harem.”

  She rolled her eyes. “Pick me up at eight o’clock tomorrow night. I’ll be ready.”

  Chapter 11

  Sam took it on herself to rent a limousine for the ball, and the girls were thrilled to have Bella join our little party. We drank champagne on the way to the history museum, and the ladies chatted while I sat back and took them in.

  Sam wore a tight, form-fitting black dress with a plunging neckline, showcasing her jaw-dropping cleavage. It was impossible not to ogle her when every curve of her tight body could make a highlight reel. She wore her golden hair up in an intricate weave of braids piled high atop her head like a fairytale princess. My mind swirled on a dozen different ways I planned to violate her later.

  Brooke wore a sleek white sleeveless satin dress with the back cut out. Her thick, heart-shaped ass swayed and swished with every step. The minute I laid eyes on her, I couldn’t help but rub and squeeze every inch of a booty worthy of a bronze molding. Her strawberry-blonde hair glistened like spun gold and hung straight back over her shoulders. She proudly wore the emerald pendant I gave her, nestled lovingly in her ample cleavage. The piece brought out the vivid green in her eyes and I gazed at her, spellbound, as if she might vanish right before my eyes.

  Not to be outdone, Bella wore a sparkly silver dress cut low in the front, revealing a chest that gave even Sam a
strong run for best in show. Her silky raven hair tumbled over her shoulders in rich, luxurious waves that seemed to glisten with its own inner radiance. The bright red lipstick adorning her plump lips stood in stark contrast to her smooth, porcelain complexion. I grinned inwardly, knowing that Peter Patlee would turn green with jealousy when he saw the stunning brunette on my arm.

  Bella made fast friends with Sam, which came as no surprise. Sam had a way with people I had never seen, and it was easy to see why Butch had loved her so much.

  When we arrived at the natural history museum, the four of us donned our masks and the limo driver let us out. At the museum entrance, we handed our invitations to a burly security guard wearing an earpiece and a tuxedo before he let us inside.

  Inside the museum’s grand hallway, the bones of a T-Rex grinned down at us while frescos of prehistoric Florida decorated the wide, circular rotunda. More security guards, wearing tuxedos and ear pieces, flanked the hallway leading from the rotunda.

  A burly security guard, as big as a barn, smiled at me and the ladies. “Good evening, Mr. Ashford. Welcome to the season’s grand masquerade. If you and your family will kindly follow the red ribbons down the stairwell and to your right, you’ll find the Jurassic Ballroom to your left.”

  “Thanks,” I said, and offered him a grateful smile.

  Brooke and Sam squeezed in beside me, hooking their arms inside mine while Bella walked beside Sam. We headed for the stairwell, and our footsteps echoed off the shiny marble floor. Sam gazed around the museum in wonder.

  “We should come back during the daytime,” Sam whispered. “This place is incredible.”

  “I would be happy to show you around,” Bella said. “I know every inch of this place. Ten-year-old me would spend hours wandering the hallways, gazing up at the incredible beasts and ancient treasures.”

  “They have an entire wing devoted to wrecks found off the coast,” Brooke said. “Butch’s biggest find is smack dab in the middle.”

  “Don’t remind me,” I said. “He got paid a fraction of what he was owed.”

  “It’s my job to make sure that doesn’t happen to you,” Bella said. “I mean, what kind of lawyer would I be if I wasted the entire dollar of your retainer?” Her voice oozed sarcasm, and she shot me a sideways smile.

  “It’s good to see you haven’t lost your sense of humor,” I said.

  We walked down the stairs and followed the red ribbons down the hall until we heard the sounds of orchestral music floating out of an open ballroom. When we stepped inside, the place looked like a shrine to the Aztec goddess herself.

  A life-sized statue of Xochiquetzal stood at the center of the room. She was painted gold and adorned with jewels and a crown eerily similar to the figurine we had recovered from the Lady Dancer. An open dance floor surrounded the statue where men and women dressed in their finest danced, all wearing masks similar to ours.

  An orchestral band played at the edge of the dance floor, and open bars appeared on each side of the room. A server, wearing a tuxedo and white gloves, appeared before us, carrying a silver tray laden with champagne flutes. Like the guests, the man wore a mask, although his was a muted shade of gray.

  “Welcome to the grand masquerade. Would you care for champagne?” He offered a curt bow and a pleasant smile.

  “Thank you,” I said, taking two flutes from the tray.

  Sam and Brooke looked to me and I nodded before handing a flute to Bella while the girls each grabbed a glass for themselves. We wandered ahead, soaking in the gold replicas of antiquities strewn throughout the ballroom like exhibits.

  A throng of guests buzzed with conversation milling around an ice sculpture of what looked like a king flanked by two beautiful women.

  “That’s King Itzcoatl and his first two wives,” Bella whispered in my ear as if tracking my gaze.

  “The harem king,” I whispered and at the word harem, Sam perked up, turning toward the ice sculpture, her eyes wide with wonder.

  “The ratio of men to women is crazy,” Brooke said, gazing across the gathered crowd.

  She was right. It was easily a five to one ratio and there wasn’t an ordinary-looking woman in sight. Dozens of exquisite women ranging in ages from roughly twenty to sixty chatted amicably amongst each other.

  Trays of fruit, hot horderves on silver platters, filled champagne flutes, and rows of wine bottles lined long tables beneath the sculpture. Party goers milled about sampling the food while mingling with other families.

  I soaked it all in, trying to reign in my shock. There was an entire subculture in Miami devoted to harems? “They’re all—”

  “Families,” a man’s voice said from beside me.

  I turned to find a masked Peter Patlee standing before me with the beautiful young woman I had seen in the Tesla adorning his arm.

  Peter chuckled. “Don’t worry, Mr. Ashford. Your stunned expression is a common reaction the first time one attends these functions.” He nodded to Sam. “You look beautiful this evening, Miss Monroe.”

  Sam smiled warily. “Thank you. It’s all so amazing.”

  He nodded in appreciation. “I’m glad you’re enjoying yourself.” Next, Peter turned to Brooke and bowed cordially. “Welcome Miss Fox. Thank you for accepting the invitation.”

  Brooke edged closer to me and squeezed my arm, sliding slightly behind me. “Thanks for having me.”

  When he turned to Bella, he paused, as if caught off-guard. “Miss Carson. I am surprised to find you with Mr. Ashford. But you two have a worthy history. Welcome.”

  “Thanks Peter,” she said. “I thought I should see what all the fuss was about.”

  The woman on Peter’s arm grinned slyly at Bella and her exotic blue eyes twinkled with amusement.

  “This is my daughter, Sawyer,” he said.

  The woman was Patlee’s daughter? I was struck dumb by her insane beauty. She wore a gold and green strapless gown that perfectly hugged her lithe frame and gave birth to exquisite cleavage.

  “It’s nice to meet you, Mr. Ashford,” she said with a straight-up American accent. She studied me with those haunting pale-blue eyes and almost seemed to smirk, as if she could read my mind.

  Sam elbowed me. “Your mouth is hanging open,” she whispered.

  Heat flashed in my cheeks, and I composed myself. “Sorry. I assumed… well, I assumed wrong.”

  “You assumed my dad, and I were a couple?” she asked, raising an eyebrow. “It’s okay. It happens all the time.”

  Peter didn’t take any affront to my assumption and threw me a lifeline when he changed the subject. “Now that we have introductions out of the way, please mingle. Help yourself to food and drink. Most of all, have fun. We’re serving dinner in thirty minutes. You’ll be my guests at table number one.”

  With that, Peter Patlee and his smoking hot daughter Sawyer disappeared into the crowd.

  “Her name is Sawyer?” I asked. “That’s so… Meagan.”