“Coming from you, I understand the need to finish a job. It’s why you were such a great CEO. Is the pond the reason you’re not wearing a suit? Frankie was really disappointed. You know how he loves to gawk at you while you’re decked out in Armani.”
“Actually . . . I don’t have any suits,” he confessed.
A waiter silently filled our glasses with red wine and set the bottle on the table. I eyed Greyson. We didn’t order the wine, yet it seemed neither the waiter nor Greyson noticed that fact. Maybe Greyson’s a regular. Maybe this is like a McDonald’s for rich people.
“What happened to your suits?” I asked, wondering if there had been a fire at the dry cleaners.
“I’d rather talk about you,” he said with a sexy smile, nearly vanquishing my question. “I want to hear what you’ve been up to since the counterfeit scheme. If the boxing match was any indication, Frankie’s kept you on your toes.”
“Nice try,” I said. “I want to hear what happened to your suits.”
“And I want to hear your stories.”
“I asked first.”
He took a sip of wine as he gauged for possible reactions. After a deep breath, he simply said, “I burned them.”
“You burned thousands of dollars worth of suits?” I asked in confusion. “Frankie would have a stroke if he knew.”
“Well,” he said, searching for words, “you’ve obviously seen my struggle to give up work. I really, really didn’t think it was going to be so difficult. One day the urge was so strong to crawl back to Rotunda and beg for my job back. The only thing that kept me from doing just that was to take the suits and burn them so that, in a way, I couldn’t go back.”
“You could have kept one.”
“Then I’d have one suit to crawl back with. The more I thought about it, the more I knew I had to destroy them.” At my questioning gaze, he added, “Do you let an alcoholic keep one spare bottle? Or allow a drug addict one last hit? The suits represent everything I gave up. They were my armor. Once again I found myself in therapy mode as I tossed each suit into the bonfire.”
I felt his loss as he spoke. This was no easy task for him and he gave it all up to be with me . . . well, perhaps I’m not the only reason. “Maybe you jumped the gun. Perhaps you shouldn’t have quit.”
“No. I did the right thing. I just didn’t know how hard it would be. I want to have a meaningful life. I want to travel and find a hobby. Eventually, I’d even like to have a family of my own. If I continued on my path, working as hard as I have been, I would end up eighty and wonder how the years slipped away with nothing but money to show for them.”
“Do you think you’ll ever work again?”
“Maybe. If I do, I want to make sure I won’t end up in this situation again.”
“Digging holes and burning suits?”
His lips twitched into a smile. “Exactly.”
Chapter 6
“Well?” Mya demanded. “How did it go?”
“It was wonderful,” I answered, sipping coffee on her patio, looking out at her swimming pool.
“Give me details! Was it romantic? Did you kiss? That dress I lent you should have had him eating out of the palm of your hand.”
“That dress sent a clear message,” I scolded. “But, dinner was romantic and he was very attentive.”
“But did you kiss?”
“Yes. There was a goodnight kiss.”
“How long did it last?” she interrogated.
“It lasted long enough.”
She pouted. “You’re keeping something from me. Was it a bad kiss?”
“No. It was a very good kiss.” Hell, it was a great kiss that made me want to forget the baby steps and dive into bed. It was new and familiar at the same time. Heated to the point that I felt like I was steaming—and unbelievably painful to break and leave, especially knowing I was returning to an empty apartment with a broken door and no bed. Greyson’s bed called to me, beckoning me to spend the night in his warm, sensuous embrace. If his traveling hands and exploring lips were any indication, it would’ve been a night to remember.
“How long did the kiss last?” Frankie asked.
Mya and I turned to find Frankie stepping out from the patio door.
“When did you get here?” I asked.
“Just now. David let me in.”
I eyed Frankie. He was buzzing with nervous energy.
“Why are you here?” I asked, knowing no good could come from him being here.
“I figured I’d check here first. I have a favor to ask both of you.”
“No gigs!”
“I promise. No gigs. I still have one if you change your mind, though,” he added.
I kept careful watch as he settled into the chair next to Mya.
“Do you want coffee?” Mya asked.
Frankie shook his head. “My eyeballs are floating already. Mark is a busy little homemaker and has been topping off my cup every time I turn around. I thought I was still on my first cup until my hands started shaking.”
“He really doesn’t mind his two weeks of servitude, does he?” I asked.
“He loves it! It’s more of a punishment for me. But I have to admit, my Italian leathers have never looked so good . . . and it’s nice to be taken care of.”
Hmmm. I had a feeling there was something more to their relationship even when they were feuding. “Will he stay after the two weeks?” I asked. “You only have a few more days left.”
“Hell, no!” Frankie was quick with his answer. Too quick. “I want my bachelor pad back. Do you know he started making covers for everything?”
“What kind of covers?” Mya asked.
“The toaster and coffee maker were the first to be covered with a quilted frog and panda bear. Then he started in the bathroom and has covered the tissue box, toilet paper, and even the plunger handle. I’m living in a menagerie of quilted animals.”
“Oh, that’s cute!” Mya said. “Does he make them by hand?”
Frankie cringed. “Yes. He set up the spare room as his ‘craft room.’ I can’t wait until he leaves.”
“You’re going to miss him,” I said.
“No, I won’t!” Frankie protested a little too much.
“What was the favor you wanted?” Mya asked.
Relieved to switch subjects, Frankie happily announced, “Mark and I are going to perform a duet. You know, for old time’s sake.”
“That’s so exciting!” Mya squealed. “I want to come and watch.”
“You’ll be there, but you won’t be watching,” Frankie said.
The Frankie alarm blared. Bells and sirens galore!
“Do you need help backstage?” Mya asked. “I’ve always wanted to see the action behind the curtain.”
“Actually, we want you and Nadia to be backup singers. Mark’s designing the outfits as we speak.”
Mya’s eyes nearly popped out of her head as she squealed and bounced in her chair. I groaned and sunk into mine.
“Frankie, you know I can’t sing,” I complained. “Even if I could, I’m not going on stage as backup singer.”
“Oh, pooh!” Mya waved off my complaint. “It’ll be fun!”
“You don’t have to worry about singing. You’re more for show than sound,” Frankie added.
I narrowed my gaze. “Then what’s the point?”
“The point, Miss Grumpy-pants, is that it’ll be Mark’s farewell. He’s bound to get clingy at the end, and what better way to sidetrack him than to give him something to look forward to. He’ll be too busy working on choreography to count the remaining minutes.”
“Why do we have to be a part your scheme?”
“The farewell needs to dazzle like fireworks!”
“And backup singers will add dazzle?” I asked dryly.
“Of course. We’ll be the only drag queens armed with backup singers.”
“For the love of . . .”
“You’ll be in drag?” Mya asked with rounded eyes, cutting o
ff my complaints.
“Of course. Everyone at Celebrity Mash is in drag.”
“We should dress up as men!” Mya exclaimed, clearly wanting to be a part of the action.
Frankie paused in thought as a smile brewed. “That’s an excellent idea!”
“When should we practice?” Mya asked.
“Right away. We only have two days before curtain.”
Mya gasped. “Do you think it’ll be enough time?”
Frankie eyed her. “Clearly, you’ve never been to Celebrity Mash.”
Well, at least I don’t have to wear a dress, I thought as they chatted animatedly.
“What song are we performing?” Mya asked.
“‘It’s Raining Men,’” Frankie answered.
“Hallelujah,” I muttered.
* * *
I wiped the sweat from my brow as I ran over to answer my cell phone.
“Take five!” Frankie called, seeing that I had deserted my spot.
“Hello?” I asked breathlessly.
“Did I call at a bad time, kitten?” Caleb asked.
“Not at all. You saved me from passing out.”
“Are you exercising? You sound out of breath.”
“I guess you could call it exercising. Frankie enlisted Mya and me to be backup singers at Celebrity Mash. We’re practicing.” More like tripping over each other. Mark and Frankie were fabulous, but I couldn’t remember the steps. Mya was only slightly better. She made up for her lack of coordination with her bubbling enthusiasm.
His rich laughter sent a wave of shivers. “Celebrity Mash? I’ve been there. Is he blackmailing you?”
“I wish I could say yes, but Mya was excited and I got swept along into the tornado.”
“When will you perform?”
“On Friday night.”
“I’ll be there,” he said.
“Are you sure you want to? It’ll be nothing less than torture.”
“Torture for you maybe, but I think I’ll be quite entertained.” I could hear his smile through the phone.
“I’m glad you’re available to suffer along with me,” I mocked.
He chuckled.
“Time’s wasting!” Frankie scolded, clapping his hands to round his crew.
“I better go,” I said. “Frankie’s acting like a drill sergeant.”
“Before you go,” Caleb said, “I have to cancel our date tonight. I’m really sorry, kitten.”
“Oh,” I said, caught off guard. Was he having second thoughts?
“Before you start forming exaggerated conclusions, let me explain. I think I located Jessica. I’m heading over tonight to watch the place and see if I can find her.”
“Like a stakeout?”
“Something like that.”
“Then I’m coming too.”
“I don’t want to waste your night. Go and have fun. We’ll go out tomorrow.”
“I’m busy tomorrow night.” It was Greyson’s night.
“Then the following night.”
“That’s our performance.”
“Well, we’ll figure out a night to go out.”
“Or, you could be a cheap date and let me come. I’ll treat you to a hamburger while we search for Jessica.”
“Are you sure?” he asked.
“Yes. I’ll have you know I’m quite the detective.” Not normally by choice, of course. “If you think she’s there, I’ll sniff her out.”
“It could be a long night,” he warned.
“Then I’ll buy two burgers.”
“Okay,” he conceded with a small laugh. “I’ll pick you up at six. I’ll enjoy the company. But this doesn’t count as a date. I don’t want our first date to be sitting in a car eating hamburgers. It’d remind me of high school.”
“I wouldn’t know. Boys avoided me like the plague.”
“They missed out. There’s no way you could keep me away, kitten.”
* * *
Caleb arrived at the chapel early. Frankie was putting us through our paces when I spotted Caleb leaning against the door with a wide grin and laughing blue eyes.
“And one, and two,” Frankie counted as we reached to the side and then flung our hands up. “And strut, and shake,” he called. “Forward, hip thrust. One, and two, and make love to the audience!”
Only if Caleb was our only audience, I thought as I dipped Mark and pretended to kiss him. He was rather heavy. My back could only perform so many dips before it’d give way, I thought with a groan. I glanced at Mya who was having no trouble dipping Frankie.
A solo round of applause from Caleb captured Frankie’s attention. Did Frankie just blush? It was hard to tell from his already flushed face.
“How long have you been standing there?” I asked.
“Long enough to know I can’t wait to see the real performance,” Caleb said, still grinning.
“Was it that good?” Frankie said, fluttering his hand to cool his face.
“It was one of a kind,” Caleb said, still wearing his grin. “I was thoroughly entertained.”
“I knew we had the right routine!” Mark clapped enthusiastically.
“If we looked good now, just wait until the audience sees us dressed up and in action,” Frankie said. His eyes glazed over as he reached in the air. “We’ll be sensational . . . spotlights, glittering dresses, and an energetic song!”
“What a great way to end our two weeks together,” Mark said wistfully, and then he frowned. “Then back to real life.”
“This is real life,” Mya said with a sympathetic smile. “Just because you have to run the chapel again doesn’t mean you have to stop living.”
“I know. But I don’t want to be Prince Charming anymore.”
“Then be Cinderella,” Mya said.
A slow smile spread. “I could. The glass slippers would be adorable. But I’m tired of living in a fairytale. The couples that come into the chapel are the only ones who leave with a happily ever after.”
“We’ll help you think of something,” Mya said, glaring at Frankie and me to jump in.
“You and Frankie could merge your chapels together,” I suggested.
Mark’s eyes widened with the dawning of a fabulous idea; Frankie’s narrowed into slits.
Uh-oh! Bad idea.
“Well, I should leave,” I said, inching toward the door under Frankie’s deadly glare. “Caleb and I have a mystery to solve. Busy, busy, busy,” I tittered as Frankie looked ready to claw.
“Wait!” Mya called, halting my escape. “You can’t go. You’re all sweaty.”
It was true. I was dripping with sweat and probably had a ripe odor as well.
“Yes, Nadia,” Frankie agreed with steel daggers glinting in his narrow eyes. “Why don’t you take a shower at my place? It’ll give us time to . . . chat.”
I leaned over to Caleb. “Can I shower at your place?” I whispered through the side of my mouth, not taking my eyes off Frankie.
“Only if I can help,” Caleb said with a smirk.
I glanced between Caleb, who had a wicked look in his eyes, and Mark, who had stars in his, and then over to Frankie whose deadly intention was written in bold across his scowling face.
“Deal.”
Chapter 7
Not only did the water droplets cascading down feel good, but so did Caleb’s hands as he lathered and repeated . . . and repeated.
“I normally wouldn’t shower with a man on a first date,” I sighed as his hands massaged.
“This isn’t a first date,” he said, as his massaging hands descended. “I promise to take you out on a proper date.”
“Then what is this?” I asked, wondering if his hands were going to stop soon. They were quite low as they glided smoothly on soapy skin.
“This is fun.”
“Fun should happen on the third date. It’s the standard. Or at least it was,” I said, not really sure what the standard was or even if there was one. He nibbled at my shoulder. “Maybe the second date,” I counter
ed myself, cursing the vibrations that rippled through with each touch. How could any sane woman resist this torment? His body pressed against mine, leaning me back against the wall.
“Not until the second date?” he asked as his downward-traveling hand found its resting spot at my core. His finger dipped and teased, stealing my breath.
Holy . . . !
“Maybe the first date,” I rasped, countering myself again. I had no idea what number date it was or if it was a date at all. And at this point, it didn’t matter. He dipped and circled, sending my desperate body into a whirl of desire.
“I can’t wait that long, kitten. I need you,” he said, kissing my throat while continuing his lower assault. “I want you. Only you.”
He did put forth a good argument. It’s hard to resist such sound reasoning.
No. No! We can’t miss steps again, I thought as his lips pressed to mine, taking over any internal protests.
“I have a compromise,” he whispered on my lips.
“What’s that?” I asked, stealing a kiss before I put on the brakes.
A smile played on his mouth as it traveled down. “You’ll like this compromise, kitten.”
When he finally traveled low enough that he was kneeling, he looked up and said, “Hook your leg over my shoulder.”
I hesitantly complied because I knew what he was up to. I gave in, knowing my baby steps just flew out the window. It was hard saying no to something I wanted so badly . . . to someone I wanted so badly.
“We should reconsider the compromise,” I rasped.
“No.” He smiled wickedly as his head dipped lower and . . . Holy Toledo!
* * *
“You should wear one of my hoodies,” Caleb suggested when I squeezed into Mya’s shirt.
I looked down at the sparkling pink shirt. “You don’t like it? It wouldn’t be my first choice, but it’s a rather happy shirt.”
“I love the shirt,” he said, skimming his fingers along the shimmering pattern splayed across my chest, sending tingles through the areas he’d thoroughly satisfied only moments before. I had no regrets. Although, I was the only one satisfied and knew it was only a matter of time before . . . “It’s just that we’re trying to be discreet when we look for Jessica. Your shirt will light up the whole block.”
Squeeze Play Page 5
