Rev Me Twice

by Adele Dubois

  She dragged her gaze away from the sensual scene and looked up into Tomas’ eyes. He looked down into hers and his dark eyes smoldered. A wolfish grin lifted his lips. “I know how much you love that. Sure you don’t want to change your mind? We can go back. I’d be happy to oblige.”

  Crystal took another look at the couple and watched while Lisa had an orgasm. Her eyes were closed and her mouth open in a perfect O while her spasms overtook her. She seemed to struggle to keep her body supported as her arms trembled. Her full breasts swayed and her nipples tightened to fine points while her climax continued.

  Tomas watched too and another twinge of resentment trickled through Crystal. What the hell was wrong with her? Any other time she’d be anxious to join the fun.

  Then a thought struck. Lisa and Antonio were different. They were like family. Having sex with them or around them would feel wrong. She wanted to know them innocently. Wholesomely. Dear God, she shouldn’t even be watching.

  Crystal said simply, “He’s your brother.”

  Understanding filled Tomas’ expression and he smiled at her with more affection than he’d ever offered. “Mi amor, you said just the right thing.” He pulled her close to him and kissed her sweetly. The tip of his tongue found hers and glided inside her mouth.

  Happiness filled her, leaving her so surprised she had to pull back from the kiss. She kept her eyes closed, but held on to Tomas. The emotion that swept through her had been foreign for so long she barely recognized the feeling. Tears brimmed and threatened to fall. She swept them away with her fingertips.

  “What is it?” Tomas whispered. She opened her eyes. Concern replaced the affection on his face.

  Crystal smiled and shook her head. “Nothing. I’m happy, that’s all.”

  Tomas returned an indulgent smile and led her across the yard to the kitchen stairs. When they reached the top, Crystal looked down at the couple inside the Jacuzzi room. They were still making love. Antonio’s hips rolled and his back arched while he thrust hard and slow into Lisa.

  Crystal averted her eyes and looked over at Tomas. “Let’s get lunch on the table. They won’t be much longer.”

  * * * * *

  Lisa and Antonio emerged from the master bedroom and bath fresh from the shower. They embraced Crystal and Tomas in turn and pulled out chairs at the vintage oak kitchen table.

  Lisa shot Crystal an apologetic smirk as they settled down to lunch. “I hope we weren’t out of line back there.” She angled her head toward the Jacuzzi. “I assure you I’ve never done anything like that before.” Lisa turned a bright crimson. “You know, swam naked with another couple around.” She reached for the bowl of homemade shrimp salad and passed it to her right for Crystal. Antonio poured and served four glasses of wine. “I would have put my suit back on if you’d come in. Honest.”

  Crystal almost sighed with relief. Lisa hadn’t noticed her watching them have sex. She wouldn’t want her friend to feel awkward around her.

  Crystal made a sandwich with the shrimp salad and a whole wheat roll, took a handful of blue corn chips and began to munch.

  Lisa continued. “I wish I were more like you. Less inhibited.” Her eyes lifted in a shy glance that said I hope that came out the right way. She rushed on. “I have my moments, that’s for sure. If I didn’t, I never would have met Antonio.”

  Crystal knew she was referring to the day she’d met Antonio in Annapolis. Crystal had heard the story. Lisa had deliberately dressed like a hooker, braless and brash, in a sheer red tank top and ultra short shorts to break up with her cheating midshipman boyfriend, Rick Bennett. She’d strutted her stuff through town in the hope of making him jealous.

  While Lisa strolled down a sidewalk in the tourist area, Antonio had ridden by on his Harley. In a moment of uncharacteristic craziness, Lisa had lifted her tank top over her breasts and flashed him.

  Antonio crashed into the sidewalk and had fallen at her feet.

  Crystal leaned closer to Lisa. “I wish I were more down to earth, like you.” She smiled wistfully at her friend. They were both beautiful. Otherwise, Lisa was everything Crystal was not. Stable. Moral. Happy to live in her modest house with a roommate who traveled. Content with monogamy. “Maybe we can learn from each other.” The women clinked their wineglasses and exchanged knowing winks.

  Antonio tapped the rim of his wineglass with the tines of a fork. “We have an announcement.” His brilliant smile across the table at Lisa filled the room with light. Crystal’s heart galloped in her throat as she looked from one to the other. When she met Tomas’ gaze, he shrugged. He obviously had no idea what was coming.

  “I asked Lisa to marry me last night, and she said yes.”

  Lisa extended her left hand into the center of the table. On her third finger a brilliant round diamond glistened beneath the kitchen lighting. She wore an expression of such love and joy that Crystal’s heart ached. She reached out and squeezed Lisa’s wrist. “My very best wishes.” One only said “congratulations” to the groom.

  Tomas got up from his chair and hugged both his brother and Lisa. “When you said you had something to show us, I thought you meant the new Jacuzzi.”

  Crystal swallowed, her throat tighter than it had been five minutes ago. “An engagement is much better.” She lifted her glass with Tomas to toast the happy couple. What was that pang in her chest? She shook off a sudden feeling of antipathy.

  “We want you both in our wedding,” Antonio said. He turned to Tomas as he sat down again beside him. “Be my best man?”

  Tomas slapped his older brother on the back. “You bet.”

  Lisa said to Crystal, “Will you be a bridesmaid? It would mean a lot to me.”

  “Of course,” Crystal replied. “I’d love to.” She snickered behind her hand. “Just promise me the gown won’t be made of ruffled pink taffeta.”

  Lisa laughed with her. “Will coral do?”

  The couples ate and talked for another hour about wedding plans and then cleaned up the kitchen. Afterward, they relaxed with beers in the living room.

  Antonio brought up the subject of Crystal’s problems. “Tomas told me about the threatening letters you received and the subsequent ransacking.”

  “We saw you on the news last night and read about you in today’s headlines. You’re a bigger celebrity than ever,” Lisa added. “I’m just sorry your fame has come at such a high price. How are you handling all this?”

  Crystal took a swig of her beer and then twirled the bottle slowly in her hands. She needed a moment to think about that. After a few beats she looked up at Lisa. “I stayed in denial a long time. That helped.” She shot her a quick smile and realized the truth of her words. Crystal denied whatever she didn’t want to see. Or feel. That had been her M.O. her entire life. Maybe if she looked at this situation objectively and let the information filter in, she could figure this problem out on her own.

  Antonio spoke again. “I talked to my contact at your local precinct and have kept in touch with Tomas. Everything that can be done is being done. I guess that’s not much consolation when the person is still out there.” He frowned into his beer bottle. “I wish there was more I could do. Without evidence… “ His voice trailed away.

  “Tomas plans to talk to my landlord. She’s an eyewitness to someone entering my apartment.”

  “You know what they say about eyewitness testimony,” Tomas interjected. “On the other hand, this might be just the break we need.”

  “I hope so.” Lisa stood and gathered empty beer bottles. “Anyone want another?”

  Tomas shook his head. “I’m driving. One is my limit. We’ll be leaving soon.”

  Crystal got up to go to the bathroom. “I’ll be ready in a few minutes.” Her sling-back heels clomped against the hardwood floors on her way down the hall. Inside the powder room, Crystal inspected her reflection in the oversized mirror. An attractive woman with hard eyes stared back. She blinked, hoping to soften her expression, but it didn’t work. When had she becom
e so jaded? Lost?

  She thought about Lisa and how contented she was. In a few years she’d be soft and happy with kids running around the yard. Crystal looked back into the mirror. In a few years lines would begin to form around her eyes. A younger model would replace her on her weather segment. Men didn’t like old strippers. They wanted them under age twenty-eight and not fully ripened. Sexist, but a reality of her business.

  Once again, that odd feeling of restlessness hit her. It chafed her insides like a wool sweater against skin. Crystal didn’t know when or why she’d started to change, but something was happening to her.

  She looked down at her bare left hand. She might be Crystal Diamond, the famous stripping weathergirl, but Lisa Gibson was the one who wore the shiny ring.

  Chapter Four

  The production assistants came and went at alarming speeds at the studio. They switched jobs, got married, moved out of state or changed college majors to something more stable than entertainment. It was Sandra’s day off, and so a new girl, Conchetta, took the terrycloth robe Crystal slipped off her shoulders and then adjusted her microphone. Crystal smoothed her hair and looked nervously around the set. Yvette would arrive with Tomas any minute and she wondered what they would discover.

  Gunther had sprayed Crystal’s body with a faint patina of silver glitter for tonight’s performance. She wore silver spangled pasties on her nipples and a matching thong of hand-beaded sequins and bugle beads that must have cost the studio hundreds. A sheer hip-length, power blue robe covered the costume. The robe was tied with eight tiny ribbons that she would release at intervals until it fell from her body.

  With extended rain in the forecast, Marv wanted Crystal to look wet and welcoming when she issued the gloomy weather report. He was convinced her costuming would make the news go down easier. Marv was probably right. That’s what made him such a successful producer.

  Tomas strolled onto the studio set with cups of coffee and donuts for Marv and Harry, with Yvette by his side. Her landlord smiled and offered Crystal an enthusiastic wave, as if she were excited to be on a television set. Crystal waved back, but her heart pounded. Maybe Yvette should have come after her taping, so her presence wouldn’t be such a distraction. Would Yvette recognize the person who had ransacked her home?

  Tomas blew her a kiss after handing over the snacks to her bosses. Crystal calmed down a bit when he followed the kiss with a thumbs-up and a big smile. He led Yvette out of the filming area, probably to her dressing room. Crystal breathed a sigh of relief. Tomas always knew how to handle her moods. That’s one of the things she liked best about him.

  The lighting crew adjusted the stage lamps. The sound crew checked microphones. Then the director waited while the Barbie and Ken news team took their seats at the desk. “In three, two, one…” Harry whispered into their earpieces. “You’re on.”

  The lighting went dim around the crew while it brightened on stage. Crystal waited by the weather chart for her turn at reporting.

  When Sal turned the camera her way, she looked deep into the lens and licked her mouth. Then she shook her head and said, “Sorry, viewers, the forecast calls for slick, wet conditions the next five days. A Nor’easter is heading our way.” She emphasized the words slick and wet and untied the first ribbon on her filmy robe. The neckline fell open.

  Crystal raised her hand to the area map to explain, when a deafening crack filled the stage like a gunshot, shooting terror through her. Crystal covered her mouth with her hands, looked straight at the camera crew and screamed bloody murder.

  “Go to a commercial break!” Harry shouted. He rushed on stage to Crystal, where she was shaking like a leaf and fighting back tears. “I’m sorry, honey,” Harry said. “I should have told you we added thunder and lightning sound effects to your segment. We thought it would add drama to your report.” His expression turned chagrined. “Guess we were right.”

  “Sound effects?” Crystal looked around the studio. “Are you fucking kidding me? After all I’ve been through, you wanted drama? I thought someone shot at me!” She wanted to scratch Harry’s eyes out.

  Marv rushed up behind them. “My fault. My call. It was last minute. But you gotta admit, it grabbed viewers’ attention!”

  “I’d like to grab your balls and twist them until they’re blue, Marv. How’s that?” Crystal suddenly didn’t care whether or not she got fired.

  Marv looked momentarily flummoxed, but recovered and burst out laughing. “You’re terrific, Crystal. Just great. Look, ratings will go through the roof on this show. Go back on stage and finish your report. Tell the audience why you screamed. Let’s face it, subscribers have been hearing about your, uh, difficulties for days. Talk to them. They’ll eat it up.”

  “That’s all you care about, isn’t it, Marv? Ratings.” Her voice had turned flat.

  Marv stared down at her like a wounded hound dog. “You’re like a daughter to me. But I gotta be honest, ratings are the bottom line.”

  Crystal let out a sigh of defeat. Marv was right. In show business, ratings were everything.

  “Will you finish your report? Please?” Marv asked gently. “We only have ten seconds before the commercial break is over.”

  Crystal nodded. “Sure. I’ll apologize to viewers for screaming and explain why I’m so jumpy.” Crystal turned back to the weather map. Harry spoke the word, “Action,” into her earpiece and she posed for the camera. Crystal hoped her fake smile reached her eyes.

  * * * * *

  Tomas captured Crystal in his arms and hugged her tight when she reached her dressing room. “I watched you on the monitor. You handled yourself like a pro. Great job explaining to the audience why you screamed at the sound effects.”

  Crystal talked into his shoulder, comforted by the solid feel of his body. “Truth is a convincing weapon.”

  Tomas kissed the crown of her head. “Well said.” He released her and turned to Yvette at the vanity chair. “I wish we had good news for you, mi amor, but Yvette didn’t see anyone she recognized on the set.”

  Crystal chafed. “You’ve got to be kidding? I thought that’s why you gave me the thumbs-up.” She met Yvette’s eyes. “No one?”

  Yvette chewed her bottom lip and shrugged. “She wasn’t here, Crystal. I’m sorry.”

  Crystal moved on shaky legs to her daybed and sat down. Her stomach roiled. When she tried to think, her mind went blank.

  Tomas came to her side. “Whoever it was might have shown Yvette old identification. You told me once that employees come and go here pretty quickly.”

  A detail flickered inside Crystal’s brain and came to life. Her mind cleared. “Or maybe she had the day off.”

  Tomas nodded. “Could be.”

  Crystal murmured. “Sandra. She’s my primary production assistant and comes to my dressing room all the time.” Crystal got up and went to her bureau to root around. “She fits the description Yvette gave the police. I might have a picture of her somewhere.” She sorted through a stack of publicity shots taken of the staff at the WCNT company picnic. “Is this the woman you saw?” she asked her friend.

  Yvette studied the photo and frowned. “It might be. I’m not sure.”

  Crystal bit back her impatience. “Look again, Yvette.”

  Yvette complied, and then handed back the photograph. “It could be her, but she looks like other women her age in the photo. And they’re all wearing WCNT t-shirts. I might recognize her voice and her face together, though. In person.”

  “Well, that won’t happen today. Not if it’s Sandra,” Crystal replied. “Wait ‘til I get my hands on her. Believe me, I’ll get answers.”

  Tomas stepped up beside her and put his arm around her waist. “Let me handle that, sweetheart. Or the police. We’re trained to question suspects.” He kissed her temple and squeezed her side. “Why don’t you get cleaned up while I take Yvette home? By the time I come back, you’ll be dressed and ready to go. I’ll take you out on the town. Wherever you want.”

&
nbsp; Crystal didn’t argue. There was no point. Tomas would never yield on this issue. He was a military cop and would do the right thing, no matter how hard she protested. She gave him a peck on the lips. “I’ll be ready.”

  Yvette reached out for a hug. “Sorry I couldn’t be more help.” She bussed Crystal’s cheek.

  Crystal hid her disappointment and pasted on a smile. “Thanks for trying.”

  * * * * *

  She needed sex like she needed air. Some women shopped to relax, others liked to travel, gamble or party hop. Crystal did all those things and more. But having a man… or two or three in her bed was the perfect escape. If she couldn’t lose herself in sex, how else could she cope with the events of the past week? Sex was the only release she knew.

  Crystal stretched her nude, waxed, buffed and sculpted body on the sky blue satin sheets of her king-sized bed, with her arms draped over her head, and closed her eyes while she opened her thighs wider. The swarthy man who lay between her legs lapped her swollen clitoris with expert precision, nudging the waves of orgasm closer with each deliberate stroke. He licked and sucked her pussy with the wild enthusiasm of a cunt connoisseur, and then pressed his face tight against her sex as if gorging himself on her juices.

  Tomas kneeled beside her and bent his head to hers for a kiss while he kneaded her breasts. She opened her mouth as she lifted her hips, tongue seeking his as the tongue on her clit circled in an intimate parody of the one inside her mouth.

  Lifting a hand to Tomas’ face while he kissed her, she caressed his strong, magnificent jawline and let one finger play inside a dimpled cheek as their lips parted. He smiled against her hand and kissed the inside of her wrist with a tenderness that brought a sigh from her throat. She closed her eyes and traced his cheekbone before bringing her hand to his ear and massaging his earlobe between her thumb and forefinger just the way she knew he liked it.