Beauty and the Feast

by Julia Barrett

  “Yes, I’m Myriam Watts with All Things to All People.”

  “Wow, that’s quite a delivery,” commented Angela, looking at the cartons.

  “Mr. Lindstrom has good taste,” replied Eva. “These are some of the best wines produced in the Napa Valley and the caviar he chose is quite difficult to get hold of. He wanted this to be a very special gift.”

  “Well, I guess you can leave it here and I’ll take it in to Miss Lindstrom.” The woman sounded uncertain.

  “Oh, so sorry, Angela,” Eva said politely. “Miss Lindstrom’s father gave me specific instructions to deliver his gift myself and answer any question Miss Lindstrom might have. He gave me a card for her.” Eva flashed her manila envelope. “Besides,” Eva pointed out, “the cases are quite heavy and we need to take the dolly back with us.”

  Jason nodded his agreement.

  “Um, okay… I guess that’s all right. Just let me check to make sure she’s finished with her client and you can go in.”

  “Remember, don’t say anything.” Eva smiled as she put a finger to her lips.

  “Oh, I won’t.” Angela knocked quietly on the closed door across from her desk. She opened the door just a crack and disappeared inside. She reappeared shortly and motioned Eva and Jason inside.

  Eva took a deep breath. “Here we go,” she muttered.

  “Amen to that,” Jason mumbled, tilting the dolly and following right behind her.

  Angela held the door open for them. Eva saw that Stephanie was seated behind her desk, her head bent over a file. A young man stood beside her chair, leaning over her shoulder. He was the first to look up when Eva and Jason rolled their cargo through the door. He did a double take when he saw Eva’s face. Jason leaned back against the door, effectively shutting Angela out of the room.

  Eva stepped forward. Stephanie had yet to look up from her paperwork.

  “Jerry Harding, I presume,” said Eva to the young man.

  Stephanie’s head flew up. “What the hell are you doing here?”

  “I brought your order…the wine…the caviar…the cheeses…everything. Here’s the receipt.” Eva tossed the manila envelope onto Stephanie’s desk. “You’ll note that I included my mileage and bridge tolls, plus an additional two hundred dollar delivery fee,” Eva nodded at Jason, who began to unload the boxes. “Oh, I added a ten percent surcharge for the canceled credit card. I wouldn’t wait too long to eat that caviar, by the way. It will only be good for another day or two.”

  Stephanie reached for the phone. “Get that shit out of here now or I’m calling Security.”

  Eva stepped up to the desk. She smiled without amusement. “Call away, Miss Lindstrom. This morning I spoke with the District Attorney in Napa County. I believe this is a law office, isn’t it? And I’m correct in assuming you’re a lawyer? So you probably already know that I can file a civil case against you, and if he so chooses, the District Attorney can bring criminal charges against you for credit card fraud. So by all means, call Security and have me thrown out. The choice is yours.”

  “You’re blackmailing me?” Stephanie’s voice sounded shrill.

  “Of course not. You purchased my services, or more specifically, the services of All Things to All People, and I’m simply fulfilling your request. This,” Eva motioned toward the cartons, “is what you ordered. A personal check will be acceptable.”

  Stephanie grabbed the manila envelope and ripped it open. She read through the itemized list quickly. “This is outrageous!”

  “Yes,” said Eva, keeping her voice cool, “I couldn’t agree more.”

  “Do something,” Stephanie ordered Paul Rupnik.

  The man shrugged and backed away. “You’re on your own,” he said.

  “Bloody coward.”

  Eva stared at the floor for a second, trying not to laugh. She looked up and met Stephanie’s furious gaze. “As I said, a personal check will be fine. Make it out to ATAP.”

  “Oh…not to you?”

  “No. My managers will reimburse my expenses and pay my usual salary.”

  Stephanie reached beneath her desk for her purse and ripped out her checkbook. Her pen flew across the paper. Finally, she tore the check and tossed it at Eva. It fluttered to the floor. “There you go, bitch. Fetch.”

  Without a word, Eva bent down and retrieved the check. Her eyes locked on Stephanie’s as she handed the check to Jason. He folded it and put it in his wallet, then he stepped out of the way. Eva approached Stephanie without hesitation, deliberately invading her personal space.

  “I know why Gabriel wouldn’t fuck you,” Eva said, her voice loud enough for the two young men to hear.

  “What did you say?”

  “I know why Gabriel Abbott refused to fuck you,” Eva repeated.

  Stephanie rose to her feet. Her voice shook as she said, “You know nothing of the sort.”

  “Oh,” said Eva, “but I do. Gabriel Abbott has exquisite taste. In food, in wine, and in women. He’d never fuck a manipulative, lying, frigid, blond worthless piece of trash like you.”

  Eva saw the blow coming but she made no move to avoid it. She didn’t intend to throw the first punch, but she definitely intended to have the last word. Stephanie’s palm connected with Eva’s cheek with a resounding thwack. Eva stumbled a few paces to her right. She heard a gasp from Jason and a shouted hey from the fake Jerry Harding as she moved quickly and tackled a shrieking Stephanie, taking her down to the floor, being careful to roll with her so the woman wouldn’t be too hurt. Eva allowed the taller woman to struggle for a few moments, keeping her head away from the elbows Stephanie thrust in the direction of her face. Using her greater strength and flexibility, Eva wrapped her bare legs around the wiggling woman and held her in a leg lock while she controlled Stephanie’s torso with a move her brothers used to call the guillotine. She squeezed.

  “Do you give?” rasped Eva, holding on for dear life.

  “I can’t breathe…let me up…” hissed Stephanie.

  “Do you give?” Eva repeated in Stephanie’s ear, squeezing harder.

  Eva could hear loud voices in the hallway. There was pounding on the door. Jason had locked it. “Miss Lindstrom… Miss Lindstrom… Are you all right?” came a female voice.

  “Last chance, Stephanie. Do you give? No more insults… No more expensive practical jokes?”

  “Miss Lindstrom, I’m calling the police…” came the voice again.

  “I give… I give…please…let me up… I can’t breathe.”

  Just like that, Eva released her. She rolled off the woman and sprung to her feet. Stephanie began sucking in air. Like a helpless child, she lifted both hands toward Eva. Eva grabbed them and hauled the woman to her feet. She helped her into her chair.

  “You’re… you’re bleeding,” said Stephanie. Her hand shaking, she pointed at Eva’s face. “Your mouth…your mouth is bleeding.”

  Eva wiped her mouth with the back of her hand. She saw bright red blood. “Yeah, well, you have a mean right cross, girl. I think I bit my cheek when you slapped me.”

  “What was that hold you put me in?”

  “It’s called the guillotine. At least, that’s what my brothers called it. All four of them wrestled for the University of Iowa.”

  “The guillotine,” Stephanie began to giggle. “I’ve never… I’ve never been in a fight before. It was…it was…sort of scary…and sort of exhilarating at the same time.”

  Eva grinned at her. “It’s the adrenaline rush. You’ll come down soon and you’ll be back to hating my guts.”

  “You have four brothers?”

  Eva laughed out loud. “Yes, I have four brothers.”

  The pounding on the door grew louder and more insistent.

  Eva heard Gabe’s voice. She was in deep shit.

  “Man, that was sick,” said Jason, standing next to Paul Rupnik. “Did you see that take-down? It was awesome, man. Fucking awesome.”

  Paul began to laugh so hard he had to sit on the floor. “I
think…” he gasped, “I think someone better unlock the door.”

  Gabe stood in the doorway, keeping the office crowd at bay. He glanced from Eva to Stephanie and back again. A purplish wheal marred Eva’s left cheek and he could see blood in the corner of her mouth. Stephanie’s clothes were in disarray and her hair stood up on her head, making her look like a scarecrow. Paul Rupnik lay sprawled on the floor, whooping with laughter, while Jason White—what the hell was Jason White doing here—stood above him, wearing an ATAP uniform and grinning like a devil.

  “What the hell is going on in here?” Gabe bellowed.

  “Nothing…” said Eva and Stephanie simultaneously. The two women looked at each other and both began giggling. Stephanie collapsed forward onto her desk, her shoulders shaking, while Eva tried her best to remain standing. Eventually, she gave up and sat down on the floor at Stephanie’s feet. Stephanie reached over and patted Eva’s head, causing them both to laugh harder.

  Gabe stared at the scene, unwilling to believe his eyes. What on earth? When he’d had enough, he strode into the room, picked Eva up in his arms and carried her toward the door. She was laughing so hard she offered no resistance whatsoever.

  “Jason…you coming?”

  “Oh, yeah, sorry.” Jason grabbed the dolly and followed Gabe.

  “Gabriel,” Stephanie called after him.

  Gabe turned.

  “Marry that girl, you ass.” She waved him away through her laughter.

  “Quincy,” said Gabe, “we’re leaving.”

  The parade wound its way through the gathered office personnel, two security guards and a hallway full of curious tenants. They stopped at the bank of elevators.

  Quincy pushed the button. They waited silently, feeling all eyes on their little group of four. The elevator doors opened and they entered. The doors shut.

  Jason pushed the button for the first floor.

  “Anybody care to tell me what happened in there?” Gabe said as soon as the elevator started to move down.

  “Just making a routine delivery,” quipped Jason.

  “Sure,” muttered Quincy with a grin, “and I’m Salvador Dali.”

  “Who?” asked Jason.

  “Nothing,” replied Quincy. “We missed a girl fight, Gabe. Damn. Who won?” he asked Jason.

  “Who do you think? God, it was so sweet,” Jason replied. “I’m Jason White, by the way.”

  “Quincy McIntyre, Gabe’s little brother,” said Quincy.

  “Wow. Since when do you have a brother?” Jason asked Gabe.

  Gabe ignored the boys. He held Eva tighter. He felt a tremor run through her. He leaned his head against hers. “Are you all right?” he asked in her ear.

  “Put me down, Gabe,” came Eva’s muffled voice.

  “Hell no. Not until you tell me what happened.”

  “You’re not the boss of me, Gabriel Abbott.”

  “Watch it, Mr. Abbott,” laughed Jason. “She might put you in a guillotine.

  “Quincy, hit the stop button.”

  Quincy did as Gabe ordered. Gabe lowered Eva to the floor. He backed her into a corner, using his body to control her movements. He looked her over from head to toe, caressing the reddened cheek, running a gentle thumb along her bleeding lip.

  “Do you have any idea what you do to me, Eva Raines? Do you have any clue how terrified I was when I couldn’t reach you? How frantic?”

  Eva shook her head. Her wide brown eyes stared into Gabe’s own.

  “Do you know how fucking much I love you, woman?”

  Gabe lowered his head and he took Eva with his lips, careful not to hurt her. Eva reached up and threaded her hands through his thick hair. She moaned against his mouth, her lips parted, Gabe tasted blood, and then he was lost in the warmth of her.

  “Go big bro,” whispered Quincy.

  “I can’t watch this,” said Jason, and he turned his back to the couple.

  The elevator alarm sounded and Gabe lifted his head. Eva appeared dazed, her pupils dilated, eyes unfocused.

  “Can you walk?” asked Gabe.

  She shook her head yes. “Can you?” she laughed.

  “Probably not,” he replied with a grin.

  “TMI,” called Jason, sticking his fingers in his ears.

  “You want me to pull the stop button?” asked Quincy.

  “Yeah, let’s go,” said Gabe. He stuck a finger beneath Eva’s chin and lifted her head, studying her face. The corner of his mouth twitched. “You really put her in a choke hold?”

  “Not exactly. I used a leg lock and then, well, I merely restrained her torso so she couldn’t elbow me.”

  Gabe laughed out loud. He looked at Eva with a newfound respect. “How the hell…how do you know how to wrestle?”

  “Uh, four big brothers? Iowa? Wrestling? Dan Gable? Ringing any bells?”

  The elevator doors opened. Eva walked out in front, followed by Gabe and Quincy. Jason, pushing the dolly, brought up the rear. The four stepped outside onto the street.

  “Did you drive, Jason?” Gabe asked.

  “No, Eva drove, but I was going to take her to SFO and then return this dolly and drop off the check at ATAP.”

  Gabe turned and held Eva by the shoulders. “SFO?”

  “Yes. I was going to try to get on standby back to Iowa.”

  “Why?”

  Eva lifted her hands in a mute gesture. “I quit my job.”

  “Why would you do that?”

  “Because I figured there was a good chance I’d end up in jail for assault. I’d not only embarrass my bosses, I’d damage the reputation of their company. Ow.”

  Eva brought her fingers up to feel the side of her mouth.

  “Your lip hurt?”

  She nodded.

  “C’mon, let’s get you home. Hey Jason, you think you can drive Eva’s car back to Napa?”

  “Yeah, sure. She already gave me her keys and money for the toll.”

  “You mind taking my brother with you? I think Eva and I could use a little time alone.”

  “Yeah, why not.”

  “Sorry, Quincy, you don’t mind, do you?” asked Gabe. “You got your cell?”

  Quincy nodded.

  “Call me as soon as you get to Eva’s house and I’ll pick you both up.”

  “You can wait inside if you like,” added Eva. “Jason has the key to the front door. By the way, Quincy,” Eva grinned, “it’s really nice to meet you.” She stuck out her hand.

  Quincy’s grip was firm. “Nice to meet you too, Sis.” He winked at her then he followed Jason down the block.

  “Sis?” asked Eva, casting a suspicious glance at Gabe.

  “Later,” replied Gabe. “We have some catching up to do. My apartment’s only a couple blocks away.”

  Eva shrieked as Gabe swung her back up into his arms. “Put me down. I can walk,” she protested.

  “Fuck no,” said Gabe. “You’re wounded and I’ve been waiting for an opportunity to play doctor again ever since your bike accident. All you have to do is lay back, relax, and enjoy the ride.”

  “A long, hard ride? Eva asked.

  “A very long, very hard ride,” Gabe replied, with a wink.

  “I like the way your mind works, Gabriel Abbott.”

  “I like the way you look in these shorts, Eva Raines,” said Gabe.

  “By the way, how did you know where I was?”

  “Ruth. I called the office and she told me about the receipt you left on the desk. I figured Stephanie’s was the first place I should look.”

  “You’re a smart man, Gabriel Abbott.”

  “So I’ve been told.”

  Chapter Twenty-Nine

  “Is the blindfold really necessary?”

  “Of course. Otherwise you might cheat.”

  “Me? Cheat? I would never cheat, Gabe.”

  “Just controlling all the variables. If this study is going to be scientific, it’s important to control all the variables.”

  “You gonna
tie me up too?” Eva asked, her grin wicked.

  “Hmmm,” said Gabe, rubbing his chin thoughtfully, his green eyes lazily perusing her naked body. “It’s worth considering. Maybe after we complete the taste test.”

  Three weeks had passed. Tom and Marcus had returned from their camping trip and immediately shredded Eva’s letter of resignation. Stephanie Lindstrom had sent Eva a formal note of apology, along with an orchid. Quincy had decided he liked the small town atmosphere in Napa and he and Jason both got jobs with ATAP. They were helping with the summer wedding season. Quincy turned out to be quite the cook and Eva put his skills to good use. He’d stayed in her extra bedroom while Gabe finished up with his interviews. Gabe had finally returned to the Bay Area, and he would be staying for the time being, at least until he and Eva headed to her parents’ farm for the Fourth of July.

  “How much time do we have before Quincy gets home?” asked Eva.

  “Hours and hours,” replied Gabe. “He’s out with Jason and his friends. We have the entire evening to complete our study.” He stroked the side of her breast. “God, you are a beauty. I may have to fuck you first.” His voice had deepened with desire.

  Eva watched his cock rise to the occasion. She teased him with her fingertips. “Blindfold. Taste test. Now. Let’s get this over with while I can still concentrate.”

  “Mmmm…if you say so, lover.”

  Gabe folded a silk scarf and used it to cover Eva’s eyes. He tied it at the back of her head. “Too tight?” he asked.

  “No, it’s all right.” She felt his mouth on her nipple. “Hey,” she protested, her voice shaking. “Taste test.”

  “I am tasting,” mumbled Gabe against her breast. “And you’re so fucking sweet.”

  Eva shoved his head away. “Now,” she insisted. “If you keep touching me, I won’t be able to do this.”

  “All right, all right,” agreed Gabe. He sat up.

  Eva heard a small, tearing sound.

  “Okay, first one. Open your mouth.”

  Eva complied and Gabe dropped a small, round, hard candy onto her tongue. She sucked it briefly. “Easy. Dark brown,” she said.

  “Correct,” came Gabe’s voice. “But that was too easy. Try this.” He waited for Eva to swallow, then he dropped another one.