I reached for her hand and held it as our eyes locked in the mirror. “All of it. You helped me when you had no reason to at all, and you became my friend when I needed it most.”
Giving my hand a tiny squeeze, she started brushing my hair again. “Well, you aren’t exactly awful.”
I understood Zoe now. All the irritation and crabbiness masked a tender soul, as sensitive to ghosts as she was to people. I let her do my hair in a high ponytail, add a leather choker to my neck, and even do my makeup. The effect was catlike green eyes outlined in miles of black kohl and fire engine red lips. She even painted my nails black. I looked different. I looked…sexy.
“Is the eyeliner too much?” I asked. The necklace from Mrs. Chang, nestling in my bosom, felt strangely cool against my bare skin.
Zoe winked at me. “They’ll be so busy looking at your boobs, they won’t notice the eyeliner, honey.”
I glanced down at the bustier. My boobs nearly popped out. I had a normal size chest but looked positively voluptuous in this bustier.
“I need a cardigan.”
Zoe narrowed her eyes at me. “No, but I do have a leather jacket and it would look super cute.”
I glared at her, but she ignored me. Zoe, on a mission to make me cooler, had become ruthless about it.
After she finished, I barely recognized myself. I turned around in front of the mirror. There was a fine line between sexy and trampy, and I may have been teetering on the edge of it in a pair of stiletto heels, but Zoe refused to listen to my protests. She pushed me out the door of my room and made me pause at the top of the steps.
“Wait. You need to make an entrance.”
I tried to pull the bustier up again, but there was far too much bust in the bustier. Zoe slapped my hands away, and yelled over the railing, “Nick. Come out, come out, wherever you are.”
She grinned at me as she bounded down the steps, so proud of her handiwork. I was a little less enthusiastic and couldn’t move as quickly as she did due to the five-inch heels and a lot of tight leather. I made my way slowly down the steps, clinging to the railing and watching my feet. I finally looked up when I hit the bottom step and saw Nick. He stared at me with his mouth open in surprise.
“Lily?” His eyes trailed up and down my body, lingering a little too long on my chest. I tried to fold my arms across my breasts but that made them pop out even more.
Zoe grinned, enjoying this far too much. “What does he think?”
Nick struggled to speak, but nothing came out. “I don’t know. He hasn’t said anything yet. I’m not sure he can talk.”
Zoe smiled even more. “A good sign.”
“No way. You can’t...you can’t wear this.” Nick stuttered, and I’d never seen him so agitated. “This is a very bad idea, Lily.”
I looked down at my black leather ensemble. Although unlike anything I’d ever worn in my life, it wasn’t that bad. I kind of liked the way the black contrasted with my pale skin, and the outfit did nicely emphasize my figure.
“What’s wrong with it?”
Nick ran a hand through his hair. “The Zone isn’t like a country club, Lil. There are some…undesirables there. If they see you dressed like this, they may try something, and I won’t be able to protect you.”
“Oh.”
Nick came closer to me. “And you’re far too sexy for your own good, even in those little dresses you like with the bows in your hair.”
“Oh.” I’d found it hard enough to breathe in the skin-tight leather pants and the bustier. Now it was even harder.
Zoe tapped her foot impatiently. “So, what is he saying?”
I looked at Nick and bit my lip. “Nick wants me to wear a sweater too. I have the sweetest little cardigan upstairs…” I turned to go back to my room, but Zoe grabbed my arm.
“No way, princess.” She pulled a black leather jacket out of the bag of supplies she’d brought with her and handed it to me. I slipped it on, zipping it to my chin, and Zoe rolled her eyes.
“I’m sorry, Zoe, but I don’t show this much skin to my doctor. Why do I have to look like a member of a motorcycle gang?”
“Because you’re the one who has to ask the questions, since you’re the only one who can communicate with Nick. You’ll get a lot more answers dressed like this.” She waved a hand to indicate my entire ensemble.
I looked at Nick. “I guess she has a point.”
He remained unconvinced. “It’s not a good idea.”
“Nick’s worried. What if someone bothers me?” Feeling a bit warm, I unzipped the leather jacket. Sweating in leather was not something I cared to experience.
“Which is what Lifesaver Candy is for,” said Zoe, as the doorbell rang. “And here he is now.”
Zoe opened the door, and Josh, Maura, and Jess trailed in, chatting happily. They fell silent as soon as they saw me.
“Lily?” Maura blinked as she looked up and down my body. When I unzipped the jacket and opened it, she gasped. “No. Way.”
“Exactly what I said,” Nick growled next to me. “But I meant it differently.”
“Cool,” said Josh, but he barely looked at me. His attention immediately went to Zoe. “Hi, Zoe. You look nice.”
Zoe stuttered in surprise. “You too. Of course. As always.”
He did look nice. He wore a black button-down dress shirt which hugged his chest and biceps and a pair of jeans that fit tightly in all the right places. He grinned, giving her his megawatt smile. He appeared to enjoy Zoe, grumpiness and all.
Maura and Jess both wore black, as directed. Maura had on a tank top and a mini skirt. Jess chose a nearly see-through blouse and shorts.
“Are you wearing a black bra, Jess?” Now it was my turn to act shocked.
Jess laughed. “At least I’m wearing a bra, Lily.”
“True.” I could never have fit a bra into this bustier. It was tighter than my actual skin.
Nick glanced at my boobs again, swallowing hard. “Eyes on my face, mister,” I whispered.
He looked pained. “I can’t help it. They are so…out there.”
I looked down at my chest. “They are, aren’t they?”
Zoe gave me an exasperated frown. “Can you two stop talking about your boobs for a minute and help? Maura and Jess need more makeup.”
“What about Josh?” asked Jess.
Zoe and I answered in unison. “Josh is perfect,” we said, and we both giggled.
We piled into my car and drove to The Zone as the sun set. Josh followed in his own car. On the way, Zoe gave us pointers.
“Don’t put your drink down. Someone might put something in it. Don’t go to the restroom alone. Actually, don’t go anywhere alone. Try to look casual. Try to act like you fit in.”
“What kind of music is there?” asked Maura. “I love hip hop. Will there be hip hop?”
Zoe looked pained. “No. Tonight is ’80s retro night.”
“You like ’80s music?” I asked, a little surprised.
“I like good music, and the venue is pretty cool. It’s owned by Johnny and Danny Fortuna.” We all gave her a blank stare. “As in The Fortuna Brothers….as in major rockers from the ’80s…”
“Oh. A band.” Jess looked so proud of herself.
Zoe winced, like she might be getting a migraine. “Yes. They had a big hit called ‘Lucky One’ about thirty years ago. Now they own The Zone, and they do a lot of other stuff too. They’ll be playing tonight.”
“Can we dance?” I asked. “I love dancing.”
Zoe looked less than thrilled, and Nick didn’t look happy either. “If you must,” she said. “But if any of you start to do the Macarena, I will kill you myself. We’re here.”
The Zone was much nicer than I expected. Loud and crowded and dark, but also relatively clean. We got our “Under Twenty-One” stamps and made our way to a table in the corner of the room.
“This is so cool.” Maura gave a little finger wave to some scary looking bikers who were sitting at the bar.<
br />
Zoe grabbed her hand and pushed it down. “Are you looking for trouble? Don’t bring any attention to yourself. We need to be subtle and get some answers.”
Too late for subtle. One of the bikers, missing several of his teeth, smiled back at her. He made a move like he might come and join us, but Zoe’s look froze him in his tracks. He went sheepishly back to his stool at the bar.
“Who needs Josh?” I whispered to Nick and he gave me a preoccupied smile as he looked around the bar. I could tell he desperately wanted to find something he recognized.
“Are you okay?” I asked, and Nick shook his head.
“This seems familiar, but I don’t recognize anyone.”
We decided to split up and ask around to see if anyone knew Nick or a woman named Bambi. Josh and Zoe talked to people on one side of the room, and Maura, Jess, Nick and I went to the other. After half an hour or so, we met again at our table.
Nick and I had struck out. No one had heard of a boy named Nick, and they all looked confused when I asked about a girl named Bambi. I did have several people stare openly at my boobs, two guys asked me out, and one wanted to show me his tattoo. It was probably somewhere I really didn’t need to see, so I declined the offer. I felt dejected and had gotten extremely warm in my leather jacket. The bar, loud and crowded, would get even louder when the Fortuna Brothers started to play. I wanted to go home but waited to hear what the others had discovered.
“Anything?” I looked at Zoe hopefully.
She and Josh shared a little smile. “Not about Nick,” she said, “but we did find out who tends bar here. His name is Lou Bambini, but he goes by Bambi. He should be coming in pretty soon.”
Nick frowned. “Bambi is a bartender? It doesn’t ring any bells.”
I glanced at my watch. It was getting late, but we still had time. “Let’s wait for Bambi, and we’ll go home after we talk to him.” They agreed, but Nick didn’t say anything. He sat next to me, looking devastated, like a person on the verge of giving up.
I was trying to think of something to cheer him up when the lights in the bar dimmed and a bright spotlight came on the stage. The crowd grew silent for a moment before erupting into cheers and whistles.
The Fortuna Brothers were not what I expected. Five guys, close in age to my dad, came onstage with long, dark, curly hair and dressed in ripped T-shirts and jeans. I tried to picture my dad with the same hair, or in those clothes, and failed miserably.
One of the brothers took the microphone. “Good evening ladies and gentlemen. I’m Johnny Fortuna, and we’re the Fortuna Brothers. Get ready to rock this house!”
Johnny Fortuna’s last words were almost muffled by the deafening roar of the crowd, and as soon as they started to play, I understood. These guys were really good. Zoe jumped to her feet and pulled Josh into the crowd, and Maura and Jess joined them. I looked at Nick with a smile, hoping this would take his mind off our failure to find any leads here.
“They’re amazing,” I said, but Nick wasn’t listening. He’d risen to his feet, his eyes on the stage.
I stood next to him, watching as a gamut of emotions flew across his face. “Is everything okay?” I almost had to scream it into his ear.
Nick turned to me and grinned, the widest, happiest grin I’d ever seen. “It’s more than okay. That’s my Uncle Johnny on stage. I’m a Fortuna.”
Chapter 13
A cloth is not woven from a single thread. ~ Chinese Proverb
“Are you sure?” I stared at Johnny Fortuna as he performed on the stage, belting out a tune and playing bass. He looked a little like Nick, but I never would have guessed he was his uncle.
Nick’s grin widened even more. “I’m sure. And the guy on lead guitar is my Uncle Danny. Uncle Tony is on keyboard, Uncle Frank on drums, and Uncle Beetle is singing backup vocals and playing the tambourine.”
“Uncle Beetle?”
“Yes,” he said, talking excitedly. “He used to play football. He ran super-fast—like a beetle. I know them, Lil. I remember.”
I never wanted to hug Nick as much as I did this moment, but I couldn’t. I stood by his side, happy for him, as he watched his uncles play song after song. A big, burly guy came over to me as the Fortuna Brothers finished.
“You looking for me?”
Nick winked at me. “It’s Bambi.”
I had to bite my lip to keep from laughing. I’d wasted so much time worrying Bambi might be Nick’s girlfriend. Not the dark, sexy vixen I’d been imagining, he was a chubby guy in a Hawaiian shirt.
“Bambi?” I asked.
“Yes. Who needs to know?”
“Me. I, uh, want to ask you about Nick.”
Bambi’s significant eyebrows drew together as he frowned. The amount of hair Bambi had on his eyebrows, forearms, and peeking out of the buttons at the neck of his shirt amazed me, especially since he had nothing at all on his head.
“I don’t know anyone named Nick.” Bambi looked around the bar, growing impatient.
Nick shook his head. “He knows me. He plays jokes on me all the time. His wife is Loretta and he has a daughter named Doreen.”
“Nick knows you, Mr….uh…Bambi. He knows your wife and your daughter too.”
“Look, I don’t know who you’re talking about, kid. I have to get back to work.”
Bambi turned to go, and Zoe, Josh, Maura, and Jess came back to the table, laughing and looking hot and sweaty after dancing. They became serious as soon as they saw the look on my face.
I grabbed onto the sleeve of Bambi’s Hawaiian shirt. “He’s Johnny Fortuna’s nephew.”
Bambi paused. “Do you mean Dominick?”
Nick’s eyes flashed in the dim light of the bar. “He’s right. I’m Dominick Fortuna. My uncles call me Little Dom. I was named after my grandfather. I know who I am. Lily, I need to talk to my uncles. Now.”
I could barely contain my excitement. “Yes, and I need to talk to Johnny and his brothers about him right away.”
Bambi didn’t look happy. “Is this some kind of a joke?”
“No. I need to talk to them about Dominick. It’s important.”
Bambi wagged a finger at me. “I’ll take you back there, but if this is a trick, I’m kicking you and your friends out of here and I won’t let you back in.”
“Understood, sir.” I tried to look as respectful and honest as possible, hard to pull off when dressed like a porn star. Bambi didn’t seem convinced, but he agreed to take us backstage right after he sorted things out at the bar.
“Lily, Jess and I had better go.” Maura frowned as she looked at her phone. “We’re way past curfew and my parents are starting to send me hostile texts.”
“Of course. I’m sorry, guys.”
“I can take them home.” Josh glanced at Zoe. “How about you?” he asked, his expression puppy dog hopeful.
I nudged Zoe. “It’s okay if you want to go.”
She shook her head. “I’ll stay. You might need my help.”
I pulled Josh aside as Maura and Jess gathered their things. “Thanks for coming tonight.”
He grinned. “It was a blast.”
“There is something I need to say.” I fiddled with the bottom edge of my bustier. “I can’t go to prom with you, Josh. I’m so sorry.”
My mom would be sorry too. Knowing her, she’d already planned out my entire ensemble and may have even scheduled times to get my hair and make-up done.
“Is this about Nick?” Josh’s blue eyes, so full of compassion, almost made me cry.
“Yes. It might be hopeless, but I can’t help myself.”
Josh looked at Zoe. Her dark hair fell like a river of black silk and sparkled in the lights from the dance floor. “I know what you mean.”
Her eyes met Josh’s, and it seemed like they were the only two people in the room. Two very different personalities, one dark and one light, two opposites, and yet perfectly right for each other.
“Far from hopeless,” I said. “You should ask her
out.”
“Do you think so?” he asked, his eyes still on Zoe. “Is she going to beat me up?”
I laughed and gave him a punch on the arm. “She’ll say yes. Go for it, big guy.”
He walked up to Zoe and whispered something in her ear. She gave him a sweet smile and whispered something back. When Josh leaned forward to kiss her softly on the lips. I almost squealed.
“You’re quite the matchmaker.” A smiled tugged on the corners of Nick’s lips.
“I’m good. I found you, didn’t I?”
He chuckled. “I beg to differ. I found you.”
Nick looked more at ease and happier than I’d ever seen him as his eyes scanned the bar, stopping at faces and things he recognized. He acted like a weight had been lifted from his broad shoulders. He knew who he was; but we still needed to find out what had happened to him.
“I told Josh. About prom.” I watched the play of emotions on Nick’s face as he digested this information. I knew every nuance of his expressions at this point. He was glad, but he also felt guilty. He folded his arms across his chest, about to argue with me. I held up a hand to stop him. “It’s done. Moot point. Move on.”
Nick ran a hand through his dark hair in exasperation. “Fine,” he said, and gave me a long, simmering look. “But I need to know something. If I get…back to myself or whatever…will you go with me?”
I was about to make a joke, something pertaining to the idea of Nick in a tux, but I saw the seriousness in his eyes. “Yes. Of course.”
“Good answer,” he said, and I grinned.
Bambi waved at me, trying to get my attention. It was time to face the music, or the musicians, as the case may be.
I grabbed Zoe’s arm. “Bambi’s ready. Let’s go.”
The dressing room, large and messy, contained only two of the Fortuna brothers at this point. Johnny and Danny. They talked and laughed as I came in with Nick by my side. Zoe hovered in the background.
Bambi cleared his throat. “This girl said she needs to talk to you about Dominick.” Bambi used his thumb to point at me.
The room grew silent. I looked around, not sure where to begin. I’d abandoned the leather jacket at our table, and now felt kind of exposed.
Tiger Lily (Dark Blossoms Book 1) Page 11
