G-Men: The Series

by ANDREA SMITH

  “Be right there, Lacee,” his soft, sexy voice replied.

  Skank!

  I turned and went back inside the condo, Eli following behind me, still trying to figure out what the hell was going on. “I’ll tell you about it when we walk back to my villa. I’m ready to go.”

  We said goodnight to my parents, who ended up inviting Eli to breakfast the following morning. Seriously, I was pretty sure I was going to have a sore jaw the following morning from trying to hold back all the laughter at the thought that my parents were currently thinking Eli and I were some kind of an “item.”

  Eli and I walked down the beach towards my place. I told him about my meeting up with E.J. and introducing myself as ‘Nicole,’ and the rest of it.

  “Is there someone special in your life?” I asked, after we’d walked several paces in silence.

  “There was,” he replied. “It was over before I left Denver, though. I guess I came here for the same reason as you, to heal. Only difference is, I want to remain here permanently. There’s no way I’m going back to Denver.”

  I looked over at him, tucking a stray piece of hair behind my ear. “Then don’t,” I replied. “Seriously, if this thing doesn’t work out for you, you should come and work for my dad with me in D.C. The guy friggin’ loves you, and Denver doesn’t want you anymore.”

  He nudged me in the ribs, and I gave him a wink.

  “So,” I said with finality in my tone, “if the job interview doesn’t go well, I’m considering you as a gift shop item and am taking you back to D.C. with me.”

  I really liked Eli. He was easygoing, gorgeous, and I just felt, I don’t know…effortless around him. Like I didn’t have to try and impress him. Plus, I kind of wanted to see the girls at the office completely fall all over themselves as they’d try to get him to go out with them.

  I may just have to bring my camcorder.

  “Yes, ma’am,” he said with a salute and a grin. We’d reached my villa by this time.

  “Be by early in the morning to pick you up for breakfast. Sleep well.”

  “Night, Eli,” I said, closing the door to my villa behind me. “You do the same.”

  chapter 4

  Of course I wasn’t completely ready the following morning when Eli came by the villa to pick me up for breakfast. I invited him in while I rushed to finish up with my make-up.

  “Okay, I’m ready,” I said, slipping my sandals on as Eli opened the door for me, following me outside the villa.

  Now timing’s a funny thing. If this was a movie, who do you think would be jogging past my villa on the path, looking totally sexy and hot, just as Eli was closing the door behind us at this early morning hour? You guessed it: E.J. And he was without his skank, Lacee. He looked over at me and Eli and in that brief second I could’ve sworn a dark scowl crossed over his face. And then he was gone.

  Breakfast with Mom and Dad went well. They were taking to Eli as if he was going to be their son-in-law some day. I supposed eventually I’d have to explain the relationship. Now wasn’t the right time.

  My Dad coached him on his interview scheduled for this afternoon with the resort. They were chatting together as if they’d known each other forever. My mother was talking to me about going shopping this afternoon—my favorite thing. She mentioned having dinner tonight, alone, which was kind of strange. I was sure they loved Eli, so I was sure it had nothing to do with them giving me some sort of parental lecture on “taking things slowly.” It sounded as if they wanted to have some sort of a serious discussion with me.

  Mom and I shopped all afternoon. I’d told Eli to call me later in the day to let me know how his interview had gone. He promised he would. Back at the villa, I had some time to kill before meeting my folks for dinner, so I called Lindsey. I missed my BFF, since I hadn’t talked to her in over a week.

  When she answered the phone, I heard all kinds of chaos in the background.

  “Hey Darce, where the hell you been?” she asked, with an irritated tone

  “Your phone works as well as mine,” I responded with a laugh.

  “I know that. I guess I just wasn’t’ sure what to say to you. I mean, I hate what Darin did to you and trust me, I told Taz everything and he’s royally pissed. I had to beg him to just stay out of it and not say a word to Darin. You don’t need that S.O.B. thinking that he broke your heart or anything.”

  “Thanks, Linds. Actually, I’m thinking maybe he didn’t break my heart after all.”

  “Oh?”

  “No, it’s not like what you’re thinking. I haven’t met anyone else. Well, actually I have met a really great guy, but he’s gay.”

  “Shut up!” she shrieked. “What are you thinking?”

  “I’m thinking that it’s really great having a male BFF, that’s what I’m thinking.”

  “He’s not going to replace me, right?”

  “No one could replace you.” I was hearing all kinds of commotion in the background, including a dog barking furiously. “Where the hell are you?”

  “Oh,” she laughed, “we’re over at Mom and Slate’s. Mom bought a puppy for Bryce. She thought it would help him kind of get over his jealousy thing with the new baby. The dog’s hyper as hell and Slate’s having a fit. Want me to call you later?”

  “That’s okay, Linds. I’m going to dinner with my folks. They came in from Cancun yesterday and we’re hanging out. I’ll talk to you as soon as I get back to D.C. I’ve got a lot to tell you.”

  “I can hardly wait. I’m so happy you’re dealing with all of this. I miss you!”

  “Miss you too. Give Harper a kiss for me and tell Taz hey.”

  “I’ll do it. Love you.”

  I smiled after our call ended. I was ready to go back. I no longer feared seeing Lindsey, Taz or anyone else that reminded me of Darin. How could this be? Why did I no longer feel destroyed and heartbroken? Maybe it was meeting Eli, or the feelings that I’d felt when I met E.J. that provided proof that I hadn’t really loved Darin the way I thought.

  As I reflected, I realized that I’d never once felt the butterflies in my gut that I felt when I was with E.J. that evening. I thought that it was just about a good ol’ rebound fuck, now I knew that it was something different. It was something very foreign to me and I liked the fact that it was scary on top of that. I wanted to pursue those types of feelings, and the way I looked at it, if it happened with some stranger hundreds of miles away, it could happen again with an appropriate man. I wasn’t into pining for man-whores and that’s exactly what E.J. seemed to be.

  I dressed for dinner. Mom and Daddy picked me up on the road on the other side of the villas. We were going to an Italian restaurant tonight. My parents were unusually quiet on the ride to the restaurant.

  What’s up with this?

  We were seated, waiting for our appetizers, when my father cleared his throat nervously and said, “Darcy, it’s time we talked about your future. Some things have changed and I want to discuss them with you tonight.”

  Okay. Not a good sign.

  “Am I in trouble, Daddy?”

  “No sweetheart, nothing like that. It’s just that, over the past couple of years, your mother and I have noticed that it may not be prudent for you to assume a top level role at Sheridan & Associates so soon after graduating.”

  “I don’t understand,” I replied, looking back and forth between them. My mom wasn’t making eye-contact.

  “Daddy,” I interrupted his next sentence before he began, “cut to the chase, please. Have I done something wrong?”

  “No, it’s more about what we’ve done wrong. Your mother and I have come to realize that over the years, well, we’ve spoiled you rotten, to be perfectly honest. You spend money as if you have an endless supply of it, and you don’t appreciate the value of earning your own living. Even in high school, while many of your friends held summer jobs, you spent your time at the country club, traveling, or shopping. It’s really our fa
ult, not yours.”

  Okay. Freeze frame.

  You know that scene that most parents have with their teenage son or daughter, where they’re all sitting around the dinner table, and the parents are laying it into the poor offspring about how they need to grow up?

  Well. That’s what was happening to me, right now, except that I was their twenty-two-year-old offspring. And that talk was way past due—according to them.

  …Shit.

  “But Daddy, I never knew that’s what you expected of me. I mean, on the plus side, I’ve never been arrested or anything. I’ve kept my grades up at school.” I gave him the ol’ daddy-I-love-you smile.

  “I realize that, Darcy,” he cut in, “but I’m afraid you’re not mature enough to come into my firm at a high-level position. I expect you to earn your way to the top, if that’s truly what you want, just like anyone else. It’s with blood, sweat and tears that your mother and I built this company. I’m not inclined to simply hand it over to someone who’s had everything handed to them over the years, and again, I take full responsibility for that.”

  Geez, lay it on thick, Dad.

  “So, basically you’re punishing me for the fact that you and Mom spoiled me?” Lame attempt, I know. But right now, I was grabbing at pretty much anything to protect something that was pretty damn important to me. You know—a six-figure salary with job security and all.

  I was incredulous at this turn of events. I mean, yeah, sure, I got everything I wanted, but I still treated them with love and respect! I’d never rebelled against them. Of course, I guess I never had reason to, given the fact I had everything I wanted.

  “This isn’t a punishment, Darcy Nicole,” my mom spoke up, finally making eye contact. “This is a life lesson that both your father and I learned along the way on our own. Neither of us came from wealth. Nothing was handed to us. We worked hard, we studied, and then we built this business together. After you were born, I left the company to raise you and make you a priority. Perhaps I did too much.”

  “Mom,” I gasped, “how can you say that? I feel as if you’re both viewing me as some monumental failure!”

  “That’s not true,” my father interjected. “This is an opportunity for you to carve your own career, to have your own dreams and to work to make them happen; if not at Sheridan & Associates, then perhaps somewhere else. The point is, that it’s in your hands, and you’ll be the one to decide what you want and how to get it without our intervention.”

  “I see,” I whispered, feeling totally deflated. I needed time to digest all of this. I couldn’t dispute a lot of what they said. It was painful, though, to think about how they saw me. I was a disappointment to them.

  “Darcy,” my father said, interrupting my thoughts, “it’s because we love you so much that we want to take this route. I hope you understand that.”

  “Yes, Daddy,” I replied, clearly defeated. “I think I do.”

  chapter 5

  I immediately phoned Lindsey as soon as I got back to my villa. I needed my best friend’s comfort right now. I was shocked at what my parents had done to me this evening. They knew I was already in a delicate state with all that had happened with Darin. I was trippin’ over the fact they’d dropped a bomb on me like that when I was already down. Shit! My call went to her voicemail. I wasn’t going to leave a whiney message for her. This required one-on-one communication.

  I pulled up Eli’s number and called him.

  “What’s up, Darce?” he answered.

  “Are you busy, Eli? I really need someone to talk to right now. It’s kind of important.”

  “Sure, be over in just a few. Are you alright?”

  “Not really.”

  Eli was knocking on my door in less than ten minutes. I rushed to open it, trying to keep a brave face. He was standing there with a bottle of wine in one hand and a very concerned look on his face.

  “What happened?” he asked softly.

  That’s when I lost it. The tears started flowing. I sat next to Eli on the couch and let it all out. I told him about the talk my parents had with me at dinner, and I finally told him everything that I’d been holding inside about Darin and what he’d done to break my heart. He sat there and listened, not interrupting, letting me vent just the way I needed to.

  Later on, I was curled up next to Eli and still mulling over the whole ordeal with my parents as we watched some mindless T.V. I felt better after having spilled everything and, as it turned out, Eli was a great sounding board. He just listened, quietly…letting me vent without interrupting.

  “You should’ve heard them, Eli. They painted me as this… completely spoiled brat; a major disappointment to them. Then they took all of the blame for it,” I admitted quietly. “I mean I can’t believe I’m as bad as all that.” I looked up at his face and saw he was fighting back a smile.

  “Eli?”

  “Hey, Darce, I mean, I’ve known you for what? All of ten minutes? But I’ve gotta say, you might stop and give some thought to what they said tonight.”

  “Eli!”

  “Well, come on. Put it into perspective, okay? You are a tad spoiled, right?”

  I gave a reluctant nod, swallowing my pride down with a big chunk of self-awareness.

  “Well, your folks are assuming responsibility for that portion of it. I think now what they really want is for you to step up to the plate and take responsibility for your adulthood. They want you to make your own success, and along the way, accept the consequences for your own failures too. It’s called Life 101.” He nudged my shoulder. “It’s time you either step up, or step off.”

  I looked over at him through my damp eyelashes and knew he was being sincere and, most importantly, he was being a friend; telling me how it was instead of stroking me and trashing my parents for throwing me into the water to sink or swim.

  “Is this where I’m supposed to say ‘I don’t think we’re in Kansas anymore, Toto?’”

  He smiled and nodded. “Yeah, it’s time you found your way all by yourself. Of course, it wouldn’t hurt for you to have someone traveling that yellow brick road with you for company.” He waggled his eyebrows.

  “What?” I sat straight up looking at him for some indication as to what he meant.

  “You didn’t even ask how my interview went today, Darcy girl.”

  “Oh, Eli, I’m sorry! You’re right. Once again, it had to be about me, didn’t it? So, will you tell me how it went?”

  “Suffice it to say, I didn’t get the job. But truthfully, maybe that’s for the best since Plan B is looking pretty damn good right about now. That is, if you aren’t totally estranged from your folks at this point.”

  “Are you serious?” I threw my arms around his neck, giving him a bear hug. “You’re coming to D.C? That’s so fucking awesome! Let me know if you need a place to stay. Seriously, you have no idea how much I needed some good news!”

  “Whoa, hold up there, sweetheart. I’d like to discuss this with your father to make sure his company could use me. I don’t want to be a charity case or anything. He did mention his firm hires interns and that there were openings, but I want to make sure he wasn’t dangling that carrot in front of me in order to appease his somewhat-spoiled daughter.”

  “Shut up,” I laughed, smacking his shoulder playfully. “I’m sure my dad thinks you’re good husband material for sure, but do you really think I’m so unappealing that he’d use bribery?”

  “Hmmm, I don’t know, Darce. I’m willing to bet the guy that finally snags you is going to have his hands full. Chicks like you make me pretty fucking thankful I’m gay.”

  “Oh really?” I taunted. “Like you’re not high-maintenance at all?”

  “Can’t hold a candle to you, sweetheart. Now, let’s figure out what couture we’re wearing tomorrow night for the big New Year’s Eve bash at the clubhouse. Because I’m so not the clashing type.”

  Eli and I spent an hour going through my wardrob
e. And after my sob fest, I think we both needed the therapy that only silk shirts and red-soled shoes can provide. After that, we went over to his villa and completed the calming process. Talk about a clothes whore! I told him he better never say another word to me about my clothes addiction. Dude had way more clothes in his closet than I had in mine.

  “Did you bring everything in your closet from home thinking you had that job, Eli? I mean a tuxedo, really?”

  “Don’t be ridiculous. I brought the essentials for a week at a resort for multi-occasion dress,” he replied, inserting a slight lisp to be funny. “Besides, the New Years Eve gala is black tie.”

  I rolled my eyes at him, digging back in and finding he loved shoes every bit as much as me. I knew right then and there that this was the beginning of a very beautiful relationship.

  Eli shared the details with me on his recent break-up. Seth was Eli’s former partner, still living in Denver. They’d lived together all during college and had plans to start up their own business in New Orleans once they’d graduated. They’d saved to invest in a cruise boat that would cater to people with alternative sexual preferences—within reason. The ship would be for weekend cruising around the Gulf.

  Then, three months ago, Seth started backpedaling on the idea. Eli said he knew something was wrong. He decided to follow Seth one day and discovered the love of his life was involved in a lifestyle Eli had never fathomed. Seth, dressed in drag, went to a seedy hotel in Denver. As it turned out, Seth was involved with a group of men that practiced BDSM to the hilt. Eli described some of the toys of torture Seth was enjoying when he’d busted in on him and his friends in that hotel room. All Eli could do now was try to rebuild his life and move on.

  We talked about our families. Eli’s family lived in Montana; that’s where he was raised as the youngest of four. He had two older sisters and one older brother. Eli said his family had always been supportive of his lifestyle. He’d come out in high school and they were down with it. His family had loved Seth like one of their own. The way Eli told it, their break-up crushed his family nearly as much as it had him.