Searching for Moore

by Julie Richman

  Schooner came up to the table and stood there watching with a huge smile on his face as Paola tickled Mia. Mia looked up at his handsome smiling face with a beaming smile of her own.

  He bent down and gave her a big sweaty kiss and put his racquet down. “Kick butt out there?” Charles asked.

  “Oh yeah, annihilated him,” they high fived, “I just signed up for a tournament.” Schooner was back in his element and the happiness beamed off of him like a solar flare.

  Mia turned to Holly and winked. Mia knew she was wondering who this man was.

  The waiter delivered the drinks to the table and Schooner immediately downed his water, “What time is everyone getting in today?” He grabbed a menu from the center of the table.

  “Jared’s going to be on the 2:30 Ferry.” Holly was all smiles and anticipation.

  Seth pulled out his iPad, “Yoli and Kami are hoping to make the 4:10, if not, they said they’d definitely be on the 5:10.”

  “Perfect timing for cocktails.” Charles concurred.

  This was it, finally the big beach bash for Mia’s 41st birthday. Lobsters and steamers and corn on the cob on the beach. She looked for Schooner’s hand under the table and squeezed it. He looked at her with an “Are you ok look?” and she just nodded and smiled. She was more than ok. She was experiencing the brimming heart syndrome that Schooner knew well from falling in love with Mia.

  Stuffed with buttery lobster as the sun was setting, Yoli sat down next to Mia on the deck.

  “You know our boy sold me a bill of goods,” she confided in Mia.

  “Rut-roh…” Mia was not quite sure with what Yoli was going to hit her.

  Yoli smiled, running a hand through her bright red hair that was now standing straight up from the humid beach air, “The guy gives me all of California to run and this is how you people are living.”

  Mia laughed, “I know people think California is La-La Land! They clearly have not spent a summer here.”

  “This is amazing. It is like no place I have ever been before. I’m really glad you are getting to take care of yourself and the baby and spend the summer out here, Mia.”

  Mia looked into Yoli’s big brown eyes and reached for her hand and squeezed it. “As crazy as he makes me sometimes, that man is the most amazing gem in the world. I have never met anyone with such a deep sense of responsibility for those he loves.”

  They were both looking at Schooner across the deck talking to Jared and Charles. “He’s the best friend I’ve ever had, Mia. And it’s really refreshing that you don’t have an issue with that.” Mia knew she was referring to CJ’s disdain for their relationship. Mia gave her hand a squeeze and Yoli reciprocated, “And what’s so wonderful is I finally see him as one whole person. The way he’s always been with me is the way he is 100% of the time now. He’s not so conflicted anymore.”

  Schooner looked at them across the deck holding hands and talking and his heart was soaring in seeing the harmony amongst the people he loved the most in his life, “I’m in so much trouble,” he said to Charles and Jared, indicating the two women. They laughed.

  Across the deck, Yoli and Mia laughed, “You’ve got that right.” Mia yelled at him. “He’s freaking out right now.” Evil laughter came from the two women, who just looked at each other smiling.

  “So, tell me about Zac.” Mia asked Yoli. Yoli leveled a glance at Mia. “That bad, huh?”

  Yoli shook her head and exhaled. “You’re going to want to like him because it’s like looking at a young Schooner. So for you, I can imagine it might be even more intense — because you have memories of Schooner at that age. But make no mistake, Zac is not a young Schooner.”

  Mia cocked her head, taking it in, as Yoli continued, “Schooner is intense, but if he loves you, he loves you. That’s the way he’s made. If you cross him, watch out, because he can be deadly.” Mia’s eyes were wide, not blinking, as she listened to Yoli, “I’ve seen people cross him in business, Mia and I would not want to be on the other end of that wrath. But with Schooner, it has to be provoked for him to go there. He goes into protect mode. It’s reactive, not proactive.”

  Mia nodded, “Schooner is very protective of what or who he feels is his.”

  Yoli agreed, “But it comes from a place of love with Schooner and you know that, so there’s a way to wrap your head around it,” she paused, thinking, “Zac doesn’t have that inherent goodness that Schooner does. He’s arrogant, entitled, calculating, manipulative, rude, dismissive…”

  She paused and Mia couldn’t pass up the opportunity, “And those are just his good qualities,” they both laughed.

  “There’s just something missing behind those beautiful blue eyes.” Yoli finished.

  “A heart?” Mia asked, seriously.

  Yoli nodded, “And there’s a very wide mean streak.”

  “I want to meet him, because I want things to be whole in Schooner’s life again.”

  Yoli just shook her head, “Not going to happen, Mia. I mean, yes, at some point you will meet him. He’ll be back east in the fall to go back to Exeter, but what you and Schooner have with Holly, you will never have with Zac. So, promise me this, you will not beat yourself up over it, because that leopard is never going to change his spots.”

  It was almost dusk as Charles carried a sleeping Paola in his arms and he and Gaby bid the rest of the party a goodnight.

  Sitting out on the deck, under the stars, everyone in shorts and sweatshirts, Mia asked Seth, “Are you going to take everyone out to Cherry Grove dancing tonight?”

  “But BBC, it’s your birthday.”

  Mia smiled at him, “That is exactly why I think you, Kami, Yoli, Holly and Jared should go catch a water taxi to The Grove and dance until some ungodly hour. Just make sure you return Holly and Jared safely.”

  “Are you sure?” Seth triple checked.

  “Don’t make me hurt you.” Mia threatened.

  When the five finally left for a night of partying Fire Island style, Mia turned to Schooner and wrapped her arms around his waist (they weren’t wrapping around quite as far, now that her stomach was putting more distance between the two of them). He kissed the top of her head and they made their way out onto the deck off of their bedroom and she curled up in his lap on an Adirondack chair, his long legs stretched out with his feet perched up on the deck rail.

  “This is the first time we’ve been alone all summer,” he played with her curls that refused to stay straight in the sea air.

  Mia smiled, “This — right here, right now — is my birthday present. Me. You. The beach. The stars. Alone. It does not get more perfect than this, Schooner.”

  He tightened his arms around her, “You are correct, Baby Girl.”

  They stayed like that for a long while, listening to the waves lick the shore. This was their calm before the storm and they both recognized that. The fall would bring the opening of L9/NYC and the winter would bring the baby. Both would churn their lives in ways they could only imagine. For now, it was just the two of them celebrating Mia’s birthday, savoring their happiness.

  “I have something for you.” Schooner whispered. Mia got up off of his lap and he went into the house. He came out with a large manila envelope.

  They sat down again and he handed her the envelope. “Happy Birthday, Baby Girl. I love you more than anything in this world.”

  Mia kissed him and opened the envelope. She pulled out a half inch of papers bound together with a large silver clip. She held them up in a stream of light from the house that was flooding the deck, so that she could read what they said. It was the deed to the beach house. Schooner had put the entire house in her name.

  She looked at him and he was smiling. She kissed him softly. There was so much she wanted to say to him, this man who was so serious about taking care of what was his. This was his protection for her and their unborn baby. He was leaving nothing to chance this time. She brought his hand to her mouth and kissed it. Her eyes never leaving his. “I love you,�
�� she mouthed.

  “Smoochal,” he mouthed back.

  Mia stood and extended a hand to Schooner, he took it and hand-in-hand they walked in from the deck to their bedroom.

  Schooner took Mia’s face in both his hands and kissed her passionately.

  “Now can I have the rest of my birthday present?” Mia asked, devil grin on her face.

  “Yeah, let’s fuck like wild animals.”

  She laughed and grabbed his hand, pulling him to the bed, “Yeah, let’s!”

  Twenty-four years after she found it, on her forty-first birthday, Mia finally attained the full realization of her secret dream.

  CHAPTER 27

  Mia and Seth sat at the kitchen table in the beach house, windows open and a breeze blowing the white sheer curtains. On the table, Mia’s laptop was open and they were Skyping with the gang in the city — Schooner, Yoli and Kami.

  “I’m floored at the response on the guest list. Have you guys fed Charles the most updated version. I know he’s going to want to rendezvous with some of these stars personal security to make sure everyone is in sync. I think we should be giving his people twice a week updates at this point and if anything or anyone big pops up in between, just make sure we let him or his organization know.”

  “I’ll up my contact with his people to twice a week formal reviews.” Kami wrote down the task.

  “Kami, do we only have Isabelle running PR at this point?”

  “Yes. Do you want to step it up?”

  Mia nodded. “I want you to put both Lisa and Denise on this. Have we been working the Los Angeles press in addition to New York, health & wellness and fashion press?”

  “No. We haven’t gone near Los Angeles.”

  “Let’s do it. Schooner are you ok with that?”

  “Why wouldn’t I be? I think it’s a great idea.”

  “From a business standpoint I totally agree. I just don’t want to rock any boats, if you know what I mean.” Mia’s look conveyed her fear of causing more problems for Schooner with CJ and Zac.

  “Mia, this is business and you’re right, utilizing the LA press for even more buzz and possibly to alert members and press who will be in New York that week is just a good business idea, so I say we run with it.”

  “Ok, we’re going to have three people on PR from now through the event. I told you I was willing to commit all my resources,” she smiled at him her devil grin.

  “That’s why I like giving you the business,” he was giving her a pure sex look via Skype.

  “Stop it you two or I’m going to get hard!” Seth complained.

  Schooner laughed, “Busted.”

  “Do you guys know when you’ll be out yet?” Mia asked. Being away from Schooner was becoming more and more difficult. She didn’t sleep as well when he wasn’t there. She found herself rolling over to his side of the bed and burying her face in his pillow trying just to get the scent of him. She wondered if it was just a hormonal aspect of the pregnancy that was making her feel so needy.

  “We should be on the 8:10 on Friday night. I’m meeting with the building inspectors at 4:00, so we’re definitely going to be sitting in traffic out to Bay Shore.”

  “Yuck. We’ll be thinking about you.” Seth smiled.

  “We can do better than that.” Mia laughed. “I’ll have a Johnnie Walker Blue sitting on the table for you at Maguire’s.”

  Schooner smiled, “Thanks, Baby Girl.”

  “You two are gross.” Yoli rolled her eyes. “Are we done yet? I have work to do.”

  “Someone’s going to need to dance off her nasty at-ee-tude in Cherry Grove this weekend.” Seth snarked.

  “Please get her laid while you’re at it.” Schooner begged.

  “On that note, one that would send a Human Resources Director into a seizure, we’ll sign off. Till tomorrow kiddie-winkles,” and Mia hit end call on Skype.

  “One big happy dysfunctional family,” she laughed at Seth.

  “They really fit in very well with us.” Seth commented.

  “Scary, but true.” Mia agreed. “Beach time!” She announced with a big smile.

  Saturday morning a sweaty Schooner, fresh off the courts and a walk back to the beach house, stripped off his tennis whites and crawled under the cool, crisp sheets next to his fiancé. Spooning up against Mia, he caressed her full breasts, “I love these,” he whispered in her ear.

  “They hurt,” she complained.

  “They were always gorgeous, but I really love them now. They are so round and your nipples are even more sensitive.” He pinched and twisted the nipple on her right breast and she moaned.

  He pulled her right leg back over his and positioned his hard cock at the entrance of her dripping pussy. “This is still a good position for us.” He impaled her from behind with one hard stroke.

  Mia gasped, “Very good position.”

  He held onto her leg and slowly drove into her. She squeezed his cock tight. “Oh yeah, you feel so damn good. I was slamming the ball on the court and thinking I couldn’t wait to get home and be slamming into you.”

  Mia turned her head to look at him and grabbed his head down to her for a kiss. “Harder,” she hissed into his mouth, as he drove up into her forcefully. “Oh God, your cock feels so fucking great,” and she squeezed him tight, “I miss you so much during the week… oh yeah, just like that…” she gasped, “I love the way you fuck me.”

  He pulled out and dragged her to the edge of the bed and put her feet up on his shoulders and drove down into her. She gasped again and squeezed him tight.

  “Mia, open your eyes. Look at me,” she smiled up at him. He was smiling down at her, rubbing her feet on his face. His teeth grazing her high arch. “Squeeze my cock, Baby Girl… oh yeah, just like that… oh God, that is good.” Mia’s smile was huge, “You are milking it out of me.” She tightened as hard as she could with each of his deep thrusts.

  “Pussy hug,” she said, with a devil grin.

  Schooner laughed and Mia bared down on him. His eyes shot open wide. “What you do to me, Baby Girl.” He grabbed her feet tight to his face and she could tell that he was coming. His eyes were closed and he looked so young and sweet, his cheek pressed into the arch of her foot. “Yes,” he moaned, but Mia was already lost somewhere. The sweet look on his face with his cock driving deep into her had already thrown her over the edge and she was crashing and spinning like she’d caught a wave wrong.

  Schooner fell on the bed next to her and looking across the pillow at his beautiful blue eyes, she reached out to stroke his face. Their sweet reverie was to be almost immediately cut short by the ringing of a cell phone.

  Schooner growled and reached behind him and grabbed his phone off the night stand. “CJ,” he mouthed, a look of faux horror on his face.

  “Hello” … “Fabulous.” He reached out to play with Mia’s hair. “Well, when does his semester start?”… “Isn’t most of his stuff still in storage up in New Hampshire? We put it in there before Spain.” … “Well, he’ll miss his first few days of classes, but I’m ok with that.” … “Yeah, am sure he is, too. I’ll take him up after the opening.” … “You’re right, I think it’s best you’re not there.” … “No, I’m not trying to be mean. Pulling off an opening event is stressful as it is and yes, you being there is a stress I don’t want to deal with.”…”You’re right, I’m sure Mia doesn’t want you there.” … “She doesn’t need to say it.” … “CJ, I hate to break this to you, but you are not high on her radar screen and I suggest you keep it that way.” … “New York is my home, CJ.” … “Honestly, never again.” … “Is he there? Yeah, let me talk to him.” … “Hey Bud, I’ve missed you.” … “Yeah, I’d love to have you here for the opening and then I’ll take you up to school. If you want to come out a little early, come hang out on the beach. Holly is here with us.” … “Yes, with me and Mia.” … “Zac, I understand it’s going to take some adjusting, but this situation is not going to change. Let me be really frank with you, I
will be with Mia for the rest of my life and both of us want you in our lives.” … “Why? Because you are my son and she knows how much I love you.” … “I only ask that you keep an open mind and that you treat her respectfully, because I will tell you this, I will not tolerate you disrespecting me or Mia. Are we clear on that?” … “Look, I’m really happy we’re going to get to spend some time together.” … “Ok, well email me your flight info, when you’ve got it.” … “Zac, I love you.” … “Talk to you soon.”

  Mia stroked Schooner’s cheek and smiled at him. “See, it’s all going to work out. It will.”

  He pulled her head down to his chest and kissed the top of her head.

  CHAPTER 28

  Mia, Seth and Holly stood at the center of L9’s rotunda looking around in awe. Huge concave custom projection screens lined the rounded walls of the first floor and technicians were testing them with a mixture of iconic urban and bucolic landscape images. Another team was testing the lighting, soft ethereal jewel-tone spots flickered on and off.

  Mia began to survey the perimeter where the caterer had begun to set up royal blue skirted tables and stations. She felt an arm sling over her shoulder and the soft, slightly accented voice of Shiraz Events, Owner and brilliant conceptualist, Shai Tertner whispering in her ear, “I want you to know that I left the Hamptons for this. Only for you, Meezie,” he joked.

  Mia looked up into Shai’s big handsome brown eyes, “I understand, they made me leave Fire Island. I haven’t worn shoes in two months.”

  Shai looked down at Mia’s hot pink flip-flop clad feet and gasped. Mia backhanded him in the arm, “Stop that. It’s not like I’m wearing Birkenstocks.”

  Shai flagged down a worker nearby, “Let’s see what that table looks like moved over there.” And to Mia, “So, do you like?”