Charles reached out behind Anthony and rubbed his head. Anthony swirled around and smacked him on the shoulder. “You promised.”
Anthony, frazzled and all, looked as sharp as Charles. He wore a gray tux without the jacket, but with a vest. The gold tie looked rich against his white shirt and gray vest.
Anthony reached up to straighten his tie as I was giving him the once over.
Charles slapped his hands away. “Stop that. It’s perfect, and you’re going to ruin it.” Charles looked up, and then looked at his watch. “Oh shit, I didn’t realize it was that late.” He adjusted the music a bit louder. “Does this sound okay?”
“Perfect,” I said. “I love big band music.”
Charles smirked at me and walked away. A moment later the music changed to punk rock. Jerk. I laughed. He immediately changed it back, and Ella Fitzgerald’s voice soothed the room.
The party guests filed in. It was as if no one wanted to be late and miss something good. All smiles and laughter, and “So happy to have been invited.”
I stood by the door, greeting everyone, and trying not to use names, so the people I didn’t know wouldn’t realize I didn’t know them. The tuxedos and dresses were nothing like your dad’s black tie duds. I’m pretty sure every man who walked through the door had a on different style of tuxedo.
As the guests arrived, I stood on my tippy toes to see if Nick was behind all of them. Where on Earth could he be? I wanted to go grab my cell phone, but I’d have no place to stash it, and Charles was making everyone give up their phones and keys before entering the party. No one at his affair would be unduly distracted by something as trivial as their phone, or driving home drunk.
No one protested about sacrificing their umbilical cord to the world, as the forfeiture had been clearly stated on the invitations. And the FOMO (fear of missing out) was suspended, because the only people in their lives who were missing out on anything were the people who weren’t at the party.
Too bad there’d be no Twitpics or Twitter messages to commemorate this scene. And what a scene it was.
As I was looking over everyone’s heads, I saw a familiar one towering over the rest, Homicide Detective Piper Mason. I’d recognize that champagne blonde hair anywhere. I was used to seeing it in a ponytail, or a bun at the nape of her neck, but tonight the long locks cascaded down her shoulders in large, unkempt ringlets. Her tanned skin looked even darker against the fitted peach colored lace of her barely there dress. As always when I saw her, I wanted to hate her, because she probably looks this beautiful when she gets out of bed, but I couldn’t.
“Mimi, don’t you clean up nice?” Piper said, beaming.
On her arm was another lovely creature. And when she spoke, I was dazzled by her voice that sounded like a well-worn jazz singer. “Mimi. Finally.”
We shook hands as Piper said, “Mimi, meet my better half, Simone Brouchard.”
Simone stood the same height as Piper, and could have come off the same runway in Paris, had they been models in a past career. Simone had creamy skin and chocolate brown eyes, with short cropped dark chocolate hair. Her lips were full, and looked lovely with the rose tinted gloss. But when she smiled, everything else paled in comparison. Her perfect teeth sparkled and her smile was genuine and made it seem as if I’d known her forever.
Simone even had the type of name I imagine jazz singers to have. I was done greeting, and looking over everyone’s head. “Come on, let’s get a drink.”
As we turned to walk into the party, I saw Charles in a whispered conversation with Nick.
Chapter 3
I wanted to storm over to Nick and Charles, but instead I politely excused myself from Piper and Simone, and gracefully strolled across the room. Anyone who knows me knows I don’t do graceful very well, and just before I reached the two men, my heel caught on something and I landed face first in Nick’s lap.
Nick helped me up. “You always know how to make an entrance.”
I straightened my dress and took a deep breath, because if I didn’t, I was going to scold him for not getting back to me. In through the nose, out through the mouth, breathe.
“I’m so glad you’re here. I was thinking something came up and you weren’t going to make it.” I plastered a fake grin on my face.
Charles and Nick looked at each other, both puzzled. They knew me well, and this wasn’t the response they expected.
“Of course I’m here. I wouldn’t miss this for anything.” Nick stood from his chair and kissed my cheek.
As always, he smelled so clean, like hand-milled soap and Hugo Boss cologne. I stepped back to look at him.
He made Charles and Anthony look like rag dolls, though I might be biased here. Nick wore pleated front trousers in chocolate brown and a maize colored formal jacket. The ensemble was topped off with a pale pink shirt and no tie. Nick shot his cuffs as I looked him over.
“Do you approve?”
“Yes, I do.”
“Enough with the googly eyes, get out there and mingle. See what’s going on, and get the gossip. After all, isn’t that what parties are for?” Charles interrupted our admiration of each other.
Anyone who knows me now would never guess that I was an incredibly shy wallflower in high school. First off, back then, I’d never even be invited to the popular boy’s party, much less be one of his best friends.
Heck, I was so out of the loop back then, I didn’t even know about Cosmopolitan Magazine until I was in college. Somehow I wasn’t privy to the secret society that made girls popular. Maybe the answers had been in that magazine. Oh well, I was too busy working back then to have a social life, anyway.
I’d had it in my head that I was going to college, even though I’d be the first in my family to do so. I didn’t know about all of the student loans and grants, so I worked. I’m glad I did, because it kept me out of trouble, and I had a great time hanging out with the people I worked with. Only problem, the people I worked with were at least four years older than me.
I shook my head to get back to the present. I was no longer that wallflower. I wasn’t shy anymore, either. I’d grown to understand that not everyone was going to like me.
Speaking of liking, I saw Nick talking to a vaguely familiar person. Since Charles and I only recently started running in the same social circles, I thought it weird that I’d recognize someone other than the people we worked with and their dates.
I casually walked up to Nick and slipped my arm in his. He looked at me and then back to the woman he was speaking with, as she was in the middle of a sentence.
When she finished speaking, Nick said, “Mimi, do you remember April?”
Suddenly I was transported back to the “unpopular” days. My first year in college, I hadn’t quite come out of my shell, and I’d met April Halliday at a luncheon her guardians were putting on so she could meet new people.
I thought we hit it off, as we spent most of the lunch sitting together and talked about college, boys, and girl things. She told me about her fiancé, who was in the military and how they were getting married when he came home.
I think I was envious of her, to be so in love that she was ready to get married. But put the brakes on, folks, because April wasn’t all she seemed to be.
During the second semester of classes, April started school. As we sat on the lawn during a break, Nick jogged up to us. He leaned in, lifted April off the grass and kissed her on the mouth.
This was my first Nick Christianson sighting. Tall, sinewy, with dark wavy hair and sienna skin. The thing that really stuck me about Nick was his long lashes and gray eyes. I was in lust. And I was pissed.
What the hell was April doing kissing this guy anyway? And why did I care? I’d just broken up with my boyfriend and planned to enjoy being single for what was left of my freshman year of college.
Nick looked down at me. To April he said, “Who’s your friend?”
I stood up, and when I did, Nick gave me the once over, with a pit stop at my br
easts. He winked at me. I looked to April to see her reaction, but apparently she didn’t notice.
That’s when Nick and I became “friends.” For the next week, he happened to run into me in the halls, the cafeteria, the library, almost like we were trying to see each other. We’d usually end up going for a walk and talking. This was when I found out April was psycho. He told me he broke up with her because she’d betrayed him.
April, a five-foot-five ball of sex, with platinum blonde hair and Jolie lips, wore a fire engine red dress that looked more like a micro-mini skirt with a strap of fabric over each shoulder, and that fabric barely covered her double D boobs.
“April, nice to see you again,” I lied.
More than fifteen years later and she still made my skin crawl.
April graced me with a cursory grin, and then looked back to Nick. “So I see some things never change.”
“Really?” Nick sounded intrigued.
“You were always so charitable.” She looked back at me.
Bitch. She’d always been jealous of me and Nick. In case you’re wondering, I didn’t break them up. April’s fiancé came back to town, and Nick dumped her when he found out about it.
“Remember that time in San Francisco?” April cooed.
“Okay, then. I’ll be getting back to the guests,” I said.
Nick kissed me on the top on my head and I walked away.
Where the hell was Charles? I moved fluidly through the guests, stopping to say hi, and shaking hands until I saw his mug near the front door.
He was in quiet conversation with Simone, and when I stepped up to them, they abruptly stopped talking.
I didn’t give Charles a chance to say anything before I asked, “How do you know April Halliday?”
Charles looked at me like I’d just escaped the loony bin. “Who?”
I pointed, not caring if it was rude, toward Nick and April. “Her.”
Charles raised his brows and pierced his lips. “Don’t know her. She’s probably someone’s guest.”
Simone asked, “Why? Is there a problem?”
“Not really. It’s just that she was dating Nick when we first met back in college, and when he dumped her, she made my life hell.” I suddenly felt stupid for caring if she was there.
“I’m curious who she came with.” Charles broke away and headed toward Nick and April.
“Are you jealous?” Simone asked in a conspiratorial voice.
I thought about it. “I don’t think so. I mean, look at her. She’s spent more money on cosmetic surgery than I did on my house.”
Simone laughed. It was as sexy and raspy as her voice. “Come on, let’s have some fun.”
Simone walked toward the group, now consisting of Nick, April and Charles. I stood in place, watching.
Simone wrapped herself around Nick, her breasts grazing his shoulder, then pressing against him and whispered in his ear.
I watched for Nick’s reaction. He grinned like a boy in puberty, then turned and kissed Simone full on the mouth. Holy shit! If I didn’t know better, I’d be raging with jealousy.
The next thing I know, Simone was giving April the once over, and said to her, “Oh, honey, Nick no longer screws last week’s trash. Look at you!”
April stiffened, mouth agape. “Excuse me?”
Simone snuggled closer to Nick. “I mean don’t even think about having sex with him. He’s off the market, and even if he weren’t, what on Earth would he want with a plasticized Barbie doll like you?”
April slapped Simone across the face. Ouch! I didn’t see that one coming.
And I’ll bet April didn’t expect Simone to grab her by the throat and slam her against the wall.
I wanted to rush over and stop this incident, but I was glued in place. I was so absorbed in the fight that I didn’t hear Jackie walk up behind me.
“What the hell?” Jackie said.
I turned to see her with her new beau. “Remember April Halliday?”
Jackie’s eyes widened. “Looks like I got here just in time. What’s going on?”
“April was hitting on Nick.” Okay, I didn’t know that for sure. “Simone decided to put an end to it for me.”
We giggled like schoolgirls and continued to watch the spectacle.
The party came to a halt. The only sound in the room was April and Simone, with Harry Connick Jr. crooning in the background. Even the servers stood still.
Charles had already stopped the fight. He had his hand on April’s arm and was escorting her toward the door. “Who is your date? I’ll let him know you’re outside waiting for him.”
April turned and spat in Charles’ face.
Calmly, Charles walked a bit faster toward the door. “Fine, I won’t tell your date. And if you brought a cell phone, then you’ll just have to wait for your date to get it for you.”
Charles opened the front door. “Now out.” He shoved April out the door, shut it quickly, and locked both locks.
Jackie had the wherewithal to grab a napkin, wet it, and hand it to Charles.
I heard April scream through the window, “You’ll be sorry. No one embarrasses me like that.”
Charles wiped his face and chuckled as he walked back to the party. “As you were. Nothing to see here.”
Chapter 4
I was surprised at how Charles let the whole fight slide. He walked over to Simone and asked if she was okay, then went right back to being the consummate host.
I traveled around to the different groups of guests to see what they had to say, and apparently they, like Charles, had just let it go. Not a single person was talking about the cat fight.
“So? What did you think?” Simone seemed proud of herself. “That’s the first man I’ve kissed in at least ten years.”
“Are you nuts?” I laughed. “Piper is going to kill me for this.”
“Oh, Piper is cool. We play heterosexual games all the time.” Simone looked at Piper, who regaled a group with the story she was telling. “Look at her. Any man would give his left nut to have sex with her.”
She was right. Piper looked like a Victoria’s Secret model, as had Nick’s previous partner in San Francisco. Only his SFPD partner wasn’t a lesbian.
“Hell, I’d have sex with her.” I nudged Simone.
She shot me a dirty look, then immediately smiled. “I know, right?”
We parted ways. A moment later, Anthony came over and asked if I could grab more sparkling grape juice from the garage, since apparently more guests than just Nick were abstaining.
“Can’t you get it?” Why did I have to go outside?
“I’m the host, and I don’t want to leave my guests.” Anthony looked around the room as if I hadn’t noticed there was a party.
“Have the caterers do it.” I really didn’t want to go outside. That crazy bitch April could be out there, and I didn’t want to ruin my party dress.
“You really want them in your storage area? Sensitive papers and all?” Anthony’s tone was condescending.
“Fine.” I walked through the reception area toward the kitchen, looking for Nick. Maybe he’d come outside with me. I felt naked and insecure since I wasn’t armed with my handgun or a stun gun.
I’m pretty sure I could take April down easily, but I’m just not confrontational.
Nick walked up behind me and whispered in my ear. “Want to find a room?”
I turned around. “Simone got you all hot and bothered?”
Nick furrowed his brows. “What was that all about anyway?”
“She saw that I didn’t like you talking to April, so she decided to have some fun with it. I don’t think she expected April to slap her.”
Nick laughed. “I don’t think she cared. Simone is a martial arts expert.”
This was news. “So April really could have gotten her ass kicked? Damn, why did Charles have to break it up?”
“Mimi, that’s not nice.” Nick laughed again. “You look like you’re on a mission.”
&nb
sp; “I have to go out to the garage to get more grape juice for you teetotalers. Want to come?”
“Sure.” He took my hand and we walked toward the kitchen.
Before we got to the back door, Nick turned and kissed me. He tasted good, like berries and grape juice. “How about we barricade ourselves in here and have sex?”
Nick’s hands roamed over my breasts and down my sides to my hips. Oh, how I liked his idea. Nick had his hand pushing up the hem of my skirt when Anthony came barreling into the kitchen.
“Sparkling grape juice?” He spat the question and left the room.
The moment ruined, I grabbed the garage key from the cabinet. I headed to the door then turned back.
“What’s up?” Nick asked.
“I think I should lock the door behind us. I’m going to grab the office keys.” I’m not sure why I was so terrified of April.
“We’ll be fine. Come on.”
We headed out to the garage. I was unlocking the door when I swore I saw movement near the kitchen door. I turned to look, but Nick stepped in my way.
“Let’s go. It’s cold out here.”
“Cold? You’re the one with a long sleeve shirt.” I went back to opening the lock.
I grabbed four bottles, locked up the garage, and we headed back into the house. Once inside, I looked out the windows, checking for any sign on movement, then I bolted both locks on the kitchen door.
When I opened the refrigerator to put the bottles in to chill, I saw there were already three unopened bottles. I silently cursed Anthony. Why hadn’t I checked in the fridge before going on the quest for Anthony? And why hadn’t he looked to see if there was more cider before sending me to the garage?
Nick looked in the refrigerator as I was adding more bottles. “What the hell?”
“I’m going to kill Anthony. He probably didn’t even bother to look.”
Nick and I went back to join the party.
It seemed the music was a bit lower, as I could hear the din of the conversations. It wasn’t long before Nick and I split up to mingle.
I saw Cortnie Criss, another of my employees, for the first time that evening. She stood in a corner talking to Anthony. She looked lovely in her black wide-legged slacks and silk blouse. She looked taller. Maybe the four-inch pumps had something to do with that.
Tagged, You're It (a novelette) (Gotcha Detective Agency Mysteries) Page 2
