by Kylie Parker
“I’m good, thanks.” Helen muttered, dropping her gaze from him. “You still haven’t given me your last name.”
“Hurst.” He was quick to answer. “I was in a hurry that night. James said you’d be here for a while.”
“It’s true.” She confirmed, looking down at the saddle. Marcus’s short steps led him closer to her. Bending down, he tipped her chin up. His sky-blue eyes sent shivers down her spine, as their gazes met.
“It took a lot of guts to do what you did, back in Barbados.” He spoke in his deep, masculine voice. “I have a thing for gutsy women.”
“Gutsy?” Helen gasped in surprise. “I was just wondering why you were leaving so soon.”
“What are you doing tomorrow night, mountain girl?” Marcus made his voice sound sweeter, running his fingers along the line of her jaw.
“I’m sorry, I’m not available.” She whispered. “The concert’s on tomorrow night.”
“The show starts at nine. How’s eleven o’clock?” He lowered his tone.
“I think it will be over by then.” Helen smiled.
“Eleven it is, then.” Marcus winked at her. “The main gate will be too crowded. I’ll be waiting for you at the side exit.”
“Okay.” Her smile widened, as he tilted his head down. Marcus’s lips pressed gently onto hers, as he cupped her cheek. The contrast of his beard grazed her soft chin, as their mouths joined in a long, tender kiss. Helen reached up and circled her arms around his neck, letting his manly scent flow through her, as a strong gust of wind blew through her hair. His hot breath against her face sent her pulse rising, as he caressed her skin. Marcus laid a short kiss on her upper lip and slowly leaned back, as Helen opened her eyes.
“Tomorrow night, mountain girl,” he said, his voice but a whisper. “Now, let’s take you back to that venue.”
Helen gave him a broad smile, her vision still blurry from his intense kiss. Marcus turned around and mounted his motorcycle. This time, the thunder-headers did not bother her. If anything, she enjoyed that deep rumble, her heart beating fast as they rode off.
Okay, this is just unbelievable. I mean, what are the chances of that biker actually living here? God, that kiss was so good. Nice and firm, not too demanding. And those eyes gave me goose bumps. They’re like tiny blue seas. I think I’m going to like it here.
The sight of Michelle, standing next to their red Toyota, with her hands on her waist, snapped Helen out of her thoughts. She saw anger in her eyes, as the motorcycle slowly rolled to a halt. Swinging her left leg over the saddle, she stepped off the Harley, as Michelle shook her head in disapproval.
“Goodnight.” Helen smiled down at him.
“See you tomorrow.” Marcus nodded to her.
“Why the hell did you ditch me like that?” Michelle yelled, leaning towards her, the noise of the thunder-headers still hovering in her ears.
“Did you see who that guy was?” Helen spoke, a hint of annoyance in her voice.
“No!” Michelle shouted. “Does it matter?”
“Look, I’m sorry; I shouldn’t have left, okay?” Helen changed to a more non-emotional tone. “Let’s just get out of here.”
“Do you know why I gave you this job?” Frustration was lingering in Michelle’s voice.
“Why?”
“Because I need a friend,” Michelle explained, trying to control her short breath. “Because I knew how nervous I’d be. This is my first gig outside of New York, Helen. It has to be good.”
“It’s going to be great!” Helen put a little more force in her voice. “You have nothing to worry about.”
“Do I?” Michelle sighed, shutting her eyes.
“Are we still talking about…” Helen paused, reaching her hand towards her friend’s hand. “…the same Michelle Adams who rocked Williamsburg, back in February?”
“Huh,” Michelle snorted. “That was a beautiful night.”
“Exactly,” Helen used an emphatic tone, wrapping her fingers around her friend’s hand. “I believe in you, Michelle. It’s okay to be nervous, but, trust me, you’re going to be amazing tomorrow night. You’re a fantastic singer.”
“Thanks.” Michelle uttered, turning her gaze back down to Helen’s face. “I’m sorry I snapped at you like that.”
“Don’t be.” Helen urged. “I dumped you; I deserved that.”
“So, who was that guy?” Michelle asked, as her gaze shot up to meet Helen’s.
“I was right.” Helen declared, as a smug smile spread across her face. “It was Marcus.”
“You’re kidding!” Michelle exclaimed. “How did he end up here?”
“Let’s get in the car.” Helen suggested, nodding at the same time. “I’ll explain everything on our way back.”
Chapter Four
Helen, Michelle and Gina wished the best to the newlyweds and left Barbados early the following afternoon. Helen would carry bittersweet memories from her first trip abroad. She had been there for one of her closest friend’s marriage. Olivia’s happiness filled her heart with joy, but, at the same time, it reminded her that she was still alone. Helen had no reason to worry that she wouldn’t find love. After all, she was only 24 years old, but still, she envied her friend’s luck. Olivia had found her one true love and she hadn’t.
Nevertheless, the discovery of her special one was not Helen’s biggest problem. Olivia and James’s wedding was the conclusion of a hectic, but very fun, four-month period. Her parents had allowed her to drive back and forth to New York almost on a daily basis, until the wedding. Most of the time, Helen visited Olivia. They would usually go out to a nearby club or even frequent “Barry’s”, the bar where Michelle and James often performed. More than that, Michelle and Helen helped Olivia pick her wedding dress and, along with Gina, plan the wedding. A strong bond began to develop among the four women. It wasn’t long before they realized that they had quite a few things in common and, even though Helen could not stand Gina’s cynicism sometimes, she liked her as well. She was much less sentimental than Olivia, but her sarcastic jokes and her strong character appealed to Helen.
The only thing that gave Helen some hope of escaping her dull, uneventful routine in Shandaken was the idea of working for Michelle. Although it would not last long, she would have an ideal chance of travelling to the West Coast. Visiting the golden beaches of Malibu had always enthralled her. Moreover, she and Michelle would get to spend a lot more time together. Her job would not be difficult, as it didn’t entail much, and she only had to work during Michelle’s concerts. In Helen’s mind, it was a dream job, but she still had to convince her parents.
Mom and dad won’t like that. Don’t understate things, Helen. You know they’ll hate it. You’ve been driving around like crazy over the past few months and they were very lenient. They allowed you to enjoy every second of the preparations. God knows you had a great time. Is it bad that I want more? I mean, I’ve never lived away from Shandaken. All this is still very new to me. Shopping, hanging out in the big city… I already miss that. Who’d want to go back to working at the supermarket, after experiencing all this? Let’s hope my parents can understand me…
Sadly for Helen, it was already 1am when she entered Shandaken. Whatever plans she had of discussing her future plans with her parents would have to wait until the next day. Jetlagged, but with a heart full of content, she unlocked her front door and pushed it open. Helen snuck a peek into the living room. Her mother, Debbie, had fallen asleep in front of the TV. Grabbing the handle of her suitcase, she tiptoed into the house, while her gaze settled on her mother. Before she could cross the room though, a strong gust of wind slammed the door shut.
“God!” Debbie gasped, jolting forward out of her sleep.
“Hi, mom,” Helen said, her voice low as she turned left to face her. “Sorry for waking you.”
“It’s okay, child.” Debbie assured her daughter, her chest rising up and down. “Welcome home. How was Barbados?”
“Amazing,” Helen utter
ed, her voice filled with sadness as she dragged her gaze away from her mother. “Too bad you couldn’t make it. Where’s dad?”
“He’s in our bedroom. You sound upset, sweetheart,” Helen remarked, rising up off the couch. “What’s wrong?”
“Now’s not the time,” Helen heaved a long, deep sigh. “Go back to sleep. We’ll talk about it in the morning.”
“Well, I’m up now.” Debbie spoke in a soothing voice. “And tomorrow will be quite busy for the both of us. Come on, child. Tell me; what’s bothering you?”
“I’m going to miss them.” Helen confessed, her voice wobbly, as she turned her gaze to her mother’s face. “Michelle, Olivia, James… I’m even going to miss that cynical ginger, Gina.”
“You can always visit them in New York, pumpkin,” Debbie said, her tone calm as she started towards her. “Besides, James told me he’d be staying in his cabin a lot this winter.”
“Winter is five months away, mom,” Helen whispered, feeling tears rising up in her eyes. “And James needs to focus on his work, which means Olivia won’t be here much.”
“What are you saying?” Debbie asked in a voice riddled with tension. “You want to move to the city? Is that it?”
“I don’t know, mom.” Helen lightly shook her head.
“Look beyond your friendships with them, Helen.” Debbie advised. “New York is one huge, vicious place. Things move faster than you can blink there. Sure, you’ll be closer to them, but, most of the time, you’ll either be too tired to see them or you won’t have time for them. What are you going to do, anyway?”
“Mom, don’t get ahead of yourself, okay?” Helen requested as her voice broke and a tear rolled down her face. “I just said I’ll miss them. I haven’t thought about living in New York, getting a job there or anything else like that.”
“I can understand why,” Debbie said with a relaxed nod. “All this time was like a long vacation for you and them. But, do you really think it’s going to be like that from now on? I got news for you. It won’t. Pretty soon, life will happen. James is a rich man; he’s more than capable of taking care of his wife. Michelle’s on her way to stardom…”
“She asked me to work for her,” Helen interrupted.
“What?” Debbie squinted at her.
“Michelle,” Helen drew in a sharp breath. “She wants me to be her personal assistant.”
“Go on.” Debbie urged.
“She’s going away on a West Coast tour in a couple of weeks. It’s a temporary thing, though.” Helen explained, running her hand through her hair. “It will only be for a month, give or take.”
“What about your compensation?” Debbie asked.
“We haven’t talked about that yet,” Helen replied, her voice lower, as she gazed deep into her mother’s eyes. “I wanted to discuss it with you first.”
“It’s for just a month?” Debbie raised an eyebrow.
“Yes,” Helen gave a firm nod. Just after her sharp answer, her mother leaned in towards her, arms wide open and took her in her embrace.
“You can go.” Debbie said in her most comforting voice, slowly leaning back. “I’ll talk to your father. I’m sure he won’t mind.”
“Really?” Helen breathed out, surprise written all over her face. “I thought it’d be harder to convince you. I mean, you won’t have any help at the supermarket.”
“I’ve been doing it for four months now.” Debbie smiled. “I can handle it for a little while longer.”
“Thank you so much, mom,” Helen whispered, a broad smile spreading across her face, as she circled her arms around her mother’s back. “You don’t know how much this means to me.”
“Don’t mention it, honey.” Debbie assured, gently pushing her back. “Now, go get some rest. We have a long day ahead of us tomorrow.”
Chapter Five
In spite of her workload, Helen was in a very festive mood. Her mother had given her the world the night before. At last, she would be her own woman. She would not depend on her parents anymore, at least for a short while. Helen worked tirelessly, carrying boxes or handling the register, humming lyrics of her favorite songs, and smiling at everybody. Most of her customers were used to her cheerful attitude; she had always been a happy girl, but a rude customer could – and often did – ruin her mood. Still, when she did face one that morning, she managed to baffle the several bystanders and did not even argue with him. On the contrary, she flashed a smile to dismiss him.
She called Michelle in the morning and told her the news. As one would expect, she was thrilled that her friend would become her personal assistant. Indeed, Michelle was so ecstatic that she kept cheering throughout their conversation.
The remaining days were no different. Helen waited patiently for the moment that she would leave her uneventful life in Shandaken once again, eager to reunite with her friends. To her dislike, Michelle was too preoccupied with rehearsals to drive there and Helen was simply too exhausted to do the same. Nevertheless, they both showed understanding; neither of them complained to each other.
When the big day finally came, Helen hugged and kissed her parents and drove out of the small, mountainous town, with a mind filled with questions, but with a heart burning with anticipation.
Malibu, California, here I come! Long, sunny beaches; gorgeous sunsets; loads of Michelle’s concerts; I just hope I don’t have to deal with Mr. Grumpy too much. He may be a great guy, but I just want to punch him in his fat face when he complains about everything. Okay, that’s just wishful thinking, Helen. He’ll be there, too. There’s nothing much you can do to avoid him. Nah, who cares? I’m going to be on my own. Is there anything more important than that? Well, sure there is: an honest relationship with someone. One thing at a time, darling, one thing at a time.
Helen parked her car in the underground parking lot of “Reigns”, a luxurious hotel in Manhattan, but, as she made her way to the elevator, she heard a familiar voice, echoing in the space: Gina. As she swept the lot, she spotted Rick’s Mercedes, heading for the exit.
“No, it can’t be her.” She told herself. Seconds later, she stepped out of the empty car on the penthouse, only to discover that the door to the suite was wide open. Michelle was behind it, whereas Olivia was sitting on the couch, laughing heartily.
“Hiiiii!” Helen sang, easing her suitcase down.
“Hey, girl,” Michelle smiled at her, as they exchanged a warm hug. “Come on in.”
“Liv, welcome back!” Helen cheered, sprinting across the living room. “When did guys come back? How was Jamaica?”
“Amazing,” Olivia chuckled. “But not nearly as amazing as this.”
“They got back last night. Jesus, country girl,” Michelle protested, while picking Helen’s suitcase up from the floor. “What have you put in here, rocks?”
“Um, why’s she laughing that hard?” Helen asked, looking up at Michelle.
“Oh, yeah,” Michelle gave an amused snort. “Gina and Rick were just here.”
“Gina and Rick?” Helen exclaimed, as her mouth fell open in utter disbelief.
“Yeah,” Michelle affirmed, smiling down at her. “They’re a thing. Rick was about to say something smart about…” she paused, “his favorite part of a female body. Gina glared at him. He stopped right away.”
“When did they…?”
“Get together?” Michelle finished Helen’s sentence. “Barbados. They hooked up on Olivia’s wedding night.”
“Oh, my God!” Helen’s voice became even more high-pitched. “How’s this even possible?”
“It makes sense, if you ask me.” Michelle stated. “He’s wacky, and talks a little too much. She’s restrained, and a little too serious. They’re a perfect fit.”
“So, there’ll be no more ‘sweet ass’ jokes?” Helen inquired, her voice dropping an octave lower, as she waited for her friend’s reply.
“Nope,” Michelle said with a grin. “I’m going to miss that, to be honest. Not the comments; just that crazy look i
n his eyes. He sort of looks like a mad scientist, every time he talks about butts.”
“Finally,” Helen sighed in relief. “Where’s James?”
“On his way to Shandaken,” Olivia interjected. “He won’t go anywhere without his guitars and his sheet music.”
“I can’t believe I’m about to go on tour with ‘Jimmy X’.” Michelle gave a short laugh. “I mean, who would have thought?”
“He’s…” Helen faltered. “He’s not going to reveal his identity, is he?”
“Do you even know James?” Olivia spoke in sarcastic tones. “There’s no way in hell he’s ever going to do that. He’ll do exactly what he did that night in their first gig: Wear a hat and pretend like he’s just another pianist.”
“That was some night.” Helen commented. “I’ll always have you two to thank for that.”
“I don’t want to remember it.” Olivia confessed, her voice lowering to a soft whisper. “Too much pain, too much sorrow…”
“Don’t think like that, Liv.” Michelle advised, seating herself beside her. “That night, Mr. Grumpy declared his love for you to the world. It also put me on the map as a singer, not as a joke.”
“He still doesn’t like that name.” Olivia’s lips curled into a sweet smile, as she faced her friend.
“He’d better get used to it.” Helen teased. “Michelle, can I talk to you for a second?”
“Not really.” Michelle’s quick response and her devilish smile intrigued her. Still, before she could speak, Helen’s friend pulled a folded piece of paper out of her right pocket and handed it over to her.
“Oh…” Helen gasped, as she noticed the amount on the check. “Three thousand dollars?”
“Make that six.” Olivia’s words added to her profound shock. “You’ll get that after you guys come back from the tour. James said, --and I quote— ‘I’d still be alone, if it hadn’t been for that blonde girl.’ It’s the least we could do for you, sweetie. He’s right; we’d still be apart if you hadn’t been involved.”
