Piper: A Last Score Spin Off

by K. L. Shandwick

  “At your place?” I could hardly speak for the tremors going on inside me at the thought of spending time with Simon on my own.

  “Sure. In case you don’t know this, I’m in a band. We’re a little bit famous which means I can’t really hang out with you on Santa Monica beach without being noticed.”

  My heart skipped a beat at his description because it was drastically understated about the attention he’d receive; a mini riot would have been more near the mark. Excitement coursed through me at his invitation. Like I even had to think about how to answer.

  Sheer delight filled my head with notions of spending time with him, but at the back of my mind I couldn’t help feeling it may have felt like his duty to him.

  No matter what the reason I was flattered and even that was an understatement. Swamped constantly with invitations, Simon was never short of a place to be. I’d heard women beg on the phone during the times he’d spent at our home.

  “So, what do you think?” Simon’s low timbre cut into my thoughts.

  “I guess… I mean I’d like that,” I replied, trying not to let my excitement bubble over into my voice, despite me trying to talk myself down from cloud nine in my head.

  “You could at least sound a little excited to spend some time with me,” he added playfully.

  I smiled so wide I felt the sides of my mouth tweak. Holy fuck, am I excited. “I am. It’ll be nice. I’m looking forward to it,” I admitted but without alluding to the silent happy dance going on inside my head.

  “Princess, a note to ponder. Most women would be squealing with excitement if I brought them to my home.”

  “You want me to squeal?” I asked then realized what I’d said and cringed.

  Simon chuckled softly, “Maybe. I’d definitely have fun making you squeal,” he teased, in a comment loaded with sexual connotation. Good Lord. I had no smart mouthed comment to reply to that.

  “Ah, but you forget I’m not most women,” I replied as I tried to take us back to solid ground.

  “Hmm, I guess you’re not,” he replied after he’d hummed like he had considered my point. “Okay tomorrow from your place, what time do you finish?”

  “5pm.”

  “All right, a car will be waiting for you back at the apartment.”

  A female voice murmured softly in the background and my heart immediately sank. What did you expect, Piper? Of course he has a woman there already. His invite is out of kindness that’s all. What the hell did you expect?

  “Just coming,” he muttered in a gentle tone to whoever she was then turned his attention back to me. “Gotta go. See you tomorrow, Princess.”

  When the call disconnected, I was left with the sound of the woman's velvety voice and felt infinitely less enthusiastic about visiting him than I had when the conversation had begun.

  I sighed, the weekend would be interesting if nothing else. His house was only thirty minutes away from Santa Monica and if I got there and I was expected to play a third wheel, I could always head home again.

  Coming face to face with Jeff and my last session of the week at the studio had filled me with dread, but it was clear he was kept in check by whatever Thomas and Otto had said. Jeff barely looked at me all day and I focused on the music which got me through.

  At one point I had thought about challenging him, but the advice was to leave it to others, and thankfully the recording session went smoothly.

  No one had prepared me about singing the same song for hours at a time. It was mentally draining. Otto made me feel better when he advised me we were ahead of schedule.

  I was surprised to learn some seasoned bands don’t crack an album for many months due to constant rejigging of scores and lyrics, or technical stuff.

  At the end of the day, apart from Otto, I was the last to leave and when I did, I noted Jeff was waiting by my car. Shit.

  Tensing on sight, my mood swiftly changed from one of accomplishment to anger as soon as I laid eyes on him. Jeff may have taken advantage of me once, but it’s what I do now that matters.

  “I never gave you drugs in the backpack you carried.” His voice had an urgency about it.

  “I never said you did.” Of course I didn’t believe him because offering information I never asked for was a sure sign of guilt. “I’m not interested, Jeff. Just do your job and leave me alone.”

  Jeff scoffed and place a hand at the back of his head. “Can we start again?”

  “Nope. No second chances with this chick,” I replied, in a clipped but decisive tone. I knew I sounded harsh, and that was my every intention.

  “Aw come on, I made a mistake,” he insisted.

  “Which mistake would that be? Passing me off as your mule, or underestimating my connections? The real mistake was trying to take advantage of someone who had no idea you were dealing in drugs, without knowing I had connections with your buyer.” I unlocked my car and slid into the seat. I was about to close the door when he caught it and held it open.

  “Listen—”

  “Take your fucking hands off my door or I’ll sound the horn and bring Otto out here. Is that what you want? Now leave me the fuck alone, I have plans for the evening.”

  Anger flushed his face as his fist bunched at the end of the stiff arm by his side. Frustration radiated through him and he shoved the car door at me with the hand that held it. It swung shut so hard it rocked the car, the bang startling me, making me jump.

  Jeff’s behavior showed me yet another side to him, but thanks to the counselling, self-defense and coping strategies I’d been taught at Dignity, I felt better equipped to deal with him and his violent behavior. I knew how to handle his aggression. Never to show fear and act with total conviction.

  My pulse raced as I sat and watched him stomp away. I sighed in relief and I thought he was heading to his motorcycle, but when he stopped about thirty yards away blocking my exit, I saw he was far from done trying to intimidate me. He made me furious by his effort to control and frighten me and I knew I had to deal decisively

  Sticking my key in the ignition, I pressed my foot on the accelerator pedal and heard the car roar to life. Whenever I felt my personal safety was under threat, I had no hesitation in what I had to do.

  Men like Jeff, who used women for their own gain were cowards. I’d lived with the master of them. Jeff may have thought he was stronger than me and physically he was for sure, but he had no idea who he was fucking with when it came to me facing a bully.

  I slammed my foot on the gas to the floor, my other one on the brake. It was a move I had seen in a movie. Smoke rose from the exhaust, the tires screeched, and they began to burn rubber. Jeff threw his head back laughing at what he felt was my attempt to scare him. I wasn’t attempting anything. I was as serious as a heart attack.

  Sending what I felt was a definitive message for Jeff to back off had to be effective or I knew he’d be persistent, so with fear and determination fueling my decision I released the brake pedal. Shock registered on his face the moment he realized I wasn’t messing with him.

  Diving chest first into the dirt he called out, “Crazy bitch,” as I sped past him with my heart in my mouth. Yep, I am. So don’t you dare fuck with me in future. Without glancing back, I drove out of the car lot and onto the open road.

  Physically shaking with nerves, I drove about four blocks down and pulled up to the side. Nausea burned at the back of my throat and I opened the door in the nick of time, vomiting onto the road beneath me.

  After witnessing what my mom went through with Colin, I swore I wouldn’t let someone threaten my freedom because he thought he was stronger or more ruthless than me and I had just proven to myself I meant it.

  Consoling myself with that thought, I took another deep breath and let it out, hoping my actions would make Jeff think twice before he tried anything else to bring me down.

  Chapter Seven

  Arriving back home, I quickly showered, and slipped into a casual but feminine outfit of a loose-fitting, deep-red,
off-the-shoulder top and some white Capri pants. Wanting to make an impression that I’d at least tried to look good, I reapplied my light makeup and headed out the door to meet the driver.

  On the way to Simon’s place, Melody rang me from Chloe’s phone and we chatted about her day. It was obvious she missed me from what she had said, and I reassured her I’d get back to Colorado as soon as I could.

  Putting me on speakerphone when her parents had joined her, we all chatted like we were around the kitchen table.

  Gibson was pleased to hear Thomas had been to see me. I totally omitted why he’d made the journey, but I promised myself I’d tell him the whole story at some point, just another day.

  All through the conversation I waited nervously for one of them to ask where I was headed. I'd already decided if they did, I’d answer honestly. My respect for all they had done wasn’t going to be buried in lies.

  Since the incident with Jeff, I had accepted Gibson’s concerns were valid and knew from the start all he wanted was to protect me from getting hurt and because of this had any of them asked where I was going, I’d have been straight with them. Even if the friendship between Simon and I was a sore point for Gibson.

  Fortunately, I caught a break when Gibson got a call on his own phone in the middle of our conversation, and left Chloe, Melody, and I, to conclude the call.

  Slipping my phone into my purse, I stared out the window at the silver shimmering waves as the huge glowing moon cast a bright reflection on it, making the waves on the Pacific Ocean flow like mercury.

  As we drove toward Simon, I felt apprehensive yet had no expectations for the time we’d spend together. God, what if he found me boring? Immature? He didn’t know me outside of the ranch.

  A knot formed in my stomach again and I wondered if our friendship could possibly be sustained now I wasn’t living at home.

  My stupid crush for him was my business, there was nothing I could do about that, but I knew I would hate it to come between the friendship that had developed between us.

  My innocence was one thing. My lewd thoughts and feelings toward Simon were something else. But even with my very limited knowledge of men, he was definitely my fantasy man. When I caught sight of myself in the rear-view mirror, I barely recognized who I was from a little over two years before.

  Everyone had to accept I’d get things wrong from time to time. It was how I’d learn from the experience that would get me where I needed to be. As long as those lessons weren’t too drastic.

  From the roadside, Simon’s place was nothing like I had imagined it would be. Tall, whitewashed walls stretched either side of an imposing set of solid wooden gates.

  Apart from alluding to a substantial property inside, there was no indication a famous rock star lived beyond the fortressed boundary.

  Gazing out at the steep sweeping driveway with perfect landscaped gardens on either side, butterflies rose from deep in my belly.

  The anticipation of seeing Simon felt almost too much. I knew it was crazy having a crush on him, but the heart doesn’t care about age or other prejudices when something touches it in the way Simon touched mine.

  Evenly spaced sprinklers twirled in perfect synchronicity as they sprayed fine misted fountains of cool water on the carefully manicured lawns. I shook my head in wonder. Who would have thought Simon had such immaculate taste?

  As we pulled up in front of the entrance to Simon’s home, my curious eyes scanned the front of the double story contemporary build with its floor-to-ceiling tinted glass; obviously designed to keep the sun out.

  His house was almost a polar opposite of the homey lifestyle Gibson and Chloe lived in and it was expensive, chic, and luxurious.

  My gaze fell to the huge glass door as it opened wide. I was caught totally off guard, my breath hitching as Simon, looking more appealing than ever, strode purposefully toward us. His usual sexy smile made my mouth dry as I perused his awesome hard body in his tightly stretched white t-shirt and low-rise dark-denim jeans. Sweet Jesus.

  For a moment I struggled to even out my breathing as my pulse galloped uncontrollably, and I sucked in a long, deep breath as I fought to calm myself down.

  Mirroring his friendly cue, I offered a warm smile in return as I did my best to hide the chaotic effect he had on my mind.

  “Hello, Princess,” he said, giving me his cocky, wide grin, as he offered an outstretched hand for me to take. Hearing the low gravelly tone, I realized I had almost swooned right there in front of him.

  Instead, I remained speechless, not trusting my voice not to let him hear how displaced I felt and smiled affectionately back at him despite the ‘Princess’ reference.

  I wiped my sweaty hand on my pants and slipped my small warm palm into his. Electricity coursed through me, leaving a buzz on my lips and fingertips and a warm glow staining my cheeks.

  “Smooth trip out here?” he asked, leaning past me to close the car door. In doing so his hard, warm chest brushed my arm.

  Immediately, his scent surrounded me as my head filled with an alluring cologne, spearmint chewing gum, and the smell that was him. I inhaled until my lungs couldn’t take anymore.

  “Hungry?” he asked and for a few seconds I had difficulty with the constant tiny excited vibrations running through me to answer him. I exhaled slowly and answered.

  “A bit,” I managed to squeak out as he led me by the hand through his front door and into a huge open plan living space.

  Another silent squeal escaped in my head and I glanced briefly at our hands, mine small, smooth and delicate in comparison to his huge, strong veiny one. Holy crap.

  Scrutinizing the décor as he led me into the center of the room, I was surprised by the impeccable contemporary taste.

  Everywhere sported clean symmetrical lines with white and gray furniture which was complimented with the right amount of soft furnishings bringing splashes of color to match his carefully chosen artwork.

  Styled for contemporary open-plan living, it was light and airy. The far wall sliders were completely retracted giving a feel of bringing the outside right into the room. Soft amber lighting cast a warm glow over the infinity pool which stretched into the black night beyond.

  “Wow. This place is incredible,” I remarked wide-eyed. Simon rewarded me with a shy smile.

  “Thanks,” he mumbled and looked around the room then back to me. His humble response made him even more attractive. “I had Stevie make us some ribs and corn bread, I know it’s your favorite dinner,” he added as I glanced nervously around the room.

  Still in awe of my surroundings I let my eyes flit to the upper elevation and I wondered if someone else was present in the house. Wait a minute. He knows ribs are my favorite? How did he remember that?

  “I figured you probably hadn’t eaten any home-cooked food since you got to Santa Monica. Am I right?” He asked bringing my focus back on him.

  “True… and ribs sound amazing,” And amazingly messy. What the hell? No chance of looking seductive eating those unless I was trying to impress a caveman… which Simon definitely wasn’t.

  His food choice knocked the wind out of me and shattered any ideas I had of attempting to appear sophisticated during dinner. I had imagined myself holding a close conversation over a much less difficult meal.

  “Love the outfit, Princess, very cute,” he stated over his shoulder as he dropped my hand and wandered over to the oven. I stared down at my hand and missed his warm grip immediately.

  Plates with ribs already on them were laid out. He added some corn bread then turned to face me. I felt myself blush when his eyes locked with mine and his compliment totally fucked with the look he gave me. Cute as in childlike, or cute as in he liked it?

  Wrapping my arms around myself in a self-conscious act I covered up a little, but he had stopped looking at me when he addressed me casually again.

  “Where do you want to eat? In here or out on the patio?” he enquired, appearing totally unaware of how awkward I suddenly was.


  It was a no-brainer. The patio was darker, and I thought if I got any of the barbecue sauce on me it wouldn’t be as apparent as it would look under the bright downlighters hanging over the dining room table.

  “Patio sounds great,” I replied as I wondered how I’d even eat them at all in his presence.

  I didn’t want Simon to see me as the kid Gibson took in, and I prayed he saw me for the young woman I was; but being in his home I had nothing to hide behind like I usually would have had back in Colorado.

  Suddenly I felt totally inept as to how to conduct myself. It wasn’t as if Simon was behaving any differently to normal. All the hang ups I felt were mine.

  “Come on then before they get cold,” he coaxed in a light, friendly voice as he held both round plates in his hands. Gesturing his head toward the patio area, he invited me to follow.

  Once outside, he led me through the sultry night air to a huge, round glass dining table with a Lazy Susan at the center.

  The patio seating area hadn’t been visible from the inside. I tried to figure out why, then realized the patio extended beyond the building.

  Once situated, Simon sat back in his chair, grabbed one of his ribs and took a large hungry chunk out of it. “Mm,” he hummed in an exaggerated sound of enjoyment. The noise immediately made my core pulse, and I stared fascinated as he chewed his first bite. “Oh, God,” he groaned in ecstasy and I squeezed my thighs tightly, together. “Go on, dig in,” he encouraged as he nodded toward the delicious, but messy looking food.

  My focus was squarely on his cherry-red lips, visibly wet from his tongue, among his full beard and I just about managed to drag my eyes away from them to meet his gaze.

  Drawing a deep breath, I swallowed roughly and resigned myself to knowing I’d look like a pig eating in front of him, but the smell from the barbecue sauce was ridiculously inviting.

  My dilemma was very real as I shifted my gaze to my plate. My stomach betrayed me when it grumbled in protest as the delicious aroma assaulted my brain. Simon was spot on, they were my favorite food. Of all the times to remember what I liked, why did it have to be now?