Hard Lessons: (A Wild Minds Prequel Novel)

by Charlotte West

  Jett made a humming noise but didn’t move. I sighed and went back to my task. My hands were covered in latex gloves and I shook a bottle that smelled like burnt hair. I’d taken Addy to the local mall tonight. We’d eaten at the food court then raided a Hot Topic for dye. I couldn’t decide between red or blue, so I bought both. Then I waited until Addy fell asleep. I unscrewed the cap of Billy’s shampoo. Earlier, I’d unpacked it for him. Another thing he bid me to do. Notes of cedar and pine wafted up.

  “You know how much he loves his hair,” Jett murmured.

  Ugh. I regretted letting the lead singer into the suite. The Wi-Fi in his room wasn’t working, and he wanted to Facetime his mother before going out. So sweet. Why couldn’t Jett have a daughter in need of a nanny?

  When I’d emerged from my room, Hot Topic bag in hand, he’d followed me to Billy’s en-suite bathroom, then silently watched as I went about my revenge business.

  “Don’t you need to go meet up with the band?” I asked over my shoulder.

  “I don’t think so, flower.” Another annoying thing: the entire band and road crew had adopted Billy’s nickname for me. Jett continued, “This is way more entertaining. Plus Billy invited Svetlana.” Jett mock shivered. “That girl is clingy, gives me the creeps.” Svetlana, if you couldn’t guess by the name, was a model. A tall, willowy, beautiful Victoria’s Secret model, and Billy’s current flame. She’d lasted a whole two weeks. A record for Billy. I hated her. Even though she was nice. I mostly disliked her because she had all the assets I lacked. I could do a thousand sit-ups every night and my stomach would still be soft and dimpled, squishy.

  “Blue or red?” I asked, holding up the bottles of dye.

  “He might really fire you this time.”

  “How’s he going to know it’s me? I’ll tell him the salon must have made a mistake.” Billy’s shampoo came specially mixed from an L.A.-based salon. I narrowed my eyes at the curly-haired lead guitarist. A tattoo of a snake wound around his neck. “Unless you’re going to rat on me.”

  Jett held up his hands and smiled. “I’m no rat, plus I don’t want you as an enemy. God knows what you’d do to my hair.” He had dimples. I bet we’d make pretty babies. God, why was I even thinking that? I knew why: it’d been almost a year since my last hookup, and I was hornier than a goat. I needed to get laid, and it was a problem I intended to rectify soon. Guess who’d found a virginity-stealing Navy SEAL on Facebook? This girl. Colin was on leave for the next two weeks, and come hell or high water I was going to Florida for some much-needed R.R.S—rest, relaxation and sex. I should copyright that shit.

  I grinned at him over my shoulder. “I don’t think your hair would take dye well. It’s too dark. I’d do something different, think scissors and glue. Now, red or blue?”

  Jett considered it. “Red. Definitely red. It’ll match the color of your ass once Billy gets a hold of it.”

  The next morning Addy wanted waffles for breakfast. I happily obliged, calling in a double order to room service. A man in white gloves knocked on the door thirty minutes later. He’d rolled in a cart with gleaming silver trays and set the table. I didn’t hear Billy come in last night. After I’d squirted red dye into his shampoo and mixed it, I’d gone off to bed and slept like a baby. I dreamt of Billy with fiery crimson hair. He’d get to experience being a redhead. I’d throw all the comments people had made to me over the years in his face. Does the carpet match the drapes? Has anyone ever told you that you look like Strawberry Shortcake? Or my personal favorite: redheads have no souls.

  I signed for the room service charge and gave the waiter a healthy tip. “Go ahead, sweetheart,” I told Addy. We were working on table manners, most recently, waiting until everyone was seated before starting to eat.

  Addy tore into the waffles, whipped cream dropping onto her chest. She’d worn the roach costume again. I’d have to figure out a way to wash it after she went to bed. I felt something warm and gooey blossom in the center of my chest and bleed out. I loved this girl.

  The door to Billy’s room opened and out stepped my boss. Jeans sat low on his hips. He wasn’t wearing a shirt. My mouth went dry. A trail of blond hair started below his ribs and traveled down into his jeans. He’d left the top button unbuttoned. His hair was mussed and stood up all over the place. Full sleeve tattoos wrapped both arms. Sprawling the width of his chest were the words Made in England. He swallowed, Adam’s apple bobbing under his sparrow neck tattoos. Addy told me he’d gotten the birds after he gained permanent custody of her.

  “My God, little bird,” Billy exclaimed, putting a hand to his chest and staggering back as if shot. Addy looked at him, alarmed. “Have I told you, you’re the most gorgeous cockroach I’ve ever seen?”

  Addy’s wide eyes melted. A huge smile stretched her face. She laughed, the sound tinkling like a bell. “You said that yesterday.”

  “Well you are you know. You steal my very breath.” He tweaked her nose then sauntered to the head of the table. Rubbing his toned tummy, he half collapsed into a chair, luxuriating like a fat cat. “I don’t suppose you ordered me anything to eat.”

  I pointed to a silver covered tray. “Eggs over easy, plain toast and bacon.” It was his favorite breakfast. I’d ordered it for him multiple times. Most mornings I licked his bacon before serving it to him. This morning I hadn’t. That’s how good I was feeling. Go me.

  Billy slid the dish in front of him, muscles flexing with the movement. “You’re being very agreeable, flower. It makes me suspicious.”

  I folded the napkin in my lap. “Well, it’s a beautiful day and I slept well.”

  Billy grunted and dug into his breakfast. A little noise from the master bedroom and Svetlana sauntered out, clad in a long T-shirt I recognized as Billy’s and a pair of skimpy leopard underwear.

  “Morning.” She smiled and wrapped an arm around Billy’s shoulders, leaning down to kiss him on the temple. Another grunt from Billy. “Ooh, coffee,” she exclaimed. A beautiful silver pot of black goodness sat in the middle of the table.

  Addy pushed herself from the table and scrambled to Svetlana’s side. My cockroach costume-clad girl tugged on the hem of the model’s T-shirt.

  “Well, hello Addy,” Svetlana stared down at her.

  It’d be so much easier to hate Svetlana if she wasn’t so nice. She liked Addy and treated her with respect, kindness and patience.

  “Are you going to be my new mommy?” asked Addy. A smile lit Svetlana’s face at the question. She wanted more from Billy. I’d overhead them fight over it plenty. Too bad, you’d be more likely to see a dodo bird in the wild than get Billy Wanks to commit.

  Billy had just taken a sip of water and promptly choked on it. He coughed, thumping his chest with a fist. He spoke to Svetlana. “Didn’t you say you needed to get to a gig this morning?”

  Svetlana’s smile faded. I almost felt bad for her. Almost. “We’re in North Carolina. I came to visit you. I’m not working.”

  “I could’ve sworn you said something about needing to leave early this morning,” said Billy. What a bastard. He wanted her to leave but wouldn’t come out and say it.

  Svetlana smiled again, but it wasn’t the same as before. Her expression was wilted, hurt. “Oh,” she said. “Yeah, I do have a thing. I’ll just go get changed.” She fled the dining area, closing the master bedroom door behind her.

  Addy made a little face but didn’t comment on her father’s exchange with his pseudo-girlfriend. She turned to me, roach antennae bobbing. “Can I go watch cartoons now? I’m done eating.”

  I nodded, wiping my mouth with my napkin. “You may be excused.” I allowed thirty minutes of television a day. Addy scampered off and I heard the muted sounds of SpongeBob start in the next room.

  I felt Billy’s scrutiny and met his green eyes. “Don’t think I don’t know you’re the one who taught her that,” he said.

  I gave him a blank face. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

  “The are you
going to be my new mommy bullshit. It’s diabolical. It’s shameful.”

  I merely lifted a shoulder, smiled and sipped my tea.

  Svetlana emerged from the bedroom, fully dressed. I noticed her eyes were a little red rimmed. Well, that made me feel like crap. Sometimes people got caught in the crossfire between Billy and me. Svetlana was an unintended casualty. She hovered near Billy and said, “I’ll see you tonight?”

  Poor girl. I knew the look of a woman more invested in a relationship than her partner. She was in love with Billy. “Sure,” he said, cheek full of toast and egg.

  “Okay,” she said, then paused, maybe waiting for Billy to do or say something more. My asshole boss kept silent, eating and chewing without a care in the world.

  “Goodbye then, I guess.” She headed toward the door.

  “Wait, Svetlana,” I called, standing at my seat. “Do you want to take a cup of coffee to go?” It was my way of apologizing. Billy’s dickish traits were rubbing off on me. Another thing to be angry with him about.

  “No thanks, Petunia,” she said, opening the door.

  Billy snorted a laugh.

  I frowned. “My name is Daisy.”

  “Oh, sorry,” said Svetlana. “I knew it was a flower name.” She rushed through the door. I collapsed back in my seat and crossed my arms. Any pity I’d felt for Svetlana went up in smoke. She couldn’t even remember my name. And I’d introduced myself to her three times. Thrice.

  Billy smirked, his mood infinitely improved and mine plummeted accordingly. “You shouldn’t date such good-looking women,” I said to him, all snide and snotty. “People will think you’re shallow.”

  “I am shallow.”

  I had nothing to say to that. I liked him even less when he agreed with me. I tapped my fingers on the table, then got up and produced a piece of paper from my purse. I placed it on top of Billy’s empty plate.

  “What’s this?” he asked, without looking at the paper. God forbid he read it. I wondered if he even knew how to read. Scratch that, he did know how to read, I’d seen him with comic books. And magazines. Billy Wanks had a secret obsession with rag mags. If only the world knew.

  “It’s a request for time off.”

  Billy scoffed. “Time off? This is a twenty-four hour job, in case you’ve forgotten.”

  I breathed deep. “I didn’t forget.” How could I? For six months I’d been Addy’s nanny, three of them spent at her temperamental father’s beck and call. “But you also promised me vacation time when you made the offer. You’re taking Addy to New York for Thanksgiving next week and your schedule is full of things for just the two of you.” Something I begrudgingly admired about Billy, he always carved out one-on-one time in his schedule for Addy. My father had never done that. The Colonel had been indifferent, barely involved. Another deep breath. “And while you’re doing all that, I’m going to visit my father.” Followed by a steamy encounter with Colin, my Navy SEAL. He was on leave and I was going to climb that man like a tree, work off some of my sexual frustration.

  Billy’s lips twitched. “I don’t know. What if I need you?”

  “You won’t. I’ve got everything planned for you.” Addy and Billy’s schedule was packed—VIP seats to the Macy’s Thanksgiving parade, a visit to FAO Schwartz, followed by Dylan’s Candy Bar.

  Billy started to shake his head. “No sorry, flower. It won’t work. What will I tell little bird? She has separation anxiety.”

  “No she doesn’t.” Despite Addy’s unconventional life and mother dying, she was very well adjusted.

  “It’s recently diagnosed.”

  I resisted the urge to scream, to take Billy by the shoulders and shake him. “Billy, I need this.”

  A taut silence ensued.

  Billy’s jaw ticked. “You seriously want to trade Thanksgiving in New York for …”

  “Tampa, Florida.” While I knew almost everything about Billy’s life, he knew next to nothing about mine.

  “Florida? That’s where you’re from? Why don’t you have one of those charming southern accents?”

  I dug my fingernails into my palms. “I’m going to Florida, Billy. I’ll be there three days, then I’ll meet you and Addy in New York.”

  Billy’s mouth turned down. “I was going to make a turkey with a beer shoved up its ass.”

  “No you weren’t.”

  “You’re right, but I was going to pay someone to do it for me.”

  “You won’t even notice I’m gone.”

  “Two days,” Billy declared.

  I wanted to punch his autocratic nose, his very pretty, pretty nose. Jeez, I was hard up. I thought about his offer. Two days was better than nothing. “Fine,” I agreed.

  “Excellent.” Billy balled up his napkin and tossed it on the table, standing. “I’m going to go take a shower. I feel like you should probably get me one of those best boss mugs or something. It would make the perfect Christmas gift, don’t you think?”

  My response was an eye roll.

  “Careful, flower.” Billy stopped near me, our shoulders brushed. He tapped my lids. The touch sent little zings of electricity through me. “Do that too many times and your eyes will stay that way. I don’t think our medical plan covers eye-rolling surgery.”

  I stood stunned and flushed, too weak to move. I heard the shower click on. Shit. The red hair dye. My latest prank may have Billy rescinding my vacation grant. “Billy,” I cried. I raced to the master bedroom. The bathroom door was closed. Steam billowed out from underneath it, along with the smell of cedar and pine. Too late. I was too late.

  “Addy,” I called. “What do you say we spend the day at the indoor pool?”

  “Yes!” Addy replied from the doorway of her room. “Let me just get my swi—”

  “No time for that.” I grabbed her arm and pulled her toward the door, picking up my purse on the way. “We’ll buy you a new swimsuit at the gift shop.”

  “A bikini?” she asked.

  “A tankini,” I compromised.

  The shower clicked off. Just as the door was shutting behind us I heard a very loud, very angry Billy yell, “What the fuck!”

  I’d bring Billy back something special from the gift shop. That, and a heartfelt apology.

  Billy trailed hot, wet kisses down my neck. My hands curled around his broad shoulders.

  “Fuck, baby. You taste sweet.” The voice didn’t match my ornery employer’s. It wasn’t deep enough, didn’t have the rusty curve of a British accent. Instead it had a distinct southern drawl. Colin, my Navy SEAL, groaned and licked my collarbone.

  After a short Thanksgiving meal with the Colonel, I’d met Colin at a bar. We’d had a drink. We caught up. I had another drink for bravery then I whispered in his ear, “Show me your room.” Kind of cliché, but it did the trick. Once we passed the threshold, Colin’s mouth fell on mine. His hands crept under my shirt, pulling it up and over my head.

  I wore a lacy red bra underneath, fully expecting to get lucky. Every time I closed my eyes, I saw Billy pressed against me. His blond hair between my fingers, his green eyes focused on my body. Lust blossomed in my belly thinking of my boss. I’d never been so attracted to someone I hated so much. But hate and love were twin emotions. Yikes, that was a scary thought. I pushed it away. Far, far away into the deepest recesses of my brain.

  “Your tits are fantastic,” Colin said, cupping one of my breasts.

  Yes. Yes. Yes. This is what I needed. What I craved. Every nerve ending in my body sparked and came alive. His thigh thrust between my legs and I rubbed against him. I was so hard up—I could’ve come this way.

  “I can feel how wet you are through my jeans,” Colin groaned. It was true, I’d left a wet spot on Colin’s thigh. Whoops.

  “Take off your shirt,” I demanded.

  Colin released me. My eyes had adjusted to the dark. He smiled. He had curly hair but kept it closely cropped, a military requirement. His jaw was strong and wide, square and covered with the perfect amount of scruf
f. He reached behind him and shrugged out of his shirt. His body made me want to weep, broad shouldered, flat stomach and with a little hair on his chest. I was back on him, lips pressed against him. Our mouths opened and tongues slid against each other. He shifted, forcing my legs to wrap around his waist. His palms traveled down my back and squeezed my ass.

  “My hand is vibrating,” he said against my ear.

  What a strange thing to say. Maybe Colin wasn’t good at dirty talk. I decided to go with it. I didn’t want to embarrass him. “Yeah,” I managed to say. “I’m vibrating too. It feels so good.”

  He chuckled. “No baby, I think your phone is ringing.”

  “What?”

  “Your phone, it’s ringing.” He dug into my back pocket and produced my phone. It was indeed vibrating, flashing with Billy’s number.

  “Oh,” I grabbed the phone and silenced it. This was Billy’s eighth call of the day. Last call he’d wanted his favorite guitar pick FedExed overnight from his L.A. house to his hotel in New York. He simply could not be without it.

  “Now, where were we?” I wrapped my arms around Colin’s neck, urging him down for a kiss.

  The phone vibrated again. Colin paused his descent.

  “I’m just going to turn it off,” I said. When I went to shut it down, a text message flashed from Billy. EMERGENCY, it read in all caps. The bottom of my stomach dropped out. Images of Addy being loaded into an ambulance or in the hospital flashed before my eyes—my worst nightmare. “Give me one second,” I said.

  Colin shrugged. “Sure, I’ll check the game score.”

  He flicked on the light and lay down on the bed, one thick arm propped behind his head. Using the remote, he clicked on the television. I wandered to a corner. It was your standard economy hotel room, so there wasn’t much privacy, save for the bathroom.