“I bet he does. She looks wealthy and if you and I both think she looks familiar, she has to be on the party scene. I’ll call him tonight before the club opens. With the time difference, he’s probably sleeping and waking him will not entice him to help. But we did it. We have our first real lead.”
Gemma sat down in the chair Cy held out for her at the café and picked up the menu. This time the moment of silence when they entered only lasted a couple of seconds. She was growing on them. And they were growing on her, too. The town was cute and the gossip that was being traded at every table was friendly. Not the career-or-relationship-ending kind she normally dealt with.
“I’ll have the chicken salad. Thank you, Miss Daisy.” Gemma waited for Cy to place his order before she talked to him. “This is a good idea. If we hadn’t come, I would've been pacing while I waited to call Joe at the club.”
“Any time I get to spend with you is good. Actually, I was wondering if you wanted to go to a party tomorrow with me.”
Gemma looked at him skeptically. “Will it end with high-speed chases and someone dying?”
“No. It'll end with eating cake and opening baby gifts.”
“Then it sounds perfect.”
The café went quiet and then started whispering again when the newest couple came in. “This is big. That’s Henry Rooney; he’s our town’s only defense attorney. He’s been dating Neely Grace for a while now.”
“Why is that big?” Gemma asked.
“Because Henry is famous for his bad pick-up lines. I heard they fell in love over a battle of bad one-liners at my parents’ house one night. That and Neely Grace is smart, good-looking, and also a lawyer. We all thought Henry would end up marrying someone he met on the Internet who didn’t speak English.”
Henry and Neely Grace stopped at the table on the way to theirs. “Cy. It’s good to see you again. Have you met Neely Grace?”
“Of course I have. It’s been a long time, though, Neely Grace.”
“Since high school,” Neely Grace told them.
“And this is my girlfriend, Gemma Perry. Gemma, Neely Grace and Henry Rooney.”
“Nice to meet you,” Henry said during a full body scan. Neely Grace rolled her eyes and smacked Henry prompting him to say, “What?”
“He’s learning,” Neely Grace said with an apologetic grin that told Gemma she was enjoying teaching him. Gemma giggled and gave Neely Grace an understanding look. She’d dated a couple of guys like that, too.
Gemma and Cy enjoyed dinner and he told her about the fight at the peewee football game, which had her laughing so hard a couple people turned to look at them. She met some more of the townsfolk and before long she looked at her watch and jumped up.
“It’s time to call Joe. I almost missed it because I was having such a nice time.”
“Come on. You can call him while we walk back to Miss Lily’s.”
Cy paid the check and Gemma went outside to call the club. She waited impatiently as the phone rang over and over again. “Hello. Can I talk to Joe?” she asked when the phone was picked up.
It took a couple minutes, but Joe finally came to the phone. “This is Joe.”
“Joe, Gemma Perry.”
“Hey, Gemma. What can I do for you? Do you need to be on the VIP list tonight?”
“No, I need to send you a picture and have you identify a woman for me. It’s really important.”
“Sure.” Joe rattled off his cell number and Gemma sent the picture to him. “Okay, I got it. Damn, this is bothering me. She looks so familiar, but I can’t place her. There are just too many bottle blondes with big tits to keep them straight. But Nick at the bar should know. Tonight’s his night off. Can I give you a call tomorrow?”
“That would be great. Thanks, Joe.” Gemma hung up the phone and turned to Cy. “Tomorrow. We’ll know tomorrow.”
CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
Gemma stood proudly at Cy’s arm as they followed the pink and blue balloons to the back of the biggest mansion she’d ever seen. A large white silk tent was in the backyard, filled with tables. Each table had a huge arrangement of pink and blue hydrangeas and little wooden alphabet blocks as napkin holders.
“This is amazing. Do they do this for every party?” Gemma asked as they nodded their hellos to some people standing in a group near the tent.
“I don’t think so. I’m not here much, but from what I understand they’re very laid back. All of this is because the King and Queen of Rahmi are here. And here are our hosts. Hi, Mo. Dani, you’re glowing,” Cy said as he gave Dani a kiss on the cheek.
“It’s called sweat, but I like the way you say it much better,” Dani laughed. “But now I'm going to steal Gemma away and introduce her around so you men can complain about being dragged to a baby shower.”
Gemma waved goodbye as Dani linked her arm in hers and started walking toward their friends. “I wanted a small party with my girlfriends and this is the compromise we came to with my father-in-law. I need to get better at negotiating,” Dani teased.
“Gemma, I’m so glad you’re here. Tell us everything about the ball,” Paige practically screamed. Gemma tried hard not to blush. While many things happened that night, it was what happened after she got home that she remembered the most.
“It was wonderful. Even if I’m not a great dancer.”
“Was it romantic?” Tammy asked, her eyes big with anticipation.
“It was. Until we had to chase down the bad guy.”
“If it’s one thing I know, it’s action. That can be the best kind of foreplay,” Annie said with her eyes twinkling with mischief.
“You know a lot about action, huh?” Morgan teased.
“Not that kind of action.”
“Poor Cade,” Katelyn laughed.
“Y’all suck,” Annie joked.
“Oh no,” Dani said sadly.
“Are you okay?” Kenna asked, concerned.
“Yes, it’s just my brother and sister-in-law are here, too, and no one is talking to them.” Gemma glanced to the elegantly dressed couple standing uncomfortably alone a short distance away. “I’m going to bring her over here. She needs some girl time.”
A couple minutes later Dani returned with a regal, yet somewhat shy, woman. Her dark hair was hidden under a beautiful scarf that complemented her suit to perfection.
“Girls, this is my sister-in-law, Ameera.” Ameera’s brown eyes widened and Dani patted her hand. “When he’s not around, we go by our first names,” she said with a wink.
Gemma smiled at the woman when they were introduced and saw she was concerned for her husband. “Don’t worry. The guys sneaked him out. I’m sure they’re doing something manly,” Gemma said, trying to comfort her.
“Oh good,” Ameera said with relief. “He has not left my side in the month we have been in the United States. Don’t eat this, don’t drink that—it’s not good for the baby.”
“You’re pregnant?” they all asked at once.
“No, that is the problem. We are undergoing treatments to try to get pregnant.” Ameera then looked nervously to Dani’s rounded belly.
“I certainly hope that it works. You find out in a couple weeks if the first treatment works, right?” Dani asked.
“Yes. But, did you say you hope it works?”
“Of course I want it to work. I want to raise any children I have in Keeneston. I give His Highness enough problems just as a princess. Can you imagine me having to be the mother of the future king if we have a boy? It would be horrible.”
Ameera smiled. “Yes, it would be very trying for His Highness. See, I've been raised since birth to be a queen and to raise the future king. I feel like such a failure that I cannot do the job I was raised to perform.”
“Oh, sweetie. I understand. You know it wasn’t easy for Mo and me either, but we’re both here for you.”
“And so are we. You’re always welcome to Keeneston if you all need a place to relax,” Paige offered.
“Thank you, t
hat is so kind. We have really enjoyed our time here and I hope we have time to meet again before we all leave to go to Rahmi. Look, here come the men.”
Gemma looked toward the entrance of the tent and saw the Davies brothers along with Mo, his brother, Will, and Cole all walking into the tent. They were all smiling and fixing their ties. If she were a betting woman, she would say they had a couple of drinks and tossed a football around behind the tent.
A mousy woman stopped Cy and when he looked up, he signaled Gemma to come join them. She made her excuses and headed his way.
“Sweetheart, this is Marianne. She owns the Keeneston Journal, our local weekly paper.”
“It’s such a pleasure to meet you, Miss Perry. Cy was just telling me you worked for Inside Peek. I love that magazine,” Marianne pushed up her glasses and looked slightly embarrassed.
“Thank you. I’m surprised it’s even sold out here.”
“There’s not a whole lot of news to report in a town this size, but we do have gossip. The magazine and articles really guide me on how to run the Keeneston Journal. It’s so exciting to meet you. I must talk with you sometime about what you do there.”
Gemma beamed at the compliment. She’d been yelled at, cursed at, spit at, and threatened for stories she’d run before. She’d never been praised. She was just about to ask Marianne if she wanted the scoop of her life—the memory card with Ginger and Tatum was back in her room—when she felt her cell phone vibrate. She never had a chance to turn it in. In fact, she had all the stories deemed too “feel good” about Hollywood celebrities on her computer that her boss refused to run.
“I’d love to talk more, but I have a call I need to take,” she said, giving Cy a meaningful look. She answered her phone and hurried out of the tent as Cy gave his excuses to Marianne. He was beside her before she even had a chance to say hello.
“Joe?” Gemma asked as she stopped under the wide branches of a maple tree.
“Hey, Gem. I feel real stupid, you know. As soon as Nick said her name it hit me. Sarah Elizabeth Flannery.”
“The socialite?”
“The very one. Not only that, but the boss man had me put her on tonight’s VIP list. Should I add your name, too?” he asked with a smile to his voice.
“Looks like I’ll be seeing you soon. Thanks a lot, Joe, I owe you.”
“Can you get me an audition with Doug Mac for his next action movie?” Joe teased.
“Ha, I’ll see what I can do. See you tonight.” Gemma hung up the phone and turned to see half the town behind her.
“Just tell us all. John probably has your phone tapped, dear,” Miss Lily said matter-of-factly.
Gemma looked past the Rose sisters to where Dani and Mo stood with the rest of the Davies family. “I have a little favor to ask,” Gemma said sweetly. “We need to get to L.A. right now.”
“I will have the plane ready in thirty minutes.” Mo sent a quick message on his phone and then gave her a little nod. “Now tell us why.”
“All the clues point to this one woman, Sarah Elizabeth Flannery. I don’t know what a twenty-one-year-old socialite has to do with this mess.”
“Isn’t she the one with that sex tape out right now? She’s supposedly horribly upset that someone got their hands on it. But as you pointed out in your exclusives section last month, there’s a rumor she’s the one who leaked it,” a tiny woman with her hair permed within an inch of its life said from the crowd. “Oh, and it’s nice to meet you. I’m Edna.”
“Hi, Edna. How did you know that was me? I write under a pen name with a fake picture.” Edna just smiled innocently and Gemma was starting to think it was Inside Peek that could learn a thing or two from Keeneston. “Yes, that’s right. She ended up selling the rights and has made a fortune off it. Now she’s trying to be taken seriously and wants to go into acting.”
“But who is she?” Miss Lily asked.
“All I know is her mother was some Las Vegas showgirl who got pregnant and nine months later delivered a baby girl with a huge trust fund. She used the money to get a spot on some soap opera. Mama wasted no time getting Sarah in the spotlight, either. She was modeling by the time she was thirteen, dating the hottest teenage actors soon after, and even tried her hand at becoming a rock star. All failed and then suddenly this sex tape comes out with one of Hollywood’s most talked about up-and-coming actors. And the sex tape is superior quality. Very fishy,” Gemma told the group.
“What could she have to do with this criminal y’all are after?” Marcy asked from where she stood next to Jake and some of the local farmers.
“I don’t know. Do you have any ideas?” Gemma asked Cy.
“No, but I do have an idea how to find out.” Cy grinned as if he were the cat that swallowed the canary.
Cy almost laughed at Gemma’s large eyes. They opened wide when they entered the ornate lobby of the luxurious hotel he booked for their stay. They grew even more at the sight of the suite they were sharing. A huge king-sized bed draped in rich material adorned a separate bedroom. A mahogany table lined with matching chairs offset the plush living room space.
“We could've just stayed at a friend’s house or at your apartment. This must've cost a fortune.”
“It did, but I heard that Sarah not only stays at this hotel occasionally for the privacy, but it sets up my cover story perfectly.”
“What cover story?” Gemma asked as she looked out the window to the lush landscape below.
“That I’m a producer. I’m looking for the next big show about an up-and-coming celebrity and her challenge to make it big,” Cy said proudly. It was a darn good idea. He knew women in Hollywood, and this was the perfect way to get her talking.
“Right. You were a stuntman, not a producer. There’s no way she’ll believe you. We need to come up with something else.” Gemma turned and saw him on his phone. “What are you doing?”
“I just sent a tweet out that I’m looking to cast a reality show and am excited about this next phase of my life. Then I sent a couple texts to some people I know that I’m back in town and will be at a certain club tonight.”
“And you think that’s going to work?” Dink, dink, dink, dink. “Oh, shut up.” Gemma turned and went into the bathroom as he tried not to gloat.
“What?” Dink. “I didn’t say a thing.” Dink. And with that, he failed to not gloat.
* * *
Cy had a hard time keeping his eyes off Gemma. Now he knew how she got into the VIP sections of clubs so easily. She was a knockout. She wore a black dress with a plunging neckline. A wide red belt showed off a narrow waist while the tight skirt emphasized her amazing curves and long legs. She finished the outfit with red spiked heels.
Her hair cascaded down her back in soft waves as she greeted Joe, the doorman. He was the perfect doorman: handsome, athletic, and had enough dings and dents to show overzealous patrons that he wasn’t afraid to get his hands dirty if they got out of line.
“Joe, this is my friend Cy. We both really appreciate your help on this.”
“Cy? Cy Davidson, the producer who’s looking to cast a reality show about trying to break into the industry?”
Cy shot a triumphant grin to Gemma as he held out his hand to Joe. “That’s me. From what I hear, you’ll want this more,” Cy said as he handed Joe a card.
“Doug Mac’s private number,” Joe said reverently as the looked at the business card.
“Tell him Cy told you to call. I have a feeling working with him will be more suited for you.”
“Thank you. Oh my God, Gem, I totally owe you. And you, too, of course, Mr. Davidson. “
“You could call it even by letting Sarah Flannery know I’m here. Just don’t let her know I was asking about her.”
“You got it.” Joe took out his wallet and looked at the card once more before safely tucking it away.
Cy followed Gemma into the club. The loud music coursed through his body as the lights bounced off the people dancing. They passed the bar and G
emma gave the bartender a quick wave before another club employee unhooked a velvet rope and allowed them up a set of stairs to the VIP area overlooking the dance floor.
Before they even sat down, the first expensively perfumed starlet enveloped Cy. Gemma rolled her eyes and sat down before she lost a seat. Cy smiled and laughed and played his part. It was something he was good at. While he wanted to be himself, Cy Davidson was a part of him, too, after all these years, and it felt good slipping back into character.
“Ladies—I’ve missed you all so much that I decided to come back for a bit,” Cy laughed at Gemma sticking her finger down her throat as she sat on the couch behind the gaggle of fawning women.
“Here’s my card.”
“Here’s my number.”
“I’d be perfect for your show.”
“I’m sure y’all would be perfect. But give all your information to my assistant over there so it’ll be safe. You never know where I’ll end up tonight and I’d sure hate to lose your card.” Cy sent Gemma a wink just before all heads whipped around to look at her.
Cy used the time to cast a quick glance around the club. It was almost full as night turned into early morning. He caught sight of the very tall and leggy blonde as she strode into the club with her posse. Cy headed back into the pack of women before Sarah could reach the VIP area and was totally engrossed in conversation by the time she arrived and took her seat.
Gemma could only imagine this was what hell looked like. Her eyes were watering with perfume, her ears were ringing with their twittering, and two of them had “accidentally” stabbed her foot with their heels. Then there was him. Just sitting in the middle of the pack. She could see his head getting bigger and bigger as they flattered and flirted with him. Maybe she’d take her heel and pop his ego with it.
She also didn’t know what to think of the quick transformation back to the man she met here just a short while ago. He’d been this carefree, hot-to-trot kind of guy her mother had warned her about. But after arriving in Keeneston, he seemed to drop the fakeness. He had actually seemed a little lost at times, but when they were together she felt as if they were both free. They both dropped all defenses and just enjoyed being together.
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