“She came back to drop Chelsea off after they had lunch, and her car wouldn’t start. I’ve been working on it all afternoon.”
“I see. Guess you’re her favorite mechanic, huh?” Billy said brightly, then rushed on to keep him from answering. “Well, anyway, I’m headed out. Got some things to see, some people to do. Oops!” She giggled. “Scratch that, and reverse it.”
Skyler was quiet for a moment. “You’re high, aren’t you?” It wasn’t really a question. He’d dealt with hypes and druggies for long enough to know when someone was on something. He didn’t even need to see her; he could hear it in her voice, and by the way she talked so quickly.
“You are so suspicious!” Billy chided him. “Can’t a girl just be happy?”
“Don’t try to lie to me, Billy. I know high when I hear it. Coke, right?”
Billy was silent. She was trying to think of a way out of this. She felt like a guilty kid, and suddenly the idea of having to answer to him made her mad. “You know what, Skyler,” she said. “I don’t have to put up with this shit from you. You wanna fuck your ex-wife, you go right ahead, but don’t try and put it on me!” She slammed the phone down and sat staring angrily at it for a long time, half hoping he’d call back. He didn’t.
Later that night, Jerith tried to call her hotel room and was told by the front desk that Ms. Montague wasn’t in her room—that they had seen her, but she had left. Jerith assumed she was at Skyler’s. He didn’t have the number so he gave up, figuring if she was with Skyler, she was in good hands.
“She with Skyler?” Nicolette asked when he walked back into the living room.
“I guess. She didn’t leave any messages for me, and the hotel staff said she’d left, so I’m assuming so. What else can I do?” He moved to sit on the couch. Nicolette shifted so he could sit behind her. She leaned back against him, and he put his arms around her. He was thoroughly enjoying their new closeness. She seemed a lot less cautious with him now, and he was glad. It was strange… They hadn’t made any kind of commitment to each other—in fact the tone of the relationship seemed to be casual—but it seemed to allow her to relax and be herself with him.
“You can’t do anything else, Jerith,” she said. “Billy’s a big girl, and she’s gonna have to take care of herself eventually. She can’t expect you to be there to pick up the pieces every time.” Her tone was sympathetic, not jealous. He was used to any women in his life being jealous of Billy and the fact that he seemed to take care of her and watch out for her. Nicolette didn’t seem to have a problem with it; at least, she didn’t act like it.
“Nicky,” he said, a little hesitantly—he wasn’t sure how far he wanted to test their new relationship.
“Yeah?”
“Does my relationship with Billy bother you?” He craned his neck around to watch her face.
Nicolette thought about the question for a minute. “I guess it would bother most women, wouldn’t it?” She shrugged. “But to my way of thinking, you’re not only protecting your friend, but your livelihood too. I can hardly be jealous about that, now, can I?”
Jerith shrugged. “Some women could.”
“Well, then I guess I don’t fall into the ‘some women’ category.”
“You certainly don’t,” Jerith agreed, hugging her closer to him.
Ryan came into the room then, glancing at his mother and Jerith sitting so cozily on the couch. He was still adjusting to the idea that his mother was actually seeing a rock star. It was a little surreal. “Have you started the movie yet?”
“No. Are you actually going to watch it with us?” Nicolette asked skeptically.
“You’re watching Clear and Present Danger, right?” Ryan said, sitting down on the floor.
“Yes,” Nicolette said.
“Then yes, I’m watching it with you, okay?” Ryan grinned at his mother. “Unless you two want to be alone…”
“If we want to be alone,” Jerith said, smiling lopsidedly at Ryan, “I’ll carry your mom off to some deserted island somewhere and be really alone with her.”
Ryan laughed, looking at his mother. Nicolette glanced back at Jerith. “Will you consult me before this abduction?” she said, grinning now too.
Jerith shrugged. “Maybe.”
“I don’t think you should,” Ryan said, looking at Jerith seriously. “You should just pick her up, blindfold her, and take her. Otherwise she’ll argue with you for days on end.”
“You think I should?” Jerith looked back at Ryan, his voice serious this time.
“Excuse me!” Nicolette interjected. “Don’t we have a movie to watch?”
“Yes, Mother,” Ryan said, nodding.
“Yes, Mother,” Jerith whispered, right next to her ear. His lips lingered there long enough to kiss her lightly.
Nicolette shivered slightly. He seemed to bring out a sexuality in her that she’d never experienced before; it was exciting and scary in a way. She knew she’d miss him when he left to go back to Los Angeles. He’d told her on their first date that they were set to record their next album after they were done in Sacramento. Nicolette knew there would come a time, soon, when she wouldn’t have him there, and she knew she would miss the closeness of him.
She, too, was enjoying the new intimacy with him. He was exciting, romantic, and fun, and he’d made her remember what it was like to have another adult around to talk to. She was loath to lose it again. Jerith was very different than any man she’d ever been with. He was easygoing, but not to the point of being passive. He had a way about him that made you want to be around him, just to learn a little bit more about him. He’d obviously had a colorful childhood, and his way of thinking was so different. Having been around police officers most of her adult life, Nicolette was used to three types of men. There were those who thought about women and sex, constantly, and how they could get them/it. Then there were the men who regarded women as beneath them, necessary to bear their children and for sex, and to cook and clean and raise their children, but they never considered women their equals. The third type of man was the type that thought of women as little wilting flowers that needed to be sheltered and protected; they also never expected them to be independent, or to have opinions about anything.
Jerith was none of these. He liked women to be women, feminine, but he didn’t seem to expect them to be subservient, or dependent either. They hadn’t really talked about her job, and Nicolette suspected he had managed to gloss over the fact that she was a police officer. She knew that him seeing her in her work environment would probably be a pretty big shock to him.
Nicolette had always made a point of separating who she was at work from who she was at home. She didn’t want Ryan growing up thinking women were hard, callous, loud people. She wanted him to realize that women could be soft and sweet, but not necessarily a clinging vine. It had never been an issue with the few men she’d dated, because the relationships hadn’t lasted longer than a week or two. Before long the guy was wanting in her pants, and she was wanting away from him. But Jerith Michaels was different in so many ways it astounded her. She wondered how he would feel about her work personality. It was a personality and it was hers; she just curbed it when she got home, allowing the feminine part of herself through. She certainly was a fully rounded person—no one could say differently.
When the movie ended, Nicolette stood up, stretching. “I’m going to bed,” she said, then looked down at her son. “And you, young man, have school in the morning. I don’t want you up all night on the phone again, okay?”
“Okay,” Ryan said, grinning. He hadn’t realized she knew when he was on the phone in his room; he thought he’d been sneaky about it. He’d called everyone he knew the night before, after getting back from Mandy’s. He’d bragged about the concert, but had kept quiet about kissing Mandy. He hadn’t called anyone today, either. Jerith and he had talked when he’d gotten home that afternoon. He’d told Jerith everything, glad to have another guy to talk to who wasn’t likely to compare experiences or te
ll him he was a dweeb or anything. Jerith had in fact listened, and looked almost proud of him. Jerith had also told him to be a man about the way he handled things now. Ryan hadn’t understood, so Jerith had explained that he shouldn’t go out and tell everyone about his and Mandy’s new familiarity, that if Mandy wanted to tell everyone, all the better. He’d explained that if Mandy bragged about it, it made Ryan look like a big man, but if Ryan bragged about it, it made him look like an asshole and a major loser. Ryan had understood that.
Nicolette glanced at Jerith, and he stood up, smiling. “Are you telling me it’s my bedtime too?”
Nicolette grinned at him, nodding.
“Yes, dear,” Jerith said, taking her hand.
He led her to the bedroom. Inside, he turned to her, taking her face gently in his hands, kissing her. He reached behind her to close the door, then he pushed her back against it gently. Nicolette put her hands to his chest, reaching up to unbutton his shirt as they kissed. Jerith moaned softly against her lips as her hands slid inside his clothes, touching his chest. His hands went to her waist, pulling her up against him. He slid them up her body, making her shudder against him.
“Jerith… please…” she whispered fervently against his lips.
That was all he needed to hear. He picked her up in his arms and carried her to the bed. He made love to her, making her call out his name and cling to him in her need.
Later they lay together, her head on his chest. He stroked her hair with one hand, the other at her back, his thumb brushing over her skin. “You have the most incredible skin,” he said softly.
“Do I?” Nicolette said, her eyes half closed.
“Yeah.” He felt her smile, and she snuggled a little closer to him. Jerith tightened his arms around her a little more. They fell asleep that way.
The next morning Jerith woke before her, but didn’t move to get up. He lay there holding her close to him, reflecting on the last few days. A half hour later Nicolette stirred, looking up at him.
“Hi,” she said, grinning sleepily.
“Hello there.”
“And how long have you been awake now?” She moved to sit up, but he pulled her back down.
“A half hour, and where do you think you’re going?” he said in the same breath. He pulled her toward him and kissed her. It wasn’t a sexual kiss—it was soft and sweet, a good-morning kiss. Nicolette imagined that his parents were the reason for this endearing habit.
“Now you can get up,” he said, grinning at her.
Nicolette didn’t. She looked back at him. “And what if I don’t want to now?”
“Then by all means, stay here in bed with me all day,” Jerith said, meaning every word.
“You know, that’s a tempting offer… but I can’t. I have work today.”
“You sure?” He kissed her again, this time a little more passionately.
She returned his kiss, but then pulled away reluctantly. “Quit that!” she said, swatting his arm.
“What?” he said, smiling innocently.
“I have to go to work, okay?”
“Are you asking me, ’cause if you are, I don’t give you permission,” he said, shaking his head, but smiling all the while. Again he pulled her to him, kissing her deeply. By the time she managed to pull away this time, they were both breathing heavily.
“Jerith…” She closed her eyes so she didn’t have to see the look of desire in his blues. “I have to go to work, and you”—she opened her eyes, pinning him with a serious look—“need to let me.”
“Okay, okay,” Jerith said, laughing. “I’ll be good. Can I at least give you a ride?”
“Why?”
“Well, I have some stuff I could do downtown today, and I thought maybe I could take you to lunch or something…”
“I guess I could arrange that,” she said, nodding. “But I’m warning you, I’m known to cancel lunch dates at the last minute when I’m working. Police work isn’t always exact or timely.”
“Okay, I’ll give you my cell number and you can call me if you can’t make it.”
“And you won’t be mad?”
“I might be disappointed, but not mad.”
“Okay,” she said, smiling.
An hour and a half later he dropped her at work. They’d planned to meet for lunch at 12:30; he told her he’d pick her up out front. She nodded, understanding his hesitation at trying to get upstairs. Cops could be rather formidable to civilians’ perceptions.
At 12:00, Jerith’s cell phone rang. He was at a local music shop, looking into getting one of his guitars restrung. He answered, knowing it was Nicolette.
“Hi,” she said, sounding rushed. “I’m not canceling, but I do need to put lunch off, about an hour—is that okay?”
“Sure,” Jerith said, looking at his watch. “It’ll give me time to drop back by the hotel to check on Billy again.”
“Okay. I’ll see you at one thirty.”
After leaving the music shop, Jerith drove to the hotel. He’d tried to check on Billy that morning, but she hadn’t answered her door. The people at the desk weren’t sure if she was there or not; housekeeping hadn’t gotten to her room yet. He’d gone into his room, showered, and changed clothes. It felt strange being in this room again; he felt like he belonged at Nicolette’s now, which was odd, since he’d only been with her for two days. He’d left the hotel again an hour later, leaving yet another message for Billy. Again he thought she might still be with Skyler, but Jerith figured Skyler, like Nicolette, had to go to work sometime too. He thought Billy would come back to the hotel the same as him, to change at least.
Getting back that afternoon, he found a nice mess waiting for him. Billy had indeed been in her room, passed out. When housekeeping had received no response, they’d gone in. The young Russian girl saw Billy, half dressed, lying half on the floor and half on the bed, and assumed she was dead. She’d fled screaming, straight to the manager. The manager and two other employees had run to the room. By that time Billy had woken, having heard the commotion. She began yelling at all of them to get the hell out of her room, that she was going to call the police.
When Jerith walked up to the front desk, the manager pulled him aside. Jerith knew before the man said a word that it was about Billy.
“Mr. Michaels,” he began. “We had a slight, ah, incident this morning.”
“Incident?” Jerith said, hoping to delay the inevitable.
“Yes, it seems Ms. Montague didn’t answer when housekeeping knocked, and she hadn’t put out the do not disturb sign. Housekeeping, naturally, assumed she wasn’t in, and entered the room with the intention of cleaning it.” The manager, a fairly tightlipped, tightly wound individual, paused, looking at Jerith as if he were the cause of the problem. “Unfortunately, Ms. Montague was indisposed when housekeeping entered, and the young girl mistook her disheveled, unconscious form for dead. Granted, the girl is a little bit excitable, but she was sincerely concerned for Ms. Montague’s well being. She came to me, and two other employees and I went to see if there was anything we could do.”
Again the man paused. Jerith was getting impatient; he nodded for him to go on. “Well, Ms. Montague had awakened by then, and began hurling accusations, insults, and threats at me and this institution. I hope you understand, Mr. Michaels, we cannot have this kind of raucous behavior in our hotel. We have families staying just across the hall, with small children. If they’d witnessed the appalling spectacle this morning, I can’t even imagine the consequences.” The manager shook his head, as if to back up his statement.
“So what are you telling me, Mr… Davis?” Jerith said, reading the man’s name badge.
“Well…” Davis said hesitantly.
“Are you telling me you want us out, or that you want me to muzzle my lead singer?”
Mr. Davis was taken back by Jerith’s words. He’d expected the man to be apologetic, at least. These rock types, one could never tell what they’d do. Davis had planned to be the kind, underst
anding manager and allow them to remain with the solemn promise that Ms. Montague would be more docile.
Jerith waited, watching his mind turn furiously. “I, well, sir, I just… you must understand…”
“Look,” Jerith said, putting his hands down on the counter in front of him and leaning toward the smaller man. “Billy’s highly strung, and there isn’t a damn thing I can do about it. If we remain in your hotel, I’d suggest you tell your housekeeping staff to wait until she puts the sign out for housekeeping before entering the room again.”
With that Jerith pushed away from the counter and walked to the elevators. He waited there, fuming. He rarely, if ever, pulled a star trip on people, but it seemed that whenever he did, it was to get Billy out of some kind of trouble. And here he was again.
Once upstairs, he strode to Billy’s room and pounded on the door.
“Go away!” Billy yelled through the closed door.
“Open the fucking door, Billy,” Jerith grated. “Or we’ll be paying for that next, when I kick it in.”
There was a moment’s silence, then the door opened slowly. Billy walked back over to the bed and lay down, looking over at him. “So you broke away from your little redhead long enough to come bitch at me, did you?” There was a sneer in her voice, and Jerith knew instantly that she was high.
He strode over to her and snatched her up off the bed by both of her arms. He pulled her up so that he could look into her eyes. She was indeed high. Billy tried to look away, but she knew that he knew.
“You’re fucked up again?” Jerith said disbelievingly as he shook his head. “That didn’t take long.”
“What would you know about it?” Billy retorted. “You’ve never been dumped in your whole fucking life.”
“Just by you. Skyler threw you over again?” He spoke more softly this time, but wasn’t allowing her out of it that easily.
Billy gave him a sour look. “What does it matter to you, Kid? You got someone now…” Her voice trailed off as she pulled away from him. “You’re with her now, aren’t you? That’s where you were last night, wasn’t it?”
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