Feather Light (Knead Me)

by Lorenz Font

  “What came up?” Cork echoed her question while rubbing the back of her neck.

  “Ann Sutton is Kelly Storm, the actress. You know … Deep Ice, Hearts Afire, and Shattered Dreams …”

  Cork pulled back and stared at her in disbelief. “No way! Are you sure about this?”

  “Positive. And now this.” Webster held up a copy of the gossip magazine.

  Cork read the headline first, and then gave her a questioning look. “So Kelly is seeing a new guy. Where does Parker come in?”

  “Look at the man in the picture.” True, the man had his back to the camera, but she’d bet her life savings it was Parker. The blond hair and the body build gave it away for her.

  Cork studied the picture and cursed. “Oh shit! We saw her at Chateau Marmont Saturday night!”

  “What?”

  “Yeah, when we walked in, she was staring at Parker. I teased him about it and tried to get him to go over to her table to say hi, but he refused. Shortly after, she left in a hurry.” Cork looked stumped.

  Webster shook her head. “What the hell is going on? Parker has no idea Ann and Kelly are the same person. I’m sure of it. He wouldn’t hide something like that from me.” The deception was disgusting.

  “I believe you. What should we do?” Cork let her go, and they both sank down on the chair.

  “That’s why I’m here. I don’t think Parker is aware of this yet. But it won’t take long before your brother finds out. God. Wait till I get my hands on that bitch. I’ll wring her neck! How could she do this to him?” Angry tears pooled in her eyes.

  “I want to tell him, but shouldn’t we check the facts to be sure?” Cork laid a hand on her arm and rubbed soothing strokes.

  “What else do we need to know other than she deceived him?” Webster shouted.

  “I know you’re upset. I am, too, but we can’t go to Parker and just say it. Don’t you think we ought to give this some thought first?”

  “I don’t know what to think anymore. For the longest time, I tried to protect him from women who would take advantage of his blindness, and now she comes along. Poor Parker.”

  Cork stood and pulled her to her feet, gathering her into an embrace. “I feel the same way. That’s why I gave up my career to come and work for him. I hated the thought of that once proud man being reduced to asking other people for help. I don’t mind it at all because we’re brothers. Parker has always been there for me, protecting and watching my back ever since we were little. It was the least I could do. But we have to approach this situation with care. We can’t barge in his office and tell him the woman he cares about is lying to him. There’s a fine line between us getting involved and letting him figure this out for himself.”

  “You’re going to let her hurt your brother?” Webster gaped at him in surprise.

  Cork shook his head. “No, that’s not what I meant. There are some things we have no control over, and one of those things is Parker getting his heart broken. This Ann, Kelly, whoever she is, has already done that. No amount of warning can undo her actions. Let’s think about this a little more, okay?”

  Webster nodded. If she ever got the chance to see Kelly in person, she’d make sure the woman would feel the shame and guilt of what she had done to Parker, or at least for what was coming at Parker thanks to her lies.

  Chapter 12

  Parker waited all day Monday for Ann to call as she had promised and was still waiting the next day, but he refused to phone her like some insecure boyfriend. He wasn’t her boyfriend, as least as far as he knew, so he kept himself occupied to avoid the temptation to call her. Instead, he spent long hours at the track with Andrew after work, but his friend’s continued questions about his frame of mind were driving him crazy.

  By the time Wednesday rolled around, he was going insane with worry. What if something had happened to her? Parker reminded himself several times to calm down and that she would call. People at work were beginning to ask questions about his foul mood. Even in his darkest hours, when he’d first gotten the news of his impending blindness, he’d managed to maintain an appearance of calm. This time, he couldn’t help himself. He snapped at the slightest idiotic question, no doubt raising eyebrows and concerns among his employees.

  As soon as he got to work on Thursday morning, Webster cornered him in his office. She handed him his coffee, and then sat down across from his desk.

  “What’s with the long face?” she asked.

  He took a long sip before leveling his gaze in her direction. “What are you talking about?”

  “Fine … play coy. But you’re biting people’s heads off for the littlest things. You jump whenever your phone rings—”

  “I get it. Jeez, you’re such a pain. So I’m a little worried because Ann hasn’t called. Bite me.” Parker scowled in her direction, hating the fact that Webster could read him like a book. “Have I been that bad?”

  “Yes. You’re like an ogre.” She paused as if choosing her words carefully. “This Ann person … how well do you know her?”

  He groaned. “Are we back on that subject again? I told you already, I know her well enough. What else do you want?”

  “Well, maybe it’s time for you to snoop a little and find out who this girl is. I mean, she hasn’t called you when she said she would. She sounds a little suspicious to me.”

  “There must be a logical explanation for that. I’m just hoping nothing bad has happened to her.” The thought sobered him. He’d give anything to know what was going on with Ann. Aside from her phone number, he had no way to get in touch with her. Although he’d been to her house, Parker had forgotten to ask for her address.

  “I’m sure there’s a good reason in there somewhere,” Webster said, her tone filled with sarcasm.

  Parker didn’t quite understand what he was hearing in Webster’s voice. He leaned forward and narrowed his eyes, trying his best to catch the expression in her face, to no avail. Everything remained hazy.

  “Are you trying to tell me something?” he asked.

  “I’m just saying you’re losing your touch, Parker. You’ve never sat around and waited for a woman. If she wants you, let her come to you. Don’t mope around as if the end of the world is upon you.” Webster stood, reached for his hand, and gave it a soft squeeze. “I booked your flight to New York. You’re leaving Sunday afternoon. Same hotel, and your transfers are all arranged. I’ll e-mail the itinerary to you in a bit.”

  Parker wasn’t certain what to say. Women seemed to have a knack for giving men whiplash. One moment they were talking about something important, and with a snap of a finger, they shifted to something frivolous.

  “Thanks.”

  “Your first client should be here by now. I’ll put Ms. Jones in room 104.”

  Parker nodded, still wondering about Webster’s cryptic comment about Ann. He wished things were different, but he couldn’t change the past. He’d met Ann, and now he intended to move forward with her.

  He had a few minutes to spare before his first client of the day, so he typed a short text to Ann and hit the send button, leaning back in his chair and hating that he had no idea how to find her.

  Normally he’d leave his cell phone in his office whenever he was with a client to avoid being interrupted while working. But this time, he silenced the ring tone and set the phone to vibrate.

  He reached room 104 and tapped on the door before entering. The familiar scent of Flower Bomb perfume floated around him when he greeted Liz Jones, a local newscaster and one of his regular LA clients.

  “Hello, Liz. I haven’t seen you for quite some time.”

  “Parker, you won’t believe what happened!” Liz jumped up and draped her arms around his neck, kissing him on the cheek.

  Parker cupped her face and smiled. “Sounds like someone is very happy.”

  “Ecstatic, actually. Steve and I are having a baby!” she said, still clinging to him.

  “Really? Congratulations!” Parker kissed her on the forehead be
fore pulling away to get a good look at her face. “How far along are you?”

  “Thank you. Steve’s beside himself. Twelve weeks yesterday.” She took his hand and placed it on her belly.

  Parker felt the bump and grinned. He rubbed her stomach several times, eliciting a giggle from one of his most loyal customers. “I’m happy for you.”

  Strange as it seemed, the image of a pregnant Ann flashed through mind. The idea was a little far-fetched, but he couldn’t deny the pride he felt at the thought of her carrying his child. Whoa, Parker. You’re really getting ahead of yourself!

  “Thanks to you. If not for our ‘psychiatric’ sessions, I would have left Steve already. I’m so glad you talked me out of it.” Liz laughed.

  That much was true. Liz had been close to hysterics during her scheduled massages. She’d often threatened to divorce her husband because of his passive nature, especially in the bedroom. One of their sessions had turned into a verbal therapy of sort, forgoing the massage in favor of talking.

  Parker had met Steve at a gathering they’d attended together, and he’d somehow sensed Liz’s husband needed a little spark in the bedroom. Quiet and reserved as he was, all Steve needed, in Parker’s opinion, was a little nudge, a different approach to how to express himself. He’d ended up showing Liz a few tricks—in particular, how to find a person’s erogenous zone. Of course, this was all based on his personal experience and what he’d learned from school, and there were no guarantees, as every single case was different. They’d spent several weeks practicing before Liz had felt confident enough to try his tips at home. He hadn’t heard from her for over three months and had begun to think his suggestion hadn’t produced the results they’d been hoping for.

  “Well, you did all the dirty work.” He laughed. “I didn’t do anything except listen. You’re the one who made it happen. So you’re here for a pregnancy massage, then?”

  Liz giggled again. “Yes, I want the whole shebang.”

  “You know the drill. Remove all your jewelry, except this time, lie on your side, and call me when you’re ready.”

  Parker left to get ready, thinking of Ann the entire time. Why hadn’t she returned his text or even called?

  He had just finished strapping on his oil and lotion belt when he heard Liz’s enthusiastic “woo-rah.” He started the soft music, took a deep breath, and returned to the dimly lit massage room.

  The hour went by so fast. Liz’s chatter was a welcome distraction that kept him from thinking of Ann. Massaging a pregnant woman required specialized training, as well as a good amount of concentration. At the end of their session, Liz was near tears. Happiness and pride welled from her, and Parker could feel her emotions just by touching her. Pleased with the outcome, Liz thanked him before she left.

  As soon as Parker emerged from his office to go to his next appointment, Cork intercepted him at the end of the hallway.

  “Hey, bro, what’s up?” Cork asked. He sounded a little too perky in Parker’s opinion.

  “Not much. You?”

  He wasn’t up for small talk at the moment. All he wanted was to finish his last appointment and have at it with the treadmill as soon as he got home. Cork walked alongside him while he made his way to the massage room.

  “I got a call from a casting agent. They want you to do the next X-Pro commercial. Do you want details?”

  Parker stopped and faced his brother. “Is that the new sports drink?”

  “Yeah.” Cork chuckled. “The one you said tasted like pee.”

  “I don’t know. It sounds hypocritical to endorse a product I can’t stand. What do you think?”

  “I think it’ll be good exposure for you and for Knead Me. Besides, it’ll give you something to take your mind off whatever it is that’s bugging you.”

  “Have you been talking to Webster? I swear you guys are acting like two mother hens. Lay off me, will you? I’m okay.” Parker reached the room of his next client and not a moment too soon. “Fine … I’ll meet with the agent. Give me the details later. Meet me at the bar after work.”

  “Dude, I’m sorry, but I can’t. I have something planned after I drop you off later, but I’ll give you a call tonight.”

  Cork was being evasive again, but he wasn’t about to pry. Parker nodded. “Sounds good. I’ll see you later.”

  The day passed at an excruciatingly slow pace. By the time five o’clock rolled around, Parker was not faring well at all. He needed to get rid of the tension building inside him. What he really needed was a massage, but he wasn’t feeling up to talking or subjecting himself to Andy or Mark’s scrutiny and inane chatter, so he decided to chill at home for the night and maybe run his treadmill into the ground.

  As soon as Cork dropped him off, he changed into gym shorts and running shoes and got to work. Without bothering to warm up, he chose a full-out run and set the machine on a steep incline. Parker ran for over an hour, expending the same amount of energy he’d burn up if he was running outdoors. By the time he finished, sweat was rolling off him by the bucketful. Tired, cranky, and in need of a shower, he stayed under the spray until his nerves calmed down.

  After dinner, he surfed through the channels until he found a familiar rerun of ER. He listened to the television program, hoping it would distract him. He needed something, anything, to keep his mind off Ann. Getting more agitated by the minute, he grabbed his cell and sent her another text message—the last one he was planning to send, since his other two had been ignored.

  With several hours to kill before bedtime and with nothing better to do, he powered up his laptop and activated the screen reader program. He checked his e-mails first, none of which required an immediate response. Parker thought of what Webster had said earlier. How well did he know Ann? If Webbie had any serious doubts about Ann, why hadn’t she mentioned anything? Regardless, he’d be dammed if he was going to ignore her subtle warnings.

  Parker typed Ann’s name into the Google search box, and after a few seconds, the mechanical voice announced several choices. He went down the list, but each one produced unfamiliar results. One Ann Sutton was an exhibit curator residing in Egypt, another was a real estate agent from Arizona, and another was a quilt maker from the South. He listened to a few more until he got to a blog written by a woman who claimed to have been a high school classmate of Kelly Ann Sutton—also known as Kelly Storm. The blog had more than four thousand hits. His interest piqued, he listened while the screen reader read the entry for him, not certain if he wanted to hear the blogger’s entire post of her attempt to be famous.

  The part where the woman claimed Kelly Ann had always been a great actress in their numerous high school plays intrigued him, so he listened for more. The woman mentioned the school where she and Kelly Ann had both graduated—Chicago High School, class of 2004. He recalled Ann telling him she was twenty-six years old. Was this a mere coincidence, or was the truth in there somewhere?

  His stomach tightened at the improbable coincidence. He dug some more, opening another tab and then typing Kelly Storm into the search box. Parker couldn’t see the images on the screen, no matter how hard he strained. All he could make out were blurry faces and figures.

  Frustrated, he dialed Webster’s number. When she answered, he didn’t waste any words. “I want you to come over right away. Call Cork and tell him to swing by, too.”

  “What’s going on?” Webster asked, sounding alarmed.

  “Just come as soon as you can.”

  Parker threw the phone on the bed and paced the floor, feeling like a caged animal. He needed to confirm if the woman he was “seeing” was the famed actress. If it were true, then she was probably laughing her ass off at him. He got even angrier as he tried to walk off his growing resentment.

  To help pass the time while waiting for Cork and Webster, he downed several shots of Everclear, one right after the other. He was nursing a good buzz by the time they arrived. Feeling a bit mellower than he had been an hour ago, he led them to his bedroom and
his laptop.

  Cork and Webster followed him. He sensed from their silence that they already knew what he wanted from them. He didn’t say anything until he moved the touch pad and the screen reader announced the picture of Kelly Storm.

  He heard them move closer to look. No one said a word, so he spoke first.

  “Did either one of you suspect she might be the woman I’m seeing?” Parker laughed bitterly at his own words. Not seeing was the problem. He had no idea who he’d been seeing all this time.

  Another silence stretched before them, and he assumed Cork and Webster were deciding who was going to answer him. Cork coughed and attempted to clear his throat.

  “I’m not sure, bro. We saw her in the restaurant last week, remember?”

  Parker nodded his head with impatience.

  “I didn’t know back then if there was a connection, but thinking about it now, there has to be. The way she was staring at you that night, the surprised expression on her face, and the way she left the restaurant might very well be signs that she’s the same person. But I’m not one hundred percent sure because I haven’t seen the Ann who came to see you at work.” Cork’s explanation made sense.

  “I know you haven’t seen her, but do you think they’re the same people?” he asked, pointing to the monitor, his anger mounting.

  “Could be, but don’t you think you ought to ask her first before you get all upset?”

  He ignored his brother’s question and turned to Webster, who hadn’t said a word since they’d arrived.

  “Webbie, you’ve seen Madame Baba. Do you think she’s Kelly Storm?”

  She sighed and placed a calming hand on his arm. He shook it off and glared at her. “Tell me what you think!”

  “It’s hard to tell. Madame Baba had black hair. I can’t remember her face that well. She walked fast and avoided eye contact even with her dark, oversized sunglasses. I wish I could be sure, although to tell you the truth, I suspected the connection when you gave me her name.”