“Hi, Ma,” I answered.
Those two words were cut off by my mother’s shrill, hysterical scream coming through the line. “Cara!” she shouted. “Oh, my dear, sweet girl! You’ve made me so happy!” She started spouting off endearments, bouncing between Italian and English in her excitement. “It’s all over the interweb that you’ve landed yourself a handsome young man!”
I wasn’t sure where to start first, so I decided to grab hold of the easiest thing. “It’s the Internet, Ma, not the interweb.”
Her snort echoed through the receiver. “Whatever. I don’t care about that. All that matters is that my little girl’s finally got herself a man! Oh, cara, I’m so happy.” Ah hell, her voice was watery and wavered like she was just moments away from crying happy tears. “I’m not happy you were so public in your affection, but I can’t be too mad, not when it means I’ll finally get my dream of little grandbabies! But you really should consider being more private in your liaisons, darling. You’ll get a reputation.”
“Whoa! Whoa!” I cried out. “Slow your roll. No one said anything about babies. Have you lost your mind? Jeez, Ma, it was one date!”
“And such a good-looking boy,” she mused. Only my mother would call a grown man in his midthirties a boy. “And from the article it looks like he’s very well off.”
“Mom!” I snapped, desperate to pull her from her tangent. “Just stop, okay? It isn’t what you think. Grayson and I aren’t—”
“And what a masculine name, don’t you think? Grayson.” She said it almost reverently. “So strong and commanding, yes?”
That was such a spot-on description of not just Grayson’s name, but his presence as well — not that I’d ever admit that to my mother; she was already foaming at the mouth because of a simple picture. Trying to talk her down right then would’ve been pointless. I didn’t have the inclination or the time to talk her down. I needed to get to the studio.
“Look, Ma, I have to go, okay? We’re going on the air soon. I’ll call you later.” Like in a year or two.
“Okay, sweetheart. I’ll talk to you soon. Maybe I’ll come for a visit,” she said, sounding like she was speaking more to herself than to me. That declaration sent chills over my skin. “It’ll give me a chance to see you, and meet your new young man.”
“Sweet, merciful hell,” I grunted through the line.
“Language, Lola Arianna Abbatelli!” she scolded.
“Sorry,” I sighed. “We’ll talk about this later, okay?”
“All right, honey. Talk soon. I love you.”
“Love you too, Ma.”
I hung up and dropped my head to my desk, banging my forehead against the cool, smooth surface three times before sitting up straight.
“So…” Sophia dragged out, “nice chat with your mom?”
“She wants to visit,” I told them.
They both stared at me with matching expressions of horrified astonishment. They were my best friends; they knew that, despite how much I loved my mother, being in her company for more than a short span of time was a recipe for disaster. One of us was bound to kill the other if we were cooped up in the same room for too long. There was a reason we lived on different coasts. Our relationship did much better with a continent dividing us. When I was growing up, we butted heads like crazy, the both of us being strong-minded, stubborn women. It wasn’t until I moved away to college that our relationship finally began to flourish.
“You’ll kill each other,” Daphne stated the obvious.
I let out a humorless chuckle and added, “She says she wants to ‘meet my new young man,’” I told them, using finger quotes to emphasize my point. “When did my life get so effed up?”
Sophia smiled evilly. “When you met your match and caught the guy’s eye at the same time. Grayson Lockhart is totally your equal when it comes to getting what he wants.”
I scowled again. If this kept up, I was going to have wrinkles long before I was ready. “I didn’t catch his eye,” I objected petulantly. “I just… pissed him off, and now he’s making me pay for it.”
Daphne picked up the paper once more and shook it playfully. “Looks like you caught more than just his eye,” she singsonged.
I snatched the paper from her hand and crumpled it up, tossing it into the recycling bin.
“You’re right. I also caught his disdain. We can’t stand each other.”
My friends gave each other a knowing look. “Just keep telling yourself that, Lo,” Sophia said.
I stood from my chair and propped my hands on my hips, replying in a snotty tone, “I will, thank you very much. Now if you two don’t mind, we have a show to do. Can we please stop talking about my fake love life and focus on our jobs?”
Again, they shared a look that made me want to smack them both. But before I could, they both stood up and started out of my little cubicle toward the studio. I breathed a much-needed sigh of relief as I followed after them. I thought the topic was dropped, that I was finally granted my reprieve, but I should’ve known better.
“Hey, Lo?” Sophia asked, watching me over her shoulder.
“Yeah?”
“Can I be your maid of honor when you and Grayson get married?”
While she and Daphne giggled like little schoolgirls, I was contemplating how I could dispose of my two friends’ bodies after I murdered them.
Grayson
IT HAD BEEN nearly a week since my last interaction with Lola. After leaving her so out of sorts that she’d walked into a glass wall, I figured it was best to give her a small break. But that break was coming to an end today. It seemed I couldn’t get that woman off my mind no matter where I was or what I needed to get done. I couldn’t remember the last time I wanted a woman so much I was driven to distraction. Hell, my longest relationship ended because I put my job first, but just a few days with Lola and I couldn’t focus on shit.
My office door swung open, yanking me from my thoughts of Lola. Caleb came waltzing in with the same casual, happy-go-lucky attitude he wore like a mask. I knew him well enough to know it was all an act, that he played up the playboy title he’d been given, thinking nothing more would ever be expected of him. Caleb was my closest friend and one of the most loyal people I’d ever known, but growing up being beaten down and cowed by the people who were supposed to love you unconditionally could seriously damage a person’s outlook on life.
“You’re in a good mood this morning,” I stated, noticing the faint smile that lingered on his lips.
That smile only grew at my observation. “What can I say? Hours of world-class sex will do that to a man. You should really try it sometime.”
Oh, I fully intended to… as soon as I could get Lola on board, which was proving to be more of a pain in the ass than I’d considered.
“Maybe if you’d finally tap that hot piece from the gossip rags all week, it would improve your disposition.”
I threw him a killing look at referring to Lola as a “hot piece.” Caleb might’ve been my best friend, but that didn’t mean I wouldn’t beat the shit out of him if he continued to disrespect her. And by the way his mouth snapped shut, I knew he interpreted my expression correctly.
His hands went up in surrender as he moved toward one of the chairs on the other side of my desk. “Sorry, sorry. I won’t talk about your girl like that,” he chided as he fell into the seat and placed his ankle on the opposite knee. With a teasing smile, he added, “Didn’t know it was so serious.”
“It’s not serious,” I replied flatly, the admission souring my mood somewhat. “From the way she acts whenever I’m around, you’d think I had the fucking plague.”
A sharp bark of laughter erupted from Caleb. “Oh man! This is great.” He laughed hysterically.
A scowl darkened my features as I watched him laugh his ass off at my expense. “Glad I could amuse you, man.”
“I’m sorry,” he gasped, his laughter finally starting to die down into an annoying chuckle. “But you have to admit tha
t the irony is kind of funny, brother.”
“How do you mean?”
“Well, think about it. Women all around the country would drop their panties if you asked—”
“You’re exaggerating,” I interrupted.
“Hell, man, you actually had a chick stalk you because she was convinced you were the one. Have you ever had to work to get a woman’s attention before?”
Crossing my arms over my chest, I leaned back in my chair and regarded him. “I’m assuming you have a point you’ll eventually get to?” I said instead of admitting he was right. I might not fuck every woman who threw herself at me like he did, but that didn’t mean I hurt for female company when the mood arose.
“The point, man, is that you’ve finally met your match.” The asshole really didn’t have to sound pleased about it. “And she’s one damn good actress too, if those pictures are anything to go by.”
That wasn’t an act. I didn’t bother to correct Caleb, or try to explain it, but I knew. I could feel it every time I got close to her, the way her entire body melted into mine when I kissed her, and how she greedily kissed me back. It wasn’t an act — no fucking way. She wanted me, but there was something holding her back.
“Looks like you’ve got your work cut out for you with this one.” Caleb grinned. “Hope you’ve got a game plan. You’re going to need it.”
“Oh, I’m sure I’ll think of something,” I responded with a determined smile. I wasn’t afraid of hard work, and when I wanted something, I was determined to get it… no matter what it took.
“Maybe you should enlist Mama Lockhart’s help. We both know that woman’d give her little boy anything he wanted.” He said it jokingly, but his words made me stop. There was actually some merit to that suggestion. My father was never one to spoil his child, but my mom most definitely was. Lola might be stubborn as shit, but she was no match for my mother. And the plus side was that my mother was unaware of the scheme I’d worked up after that disastrous phone call that had been aired so publicly. My father had thought it best to leave her in the dark, so she’d been operating under the misconception that what was being splattered in the papers was real. It was perfect.
“Dude. I was just kidding, Gray. I see those wheels of yours spinning. You really want to sic your mom on her? She’d eat the poor girl for lunch.”
I propped my elbows on the arm of my chair, and stroked my chin as I thought. “Hey, you’re the one who said I needed a game plan.”
Caleb studied me silently for several seconds. “You’re really gone for this chick.” It wasn’t a question so I didn’t bother with an answer. “I figured that was the case when you didn’t get all pissy at your face being splashed around the gossip columns, but I didn’t think you were this far gone.”
“What can I say? You know how much I love a challenge.”
He suddenly grinned, his face showing he was down for whatever scheme I was working up. “That I do. And I have to tell you, Gray, that’s one fuck-hot challenge. Be honest. Are those real?” He held his hands out in front of his chest like he was gripping a couple melons.
“Fuck off,” I said by way of an answer, then looked down at the watch on my wrist.
“Come on, man,” he whined as I stood from my seat and started around my desk. “You can’t leave me hanging like that. Best friends are supposed to share this kind of shit. Hey, where are you going?”
I didn’t look back as I headed toward the door. Lola’s show had already started, and I could no longer ignore the niggling desire to see her any longer. “To get a front row seat of the show.”
“I’ll join you. I’ve been meaning to head down and see the woman who’s got you twisted in knots in person,” Caleb muttered, shooting from the chair and following after me.
The elevator took us up and the instant we stepped off, I knew everyone on the floor not only knew who I was but that they’d all seen the articles in the papers. The curiosity and speculation of what was going on between Lola and me was written on all their faces.
“M-Mr. Lockhart. Oh… h-hi. Hello,” the receptionist stammered as Caleb and I entered KTSW’s lobby. Her eyes grew wide at the sight of us. “C-can I help you?”
“Well, hello.” Caleb gave the young blonde receptionist what he called his “panty-drenching” smile and leaned against the credenza. “And what’s your name, beautiful?”
I smacked him upside the back of his head and grabbed him by the elbow, jerking him from the poor, unsuspecting woman.
“Ow! The fuck was that for?” he pouted as he rubbed his head.
I looked back to see the receptionist’s eyes bug out and her jaw drop. “I know the way. Thank you.” I didn’t break stride as I answered, pulling my man-whore of a best friend behind me. “Don’t shit where you eat, asshole,” I gritted as we headed for the sound booth.
“Why not? That’s what you’re doing. Or at least trying to.”
“That may be, but I know you. You’ll fuck her, drop her, then pretend like she doesn’t exist when you see her in the halls. That’s a lawsuit waiting to happen that the company doesn’t need.”
“Jesus, Gray. You make it sound like I’m a heartless prick.”
I shot him a side-eyed look. “Tell me that’s not exactly what you planned to do if she gave you a shot.”
He opened his mouth like he was prepared to argue but then stopped, realizing I was right. “Whatever,” he grumbled as I brought us to a stop in front of the door to the sound booth.
“Now can you behave or do I need to send you back down to your room?”
He flipped me off and twisted the knob, pushing the door open and stepping in. I followed behind him and closed us into the room with a red-faced, startled Jerry, the producer, and the other young guy I’d seen last time I was in there.
“Mr. Lockhart… what are you… I mean, how, um, how are you?”
“Gentlemen.” I tipped my chin at them and made introductions between the two of them and Caleb. “We just wanted to come check out the show for a bit.”
“Oh… uh….” Jerry’s face grew even redder as the kid, Andrew, began to fiddle with the soundboard. “Okay… sure. Just pull up a seat, I guess.”
Caleb and I made ourselves comfortable in the chairs near the back wall, mindful to stay out of the way while Lola and her friends were on the air. I wasn’t sure what I expected, but listening to the three of them banter back and forth and interact with their callers while we watched from the other side of the glass was pure entertainment. Those three women had an enthusiasm that was damn near palpable. It was no wonder Girl Talk brought in such high ratings. As I listened, my mind whirled with ideas of how to promote not just the station and the show, but the three hosts as well. We needed to get them out in front of the public, really put their faces to the voices people listened to on a daily basis.
“Dude,” Caleb whispered, drawing me from my musings. “I had no idea these chicks were so damn hot. Have you checked out the blonde? Christ, she’s a perfect ten.”
Andrew turned to look at us over his shoulder, giving Caleb a commiserating look. It would appear that it wasn’t just the listeners who were charmed.
“Don’t even think about it,” I warned quietly.
Lola’s voice cut through our conversation as she spoke into the mic. “If you’re just tuning in, we’ve opened up the lines and are taking calls from you guys. This is your time to vent. If you’ve got some issues in your relationship, this is a chance for you to call for some advice. We’ve got Rose on the line right now. Hey, Rose, how can we help you out?”
“H-hi, guys,” a hesitant voice sounded through our small room.
“So what’s happening in your relationship that made you call in today?” Sophia asked.
“Well… I’ve been with my boyfriend for about six months now, and lately I’ve been thinking about breaking up with him.”
“Seriously?” Caleb leaned in and whispered. “You dragged me down here to listen to some ya-ya traveling pa
nts shit?”
“I didn’t drag you in here, dick. Now shut up and listen,” I hissed back.
“And why have you thought about breaking up with him?” Lola prodded. I looked back toward the booth to see all three ladies with matching expressions of concentration.
“The thing is… God, this is so embarrassing.”
“Nothing to be embarrassed about,” Lola said in a soothing voice. “We’re all friends here. Just let it out.”
Caleb let loose a derisive snort, earning himself my elbow to his ribs.
“Okay,” Rose sighed. “Well you see, my boyfriend… he’s….”
“Is the sex bad?” Daphne asked when the caller continued to waver.
From the corner of my eye, I saw Caleb perk up at the mention of sex. “Say what?”
“No, no. The sex is good. It’s… the stuff leading up to the sex that’s bad.”
“There’s stuff before sex?” Caleb asked in a quiet, curious voice.
Sweet mother of God. I need new friends.
“You mean foreplay?” Lola asked.
“Ohhh.” Now Caleb was following. The dumbass.
“Yes. Foreplay. You see… my boyfriend’s not very good at… going downtown.”
“The hell?” Caleb choked.
Jerry’s face burned even redder as he cleared his throat uncomfortably.
Andrew blushed in a way only a young, twenty-year-old, semi-experienced kid could.
Me… well, I just sat there with rapt attention, curious to see what these three ladies would offer up as advice.
“Ah… we’re following,” Daphne spoke up as Lola rolled her eyes. And for some reason Sophia threw her arms out, as though the topic was frustrating.
“Okay, look,” Lola cut in. “You’re not the first woman to call in with this particular complaint, Rose. I’ve got to ask… have you bothered to try and teach your boyfriend what you want him to do down there?”
“Well… no… not really. I mean, he’s twenty-five years old. Shouldn’t he know what he’s doing by now?”
Seducing Lola Page 10
