Desire in the Everglades

by Hoff, Stacy

  Glancing around at the ads lining the subway car, he busied himself reading pitches for sports drinks, zit creams, and lottery tickets. One ad wanted people to sue a pharmaceutical company in a class action. Another one looked suspiciously like an ad for an escort service. Exactly what kind of “friends” was this place going to supply for their low, low fee?

  The conductor’s voice clicked on over the loudspeaker. “Ninety-Six Street, next.”

  Colin whirled around to the heavyset man next to him. “Ninety-Sixth Street?” he asked, brow suddenly sweating.

  “Yeah, man. Why?”

  “Let me guess. This is the Uptown train, right?” Colin winced as the man nodded. “Great. Just great. Only I need to go in the opposite direction.”

  “Tough break, man. You’ll have to get out at the next station, put your Metrocard in again, and take the train going downtown.”

  Fantastic. Another subway ride. With more Metrocard kiosk fun. He was definitely taking a taxi back to Stephanie’s apartment, even if he had to wait a million years to do it.

  Stephanie’s hair was still damp from the shower when her phone rang. Smiling, she hurried over to grab it. “Hi, baby,” she whispered huskily. “It’s only been an hour and I miss you so bad. I wish you were here to touch me like you did last night—”

  “Steffie?”

  Stephanie froze for a minute. Heat flooded her face. Awkward. “Uh, hi, Mom.”

  “Yes, it’s your mother. Who on God’s green earth did you think it was?”

  “I’m so sorry. I thought it was Colin,” she explained, feeling a wave of nausea. Telling your mother, in your best sexy voice, to touch you all over was definitely heave-worthy. At least she wasn’t underage.

  “Colin? When I called you last night to see how you were, you didn’t mention patching things up with Colin.”

  Stephanie cringed. She was not going to explain that, given what they were busy doing when her mother called, she was pretty desperate to hang up the phone. “He came over last night and explained everything. He didn’t even know who Adrienne was and had been trying to get away from her. The whole thing was all a big misunderstanding. I’m not mad at him anymore. In fact, we’re moving in together.”

  Her mother paused. “Isn’t this a little fast, honey? Considering what happened with you and Freddie, maybe you want to slow it down. Get to know him better. Learn the type of person he really is.”

  “Things will be going very slow, trust me. He’s leaving soon, and then I won’t see him for weeks. Not until after the final show airs on TV. Not that I’m happy about it. Between his leaving, and my having to look for a job, things aren’t going so great right now.”

  “That’s what I’m calling about, honey. Things are not going great for me, either.”

  Stephanie heard her mother’s voice hitch, then falter. A choking sob took over the line. “Mom? Mom! Everything all right? Say something, please.”

  “Your father had a bad stroke last night. I’m at the hospital. You need to come. Your brothers are already on their way.”

  Made it. Drenched. Pissed off. But made it. On time. Colin ignored the constant dripping from his pants dousing his socks and shoes. The latter of which were no doubt ruined anyway. He had sloshed his way into the building, cringing with every squeak-squeak-squeak of his steps.

  Once upstairs, Colin waited for Teleworld’s crazy receptionist to wave him through.

  “Oh you poor thing,” she squealed. “Whatever’s happened to you?”

  Colin arched an eyebrow at her. “It’s raining out, ma’am. Either that, or I had extremely bad luck walking underneath a window-washer.”

  Jennifer convulsed so hard laughing, Colin wondered whether she’d suffer a seizure.

  “Oh, you’re funny, too,” she exclaimed.

  He didn’t ask about the “too” part. Whatever his other attributes were in her estimation, he didn’t want to know. He shifted in his squeaky shoes, waiting for her to send him on to wherever he needed to go. Hand driers could only get clothing so dry. In his case, not nearly dry enough.

  She cleared her throat and resumed a professional pose. “They’ll be right with you, Mr. Brandt. Then again,” she said, smiling, “it’s not so bad having you wait here with me.”

  “I’m sorry, what?”

  “Can I call you Colin?”

  “Er, sure.”

  “I meant to ask you something last time, Colin. Can you and I go out some night? Like to a bar, or a café?”

  “Er . . .”

  “I don’t mean to be so assertive, but I think you’re handsome. Like, ‘Brad Pitt is a dog’ handsome. Even when dripping wet.” She laughed. “You’ll have a good time with me. I’ll make sure of it.” She lowered her voice and spoke seductively. “It’s pretty obvious that you’re into me, too. I saw those furtive looks you’ve been giving me. Yummy.”

  “But—”

  “If you want, I’ll take you back to my house. I can make you even wetter than you are now, big boy.”

  He felt his jaw hang open, large enough for a hive of bees to move in. Great. I signed up to fight off panthers, not cougars.

  “You are still available, aren’t you? I shouldn’t have hesitated asking you last time,” she added hastily. If she was talking fast because she was nervous, good. Maybe if she were nervous enough, she’d stop . . . or not.

  “I’m sure you were seeing Ms. Lang,” she continued in the same rushed voice, “since you dropped that gift off for her. But since she’s no longer with the company, and walked off your show, I doubt you’re interested in her anymore. I hope you haven’t gotten a girlfriend to replace her. Though with looks like yours . . .”

  What is it about today? Bad horoscope? I woke up cursed? What?

  “You’re mistaken about me and Ms. Lang,” he responded coldly. “I was asked to drop the package off for her. Whatever it was, it wasn’t from me.”

  “Oh, good. She wasn’t your type anyway. I heard she got dumped by her fiancé in a big way. Something must be wrong with her. Now me, on the other hand—”

  “Please don’t.”

  “I beg your pardon?”

  He watched her expression darken. “Please don’t trash someone else to make yourself look better.” Colin took a deep breath. This day had gone from bad to worse faster than an incoming Texas tornado. “Look, I’m sorry. I appreciate your warm feelings toward me, and I thank you for that. But I’m not seeing anybody at this time, and I need to keep it that way.”

  “Fine,” she shot back, her voice clipped.

  Colin felt his face heat up. Blowing his cool before going into his meeting was not going to help him any. He needed to stay calm. Collected.

  “Look—”

  “Jennifer. But call me Jenny,” she said, suddenly warming back up to him.

  “Right. Jenny. Okay.” He took another deep breath and started again. “Look, Jenny, you’re very nice and all, but I’ve got to spend all my time and energy on this show. I’m sure you want to make your company’s show a success a much as I do.”

  “Why didn’t you just say so? What’s best for Teleworld is best for me. So, we’re going out for drinks after the show airs, right?” Glee lined her face, stretching her crows’ feet all the way to her ears.

  “Sorry, no. That’s not what I was saying. At all.”

  Mark suddenly came through the door, into the reception area, his arms open wide in embrace. “Colin, it’s great to see you. Jennifer, is your extension light broken or something? I’ve been ringing you for the past five minutes.” Mark, however, didn’t wait for an answer. “You made it, despite all this rain. Good for you.”

  Colin extended his hand, pretending to not see Mark’s offer of a hug. If Mark picked up on the dismissal, he didn’t show it.


  “How goes it, Mark?”

  “Fine, fine,” he said, walking Colin back.

  “Oh, Colin—Mr. Brandt—did you want to see—” Jennifer called after them.

  “All Mr. Brandt needs to see is our conference room, and I’m already taking him there,” Mark answered dismissively. “I’ll buzz if we need you further, Jennifer. Please try to pick up your phone this time.” Mark spun around to Colin, obviously giving him his full attention.

  Colin had the distinct impression that if Jenny burst into flames, Mark wouldn’t notice. Teleworld was filled with devils anyway. What would be one more person burning?

  Mark’s pace was almost inhumanly fast. “Everyone’s waiting for you, though with this horrible weather, we thought you might be late. It’s hard to get a cab when it’s sunny. When it rains, it’s impossible.” Mark gestured to Colin’s dripping clothes and laughed. “Unless you’ve already figured that out?”

  “I did. I hope you guys finally figure out that whatever the odds are against me, I always manage to pull through.” Colin smiled, hoping any signs of smugness were suppressed.

  “Excellent,” Mark exclaimed, clapping Colin’s back. “Then we’re hiring the right man for the job.”

  Mark opened the door and walked into the conference room. It was huge, furnished with high-backed leather chairs and the biggest conference table Colin had ever seen. Did the Pentagon even have furniture this size? If the furnishings weren’t impressive enough, the view was. Floor-to-ceiling windows overlooked most of Rockefeller Center below.

  Colin glanced around to see reams of paper and oversized green Teleworld mugs festooning the table. Maybe he could borrow a mug. He could use a drink. A stiff one. Or two.

  “So, gentlemen,” Colin said, making a gesture at all the chairs. “Where’s Stephanie this morning? Is she sick?”

  Mark frowned and joined the rest of the Teleworld team in silence. “She decided to move on.”

  “Move on where?” Colin asked with an innocent tone. “To a different project?”

  “Er, no. Move on from Teleworld. We appreciate all the work you’ve done with her. It won’t hold up shooting, though. By the time you leave for Florida, her replacement will be on board. Don’t worry, we’re considering only top people for the job.”

  “Funny,” Colin said, looking around the room. “Considering everything she went through to get the show going, I thought she was tops in her field.” He picked up his copy of the contract. “Anyway, thank you for e-mailing the docs over to me for my final review. I agree to your terms. Let’s seal this deal.” He walked around the table, plunked himself down in the only open seat, and picked up the stack of papers in front of him.

  “Here you go,” Mark chirped, handing him a Mont Blanc pen.

  Colin touched the point of the elegant pen to the first “sign here” sticker and scrawled his name slowly in beautiful, inky black. Funny, I’d always thought the devil made you sign in blood.

  Stephanie looked over at her father. He was asleep. And stable. For now. She wondered whether he would be scared when he woke up, seeing himself in the hospital, an IV tube in his arm. It’d be scary for anyone, no doubt. Heck, she was scared and she was just an observer.

  The room was white and sterile and cold. She shivered into her cardigan and wrapped it tighter around her. Was the overpowering air conditioning supposed to enhance a pre-morgue atmosphere? If so, it was working.

  A nurse walked over to her father’s roommate and sharply drew the privacy curtain around them. Several long silent minutes later, the nurse emerged, hustling away with a bunch of strange looking instruments. How the instruments had been used on the man, she didn’t want to know. The man wheezed and made a gargling sound.

  She didn’t hold out a lot of hope for her father, but at least he didn’t sound like that. But her dad had his own issues. Given his Alzheimer’s, would it be better, or worse, when he finally woke up? Would he even understand he’d had a stroke?

  She saw her father’s eyes flutter open for a moment and then shut tight again. “Sleep well, Daddy,” she whispered, tip-toeing out of his room. Quietly as she could, she closed the door behind her. Both men in the room were better off left alone to rest.

  She’d need to get used to a depressing notion. Her father’s days were numbered. If he passed in a few days, it wouldn’t be a surprise. She wasn’t sure how she could bounce back from that kind of loss.

  How about if something happened to Colin while he taped the show? Would she be able to bear it? He thought she was tough, but was she? How would she ever survive the rest of her life without him when she felt she couldn’t survive the rest of the day?

  Chapter 25

  Stephanie opened the refrigerator door and peered in, feeling the blast of cold air. All of their favorite foods were here. His half-and-half next to her caramel macchiato creamer. Her containers of feta and gorgonzola. His block of cheddar. Her free-range chicken. His slabs of steak. In fact, they were supposed to have eaten home last night, but he’d insisted they go out to dinner instead. Without telling her where. When the cab stopped at Rita’s Bistro, she smiled.

  That night, when they got home, they’d made love. Their last night before he left, and the passion had been tempered by sadness. He had held her. She did her best not to cry.

  She slammed the fridge door shut, her appetite now gone. He was on a plane. Headed for Florida. Headed for stardom. Or injury. Or even death.

  No matter what happened, when he came back, if he came back, everything would be different. He’d lead the life of a celebrity, despite his assumption to the contrary. It’d be hard to ignore calls from E! and The Today Show. Not to mention interviews on Teleworld’s own entertainment programming.

  He would be in New York for months, whether he liked it or not. Maybe Los Angeles, too. Bottom line, he needed money, and he’d get paid handsomely for these extra appearances. Not only would he have the farm’s balloon payment paid off, he’d have a sizeable nest egg to boot.

  With all the celebrity status he’d gain, and all the celebrities he was going to meet, would he still want her? Sure, she trusted him, but she’d trust him more if he weren’t a man. She shook her head and sighed. She was being irrational. She knew it. She did trust him. Colin would be true to her. Freddie never cared about being faithful. That difference was major and would prevent her from having her heart broken again.

  Once again, she opened the fridge, removed the leftovers from the restaurant along with the raw chicken breast and steak, and froze them. She couldn’t look at it now. Maybe later. For now, she couldn’t take physical reminders. Of him. Of last night—their last night together. He had wanted to celebrate it. She, on the other hand, not at all. He was still suffering from the stupid delusion he could win this show. And if he did, he didn’t seem to fully understand that his life would be changed irrevocably. How could anybody experience reality TV stardom and not be fundamentally changed as a person?

  And if he failed to win the prize money? If all he left the show with was his life? That would be fine. All she wanted was him. He was so stubborn, though. Determined. Too optimistic. Would he actually be willing to throw in the towel? Even if he should do it to survive? Probably not. He’d just keep assuming he would ultimately prevail, giving up the chance to save himself.

  How stupid. How frustrating. If he’d let her, she could be his lifeline. He didn’t need the show at all. If she got another job quick enough, she could pay the New York rent for both of them. Plus, she could talk to banks about re-financing the balloon payment for the farm. If Colin let her, she could help him pay down the debt over time. Of course, all her bank contacts were in New York but maybe at least one would be willing to consider a farm deal in rural Texas.

  All she could do was try. Risking her money would be hard. But there were worse things than debt. Like having
no Colin. Unfortunately, having no Colin was a very possible outcome. Stephanie sat down on her couch and hung her head in her hands. She wasn’t even going to contemplate that. At least not purposefully. Some thoughts were just too painful.

  She could only hope that by doing all this for him, she wouldn’t become more terrified about his dumping her. Making her, yet again, the biggest chump of all.

  Colin raised his head from his iPhone. “I’m sorry, what did you say?”

  “I asked if you have a girlfriend,” Devon repeated, his voiced raised louder over the hum of the plane’s engine. “You keep looking at your phone, so I figure you’ve got some babe you’re waiting for.”

  “We’d both be waiting a while,” Colin said dryly.

  “Twelve days isn’t so long.”

  “Really? You try doing it.”

  Devon laughed. “Ah, but I’m not the great and powerful you.”

  Colin laughed, too. “That’s right, you’re not. Besides, aren’t they going to sequester me afterwards, so news doesn’t leak out whether I’ve won?” Or died?

  “Most likely. You know Mark tells us lowly camera folk as little as possible. Speaking of giving up information, though, you didn’t answer my question. Have you got a girl or what?”

  Colin hoped his countenance appeared neutral. His lips were turned downwards though, he was sure of it. Nothing good could come from this banter. The quickest way to shut the conversation down was to act like an asshole. Nobody wanted to engage an asshole, right? Employ defensive technique. “Why so curious, Devon? You interested in filling the position for me?”

  “Whatever position you’re offering, I accept,” Devon answered, confident and flat-out. A broad, sly smile crept over his face.