Zoey's Place

by E M Bannock

  He wiped a tear from her cheek. “Sure, I wonder,” he answered. “I don’t know why either, Zee, but I do know that you can’t give up. No matter how hard you get knocked down, you gotta get up. Sometimes you can do it by yourself. Hell, sometimes you have no choice. But if you’ve got someone to go through it with you, then you got it licked.”

  She gave him a hug and he could feel the wetness of her tears on his bare chest. She felt so small and fragile. Nothing like the strong-willed, confident woman who pulled herself up from the depths of grief, tragedy, and sorrow. The woman who started a successful business that gave pleasure and filled the needs of hundreds of mature women.

  “Zoey, you’re not going through this alone. We’re in this together. You, me, Fen, and Annette. But mostly I’m here, for you and with you. Lean on me. Cry on my shoulder, use me, abuse me. I love you, and whoever hurts you hurts me. Whatever it takes, we’re in this together.” He brushed her hair back from her face, gently tilted her head up, and met her lips with a gentle kiss. Her lips were soft as satin. He sucked her bottom lip lightly as she pulled away.

  “Why, James?” she asked. “Why do you love me? I’m getting old and worn out. I can’t give you a family. You’re young. You deserve something better. You deserve a pretty young wife who can give you kids and a real home.” Tears were running down her cheeks. She looked forlorn and defeated.

  He quieted her with another kiss. “I don’t need kids. I don’t want any of that. I want you. You’re my family and my home. We’re one body, one heart now. You give me everything I’ll ever need.” He stroked her hair tenderly as he spoke.

  His words were coming from his heart and she knew it. “Oh, James,” she cried. “I love you.” She buried her head in his chest and fell apart like a broken toy.

  He blanketed her with his arms as she sobbed and shook with hurt, disappointment, and exhaustion. He wished he could absorb her sorrow and give her his strength in exchange. He hated to see her so down and dispirited. He felt helpless and at a loss. Is this what love did to you? His heart never felt so heavy and he didn’t like it. Yet, looking at her in his arms he knew he would endure this pain a million times more for her without hesitation.

  The next day they met with Diego. Because of the way the laws were written and due to the circumstance in which the ‘violation’, that’s what it was being called, occurred, Diego had no liability in the matter. Jacob was charged with illegal prostitution, which was only a misdemeanor, and he would have to pay a fine and would most likely be given a two-year probation sentence in addition.

  Diego was a handsome man in his fifties who spoke with a soft Hispanic accent. He had leathery skin from his years in the outdoors. Silvery grey hair hung out from under his wide-brimmed straw hat as he sat in Zoey’s office. His remorseful brown eyes glanced back and forth between Zoey and James as he told them all he knew about Jacob Anderson. He said that Jacob left town right after the incident. He promised to be back for his court date, but he decided it would be better if he just left town.

  “Where did he go?” Zoey had asked at their meeting.

  “He didn’t say, but one of my guys said Jacob told him he had a job offer in Michigan,” Diego said.

  “Hmm,” Zoey commented. “Why Michigan? Is that were he’s from?”

  “Don’t know,” Diego answered. “The guy only worked for me for a month. Didn’t really know him that well. Always thought he was kind of strange, though.”

  Zoey was interested. “What do you mean? What kind of strange?”

  “No big deal,” Diego explained. “It’s just that he insisted on working on the brothel grounds, told me he had read about Zoey’s Place in some magazine and wanted to be able to tell his friends that he had worked there. I think he secretly wanted to be a prostitute. Maybe he was trying to impress some girl.”

  “Is that it?” James asked. He was curious to know more about the man who threatened his livelihood and hurt the woman he loved. “He’s a wanna-be hooker? Those guys are a dime a dozen. It’s not that weird.”

  “There was something else that struck me odd,” Diego confessed. “He knew all about you, Miss Zoey; almost seemed to have a little crush on you. He knew where you were from, and what you did before you opened the brothel. He knew about your husband dying over in Riyadh, too.”

  Zoey’s curiosity was piqued. “Why would he know all that?”

  “Don’t know,” Diego replied. “That’s why I thought it was strange. Seemed like a harmless guy, though. That’s why I just let it go. Probably should have said something.”

  “No,” James replied. “Don’t blame yourself. You couldn’t have known. You and I both know there are a lot of weird people in Nevada.”

  “Our attorney will probably be in touch with you, Diego,” James said. “He’s going to want to make contact with Jacob, too. Do you have a phone number for him?”

  “Yes, of course,” Diego replied. “I’m awful sorry about this. I want to help out in any way I can. I’ll have my office gal call you with Jacob’s phone number.”

  Diego looked at James and Zoey. He hesitated a moment before he spoke. “Miss Zoey?” he asked sheepishly.

  “Yes?” Zoey replied quizzically.

  “The thing is, if you wanted to fire me as your landscaper I’d understand. I just want you to know that. I’m just so sorry about all of this.”

  “Don’t worry, Diego,” she replied. “Your company has our place looking like a heavenly floral sanctuary. I wouldn’t let anyone else touch it. Your job is safe.”

  The relief was visible on his face. “Thank you, Miss Zoey. And you, too, Mr. James.”

  “You’re welcome, Diego,” Zoey said as she held out her hand. He shook it, turned to James, and shook his hand before heading out the door.

  “Diego,” James added, stopping him. “If you think of anything else that struck you weird about this guy, give us a call, will you?”

  “Sure thing,” he said as he went out the door.

  Zoey looked at James questioningly after Diego left. “What are you thinking?” she asked.

  “I don’t know,” he replied. “Something about this whole thing smells funny.”

  “You think there’s more to it than a guy living out his fantasy?”

  “Yes, I do,” he said slowly. She could see the wheels turning in his head. “Don’t know what, but there’s something we’re missing. Did you ever represent anyone named Jacob Anderson in Michigan?”

  She thought for a moment and shook her head. “No, not that I can remember. I’ve represented a couple of men named Jacob, but not Anderson. And besides, I won their cases. Why would they want to take revenge on me?”

  “Can you ask Annette?” he requested. “I want to know more about this Jacob Anderson.”

  Chapter 27

  Endless hours of research resulted in confirmation that Zoey had never represented anyone named Jacob Anderson. A connection between Zoey and the wanna-be-hooker couldn’t be found. Putting that to rest, they and Dirk concentrated their efforts on Mrs. Boone.The court date was fast approaching, yet no progress had been made. She was more determined than ever to keep the brothel permanently closed. The future didn’t look good for Zoey’s Place.

  Two weeks before the court date, Zoey and James invited Annette and Michelle to spend the weekend with them in Incline Village as a kind of diversion to their impending demise. They had dinner at Keith’s Kitchen.

  As they sat down at their table, memories of the past came flooding back. Zoey and James looked at each other knowingly and smiled. He took her hand and kissed it gently.

  “Do you think Keith would give you your job back?” Zoey kidded.

  “Without a doubt,” he said confidently, adding, “If he doesn’t, I’ll buy the place.” Zoey chuckled.

  They were enjoying their meal and, as it always did, the subject of the brothel closing came up.

  “I’m so sorry for all of you,” Michelle said as she took a bite from the huge piece of straw
berry cheesecake they were sharing.

  “It’s okay,” Zoey replied. “At least it brought the two of you together.” She smiled and looked at Annette, who smiled back.

  “It’s bittersweet,” Annette said pensively. “Doesn’t seem quite fair to the other partners, though.”

  “I still don’t see why that old bitch of a woman is so determined to shut you down for good. I gave her a massage the day before and she told me how much she loved the place.”

  “Well, she was put in a very awkward and illegal situation,” Zoey replied. “I’d be pissed, too, I guess.”

  “Yeah,” Michelle continued. “But to be so insistent on keeping the brothel closed, that’s just a little over the edge if you ask me. It’s almost like someone is paying her to do it.”

  Zoey looked up as if struck by a bolt of lightning. “That’s it!” she exclaimed.

  James and Annette looked up from their plates. “What?” James asked. “What’s it, Zee?”

  “She’s in on it. Gotta be. What if this wasn’t an accident? What if this was a set- up?”

  Annette could see a spark of Zoey DeLucca, Attorney at Law, glowing and getting brighter. “What’s her motive, boss?” she asked.

  “Don’t know yet, but I’ll bet it’s connected to Jacob Anderson.”

  “What’s he got to gain?” James asked. “He’s got to pay a fine and will be on probation for a couple of years. He doesn’t stand to profit from this.”

  “No, he doesn’t,” Zoey said, holding her chin and tapping her lips in Sherlock Holmes’ style. She was lost in thought. “He’s in it for another reason.”

  “You know,” Michelle broke in, “he was an inquisitive guy. He once asked me questions about time schedules and how things worked with the men.”

  “You talked to him?” This time it was Annette’s turn to be surprised.

  “Just a couple of times,” Michelle responded. “Twice to be exact. You know how I like to read books on the patio in the wild flower garden. Both times he was out there working, weeding, I think. The first time he asked me what the names of the partners were and the second time he asked me when the hookers were on duty. Said he wanted to talk to one of them about being a prostitute. I told him he needed to talk to James, but he said he wanted to talk to one of the guys first. I didn’t think it was anything. And then when he got busted, I thought it was just because of his hooker fantasy. You think he planned it?”

  “Did he ask you about the health inspection schedule?” James inquired.

  “No,” Michelle confirmed, shaking her auburn curls. “Just the men.”

  “It wouldn’t be that hard to find the inspector’s schedule,” Annette interjected. “Dates of health inspections are public knowledge, and they usually follow a pattern. You don’t have to be too smart to figure it out.”

  “Maybe,” Zoey speculated. “But if he knew the schedule, why would he let himself get caught?”

  “Why didn’t you say something about this before?” Annette asked Michelle.

  “I didn’t think it was important. I told the police and they didn’t think it was either. Why would anyone plan to get busted on purpose?” she answered. “Does this change things?”

  “It might,” Zoey said. “It sure is starting to look like he wanted to get busted. Only, what does he get out of it?”

  “There’s got to be some connection,” James chimed in. “Zoey, are you sure you don’t know this guy?”

  “I don’t know. What does he look like anyway? Fen said he was skinny. That’s all I know.” Zoey was wracking her brain, trying to figure it out. Since the lawsuit filed by Mrs. Boone was against Zoey’s Place, Jacob’s part was simple. He had already admitted to misrepresenting himself as a prostitute, and produced a statement to that effect.

  Although Dirk had left several messages on Jacob’s phone, he hadn’t returned any of them. Dirk figured the guy was scared to talk to him. After interviewing some of Diego’s other employees he determined that Jacob wasn’t a very bright person, and suggested that including him in the defense would do more harm than good. So he hadn’t even been put on the potential witness list. He was just a dumb kid who fucked up.

  “Never saw him,” James confessed.

  “Me neither,” Annette added.

  All eyes turned to Michelle. “Well, Fen is right; he is skinny, really skinny. He’s got long dark hair, long fingers. He’s not strikingly handsome. He looks like a million other guys.” She looked at Annette. “I really don’t pay much attention to men.”

  Annette grabbed her hand and tenderly held it up to her cheek. “I know, honey, but think hard. Is there something that made him different?”

  Michelle closed her eyes, flinging her long curly locks behind her shoulder with a shake of her head, and thought. “Well, he had a big nose. Brown eyes.” She was mentally trying to visualize him. “Oh yeah, I remember now. He had a tattoo of a spider on his right forearm. I asked him what it meant and he told me Spider was his nickname.”

  Zoey and Annette’s jaws dropped to the floor. They looked at each other and at the same time said “Spider”.

  “Who’s Spider?” James asked in bewilderment.

  Zoey spoke slowly and succinctly, “Spider is the man my friend Joanne’s brother’s ex-wife had an affair with seven years ago. He’s the reason they got divorced.”

  “Do you think she put him up to it?” Annette asked.

  “Who’s she?” James asked, even more confused.

  “Rhonda,” Zoey stated with disdain. “That feckless bitch. She’s got to be behind this whole thing. She said she would get me back.”

  James and Michelle looked at Annette. “The ex-wife,” she said in explanation.

  “The Jacob we know isn’t smart enough to pull this off by himself. He’s just a tool,” Zoey said. “He’s just doing what he was told to do. But Rhonda, she’s smart enough to plan this whole thing. She could figure out the health inspector schedule, too. I have no doubt this was her idea.”

  “Okay, okay,” James said. “That makes sense, but what about Mrs. Boone? How is she connected?”

  “Hmm,” Zoey thought out loud. “That’s the piece of the puzzle I still can’t figure out.”

  “I’ll look up Spider,” Annette chimed in. “I’ll get a copy of his police record and start from there.”

  “He’s got to be using fake ID,” Zoey said. “Last time I saw him his last name was Johnson. If he used fake ID to get the job with Diego, he’s in a shit load of trouble.”

  “That should be easy enough to find out,” Annette said. “But finding the connection with Mrs. Boone is the hard part.”

  “We’ll find out. She’s in on it somehow. I can feel it in my bones. It’s the only logical answer to this whole fucking mess,” Zoey said confidently. She turned to Michelle. “Thank you, Michelle, truly. You may have just saved all our asses.”

  Annette leaned over, gave Michelle a kiss on the cheek, and said, “You did good, girl.”

  “I’ll call Dirk in the morning and let him know what we think,” Zoey declared with excitement. “Maybe he can use his connections to find out what we don’t know and fill in the blanks.”

  That night Zoey was noticeably in a better place. James cuddled close to her in bed and kissed the back of her neck.

  “Oh, that feels good,” she sighed.

  “Good,” he replied. “You really think the bust was a set-up?”

  “Yes, I’m sure of it. It’s the only thing that makes sense,” she said confidently.

  His kisses were replaced with strong hands, kneading and massaging out the tension from her shoulders. “You’re not as tight as you have been.”

  “For the first time in a long time I think we’ll be okay.”

  “Is that so?” he stated. “In that case, I think my hands can be put to better use on a different part of your body.” He moved his hand down her back and cupped her butt-cheeks hard.

  “Oh!” she squealed in surprise. His hands travele
d from her backside to her front. He tenderly moved them up and down her body, stopping at her breasts to gently cup them in his palms.

  Her hands reached back and took a firm hold of his growing hard-on. “Mmm, this feels pretty good, too,” she said as she squeezed it.

  “Hey, don’t distract me,” he said in mock annoyance.

  She wriggled in delight as hungry hands explored her soft, smooth body, pausing for an extra moment as they prodded her nether region.

  She turned to face him and pushed herself close, burying her head in his shoulder. He cradled her in his arms.

  He smelled strong and manly, yet fresh. Almost outdoorsy. She loved his unique fragrance. She felt safe and loved lying next to him. What she felt for James was uniquely special. Different than what she felt for Mickey, but just as extraordinary. It suited her.

  She wondered, was it hypocritical of her to peddle loveless sex but still desire a bona fide, meaningful relationship? To want true, exclusive love? People are different. We’re all variations of the theme, not cookie cutter beings. No two people are alike, not even twins. Who was she to judge nature’s creation? She knew what love was. She had it in abundance with Mickey. So, she couldn’t deny that she felt love for James. It was possible to love two men deeply, yet differently. She felt blessed.

  Looking up, she studied his face. She traced the outline of his chin with her finger then let her fingers tangle with his hair. She grabbed a handful and pulled his head down so their lips met in a soft kiss. She pushed herself to him and her hard nipples rubbed against the hairs of his chest. “I want you in me, James,” she said softly in his ear as his hard cock pressed against her thigh. “I need you in me, now.”

  “Then come on, baby,” he said seductively as he positioned himself on top of her. “Here I am. Come with me.”

  She spread her legs invitingly and reached down to guide him in. She moaned with satisfaction and pleasure as she felt him enter and fill her pleasure spot. He thrust himself in her slowly at first, then faster as the crescendo of their desire and lust soared and peaked.