Only One Man Will Do

by Fiona McGier

  She found Dmitri bent over to put a pan in the oven. Alexandra let out a wolf whistle. He shut the oven door and turned to smile at her.

  “Was that for me, Ma’am?”

  “Why, yes it was, Mister. That’s one fine-looking ass you have there, on display for me. But one question: aren’t you afraid to fry bacon au naturale? I mean those tiny splatters of grease could really hurt some delicate areas.”

  Dmitri grinned wider. “Thanks for your concern. But I cooked the bacon in the oven while I got everything else ready. I ran out earlier while you were still getting your beauty sleep and I picked up some food for today.”

  “I presume you had to put on clothes to do that?”

  “Of course, but I stripped as soon as I got back, then got to cooking. I was going to come in soon to wake you with a cup of coffee, and we would have some time to enjoy each other before the strata is ready.”

  “Oh? My bad! Forget you saw me at all. I’m really still in bed, awaiting my morning coffee.”

  She turned and walked quickly down the hall to hurl herself onto the bed. She pulled the sheet up and over her breasts and lay back on the pillow, pretending to be asleep.

  A few minutes later, Dmitri entered the room with the coffeepot, two cups, and a small bottle of cream for her coffee. He placed everything on the nightstand next to the bed and poured coffee into both cups before crawling onto the bed to nuzzle Alexandra’s neck.

  “Your coffee has arrived, Sashka and we have about forty-five minutes to amuse ourselves. Whatever shall we do with the time?”

  She reached up both arms and pulled him on top of her, her hands roaming down to massage his butt cheeks as she writhed under him. In response he moved against her, feeling himself aching with desire for the woman he never seemed to be able to get enough of.

  They made good use of the time they had, then enjoyed breakfast sitting naked out on the balcony terrace outside her bedroom. They toasted each other with mimosas and coffee, and enjoyed the sunshine that streamed over them.

  The rest of the day was just as spectacular. Dmitri had bought dinner supplies and he grilled pork tenderloin Russian-style, which they enjoyed with grilled potatoes and a fresh beet salad with blue cheese. They never bothered to put on any clothing and simply enjoyed being with each other.

  * * * *

  It was with great difficulty that Alexandra forced herself to go to work on Monday morning and Dmitri drove off to continue working on the mysterious business he had referred to a few times.

  Alexandra was busy doing research for a new client when her phone rang.

  “Hello?”

  “Is this Alexandra Blackstone?” The voice sounded vaguely familiar.

  “Yes. You called me at work, so you must have known that. What can I do for you?”

  “This is Detective Mark Jones again, Miss Blackstone. I would like for you to stop by the station this morning, if you can work it into your schedule.”

  “What is this about, Detective? Do you have any news about the hit and run driver who killed Tom?”

  The Detective cleared his throat. “Ahem…I’d rather speak to you in my office, if you don’t mind.”

  “Well I do mind because I have a pretty busy day going here, Detective.”

  “When do you take your lunch break?”

  Alexandra sighed. “Usually at one, when my secretary is done with hers. Oh, very well. I’ll be there shortly after one. Is it alright with you if I bring my lunch with me?”

  “By all means. I often eat at my desk, so it won’t be the first time food has been around here. See you then, Miss Blackstone.”

  Somehow Alexandra kept her mind on her work enough to get some things accomplished before she took a late lunch at 1:30. Then she remembered she needed to eat in the police station. She went through the drive-through window of her favorite local sub sandwich place, then strode into the station on a mission: eat her lunch and get the detective to leave her alone at work.

  The man was on the phone as she approached his desk, so she walked up to take the seat she’d been in before. She put her bottle of water on the desk and the bag of food next to it, then carefully unwrapped her sandwich and began to eat. He gave her a grim smile, but continued his conversation. She spent the time looking around at the busy, noisy and unpleasant surroundings and silently thanked her dad for being a businessman who wanted her to follow in his footsteps, not a cop.

  “Later,” the detective said, clicking his phone off and turning to look at her.

  “Thank you for your time, Miss Blackstone. I know you are a busy woman.”

  “Yes, I am. So get to the point. Why did you need to talk to me here?”

  “Did you know a man named Jim Richmond?”

  “Yes, of course I know…wait, you said did, didn’t you? Why?”

  “Because he was found on the street in front of a store he regularly serviced on Saturday afternoons. Apparently he was the victim of a drive-by shooting, but we haven’t been able to find any eye-witnesses yet.”

  Alexandra stopped chewing to stare in disbelief at the officer.

  “He was shot? Is he…?”

  He shook his head. “He was declared DOA by the emergency room when they got him there. His customer had gone into the store carrying the first load of groceries he was delivering, and when he got back out into the street he found Jim’s body next to his truck.”

  Alexandra sat in stunned silence for a few minutes before a tear rolled down her face.

  The detective cleared his throat. “So I take it he was one of your gang of motorcycle riders?”

  Alexandra nodded, still dazed.

  “How long have you known him?”

  “He’s been riding with me for about five years…almost as long as I’ve called my friends who ride with me on weekends, my gang.”

  The detective offered her a box of tissues, but Alexandra used one of the napkins on her lap to wipe her eyes.

  “I’m sorry to have to ask you this again, but do you know anyone who might have wanted Jim Richmond dead? Did he have any enemies? Was he in any fights or arguments lately?”

  Alexandra let out a snort that ended in a sob.

  “Jim? When wasn’t he getting himself into fights and arguments? He was just that kind of guy. He liked to spar and he liked to fight. But in a clincher, he’s the one you want guarding your back. He’ll make sure you’re okay and the other guy is the one sent to the hospital. That’s the kind of man Jim was.”

  She sat silently for a few moments, wiping her eyes before she blew her nose.

  “Wait a minute. You’re asking me the same questions you asked about Tom. You don’t think their deaths were random accidents?”

  Detective Jones stared at her intently, as if watching her every reaction.

  “I’m not sure what to think yet, at this point. But it does seem odd that two men who were known to you…who were a part of a weekend motorcycle gang with you, were killed within twenty-four hours of each other.”

  Alexandra took a long drink from her water bottle, ignoring her discarded sandwich.

  “Do you have any suspects?”

  “No. That’s why I wanted to ask you first. You’re the leader of this gang. I figured that if anyone knew of enemies of these guys, it would be you.”

  Alexandra shook her head slowly.

  “Can you tell me where you were Saturday afternoon, Miss Blackstone?”

  Her eyes opened wide as she shook her head.

  “Um…no. I was freaked out after I talked with you here, so I went home and changed into my riding gear, then I hit the road. I rode for hours, with no destination in mind. I just wanted to feel the road and the wind in my face.”

  “I did ask you not to leave town, if you will remember…”

  “But I wasn’t leaving town. I was just riding to empty my head of bad unpleasant thoughts.”

  “I see. Was anyone else riding with you?”

  “No. The whole point was to get away from every
thing and everyone. So I was alone. There were no witnesses, unless you can find some of the guys who whistled at me as I rode by them, or the truckers who kept blowing their horns and yelling obscene invitations at me to meet them at the next truck-stop.”

  The man’s lips curled upwards then he quickly rearranged his face back to its solemn neutrality.

  “I’m sure anyone on the road would remember you riding by. If we need to find witnesses, we’ll check some trucker companies for driving records.”

  “But you have no other clues or leads to go on?”

  “Not yet. But we’re working on it.”

  Alexandra looked at her forgotten sandwich with distaste. She re-wrapped it and stuffed it into the bag it had come in, then she rose.

  “Are we done here? I do have a job I need to get back to.”

  Detective Jones rose also. “Yes, we’re done…for now. But like I said before, don’t leave town.”

  “You’ll call me if you find out anything?”

  “I’ll call you if I have any more questions, from any of the leads we are following up on.”

  Alexandra grimaced. “Not the same thing, but it’ll have to do. Good-bye, Detective Jones. Nothing personal, but I hope I don’t see you again very soon.”

  He nodded. “I understand. Good-bye, Miss Blackstone.”

  This time Alexandra felt too defeated to swing her hips around on the way out the door. Her thoughts were like squirrels running loose in her head.

  Losing two of my closest friends to random violence so close together is bad enough. But the idea that someone might have killed them on purpose is beyond unsettling. What kind of twisted fuck would kill sweet, innocent Tom?

  She had trouble concentrating on her job for the rest of the afternoon. It wasn’t helped by the knowledge she had to head to the wake for Tom after she left her office. She had purposely worn a dark suit for that reason.

  She parked her SUV in the ample lot at the funeral home. She looked around and recognized the bikes there, so at least she’d have friends to talk to, instead of having to spend all of her time making awkward yet polite conversation with Tom’s mother and brother.

  Hell, they might blame me for this. After all, if Tom hadn’t joined my gang, this might not have happened! I wish this was a nightmare so I could wake up.

  She took a deep breath and pushed open the door. She looked around and saw an officious man heading towards her. He was dressed like any other funeral director she’d ever seen, in a conservative, tailored dark suit. He’d been talking to some people spilling out of one of the chapels, but obviously wanted to be the one to direct her himself.

  “Can I help you, Miss?” He asked with an unctuous smile.

  “I’m looking for the wake for Tom Taylor.”

  “He’s in the smaller chapel in the back. I could take you there…”

  She shook her head. “That won’t be necessary. I’m sure I can find it. In fact I see someone I know now. Thanks.”

  Alexandra walked quickly to be enfolded into Dmitri’s arms.

  “I’m so glad you’re here! This is going to be hard,” she said, swallowing a hard lump in her throat.

  “I know, Sashka. I wouldn’t make you face this alone.”

  She looked up into his eyes, finding them filled with compassion and tenderness. He bent his head down to touch his lips to hers. The zing of electricity shot through her body down to her toes, then raced back up to settle between her legs. She enjoyed the sensation, but realized it had to be ignored.

  “Thanks.”

  He inclined his head to indicate the room they were about to enter.

  “Many of the gang are already here. Emma was hoping to catch you before you walked in. Tom doesn’t look like you remember him, so be strong.”

  She shot a quick look at him. “They never look like they did when alive.”

  He nodded. “True.”

  She entered the room and deliberately strode directly over to the open casket. Since she was forewarned, she didn’t gasp with surprise at how unlike the sandy-haired young man he looked. Tears sprang to her eyes as she remembered the many moments of pleasure they had shared. She reached forward to touch his hands and steeled herself for the coldness of the flesh. She stood still for a moment.

  Dmitri stood silently and protectively behind her. She was grateful for his strength and solid presence, which her body seemed hyper aware of even though he made no sound.

  Finally Alexandra took a deep breath and used both hands to unbutton the top few buttons of her blouse. She reached a hand down into her bra and pulled out a scarf that was a riot of colors: blues, teals, greens, all swirled around on a soft, opaque silk square. She held it up to her nose and breathed in, then she leaned over and trailed it across Tom’s face. She ignored the gasps from behind Dmitri, and carefully folded the scarf into a tiny square, then placed it into the breast pocket of the last jacket Tom would ever wear.

  “You always liked seeing me in that one, honey,” she said softly as she patted the side of his face gently. “So take it with you. I made sure it smells like me and my perfume, since you liked that too. I’m gonna miss you, sweetie…”

  Her shoulders suddenly shook as she was wracked with sobs. Dmitri moved up to hold her around the waist and he leaned his head forward to murmur into her ear as he guided her to the side where pictures were mounted on posters to illustrate Tom’s happier moments. He kept his arm around her waist as he pointed to pictures as if she could actually see them through her tears, buying her time to get her emotions under control before she had to face anyone else.

  Emma was suddenly at her other side and she rubbed Alexandra’s arm and shoulder, providing a second barrier to prying eyes. They stood quietly for a while as the conversations picked back up again. Many of the people talked louder than usual so that she would hear the disapproval in their voices aimed at her for her behavior.

  “Don’t listen to them, honey,” Emma said quietly. “You did what Tom would have appreciated the most. You honored the times you shared with him with a personal gesture that was sweet and touching. He’ll be happy to take that scarf with him.”

  Alexandra blew her nose once again and smiled at Emma. “I know. I just didn’t expect it to hit me so hard. But I’ve never had to bury someone I had sex with before. Grandparents, yes. Older aunts and uncles, certainly. But someone who was younger than me? Someone who enjoyed life so much? It’s so unfair.”

  “Yes it is,” Dmitri agreed. “But take it from a Russian, life is unfair. It’s filled with misery and pain, and the only escape is to die.”

  Alexandra turned to him with a quizzical look on her face.

  “Really? That’s how you really think?”

  He shrugged. “It’s how I was raised to think. On occasion I have been pleasantly surprised at how delightful life can be.”

  She punched his upper arm. “You’d better say something like that, mister!”

  Emma pulled at her arm. “There’s Tom’s Mom. You should go talk to her and his brother before the family gloms onto them again to keep them away from us. They’ve been acting like we’re crashing the wake…like we don’t belong here.”

  Alexandra took a deep breath and straightened up, moving her shoulders back so that her considerable décolletage was even more pronounced.

  “Then let’s give them something to talk about after we’re gone.”

  She put some extra swing into her hips as she strode over to pay her respects to Tom’s immediate family.

  “I’m so sorry, Mrs. Taylor,” she said as she approached the sad-eyed older woman.

  No one was more surprised than Alexandra when Tom’s mother held out her arms and enfolded her in a hug.

  “I know how much Tom enjoyed being with you and the other riders,” she said loudly, as if ensuring the eavesdroppers would hear as well. “He used to talk about how happy he was when you would go on long trips together, or even just up to your family’s place. He thought a lot of you, Alexandr
a. I’m glad he had such good friends in his life.”

  Alexandra felt the huge lump in her throat again, but spoke around it. “I’ll never forget him, Mrs. Taylor. He had a way of smiling that made you really believe that wherever we were, was the best place to be. And when the sun played with his sandy hair, it looked like corn silk. He was great fun to be around. He’ll be missed.”

  Tom’s mother let her go and her eyes had the same unshed tears that Alexandra’s were holding. They nodded at each other and Alexandra turned to embrace Tom’s brother as well. Their hug was quick and casual.

  “You don’t ride, do you?” she asked him. He shook his head.

  “That’s what Tom said. You never wanted to do the things he did because he was your older brother. But he was really proud of your grades in college. You keep on getting A’s and graduate, and he’ll be right next to you, cheering you on when you get your degree.”

  His eyebrows rose. “He talked about me to you guys?”

  “Of course he did. He said we were like his second family, but he praised his hard-working Mom who had raised you both after your dad died and he was always bragging about how smart his baby brother was. He was so proud of you.”

  “Thanks,” he said. He turned away from her suddenly. She gave him the split second of privacy he needed to pull himself together.

  She felt her arm being touched by Dmitri and she reached down to hold his hand as they walked back to where the other bikers stood in a knot off to one side in the back of the room. She looked around, nodding to acknowledge everyone.

  “You all heard about Jim, right?” she asked.

  There were nods from everyone except Dmitri, who looked puzzled.

  “Drive-by shooting Saturday while he was making a delivery in one of the crappy neighborhoods they sent him into,” she explained. “That’s why he’s not here.”

  “Neither is Rich,” Steve pointed out.

  “He’s not here yet?” Alexandra asked looking around. “He must have gotten stuck working late or in traffic.”

  “There he is,” Bob inclined his head towards the main door. Rich walked in and made his way to the coffin. He kneeled in front of it, bowed his head and crossed himself. He got up and looked around and seeing them at the back, strode past all of the people he didn’t know to get to them.