Wish List

by Fern Michaels

  Suddenly, she didn’t want help. Her adrenaline kicked in. She turned her hands palm side up. She wiggled them backward. “Come and get me, Mr. Truck Driver.” The air around her stirred. Fast movement. Not her friends. His people. They were leaving. It was just her and Andrews.

  Focus. He’s scared. More scared than you. He’s pure fat. On your worst day you could take this guy. Master Mitsu said you could. Believe.

  “Bitch!” Andrews roared.

  “Bastard!” Ariel roared back as her right foot shot out, delivering a side kick to the side of Andrews’ forward knee, causing him to drop. She moved like lightning, trying to drag him aside so she could stomp his face, the exact thing he promised to do to her. He wiggled free, was on his feet, his ham-hock hands slashing the air between them. He landed a stiff blow to the side of her cheek and neck. She felt warmth on her cheek and knew the skin was split. She shook her head to clear it as she sidestepped and did a pirouette any ballerina would have been proud of, her forward foot jamming into his groin. From somewhere she heard applause. God, she had an audience. Don’t think about that. Focus.

  “Somebody do something!” It was Lex’s voice. Again, she sensed movement. She knew instinctively that someone was holding him back. Focus.

  “No!” It was her voice. She was going to finish this herself. She had to finish this. She moved. Andrews, for all his poundage, lunged, jabbing her in the chest. She reeled backward, stunned.

  She heard Dolly’s voice saying, ever so shakily, “She can do it. Leave her alone.” And then even more quietly, “She needs to do this. I don’t know why, but she does.”

  It was true.

  “Ugly, fucking bitch! Your tinseltown didn’t want any part of your ugly face. I’m gonna make it even more ugly.”

  She saw the pipe then. Maybe it was a stick. She wasn’t sure. “You and what army? Who do you think you are? You hijack my trucks, steal my loads, and terrorize my workers. I played by the rules all my life and I’m not going to let some scumbag like you ruin these people who worked all their lives to make a living. Do you hear me, you piece of shit?” She heard the roar of applause. Andrews heard it, too. For just one brief second, he lost his focus.

  Ariel took advantage of the brief second to spin away from him, her right foot swinging high and wide. She caught him on the side of the neck. She spun around again. This time her foot knocked the thick stick out of his hands.

  She lost her focus then, doing everything she’d been taught not to do. “You son of a bitch! Terrorize my family and friends, will you? Never again. You steal a man’s life and destroy it! I’ll show you what the word destroy means. Family means nothing to you—you don’t even take care of your own children. Mr. Able did it for you. No more!” Her breathing out of control, Ariel was in the air, on the ground, her legs and arms attacking like a swat team. She pummeled and battered, her mouth spewing words she didn’t know she knew. When he was down, when she was sure he wouldn’t land a blow in her direction, she called for Snookie. “Sit on him!” The shepherd growled, the skin peeling back from her canines.

  “CUT!”

  “What?” Ariel gasped as she staggered over to Dolly, who was running to meet her. “What’s he talking about?”

  “You know these Hollywood types,” Dolly whispered. “Are you okay, Ariel? He got you good a couple of times. Your cheek is bleeding. You did good, real good. I think Lex needs to hear you say you’re okay.”

  “I’m okay,” she said wearily as she leaned into Lex’s arms. “I bet I smell worse now, huh?”

  “Who cares? There’s a couple of people over there who want to shake your hand. I heard them say they couldn’t have done it any better. Don’t know if they’ll own up to that or not.”

  “It doesn’t matter.”

  “For a woman that wasn’t bad at all.”

  “Thanks, Steven.”

  “I can give you a few pointers, but I don’t think you need them.”

  “Thank you, Jean.”

  “We’re making a film together. I’m going to write in a part for you. Picture this: you take on these two guys in a black lace leotard and spike-heeled shoes. Top billing. You up for it?”

  “Not in this lifetime, Sly, but thanks for the offer.”

  “I have to sit down, Lex,” Ariel said, slumping against him.

  He was crooning soft words to her, words Dolly used from time to time when she was hurting emotionally. Words her mother never said. Suddenly she wanted to cry. Her shoulders started to shake.

  “Let it go, Ariel. There’s no shame in tears.” She blubbered, because he said she could. He wiped her grimy cheeks with his dirty shirt sleeve. She cried harder. For the would-haves, the could-haves, the should-haves. Then she cried for sheer happiness.

  “I’m okay now. Let’s finish up this job and get all these wonderful people out of here. I need some peace and quiet.”

  “That won’t be for a while, Ariel. Don’t forget the party tomorrow,” Lex reminded her.

  “Oh, God, I forgot about that.”

  “I didn’t. Tiki and the other women have it under control. Dolly is supervising the whole thing. These friends of yours deserve the best we have to offer. There’s going to be all kinds of music. So, now what?”

  “Back to work,” she said. “I’ll see you later.”

  “We still on for that hot tub assignation?”

  “You bet!” She whistled for Snookie, who came on the run.

  It was a party to end all parties. Truckloads of food from the finest caterers in Los Angeles seemed to disappear within seconds, only to be instantly replaced. Champagne fountains gurgled continuously. Everywhere, as far as the eye could see, people danced and laughed. It was like a thousand Christmases all rolled into one.

  “Party’s over,” Lex said jovially. “You need to say good-by to your friends.”

  “Yes, I need to do that. Thank you seems so inadequate.”

  “I don’t think they even expect that, Ariel.”

  “I know that, too. Isn’t it wonderful?”

  Ariel stood next to Lex and the other ranchers, shaking each hand, saying all the grateful words she could think of. The responses warmed her soul. Words like ‘anytime baby, just call, my pleasure, I’d do it all over again, glad to help, just call.’ They were words of genuine sincerity. Tears dripped down her cheeks.

  The last three guests to leave pulled up short. “So, how about an electric blue leotard with silver spangles and bright red spike-heeled shoes?”

  “I told you, not in this lifetime. Thanks for coming.”

  Three sets of dark eyes stared at her. As one, they said, “Thanks for inviting us. You take care now.”

  When the huge gates were closed and locked, Lex drew her close. “We have a date.”

  “Yes, we do. What’s all that noise?”

  “The women beating up on their men. They came back last night.”

  “And of course you took them back.”

  “Of course.”

  “Okay, I’m going to get out of these clothes. I’ll meet you at the hot tub.” Her heart started to beat furiously. This was it. Finally. The moment she’d been thinking about for days, weeks, months.

  Inside Lex’s house, in the wide center hall, Ariel picked up her overnight bag she’d placed behind a giant cactus in a red clay pot. Toothbrush and makeup, plus underwear, clean jeans, and T-shirt for tomorrow. Her wish list and the little box she’d kept in her night table drawer for years and years. She picked up the bright red canvas bag and headed for the stairs.

  Ariel tossed the overnight bag onto the bed in the room Tiki had assigned to her. She kicked off her shoes and struggled to peel off her panty hose. She couldn’t help but notice how badly her hands were shaking. Her stomach rumbled alarmingly. Oh, God. She bolted for the bathroom, certain everything she’d eaten, which wasn’t much, was going to come back up. Her eyes started to water, her shoulders shook. She was afraid. Pure and simple.

  This was the end of the road in
many ways. All those years, all those dreams, all those sheets of paper on her wish list. All geared to this point in time.

  As she stared at her reflection, she talked to herself, the way she’d always done when she was preparing to do a scene. The end, always think about the end. Happy ever after. You and Lex will live happily ever after. What if . . . what if . . . How do I tell him? What will he think? Will he believe me? When you show him the braided ring, he’ll believe you. Maybe he already knows. Maybe you should call him Felix. Maybe it will be better if you don’t tell him. Maybe . . . maybe . . . maybe.

  Get on with it, Ariel. He’s waiting for you. Maybe he’s going through the same emotional turmoil. Maybe . . . maybe . . . maybe.

  The silvery sequined dress slithered to the floor. The flesh-colored body suit seemed to float in the air with static electricity before it landed on top of the dress. The heavy, spangled earrings thumped down on the vanity along with her bracelets.

  The folded towel was buttercup yellow, so thick, so big, so luxurious, it felt better than a mink coat when she wrapped it around herself. She padded out to the bedroom where she fished for her thong sandals.

  She was ready.

  For her destiny.

  Lex Sanders, aka Felix Sanchez, was her destiny. She’d known that from the day she walked up the mountain in her white dress.

  She was almost to the door when she remembered the ring. Her heart skipped a beat when she slipped it on her finger.

  Now she was ready.

  Snookie was on her feet, her eyes following Ariel with adoration. She nuzzled her leg as they walked down the hall to the stairway. At the bottom of the steps, Ariel took a moment to crouch down and talk to the dog. “I want you to be good, Snookie. I want . . . I want you to go to sleep. There are times, like now, when you can relax and let Lex take over. He can take care of both of us. Trust me on this. I’ve waited all my life for this, Snookie, so help me out here.” She hugged the dog, her arms circling the shepherd’s neck. “I love you, too. I don’t think I could have made it this far without you.” Snookie licked at her cheeks. She tilted her head to the side and made a strange noise in her throat. She was on her feet then, nudging Ariel along the hallway that led to the outside patio and hot tub.

  The cover was off the hot tub, spirals of steam wafting upward. The water bubbled and churned. Lex was nowhere to be seen. Next to the wrought iron table was Snookie’s bed that Ariel had brought along with her. The shepherd looked around before she settled herself, her head in her paws, her eyes bright and alert.

  Ariel let the fluffy yellow towel drop to the chair. A moment later she was in the water. She let out a whoop when she felt herself being pulled under. When she surfaced she was grinning from ear to ear. “Now, that’s what I call romantic!” she gurgled. “How long have you been here?”

  “That was my fourth underwater dip. I don’t think I could have done it again. Look at my hands, they’re all puckered up.”

  “As long as it’s just your hands.”

  “Uh-huh,” Lex drawled. “You could, of course, check it out.”

  “Uh-huh,” Ariel drawled in return. “It’s kind of hard to tell under the water.”

  “You could be right. Maybe after, when we get out, when we’re listening to records on my jukebox, sipping our Cokes, and chewing our bubble gum.”

  “Now, why didn’t I think of that?”

  “Because . . . because . . . I’m smarter and I . . . Ariel, I have to ask you something. I think I’m right. I’m almost one hundred percent sure I’m right, but . . . it sort of crept up on me in degrees—one minute I was sure, the next minute I wasn’t. It was all these little things . . . things I remembered, things I never forgot. Things I wouldn’t allow myself to forget. See that folder over there on the table? There are things in it I want you to see.”

  “I don’t need to see them, Lex. She held up her left hand, wiggling her fingers so he could see the braided ring. He brought his own left hand up from the depths of the water to show her his ring. Ariel smiled.

  “How long have you known?” Lex asked hoarsely.

  “For certain? Not that long. From day one, you reminded me of someone. When you laughed, the sound touched my soul. I wanted it to be you. I even hired a private detective to try and find you. The report was so devastating, I wanted to cry. When : .. when I had to make a decision about where to go and what do, after my surgery, this was the only place I could think of. I had been happy here. Because of you. I tried to locate you. You must believe that. But, when that lawyer I hired told me there was no record of our marriage, I fell apart. Then Hollywood beckoned. Oh, Lex, all those years. Wasted. I want to cry now, just thinking about that.”

  “Shhhh. It’s okay. We found each other. Maybe you were meant to find me and me you. Think about all the good you’ve done since you’ve been here. We would have gone under without you and your friends.”

  “But the trouble happened because of me.”

  “No. You have to stop believing that. If it wasn’t you, it would have been someone else. Only the names would have changed. You can’t blame yourself for any of this. Listen, I have to ask you something. I heard about all those offers that were coming your way. They want you back. It’s okay with me. I know this is the 90’s and women want careers. I know I can be an understanding husband.”

  “I don’t want to go back. I don’t want to be Aggie Bixby, either. We aren’t Aggie and Felix anymore. We’re Ariel and Lex, and that’s the way it should be. If Asa still wants to buy back the company, I’m willing to sell out. I’d love living here with you. I want to catch up, make up, for all those missing years.”

  “Do you mean it?”

  “Damn right I mean it. Lex, at some point during the party, I heard that Marino split. Just up and left the ranch. Is it true?”

  “As far as I know. He was a bloodsucker, but other than pirating away our workers and hiring Chet, he really didn’t do anything wrong. He had nothing to do with the hijackings. He’s probably back in New York bilking someone out of their mutual funds. He’s one of those people who’s always one step from the edge. Andrews is out of your hair. Life looks pretty rosy from where I’m sitting.”

  “What about Dolly and Tiki?”

  “Tiki is ready to go home. I’ve given her a little house in the hills. She has lots and lots of grandchildren. The decision was hers. She’s been talking about it for over a year. You need to know something else. My people are going to be damn disappointed if we don’t get married here. They’ve got it all planned. The weddings last three days, sometimes four.”

  “Four days! What do you do for four days?”

  “Eat. Sing. Dance. You get lots of presents you stick in a closet and give out at Christmastime to other people. It’s fun. I’m up for it if you are. They aren’t going to like that ring, though.”

  “Tough. I don’t want another one. This will go with me to my grave. I mean that, Lex.”

  “I know you do, and I feel the same way. I don’t know if you want to hear this or not, but I gotta tell you anyway. I’m puckering up. All over.”

  “Oh, God, let’s get out then.”

  They did.

  Dripping wet, they pressed their naked bodies, slick with water, together. Somehow, Ariel managed to reach behind her for the thirsty yellow towel that was half on the chair and half on the ground.

  “Do you really think we can make it into the house, down the hall, up the stairs, down another hall to my room, wrapped in one skimpy towel?” Lex drawled.

  “I was wondering about that. How about, I keep the towel and you run ahead?”

  “How about I keep the towel and you go first? Look, I can solve this in a heartbeat.” The towel was gone suddenly, sailing backward, landing in the hot tub. “We walk naked into your new home. Or, I can carry you over the threshhold. Your call, Mrs. Sanders.”

  “Carry me. All the way.”

  “My bed’s turned down. Clean sheets. I even bought a bottle of gardenia per
fume and spritzed the pillows. Hell, I spritzed the whole room. It’s ready. I’m ready! Oh, Jesus,” he bellowed suddenly, going down on one knee.

  “What’s wrong?”

  “I think I threw my back out.”

  “What? I don’t want to hear that! Do you hear me, Lex Sanders?”

  “It’s not any worse than your dog screwing up our evening. By the way, where is that dog of yours?”

  “Sleeping. As in sound asleep. For the night. Down by the hot tub. Till morning. That’s like six hours away. Six hours! Do you have any idea what we could do in six hours?”

  “Tell me!”

  Ariel squatted down next to him. She told him in great detail. He was on his feet in a flash, towering over her, his eyes dancing with merriment. “I just wanted to give you a taste of your own medicine.”

  They were in the bed then, thrashing and laughing, tickling, kissing, romping, having the time of their lives. “I’ve been known to scream,” Ariel said and laughed.

  “Can’t be worse than my bellowing. House is empty. We can do whatever we want.”

  “We can’t wake Snookie up.”

  “God, no!”

  “Can you make love to me the way you did the first time? Do you remember all the things we did and said? I remember everything.”

  “So do I. We aren’t those same people anymore, Ariel. Wait a minute,” Lex said, swinging his legs over the side of the bed. “I had a plan. Get up. Put some clothes on. We’re going to do this right.”

  “Now?”

  He was already pulling on his jeans and shirt. Her eyes wide, Ariel pranced down the hall to the room she’d been in earlier. She didn’t bother with underwear. She pulled on her jeans and shirt and met Lex in the hall at the top of the steps.

  “C’mon,” he said, taking her by the hand.