The Sleeping Serpent:

by Luna Saint Claire

  He’d done this before—petrifying her. She pleaded, “Nico, I want to go home. You’re scaring me. I can’t work like this!”

  His eyes remained dark. “Luna, don’t fuck with me. I’ll tell Tyler that you beg to have sex with me, and that you’re always throwing yourself at me.”

  She was incredulous. “That’s not true, Nico! Why would you say that?”

  Nico’s face was stony, his eyes black holes and his voice tight. “Because you propositioned me in the pizza place, and I recorded you with my phone.”

  Mortified, she shrieked, “What?! You recorded me? That’s disgusting! You can go to hell, Nico!”

  “I’ll go over to your house and play it for Tyler. Don’t you believe me?”

  Her mind raced, replaying the conversation in her head…trying to remember exactly what she’d said. Certainly, she had no recollection of saying anything close to that. Nico stood frozen, waiting for her next move.

  “I didn’t say anything I’m ashamed of, so if you want, go tell Tyler. But we’re through!” Furious, Luna grabbed her tote bag and made for the door. “I could never trust you again. A friend would never do such a thing!” she screamed.

  Grappling for her bag, he missed, and his nails gouged the skin on her arm.

  Crying out, Luna hurled the bag at his head in self-defense. Blocking the attack, Nico snatched it away from her. Dumping the contents on the floor, he found her phone and threw it. “You’re not going anywhere, Luna. Sit back down!”

  “Nico!” she wailed as the phone made contact. The sound of it hitting the wall was deafening, not so much from the impact, but from its finality. Picking it up, she screamed at him, “You fucking broke my phone!” Sobbing, she fell to her knees to collect her things, shoving them back into her bag. “I’m leaving, and I never want to see you again!”

  “Fuck you, Luna. You’re not my friend. You’re just like everyone else…”

  At the door, Luna whipped around, assailing him, “It’s not true. I never said that, Nico!” she sobbed, unable to catch her breath. “And if you cause a problem with Tyler, just remember, we can never be friends again. He would never allow it. And not because I may fantasize about you—but because you’re evil.”

  Luna’s heart raced as the fear rose within her. What if he’d altered the recording, taking what she’s said out of context? She did say she fantasized about him. She would never cheat on Tyler. Finding her words from beneath the waves of dread gripping her, she asked gravely, “Why do you feel the need to blackmail me, Nico. What have I done to deserve that?”

  He snickered. “Luna, you’ve been spiteful and disloyal, and you betrayed me. It’s your fault. You have pushed me away. I’ve given you everything…your youth…that award. Without me, you’re nothing.”

  Hurt and broken, she said, “Nico, you’ve really crossed the line. I’m leaving. And by all means, go ahead and call Tyler.”

  Before he could stop her, she bolted out the door and into the parking lot. Feeling Nico hot on her heels, she was terrified he might hurt her. The screen was cracked and the case broken, but the home screen opened. Hoping the phone still worked, she speed dialed Tyler. Relieved he picked up on the first ring, she tried to steady her voice, knowing Nico could hear her. “Hi, honey. I just want to let you know I’m on my way, and I have to speak with you when I get home. It’s important.”

  Tyler asked if everything was OK, and she replied, “Yes, I just need to talk to you. I’ll be right home.”

  Blocking the car door, Nico wore a fake smile that looked more like a sneer and chuckled. “Luna, calm down. I was only joking with you.”

  She pushed him to move aside, but he stood his ground.

  She huffed, “Nico, don’t worry about telling Tyler. I will tell him myself when I get home.” Nico just stared at her smugly.

  She spat vehemently, “He knows we flirt. He knows I love you, but there’s a big difference between what I may fantasize about and what I would do. He’ll be incensed when I tell him that you blackmailed me.” Luna shook uncontrollably, not sure if she was angry or sad.

  Nico cajoled, “I can’t believe you’re this upset!” He chuckled and attempted to put his arms around her.

  Luna punched him hard in the chest. She had exhausted herself. “Nico, it’s not funny. You said you recorded me—without my knowledge. Then you threatened me, and blackmailed me. Now you stand here and say you made it all up? Does that sound like a friend to you?” she insisted strenuously.

  Holding both her arms and forcing her to look him in the eye, he pacified, “Look at me, Luna. I was upset. You’ve betrayed me—then abandoned me. You promise to help me, then you leave. I need you, but you come and go on a whim. You’re not dependable. I wanted to test you, and I played a game on you.”

  Luna shook her head, and wiping at her tears, said, “That was disgusting, Nico! I’m horrified.” She pushed him away from her car, and this time he moved, clearly shaken by her mixture of anger, sadness, and disgust.

  His voice softened. “I’m sorry, Luna. I didn’t realize you would be this upset. I was really hurt, and I wanted to hurt you back.”

  Looking at him, Luna saw regret in his eyes and implored, “Nico, you can’t threaten me like that. I’m so close to you. I tell you my feelings, then you use them against me. Don’t you see how hurtful that is?”

  Nico took her hand. “You hurt me, too.”

  She rested her head on his shoulder and sobbed, worn down. This had taken everything out of her. “Nico, we have to be nicer to each other. I’m so sorry that I disappoint you, but I would never intentionally hurt you. You wanted to hurt me by telling Tyler a lie.”

  Nico petted her hair, his fingers trailing lightly down her back as she lay against his chest. “No, Luna. I would never say that to Tyler. I just wanted to get back at you and teach you a lesson.”

  When she arrived home, Tyler was seated at his desk. Still shaken, Luna sat down across from him and conceded things had gotten out of hand with Nico. It seemed formal, but it felt like the most appropriate setting for her confession. Tyler must have felt the import of the moment, because he turned off the computer screen and focused his attention on her, waiting for her to begin.

  Clearing her throat, she began slowly. “Tyler, I don’t know myself anymore. You’ve been more than patient—letting me spend so much time with Nico. I can’t imagine what you must think…but I want to thank you for trusting me.” Tyler began to look concerned, and Luna rushed to clarify, “I assure you, nothing inappropriate happened…but I have welcomed and even encouraged his flirtations. I crave his attention…his validation…all to gratify my ego—and it’s wrong. I completely understand the vampire analogy. He stirs my desire in order to compel me and bind me to him. I should be above that sort of manipulation. Tonight, he insisted that I stay to work on his book proposal. When I said I needed to leave, he blackmailed me, threatening to tell you that I’ve tried seducing him…which is a lie!” Again, she hurried to explain, “Yes, I’ve flirted with him, innocently. But it was all in fun. I thought we were friends. Of course he apologized and said he was just kidding, but I’m horrified he would do such a thing! I just wanted you to know what happened and why I called you.”

  Tyler had listened intently, but wasn’t shocked. Emphatically, he explained, “I hope now you see that you are nothing to him except an object he can use. For God’s sake, Luna, it’s like blaming a snake for having fangs. I hope you will finally disentangle yourself from him.”

  “I wish it was that simple…,” she mumbled.

  Getting up, she walked around to Tyler’s chair. “I love you so much, Tyler. Please believe me that I never wanted it to get this way.”

  Tyler stood up and pulled Luna to his chest. “He’s coming between us Luna—and he’s using you. He manipulates and controls by acting out of control. But he feels nothing inside except incessant pain. He’s damaged. If you don’t serve him, he will toss you away like a dirty tissue.”

  Lun
a nodded. Burying her face in Tyler’s neck, she hugged him tightly.

  Nervously trying to attach the backs onto her long silver feather earrings, Luna prayed Nico wouldn’t call her during tea with Liliane. She knew Liliane would be turned out fabulously in European couture, but Luna’s style was trendier. She opted to wear a Navajo-inspired Etro print wrap dress with nude strappy sandals and draped several strands of natural heishi beads around her neck.

  Liliane was now a senior executive at the largest luxury fashion holding company in Europe. Although the two women had taken completely different career paths, they remained close friends.

  When Luna had told Tyler she had plans with Liliane, he’d blurted perceptively, “Don’t cancel for Nico!”

  “I’m really looking forward to seeing her, don’t worry.” Though a few weeks had passed since Nico had threatened her, the sound of Tyler invoking his name pierced her heart. With that, she silenced her new phone, putting it in the zippered compartment of her bag.

  Pulling her Land Rover up to The Grill on the Alley just off Rodeo Drive, Luna handed the keys to the valet and waved to Liliane, who was standing near the door talking on her cell phone.

  Greeting Luna with a double-cheek kiss, she effused, “Luna, you look gorgeous! Not a day older than you did in college and just as stylish! If I didn’t know you better, I would ask who does your work!”

  Luna beamed, delighting in the flattery. She hadn’t yet indulged in the Botox and fillers that all her friends considered de rigueur.

  Instead of tea, they opted for champagne and oysters, spending a luxurious two hours chatting nonstop. She’d forgotten how much fun it was spending time with her girlfriends, and had been so absorbed, she hadn’t checked her phone once.

  When they said their good-byes outside the restaurant, she counted the missed calls from Nico. Luna felt guilty blowing him off, but if she called him now, she feared he would persuade her to cancel her dinner plans with Tyler. Dropping the phone into her bag, she headed home for date night and to celebrate their anniversary.

  Plopping into the down-filled club chair near Tyler’s desk, Luna told him about lunch with Liliane, including what she wore, what they ate, and even about the men Liliane was dating.

  Tyler smiled. “Luna, I’m glad you had such a good time. I haven’t seen you this animated and happy in ages. You should go out with friends more often.”

  His remark wasn’t lost on her. In the two years since she’d met Nico, without realizing it, she had seen less and less of her friends. As she showered and dried her hair, she thought a lot about the time she had devoted to him—seeking his favor and craving his attention. Still feeling a slight buzz from the champagne, she massaged lavender body lotion on her chest and thighs, then put on a lingerie-inspired lace-trimmed slip dress, a look she favored from her younger days, when she would pick up pieces in vintage stores. Her naturally tanned legs looked silky smooth as she slipped on four-inch high black suede pumps, perfect with the simple slip dress. Automatically reaching for her silver hoops, she paused, then chose the antique amethyst drops Tyler had bought her for their first anniversary, calling on the power of the gems for emotional stability and inner strength.

  She lightly sprayed Chanel No. 5, Tyler’s favorite, on her neck, and went to find him in his home office. He was watching soccer on his computer, and she snuck up behind him, kissing his neck. “Where are we going tonight?”

  He chided, “I was going to surprise you. I made a reservation at Osteria Mozza on Melrose. I know we like to sit at the bar, but I booked a table. Is that OK?”

  “Absolutely, that’s more romantic. I’m so glad you booked Mozza, we haven’t been in a long time.” For a second, La Forza crossed her mind, remembering that’s where she’d met Nico, but she didn’t want to think about him. Playfully, she suggested, “It’s early, do you want to have a drink here and dance?”

  Tyler put the blues rock station on Spotify. “Sure, I’ll open a bottle of wine.”

  Dimming the lights in the living room, Luna lit the sage green pillar candles. Mike Bloomfield’s guitar was wailing a slithering lick from “Albert’s Shuffle” off the Super Session album. After pouring the wine, she clinked glasses with Tyler before taking a sip of the rich cabernet sauvignon. The cozy, dark room had the feel of a library. Luna’s books on Native American art and culture, and Tyler’s on philosophy lined the walls, interspersed with their collection of American Indian pottery and antique baskets. She never tired of the original Edward S. Curtis prints of Native Americans hung over a wheat-colored, down-stuffed sofa strewn with kilim pillows. In the center of the farmhouse coffee table was a Yanomami Indian basket containing a deer antler, a nautilus shell, and a deerskin medicine bundle decorated with turquoise and feathers. Taking in her surroundings, she felt at peace, blessed with her life, and silently acknowledged she was in a sacred space she cherished. With her arms draped around Tyler’s neck, their bodies melded as they swayed to the sexy blues melody. Luna kissed him deeply, her tongue pirouetting around his in a dance of exploration, and he responded with more passion than he had in as long as she could remember. She felt a warm pulsing in her sex as her body awakened to his touch. Languorously, she sinuated against him, moving with the sultry pleading of the saxophone.

  “You smell wonderful, Luna,” Tyler whispered, entwining his fingers in her long hair. Then sliding his hand over her buttocks, he held her tightly against him. She felt him growing hard, and when the song ended, he laced his fingers through hers and walked her silently to the bedroom.

  Lifting the black silk dress over her head, he tossed it onto a nearby chair and guided her onto the bed. Lying next to her, he kissed her deeply and gently began playing with her nipples while his tongue swirled around hers. He moved his hand down over her belly to the inside of her thigh and she opened her legs wider, inviting him in. His fingers explored her warm plump folds and Luna moaned in anticipation. He took his time awakening her to him—kissing her and fingering the velvet wall of her pussy as she grew wetter. Lifting her hips up to him, she took hold of his erect cock and began stroking him firmly. Responding ardently, he moved over her, pushing her thighs apart with his knee, and began working his way inside. His hands in her hair, he deepened his kisses as he thrust into her. As her response grew more fervent and her moans grew louder, he released into her, crying out. As they lay together in the aftermath, Tyler’s lips brushed hers tenderly as he murmured, “I love you so much, Luna. We should do this more often.”

  She playfully rolled over and straddled him, taking his face between her hands as she kissed him. “I agree. And if you like, I will remind you!”

  Luna freshened up, then reapplied a fresh coat of burgundy lip gloss and retouched the black kohl liner on her eyes. It had been a while since she’d felt that impassioned and satisfied. Chuckling to herself, she thought next time she would encourage him to have sex on the sofa, to try something a bit less conventional. But she was thrilled Tyler had initiated; at least she was making progress. She picked up her black Pashmina and walked back into the living room. Tyler had put on a charcoal grey Ralph Lauren sport jacket over black jeans and a knit shirt.

  Kissing her on the cheek, he smiled, saying, “You’re beautiful, Luna. Happy Anniversary.”

  Luna lay in bed watching the shadows shift along the ceiling. Tossing and turning, sleep evaded her. She felt guilty for neglecting Nico and ignoring his calls. His text messages were at first desperate, then switched to angry and threatening. Now she stressed over the punishment she would receive. Picking up the phone from the night table where it lay charging, she texted him:

  Nico, I’m sorry about today. I was so busy I didn’t even know you called.

  He texted back:

  Bullshit. We’re done. Don’t ever contact me again. I warn you.

  Luna went through all the same explanations:

  I was in a meeting. You need to understand that I have a job. Besides, you had everything you needed to give to Erin.


  Nico answered:

  Erin needed something more, and now it’s too late. You lost me this.

  She replied:

  That’s not so. What I gave you was perfect.

  His answer was terse:

  Leave me alone. I don’t want you in my life.

  Assuming he would cool down, she texted again:

  Nico, I’m sorry I wasn’t available today. You know I love you, and I’m here for you.

  But Nico didn’t answer.

  24

  It had been over two months since Luna had been in contact with Nico. Left to her own wild imaginings, she tortured herself over his whereabouts. Clicking on the Twitter icon, she typed Erin Whelan in the search box. Scrolling through recent tweets, she landed on a photo of fireworks above the spires of a familiar castle. The hashtags #CinderellaCastle and #DisneyWorld were accompanied by the tweet, “Wishes with my guru @NicoRomero.” Luna was certain Nico would not appreciate that tweet. He never allowed anyone to tag him or post anything about him. He was a control freak about his image. Luna also knew he wouldn’t risk Alexa finding out he was away with Erin. He kept everyone apart—separate from each other—so no one could compare notes. After some Googling, she learned that there had been a Digital Media conference in Orlando, and Erin, as owner of Grey Dog, had been a keynote speaker. Combing Erin’s Twitter timeline, she found another tweet, “@NicoRomero courting giraffes!”

  Luna gasped, thinking how derogatory that sounded. The following tweet was “Watching @NicoRomero swim like a dolphin.” Luna knew Nico had opened a Twitter account, but never used it, so would most likely never see these tweets. And he most assuredly wouldn’t want anyone else to see them. This wasn’t the social media attention Nico would want.

  With that in mind, Luna was on a mission to uncover any other lurking tweets, and decided to scroll back further. She had a feeling that maybe this wasn’t the first time Erin had tweeted something about Nico. As she suspected, she found a bare-chested photo of him that Luna could tell was at Erin’s house in Santa Monica. Looking seductively at the camera, messy wet hair falling in his face, Luna saw a devilish look in the way his dark green eyes glowed. He was buzzed for sure.