Little Bird

by Honey Palomino

  “Sophia is meeting us at the house,” he said. “She has a whole list of shit to talk to you about.”

  “Of course she does,” Nate replied, rolling his eyes. “Can’t wait.”

  “Who is Sophia?” I asked.

  “My manager,” he said. “She’s very thorough and enthusiastic about her job. It’s great, I’d be sunk without her, but she can be a bit exhausting.”

  I nodded, silently watching the streets of Los Angeles whisk by.

  “So we’re going to your house?” I asked.

  “Yep,” he said. “One of them.”

  “You live in more than one place?”

  “Basically just L.A. and Manhattan.”

  “You own a place in Manhattan?” I asked, my eyes wide. Just for fun, I’d looked up the prices of homes in New York a long time ago and laughed at the ridiculousness of the cost of living there.

  “Just a small loft,” he replied. “Nothing fancy.”

  I nodded again, falling silent once more, feeling more and more uneasy with each passing moment. I’d never felt more like a duck out of water in my life.

  Los Angeles was nothing at all like Portland.

  Sunshine and palm trees aside, the streets were wide and the cars were shiny, but the people lining the sidewalks were so diverse it was striking. Humans of every ethnicity and class, shape and size and type, filled the city, leaving me dizzy with all the variety I saw.

  The car eventually turned off the main road, carrying us up a winding road that led up into a forested hill peppered with expensive homes hidden behind large iron gates. Nate reached over and grabbed my hand, smiling over at me. I took a deep breath, trying to calm my racing heart.

  After ten minutes of consistently winding up the mountain, the car slowed to a stop outside a large black gate that began slowly opening as we approached. Another crowd was stationed outside, a carbon copy of the crowd at the airport — women and kids and men with giant cameras hanging from their necks. As soon as they saw the limo pull up, they went crazy — chanting and shouting and waving their signs. The men with the cameras rushed right up to the car, pressing their lenses against the window, sending flashes of light through the dark windows. Gigi barked and lunged for them, but I pulled her back.

  She sat down next to me and growled, her eyes glued to the window. Instinctively, I leaned into Nate’s side. He pulled me close, putting his arm around me protectively as we hurried past them through the gates. Closing behind us silently, they locked us in, cocooning us once again in privacy. A long winding driveway led us past a small forest full of blooming mature landscape of every kind — deep crimson Rhododendron bushes in full bloom lined the road, towered by old Oak trees that rained down tiny little bullets of pollen onto the limo’s windshield.

  We turned a small corner and the house came into view — if you can call it that. It was more like a sculpture out of a science fiction movie. Consisting of about a dozen or so huge glass boxes stacked precariously on top of each other in seemingly gravity-defying angles, it sat perched on the side of a steep mountainside, as if daring a strong wind to come and knock it over.

  “That’s your house?” I asked.

  “It is,” Nate said, his jaw lifting with pride. “I designed it myself. Well, with the help of some very skilled architects.”

  “It’s incredible,” I said, as the car pulled to a stop outside the front door. The moment the car stopped, our door opened, revealing a harried looking, bespectacled, twenty-something blonde dressed in a tight-fitting business suit — her pencil skirt practically a second skin hugging her curves.

  “Thank god!” she exclaimed in greeting. Her focus was immediately on Nate — she barely gave me a second glance. “I thought you’d never get here!”

  “I’m here,” Nate said, his voice going up an octave, sarcastically. He grabbed my hand and pulled me out of the car, with Gigi and Rocco following behind. “But how about you give me a minute to breathe, Sophia?”

  She took a step back, nodding politely, as she took a moment to look me over before warily eyeing Gigi, who was about to jump on her at any moment. I pulled on her leash, hoping she’d behave.

  “This is Dove,” Nate said. “She’s with me. And that’s Gigi.”

  That was the second time he’d described me like that and by now I supposed it was the magic phrase, because again, there were no questions, only acceptance from both her and Rocco. I wondered how many other women Nate had described that way. I shook off the thought. It didn’t matter. I reminded myself I was only here for a good time, nothing more. And certainly nothing less.

  “Hi, Sophia, nice to meet you,” I said, smiling warmly as I extended my hand. I had a feeling I might need an ally in this unfamiliar situation and I knew the best thing to do was to find a savvy woman to make friends with. She smiled back and shook my hand, but it was obvious she was distracted and practically bursting at the seams with unspoken words.

  “Nice to meet you, Dove,” she replied, curtly.

  Nate whisked us inside and the others followed. I followed him down the short sidewalk and through the heavy thick glass doors. I stopped just outside, taking in a giant great room that was made up of nothing but glass. Glass ceilings, floor to ceiling glass walls from corner to corner, leaving you with a perfect view of the surrounding forest.

  “Um, wait,” I said, letting go of Nate’s hand before walking in.

  “What’s wrong?” he asked, wrinkling his brow.

  “I need to walk Gigi before we go in.” The last thing I wanted was her peeing inside his glass house.

  “Oh. Right,” he nodded. He took Gigi’s leash from me and handed it to Sophia. “Take care of that for us, will you?”

  Mortified, I grabbed the leash back from her. “Oh, no, it’s fine. I should do it.”

  “What are you talking about, Little Bird?” Nate said, a slight twinge of anger flashing in his eyes. “Sophia, take the damned dog for a walk. It’s fine. Come with me, Little Bird, I want to show you my masterpiece.”

  I looked at Sophia apologetically. “Well, I…”

  “It’s fine,” she said hurriedly, taking the leash back again. “You two get settled and we’ll be back in a few minutes.”

  “Thank you,” I said, still mortified. Gigi was my responsibility and just handing her off to a stranger was not something I’d ever even thought about doing.

  “Come on,” Nate said, grabbing my hand and pulling me inside. “Rocco, can you get our bags?”

  “Sure thing, Boss,” Rocco said, his voice deep behind me. I tried to shake off my uncomfortableness and followed Nate inside.

  My jaw dropped at the opulence in front of me. Everything was glass, not an actual wall in sight. Providing a clear view of the forest surrounding the home, the boundary between inside and outside was blurred completely.

  “This is incredible,” I murmured, walking in further. The sunken living room was filled with sparse, minimalistic furniture, a stark contrast to my own living room filled with the many treasures I’d found at thrift-stores over the years. A white leather couch hugged a glass and chrome coffee table, both of which looked like they’d never been used before. Patio doors were flung open to the back patio, tall trees towering over the entire place. “It’s so…open and big.”

  Nate walked over to the adjoining kitchen that was even bigger than the living room it flanked, throwing open a stark white cabinet door and pulling out glasses and an unopened bottle of bourbon. “It’s my dream home,” he explained.

  I nodded, looking around and wondering how he managed to relax in such a sterile space. I had to admit, the lush forest outside was beautiful and mesmerizing, the trees swaying in the wind and towering protectively over the property. Other than that, and the sheer marvel it must have been to even be able to construct a place like this, it didn’t fit the requirements for my own dream house, that was for sure.

  “It’s beautiful,” I said, hoping my compliment didn’t sound insincere. Everyone had a diff
erent style, and if this glass sculpture made Nate happy, then it made me happy. He beamed at my compliment, and I sighed in relief that I’d pleased him. “Drink?”

  “Sure,” I replied, taking the heavy crystal goblet from him after he filled it with whiskey.

  “Let’s go in the bedroom,” he said, grabbing my hand and pulling me down a glass hallway.

  “What about Gigi?” I said, still feeling guilty to have left her with a stranger.

  “She’s fine,” he said, with a dismissive wave. I bit my lip, following him. He led me through another doorway that lead into another room that was also all windows. A low-slung platform bed was spread out in the middle of the room, pristinely dressed in all-white bedding. Small glass tables sat on each side, completely bare of anything sitting on top of them. A white bear skin rug was spread out on the floor. No other furniture was in the room.

  I looked around in confusion. Where were the water bottles? Or books or phone chargers? Lamps and family photographs?

  There wasn’t any art on the walls, because it was all glass.

  Outside the bedroom window er…wall, I guess…I spotted Gigi and Sophia walking on a patch of flat grass outside. I cringed as Gigi gleefully lifted a leg and peed on a potted plant in a clean white planter.

  I looked over at Nate and he was looking back at me expectantly.

  “It’s…very artistic,” I replied. He lifted his head approvingly and smiled.

  “I know it’s a lot different than your place,” he said. “But you’ll get used to it. Not that we’re going to be spending a lot of time here. I’m always on the road, traveling from show to show. It probably doesn’t seem so cozy but you get to a point where anything that isn’t a Hilton or the back of the tour bus seems like heaven.”

  “I love your home,” I said, smiling warmly at him. I walked over to him, wrapping my arms around him and kissing him. “Thank you for bringing me here.”

  He kissed me back, smiling down at me. “You make the place much more beautiful.”

  He leaned into me, guiding me back toward the bed. I looked over his shoulder and saw Sophia and Gigi still right outside. I pulled away, shaking my head.

  “Really, it’s beautiful, but what do you do about privacy?” I asked, gesturing to the two of them outside.

  “I send everyone away when I want privacy,” he said. “Sophia is only here when I’m working, which lately, seems like constantly. But she goes home at night, if I’m in town. Only Rocco hangs out usually, and he has a little house down by the front gates, and he’s just a quick call away if I need him. After that, only the trees can see inside.”

  I nodded, slightly comforted. “I see.”

  “Why don’t you take a few minutes and look around the rest of the house? I’m going to go outside and talk to Sophia before she has a panic attack.”

  “Okay,” I replied.

  “Make yourself at home,” he said. “Anything you could want is in the kitchen — food, snacks, more booze, anything at all.”

  He brushed a kiss across my lips again before leaving me standing in his bare bedroom. I walked over to the window to check on Gigi again, who seemed to be much more comfortable in this environment than I was, based on the enthusiastic wagging of her tail. I turned away, walking toward the attached bathroom.

  It was the only thing I’d found that actually held any semblance of a real room, and thank goodness that it did. But the luxuriousness of it took my breath away. Made up of white marble floors and countertops, with a huge tub smack dab in the middle of it. A glass shower, big enough for six people, lined an entire wall, and the toilet was in a separate room all together. But still, it looked like a hotel to me — bare and sterile and void of personality.

  It almost made me sad for Nate.

  Was this really where he relaxed? I tried to imagine myself lounging in the tub, looking out the window with a glass of champagne or a mimosa or something, but all the details were missing — where were the luxurious bath salts and bubbles? The thick cotton towels and plush rugs and candles?

  I walked out of the bathroom and back into the bedroom, which only felt equally sterile. It needed color and personality and I hated to say it, but it needed a woman’s touch.

  Nate was happy here because it was just what he needed. A place to block out all the excess. It made sense for him. It didn’t have to make sense for me.

  I was merely a guest.

  I shook it all off and left his bedroom just as I’d found it. Empty and cold. The living room was empty, too, as I stood next to the massive white couch and looked up at the tall, transparent ceiling. The wind was picking up and the trees danced overhead delightfully. I smiled, taking it all in.

  It was still unbelievable to me. I’d barely had time to think. Hell, I’d barely had time to pack. Running off with a perfect stranger…

  Shit.

  Realizing I’d not told anyone where I was going, the realization of just how reckless I’d been by agreeing to hop on a plane with someone I barely knew, famous or not, hit me. I found my purse and pulled my phone out, pulling up the maps app that would make a record of my exact location and send it to Violet in a text message. She’d set it up on my phone the first time we’d gone out together. “Just in case,” she’d insisted. Of course, she rarely left my side when we went out so the opportunity to use it had never popped up — till now.

  I waited a second for her to reply to the text and smiled when my phone lit up.

  What does this mean?

  I wanted you to know my location, I replied.

  How the hell are you in Hollywood, Dove!?

  I laughed to myself, knowing she’d be shocked. I probably should have called.

  My date turned into a little more. Be home in a few days. I’ll keep you posted. I’m safe. Love you.

  OMG, don’t you dare leave me hanging! Tell me everything.

  I paused, wondering how much I should tell her in a text. I bit my lip and wrote her back quickly before changing my mind.

  The guy I went on a date with is Nate Nash. It turned into a trip to LA. Don’t tell anyone! Gotta go.

  I shoved my phone back in my pocket and ignored the incessant vibrating that followed, smiling at what I imagined her reaction was right now. I wished I could be there to see her freaking out but that would have to wait. Contacting my mother would also have to wait, I decided, as I walked outside.

  I found Gigi sitting under a palm tree like a queen, waiting for me patiently. I looked around, but Nate and Sophia were nowhere to be found.

  “Geez, they just left you alone?” I asked, my brow wrinkled. His property was huge and I had no idea if it was completely fenced in. For all I knew, there might be other critters to deal with. Not to mention the steep cliff in the back that the entire house balanced on. “Stay with me from now on!” I admonished her, even though it was all my doing. She knew I was talking to myself but lowered her head anyway. I reached out and kissed her forehead. “This is pretty weird, huh?”

  She smiled up at me and wagged her tail, jumping up and following me as I started wandering around the property.

  “I take it you like the place?”

  She wagged her tail again in answer.

  “Well, as long as you’re happy,” I replied.

  Chapter 10

  DOVE

  The day whizzed by in a tornado of activity. In preparation for Nate’s show, his house was soon buzzing with dozens of people. A hairstylist and a costume stylist arrived first, quickly followed by Nate’s voice coach, publicist, and tour manager. Rocco allowed each of them in, greeting them with a familiar friendliness. Of all the people in Nate’s circle, Rocco was the most down to earth and easygoing.

  “You doing alright, miss?” he asked me, as I watched the whirlwind of activity. Nate sat in a chair in the middle of the living room, various people circling around him. One woman worked on his hair, while another applied makeup. Others sat around flinging questions his way, while his voice coach led him in voic
e exercises in between his conversations.

  Sophia paced around the house, her cell phone glued to her ear as she ignored everyone else.

  Gigi and I soaked it all in from the corner of the couch.

  “I’m fine, Rocco, thank you,” I said, as he silently filled my wine glass. “What’s your job here?”

  “I’m Mr. Nash’s bodyguard.”

  “Of course,” I replied.

  “And yours too, while you are with him, of course.”

  “Oh,” I nodded. “Well, I don’t anticipate I’ll be needing your services in that way.”

  “You’d be surprised, Miss.”

  “Please call me Dove,” I said.

  “As you wish, Dove,” he replied. “Let me know if you need anything.”

  “Thank you.”

  He reached over and petted Gigi’s head. She leaned into him, loving his touch. The chaos lasted for about two hours before Nate abruptly announced he was done and stood up. To my surprise, he stripped off all his clothes right there in front of everyone and put on his stage costume. I was in awe at his lack of shyness, but once I saw his ripped body come into view again, that awe turned quickly to appreciation.

  Moments later, he was transformed into the rockstar I’d seen a million times before. His long hair was now flowing around his shoulders in cascading waves. A black leather vest clung to his shoulders, hanging open in front and showing off his bare chest and abs underneath. Matching black leather pants hugged his ass like I wished my hands were currently doing.

  He walked over to me, his usual confidence now turned up to ten and displaying full on cockiness, his eyes shimmering with mischievousness.

  He kissed me without a word, his lips hot and firm against mine.

  “How do I look?”

  “You know you look amazing,” I said.

  “You’re right,” he shrugged, turning around to his entourage. “I couldn’t do it without you guys, though! Thanks, everyone! See you at the after party?”

  Without waiting for an answer, he grabbed my hand and led me to his room again.