by Shawn Keys
Since he didn’t know where in the city he was going, there was no sense driving around aimlessly. He chose a parking lot of a movie theater and pulled into a remote space far from any of the surrounding buildings. Shutting off the engine, he turned in the front seat and leaned over the seat cushion.
Propping his chin on his forearm, he paused a few moments to enjoy the beautiful sight of his two lovers cuddled together. Kaylee’s head was nestled into Angelica’s breasts, who in turn had her arms curled around Kaylee with her hands cupped gently under Kaylee’s sensual mounds. They looked utterly at peace.
Fortunately, he didn’t have to wake them. Angelica sensed the car had stopped. Her eyes flickered open and she glanced out the window. “Are we here?” Then, she felt the sensual weight of Zahn’s gaze. Right then, Kaylee squirmed against her as if trying to cuddle deeper into her arms. Angelica squeezed her lover, petting her breasts soothingly. “Like what you see?”
Zahn flirted, “Might be better if I was closer.”
Angelica flashed her sexy little smirk his way. “That would make it awfully crowded back here.”
“Crowded in the best way, I’d say.”
Her smile softened. “Me, too.” Nudging Kaylee, she roused her lover from her dreams. “Wake up, Leea. We need to chat about what’s next.”
Stretching like a content cat, Kaylee came around slowly. She made no effort to leave Angelica’s arms as she mumbled sleepily, “It’s dark out. Why don’t we find a bed?”
Zahn wasn’t opposed, especially considering the chance to join a three-way snuggle with a few less clothes in the way. “We might. But it’s a risk. We’ll be exposed until we find our haven. Then again, showing up in the small hours of the morning might not be wise. It wouldn’t endear us to our host-to-be.”
Angelica thought about it, but in the end shook her head. “I don’t think it will matter.”
“No?”
“If she is going to help us, the hour won’t matter. In fact, from everything her son told me about her, she will be insulted if we waited. If we’re honestly in danger, she’ll be proud to save us when we really need it. If we’re not, she’ll be irritated we wasted her time.”
“Well, the danger is real enough. Guess that settles it. Where am I driving to? ”
“Toward downtown. It’s not far.”
Zahn showed his surprise. “Really? We’re looking for a secret retreat. I figured you’d be taking us out past the suburbs.”
Angelica smiled. “You’ll see. Now, let’s go. And try not to ogle while I make out with Kaylee in the backseat.”
Answering with a wry laugh, Zahn warned, “That significantly increases the odds of a car crash along the way, you know. That…or a sudden diversion into a hotel parking lot.”
“We believe in your willpower and focus. You’re our hero, remember?”
Enjoying the banter, Zahn turned around to face front and got the car moving.
True to Angelica’s world, Zahn wasn’t driving long before she was pointing ahead and to the left. “See that tower? That’s where we’re going.”
Kaylee leaned forward, admiring it from a distance. “Wow. That would look even more impressive in the daytime. Mirrored glass. Beautiful park around it. Who lives here?”
“No-one except our host. The rest of the building is used by a certain type of businesses. Two pro-bono lawyer firms. A free walk-in clinic. A subsidized animal vet. A temp job placement service. You get the idea. She takes applications and selects worthy businesses personally, then gives them free rental space.”
Kaylee shared a smile. “After all that happened to her, I’m amazed she has that much heart.”
Zahn chuckled. “Makes her even more intimidating.”
“Intimidating?”
Zahn switched into the lane he’d need to enter the parking lot. “I know you’re used to working along Hollywood stars, but this is Dame Heather Augustinia. She’s been a tour-de-force since my childhood. Didn’t matter which school or foster home I was in. Her portraits and magazine covers were pasted in all our lockers and on bedroom walls. She’s one of the handful of EGOT celebrities, right? And if that wasn’t enough, she won the life-time achievement award at the Screen-Actor’s Guild and the People’s Icon award at the People’s Choice ceremony in the same year. Granted, it was the year she was sick. Most people thought she was going to be recognized during all the ‘In Memoriam’ parades the next year. But that doesn’t mean she didn’t deserve them. I mean, they don’t knight any random performer, right?”
Angelica admitted, “She was incredibly influential for a long time, you’re right. She was one of the reasons I started acting. I used to pretend to be her. My mother still embarrasses with pictures of me wearing red wigs and her fancy dresses that were way too big for me.”
Kaylee snickered. “Oh, I have to see those.” Then she reminisced a little herself, “After I read her book ‘Wearing Masks to Make a Living’, I used several of her key points as support for my Master’s thesis. Had the chance to see her speak once. She was an alumni at my college and came back as a favor to my professor.”
Believing his point was made, Zahn quipped, “As such, I reserve the right to be slightly intimidated.”
Angelica reached out to play fondly with the hair at the back of his neck. “Says the man who has slain undead bears and recovered artifacts from ancient civilizations from the bowels of the Earth.”
“Well, when you say it like that…” Zahn chased away as many nerves as he could, embracing Angelica’s very-real, supportive affection. She thought highly of him, and he had no intention of ever letting her down.
Parking in a visitor’s spot, they walked directly toward the main entrance. They didn’t want to linger in the open. The cover of darkness helped; Zahn would have felt conspicuous with the two stars. The entire point was for no-one to know where they were. He peered through the doors into the entrance foyer, and waved down a security guard. Zahn whispered to the two women, “Time to be fascinated with the trees and walls, ladies. Do everything you can so he doesn’t recognize you.”
Angelica replied before the door opened, “Don’t ask for her by name. Tell him we’re here to see the management.”
Taking her direction, Zahn tried to look friendly as the middle-aged graveyard shift guard clicked open the door.
He didn’t look worried, as if no trouble ever really came this way. “What can I do for you, Sir?”
Zahn answered with a professional confidence, neither eager nor fearful. As if this was totally normal to be showing up at this hour. “Have to have a word with building management. Won’t trouble you for directions. We know the way.”
His eyebrows crept up in mild surprise, not used to hearing that request very often. But the passwords were the right ones. He held open the door and gestured toward the elevator. “Be my guest.” He didn’t try to help.
Part of the test , Zahn suspected. If someone asked which one was the right floor, they shouldn’t be there. A call to the police would likely follow. Fortunately, we have an insider who knows what she’s doing .
They waited for the elevator to close. Then, Angelica pointed at the keypad. “Want to see something cool? How many stories would you say were in this place?”
Zahn counted in his mind. “Around twenty. Was at least five stories taller than any other building around us.”
“Right. See the elevator keypad?”
Kaylee supplied, “Twenty floors, if you count ‘ground level’. Plus a couple basement levels from the look of it.”
Angelica reached out and punched the button for ‘Two’. “Feel that?”
Realizing what was happening, Zahn answered with mild disbelief. “We’re going down, not up.”
She smiled. “A clever little trick. Won’t fool anyone paying close attention, but most people don’t. They just press the floor they want. The elevator motion is so smooth, who would notice unless someone pointed it out?”
“What about if you loo
k out the windows?”
She smiled, “I found out that the first four floors have televisions in place of windows showing a direct feed from the proper height. Again, I doubt it fools anyone who works there, but outsiders wouldn’t even notice they were in the basement instead of above ground. The result is …” She pressed the button for twenty. “…this button will only take us to the sixteenth floor. That leaves four stories higher up that are unreachable by any of the public elevators.”
The soft bell dinged . The double doors opened onto the modest décor of a hotel-like corridor. Eggshell white paint, dark-oak wood and complementary grey carpets with muted swirls of blue completed the look. Wandering down the corridor, they checked the name plates on the doors.
Kaylee noticed the pattern first. “These are the executive offices for all the businesses downstairs. All of the companies’ brass get a nice spot on the ‘top’ floor. Nice little perk.”
Zahn had learned to see what lay below the surface in his time delving into hidden treasure troves. “They also act as free camouflage. If the only thing on this floor was the entrance to our host’s private apartments, that might cause questions.”
Angelica led the way to the last door, semi-hidden behind a bend in the hallway. The sign read simply ‘Building Management’. “Here we are.” She tapped the door bell button. “This will probably take a minute. I said the hour wouldn’t matter, but that doesn’t mean she won’t be asleep.”
Remembering a question he had forgotten to ask earlier, Zahn asked it now, “Does she live alone? No butler or maid?”
“I honestly have no idea,” Angelica admitted. “We’re nearly to the same point I came the last time.”
In the end, they only had to wait three minutes.
A smooth, cultured female voice came from the speaker. There was no static like from an older piece of equipment. The voice sounded like it was right in the corridor next to them, carried on a state-of-the-art audio system. “You haven’t come around in a few years, Miss Laviolette. A strange hour to come calling.”
Zahn resisted the urge to look around. Modern cameras could be tiny. He doubted he would spot this one without a close inspection. Combing the door frame and the surrounding light fixture for clues would be poor form.
Angelica kept her cool. She simply answered, “I wouldn’t have come if it wasn’t serious. It’s a private matter. Can we speak inside, like last time?”
A light buzzzz sounded along with a nearly inaudible click. “Please, come in.”
Kaylee pressed the door open and the three entered one after the other.
Once past the door, they spread out across the inner room. It was set up like a large boardroom. At its center, there was an elongated oval table that could seat around twenty. Large windows at one end showed the view of Denver’s downtown skyline. There were two small alcoves. One contained a coffee service alongside a small set of crystal decanters filled with a variety of spirits. The other contained two doors marked with the universal sign for washrooms. Along one wall was an enormous flat-screen television, underneath which was a much more obvious camera. The set-up would allow for a video teleconference. The room had everything one could need to hold a business meeting for exclusive clientele.
Angelica waited for the door to close, and then spoke into the air, “Kind of you, Dame Heather. I feel ashamed to be here, knowing we are asking a favor with nothing to offer as a gift. But we are low on options.”
There was a long pause. Then, the television screen flickered to life. It cycled quickly, and soon showed a clear picture. Zahn was treated to his first sight of Dame Heather Augustinia since her retreat from the public life.
If that is what it looks like to be dead, then maybe it isn’t so bad, Zahn thought. He absorbed details even as he appreciated the Dame’s mature beauty. From her online profiles, he knew she was in her late-fifties. Time and age couldn’t efface the aristocratic appeal of her arched, refined cheekbones and symmetry of her features. Stress and laugh lines crinkled the skin at the corners of her eyes and mouth, and her trade-mark crimson hair was faded and streaked through with cloudy grey strands. The screen showed her from the waist up. She was dressed in a black silk robe that revealed no skin below her neck, and yet clung to her tightly enough to show a body kept trim and fit despite her age.
And yet, I swear I can see a trace of discomfort hovering behind her eyes. Like a constant pain. The remnant of her disease? Zahn wondered.
Zahn finished his perusal; perhaps the most interesting oddity of the woman was the lace choker worn around the Dame’s throat. Embroidered in black silk that matched her robe, the spider-web lace wove around her neck from right below her chin and jaw line most of the way to her collarbones. The Dame was clearly just roused from sleep, and yet she wore something with such excessive elegance. It was a strange conceit, and felt a little out of character.
Folding her hands demurely in front, Heather Augustinia addressed them face to virtual face. “I am the one who owes an apology, Miss Laviolette. Last time, you came to deliver such a comforting message and a heart-felt gift. I could hardly stop sobbing like a madwoman. I’m not sure I even thanked you.”
“Please, Dame Heather, call me Angelica. And considering you had lost your son, I’d say you were incredibly gracious.”
Dipping her head in a thanks, Dame Augustinia’s focus shifted to the mocha-skinned beauty accompanying Angelica. “ Miss Valemount. I don’t believe we’ve had the pleasure of meeting. However, your reputation precedes you. I’ve been impressed by your work. Your choice of projects has been very courageous.”
Kaylee put a hand over her heart, honestly touched. “Like Angie, please call me Kaylee, Dame Heather. Coming from you, that’s more than I deserve. I’m not sure about courage. I keep doing what I love. That’s all.”
“A lot of people fail that test when tempted by greater fame or tons of money. I’d call it courage.” A playful smile teased at her lips. “Since this is my home, I’m afraid I’ll have to insist on getting my way.”
That drew a little bubbling laugh from Kaylee. “Yes, Ma’am.”
“Good.” Last, she shifted her attention to Zahn. “Then there’s you.”
Deciding to let the iconic actress come to her own conclusions, Zahn only volunteered, “The name’s Zahn, Dame Heather.”
Pausing to absorb him as fully as Zahn had done to her, she nodded. “And you would be the cause of all this trouble, then?”
A fair guess , Zahn decided. Angie and Leea have established lives. Of course, the mysterious stranger would get the blame for disrupting all that. Aloud, Zahn admitted, “It began with me.” He glanced at his two lovers. Then, met the older actress’s eyes with slightly rebellious sincerity. He didn’t want to irritate her, but the women were choosing to be here. “But we’re in this together.”
“Are you now?” Augustinia’s eyebrows climbed a little, reconsidering them together instead of as separate people. She traced the invisible yet still tangible connections between them. Her eyes widened a little more. “You really are, aren’t you? Hmmm…” She drifted off with idle speculation. Returning to the moment, she asked, “Then what can I do for all of you?”
Angelica’s hand floated to rest on Zahn’s shoulder, a mute gesture of thanks for including her. Kaylee came in to mirror her from the other side. Then, the blonde actress said, “Safe harbor from a storm, Dame Augustinia –”
Their would-be host softly interjected, “– You’ve paid enough respects to me, wouldn’t you say? You’ve given me your names. Why don’t you use ‘Heather’ for now, hmm? ”
Flushing at the honorable offer, Angelica managed to continue, “Our fame is being used against us, Heather. They don’t even have to try to track us. I’d bet cracking my finances wasn’t even hard. Just a few bribes to the paparazzi termites who had already burrowed in. Problem is, we know they want something of Zahn’s. A possession, or an idea, or some crumb of knowledge. We don’t know. We need a place where we can sl
eep easy for a couple nights and figure this out.”
Heather considered how easily the two women leaned into him. “And parting ways with him wasn’t an option.”
Angelica and Kaylee only leaned into him that much more.
Zahn let out a deep sigh of contentment at their touch. He admitted openly, “Not happening.”
Heather pursed her lips in thought. “Are you willing to tell me what they are hunting? Are you bringing anything dangerous into my home?”
“If you’ll trust us, it would be easier to show you in person. It will be a difficult conversation over a video channel.”
Another pause as the elder actress debated.
Then, she reached over to press a button on her wall.
Next to the video screen, a hidden door snapped open. Heather said, “Follow the stairs. They lead into my welcoming room. No promises, but we can sit and chat over tea.”
The trio didn’t have to be asked twice. They ascended up the stairs, eager to be inside the secretive apartments.
As they climbed, Zahn noticed the change in the décor. Below, the boardroom had been modern and stylish, but ultimately soulless. He thought it was meant to deflect any personal connection to Dame Augustinia, preventing anyone from guessing the identity of ‘Building Management’. As they ascended, the neutral tones changed to tastefully-blended warm colors. Everything from the pictures to the tapestries to the chandeliers felt hand-picked to suit her personal style, which drew from a blend of Romanesque and bohemian traditions of grandeur and excess. The welcoming room proved to be a sitting area with a cozy atmosphere. Through the open archways leading further in, the group of three could see hints of the rest of the complex, which broadened into a much more palatial, open-concept space with towering ceilings. This entry area was kept deliberately intimate; a way to let visitors into the inner sanctum of Dame Augustinia’s life without opening a wide path into her whole life.
