“You didn’t dump anything on me! I needed to know. And nothing is ruined.”
He finishes his ice cream and wipes his mouth with a napkin. “Your dad and I are flying back to Boston in two hours.”
“Hurry before he melts.”
Trevor laughs, puts me into a wrestling hold, and scratches my head again. I play-scream while he laughs.
He stands up. “So, I’ll see you around.”
I stand up, and turn him so he’s facing me. “Trevor, I’m glad you told me what you did. It’s who you are. And I do love you. You must know that.”
“I do, and that makes it all worth while.” He clasps my hands in his and kisses me. “Whatever you do in life, do it for you. Don’t come back unless you’re sure. One thing I’ll say, there’s a spark behind your eyes that I haven’t seen since you were little. Something down here has set you on fire, made you alive. Whatever it is, grab hold of it with full force. Live your life! If you don’t, you’ll regret it.”
“Maybe not now. Maybe not tomorrow, but soon and for the rest of my life, right?”
He laughs out loud. “God, you kill me.” He pretends to straighten an imaginary hat, then removes an imaginary cigarette from his lips. “Here’s looking at you, kid.”
I laugh. “Now that’s a Humphrey Bogart impression!” He hugs me. “You know, Trevor, this could be the beginning of a beautiful friendship.”
“Shut the fuck up, Smudge.”
Chapter 10
On the way to Lorena’s, I call Karissa. I hadn’t been ready to talk to her, but now I am. Strange she hasn’t even texted me since that crazy afternoon.
As I walk down West Avenue, I take a deep breath as her phone rings.
“We're sorry,” says an electronic voice. “You have reached a number that has been disconnected or is no longer in service. If you feel you have reached this recording in error, please check the number and try your call again.”
Huh, that’s weird.
I tap her name again and listen to the electronic voice again.
Hmph.
I pause in the shadow of a very old tree on a corner and go to Facebook. There are new friend requests from Troy and Sherry, but nothing from Karissa.
In fact, she’s gone from Facebook. No Karissa. Doesn’t exist.
What the fuck?
Did she de-friend me?
Seriously?
Why would Karissa de-friend me? I wasn’t the one sucking her dad’s cock!
I resume walking, a little sad. She’s probably embarrassed. Really embarrassed.
But embarrassed enough to throw our entire friendship away?
I think I’m hurt, I think I really am.
Shit.
I stop outside of Lorena’s building and look up. Do I really want to live here?
I head up to 2201.
Vargas, the bald man with the goatee, opens the door and lets me in. “Follow me, please.”
The giant space looks completely different in the daylight with all the Sunset Chill Party implements gone. No play pens. No blacklight wall. Just a huge living area with a spectacular view, now with glass back in place. Where did the glass go before? Does it slide into the ceiling or is it removable?
Vargas leads me to an elevator next to a long staircase. He presses a button and the door opens.
“Wait,” I say, “there is an elevator inside this apartment?”
“Yes, it travels the five floors owned by MissMacCall.” He presses 24. The doors close and we go up two floors. The doors open and he motions me out.
I step out into another spectacular apartment with a view. This one is maybe a tenth the size of Lorena’s, but that’s still pretty fucking huge.
Lorena sits on a large white couch in front of a glass coffee table, the port of Miami on full display in the bright morning sunshine in front of her. She’s typing away on a laptop. So cool to see someone her age fluent with modern technology.
“Hello, Jayd!” she says. “Just one moment, dear. I’m posting a status update.”
She finishes and then stands, moving over to hug me.
“Sit,” she says. “I’m sorry about the restaurant, dear. It had to be done. Besides, I don’t know if you noticed but the food there lately was drifting downhill somewhat.”
“Yeah, I got that complaint a lot.”
I feel nervous for some reason, suddenly. I don’t know why.
“So do you like it?” she says.
“Like what?”
She makes a motion with her arms. “Your new place.”
I snicker. “This? My place?”
“Yes, dear. This is yours for as long as you need it.”
I look around. It’s truly spectacular. Ultra-modern and well-decorated. I see a huge kitchen off to my left. Looks brand new.
“But how—”
“I told you, dear. I own the building, as well as several other properties in Miami Beach. I’ve done well for myself and now that I’m the age I am, I want to share them with people I care about.”
“Wow, I don’t know what to say except thank you.”
“You’re more than welcome, dear. But, of course, you are intrigued about my offer. Otherwise, you wouldn’t be here.”
“Um, yeah.”
“I see it in your eyes, dear. Lukas Thorn lights you up like nobody you’ve ever known. That’s true, isn’t it?”
Wow, didn’t expect that question right out of the bag.
“Yes.” The word falls out of my mouth.
“Good. Then, we both have his best interests at heart.”
“How do you expect me to free him?”
“You are the perfect antidote to the only other woman he has ever loved.”
Fine by me. If she wants to pay me big money to do the very thing I’ve been trying to do since stepping onto that plane, then fine.
“May I ask why you personally want me to do this?”
She gazes out the window and takes a fake puff. “Because I owe him only the best. I saved him from something truly rotten a long time ago.” A warning buzzer goes off in my head. The expression on my face must show what I’m thinking. “Oh no, dear. There was never anything between Lukas and me. It wasn’t like that.”
“How am I supposed to seduce Lukas Thorn?”
“By offering him his favorite fantasy.”
“Which is?”
“Control. You’re going to present yourself to him in a way no girl has ever presented herself before.”
“How am I supposed to do this?”
“That’s my job.”
“What’s your job?”
“To train you. We have two weeks. I know where he’ll be on August 14th.”
“Where?”
“At a house in the Bahamas. There is a street festival that weekend and every year he visits his brother in Nassau to enjoy the festival. You and I will be there. Well, specifically, you.”
“What do you want me to do?”
The sun catches her eye and sends an all-knowing glint at me. “Something dirty and obscene.” I uncross and re-cross my legs. “What do you think of that, dear?”
“I . . . like the sound of that.”
“I thought you might.”
Chapter 11
The Redmond Apts may not be a luxurious paradise, but it’s a hell of an upgrade from the Clarion Towers.
That’s my thought as I approach Karissa’s left hand steps in the blistering steamy heat.
I took a taxi this time, asking the driver to wait outside. You never know. I may need to run quickly.
I hate to say that, but after everything, I’ve learned about Karissa lately I’m a little leery about her. Not to mention the way she de-friended me completely.
Such a shame. We got to be such close friends, but she couldn’t tell me her main source of income.
Abigail, wake up! The signs were all there for you to see! You made yourself deliberately blind, choosing not to see it!
Yeah, probably true.
I want to make amends, though.