Eye Candy

Unacceptable reaction. This was a business relationship. Supply and demand. Buyer and seller.

  Which reminded me...

  "We need to talk about money."

  We hadn't had a chance to talk about his fee. With our busy work schedules, I was lucky Fiona found time to talk to both of us and get us together at all. And Fi was not a money kind of girl—she was lucky to keep all her utilities paid. So it was no wonder she didn't think to talk with Phelps about it.

  "What about money?" he asked.

  "How much are you charging for this weekend?"

  He sleepily rubbed at his eyes. "Shouldn't we have talked about this before we left the city?"

  "Maybe," I said, irritated because he was right, "but we're here now."

  "Okay. My usual fee is $200."

  "$200 a day, that's not too bad."

  "$200 an hour."

  "An hour!" No wonder he wore Armani. "I can't afford that."

  Though my salary at Ferrero is more than enough to pay my bills, support my hobby, and keep me in Ann Taylor and Stuart Weitzman, I can't afford to throw away ten grand on a weekend date. Someday I wanted to actually buy an apartment. And somehow I didn't think the IRS would consider a male escort a business expense.

  Mental Post-It: consult accountant about possible deduction.

  "That's my usual fee, but this is a unique case." He considered for a moment. "How about $750 for the weekend?"

  "$250," I countered.

  "$500?" he offered.

  "Sold." I felt like a top-notch negotiator. Dragging down the asking price by 95% was pretty impressive. "Hand me my purse."

  "You don't have to pay me now."

  "I want this part behind us."

  "Fine." He handed me my purse and waited impatiently as I grabbed my checkbook and made out a check for $500.

  I smiled, certain he was ready to grab the wheel the moment I started to veer off the road, but I am an accomplished vehicular multi-tasker.

  "Oh, Double Bubble damn," I exclaimed as I handed him the check, "that was our exit."

  Phelps grabbed the handle on the dash with white knuckles as I dove across three lanes of traffic and two sets of solid white lines.

  I smiled—the Andes, my ass. Welcome to the Lydias. The weekend was starting to look better already.

  The valet at Jawbreaker's house—mansion, really—took my keys and called his partner to take our luggage. Well, my luggage and Phelps's duffle bag.

  But Phelps waved him off. "I got this," he said, grabbing my over-packed Louis Vuitton with one hand and slinging his duffle over the same shoulder.

  The valet shrugged, as if to say "Whatever, man." He climbed into the car and revved the engine.

  Remembering my earlier mishap with the Jolly Rancher, I called out, "Oh, and could you wipe off the dashboard? I got something sticky on it."

  Oh no, did that sound as bad as it sounded?

  The valet threw Phelps a look that said, "Way to go, man."

  Before I could explain, he closed the door and drove my baby away. I hated seeing her vanish in the hands of a stranger, professional or not. She was my urban tank. My escape from the concrete jungle when I needed to be far, far away. And after nearly 100,000 miles, she had never had any major injuries.

  I scowled after the cocky valet.

  She'd better not get any now.

  Turning back to Phelps, I found him pulling a sport coat from his duffle. He unrolled it with a brisk snap and dropped the luggage to put it on. Compared to the space-age catsuit he had been wearing, the man sure cleaned up nice. Dark blue button-down shirt, casual-yet-sophisticated grey houndstooth sport coat, flat-front black trousers, black alligator belt, and shiny black oxfords. The setting sun casting a warm glow around him. He looked right at home on the porch of a Southamptons mansion that looked like it belonged to a Kennedy or a Vanderbilt. Ready to take the Summer Sail Away by the stern.

  He was only missing one tiny piece of information.

  "There's one thing I, um, forgot to tell you."

  "What's that?" he asked unconcerned, smoothing down the collar of his coat.

  "Well," I began, "in addition to my colleagues from work and some industry professionals, there's one person on the guest list you should be aware of."

  "Who?" He grabbed up the luggage with his right arm and turned to me. "Some celebrity?"

  "No." Truth time. "My ex-fiancé."

  He let out a low whistle. "That should shake things up at this squares-fest. Want me to sock him one in the jaw?"

  "No! That's not what I wa—"

  "Cause that'd be no trouble," he persisted. "Wouldn't even charge you extra."

  "No, no, no. I don't want you to punch Gav—"

  "Are you sure? Because it's been my experience that ex-fiancés usually deserve a punch or two. Otherwise they'd be husbands by now."

  "No!" I shouted. Mr. Goodbar, this man was incorrigible. And made no sense. "Leave Gavin alone!"

  The door swung open soundlessly as I ranted, revealing Jawbreaker with a beaming smile on her Botoxed mug.

  "Now, you two aren't having a lovers' spat already are you?" Her smug expression indicating she would love nothing more. "The weekend has only just begun."

  I started to answer defensively. "N—"

  "Just a little debate over who loves whom more," Phelps said. He wrapped an arm around my shoulders and tugged me close. "But I think we both know who won."

  He looked into my eyes for just a second. Just long enough to let me know what he was going to do before he did it. Then, his mouth descended and I forgot Jawbreaker and the safety of Gavin's jaw and all the reasons I had to dislike this man. All I knew was the sensation of his hard, hot mouth and the tickling sweep of his tongue over my lips.

  Sweet Saltwater Taffy, the man knew how to kiss!

  His broad hand cupped my head and held me firm against his mouth. I grabbed blindly at his lapels, searching for even more connection.

  "Ah-hem!"

  Phelps pulled away at Jawbreaker's interruption. "Sorry," he said, still holding me close and not looking the least bit apologetic, "I get a little carried away when Lyd is around. Could you take these for me?"

  He tossed her the luggage and pulled me back in for another kiss. Just before his mouth landed on mine I saw Jawbreaker scowl and turn away, carrying our luggage into the house like a bellhop and leaving us alone on the porch.

  "That was masterful," I exclaimed, pulling out of the kiss before I got too involved to stop.

  He grinned, and this time I didn't cringe. "Now, if you're ready to release me from your romance-cover clinch, are you ready to start this party right?"

  I was too elated over besting Jawbreaker to even resent his cocky comment. Instead, I slipped my arm around his waist and said, "Into the spider's web."

  We walked arm-in-arm through the front door, and I hoped that little quease in my belly was from sugar overload and not ominous premonition.

  4

  Q: What do you get when you cross an elephant with a fish?

  A: Swimming trunks.

  — Laffy Taffy Joke #4

  The Summer Sail Away is not just any party. It is an all-out, all weekend, all of society swank that puts other bashes—Hamptons and otherwise—to shame.

  Now I had been to plenty of society functions before. Our neighbors were Getty and Kennedy cousins, for Good&Plenty's sake. But nothing had prepared me for the extravaganza that awaited me in Jawbreaker's mansion.

  She hosted over 200 guests. And provided a guest room for anyone who didn't already have a residence somewhere between Westhampton and East Hampton.

  That was where the trouble began.

  Jawbreaker's butler showed us to our room—singular, of course, since we were so very in love—and dumped our luggage on the double bed. Again singular.

  "If we weren't intimate before," Phelps boasted, "we will be now."

  Counting to ten in all seven languages at my disposal, I managed to keep from telling him to shove it
. But it was a near thing.

  "We will just have to deal with this later." I yanked my Louis Vuitton to the edge and unzipped it. Sixteen layers of carefully folded weekend wear bounced up like towels in a Downy commercial. "Right now we have to get ready for dinner."

  At the top of one pile was my gunmetal-gray halter dress that I adore because the swishy matte jersey accentuates my less-than-generous curves. It ties behind the neck so I could adjust the height of the v-neck depending on my courage level. Tonight it was going to be tied up tight.

  I grabbed the matching pair of Stuart Weitzman sandals—the ones with the dangly Swarovski crystals that made them sparkle when I walked.

  Phelps meandered over to the window, drawing open the ivory jacquard drapes in a manly survey of the new environment.

  "Wow, you must really rate."

  I tried to turn off my hearing, I really did. But that didn't stop him.

  "Who'd you piss off to get this view?"

  Succumbing to curiosity of the purely idle sort, I looked up to follow his gaze out the window. At a brick wall.

  My shoulders slumped and I dropped the dream dress back onto the pile. "My boss," I replied, darn tired of trying so hard for zero results. "If you hadn't already guessed, she hates me."

  I braced myself for the smart-ass comment.

  He crossed the room to my side and placed his hand gently on my shoulder. "She's just jealous." Then, before I had a chance to even consider a response, he added, "So get yourself gussied up so we can give 'em all something to really be jealous about."

  And pinched my ass.

  "Why you—" I turned to slap him—an instinctual response I had never had to use before—but he was already halfway out the door.

  "Find me downstairs when you're ready."

  My Stuart Weitzman hit the solid wood door with a thunk.

  "Aaargh!" I screamed to no one in particular. Which was good, because no one else was in the room.

  Because Phelps was on the loose with Jawbreakers and KYs to contend with.

  I donned the dress and shoes and touched up my makeup with a little smoky gray shadow and extra blush—and consumed the remains of a package of cherry Nibs—and was out the door in a record twelve minutes and thirty-two seconds.

  Downstairs I found Phelps surrounded by all three KYs in the great room.

  The room was a marvel of architectural and decoration styles. Elegant beams graced the high ceilings but had been painted white to diminish their presence. In fact, the entire room had been painted stark white, beautiful wooden floor to beautiful beamed cathedral ceiling.

  Not that it lacked for color.

  There was black and chrome silver and blood red.

  Lots of red.

  Along with innumerable textures and patterns. The once elegant entertaining space resembled more a contemporary art gallery than a home. There was even an original—or excellent reproduction—Warhol on the wall above the zebra-print bar.

  The KYs had Phelps cornered between the bar and a pair of red leather sofas. Three matching blond heads tilted at a vacant-but-attentive angle above matching Wonderbra-enhanced cleavage. If breast augmentation weren't so taboo right now, I was sure they would have matching silicone implants. Maybe they could get a bulk discount.

  Phelps said something and they all twittered in hair-raising girlish laughter.

  And the most disappointing part was, he didn't look too unhappy about the situation.

  Maybe he didn't quite understand the game plan.

  "Phelps," I called across the cavern, hoping my bitter jealousy didn't show, "there you are, Sweet Tooth."

  He turned to me with the kind of smile a girl wants to see at the other end of the aisle.

  Like I was the sun in his dark, bleak world.

  On the inside I melted like cotton candy.

  I tried to remind myself that I had bought that smile, but the bliss just wouldn't go away and I beamed in return. My smile only grew when the KYs threw me identical scowls.

  Rather than reply, he crossed the fluffy, sheepskin area rug, wrapped his arms around my waist, and drew me into a seductive embrace. His back to the room, he winked at me before leaning forward to whisper, "You look radiant."

  Shivery goosebumps spread all over my body at the compliment. I couldn't answer.

  "Show them you love me more than your lipstick," he teased. His teeth grazed my earlobe. "Kiss me."

  "I-I can't," I stammered.

  A fiery flush burned my cheeks and I wished I had skipped the extra blush. This was more boldness in one day than I had experienced in a whole lifetime.

  He smiled against my temple. "At least grab my ass."

  His arms tightened around me and my entire body pressed into his—separated by only the thin layer of gunmetal jersey and my flesh-tone thong. I felt every inch of his muscular form. My goosebumps got goosebumps.

  I gathered every last ounce of courage and raised my hands to his hips. Resting just below his belt. Slowly, I started to slide them back—

  "May I have everyone's attention please," Jawbreaker's booming voice thankfully stopped me before I lost all sense of public propriety. "If you would all adjourn to the dining room, dinner is ready."

  The dozens of other people in the room—none of whom I had noticed in my fixation on Phelps and the KYs—started shuffling off in the direction of the palatial dining room.

  Phelps held me captive.

  "Grab my ass," he demanded.

  "No," I countered, watching warily as the KYs slithered out of the room. "We have to go in to dinner."

  "Grab my ass," he commanded.

  "Phelps, really. No one's even here—"

  "If you want this scam to work," he interrupted, "we have to act like a couple in love, right?"

  I nodded—anything to get him to release me from the captivity of his arms and his attraction. His sweet compliments were weakening me, and he was starting to look far too Bubblicious for my health.

  "I can tell you right now, I'm a very physical person and it's not going to look the part if we're not comfortable with each other's bodies." He sounded so logical. So clinical. So businesslike. "Suck it up and grab my ass."

  So arrogant.

  I was almost relieved by the return of the smart-ass.

  Reaching around with both hands, I forcibly grabbed his cheeks—"How's that?"—and clenched.

  Unfortunately, so did he.

  My mind, which had not yet had the opportunity to appraise his derriere, came up with a very vivid image of the flesh in my palms. Holy Hot Tamales!

  As if caught suddenly holding a flaming pineapple, I released him and stepped back. Two steps.

  "Perfect," he drawled. "Now let's go in to dinner."

  He held out one perfectly angled arm which I took out of habit. But my mind burned with the memory of his tight behind. And fantasizing about seeing it in the flesh— er, in person very soon.

  I might have walked into the dining room with my shoulders drooped in resignation if he hadn't pinched my butt again.

  The hallmark of the first night of the Summer Sail Away is the beach bonfire. Twenty foot flames I was sure could be seen all the way from the Montauk lighthouse, generous amounts of champagne, and a club DJ spinning techno, jazz, and dance music.

  Though I would have loved nothing more than to doff my heels and wade into the moonlit surf, I had to use this opportunity to network. Only about one-third of the guests were here, and I had better odds at face time than I would for the next two days.

  Out of the corner of my eye I saw Phelps dancing with one of the VPs wives. Typical middle-aged, upper class housewife, starved for the thrill of dancing with a gorgeous man young enough to be her son.

  For an instant, I saw a reflection of what my life might have been if I hadn't found Gavin between his secretary's thighs.

  I shuddered at the thought and again counted my blessings that I got to the sour center of that sucker before the wedding.

  Too many wom
en don't find out until it's too late for even pre-nups to help.

  Turning from the sight of my future in an alternate universe, I found my first target. Alberto Vermicelli, VP of European Sales.

  In the ten-year plan I devised when I came on board at Ferrero, his job was year nine. Currently in year six, I should already have Jawbreaker's job—or at least be junior VP of Something—but I hoped to make that goal soon.

  Pulling off my heels to make my way across the sand, I let them dangle from one hand as I approached Alberto.

  "Alberto, how nice to see you." I kissed both his cheeks in the Italian tradition and he took my hands in his.

  "Caro, I am so happy you are here." He smiled, cosmetically whitened teeth bright against his swarthy complexion.

  Alberto is the sort of man women crush on. He is tall and athletically built, with thick black hair and dignified creases in his handsome face. If I didn't know he was devoutly loyal to his wife of nearly thirty years, I would think he had affairs with every woman under thirty that crossed his path.

  He was an old friend of my father's and the main reason I got my job. It takes good connections to get work in the fashion world. The KYs had Jawbreaker. I had Alberto.

  And he brought me into the fold with the promise that he would retire in ten years and, if I worked hard enough to get myself into a promotable position, he would name me his successor.

  One more step and I'd be there.

  Hopefully, he could help with that one more step.

  "It has been too many years you have not been invited." He swung my arms out wide and appraised me. "You are the most beautiful woman here."

  "Except for your wife," I countered.

  "Well, a man must protect his loyalties, yes?"

  I smiled. Alberto is a kind man with a flair for fashions—as exemplified by his green and yellow silk shirt and elegantly tied white ascot. He also knows the ins-and-outs of the fashion business like no other and can read people like a book.

  "But you do not seek out your old friend for compliments, I think." He looked at me thoughtfully and nodded in approval. "You are looking for a little push in the direction of promotion."

  "Yes," I answered. After thirty-three years, I was used to his uncanny assessments. "If the rumor about Jaw— Janice's promotion is true, I want to be in line for her job."