Pleasure Extraordinaire 2 (PURSUIT) Read online

  I see Zane and his date approaching Chloe, and soon Chloe is flashing ear-to-ear grins to her brother. Well, that, too, I’d do exactly the same if Zane was hugging me tightly with his sturdy body as he’s hugging Chloe.

  Doing my best to ignore my resentful feelings toward him, I wonder where Chloe’s other brother is. The only information I know about Christian Hawkins is that he’s the youngest among the three and also the most private. That’s why I never got to see any pictures of him from any mainstream media. That and the lack of interest from my side to waste useful time on nonsense gossip about celebrities.

  But now, sitting here, wondering who among the hundreds of people is the youngest Hawkins, I feel dumb for not going through at a few magazines to know how he looks.

  The music band stops playing, and I hear Michael’s soothing voice over the microphone. “Ladies and gentlemen.” He pauses, perhaps waiting for the guests to turn their attention to him. “I can’t thank you enough for being with me during one of the worst days of my life.” A roar of laughter takes over the salon at Michael’s sarcasm. “Aside from sickness or death in the family, I think giving his daughter away is the hardest thing a father can face.

  Enjoying Michael’s light and warm confessions, I turn to Taylor and Adam and see their faces long with dolefulness. Of course, as parents of a deceased daughter they’ll not enjoy Michael’s jokes. I reach up and cover Taylor’s hand on the table, wishing they’ll have another child much sooner rather than later.

  “If it wasn’t for the man Chloe chose to marry, I’d have to speak to the Governor to push up the legal age to marry to fifty-five.” Michael holds up his hand toward Chloe in the middle of the salon, and she walks through the crowd toward the stage, with her boyfriend behind her.

  Once the young couple is on the stage, taking their places on each side of Michael, people begin clasping hands. Michael raves about his soon-to-be son-in-law’s success in business for minutes to come, and I can’t help but feel my attention being drawn to somewhere else. To Michael’s biological son, Zane. His girlfriend is nowhere to be seen—I wish she’d vanish altogether, but I shouldn’t be harsh to someone for falling for the Adonis in flesh and blood.

  Much to my bad luck, Zane reciprocates my stare, cocking his head to the side while the corner of his eyes crinkles with a daring smile. I drop my gaze to the table before me, wishing he hadn’t noticed my blatant ogling, and when I look back up, I see him strolling toward me, ignoring the people around.

  Shit. If he mentions anything about Saturday afternoon, Taylor will get a whiff and then start asking question. That’ll be the end of everything related to my silence about the contract. No, no, I tell myself. He won’t speak anything about that embarrassing encounter.

  “Adam, Taylor.” Zane nods and shake their hands, as the gentleman as he can be, and then settles in the chair next to me.

  Everything else, the guests, Michael’s talk, Taylor on my other side, lose their significance in a matter of seconds as I feel Zane’s arm brushing mine for a brief second. I hold my breath and concentrate on the napkin in my hands in an effort to stifle the shivering the close distance between us is giving me. It’s an impossible task, though, because the memories of him wrapping his hands around my body, flipping me over, and bending me down on the arm of the couch flood my mind, and my sex pulses with the need to be stretched by his manhood again.

  Pulling the chair closer to mine, Zane leans in and whispers in my ear, “Bla, bla, bla.”

  As if I wasn’t already aroused, his lips brush my skin and the hair on my nape jumps up at the touch of his lips and the seductiveness of his deep voice. I gasp, unable to do anything else, wishing his girlfriend would come and save me from him, or I’m sure Taylor or another guest will see his effect on me. Worse, he’ll realize I turn into a puddle of goo at his mere presence.

  “What?” I ask, tilting my head slightly toward him, willing my sex to stop interfering with my brain.

  “My father, the actor.”

  I shake my head to convey to him my confusion, glancing up at his eyes briefly. Without my control, my tongue brushes my lips to moisten them, and I notice Zane’s face lightening up with a seductive smile.

  “Why do you say that?” I mumble each word with difficulty like a drunken person would speak.

  “His publicist jotted down his speech for him.”

  I turn my attention back to Michael, who’s still on the stage in front of the microphone while embracing Chloe and Dylan under each arm. “That’s not true.”

  “Being a father to a daughter is something unique, something extraordinary,” Michael says. “I don’t mean any disrespect to my sons. I wouldn’t change them for the world, but when I held Chloe in my arms the first time on the day of her birth, she stared at me intently, as if she knew who I was. My heart changed permanently as I realize who she was. The real owner of my heart. Her birth gave me reason to be the best person and father I can be, make the world a better place for her, and make her proud of me.”

  Zane smirks. His face looks amused and pained at the same time. “Lies, all lies. He was on a business trip the day Chloe was born. The first time he saw her was when she was already five months old. Not just that, during her first year, he visited her only three times, and maybe half an hour at each visit. He didn’t care about us in the least when we were kids. He doesn’t care about us now, either.”

  I’m having difficulty picturing Michael as a heartless father. He’s sweet and thoughtful to say the least. “How can you say that about your father?”

  “Because, I know him. He’s not the person you think he is. He’s mastered his role as a caring gentleman after years of practicing. Don’t fall for his games. Nobody with a loving heart and good intentions can even dream about the power and money he owns. These’re all his games, and we’re all his puppets. Chloe, you, me. Even the governor can’t pass laws if my father is against them, because he’s threatened to close down his business in California and move to another state, leaving thousands of people unemployed.”

  I analyze Zane’s cold expression and his intent eyes for a clue to his lie, or at least a motivation behind his smear campaign. “If he’s such a bad person as you make him out to be, then why are you working for him? Why don’t you run from him as far away as you can?”

  “As if it’s slightly possible. He won’t let me be free. I’m the equivalent of a slave to him. When I finished college and told him I wanted to found my own company, do my own business, he told me he’d use everything in his power for me to fail and end up on the streets if I don’t follow his steps and do as he orders. You might be under contract with him for a year; I’m signed up for a lifetime.”

  “I’d like to form my own opinion about people,” I finally say, hoping this weird conversation will end. Now I really want his girlfriend to come and rescue me from him.

  He arches an eyebrow, sizing me up and down with a critical expression playing in his eyes and nods. “Sure, but be very careful. Make sure to not do anything beyond what’s written on your contract, because once he sees you cave in to one thing, he won’t stop demanding more.”

  What is he talking about now? What can Michael demand from me beyond the contract? It’s not like he’ll serve me to his business partners for their sexual pleasures. He might have lots of money, but not that kind of power to break the laws at his will. “I’ll keep that in mind,” I snap and turn ahead to continue watching Michael.

  He’s talking about a humorous memory of him together with Chloe when she was six, and both Chloe and Dylan are laughing at his words. That memory can’t be a lie. Chloe’s laughter can’t be fake. Or? I thought I was good at catching when a person lies, but I might have to reconsider my ability.

  Edric appears and bows down between me and Zane to whisper something into his ear. I can make out only the: “You’re expected on the stage,” part and look up at Zane as he stands, pushing his chair back.

  He reaches for my shoulder and not s
o gently squeezes it before saying, “work is waiting,” to my ear. I watch him idly as he slowly walks away and makes it to the stage, next to his father, his sister, his soon-to-be in-law and … Mr. Ice.

  Wait! What’s Mr. Ice doing on the stage?

  He doesn’t have any place there with Michael’s family unless he’s a bodyguard or some sort of personnel responsible for the stage equipment. Which I highly doubt, considering the millions he must be making with his brothel business.

  “Taylor, do you know the blond guy next to Michael?” I ask.

  “Don’t you know? That’s Chris Hawkins. Michael’s youngest child,” Taylor informs, and I barely tear my eyes from Mr. Ice to face Taylor.

  “Are we talking about the same guy? I thought his name was Ace Preston.”

  “Oh, yeah. Ace is his middle name. Preston is his deceased mother’s maiden name. According to the rumors, Michael disowned him when he turned eighteen. That’s why Chris changed his name to Preston. But according to the other rumors, Michael is a gay, but that can’t be true since you’re dating him. I think Ace uses his mother’s last name to honor her.”

  “Seriously?” My head swivels back and forth between Taylor and the stage, but I can’t find it in me to look up at Ace and Zane, the two brothers whose penises I got too intimate with. Nothing can take away the feeling of dirtiness taking me over right now, for sleeping with two men who came out of the same womb. It’s wrong on so many levels, I can’t even wrap my head around how I couldn’t see it.

  Watching them on the stage while they’re patting each other’s shoulders, laughing together, and exchanging words of brotherly love in front of hundreds of people makes my stomach revolt with disgust for letting them play with me like a fool. What kind of sick game have they pulled me into?

  Especially Ace.

  He knew his brother was the escort I’d spend my Saturday afternoon with, yet still, he didn’t refrain from massaging and fingering my privates. Now I’m sure it was all Ace’s idea to use coconut oil on me. As Zane’s brother, he must have known about his allergies and still smeared it all over my vagina. Deliberately lying to me about the oil being Zane’s choice.

  I have no idea why he’d do such a horrible thing to his own brother. For all I know, they’re a bunch of spoiled brats, getting a kick out of dirty tricks, the more dangerous the better.

  Ace nearly came to killing his brother, yet now he looks at him with love and respect, as if Zane is his best friend, his idol, his everything. The same goes for Zane and every other member of the family. Zane was right. They’re brilliant actors, the kind you can only see among Oscar award winners.

  I feel my stomach rolling over with disgust. Perhaps lying is a common practice, even expected in this world of money and power. Phony bodies can host phony souls only. No one would want to see a family fighting with each other. Even if it’s just pretending, a happy-looking group of people must be what’s required among these people. Perhaps that’s the only thing they’re capable of perceiving. Hatred is ugly, especially against a family member, and god forbid if the precious eyes of these wealthy and powerful mass get exposed to the ugliness of the world.

  What am I doing here? I have no place among them, yet, as if being part of their wicked show isn’t enough, I’m pulling Taylor with me into their repulsive lives.

  I want to jump up from my chair and run as fast as I can, but I shift and straighten my dress slowly, before getting on my feet.

  “Where are you going?” Taylor asks, eyeing me curiously.

  “I don’t feel good,” which is true. “I think I’ll go home.”

  “What do you have?” She stands with me.

  “I don’t know. My stomach feels weird.”

  “Oh, okay. I’ll go with you.”

  I don’t decline her offer, because the faster she’s out of here with me, the less she’ll be exposed to the poisonous air these children of evil breathe out. Adam joins us too, and we pass among tables under the curious eyes of the guests and head to the door.

  Before we can reach the door, though, Edric shows up, grabbing my elbow. “Hey, girl. Where are you going?” he asks with a hint of worry in his voice.

  “Home. I’m not feeling good.”

  “What is it? If it’s headache or stomachache, I have boxes of painkillers in the car.”

  I sigh, trying to think of a credible yet honest way to convince Edric that I won’t be able to stay for the rest of the party, but such a way is impossible to find unless I tell him the truth. “I’ll be right back,” I say to Taylor and Adam and walk to an isolated corner with Edric.

  Edric glances around, his eyebrows pulled together, and then turns to me. “You’re making me worried. Is it Zane? I saw you two chatting. What’d he say?”

  “What didn’t he say?” I face him with frustration, biting my lower lip with anger.

  “Will you finally tell me what’s going on?”

  “Lots of things, but it all boils down to what a liar Michael is, that he’s just a show, doesn’t actually care about Chloe or his other kids.”

  Edric’s expression softens visibly as he glances at me. “You should take Zane’s words about his father with grain of salt, because he’s mad at him for not retiring this year and leaving the control of all his companies to Zane as he’d promised. Michael might be a workaholic, but he loves his children just like any other father and would do anything to protect them and give them the lives that only a few can afford. He came from poverty. Because of that, I guess, he fears he or his family will go back to those difficult days in his past. He sleeps only four hours daily. The rest of the time is dedicated to work so his family is well off. I’ve worked for Michael for fifteen years, and if I’d come across any misbehavior or unethical conduct from his side, I’d resign without blinking an eye. He’s just a driven man with fantastic instincts about money and investment. Nothing else.”

  “I don’t know.” I shrug my irritation away. “You might be right. I haven’t observed anything unusual or malicious from Michael. He has been nothing but sweet and supportive since the day I met him.”

  On the other hand, Zane took advantage of me sexually the minute he figured out I was a client at Pleasure Extraordinaire. He’s the real poison here, not Michael. And if it’s true that he was planning to take over Michael’s companies, he must be mightily pissed off for having to wait longer to hold the reins of one of the most profitable enterprises of the nation. I shouldn’t let people get into me so easily, especially people with ulterior motives, like Zane. I’ll be better off keeping my contact with him and his brother to a bare minimum if I want to stay sane.

  “Exactly. Michael is an old soul,” Edric continues. “He has seen the world at its worst. However, Zane grew up having everything he could think of and not having to worry about a damn thing in his life. He can be very manipulative when he doesn’t get what he wants. Just be very careful around him, don’t let him fill your mind with lies, and you’ll be fine.”

  “Thanks, Edric. I was feeling really down. I guess I’ll have to improve my people skills to weed out liars.”

  “It’s not an easy task, but you’ll get there eventually.”

  Even though talking with Edric calms my agitated nerves, I still don’t want to stay at the party for the rest of the evening. But I guess, in the eyes of other guests, if I disappear before the party officially starts, that won’t look good for me as Michael’s date, and I did promise him I’ll be his date for tonight.

  When I try and explain to Taylor that I changed my mind about leaving, she looks up at Adam, and just like that, they walk back to our table with me. It feels good to have people who won’t complain about my ups and downs.

  A few minutes after we settle back into our chairs, the servers begin bustling around to serve our plates and drinks. The sight of the exquisite food makes me feel glad to have changed my mind about staying.

  Michael remains at the table with his children and Dylan’s parents, while an elderly couple
accompanies us at our table. I nearly come to crying when I see Taylor’s face beam with hope as the lady with bright white hair talks about her fair share of miscarriages before bringing five healthy kids into the world.

  After the dessert, Michael spends a few minutes at our table, discussing some work-related things about the construction project with Taylor and Adam, proving Edric correct about his workaholic attitude for talking about work during a party dedicated to his daughter. Then he takes me for a couple of rounds of dancing.

  I let myself relax in his arms as we swirl on the dance floor, marveling at his energy and enthusiasm. I wonder about his lover, whether he’s here among the guests, perhaps eyeing us with jealousy and resentment for not being able to dance with the man he loves and instead watching him in the arms of another person. Despite my curiosity, I don’t ask Michael about his lover, not wanting to deepen his wounds. It’s his night as a father; he should enjoy it to the full and not be reminded of what he’s missing in his life.

  I catch both Zane and Ace glaring at us more than a couple of times, but ignore their glowers. They’re nothing but two lost souls, taking extra pleasure from using people for their satisfaction without caring about if they hurt them in the process or not.

  I figure the best way to take revenge on egotistical brats is to behave as if they don’t exist and that their presence is no more significant than that of nonliving things. So, I just do exactly that. Whenever my eyes get caught with Zane’s, I laugh loudly at something Michael says and turn my gaze back to Michael, brushing off my thrumming heartbeats. If I accidentally encounter Ace’s death glint on me, I make it my purpose to not spend more than a few seconds before I land my eyes on something more interesting, say the empty glasses on a table or even the creamy texture of the walls, making sure to not display any emotion on my face.