Harley's Choice (15 page)

I also heard rumors starting ‘I knew that
was Kit Carson.’ ‘Has he been here the whole time?’ ‘I heard he’s
gay.’ That one made me smile, but his frown was too deep.

I frowned too meaning this is going to be a
nightmare for him…all because of a damn promise!

I focused back on Carson’s pale face, he
actually looked sick. Kyle put his hand on his shoulder and pushed
him along and grabbed me by the other and led us both into the
lobby and to the elevators. This time we got lucky the elevator had
just got to the lobby and Kyle pushed us all inside and it closed
just as the willow woman came around the corner.

“Um, so who was that?”

“Wow you really don’t follow along with pop
culture do you?”

“No not really.” I tapped my squishy shoe,
it didn’t have the desired effect, but it got the point across.

“That was Cassidy, the woman from the story
we told you.”

“The one who wanted him to go along with
what the media said.”

“The one and the same.”

“So why is he so quiet?” we both looked to
Carson.

“If she knows he’s here that means the media
knows.”

“Oh, but how did they find him?”

“Probably through me, I mean I haven’t been
hiding myself…” Kyle reflected.

Daddy doesn’t like us getting involved with
the media, but I wasn’t going to ditch them on their time of need.
I needed a minute to think, but the ding told me we were on our
floor, the three of us squished down the hallway and I found the
entire scenario quite funny. I couldn’t keep from giggling, which
started them laughing. We stood facing my door and I pulled a semi
wet key from my pocket and slid it into the slot.

Red light.

I blew on it and tried it again

Red Light.

“Here try his.” Kyle handed me Carson’s card
and I walked to his door. I heard the elevator ding and stuck the
key card in…

Green Light.

I pushed open the door and we all rushed in
and leaned against the door. It was a tight fit but I managed to
get myself turned to be able to look out the peep hole, just as I
thought it was Cassidy clicking her way down the hall. “Mandrake!
The water.” I whispered.

We all looked down to our feet and at the
puddle that formed under us. I watched through the hole as she
paused at my door and then heard the knock echo through my room. I
stripped as I ran through the rooms and grabbed a towel “Yes?” I
said as I cracked the door.

“Yes, I’m looking for Kit Carson?”

“KIT CARSON?!? He’s here? Oh do you think I
could get him to autograph something for me, I love his movies.
Especially that one scene, you know the one right? Oh he’s yummy. I
heard he left Hollywood, so you must be mistaken. I mean how do you
know he’s here?”

Her eyes narrowed “I got a call from a
friend who said that she’d seen Kyle Mallory here-”

“Kyle Mallory! Oh now would that be a sexy
sandwich. I love his books, I happen to have one-”

“Shut up! God do you always ramble?” she
snarled at me, ok she’s on my list, “anyways I heard that Kyle
Mallory was spotted in town and where he goes Kit’s often nearby
and then I saw him at the pool and I think the elevator stopped
here.”

“Well I just love his movies, if I see
him-”

Her eyes narrowed again. “Listen you little
hussy he’s mine! We’ve been together for five years.” So she
thinks.

“Oh, so there is no way I’m going to get his
stubble burn between my thighs huh?” Her eyes widened and she
huffed out a breath.

I watched as her eyes darted down and to the
left, a sure sign the next words out of her mouth were going to be
a lie. She didn’t disappoint me. “Look bitch he is my husband we
secretly got married four years ago and have been living quietly
and then I wake up two days ago with the best news any husband
wants and I came straight here to let him in on the news.”

“Oh and what’s the news?” I widened my eyes
and played innocent.

“How do I know you’re not going to go with
the media with this?”

“How do you know I’m not media?”

She scanned my body and face and apparently
found me of no threat, nodded. “Sweetie you don’t have the anatomy
it takes to be in the media” she made a vulgar sign below her
pelvis area. I looked wide eyed like I had no idea what she was
talking about she laughed and answered my original question. “I
came to tell my husband that I’m pregnant. We’ve been trying, a
lot, if you know what I mean.” She winked at me.

“Oh, well congrats, if I see him I’ll let
him know you’re looking for him”

“You really are clueless, but keep your
virgin hands off my man or I shall destroy you.” She stopped off
down the hall knocking on doors as she went then switched to the
other side and when she came to the door across from mine I
said.

“You know floors five and six are reserved
for the school reunion right?” apparently she didn’t. “Oh yeah,
everyone but me should be down at the classes, I was just getting
ready to go down to mine in fact.” She huffed again, flipped her
blonde hair and stomped of in five inch Prada heels. I shut the
door and turned and dropped my towel to get dressed and there they
were standing in the doorway. Looking at me like lunch and both
still gorgeous in sticking shirts. “Oh no you don’t I want to make
at least one class today and you guys are soaked. Kyle get your ass
into my shower and Carson get into yours I’ll be back in an
hour.”

I wrapped myself into my red dress but this
time wrapped it as a skirt and threw on a dry bra and panties and
added a tank top. I ran a brush through my hair which had taken to
rolling into the ringlets and then braided it into a loose braid
and squeezed it out again into a towel and grabbed my sandals and
my bag, which Kyle had grabbed after they got out of the pool, took
a glance in the mirror and cringed. I looked like a leopard. I
grabbed a sweater and headed out the door.

I rushed into the kitchen just as class
kicked off. “Oh well thank you for joining us.”

“Sorry I got held up.”

“Yes well you are still late, please take
that empty table. There is still one other person missing but we
shall start without them. Welcome I am Martin I own La Table and I
am your teacher today.” He said it like we should be kissing his –
oh never mind here comes Rebecca to do it.

We were just going over the ingredient list
when the kitchen doors flung open and Carson came in sans glasses.
Shaved, wearing a tight tee and loose jeans. His signature looks
from his Hollywood days. That was one reason I like his movies he
had such a laid back way to him and a barely contained chest. Hey
I’m female and shallow enough. He had also taken a trimmer to his
hair and I was sad to say shaved his hair off and was now military
short. Right now he looked just like he did in his last movie, just
before he disappeared. The flashing lights behind him told me that
he was indeed playing his part and that the media had found
him.

I wanted to cry.

“Sorry I’m so late, do forgive me, but I had
to swim the current of media to get here.”

“Kit Carson!” This was from the chef. “Kit
Carson, what a pleasure to meet you. I am Martin I would love for
you to come into my restaurant; the meal would be on me.”

“Oh now that’s right nice of you. But
shouldn’t we be worrying about this class first?”

Martin seemed to just remember he was
standing in front of ‘eager young learners’. “Ah, yes, why don’t
you go take that station there next to the brunette and we shall
begin again.”

Carson turned and walked back toward me
smiling and shaking hands as he went. His eyes told me to play the
part. My eyes, I hope, said I’m going to devour you alive. He came
to stand next to me. “Hello.”

“Hiya” I made myself sound breathless.

“Kit Carson.” He held his hand out to
me.

I took it and said “Kit Carson…” wide eye
doe…what is it about this character that makes me want to gag?

He chuckled but shook my hand. “I am Kit
Carson and you are?”

“Going to puke,” I mumble to myself. “I-I’m
Harley and a huge fan.”

“Good to know. Should we, um?” He nodded
toward the front and I let go of his hand and quickly blushed.

“Today we are making La table éclairs. You
have in front of you the list of ingredients and between you and
your partner you will be making them. Please make sure you get all
of the ingredients but the butter, the butter must be cold.”

Carson and I looked at the list and when
everyone was focused on their list of ingredients he whispered to
me “A bit overdone don’t you think?”

“Oh says the man who has changed
personalities faster than Eve White to Eve Black?” he smirked. “Oh
don’t smirk at me mister.” I turned to get the ingredients and came
back with a bowl full of stuff. “Now let’s cook. I’m dying to try
these bad boys out” Unfortunately we had to wait for the rest of
the class to get their ingredients and back to their table. “Hey
mister movie-star why don’t you go see if you can get the
instructions so we can get going on it.”

He smiled at me and walked up to the front
and Rebecca took this moment to come over. “Harley you have got to
introduce me to him please.”

“Um, I hardly know him, how am I to make
that introduction. Why don’t you just introduce yourself?” I nodded
behind her. She spun and became absolutely statuesque. She didn’t
move, didn’t speak, I don’t even think she was breathing. Carson’s
eye met mine and I shrugged to the question in them. I sighed. “Kit
Carson can I introduce you to Rebecca Stanley, oh sorry Rebecca
Morrison.” I saw her shoulders flinch to the mention of her married
name.

“Nice to meet you,” Carson said as one
would, but Rebecca just giggled incoherently and scampered back to
her station. Carson came and stood by me “What the hell was that
about?” He whispered. I simply shook my head and held my hand for
the instructions. “How do you know I got it?”

“Please…now just give it to me and I’ll save
you one to eat off me later.” As was my plan he was stunned stupid
and I grabbed the instructions from behind his back and set it
down. “So what did you promise him in return for this?”

“I have to go to dinner at his restaurant
tomorrow night.” I laughed and began making the filing. Twenty
minutes later we were placing the filling into the fridge to chill
and starting on the pastry.

“This would go so much better if I had
music.” I had the oven preheating and the baking sheet ready. I was
watching the water boil when music drifted to my ears. I looked up
at the ceiling and didn’t notice speakers, but then the voice
sounded familiar and I turned to see Carson singing Swinging on a
Star. I laughed out loud causing heads to turn our direction. “Ok,
point taken.”

“…Or would you rather be a fish? A fish
won’t do anything, but swim in a brook...” He turned me back to the
stove and put his hands on mine to control the movements all while
he sang in my ear. By the time the pastry was done I was as hot as
the stove we were putting them in and he had serenade me two other
songs, both old crooner’s songs. I enjoyed every moment and was
apparently the hated foe of every girl, if the looks were anything
to go off of.

I filled the pastry bag and with slightly
shaky hands piped out the éclairs and brushed them with the egg
wash he had made during the chorus to ‘Let’s call the Whole Thing
Off’ and placed them in the oven then went to attack the chocolate
glaze. His hip bumped me out of the way “Oh let me do this part…I
love chocolate.” Oh boy, I shivered and felt my nipples pebble.
Apparently they were obvious because he glanced down and when he
looked back his pupils were dilated.

So what did he do, he began singing another
song. I knew, had he chosen any other genre of music I might have
been able to ignore him, but with him choosing the Rat Pack era I
was a hopeless goner. I didn’t even know he could sing until today.
“Stars shinning bright above you. Night breezes seem to whisper ‘I
Love You.’”

I felt like one of the chickens from the
cartoons when they bring in singing rooster to help lay eggs. I
swayed as he swayed and I was in his arms dancing about our little
station and felt my own eggs drop. Oh! I stopped quickly and erased
that image from my mind as he released me and went back to
dessert.

He wrapped the glaze and placed it next to
our filling then turned to me. “Well it was nice meeting you
Harley. I do hope to see you tonight at the dance?”

“You’re coming tonight?”

“Yes I was invited.”

“Oh, yeah? I shall be there.” I flushed
slightly, still thinking about the eggs.

“Good.” He took my hand and shook it gently
and then turned and left, stopping at the front briefly to talk to
Martin and then pushed out the door into the mess of cameras and
people yelling all sorts of questions and then the door closed and
all was silent and every pair of eyes in the kitchen turned to
me.

I looked down to the instruction sheet and
read over the last part ‘Bake 15 minutes then turn heat down to 375
and bake about 25 minutes more’ I glanced at my timer I still had
five minutes. So I rolled my eyes and looked up. “Yes?” I suppose
it was invitation because I was bombarded with questions and I held
my hands up and finally had to shout. “ENOUGH!” after everyone was
quiet I answered the questions. “No I have never met that man
before today. No I did not know he could sing. No I am not his
mistress. No we did not plan anything you may have witnessed. I do
believe he said something about coming to the dance tonight. Now if
you will excuse me I need to tend to my dessert.” I walked to my
oven and turned down the temp and took out my phone and texted my
brother ‘hey bro there is a prob’

‘what’s up?’