Naughty (17 page)

“I’m fine. It’s just some issues going on at work that’s starting to get to me.”

“Anything you want to talk about?” she asked with concern.

“Not really. I don’t want to bore you,” he said, looking down, and then began twirling his spoon in the Jell-O mixture.

They sat silent for a few minutes. Obviously Nigel was lost in thought, and Kennedy began to feel as if it were time to go. “Thanks for dinner, Nigel,” she said, and stood to leave.

“My pleasure. Do you have to leave already?”

Kennedy didn’t really want to leave, but she didn’t want to wear out her welcome either. “Yeah, it’s getting late, and I should let you get some sleep.”

He walked around the counter, took her chin in his hand, leaned down, and kissed her lips. “I’d much rather cuddle on the couch with you and sip an after-dinner drink,” he said, his romantic mood returning.

The thought of snuggling up with Nigel and drinking a nice port or cognac was enticing. Too enticing. Kennedy didn’t trust herself. “No, I think we better call it a night.”

“You’re right, because I don’t think I would be able to just stop at kissing. Let me call down for your car.” He walked her to the door and lightly kissed her again. “I’ll call you tomorrow.”

“Okay. Good night.”

On the way home, Kennedy couldn’t help but think how the mood of the evening suddenly shifted once Nigel answered the phone. Pre-call, he was the quick-witted, easygoing guy that
she had come to know, but post-call, his mood was cold and dark. Even though he tried to shift back and become romantic again, his Dr. Jekyll transformation made her wonder what could possibly be that intense at work that would make him tense up so quickly.

TYLER
’
S REP
Simon had called her a few days ago with a lead to a freelance assignment. Simon had an old friend who was looking for a discreet designer to work on a temporary basis. Tyler had done the preliminary design mock-ups, and was now ready for the interview. She took a taxi to the train, and the train into the city. After arriving in Penn Station, she took the subway uptown. She missed the convenience of the city. In Atlanta, the public transportation was horrible, and you had to drive everywhere, but in New York, it was easier and faster to hop on the train. Tyler hadn’t been uptown to Washington Heights in years, and was amazed at the transformation of the neighborhood. What were once abandoned buildings and crack-infested neighborhoods were now renovated million-dollar homes and trendy storefront shops.

She fished the address of the building out of her jacket pocket and glanced down at the paper. Tyler made a right on Broadway and walked over to Riverside Drive. Simon had told her once she got there to call the owner, so he could come down and let her in.
Since it wasn’t regular business hours, there would be no one at the door. Tyler did as instructed, and waited outside on the stoop. A few minutes later, the door opened.

“Hi there. You must be Tyler Reed?”

“Yes, that would be me.” She smiled.

“Come on in.” He stepped aside. “I’m Trey Curtis.”

Tyler walked into the foyer and was struck by the opulence of the interior. From what she could see, everything seemed to be custom-made, from the brocade wallpaper, to the crystal chandeliers, to plush area rugs. “Wow, this place is amazing!” she marveled.

“Thank you. When I envisioned the Black Door, I envisioned a club where the most well-bred socialite would feel comfortable. I spared no expense in the decorations. As far as I’m concerned, attention to detail is key.”

Being an artist, Tyler understood exactly where he was coming from. “I totally agree.”

“Come on; let me show you around.” Trey gave her the grand tour, starting on the first level and continuing upstairs. Once they reached his office and sat down, he asked to see her portfolio. “Simon told me that you are one of his best artists. He and I go way back. I totally trust his opinion.”

“Thanks. Simon said that you’re in the market for unique designs for partial face masks,” she said as he purused her work.

“Yes, I am. And I’m sure he told you that I’m also looking for someone who has discretion. This is a private club, and I need someone who I can trust.”

“Yes, he did. You don’t have any worries with me. I’m totally professional, and will not utter a word of this assignment to anyone,” she reassured him.

“Good. When the club first opened, I personally designed every single member’s mask, but ever since I opened the sister club in the meat-packing district, I just don’t have the time to design all the masks myself. Membership is increasing at a rapid
pace, and frankly I can’t keep up.” He flipped another page. “I like your work. The colors you use are so vibrant that the masks seem to jump off the page.”

Tyler blushed at the compliment. She was very meticulous about her work, and took pride in every rendering. “Thank you.”

“Since you come highly recommended, I’d love for you to assist me in designing masks for the Black Door. I’ll start you off with a list of twenty. I’ll furnish you with a personality description of the new members. To ensure each member’s anonymity, I can’t provide you with their names, only a description of what they do for a living, fantasies they may have, and any other pertinent information. I hope that would be enough for you to get an idea of what they’re like.”

“Yes. I could definitely work with that.” Tyler smiled, eager to get going.

“Good. Well, I’d like for you to design the masks based on their individual personalities. Since no two masks are alike, it should be a nice challenge.”

“I love challenges.”

“Great.” He reached across the desk and shook her hand. “Here’s my card with my number on it, in case you need to call with any questions. I’ll call Simon and hammer out the financials.”

“Sounds good.” Tyler stood up and put his business card in her jacket pocket. “Thanks, Trey. It was nice meeting you, and I look forward to working with you.”

Tyler bounced out of the club on a cloud of excitement. Things were finally starting to look up for her. She had gotten a new assignment, and soon she’d get a paycheck. She didn’t want to exhaust her savings. She wanted to add to it, so that she could eventually get a place of her own. Tyler wanted nothing more than to have her own home, and someone in it to love. She thought that she and Liz had the perfect life, but it turned out to
be nothing more than a big lie. Tyler wanted another relationship, but she was going to take her time and not rush into anything until the right person came along. Yes, things were finally going her way. Since doing Naomi the babysitting favor, she’d been a bit more hospitable. Not that her sister-in-law was breaking out the Wedgwood and Lalique for a formal dinner service, but on the other hand, she hadn’t made any more gay comments, or served Tyler her walking papers either.

By the time she got back to Long Island, her stomach was growling with hunger pains.
I need some fuel. Maybe a turkey sandwich or two will regenerate my brain cells before I start working.
Tyler opened the front door and was making her way to the kitchen when she heard Naomi talking on the phone. She stopped in the hallway and eavesdropped.

“I can’t believe you haven’t slept with Nigel yet. You guys have been going out for a while now, what are you waiting for? I fucked Jacob on the first date. We even fucked during one of his business flights. Of course that’s when he was still a Freak of the Week.”

“Ugh.” Tyler cringed at the thought of her brother having sex on an airplane. TMI—Too Much Information. Tyler wasn’t interested in hearing any more about her brother’s love life. She started walking again, but stopped short when Naomi said something that caught her attention.

“Now that you’re dating, Ms. Thang, don’t forget about the book club. If you drop out, there’d be no one left but me. And as much as I enjoy my own company, it would be difficult to have a book club discussion all by my lonesome. Did you finish reading
A Few Dollars and a Dream
? . . . Good. Have you found any recruits yet? . . . Me neither, but I’m still looking.”

Bingo! Here’s my chance to befriend Naomi, so that she can see that just because I date women, I’m not a bad person. I may be gay, but I’m as normal as they come,
Tyler thought. “I’m joining the book club. I’m joining the book club,” she sang silently, clapping
her hands quietly. Loaded with this information, Tyler turned around and jetted back out the door. She had no idea where the closest bookstore was located, but chances were good that there was a Barnes and Noble at the local mall. She took their extra car and drove to the mall, and sure enough, the B&N logo was on the directory.

“Excuse me,” Tyler said to the information clerk, once inside the store, “do you have a copy of
A Few Dollars and a Dream
?”

“Who’s the author?” she asked.

“I don’t know. I just know the name of the book.” Suddenly her heart began to race.
What if I can’t find the book? Then what?

“No problem, I’ll search by title,” said the clerk, putting Tyler’s unfounded fears to rest. After typing in the title, the clerk scanned the computer screen and said, “We have one copy left. It should be in the back under New Fiction, listed by the author’s last name, which is Birkenson. A. B. Birkenson.”

“Thank you,” Tyler said, dashing to the rear of the store. Scanning the alphabetized row of books, she found
A Few Dollars
on the second shelf. It must have been her lucky day, because just as the clerk said, there was only one copy left. Tyler grabbed the novel and took it to the checkout counter. She thought about going home to plow through the pages, but didn’t want to get caught cracking open a new book. If Naomi knew she had rushed out and bought this book, she would no doubt become suspicious and wonder why Tyler was suddenly interested in reading their book club selection. Tyler paid for the book and found a cozy corner seat at the in-house coffee shop. A few hours and a few cappuccinos later, she was two chapters shy of finishing, but ready to discuss the plot nonetheless. Tyler removed the cover and slightly crinkled it, then dog-eared a few pages, giving the novel that well-read look. Getting rid of the incriminating evidence, she tossed the receipt and shopping bag into the trash, tucked the book under her arm, and headed home.

The house was quiet when Tyler returned.
Naomi probably
went to get Noah from preschool.
Tyler looked around the kitchen for an inconspicuous place to leave the book. It would be too obvious if she left it on the counter in clear view.
The solarium. That’s it, I’ll leave the book in the solarium.
Naomi relaxed in there most nights before going to bed.
Naw.
She changed her mind.
That’s still too obvious.
Tyler leaned against the counter trying to think of the perfect place, when the caffeine that she consumed earlier began to stimulate her bladder. She tore off her jacket, threw it on the back of a chair, and rushed into the powder room adjacent to the kitchen, and the idea hit her.
I’ll leave the book in here.
She glanced around the small space.
Perfect. Who doesn’t read in the bathroom?
No sooner had she put the book on the windowsill and walked back into the kitchen than Naomi and Noah came through the back door.

“Auntie Tyler, Auntie Tyler,” Noah cried, running and leaping into her arms.

“Hey, Noah.” She kissed him on his chubby cheek. “How’s my favorite little nephew?”

“I’m okay.” He grinned. “Auntie Tyler, when you gonna let me use those markers and color in your room again?”

“Anytime you want, sweetie. Just let me know.”

He scrambled out of her arms and jumped down. “Can we color now? Can we color now,” he begged, tugging Tyler by the hand.

“Not now, Noah,” Naomi interrupted. “It’s snack time. Come on. Let me wash your hands,” she said, taking him into the powder room.

Tyler couldn’t help but marvel at her timing. Had Naomi come in a few seconds earlier, she would’ve missed this opportunity. And sure enough, as if on cue, Naomi came out of the bathroom with the book in hand.

“Is this yours?” she asked, holding up the novel.

“Yeah, I’ve been looking all over the house for it,” Tyler said, reaching for the book. “I’m almost finished.”

“What a coincidence.” Naomi had a surprised look on her face.

“What?” Tyler asked, playing the dumb role.

“I can’t believe you’re reading this book,” Naomi said, turning the novel over and looking at the cover before handing it back.

“Why is it a coincidence?” Tyler asked, egging her on.

“Because my book club is reading the same novel. A. B. Birkenson is a new author and I didn’t think this was a popular book. I mean, it hasn’t been widely advertised. How did you find out about
A Few Dollars
?” she asked curiously.

“I didn’t know you were in a book club,” Tyler said, ignoring Naomi’s question and getting straight to the point. “I would love to be involved in a book club. Are you guys accepting new members?”

“Mommy, can I have some milk and cookies,” Noah begged.

Naomi was grateful for the interruption. It gave her a few minutes to think of an answer as to why Tyler couldn’t join their club. “Sure, honey. Sit at the table, and I’ll get them for you.” She walked over and opened the refrigerator, hoping that Tyler would drop the subject.

“So, are you accepting any new members?” she asked again.

“Uh, uh,” Naomi stammered, avoiding eye contact, she still hadn’t thought of a viable answer. “I’ll have to check with Kennedy,” she said, finding the perfect excuse.

What a crock of shit. Naomi just told Kennedy they need new members. What a liar. If she thinks she’s getting off that easy, she doesn’t know how persistent I can be
. Tyler rubbed the cover of the book, then said, “Tell you what, I’ll come to your next meeting. I mean, why not? I’m almost finished with the book and would love to discuss the story.” Tyler was talking so fast that she was almost panting.

“Uh, okay. I guess Kennedy won’t mind.”