Reckless (12 page)

The cover charge for John Guy's party was exorbitant and Kelly promised to pay Tad's way if he'd go with her.

"Just think, I'll probably get horny and you'll get horny and we'll end up in bed or screwing somewhere," she explained to him over the phone.

"You know I'm beginning to think I'm being used."

"Really? Are you telling me you don't enjoy sex with me?"

"Not exactly," he said.

"Weren't you were the one that advised me not to tread into dangerous territory without you?"

"Two hundred dollars a head, Kelly, that's four hundred for the two of us in one night."

"Good, you can add," she answered sarcastically. "It's just business expenses."

"And you have to have an invitation?"

"Yes, and I got that. You know there are hundreds of people that are turned away every time he has one of these?"

"And it's just a party?" He couldn't figure this one out.

"It's an event, a twelve hour event." She sounded as if that alone should persuade him.

"I'm good babe, but I'm not sure I can get it up for twelve hours straight."

"Oh, you better not tell tales on yourself, I might just believe them."

"So where's it at?"

"An old warehouse not too far from the Blue Lady. Not too close either," she added immediately just in case that made him nervous.

"I had you in an old warehouse, and it was pretty nasty if I recall. You think four hundred dollars and twelve hours are going to top that day?"

"I think we're going to have fun. And don't tell me you don't want to go. I'll even get you something to wear."

"Don't bother I've already got it," he said. "And you did tell John I was coming?"

"I told him everything. He's not really the kind of person you want to lie to."

"And he didn't say anything when you mentioned Tad Stone?"

"No, should he?" Kelly asked.

"There was a time when I was still on the streets doing illegit stuff, I was his bouncer."

"You mean you know John Guy?"

"Like a brother, darling Kelly. I wouldn't be surprised if he gave you the invitation because I was going with you."

For a moment she was silent on her end of the phone.

"You mean to say I went through his little ritual for nothing?"

"What did he make you do? Lie over his desk so he could paddle your butt?"

"I suppose that's the protocol."

"He makes people do whatever he goddam wants them to, hon. And you fell right into it." He was almost laughing.

Kelly was pissed. But what could she do?

"Hey, I'll go with you," he finally said. "Just next time I'd like to be there when you get your butt paddled. Want me to pick you up?"

"That's fine," she replied. She figured it was best to ignore his amusement and let him have his fun. It didn't seem to matter what she did, he had a way of getting the best of her.

***

Kelly dressed in leather: bustier, skirt and collar. She let her hair go wild like it had been done when she modeled for Jerry. Long silver earrings dangled from her ears almost to her neck, and she wore a cuff on her left hand with chains attached to silver rings on two fingers. It was something that she'd picked up at Jerry's. She liked the way her hand looked with red porcelain nails, the silver and the chains.

Tad appeared at her door in leather pants, a low necked silk shirt and a long sweeping leather coat. The aura of authority he gave off was enough to frighten her.

"My god. I never knew you could look like that," she exclaimed.

"Lots you don't know about me," he replied, as he swept past her. "You about ready?"

"Yeah, I just need my cape."

"Little subdued, aren't we?" he said, observing her attire.

"Subdued?"

"No tits popping out, no bare ass. Where's your sense of adventure?"

"Don't worry, I haven't lost it. The zippers work," she said, pointing to the ones in appropriate places.

"Good," Tad replied. "Knowing John, he won't settle for you being so modest."

"Why would he pay attention to me anyway?" Kelly asked.

"Didn't I tell you. John likes to give demonstrations on novices. Before he got into these big extravaganzas, he had little parties in his penthouse. I saw him get really nasty with some young willing sluts. I'm sure he'll have a field day with you, the way you pushed your way into an invitation."

"Pushed my way?"

"The women in his life don't call him unsolicited, and they're certainly not ballsy enough to walk into his office unless they plan to kneel in front of him and serve his dick. And they never have careers. You're about as far out of his ball park as any woman I know."

"Oh, my," she said, sighing. "This is going to make for quite a night."

"Well then, let's get started."

Maybe she was imagining it, but Tad seemed to have changed. She wondered if it was the clothes or the party or just Tad being Tad; but she was sure he was displaying a more controlling attitude. She didn't mind it, but preferred the Tad she was used to.

***

They were in the convertible speeding through the streets much faster than Kelly was used to going. The feeling was exhilarating, something about the night, about Tad and leather and even John Guy and his party that was sending heart and body into a pleasant ecstasy. All without booze and drugs. Just nature and her imagination having a field day with the erotic possibilities before her.

"We're going to have to take a detour," Tad suddenly announced, just as he made a sharp right turn, the wheels squealing all the way around the corner.

"What's wrong?" she asked, as she saw him stare anxiously from the rear view mirror, back to the road, only to look behind them again. He careened down an alley at full speed, then jumped into traffic in front of a bus like he was in a movie car chase.

"You're scaring me."

"What's behind me is scaring me more," he answered her, as he made another sharp turn on to the freeway on ramp leading out of the city. He drove like maniac for a mile, trying to gain ground in front of whoever was following them, then all of a sudden, he crossed two lanes of traffic to the sound of blaring horns. He exited the freeway. Another six blocks of twisting and turning as though they were trying to make their way through a rat's maze, he finally slowed down.

"I think we've lost them," he said sighing. He parked the car in an alley, next to a smelly dumpster behind some Chinese restaurant, and hopped out of the vehicle.

"What are you doing?"

"Putting up the top. We'll be less recognizable this way," he said, "once we get back out on the street."

"We were really being followed, weren't we?" She was shaken, still trying to catch her breath.

"Yeah, and for me that's about the fifth time in two weeks. It's really beginning to piss me off."

Kelly shook, thinking of the redhead in the sex shop. It would probably be a bad time to tell him about the incident.

"You had any problems?" he asked outright.

She looked at him about to say, "No", but he could see the fear in her eyes.

"It's not the time to pull your feminist crap, Kelly. If you've been hassled, I've got to know."

"I thought I was followed a couple of days ago, and then . . ."

"And then what?"

"I ran into the redhead guy, Juno's friend that screwed me."

"What happened?"

"He sort of indicated he was the one that was sending the notes. But I wasn't admitting to anything, and I got away from him as fast as I could."

"Good, god, Kelly, you didn't call the police?"

"What for?"

"Because you and I are getting death threats, and being followed. You think these guys aren't serious? The case is over as far as the police is concerned. But obviously we're still a threat to someone."

Attaching the roof and securing it, Tad climbed back into the car and started the engine. He drove slowly this time, winding his way about a residential district for about twenty minutes until he reached a street of old brownstone houses—the kind built tight together so they almost looked attached, but weren't.

"What's this?" she asked as she watched Tad get out of the car.

"My brother's. He's out of town, you'll stay here until I can get us some protection."

"You're serious, aren't you?"

"Dammit, Kelly, it's time you were. Here I thought I was suppose to be the reckless one."

"I guess this blows our plans."

"John Guy and your book can wait," Tad stated. He hopped out of the car and hustled her inside the house. "Make yourself at home. My brother's a lot like me, so he won't care."

He was turning on lights so Kelly could see the over stuffed couch and the lush brocade and the antique lamps. The place was a haphazard mess, but it was kind of cozy by Kelly's standards. Lots of old pictures on the walls. Tad's brother was obviously a stage actor, she discovered as she moved from one picture to the next, hoping that maybe her surroundings would calm her.

"You'll be okay here, but you don't you dare leave,” Tad told her. "I'm going to find my friends at the police station. See if they can do something about this redhead guy." He looked at her sleazy leather clothes, and shook his head communicating his disappointment at their plans gone awry. "If you want something more normal to wear, I'm sure you can find a T-shirt or something in his closet. I'm going to pull the car into the back alley, and take Mitch's motorcycle. You sit tight, but if anything really funny starts to happen, get the hell out of here."

Tad left through the back door, Kelly remaining behind to figure out what was happening.

After giving Mitch Stone's living room a thorough going over, grabbing a glass of wine from an opened bottle in the fridge, and pacing restlessly about, Kelly curled up on the couch to read, but dozed off instead. She was dreaming of John Guy's party, in a strange montage of caricatures from the night at Jerry's mixing with the men that raped her. In the dream, she was tasting fruit with juices that ran down her chin and hands. There was laughter, and giggles, and her pussy being stroked, and the feel of someone at her side, not hanging on to her, but lovingly walking with her from moment to moment. If she could have turned around, she would have seen his face, but she woke instead, with a dizzying headache.

It was a quarter past eleven. She heard the sound of the cycle in the alley, followed by the backdoor clattering against the doorjam. Realizing that Tad had returned, she bolted from the couch and headed for the kitchen.

"Good god! What happened?" she shouted, seeing the blood dripping from Tad's brow and the cut on his lip.

"I may look like shit, but I'm okay," he said. He was limping, as he held a handkerchief against his forehead.

"Okay? I don't believe it. She helped him to the couch in the living room. "I thought you were going to the police."

"I did. I just thought I'd take a peek around the Blue Lady while I had time. I got jumped leaving."

"You have any idea who it was?"

"Two really big guys," Tad's eyes got big. "But it was too dark to get a good look at them. Damn, my ankle aches."

"Let me see it," Kelly said, kneeling down in front of him.

"You going to tell me you're a doctor too?" he asked.

"No. I just thought if we get it out of these boots, I could rub it, see if you need a doctor."

"I'm not going to any doctor," he stated flatly.

"Stubborn like every other man I know," Kelly said. She stared into the reporter's eyes as she pulled his boot and sock from his foot and began to massage his ankle.

He smiled. "If I'd known I would get this kind of treatment, I might have sprained my ankle a long time ago."

"How sweet of you to say so," she replied. "So what's happening with our problem? How long do we have to hibernate here?"

"The night at least. And I wouldn't go back to your apartment until we have some idea that you're safe."

"I don't like this," she said shaking her head.

"Those guys were after us, Kel, big time. They must figure that you know something about those nights. Are you sure you picked your brain for all the details?"

"I'm not sure," she admitted. "The night I was with Juno and the night I was with those two friends of his, I was drunk or stoned most of the time. It's all such a blur now."

"Keep thinking, real hard. The more you can remember, the more likely a chance we have catching these thugs." He watched her face as her mind retraced her steps that night—as much as she could remember. "Like the house. You have any idea at all where it was?"

Kelly thought again as she nursed Tad's wounded ankle. She finally shook her head. "I'm drawing a blank." Her look was sincere, another of those times where she and Tad connected with kindness and respect. It would have been something to enjoy, except that with everything else that was happening at the moment, Kelly couldn't appreciate the subtle intimacy. She was beginning to shake, the last several hours of worry finally catching up with her. There were tears forming in her eyes, though she had no idea what to do about them.

"Come here," Tad said, motioning her to a place beside him on the couch. Pulling up next to him, she could feel the kisses coming on, his arms going around her, her body mellowing into his mellow one. Body to body, with the feeling of comfort beginning to soothe her, the feisty agitation diminished. Their clothes found places on the floor, and when they were naked, they lay close because there was no other way on the small couch. Tad found the swampy warmth of her lush vagina welcomed him inside her. Clenched, their bodies moved slowly, like meandering through a park on a warm summer day. They never had conversation during sex, and this was as wordless as all the other times. But after they both climaxed, they couldn't break apart, as though they were hanging on for dear life. That was another first in their relationship. They dozed right there together, until Tad disentangled from her arms about two a.m., so he could get up to pee.

Limping to the bathroom and back Tad returned to see that Kelly was sleeping deeply. Sprawled so on the couch, he couldn't imagine fitting in beside her. Tossing an afghan over her nude body, he took the stairs to Mitch's bedroom and crashed.

Kelly woke the next morning, assuming that obviously "just physical" was still the operative circumstance of her relationship with Tad, since he made his bed elsewhere. She was disappointed, but then what did she expect from a physical relationship. Rising, she went to the kitchen to make coffee.