Stereo (39 page)

“It might have been a farce at first but now it’s all I have left to keep me afloat.  Those college loans aren’t going to pay themselves and it’s a lot harder to apply for jobs if there’s no electricity to keep my laptop going.  Turns out it’s really easy to make a lot of money as long as you’re willing to take most of your clothes off and strut around like you own the place.  Why the hell didn’t they teach us
that
at UCLA? God only knows…”  Shaun held up her wine glass. “Here’s to Victoria’s Secret.  Thanks for the garter and thanks for the memories.”

The sound of her voice pulled him in as if she had a noose around his neck and, before he knew it, he was leaning on the railing next to her.  He kept his distance but still faced her full on. “This isn’t you.”

“No maybe it isn’t.  But it’s all I’ve got.”

She looked off into the distance and he took that moment to let his eyes travel her face.  She was heavily made up, hair falling like a straight black waterfall across her face and down to her ass.  That dress hugged every inch of a perfect body.  She was thinner. Even the way she carried herself was different.  She was different, but strangely, still exactly the same.  The overwhelming need to shelter her from the darkness he knew hid beneath the surface of the business she was sinking further and further into was still raging around in his belly, stronger than ever.  The resentment was still there, too.  He could feel it teetering right on the edge of his tongue just looking at her.  He shouldn’t care about her, at all.  The thought of her crashing and burning should have brought him solace and delight, but it didn’t.  It scared him.

Shaun took another sip of her wine, and then motioned to him. “You’re not drinking?”

“I stopped.”

“Stopped what?”

“I stopped drinking, Shaun.”

“Why?”

“Because when I drink I do stupid things.”  His eyes fell to her lips.  “I say stupid things.”

Shaun raised her eyebrows while turning away.  “Well, looks like you and I have swapped places,” she said, before she finished off the glass.

Adam watched her swallow without as much as a wince.  I was somewhat disturbing to see.  Two months ago she would have gagged the moment any alcohol touched her throat.  Now she could drink with the best of them.  While it was disturbing, he’d be lying if he said it didn’t turn him on just a little. 

“Yeah looks like we have.”  His gaze traveled her body, watching as an almost indiscernible shiver rolled across her long limbs.  “Cold?”  He smirked.

Shaun wondered why he was even talking to her. 
Didn’t you say you never wanted to see me again?
She was enjoying his company far too much, however, to ask such a stupid question.  Even if his anger was permeating off of him she still preferred having him near her in anger than not having him near her at all.  So she bit her tongue.

“I’m okay.”  Shaun tried to fight the next shiver to no avail.  It was freezing.  “I was a little shocked to watch someone do a line of coke right in front of me back there.  I just needed a breather.”  She chuckled.

“Hm.”  Adam didn’t respond and quietly joined her in appreciating the beautiful view before them.

“You don’t have to worry about me,” she said.

“I’m not. It really doesn’t matter to me.”

“Okay, well…”  Shaun was struck by his words but did her best to keep a strong face. “Well good.”  She had to roll her eyes at herself.  Was that the best she had?

“I just thought I’d let you know what a snake you’re in bed with.  Doing a line in your presence is just the beginning. I know Maxim, I’ve known him for a long time. I wouldn’t wish him on anyone, not even my worst enemy.”

“So I’m your worst enemy now?”

“To say you’re my enemy would imply that you mean anything to me at all.”

Shaun winced.  “Touché. And just for the record, I’m not in bed with Max.”

“I didn’t ask.”

“Right.  Because that would imply I mean something to you.”

Adam looked off and shrugged.

“And that would be crazy,” she whispered.

His eyes narrowed.  “Yeah, it would.”

Her eyes searched his before finally filling with tears.  She looked away before making an even bigger fool of herself.  “Fine.”

Adam stepped away. “Have a nice night,” he said absently, before turning away from her and heading back into the party.

Shaun leaned against the railing of the balcony, unable to watch him go.

Sixteen

An hour into the party Adam was ready to go, but his bandmates were having the time of their lives, in no hurry to leave, and they were his ride.  Adam knew good and well that if he really wanted to go he could easily hop in a cab and be gone, but he couldn’t make himself leave.

The scene out on the balcony had been haunting him since the moment he stepped back into the party.  He had yet to see Shaun come back in from outside and it was freezing out there.  He’d been extremely harsh with her, firing the kind of shots that he wouldn’t even fire at his bandmates, but he hadn’t been able to help himself.  Shaun had hurt him deeply and when he looked at her and felt both rage
and a
doration all at once he quickly became angry at himself
and
her.  Never in his life had a human being taken such a chokehold on Adam’s emotions the way this woman had.  Her mere presence took control of his body and made him do or say things that he never would.

After a few more minutes of dealing with the drunks he was surrounded with, he’d finally had enough and made his way back to the balcony to find Shaun.  Even if it was the last conversation they ever had with each other, he didn’t want it to end like that.

When he made it to the doors of the balcony he stopped cold when he saw a couple making out, but no sight of Shaun.  He turned back to the raging party and gave it a quick once over.  She was nowhere to be found.  His heart began to pound a little more wildly.

“Where the hell is she?”  He looked across the room where the bathroom was, saw people coming in and out, but no Shaun. Growing desperate, he pulled his phone out and dialed her number.  Straight to voicemail.  Either her phone was off or it was dead.

As Adam continued scanning the party his eyes landed on Maxim standing at the bar speaking quietly to the bartender, sans-Shaun. Unaware he was being watched, Maxim slipped the bartender a wad of money that was a little more than your everyday tip.  The two men shared a look before the bartender went on his way.  Adam knew what this little exchange meant.  It wasn’t about drinks, it was about drugs.  Beautiful, unsuspecting women flanked to that bar in droves.  The smart ones took their drink and went, never letting it leave their sight.  The naïve ones would turn away from their drink on more than one occasion; maybe even forget about its existence entirely until the ‘friendly’ bartender reminded them that it was there.  By then it would be too late.  The damage would be done.

Adam hadn’t seen Shaun come back in but was sure that she’d eventually found her way to that very bar for a refill of the red wine that she’d smashed during their heated discussion.  Now that she was nowhere to be seen he was
fiercely
regretting how he’d treated her out there.  At that point he was sure that he’d do anything to take it back.

Without another thought Adam crossed the room and followed Maxim into the long hallway that led to the only bedroom in the suite. 

“Hey,” Adam shouted, coming up behind Maxim just as he opened the door to the room.

“Yo Adam!”  Maxim was caught off guard when Adam swept right passed him and looked into the bedroom.  It was empty.  “Where’s the fire?” Maxim asked when he and Adam came eye to eye.

Adam had lost any and all patience.  “Where’s Shaun?”

Maxim smirked a knowing smirk and licked his lips slowly while holding his hands up in dramatic surrender.  “I have no idea, Officer.”

Adam looked off with a tight smile and took a step closer.  “I’m gonna ask you one more time, Max.  Where’s Shaun?”

“Look, I said I don’t know where she is, all right?  Can I get some space please?”

Adam could feel his blood going into a boil.  He was now desperate just to see her face or even hear her voice.  Just to know she was okay.  “Didn’t she come here with you tonight?”

Maxim laughed as if the two of them were old friends sharing a joke. “Look man, she’s a grown ass woman--is she not? I’m not her keeper.”

“Hm…”  Adam calmly looked off while nodding his head.  Only a moment passed between the two before his entire face transformed into one of pure, naked fury.  His hand flew up and clenched Maxim’s thick neck before slamming him back against the wall.

Maxim’s eyes grew in shock as the air was stolen from him, surprised both by Adam’s strength and his momentum.

“Don’t fuck with me about this, Max. Don’t
fuck
with me.” Adam’s eyes went almost primal.  “Did you spike her fucking drink?  Huh?  Did you set her up?” Adam’s grip tightened and he slammed Max’s head back against the wall, much harder this time.  “Where the fuck is Shaun?  WHERE IS SHE?!”

Seemingly out of nowhere Yoshi and Noodle came up behind Adam in the hallway and made quiet eye contact with Maxim from over Adam’s shoulder.

Maxim looked back and forth between the three and tried to swallow, but couldn’t.  “She left five minutes ago.  That’s all I know.”

Adam let him enjoy the sensation of not breathing for a little longer before forcefully releasing him.  “Yeah I’m sure that’s all you know.  You make me sick, dude.”  Adam felt Yoshi gently taking both of his arms from behind.  “If anything happens to her I swear to god I’ll fucking kill you.”

“All right,” Yoshi intervened, pushing Adam towards the door.  Adam held eye contact with Maxim, wishing he could reach up and knock the smirk right off of his face.  Noodle followed behind, throwing Maxim a few of his own venomous looks before following Yoshi and Adam out the door.

--

“She’s been stuck to his side the entire night and all of a sudden she disappears and he has ‘no idea’ where she is? The
fuck
he doesn’t.”  Adam threw a frustrated hand in the air as he, Yoshi and Noodle stepped off of the elevator and into the lobby of the hotel.  All three of them knew Maxim.  Way back in the day they fucked with him, back when they were young and dumb.  They were keenly aware of what kind of man he was, which was why Noodle and Yoshi had yet to try to talk Adam down.

“We’ll find her,” Noodle said, pointing behind him.  “I’ll check the bar.”

“I’ll check outside,” Yoshi said.

Adam ran his hands through his hair as they all split up and made his way to the front desk of the hotel.  A young man behind the desk greeted him with a smile.

“Good evening, Mr. Brand, how can I help you?”

Adam tried to smile politely, but couldn’t.  “Did you see a tall, skinny black girl walking around down here a few minutes ago?”  Adam prayed that Shaun had gotten into a cab and left the building.  At least then he could be sure she was okay.  What worried him was the idea of her still being in that hotel somewhere.  In a different room.  With people she didn’t know.  “She was wearing a red dress—“

“Shaun Green?”

Sometimes Adam forgot that Shaun had quickly become a well-known name herself.  “Yes!”

“She did leave the hotel.  Just a few minutes ago.”

Adam breathed a sigh of relief.  “You saw her leave?”

“I did.”

“Was she with anyone?”

“She was alone.” The young man frowned. “But she did seem a bit… Inebriated?  We offered to call her a cab but she refused.”

Adam had heard enough. Just as he was turning to run outside Yoshi called his name from the front door and waved him over.

Adam broke into a run.

He followed Yoshi out of the hotel and around the corner to an alleyway.

There she was.  Adam wasn’t sure whether to laugh or cry, but as he saw her leaning against the brick wall of the alley, struggling to stand, he couldn’t think of anything but getting to her.   He raced to her side and caught her around the waist just as her knees buckled from under her.  She’d passed out in his arms.

“Shaun…”  He sank down to the oily pavement with her, cradling her body to his.  Her bottom hit the ground with a gentle thump.  “Babe.”  He stayed kneeling next to her with his head buried in her curls, holding her body as close to his as he could.  He could feel her heartbeat and smell the red wine with each breath she took. 

“God damn it babe,” he whispered, jamming his eyes shut.  After several moments he looked up at Yoshi, whose face was stricken with concern for Shaun as well.

“Dude should we take her to the hospital or what?”

“No.” Adam thought about what she’d said to him, how modeling was the only thing she had left, even if she didn’t love it.  No one could know that she was passed out drunk in an alley.  It would destroy her image. “No, she’s fine.  Can you just pull the car around?  I don’t want anyone to see her like this.”

“I parked valet.  You know they’re slow as fuck here.”