Chapter 17
APRIL
It’s probably time that I stop pretending I’m some young, innocent girl swept up by the ball of charisma that is Eddie Sykes.
I was a thirty-year-old woman, and I’d had the opportunity to stop his advances. Not once, but twice at the coffee shop.
I could also have chosen not to come to the hotel room I was standing outside of. But I hadn’t. I was here, so whatever happened from this point forward was just as much on me as it was on Eddie.
We were at Hotel Pico, no one’s idea of a good time, but it did feel like the type of hotel that could be discreet.
I knocked on the hotel room, knowing my life was about to change. To what extent, I still couldn’t be sure.
Eddie opened it and had a curious expression. Was he surprised? Excited? Disappointed? Angry? I couldn’t tell, but it wasn’t the expression I’d expected.
He was wearing some tan chino shirts, a white Henley, and a dark hat. His tan, muscular legs were hard to ignore.
“Hello, April. I’m glad you decided to come. Would you like a drink?”
“I’m not here for small talk. I want to know one thing, and if you don’t answer it honestly, then I’m walking out the door, and you’ll never see me again.”
“What is it you’d like to know?”
“You alluded to a Hall Pass at my coffee shop. And also mentioned handcuffs. How did you know I said that?”
“I was just fishing. You really like to use handcuffs?”
He was smiling indignantly. Hadn’t he heard my ultimatum?
“That’s it. I’m out of here.” I stood and turned toward the door.
“Andie Carter,” he said.
The name rang a bell, but I couldn’t place where. He could tell I was searching for the name.
“She was the host of the young entrepreneur happy hour at the Auld Fella bar.”
Now I remembered, but it still didn’t make any sense. “I don’t understand. It was all women there, except for the bartenders. You would have stood out like a sore thumb.”
“That’s true.”
“Were you around the corner when I was talking to Margie?”
“No.”
“Are you friends with her, and she told you?” That was highly unlikely as I knew all of Margie’s friends.
“No.”
I was getting frustrated. “I’ve given you enough warnings. If you don’t tell me right now, I’m out of here. For real this time.”
“Do you promise to let me finish if I tell you why?”
“Finish what?”
“Finish explaining. Because it’s not going to sound too flattering at the beginning.”
“Just freaking tell me.”
“You’ll let me finish, though?”
Every conversation with Eddie was its own little battle. He always wanted to get the upper hand.
“I’ll let you finish,” I said.
“I was the one who organized the event. For lack of a better description, I’m a party planner.
My business card says, ‘Event Coordinator,’ but only because ‘party planner’ sounds juvenile.
Anyway, Andie Carter reached out and wanted to host a happy hour in Santa Monica or Brentwood.
I know the owners of Auld Fella pretty well, so I touched base with them, and they agreed to host the event. ”
“And what, they have cameras or audio at the bar? And they give it to you? What type of business does that?”
“I thought you said you were going to let me finish.”
“You’re right. I’m sorry.”
“This is where I start to look bad.”
“I can’t wait.”
“Once in a blue moon, I leave a little recording device at my functions. Just to get a feeling for what’s going on.”
“That’s bullshit.”
“Why do you say that?”
“Because my friend and I were talking outside, in the smoking section. Who puts a bug out there?” I watched him, hoping he’d show a sign that I’d caught him, but his smile said otherwise.
“In my history, cigarettes loosen people up just as much as alcohol does. And more than that, the smoking section had its own area. People are more likely to drop their best gossip without others in earshot.”
“You’re a piece of work.”
“That’s the second time you’ve said that.”
“Don’t get too excited. I don’t mean it as a compliment.”
“Whatever you say,” he said, his eyes not moving from mine.
“Not many girls say no to you, do they?”
“I’m not familiar with that word. You said it’s called no?”
I laughed. I was past the point of pretending I didn’t find Eddie alluring. That doesn’t mean I didn’t find him completely exacerbating as well.
“Why are you being so forthright with me? I could go to the police,” I said.
“You’re right. And I could go to David. I’m not sure he’d be impressed with your views on the missionary position.” He smirked at me again.
“Kiss me,” he said. “No missionary, I promise.”
Half of me wanted to kill him. The other half wanted to jump his bones.
I opted for the latter.