Chapter 26 Villain
VILLAIN
There was no time to really appreciate the horribleness of Dirk’s house, not when we had music to rehearse.
I will say that the colors were orange and green with a mix of hot pink that was truly nauseating.
The view over the edge of the disappearing pool outside the sliding glass doors was so breathtaking that not even the lack of taste could ruin it. It was terrifying, but also beautiful.
We practiced in the main space between the open kitchen and the wall of glass until it was dinner time, and then we took an hour break to order dinner, to fall in the bathroom floor in Ziggy’s case—who submerges a tub in water?
There is absolutely no logic in it—and to go through the material we’d already worked on.
I’d taken video of our practice, and there were so many things that needed to be fixed if we were going to be as amazing as I needed us to be.
Maybe I should have lower standards for my first official performance, but imperfection wasn’t something I was used to accepting. This was not the moment to embrace mediocrity. I needed Dirk to be impressed. It was starting to feel like an obsession.
Harrison always ended a piece plucking a chord with too much force, Ziggy got distracted in the middle of a piece and skipped over essential notes, while the drummer/harpist got bored and started throwing in extra things that didn’t add to the whole.
I’d watched Maestro lead the orchestra, but those were musicians who had been playing together as a whole for years.
At the same time, there was no sense in starting out with too many demands that they were incapable of handling.
By the time midnight rolled around, Harrison was falling asleep on the floor with his legs on a black leather couch and his guitar on his stomach.
“Okay. Let’s take a break,” I said, trying for a smile. “We should rest, and then wake up early for a good rehearsal before we have to go to the club.”
Ziggy came over and patted my shoulder. “You shouldn’t stress so much. I’ve seen you, the video, and if things aren’t going well, you can just take off some clothes.”
The suggestion that I was a prostitute made me want to light her on fire, but I only nodded and gave her a tight smile before finding a blanket to replace Harrison’s guitar.
After everyone found places to crash, I was left nervously pacing in the dark living room with the lights of the city past the deck and the infinity pool, which looked like it dropped off into nothing.
That’s how I felt about Dirk. It was terrifying but so beautiful.
I stepped outside, sliding the door closed behind me. I shivered and crossed my arms as the chill wind swept over my skin. Too many things could go wrong. Too many things were out of my control.
“You stole my house,” Dirk growled from behind me.
I leaned back into him, and he wrapped his arms around me, giving me warmth and comfort whether he intended to or not. “I’ll hold it hostage until you’ve wired me the money and turned the account over to me.”
He brushed his nose against my neck, sending another shiver through me. His voice was low, rough. “Maybe I like being held hostage, although one of your friends snores abominably. You haven’t broken into my garage yet. That’s where I keep all the tech designs I’m working on.”
“First, I’d have to cut all your feed, and I’m too busy working to have fun. The only room in this house that isn’t wired is your bedroom.”
“Mm.” He kissed my neck slowly, turning my bones to Jello. “Speaking of bedrooms, shouldn’t you be sleeping? You have a big day tomorrow. You’re going to astound and amaze all the simple, brutish folk with your culture and charisma.”
I pulled away at the idea of sleeping with people who could hear me scream. “I don’t like sleeping around people. I think I’ll drive over to Jezebel’s and—”
He spun me around in his arms so that he was looking down at me. “This house has six impeccably grotesque bedrooms with tolerable beds and high-quality sheets. Choose one. Lock the door. I promise that not even the ninjas will come knocking, no matter how much you scream.”
I stared into those warm eyes and wanted to stay exactly where I was, so I did. I was supposed to do what I wanted for the sake of long-term villainy. “What about your bed?”
He raised an eyebrow. “It’s tolerable, although it does have more wear and tear than the others.”
“You tear your beds?”
“Tear-stained from loneliness.”
“The beds or you?”
“Either.” He bumped my forehead with his. “You should go to bed before I kiss you.”
“I don’t kiss men in beds.”
His searing gaze dropped to my mouth. “Then you should go to bed after I kiss you?” He moved slowly, giving me the chance to turn away or say no.
I wrapped my hands around his neck and studied him until his lips met mine, soft, sweet, his eyes as soft and sweet as his lips. I sank into that kiss, letting my eyes drift closed while his hands held me strong and safe.
Too soon, he pulled back, shaking his head.
“My room is soundproof. It locks. You’re going straight to bed, and locking the door so your precious sleep isn’t interrupted.
If you need me, call. I’ll be in the guest room next to it.
” He brushed my lips once more with his and then turned and strode off, leaving me staring after him with burning lips and even stronger burning in my heart.
I slept in his bed. Knowing that it was soundproof was almost as relaxing as the scent of him on his pillow.
It wasn’t quite chocolate and cherries, more musk and masculinity, but it wrapped me in a cocoon that chased away every doubt and fear, leaving me with nothing but a distant ache to have him beside me.
The next morning’s rehearsal left me feeling almost hopeful.
Dirk must have ordered breakfast for the band, but he wasn’t around to let the people in who brought it.
The guest room next to his was empty when I woke up.
I was wired all day, trying to be cheerful and encouraging, like Maestro, because some people couldn’t handle the pressure.
Hawkins seemed good at showing up and doing his best, letting Janice’s diatribes roll right off his back, but he did better with calm direction. Most people probably did.
We tried on the costumes, and they were a white gossamer dress for me and white suits for the rest of the band members.
Ziggy nodded her approval, and then they had to take the costumes away for final adjustments.
Jordan was a very solid man with a large beard, who gave off a biker vibe way more than designer, but the way he pinned was a work of art.
The guy knew how to mold fabric to a woman’s body.
Or a man’s body as far as that went. He had tattoos around his wrists and gave me a flirty wink from beneath his baseball cap.
His smile turned sly when he came to examine me in the pale dress. “Thanks for calling me. I always appreciate a challenge.”
I smiled back. “Thank you for doing this last minute. I hope that it didn’t mess up your schedule.”
“I always plan for chaos, because the people I like to dress aren’t the most structured. The dragon, for example. Do you know her personally?”
I narrowed my eyes at him. Was he questioning her delicate feminine appeal? “I’m working on Death-Hammer’s team. I wouldn’t say that I know her personally.”
“Because she called a favor in for you, so you must be something special. I just want my favorite beauty to be happy.” And he’d be more than willing to help, very personally.
“Most people have to make their own happiness; in fact, everyone has to make their own happiness. Other people can’t do that for you. I’d like Trixie to be happy, but I can’t make her, and neither can anyone else.”
He nodded. “Deep. I like it. It’s just that you were hugging her in public, in the morning, so I wanted you to know that you have my support. I’m not judgmental about whatever you guys want to do together.”
I stared at him. “Thanks?”
He nodded again. “And if you wanted someone else to hang out with you two, I have a very flexible schedule, and several motorbikes.”
Could I just punch him in the face? No. I wanted to look good, but this is why clothing designers should be women. “I’ll keep that in mind if we’re looking for extra bikes.”
“You’d look amazing in leather.” Could he shut up now?
“She already does,” Ziggy interrupted, frowning at him. “Why are you hitting so hard?”
He blinked at her. “I’m not hitting anything. I’m offering a deeper friendship to a woman I deeply admire. Dragon is my ideal.”
Ziggy scowled at him. “You are so Las Vegas. Idealizing, idolizing, instead of letting people be humans, people instead of objects.”
“You’re in Las Vegas, Ziggy.”
“I was born here. You started working doing costumes for adult films and ended up here.”
Jordan shrugged his broad shoulders. “You never left. If you hate Vegas and the whole oversexualization mindset, tell you what. When you leave, I’ll put together a whole costume wardrobe that will help you be seen as the artist you are.”
Ziggy scowled hard. “Yeah, I’d trust the corset whisperer to do my wardrobe.”
Jordan smiled almost sweetly. “I’m doing your wardrobe for this show. Our first time together. I guess you can pass on the perfectly sculpted suit and go for the G-string if it helps you maintain your moral superiority. I have no problem being morally inferior to anyone.”
Oh. This was them flirting. After that, I ignored them, focusing on the music in my head, adjusting it until it was just so.
The party wasn’t until nine p.m., so I had all day to stress out about things. It passed in a whirl of costuming, rehearsals, and Felicia walking by under a pile of fluffy tulle like she had somewhere serious to go.
Everything was perfectly in place, so why was I so nervous?
I ducked into a bathroom before our final dressing and called Toni.
“What’s up, Vil?”
I took a shaky breath. “Nothing. I just wondered how you’re doing.”