Blindfolded Innocence (33 page)

"Good - chicken salad she does well.
 
Let eat here."

We sat on the hood of Brad's car, the cooler in between us, and ate looking out on the view.
 
That high up there was a nice breeze, and it felt just about perfect.
 

"So," I said, munching on a raw carrot.
 
"Tell me the full scoop on Evelyn.
 
You guys are like, business partners in Safirre?"

He finished chewing a bite of sandwich and set it down on the car.
 
"Evelyn's first husband was a surgeon.
 
They lived in a big house, up in the Hills.
 
When they divorced, she got a substantial amount of cash, enough to buy the house you saw today, plus had a bit left over."

"What's a bit?"
 
I couldn't help it - I'm nosy.

He raised an eyebrow at me, then shrugged.
 
"Two hundred grand, maybe a little more.
 
Around that time I was looking at opening a club in Vegas.
 
I approached Evelyn, asked if she wanted to go in as a minority partner.
 
She had been looking at different investments at that time, CDs, bonds, etc.
 
I convinced her that her money would be better served at Safirre."

"A strip club?
 
You convinced that little old lady that she should put her life savings in a strip club?
 
What if it went belly up?"

He stared at me.
 
"I'm not out to swindle old ladies out of their pensions.
 
If the club had flopped, I would have covered her loss.
 
We own the building - there's actual assets tied to her money.
 
Plus, I don't see anyone complaining about the return Safirre has done.
 
That "little old lady" has more than ten times that original investment now sitting in the bank."

"And she owns what percentage?"

"Thirty."

"You own seventy?"

"Sixty - I gave Janine ten percent."

"Why?"

"You'll learn in business that no one runs the company like the owner does.
 
The ten percent ensures she stays honest, and doesn't look for another job.
 
Janine is strong - the dancers like her, the clients like her, and I like her."

"You ever slept with her?"

"Why do you seem to ask me that with every woman we meet?"

"I didn't ask you that with Evelyn."

"Maybe you should have."

I recoiled and wrinkled my nose, scooting a little farther away from him on the hood.
 
He laughed through his sip of lemonade.
 

"No, I haven't slept with Janine.
 
She's too hard for me - I don't go for the muscular look."

"So that's why you haven't slept with her - because her body type isn't for you.
 
Not because you think that it'd be a bad idea to screw your business partner."

He fixed his dark brown eyes on me and reached forward, gently wiping some mayonnaise from my lip - I pushed his hand away in irritation.

"I wouldn't have chosen a business partner, or manager that I was attracted to.
 
I know my strengths.
 
Staying away from good-looking women isn't one of them."
  
He shot me a sly look.
 
"But then again, you seem to suffer from the same problem."

I shot him a puzzled look.
 
"What do you mean?"

He sat back on his hands and stretched his neck, looking at me through thick lashes.
 
"You know, last night - you and Montana."

I sat there for a moment, thinking.
 
Trying to sort through the drunken haze of memories.
 
I vividly remembered the tour of the club with Montana.
 
Then us getting to the table and Brad being gone.
 
Then…I frowned trying to remember.
 
We were going to do shots, tequila shots.
 
She had to ask permission.
 
Then…
oh my god …
My eyes widened as I had a brief memory of Montana's mouth on my bare breasts - us kissing - and guys, lots of guys - their faces surrounding us, staring…
 
I slumped down on the hood, laying back, my hand covering my face.
 
"Oh god." I moaned, mortified.
 
"It's what - one o'clock?
 
And you’re just now mentioning this to me?!"

He laughed and leaned over me, pulling my fingers back, exposing my pained eyes.
 
"You don't need to be embarrassed.
 
Trust me, Safirre has seen a lot crazier, though we typically try to keep that behavior out of the club."

I groaned miserably, closing my eyes.
 
"What was I thinking?"

"You weren't - the tequila was."
 
His hand moved from my face down, sweeping over my breast and played with the exposed skin between my shirt and the top of my jeans.
 
"Besides, I liked watching you."

"With Montana?"

"Not necessarily with her.
 
Just you, in your element - having fun and being turned on.
 
You are very sexy, Julia."

I blushed and moved his hand, sitting up and tossing my hair dramatically.
 
"I am quite sexy, it's true."

He laughed and looked skyward, rolling his eyes.
 
"Oh.. the ego."

"Where were you?
 
You weren't at our table when we got back."

He looked away, out over the dam.
 
"I was with Alexis."

"Getting a dance?"

"Sort of."

I tossed my half eaten carrot at him, which he blocked easily.
 
"God, you are a pig.
 
No wonder you've been such a "gentleman."

He looked at me carefully, taking a small sip of lemonade.
 
"You mad?"

"No.
 
Just understand that my drunken playtime with Montana was due to me being left unattended.
 
When the cat’s away…." I grinned mischievously at him and took another bite of carrot.

"So, not jealous?"

I shook my head.
 
"Not jealous.
 
Guess that means I don't care huh?"

"Guess so, Julia.
 
Guess so."
 
He looked back over the dam.

We munched along in silence, Brad opening up a bag of Salt and Vinegar chips and diving in, the bag making a loud sound in the quiet landscape.
 
I wrinkled my nose and looked at him.
 
"Those chips are going to give you vampire breath."

"Vampire breath?
 
Is that the cool term right now?"

"No, but it's true.
 
I'm not kissing you after this.
 
Probably all part of Evelyn's plan.
 
Separate us with the power of bad breath."

"I think Evelyn liked you."

"I don't know… she's a hard read.
 
I take it you two are close?"

"Yes.
 
I'm not close with my parents - they weren't exactly the nurturing type.
 
Evelyn takes good care of me, and she needs someone checking in on her, making her feel important.
 
That was one of the reasons I brought the Club proposal to her.
 
I could have easily covered that nut alone, but the Club makes her feel important, gives her something to think about.
 
I get her down there every once in a while and she loves being backstage, taking over as house mom for the evening."

"So you're basically a saint - that's what your saying? Saint Bradley?"

"God, you are a pain in my ass."

"No, I just call you on your crap."

He leaned over and placed a soft kiss on my lips.
 
"You are a mess, you know that?"

I pushed him off - "No kisses!
 
I told you - vampire breath!"

Beaming at me, he grabbed an extra large chip and chomped down, chewing noisily.
 
I looked at my watch and started to pack up the cooler.

---

On the way back to Vegas, Brad insisted we stop back by Evelyn to return the cooler.
 

"She said we could keep it!"

"Yeah, she also said we could throw it away.
 
She can say whatever, but she wants that cooler back.
 
Trust me."

So return it we did, winding our Vipers through the suburban streets once more until we were crammed into her tiny cul-de-sac again.
 
I waited in my car as Brad took it up to the front and rang the bell.
 
I watched a gushing Evelyn hug Brad about five times before he finally detached from her grip and walked back down the drive.
 
Stopping by my open window, he leaned in.
 

"I was gonna take the scenic way back.
 
Ready to open them up?"

I revved my engine in response.
 
At the sound, at least two curtains moved in the homes surrounding us.
 
We excited the cul-de-sac carefully and respectfully, and began to head back to the open road.
 
We reached it in two and a half songs, and I raised both hands and cheered into the wind as we hit the highway.
 
I amped up the radio and pressed my foot on the pedal.
 
The car instantly responded - literally jumping forward and throwing my head against the seat.
 
I up shifted and began to fly.
 
Brad and I leapfrogged each other, and flew past cars as we traveled through the desert.
 
I felt alive, liberated, and as the car drove, all thoughts of anything rational left my mind.

CHAPTER
26

Rule 5: No socializing or communication out of the experience.

"So tell me about the intern you slept with."
 

"Which one?"

I coughed on a sip of Dr. Pepper and shot him a look of disgust.
 
We sat in Rick's Roadhouse, a chain restaurant located off Terminal D.
 
We had about 45 minutes before our flight, and were killing it there instead of the overcrowded concourse.