CardsNeverLie (8 page)

“Pinching?” Anita shook her head. “No way. Rob is a
gentleman, which is totally annoying. I’ve been rubbing up against him for
years, but I never get a rise out of him.”

Villani laughed. “He must be gay.”

Anita pursed her lips. “I don’t think so.”

“Are you sure he’s a gentleman?” Melanie repeated, just to
make sure. Brisa probably knew him better than Anita did. “My cousin told me
the whole company is rotten.”

“Boys will be boys,” Villani said. “That’s why I won’t hire
them. Unless they are gay of course.”

“Rob does have a sassy mouth when you get under his collar,”
Anita smirked. “But what’s not to like about that?”

There’s a lot not to like about that if the man is your
boss, Melanie thought, but there were other, recent, events on her mind too.
“He asked me out,” she confessed. “I don’t know what to think about that.”

The women turned to her as one. “You’re kidding!”

“No, but he thinks I’m really Honey Luscious. I have to
admit he asked me out before all this confusion started though. Who knows what
he thought before last night.”

“How cool is that?” Anita said. “I’m so jealous! High five,
girlfriend!” She held up her palm and Melanie slapped it. She could feel the
rum going to her head. Clearly, Rob had the Anita-seal-of-approval, but that
didn’t count for much when the Anita-seal-of-approval had once been on Al
Plowman.

“Did you say yes?” Villani asked.

“No. From what my cousin said, I didn’t think I’d want to
get mixed up with anyone who worked at LeatherWorks.”

“I’ll bet it’s mostly the degenerates on the plant floor who
are bugging her,” Anita said. “I honestly can’t believe that of Rob. There
aren’t too many gentlemen in this business, but he is one.” She giggled. “At
least there aren’t any good stories going around about him.”

Melanie could see the wheels in Anita’s head turning.

“Hey, why don’t you come out with us tonight, Melanie?
There’s a big party, with karaoke.” She nudged Melanie’s arm. “I know how much
you love that. And maybe Rob will be there.”

“I don’t know…” Melanie said. What if Huntley or Harvey Long
showed up?

“Oh c’mon, let’s see once and for all if he likes girls! I
want to see his face when he sees you in those sexy sandals.”

Melanie swallowed her last french fry and was ready for
action. But then worry dawned. “What if Huntley shows?”

Villani shook her head. “He won’t hang out with our kind. We
wouldn’t stand for it.”

Melanie smiled. She had just been given a free pass for the
night. She tossed back the rest of her drink and put her hands on the other
women’s shoulders. “Before we go, I’ve got to tell you about this crazy tarot
reading I had last Sunday…”

* * * * *

“Tommy Joe or Rob?” Villani said thoughtfully as they
entered the Enchantment nightclub on the top floor of the hotel. The room
pulsed with an electronic beat though it wasn’t quite nine thirty p.m.
Conventioneers tended to party early so they could make it to the last five
minutes of their free continental breakfast in the morning. The throng, dressed
again in skimpy clothes and leather, hadn’t moved onto the dance floor yet but
hung around the edges, chatting, drinking and checking each other out. “Good
heavens, that silly name alone should doom poor old TJ.”

“Doesn’t it get back to the dark hair though?” Melanie said
as the three squeezed past the crowd and headed to the bar.

“Nah. Rob’s hair is kind of brown. And his eyes are dark,”
Anita said, ordering Sex on the Beach for three.

“What has that got to do with anything?” Villani argued.
“And which is more relevant, the Dungeons and Dragons hobby or working for a
company that sells bondage gear?”

Anita laughed and tossed the pink feather boa she had
purchased in a gift shop on the way to the nightclub over her shoulders. “I
think we all know the answer to that.”

“Do you think he’s into his own merchandise?” Melanie asked.
“I’ve seen their catalog. Most of it is pretty hard-edged.”

Anita and Villani laughed.

“You need to get out more, honey.” Villani snapped her
fingers and gently swung her hips to the beat.

A strobe light began to flash and everyone’s movements
appeared jerky in the pulsing white light. On the empty dance floor, a disco
ball started to turn and dappled lights crossed the floor like moving
snowflakes. People watched, mesmerized, but no one danced.

“Who can tell what Rob is into? He’s so secretive,” Anita
said. She lifted her glass to her lips, looking robotic from the effect of the
strobe. “You’ll have to ask him. Or find out what he’s wearing under those nice
clothes of his. I like to tease him about wearing leather shorts, but he always
denies it.”

Melanie grinned and took a gulp of her fruity cocktail. She
made a sour face, remembering too late it had peach schnapps in it, which she
couldn’t stand. “He does dress well. I do love a man who wears more than jeans
and T-shirts.”

Anita snorted. “He probably doesn’t own any. To be brutally
honest, I’ve always thought he was pretty uptight. Not gay,” she looked
sideways at Villani. “But like an accountant, you know.”

“You don’t think he knows how to have a good time?”

Villani pointed through the crowd. “Why don’t you ask him,
Melanie? Isn’t that him over there?”

She glanced over Villani’s shoulder. Melanie’s heart
thumped. Rob, alone, had just entered their line of sight. He wore tailored
black pants and ankle boots, with a white shirt that glowed nearly blue when
the strobe light flashed.

Anita gave Melanie a little push. “Go get him, girlfriend.”

Melanie took a step toward him then hesitated and turned
back to her new friends. They had vanished. When the strobe flashed again, she
saw them heading off to a side lounge. Knowing Anita, there was probably a
karaoke stage in there. Melanie took a step toward the lounge then felt a tap
on her shoulder. She whipped around, suddenly afraid it was Long or Huntley.

“If it isn’t my luscious friend again,” Rob said, smiling
down at her, his eyes twinkling.

“Not funny,” Melanie said, realizing when she wore flat
heels he stood at least six inches taller than her. No wonder she had felt so
protected the night before. At five foot eight, she normally felt everyone’s
equal. “Here I was thinking charitable thoughts about you.”

“You were?” Rob raised his eyebrows mockingly. “I take
whatever I said back. How come you didn’t run off with Anita?”

“She saw you come in and suggested I get you. Do you want to
do karaoke?” Melanie asked, feeling like an idiot.

“No. But I wouldn’t mind dancing with you. You look great.
As always.” When the strobe flashed, she saw him leer with a cartoon-like aplomb.

Melanie looked at the empty dance floor and shook her head.
Despite the assurances of her friends, she was still afraid of being bothered.
If not by Huntley, then an as yet unknown lieutenant. “Under the circumstances,
I don’t want to be conspicuous.”

“No one’s going to bother you,” Rob said calmly, as if
reading her thoughts.

She knew he implied he would protect her, but she’d rather
stay out of trouble to begin with. “Maybe.”

“So why were you thinking charitable thoughts about me?” Rob
asked, leaning so close to Melanie she could feel warm breath on her ear and
smell his cologne.

She breathed in the scent of cinnamon. “Anita said you have
a grandfather who likes to pinch women. I could be wrong, but maybe Brisa quit
because of your grandfather and others, not you.”

“You thought I was capable of harassing someone?” Anger
mixed with confusion crossed his face.

“You are persistent. And you didn’t say anything when I
accused you yesterday at the restaurant.”

Rob took a step back. “You didn’t give me a chance before
you ran off. I saved your ass last night. You ought to give me more credit.”

“I appreciate it very much. So are you the gentleman Anita
claims you are?” She leaned forward. It was hard to converse with the music so
loud.

Rob smirked. “Get me alone and you’ll find out.”

Melanie stared him in dismay. Comments like that were liable
to drain the relaxing effects of the alcohol right out of her. “Must you be
such a Neanderthal?” she asked impatiently.

Rob put a hand on one hip. “Aren’t we flirting here?”

“No. I’m trying to have a conversation.”

“This isn’t the place for it.” Rob waved his hand around the
room. “C’mon, let’s get me a drink. We can go sit down somewhere and sort this
out.”

He held out a tanned, blunt-fingered hand and Melanie took
it. Immediately, she knew it was a mistake. The simple pleasure of his touch
made her knees feel like they were melting. Within an arm’s length, his scent
overpowered her, called to her.

She blinked, trying to keep herself on track. “Don’t you
think fostering an environment where women are constantly propositioned is a
sorry way for a gentleman to manage a company?”

Rob caught the eye of the bartender and ordered a beer. The
loudspeaker above the bar was deafening.

Rob grinned. “We need earplugs, honey. I didn’t hear a word
you just said.”

Melanie pursed her lips. There it was, “Honey” again. If it
weren’t for Huntley, she’d just about give up and accept her new secret
identity.

Rob leaned back against the bar. He reached out to her, as
if to snuggle her up against him, just as his beer came. He paid and then led
her back into the lounge where the karaoke machine lurked.

They sat down at a dark table in the back. Rob stretched his
arm across the back of the seat. Melanie sat up primly.

“Now what were you saying?”

“I was saying my cousin felt like she was teased into
quitting.”

“Bomb—I mean Brisa is a tough girl. I’m sure she can handle
sophomoric jokes.”

“But it’s inappropriate!”

“It’s a sex toy company!” Rob exclaimed, loudly enough that
the couple next to them turned, grinning. “What would you expect from a bunch
of guys who are thinking about sex all day?”

Melanie slid down in her seat as Rob continued to rant. Good
grief, she thought. I wish my secret identity was “Invisible Girl”. Tonight
just wasn’t going to be her night. All thoughts of wildness vanished as Tim and
a couple other guys from LeatherWorks joined them.

“Did I hear someone talking about sex?” Tim laughed,
clunking his beer against his buddy’s mug.

* * * * *

Twelve hours later, Rob tried to blink away the pain between
his eyes. After his infuriating encounter with Melanie, unresolved due to the
unfortunate appearance of his assistant and others, he had gone back to his
room and worked until the wee hours. Who went to a nightclub dressed like one
of the more decadent Roman goddesses in a tight, sexy dress and even sexier
sandals just to pick a fight? A crazy ex-porn star, that’s who. Despite his
better judgment, he had been grateful in thinking he was there with her—until
the second she opened her mouth. The nightclub’s name might have been
Enchantment but the experience had been anything but.

He tried to focus on the sales order he was putting together
for Jerry. He had seen their new catsuit on the Magellan sisters last night at
the nightclub and had upped his order significantly. Maybe Rob should be
putting them under contract, not some little nurse. That crazy blonde should be
singing his praises for trying to help the helpless like Tida. The bombshells
of the world could take care of themselves. They put up a front and intimidated
the weak accordingly. If Melanie had shown the kind of backbone with Huntley
she had shown with him, she’d never have gotten herself into this trouble.

Tida stood in the booth across from him, talking to Harvey
Stein. Rob had nothing particular against the guy, except his profession.
Casting director. More like pimp. He hoped Tida wasn’t agreeing to anything
stupid. He didn’t want to get involved. He hated hiring someone for an ad
campaign that would probably never happen, but he was also tired of toeing the
line. Maybe he would hire her. Wouldn’t that annoy the old man if he made plans
for the company’s future instead of just giving in.

Rob looked back at his calculator and finished computing
Jerry’s wholesale rate. Tearing off the sales slip, Rob placed it in an
envelope for Jerry to pick up later, before turning to the next order, forty
masks of the black silk design Anita had modeled for them.

“Black.” He heard someone walking by greet him. He looked up
and saw Drew Huntley. His lip curled. The man walked over to Harvey and Tida.
They spoke for a moment and then Huntley put his arm around Tida’s tiny waist.

Rob didn’t think. He yelled to Tim to watch the booth and
practically levitated across the corridor. Putting his hand firmly on Tida’s
mid-back, he propelled her out of the trade show and into the vast hallway
outside the convention rooms. He saw a herd of conservative business suits walk
by and wondered where the supremely frustrating Honey Luscious, aka Melanie
Vanderpool, was hiding herself this morning. He tried to tell himself he didn’t
care. He belonged with those suits, not here amongst the leather and lace,
liberally sprinkled with rubber and metal. Frustrated, confused and extremely
horny, he pushed his thoughts away and focused on Tida.

“Are you nuts?” he demanded. “Those are not nice people.”

“How do you know?” Tida asked defiantly. “You are not
involved in porn movie business. You work in Seattle at computer, not Los
Angeles.”

“I watched those two harass a woman just Tuesday night. She
got out of the business ten years ago and they’re trying to extort money from
her.”

“They cannot hurt me,” Tida said, pushing her long, lustrous
dark hair out of her face.

“Don’t kid yourself. They are bad men.” He punctuated each word,
hoping she would get the message. “Why are you so desperate for this?”