Harley's Choice (3 page)

Hars-

Go! Have fun!

See you on
Tuesday

Kari

I opened the box then dropped it! I blushed
beat red, inside lay a strip of Trojans. I am going to kill her! I
placed the offending box in the draw next to the bed, I may blush
but it was no reason not to be careful. I was about to put the box
down when yet a third box grabbed my attention. This one was longer
and one word printed across the top in my brother scrawl:

Harry.

I opened the little box and inside sat two
.338 cartridges with Carson and Kyle’s names etched into them. I
sighed and pulled them out and stuffed them into my purse – my
brother’s way of a warning, how lovely.

I placed the package next to the trash can
and stripped down to my under garments. It felt good to get out of
the clothes and shoes and besides I usually do this next part
dressed in skivvies. I stood at the foot on my bed staring down at
my rifle. Dad had bought it for me when I passed all tests and
basically graduated, my brother bought me the scope that sits atop,
and I did the feminine etches.

I loved it.

After my first assignment was confirmed my
father called me and told me I now had to name the rifle. I was
still sitting in the rundown hotel room cradling it like a baby and
it stuck. So now Baby and I were in the hotel where somewhere
around me were not only the men I have loved for ten years but all
the others who made life hell. I grabbed the package and turned it
upside down, shook it and ripped it to pieces – no ammo. I pouted
and picked up Baby and sat with her on my lap.

Ok so my father knows me better than I would
care to admit.

I stood and walked to the window, pocketed
the rifle and looked through the scope. The song My Favorite Things
sang through my mind as I focused in on the world through scope
markings. Through the sight the world is not so scary, things are
put into perspective the important things are brought to the
forefront and the rest just fades away.

I stepped away from the window and placed
Baby on the bed, now where to put her, maybe behind the chair? No
because ‘Nobody puts Baby in the corner.’ Then I thought about
under the bed, it might work, if there was enough room on either
the pedestal or directly under the bed. I flipped back the covers
and sure as cyanide there was enough room. I took the jeans I was
wearing and sleeved the rifle and then got out my handy roll of
duct tape and taped her up.

I stood and brushed off my hands and faced
the mess that was now my bed. I picked up the toiletry bag and took
it into the bathroom and went back to hang up the clothes I
brought. Two dresses, two pairs of shorts, an extra pair of jeans,
four tee shirts, two tank tops, a swimming suit, two pairs of heels
and the tennies I wore today. Ok so I hung the dresses only, the
rest were capable of hanging out in the suitcase, and then I went
to take a shower.

I had turned on the water and was waiting
for it to warm up when I heard my cell. “Hello?” I said into the
phone as I grabbed it quickly off the bed.

“Hey…did you make it?”

“Bryant Anthony Shelton! Tell me you haven’t
been waiting around for me to call?”

“Of course not, but I told dad I’d make sure
you made it ok. He had to go to New York this afternoon.”

“What? Why?”

“None of that now, you’re on vacation. So
did you make it?”

“Yes, you may tell our father that I made it
and you can email me with the details of dad’s sudden flight to New
York.”

“I might. Did you open your presents?”

“No not yet, I was going to take a shower
first, but I did open the brown package. Thanks.”

“Don’t mention it, well do – to them.”

“I’m a big girl I’ll take care of
myself.”

“Oh I know that, but what sort of big
brother would I be if I didn’t threaten your boyfriends? Besides I
can officially say you have a boyfriend.”

“Not yet I don’t, I just got here and
haven’t seen anybody yet.”

“Ok, maybe when you get home.” He loved this
way too much. It’s true though, other than the guy I just broke up
with I’ve never been involved with anyone else. “Oh, what did Kari
slip in there?”

I squeaked, there was no way I was telling
my brother that Kari sent safe love, he’d go ape shit. “Oh, look at
that, my shower’s ready! Love you!” I hung up on his protest. I
knew I’d be answering to that when I got home.

I headed into the shower to wash the day
away. I stood under the spray and hoped I was doing the right
thing. I didn’t know one way or another, but my father did, Baby
helped. Knowing she was close helped relieve tension. Maybe
tomorrow I’d stop by Delta’s and have her take me out shooting.
Maybe I would put Kari’s condoms to a good use. I knew I wouldn’t
be giving the bullets back to my brother. No matter what happened
with Carson, Kyle and me, I would not
ever
let those men get
into cross hairs of any gun.

I turned off the water and wrapped the towel
around me and threw one around my hair. I walked into the main room
trying to decide what I was going to do with the rest of the night.
I mean, I knew there were a few things I needed to do, but for the
main entertainment I was at a loss.

I pulled on my panties, which were cotton
boy cut briefs that said ‘Surfer bum’ on it. I love panties with
snarky remarks it allows me to blend in and still be spunky. I then
strapped myself into the torture device known as a bra; any woman
who says she likes them is lying through her teeth. I walked back
to the bathroom to do my hair.

Now when I was in school it was curly and
frizzy it wasn’t until my junior year that I discovered the hair
product aisle in the store, but it was still most always in a
ponytail with little bits poking out in every direction. After I
started training and started gaining weight and muscle mass the
curls relaxed into something that can be straightened or scrunched
into ringlets depending on my mood. Tonight though, I wanted my
hair straight, I love the way my hair feels when it’s straightened;
it also gives me a whole new look, so I broke out the flat iron and
went to work.

Half an hour later I stood looking at myself
in the mirror; long brown hair, brown almond shaped eyes, pert
little nose with a little tilt upwards at the tip and thick
strawberry naturally colored lips. Living in the Valley of the Sun
gave my skin a subtle glow.

This body was not anywhere what I had in
high school. Sixth grade I was short, skinny and young. Two years
younger than anyone else in the class instantly made me an outcast.
The height, weight and hair made me a freak.

Now as I look in the mirror there is a woman
staring back that has a soft seductive body. Her legs are trimmed
and her hips roll softly into a flat belly and breast that overfill
a ‘C’ cup. Her arms like her legs have slight muscle definitions
and her shoulders rounded it out for a perfect hour glass
figure.

Most importantly I now saw a woman who was
very comfortable in her body.

I was standing there still deciding what to
do when my stomach growled. Ok so dinner it is. I walked to the
guide book and saw that there was a grille/bar within walking
distance. Sounded good to me. I applied some light make up and ran
the brush through my now straight hair one last time and turned to
get dressed.

I slid the jeans on, and did the little jump
that helps everything get where it needs to be. The jean fad of
today is wonderful, but the ‘skinny jean’ thing drives me nuts.
These, unfortunately were straight leg skinnies and it always takes
a bit for things to settle – but damn they make my ass look
fantabulous!

I slipped on bright blue heels that had
beaded skulls all over them and slid on a tee shirt that had Alice
drinking from the bottle that makes her grow, I loved that story as
a child, but now I often wonder what was in the bottle and
cake.

I grabbed my purse, it was my absolute
favorite. It was a messenger bag that said ‘Karma’ on the flap, but
what I love most about it was that it could be worn as a backpack
if desired. I love it! If I decide to run, alright needed to run
from something, I can quickly change it into a backpack and it’s
not slapping my thigh.

I’ve had it customized though, inside the
flap are three slots that fit my throwing knives and on the back
I’ve added a pocket that fits my Glock 27 and an extra
magazine.

I may be a killer, but I’m a
lady
killer and dammit I make it look good!

I
gathered everything and finally slid the hotel key into my back
pocket and made my way out of the hotel.

As I walked down the sidewalk the way the
concierge directed me the smells and sights of L.A. flooded me and
I felt good, not as good as realizing you’ve committed the perfect
crime, but close. There is definitely a different life style here
as opposed to Phoenix. Here like New York you can walk down the
street and be assaulted by smells, sounds and life, in Phoenix, one
doesn’t walk hardly anywhere, downtown near the Civic Center or the
stadiums or even on Mill you can find life like this, everywhere
else is sparse, with people preferring to drive than walk.

I found the bar and it was nice little brick
building that didn’t look too busy. I opened the door and realized
I was immensely wrong about it not being busy. I was about to turn
around when a waitress skirted too close to the door and the triple
decker burger on her tray caught my hunger and dragged it along
with her.

I walked through the crowded front portion
and found a seat at an empty table against the wall so I could look
out into the room and no one was going to walk behind me. I was
watching people come and go and a lot of people seemed to gravitate
towards one table. I couldn’t quite see what the commotion was
about but there was a lot of flashing of cameras. Finally the
waitress came to my table. “Hey, sorry about the wait, what can I
get you?”

“Let’s go with a beer and one of those
triple things floating around here.”

“Oh you mean the triple trouble?”

“If it’s that burger that brought me in here
then yes.”

“Ok let me go put in your order and I’ll be
back with your beer.”

“Thanks.” She was jostled as she tried to
leave my table and I realized why no one was sitting back here.
Whoever was sitting down the way was causing such a huge stink that
people were crowding up almost the entire back wall. When she
finally made her way back to me I asked. “What’s going on?” and I
pointed down the wall.

“Oh, some famous author and his
bodyguard.”

“Who is it?" I asked now with my own
interest piqued, I love reading.

It worked because she looked at me and said.
“The word is its Kyle Mallory.”

“Oh my, I think I may join the mob," she
looked at me like I grew a second head, "Kyle Mallory writes
fantastic mystery novels. I have every single one of them in hard
back and a copy on my e-reader."

She smiled and nodded, "I read more romance
novels than mystery."

"Well you should really give them a try,
there's romance in them too." Well more like dirty sex scenes but
let her discover that for herself.

"I will, thanks for the advice."

I sighed and nodded then looked longingly to
the table down the wall but saw nothing but throngs of people. Now
I don’t know any famous people, but I don’t think trying to drink
or eat is easy with hordes of people crowding you. I personal would
have started killing people by now. “Tell me, does he look happy
when you take him a drink?”

“Actually no he doesn’t.”

I simply nodded and sat back to form some
sort of plan to get rid of the people. Nothing immediately came to
mind, but as she made it with my food I decided something had to
happen because now I couldn’t eat in peace, and nobody messes with
my eating time. Finally I decided on a simple misdirection tactic,
I just hoped it would work.

I picked up my phone and spoke loud enough
to where the person at the back of the crowd could hear me and with
a girl-obsessed voice said: "Hey, OMG you would not guess who I
just ran into down at the beach (pause) no. (Pause) no. I said you
wouldn't be able to guess; it was Kit Carson! Yeah I know, he's
hot," my tactic worked because I heard the woman closest to me
whisper Kit's name to her friend and like a wildfire the women
cleared out.

Finally there were just a few men and they
looked to be finishing up their business with them and lumbering
off, and then I got my first look at Kyle Mallory, in the
flesh.

My, what a flesh it is.

I took this moment to look upon him and his
bodyguard, unfortunately irony and I ran smack dab into each other.
His bodyguard was none other than Kit Carson. I cringed when I
realized I was going to have to confess my blunder.

I looked down at my burger and decided I
would eat first, no need to confront the star of your own rumor. I
picked up the burger - I practically had an orgasm at the first
bite.

It was triple stack heaven.

The buns were toasted with lettuce, tomato
and multiple types of cheese all stacked sloppily on three cheese
stuffed burgers.

I'm pretty sure I moaned out loud.

I ate my burger while people looked on - I
didn't know why, until after my last bite a slightly balding man
with a genuine smile of heartburn came up to my table. "Miss, you
are the only one tonight that has finished the triple trouble and
because I am a man of my word anything you order for the rest of
the night will be on the house."

"Um, alright." I smiled at him, "why?"

"That was three and a half pounds of meat,
cheese and bread; we've had an ongoing contest for the last three
years that anyone who comes in and eats the entire burger gets the
rest of the night on the house."