Tempo (18 page)

The spa is magnificent. The body scrub made my skin feel like the finest of spun silk. The pink polish of my manicure and pedicure looks so pretty. The way the stylist pulled my hair back is fabulous. Curled in ringlets, it flows down my back. I make my way back to my room. I can smell the flowers before I enter the door. The sheer number of floral arrangements stuns me. The fragrant smell of roses permeates the air. All of the vases contain white roses and purple irises. I see that a card is attached to the vase on the table. I skip over and swipe the card from its plastic holder. Tears prick my eyes as I read the message.

Karlie,

Every flower represents a moment when all I could think of was you. I can’t wait to see you. M

My heart is full of joy; he has taken the darkness in my soul and filled it with light. Tonight will be another one of my bests. I feel it in my bones.

Waiting on pins and needles for him to arrive, I pace the room. I can’t wait to kiss him again. The knock at the door means I won’t have to wait any longer. I run to the door and throw it open. My heart stills at his beauty.  He is dressed in a black suit, white shirt and purple tie. His arms are full of flowers. Looking at the flowers I laugh.

“More flowers?” I ask.

“More thoughts Ms. McKenna, the mind is a hard thing to control. May I come in?”

Realizing that I have left him standing in the hallway, I move aside to allow him access. As he moves through the room his eyes never leave mine. Walking over I take the flowers from his hands and replace them with my body. My body melts into his. I feel his hands rub up and down my back, sending shivers to all of my parts.

“Your skin is so soft. I want to rub my hands over your entire body just so I can feel the silkiness of your skin. You are stunning tonight Karlie.”

I look up at him and see longing in his eyes. I imagine mine are sending the same message. The kiss we share is slow and thorough. I pour all of my love into that kiss. His groan confirms that he is feeling something. I am pretty sure that a glance at his pants would confirm my suspicions. The knock at the door startles us; making us break contact.

“That’s Lloyd with our car.”

“Where are we going?”

“I said I would reconsider my feelings on the whole girlfriend thing. Are you ready for our date?”

My mouth hangs open as he guides me to the door.

“Close your mouth Karlie, the sight of your warm moist tongue brings back memories. If you continue to stand there with you
r mouth open we may never leave this room.”

Snapping my mouth closed, I hold his arm as he escorts me to the waiting car. Sliding across the leather seat, my dress slides up my thighs. Michael gives me a questioning look as my gown slides high enough to show almost everything. Laughing, I wink at him, not giving him a clue as to what I may be wearing underneath. The unknown will drive him crazy all night.  In the car is an open bottle of champagne. Michael pours us a glass and proposes a toast.

“To my first date.” We tap glasses as we look into each other’s eyes.

“Surely not your first date?” I inquire.

“The first date that has ever meant anything to me. Do you like the champagne?”

Realizing that he has redirected the conversation, I go with the flow. His comment about having feelings for me is a development that I want to explore thoroughly later.

“Yes of course, it’s my favorite.” Giving him a sly smile I ask. “What is my favorite today?”

“Today is Dom, it will do in a pinch. We are heading to dinner first and then to a concert of sorts. I have to warn you that venturing into the public is a risk. Lloyd and Tony have done what they can, but all it takes is a long telephoto lens.”

“I know how private you are Michael and I don’t want any more false reports of our love affair affecting your life. We don’t have to go anywhere public, I am happy to stay in and watch TV or do other things.”

Giving me a small boyish smile he grabs my hands. Rubbing his thumbs over my open palms he stuns me with his next declaration.

“I want to take my girlfriend out on a real date, if the press wants to report it, then so be it. I am more worried about your fear of being photographed then I am about my lack of privacy.”

“Girlfriend?” I question.

“If you’ll have me,” he whispers.

In seconds flat I am on his lap kissing him with every piece of my being. Laughing at me Michael says, “Maybe we should just go home. It’s been three days since I have had you in my arms. Did you know that I could hardly sleep a wink?”

“You actually slept? I am so jealous,” I tease.

Laughing, Michael pulls me closer and whispers in my ear. “There will be no sleep for you tonight baby. I need you.”

The promise of a night full of Michael arouses me.
I have a real boyfriend.
I silently say to myself.

Dinner at Twist was relaxed. Tucked in a private corner we feasted on a six coarse tasting menu. Conversation teetered between our lives and our work. I updated him on the progress at Tempo.

“So you can see that we are on track. The tubs will be delivered Monday so we can start installation on Tuesday. I am hoping the installation can be completed by the end of the week. I can’t wait to see them in their new home. I have arranged for the art show, we will be leaving in ten days. Do you prefer a certain airline or hotel?”

“How about I make the flight arrangements and we stay in your apartment?”

I hadn’t even considered having him stay at my apartment. “Okay, that will be great, but you need to understand that my apartment is a simple, no frills kind of place.”

“You’ll be there and that’s all the frills I’ll need.” He shakes his eyebrows up and down in a comedic gesture.

Back in the car we head to our next destination. Lloyd pulls in front of a red door hidden in an alleyway. Michael takes my hand and leads me into a dark hallway. I can hear music. Strong bass and saxophone sounds fill the air.

“What is this place?”

“It’s called the Jazz Joint and it’s one of Las Vegas’ best-kept secrets. Do you like jazz?”

“Yes I do, I love the older sounds like Miles Davis and Duke Ellington the best.”

Michael looks amused at my answer. “I wouldn’t have guessed you to be a jazz aficionado.”

“You forgot that I attended a school of the arts Michael. I would have to be deaf not to pick up a few things around campus.”

We spend the evening sipping red wine and listening to live music. His hand is on my leg and taps out the beat to the music. He keeps moving his hand up until he is dangerously close to my intimate parts. This makes me tingle and squirm. I hear him chuckle. He leans toward me and his warm breath caresses my neck as he trails kisses up to my ear.

“Are you ready to leave?” He asks me
as he runs his tongue gently behind the lobe of my ear.

“Yes
,” I say. I can barely get the word out between my labored breaths.

He must have seen the tension on my face, because in a split second we are up and racing for the back door. Lloyd has not arrived with the car yet. The poor man was given such short notice of our intent to leave. The wind has picked up and it makes me shiver as it sweeps over my scantily dressed body. Michael removes his jacket and settles it on my shoulders. It is such a sweet gesture. I rise up on my tippy toes to kiss my man. The sudden flash shocks us both. Michael pulls me into his arms, pressing my face into his chest. He holds me protectively as he speaks to the photographer.

“Listen, I get that you want a picture, but it’s really getting to be a drag. Normally I would chase you down and destroy your camera, but tonight I just want to take my girlfriend home. Keep your picture, but stop stalking us?” The cameraman looks at both of us then turns and bolts down the street.

Lloyd arrives and jumps out of the car to deal with the situation. Michael waves him off and we pile into the car to head home.

“Sorry baby,” he softly whispers in my ear.

“It’s okay, it’s part of being your girlfriend.” I beam at the thought of being his. “Does it bother you that you are now officially tied to me? We were kissing when he took the picture. There is no misinterpreting a kiss.” I look at him waiting for his reply.

“I’m good with it Karlie.” He pulls me close to him and we settle in for the ride home. The car has a divider between the front seat and back seat, affording us some privacy. Taking Michaels hand, I place it high on my thigh so he can explore me. The first thing he comes into contact with is my tiny thong.

“Panties today?” He questions.

I laugh thinking what must have been going through his mind all night.

“Disappointed?”

“Hell no, I just have to figure out how I want to peel those off of you.”

The rest of the ride is spent with his hand settled between my legs. My head rests against his chest and I wonder if he can feel the heat that is pouring from me. Just before we exit the car, he tells me how perfect I look in his favorite color.

We end up in his room for the entire weekend. A cycle repeats over and over; sex, nap, nourishment, again and again.

“We made the news again.” He brings his laptop to bed where I am sprawled across the top. The picture is quite lovely; we are caught in a kiss. Our body language definitely says we are together. My body is leaning into his and he is holding me tightly against him. Concerned with how Michael will handle this invasion of privacy, I look to him for a clue.

“Look how perfect you are,” he says pointing to the candid shot.

“Have you been drinking? I am far from perfect. My breasts are too small and my hips are too wide. Everything else is just average.” Cupping my breasts with his palms he declares that they are the perfect size for his hands. Caressing my behind he tells me that he loves my womanly curves.
He loves my curves! 
The picture is all but forgotten as we fall back into bed and ravish each other.

Monday morning comes too soon. We both race around the room trying to get ready for our day. I have 320 tiled rooms to inspect and he has meetings. I haven’t been to my room all weekend. I spent my time either naked or wrapped in his robe. Before I leave, we agree to meet in the conference room for lunch.

The day unfolds in a flurry. Starting on the twentieth floor I take out my checklist and visit each and every room. I expect perfection. Next to my checkmarks, I make a punch list of things that will have to be corrected. So far the list is short. Sloppy grout cleanup is the only thing I have noted. More than halfway finished, I decide to stop and head downstairs to wait for Michael. Out of habit I push the button for the lobby. Since I am already getting off on the wrong floor, I walk into the center to gaze at the sculpture. To my right I hear raised voices coming from the entrance.  Involuntarily my body heads in that direction.

“Get the hell away from me Chuck and get the hell out of my building.” I can’t make out what Chuck says but Michael explodes. “I don’t give a shit, I don’t owe the bastard a thing. Tell him to stop having me followed. Leave my friends alone and most importantly don’t think of contacting my girlfriend! My life is off limits! Now get the fuck out!” Turning around Michael sees me. He looks menacing as he approaches me. He takes my arm and pulls me toward the elevator.

As soon as we are in the elevator he releases his grip. He is angry. I have never seen this side of him and quite frankly it’s frightening. Not wanting to re-ignite his anger I remain silent. We reach the third floor and I follow him out of the elevator. He marches to the conference room. I have to run to keep up with his pace. Once behind closed doors, he turns on me.

“What were you doing in the lobby?” His face is turning red and the veins at the side of his neck are raised. He is barely able to contain his anger.

“I was looking for you. I accident
ally pushed the first floor button. Since I was there I thought I would take another look at the sculpture before heading to our lunch date. I’m sorry Michael I didn’t mean to interrupt. I heard you yelling and my body just automatically sought you out.”

His face softens at my statement. He walks to me and cups my face in his hands.

“I’m sorry I scared you, I never want you to feel that way with me.”

My fear vanishes and I collapse into him. He wraps his arms around me and once again I hear him apologize.

“Karlie, I’m sorry, I’m so sorry.”

“Michael don’t, everything is all right.” He kisses me hard. I feel his desperation. I just want to hold him and comfort him forever. Whatever happened downstairs has shaken him. Breaking away, he guides me down a back stairwell.

“I owe you lunch.” And just like that the Michael I know is back. He takes me down two flights of stairs where the hotel kitchens are located. I can smell pasta and my stomach starts to growl. Sitting in the middle of the room is a table and two chairs. Fresh bread sits in the center of the table along with a pitcher of what appears to be iced tea. Michael helps me to my seat and settles himself across from me. We feast on spaghetti with meat sauce and hot bread. Looking at him, I cautiously venture into unknown territory.

“What happened today?” I ask tentatively.

“None of your business,” he answers curtly.

“Actually, as your gi
rlfriend, it is my business!” I snap back.

“Drop it Karlie,” h
e snarls.

“No, I won’t. If something is bothering you, it’s my business. I have never seen you so angry or so upset. Don’t push me away Michael.”

“Karlie, I asked you nicely, now I am telling you to stay the hell out of my life.”

I am speechless. Michael turns and storms out of the room. What have I done? Needing time to think, I head up the back stairs and sneak out the door to walk back to my hotel. My day is finished. There is no way I can be effective today.

The walk was uneventful, no hiding photographers, no sinister ex-boyfriends, just me and my thoughts. I am waiting for the smart girl to pipe in, to offer some advice, but she is silent.

The sun feels good on my skin and the warm breeze blows away the residual anger I am feeling. My thoughts are clear and the question that keeps coming to the forefront of my mind is, how can I hav
e a relationship with a man who won’t let me in? If I don’t know his past how can I be part of his future? Immediately I hear her screaming in my head.
That’s a double standard don’t you think? Are you ready to open your own can of worms? It’s a two-way street idiot.
It dawns on me in that moment that she is right. Sometimes our pasts are better left buried. I have broken into a place that he isn’t ready for me to enter. Maybe someday, but today was too soon. Walking into the lobby of my hotel it’s abundantly clear that I have made at least one other error. Standing in front of me are Michael and Tony. There is a mix of emotions on their faces with the greatest being anger. “Karlie, come here now!” Michael bellows.

Afraid to do anything but follow directions, I approach him cautiously. He firmly grasps my elbow and I am once again being tugged into an elevator. Tony turns to the elevator to follow us, but Michael stops him. “You can meet us upstairs later
,” he says gruffly. As the elevator door closes I begin to explain.

“It’s not Tony’s fault, you don’t need to be curt with him. After our fight, I left out of the side door and walked home. He had no idea that I had left. Why are you so mad? Everything is fine.”

“Everything is not fine Karlie, you behaved irresponsibly and you put yourself at risk. Tony is paid to know where you are every minute and he didn’t do his job. I will deal with that later, but right now all I want to do is shake some sense into you!”

“I’m fine, I don’t need a bodyguard. Everyone knows your dating me. I’m getting used to the press; it’s fine. The whole guard thing is weird Michael. I don’t want to have to give someone notice each time I leave my room. I need to be able to come and go as I please. It’s not Tony’s fault so when you “deal” with it later, make sure you remember that.”

“Karlie, you need protection. When you started dating me, things changed for you. I am sorry for that. Let’s go to your room so we can talk.”

I pace the length of my room, waiting for him to begin. “What do you want to say to me?” I don’t know why I am so angry but I am.

“Can you sit down? I can’t talk with you pacing like a caged animal.”

Walking to the chair across from where he is sitting, I curl up, clasping my legs to my chest.

“Why am I at risk?”

“The simple fact that you are connected to me puts you at risk. I am a gangster’s son Karlie. It doesn’t matter that I have nothing to do with him. I am the easiest way to hurt him and you’re the easiest way to hurt me. How long do you think Lloyds been my security advisor? He asks.

“I have no idea.”

“Since I was eight. The day my dad went to prison I got Lloyd. I can’t tell you how many attempts have been made on my life. That’s why you never see me without a security detail. I never go anywhere without them. It’s ultimately for my protection and the protection of the people I care about. Las Vegas has been a challenge; there are too many people and too many places to hide. Then you came along. It would kill me if something happened to you. I need to protect you Karlie. Do you understand what I am telling you? I am telling you that I care for you deeply. Let me protect you.”

“Michael, you can be so confusing. In one breath you care for me and in the next you’re yelling at me to stay out of your life. I can’t live like that. You can’t push me away and then pull me back in.”

I can see that I have wounded him, and my heart aches to know that I have caused him pain. Reaching over I take his hands in mine. Looking deeply into his eyes I speak the words that are in my heart. “There is something between us Michael and it is very powerful. I felt it the first time I laid eyes on you. I can’t describe it; the only word that comes close is love. I love you Michael. I’m sorry I made you angry today, I am sorry I pried into your business. Some things are better left buried. I understand that. I am happy when I am with you, happier than I have ever been. Just don’t push me away.”

Michael lifts me into his arms and smothers me with kisses. We still have things to resolve, but for now, he is where I want him to be; wrapped in my arms.

I’ve heard about make up sex and how great it can be. The residual passion and anger that’s left from a fight gets unleashed in the bedroom. It can be a very powerful experience. Michael and I tore at one another’s clothes until we were naked. We made love with unbridled passion. It was less about pleasing each other and more about obliterating the wall that had been erected between us. He pounded out his frustration on my flesh and I beat him down with my love. In the end we lay spent in each other’s arms.

“Promise me that you will allow Tony to do his job?” Michael asks. His voice is soft and calm. No longer angry, I can only sense his need to protect me.

“Does Tony still have a job? I feel terrible that I put his position in jeopardy.”

“Yes, he will still be assigned to you. I will make sure that he keeps out of sight as much as possible. I don’t want you to feel stifled. I just want you to be safe. Hopefully you will feel less threatened by his presence if he isn’t in your face all of the time.”

“Michael, maybe if I knew the danger I was facing, I would be more open to the idea of having Tony around.” Michael pulls me to his chest and holds me there before he begins to speak.

“I am going to tell you some things about me and my family. I hope it doesn’t send you running for the door, but you’re right, if we are going to have any chance at a relationship you have to know what you’re getting into. It’s no secret that I am the son of Vincent Scarpetti and Sophia Long. When I was six, my dad was arrested for murder, money laundering, bribing officials, drugs, you name it, he either did it, or was accused of doing it. He was facing a life sentence and in order to save himself, he testified against other members of the mob. There is one thing you have to know about the syndicate and that is you never rat anyone out. Three very important men went to prison because of his testimony. My dad has been in a secure facility in Arizona for over nineteen years. He has never served time with the general population because someone would have killed him. Since they haven’t been able to get him there, they have done their best to hurt him by going after my mom and me. When I was seven, my dad’s trial was in full swing. We had security back then; my dad had arranged for us to be watched. He was afraid for us. One day we went home to find one of our security guards missing and our house burned down. The guard was never heard from again. A clear message was sent that day. I was shipped off to my grandparents and my mom stayed here. Two separate targets would be harder to coordinate and my parents thought I would be safer in a smaller town. Lloyd became my full time security detail when I was eight. I didn’t find out until later that my mother had two near misses after the fire. One was a ruptured brake line and another was what the doctors called a severe case of food poisoning. If my mom had stayed she would be dead. She packed up, took all the money that wasn’t confiscated by the government and she disappeared. I became the ward of my grandparents, John and Edith Long. Over the years my dad has tried to contact me several times. Even as a child, I realized that I couldn’t have any connection to him. People who did, ended up in jail or dead. In spite of my refusal to see him, he was always lurking around. Powerful men have many resources and just because my dad was in jail didn’t mean he couldn’t get what he wanted. When I was eleven I heard my grandfather on the phone with someone. He was yelling at the person on the other end of the line. “You can’t see him, it’s not a good idea. Do you want to ruin his whole life? Don’t you threaten me.”  The following week my grandmother was gone. The police blamed it on slick roads, but I wasn’t convinced. My grandfather never said a thing. He continued to keep me close and well protected. To this day I believe my dad had something to do with her death.”

Michael stops for a minute to see how I am digesting all of this information. I give him a squeeze and tell him to continue.

“Several years later, I intercepted a letter from my dad. He was begging for me to visit him. He had indicated that it was well over his twentieth attempt to convince me to come and visit him. I had no idea, it was the first time I had ever heard from him. By now I was about sixteen and I hadn’t seen my parents for about ten years. When I thought of my dad it was always John Longs face that came to mind, not Vincent Scarpetti. Anyway, I had no interest in seeing the man who destroyed my life. He may have contributed to my DNA, but he was not my dad. He had taken my childhood, my home, my mother and possibly my grandmother from me. I made a conscious choice right then to write him off and re-take my life. I also made a conscious choice to bring honor to my name. For my eighteenth birthday grandpa helped me buy the building where Tempo is located. I had the building and we had some fine Calistoga land. Grandpa and I decided to give grapes a chance. Who would have thought that my refuge would be my greatest success? Wanting to stay close to home I went to college at Stanford and studied economics. Shortly after graduation while we were walking the fields, my grandfather collapsed and died from a heart attack. I would like to blame that on my dad as well. He did put enormous stress on my grandfather. I have no idea how much he sheltered me, but I could only imagine the weight of his burden was enormous. I inherited everything from my grandparents making me a fairly wealthy young man. I was determined to grow that small fortune into a big one. That’s when I traveled to Europe and peddled my grapes. My desire to open Tempo is strictly to prove that a Scarpetti can run a clean business in a town known for its dirtiness. Over the last few years, good ole dad has tracked me down and used every threat known to man to get me to come and see him. That was what today was about. Chuck, one of my dad’s minions threatened me with bodily harm if I didn’t go visit. Near the end of our conversation he mentioned seeing you in the paper and said it would be a shame if anything happened to your pretty face.”