Unleash Me, Vol. 1 (Unleash Me, Annihilate Me Series) (25 page)

CHAPTER
FOURTEEN

Once we were inside, I looked at the
crowds ahead of us, and saw that the space and the turnout were massive.
 
There must have been two hundred people
here, all mixing and mingling, some of whom were actors and actresses I
recognized on sight.
 
If people
weren
’
t
mixing, then they were either dancing on the dance floor, where an orchestra
played, or they were at the generous bar to our left, where dozens were waiting
for a drink.
 

We moved toward the crowd.
 
And as we did, I admired the first floor
of West
’
s
townhouse, which obviously had been designed for entertainment since the first
floor essentially was one long rectangular room.
 
It was a huge, decadent space designed
to impress.
 

Everything was on point
—
from
the dark paneled walls to the warm lighting from the sconces on those walls and
the massive chandeliers that glimmered above us.
 
Original paintings were prominent, and
despite how many people were here, the noise-level was somehow surprisingly
manageable.

“
This
is amazing,
”
I
said.

“
He
knows how to do it.
 
Would you like
a glass of champagne?
”

“
Not
strong enough.
 
Martini for me.
”

“
I
hear you.
 
I
’
ll have the same.
 
Let
’
s go to the bar.
 
A waiter will take too long.
”

We started to move forward, but then
he hesitated.
 
“
And already it begins,
”
he
murmured to me.
 
“
Epifania Zapopa just
spotted me.
”

“
What
’
s an Epifania Zapopa?
”

“
A
woman I dated briefly a year ago.
 
It didn
’
t
end well, so if she comes over here, it might not go well.
 
You should be aware of that.
 
Just so you
’
re prepared, here
’
s what you need to
know about her in thirty seconds.
 
She once was married to the financier Charles Stout, now deceased, and
thirty-five years her senior.
 
Before they married, they were involved in a scandal.
 
Epifania ran the Stout household for
Binkie, Charles
’
first wife and the mother of his estranged children.
 
She fell into an affair with Charles one
evening when he asked Epifania to bring him two scoops of ice cream in the
library.
 
Binkie caught them doing
it doggy-style on the priceless Aubusson rug she inherited from her
great-grandfather, which was ruined by smeared ice cream and bodily fluids.
 
She filed for divorce and took Charles
for over $250 million.
”

“
Did
he leave Epifania anything?
”

“
To
say the least.
 
They married right
after his divorce, and she stayed with him until his death.
 
Rumor has it she walked away with at
least $500 million.
 
Maybe more if
you consider Stout
’
s
property holdings.
 
She
’
s one of the
wealthiest people here tonight
—
and
one of the craziest.
 
You
’
ll see.
 
In these circles, Epifania isn
’
t just the slut who
broke up the Stout household.
 
In a
cheap way, she also can be the unexpected life of the party, especially if she
’
s given the right
platform and enough tequila laid bare on an empty stomach.
 
Once, I saw her manage to shimmy around
Stout to Felicia Sander
’
s
cabaret version of
‘
Fly
Me to the Moon.
’”
 

“
How
is that even possible?
”

“
With
Epifania, anything is possible.
”

“
She
’
s coming this way.
”

“
So,
she is.
 
And she looks as lost as
ever.
 
As beautiful and chic as she
is, she always seems out of place in this crowd because she is, in fact, out of
place.
 
While society can
’
t fully shun Charles
Stout
’
s
widow because of the sheer amount of money she has, they absolutely can be cool
toward her.
 
She
’
s a woman with no
education and who was little more than a common maid, in their eyes, when the
truth about her affair with Stout was made public.
 
She
’
s Mexican and her English isn
’
t so great, so you
’
ll need to listen closely to her.
”

“
Papi!
”
Epifania
said as she walked toward us.
 
She
extended her arms toward him as she cut through the crowd.
 
She was stunning in her black,
form-fitting gown and long, flat-ironed black hair.
 
“
I didn
’
know
you come tonight.
 
What
surprise.
 
It been too long.
 
Give Epifania a kiss.
 
That
’
s right.
 
We
’
re all better, no?
”

“
We
’
re fine, Epifania.
”

“
Good,
because I can tell you this.
 
You
never know which way fart is gonna blow when Epifania is in the room.
”
 
She looked at me.
 
“
Who is this?
 
Why she look so familiar?
”

“
This
is Lisa Ward,
”
Marco
said.
 
“
My new author.
 
We
’
re here tonight because Julian has expressed interest in
her new book.
 
He might turn it into
a movie.
”

“
Whatcha
book called?
”

“‘
I,
Zombie.
’”

“
¡
Ay,
caramba!
 
Epifania
no like the zombie.
 
They freak her
out.
 
How you even sleep at night?
”

“
Let
’
s just say that I have
a very tall, very well-built boyfriend who makes me feel safe at night.
”

She cocked her head at Boss.
 
“
So, you two a team?
 
You making the sexy times with him?
”
 
She
winked at me.
 
“
Big package on that
one, no?
”

I flushed.
 
“
No, no,
”
I
said.
 
“
Marco and I aren
’
t seeing each
other.
 
I
’
m seeing Tank.
”

She looked down at Marco
’
s crotch.
 
“
Is that what you call that python in his pants?
 
Tank?
 
I see why, cookie.
 
That boy huuuuuge.
 
Epifania date him once.
 
But it
’
s all good.
 
We
friends now.
 
No worries.
 
We move on.
”

“
I
think there
’
s
been some confusion,
”
I
said, determined to set her straight.
 
“
My
boyfriend
’
s
name is Tank.
 
Actually, that
’
s his nickname.
 
His real name is Mitch.
 
I
’
m not dating Marco.
 
I
’
m
dating Mitch.
”

“
Oh,
”
she
said, almost with a sense of disappointment.
 
“
Well, you should date this one, too.
 
He good in bed.
”
 
She looked over at him.
 
“
You used to fuck Epifania till she saw two moons, new
universes, and exploding stars.
”

“
Epifania,
”
Marco
said.

“
Well,
it true.
”

“
We
should probably get a drink,
”
he
said.

“
Now
Epifania get the brush off.
 
She
always get the brush off.
”

“
We
just want to get a drink before we meet with Julian.
 
It was great seeing you.
”
 
He leaned forward and kissed her on
each cheek.
 
“
Seriously.
”

“
Fine.
 
But you two should be couple.
 
Think about it.
 
You look good together.
 
Epifania can feel the heat.
”
 
She held up her hands when Marco
cleared his throat.
 
“
I know, I know
—
Epifania
have no filter.
 
Whatever.
 
She say what she means.
”

And with that, she slipped back into
the crowd.

I looked at Marco with a sense of
exposure and embarrassment
—
after
that, I knew
way
too much about my editor.

“
Well,
that was uncomfortable,
”
I
said.

“
You
think?
”

“
Sounds
like she
’
s
missing something.
”

“
Like
a screw?
”

“
I
wonder how you mean that
…”

He looked down at me.
 
“
Seriously?
”

“
I
don
’
t
know.
 
Somewhere within her, it
’
s clear that there
’
s a deep ache for
something she doesn
’
t have
in her life.
 
There was a whole lot
of missing going on there.
”

“
Hilarious.
”

“
Martini?
”
I
asked.

“
Yes,
”
he
said.
 
“
And fast.
”

CHAPTER FIFTEEN

When we arrived at the bar, Marco was
so tall that he towered over the rest of the crowd and caught a bartender
’
s eye almost at
once.
 
He looked at me.
 
“
Gin or vodka?
”

“
Vodka,
but with a twist.
”