Chapter 5
Pat
When I first met Bill, I’d have told you I had a beast between my legs and even towards the end, he was good in the bedroom. Hewasa beast. But the beast I had between my legs now was something entirely different. The way it moved, the power I could feel emanating from it, the heat…
“This is great!” Jan called out. “You’re rocking this thing, baby!”
I turned enough to see him grin at me. I couldn’t help but grinning myself — I was driving up a mountain slope in Maui, sun blazing down on me, rainforest around me. And between my legs was a red Victory bike. It certainly felt like a victory, too!
A mere six weeks ago I had been cast as Victoria inSpeed Bumps, a detective series set in Maui and since then, my life had been a whirlwind. I had to get a motorbiking license, I was fitted for my wardrobe, I had to learn my lines for a sixty-minute pilot episode and I had to work with a voice coach on my accent. In between all this, I had my regular clients to see to and I landed the lead in the indie film which would go into production as soon as I got back to L.A.
I’d arrived in Maui three days ago and had since explored the island with one of the stuntmen who’d also been tasked with making sure I could drive in certain locations. This was one of those locations — we’d shoot a scene up here in a few days’ time.
“Time to head back to the hotel?” I asked Jan. He was driving next to me and given we weren’t driving very fast, it was possible to have a conversation in this desolate area. I was getting tired and filming would start in the morning.
“Sure, I could do with a cocktail and some food!” Jan shot back. “Race you there?”
I laughed. We both knew that I’d race at the speed of a tortoise. While I’d managed to get a motorbike license fast thanks to the fact that I once used to drive a scooter and, of course, had a full driver’s license, I was nowhere near ready to speed unless necessary. I had to learn to drive on the freeway, but that was not as thrilling as it was unsettling. I loved speed when sitting securely in a car, but on a bike…
So, when Jan turned around a bit further up the road and shot down the hill, I followed at my own pace. I was enjoying the scenery, the sun and the liberation of being on a bike. That was the best thing about it. That and being clad in leather. It gave you a whole new level of sex appeal! I always liked a sexy cocktail dress, but my everyday wear consisted of figure hugging jeans and cozy sweaters. Leather took things to an unprecedented dimension!
Once I got to the hotel, I parked, got out of my helmet and walked towards the elevator. The elevator opened as I was a meter away, a man in front of me stepping inside, so I took a few hasty steps and ran into the elevator behind him. As the doors closed, he turned.
“Oh, hi,” I said.
Jeff looked me up and down, an amused smile dangling on his lips.
“Hello yourself,” he replied.
I shifted uncomfortably. I was enraged the last time I saw him. As I got home that night and sat down on my porch, I tried to blame it on the Santa Ana. The wind had been shaking the palm trees; hot gusts of air making dust swirl around. Everyone knew that when the Santa Ana was blowing, all bets were off. Anything could happen. It was believed that people went a bit mad. Sort of like a full moon madness, but science had tried to debunk the effect of the full moon. To my knowledge, no one had managed to debunk the Santa Ana though.
If Jeff thought he could sleep with me because he gave me an audition, he deserved my anger and then some…but if he just wanted to sleep with me, because well, he was Jeff: he liked sleeping with women then… My anger wasn’t right. I wanted to text him and apologize, but what if I were right and he did turn into one of those idiots who thought women would sleep with him just because he had some power? Besides, I was happy to find a friend and he’d…he’d just ruined it all. I didn’t want to become one of his many conquests. I knew what happened to them — within three weeks the fling would be over.
“I didn’t know you were getting in today, assuming that’s what you did?” I said, mainly to have something to say. Elevators are weird places where you feel stupid speaking and stupid not speaking.
“Yeah, I just got to the hotel an hour ago. Had a swim and a snack by the bar.”
Jeff looked genuinely happy, dressed in shorts and a t-shirt, water dripping from his hair that looked as black as it’d been in his twenties when it was wet. He was the kind of guy who could appreciate a swim and a bite to eat — he always enjoyed simple things like that. He was a California boy through and through, even though he’d been born and bred elsewhere. He always used to say that if you can surf before going to work, you’re a lucky man.
A twinge of regret made itself felt within me. Had Jeff really thought I’d sleep with him just because of the part? The man I used to know would never have thought that. But people change, I reminded myself. Bill had changed. The Bill I married would have never slept with a prostitute.
“Nice,” I replied. I didn’t really know what else to say.
Jeff looked me up and down once more.
“I see you’re getting into character.”
I nodded.
“Enjoying yourself?” He asked.
I smiled.
“Yes, this place is great.”
“And the biking?”
“Yeah, that’s great, too. I guess I’m not really a racing driver, or as cool as Victoria with a bike though…I prefer driving slowly and taking in the scenery.”
