Goodbye Isn't Forever (17 page)

Kandi,
still in the midst of his performance, watched the girls hop on stage and run
to the cake.  What the hell?  Can’t these people at least wait until
the grand finale?  This is the last damn time I’m jumping out of a cake!

Drew
yelled out as her feet came out from under her, sliding baseball style into
Toni, who, somehow, managed to fall face first into the massive cake. 
While the outside was decorated with layer upon layer of icing, the inside was
basically just a cardboard box that couldn’t support Toni’s crashing weight.

Sputtering
and arms flailing wildly, Toni was flinging icing everywhere as she tried to
stand up in the sugary mess.  Drew, trying to sit up, found herself
dodging flying icing.

“Stop
throwing it, Toni,” she yelled.  She scooped a handful of the sugary
confection and tossed it over her shoulder in disgust.

“Drew!”
Gaddy yelled as the icing hit her squarely in the face.  She tried to stop
running, but lost her balance on the icing-covered floor.

“Damn
it!” Kate grunted, as she soon found herself on top of Gaddy.

“Get
the hell off me, Kate,” Gaddy yelled, as she tried in vain to move in the
slippery substance.

“I’m
trying, Gaddy,” Kate answered, as another sugary ball hit her in the
face.  “Drew, quit throwing the damn icing!  I can’t see anything!”

“What? 
I’m not throwing it at you.  Where are you, anyway?  Shit!  I
can’t see, either!”  Drew yelled, as the icing Toni was flinging kept
hitting her in the face, too.  “Toni, is that you throwing that icing at
me?  Just stop it!”

Toni,
still trying to feel her way out of the mess, was getting agitated.  “I’m
not throwing this shit!  I’m trying to get out of it.  Who keeps
throwing it on me?”  She screamed as she threw another scoop out of her
way.

Kandi
had seen enough, and, grabbing his manager by the hand, led her off the stage
and out the door.  “Fucking children,” he ranted.  “If all they had
wanted to do was play in icing, then why the hell was I called in?”  He
glared at his manager.

“The
next time there is icing involved, you had better charge extra!” he spat out as
he stomped down the hall.

The
elevator dinged and Zand had to quickly side step to keep the irate, semi-clad
dancer from running over him.  No sooner had he stepped out, but was
knocked back in by the fuming manager.

“Sorry,”
she muttered, grabbing Zand to stabilize herself.

Alex,
who had been staring wide-eyed at the man who seemed to be wearing more icing
than anything else, looked for Zand, only to see him in the arms of a beautiful
brunette.

Too
stunned to speak, Alex watched as Zand quickly untangled himself, reached for
her hand, and pulled them out of the elevator, barely clearing the shutting
door.

“What
the hell was that?” Alex asked.

“A
partially iced piece of cake,” Zand joked, “and, apparently, its decorator.”

Alex
laughed.  “I guess.”  Then another thought hit her.  “Oh,
no.  If he looks like that, I’m almost afraid to see the others.”

“Especially
Toni?” Zand ventured, coming to a complete stop as he opened the door to the
pool area.

“What?”
Alex asked as she looked at Zand’s shocked face.

She
slowly joined Zand and looked, first in awe, at the stunning transformation of
the room, and then, in disbelief, as she focused on the stage.

Alex
and Zand both blinked several times as they tried to understand what they were
seeing.  Zand, giving up first, turned to Alex.

“What
exactly is that piled up mess on the stage?”

Alex
just closed her eyes and exhaled deeply.  She fervently wished that she
could give any other answer but the one she had.

“That
horrible pile of icing, arms, and legs, sadly, are my friends.”

Zand
studied the icing-encased forms as each tried unsuccessfully to stand.  He
thought that he could make out the blonde that had assaulted him earlier, but
then it looked like she had three legs, or maybe an extra arm.  Zand
shrugged and gave up his attempt.

Alex
smiled apologetically.  “Still in the mood for cake?”

Zand
smiled.  “Not so much.  Wasn’t that the entertainment that was so
charming on the elevator?”

“I think
it was.  It looks like the party is over.  I suppose we missed it.”

“Oh,
no, Alex!  Whatever will we do now?” Zand teased.

Alex
grinned, as she took Zand’s hand, leading him back the way they came.

“Let’s
go back to the suite.  Maybe we can come up with something to do there.”

Zand
smiled broadly, “You think so?”

Alex
leaned over and kissed Zand’s lips.

“Oh,
yeah, Gabriel.  I think.  I definitely think!”

Gaddy’s
guests had soon grown weary of watching the confection-encrusted group perform
their slip-n-slide routine on stage, and had left to find entertainment
elsewhere.  The fiasco had continued for a while, until Gaddy had barked
enough orders to enable her to regain her footing.  She helped the others
to their feet, and, with barely a modicum of dignity, they made their way off
the stage and back to the suite.

Each
woman was grateful for the private elevator.  To be the recipient of
public gawking and humiliation was not on anyone’s list for a good time.

Not
until the last of the icing had been thoroughly washed away, did the girls feel
a little more congenial.  They had all settled in the living room and each
one had found a comfortable spot to lounge.

“So,
Toni,” Kate ventured, “do you feel the need for any more dessert?”

Toni
turned a little pale.  “Please don’t mention that word or the four-letter
one, either!”

“What
four-letter word, Toni?” Drew asked.

“Yeah,
Toni, what four-letter word?” Gaddy repeated, grinning.  “If we can’t say
four-letter words anymore, then most of your vocabulary will be useless.”

Kate
laughed out loud.  “I think, Drew, that Toni is referring to...”

Toni
covered her ears before Kate could speak.  “No, no, please.  Don’t
say it!”

Gaddy
had watched with amusement at Toni’s antics.  “Well, I do believe that we
have found the magic word for Toni, at least for today.”

Kate
nodded her head in agreement.  “Yes, I think so.”  Kate looked at
Gaddy and grinned.  “Should we make today a quiet-Toni day?”

“Oh,
yes!  I couldn’t agree more,” Gaddy enthused.

“A
what?  Why can’t I say….”

“C-a-k-e,”
Gaddy spelled, effectively cutting Toni off.

“Oh,
God,” Toni groaned, covering her ears.  “Even the spelling is nauseating.”

Drew
couldn’t resist and had to try for herself.  “Toni, what is wrong with the
word, cake?”

Toni
grabbed her stomach and ran down the hall.

Kate
and Gaddy both stretched out on opposite couches.

“Oh,
how sweet is this?  Today is going to be a relaxing day, after all,” Kate
remarked lazily.

“Yes,
it is,” Gaddy agreed.  “And who knew that an innocent four-letter word
would give us such power.”

Toni
walked back into the room and heard Gaddy’s statement.  “That is not nice,
Gaddy.”

“What
is not nice, Toni?  C-a,” Kate began.

“Damn
it!” Toni complained as she ran back down the hall.

The
girls laughed as they watched a very pale Toni run back to the bathroom.

“Oh,
this is just too much fun,” Gaddy crooned.

“Isn’t
it?  We need to milk it for all it’s worth before the effect wears off.”

“Oh,
milk!” Drew exclaimed.  “That’s a four-letter word, too.

Gaddy
shook her head and was preparing to explain when she caught Kate’s eye.

“Don’t
bother, Gaddy,” Kate advised.  Looking over at Drew, Kate smiled. 
“Drew, you are so pretty.”

Gaddy
agreed. “Yes, Drew.  You are very pretty.”

Drew
blushed and buried her head in the soft cushions of the lounger, already
forgetting her comment.  “Oh, you two!”

“Yes,”
Kate mumbled as she closed her eyes.  “A very relaxing day indeed.”

#

Alex
and Zand were in their own little world inside of the neighboring suite. 
They had eventually left the sanctuary of the bedroom and were lounging
comfortably on the couch.  Sharing a bottle of wine, they were reveling in
the comfortable silence.

“Zand,”
Alex couldn’t help but ask the question that had been on her mind.  “Why
are you here?”

Zand
swallowed his sip and sat the glass down on the table.  “Judith insisted I
use her place,” Zand shrugged, as he looked around.  “I saw no need to
pass up this kind of hospitality.”

Alex
sat her wine glass down as well.  “Yes, it’s beautiful, but not what I
meant.  Just to clarify, let me rephrase the question.  Why are you
here in L.A.?”

Zand
stood up and crossed the room to gaze out the large windows.  He thought
that he was prepared for this conversation, but now he wasn’t so sure. He had
made the decision without Alex in his life.  He had not expected to meet
up with her so soon, and with such promising results.  Now, Zand wanted to
let Alex in on his little secret.  He had thought of nothing else for
several years, and now that the plan was in motion, he was wondering if he
should have waited.  Would Alex understand?

Zand
realized there was only one way to find out.  With a deep breath, he
walked back over to the couch and stopped in front of Alex.  Smiling, he
extended his hand to Alex and pulled her to her feet beside him.

Gazing
into her eyes, Zand leaned in for a kiss.  “I could tell you, but I think
it will be better if I just show you.”

Alex
answered with a low laugh, “Gabriel, surely you are not using that old ‘I have
something to show you’ line?  Not that I would mind seeing it again, but I
think that I can safely say that I have already seen it all.”

Zand
raised an eyebrow and grinned at Alex.  “That may be so, but, trust me
when I say that I still have a trick or two up my sleeve.”  Zand kept a
hold on Alex’s hand and led her down the hall.  Alex was laughing
seductively at Zand’s secrecy, but stopped abruptly when he bypassed the master
suite and stood in front of the closed guest room door.

“Well,
this is new.  Are we trying out new surroundings?  Or, do you have
some hidden fetish that I don’t know about?  Should I be scared at what is
on the other side of this door?” Alex teased.

Zand
could only laugh nervously.  “Alex, not everything is about sex.  Do
you want to know why I am here in L.A., or not?”

Alex
studied Zand.  The playfulness had left his eyes and was replaced by
something that Alex couldn’t identify.  Hesitancy?  Fear? 
Excitement?  These emotions were evident as they crossed Zand’s
face.  But, there was something else.

Alex
licked her lips as nervousness set in.  She felt Zand tighten his grip on
her hand and knew that Zand was nervous as well.  Not many things could
make Zand Gabriel nervous.  Alex gathered her nerves, and looked Zand
straight in the eyes.

“Are
you ready?” Zand asked, trying to exude a confidence that he didn’t feel.

Alex
slightly smiled.  She and Zand had made a lot of headway in a short period
of time.  Were their feelings strong enough to endure this secret
agenda?  Alex could only hope as she nodded her head and watched Zand
slowly reach out for the doorknob.

She
hadn’t realized that she had closed her eyes until Zand whispered, “Alex, what
do you think?”

Alex
slowly opened her eyes and peered inside the now illuminated bedroom.  She
knew immediately what she was seeing as she slowly entered the room.  She
turned to look at Zand, who had stayed inside of the doorway while Alex looked
around.

“Zand?”
Alex asked as she looked again at the object.  Tears were stinging the
backs of her eyes as she was transformed to another place, and another
time.  Alex tried to blink back the tears and turned to face her former
campmate.

Staring
intently at one another, Alex could only whisper, “Why, Zand?  Why?”

Tears
flowed freely from Zand’s eyes as he walked past Alex and stared at the object
that had haunted him for so many years.  He smiled faintly as he
remembered the long hours that he and Alex had poured into their camp project.

As
Alex slowly approached from behind, Zand glanced back and smiled.  “I was
amazed then at your sheer genius in designing this gallery, Alex.  Looking
at it again, I am just as impressed.”

Alex
stood beside Zand and admired their handiwork from years past.  It had
been a labor of love for her.  Had Zand suspected?  Was that why it
was here now?

“You
still haven’t answered my question, Zand,” Alex pressed.

Zand
turned until he stood face to face with Alex.  He grinned sheepishly as he
wiped the tears from his face.  “I have ulterior motives for bringing you
in here.  The first, is to remind you of the project that we completed
together.  And the second, is to legally ask your permission.”

Puzzled,
Alex could only stare at Zand.  “Permission for what?”

Zand
reached beside the model and lifted a previously unnoticed manila
envelope.  He opened it and removed an important looking document from
inside.  Handing it over to Alex, he could only offer a slight smile.

“I
think that it is self-explanatory, Alex.  Judith insisted that we go
through her legal department, so a few simple lines turned in to five very long
pages, full of legal jargon,” Zand added, chuckling.

Alex
started to read the formal print and decided it could wait.  She had
attorneys of her own who could look this over for her.  Right now, she had
more pressing matters at hand.

“It
should be in order, Alex.  Did we leave something out?”  Zand looked
concerned as he watched Alex put the paper back in the envelope.

“I
am sure if Judith’s team wrote it, then nothing would be left out.  Just
give me the gist of it, Zand.  I will read all of the fine print later,
okay?  What do you need my permission for?”

Zand
started to fidget.  He was prepared for Alex to read the documents and
then he would answer any questions.  He wasn’t prepared for Alex’s nonchalant
handling of such an important issue for him.

Alex
put the envelope on the table and studied the model that she had designed for
Zand.  Beside it was an architectural drawing of the same model, but Alex
noticed some changes in the outside details.  Landscaping had been added
for more curb appeal and the overall effect was even better than the
original.  She studied the interior and found little, if any, changes had
been made.  She glanced at the name of the architect and recognized it as
one she sometimes used for elaborate set models.  Alex was always
impressed with their work, and, as she studied the blueprints, she realized
that this was no exception.

Zand
approached silently from behind and peered over Alex’s shoulder at the
blueprints.

“That
firm had the best reputation and I only wanted the best.  And they seemed
to be willing to take on something as innovative as this gallery.  Jim,
the main architect on this project, was impressed with the model you
designed.  He seems to know you,” Zand’s voice betrayed him as he let the
statement hang in the air.

Alex
grinned at the insinuation behind the alluding question.  Jim Hardy was a
very attractive man in his late thirties.  He was single and had women
chasing him wherever he went.  She had rebuffed an offer or two from him
in the past until he realized that she was not interested in him.  Alex
didn’t mix her personal life with her business persona.  Once Jim had
understood how firm she stood on her principals, they had remained friends and
Alex liked to use him for jobs whenever possible.

“Yes,
Jim and I go way back, Zand.  He has an excellent reputation that is well
deserved, don’t you agree?”  Alex turned until she was facing Zand. 
She studied his expression and couldn’t suppress the grin at the look on Zand’s
face.  “No.”

Zand
looked puzzled.  “No?”

“No,
Jim and I are strictly platonic,” Alex shrugged.  “Besides, he is not my
type.  We have a wonderful business relationship and sometimes we end up
making the same rounds socially.”  Alex paused as a thought suddenly
occurred to her.  “He has a beautiful partner.  Perhaps she is your
type?”

“What? 
No, she is not my type, Alex.”

Alex
recalled what Toni had said about him.  “Of course, your reputation does
seem to precede you, doesn’t it?”

Zand
studied Alex’s expression.  He knew that this topic would come up sooner
or later.  “Alex, I have been with my share of women.  I do admit
that, but I am not the player that so many assume that I am.  For some
reason, if I have one dance with a woman, then she is added to my list of
supposed conquests.” Zand shrugged.  “I like to dance and unwind. 
Sometimes sex has followed, but most of the time it hasn’t.  I seem to get
credit for it whether I do it or not.”

“I
have seen the pictures, Zand.  One beautiful woman after another on your
arm at news worthy events.  It seems to fit the role of a player, doesn’t
it?”

“Yes,
it does,” Zand conceded.  “But I do have a lot of women friends that are
just that.  Friends.  I admit that most of them are quite stunning,
but it doesn’t mean that we slept together.  I don’t like to ruin a
friendship with sex.  It always happens unless you know without a doubt
that there is something there worth the risk.”  Zand realized what he had
said the moment the words left his mouth.  He glanced at Alex and knew
that she had caught it.

“What
are you trying to say, Zand?  Is there something there that is worth the
risk?” Alex asked uncertainly.

At
the look on Zand’s face, she added sardonically, “Or, rather, am I another one
of those friendships that you so nonchalantly mentioned and just ruined with
sex?”  Alex waited as the silence grew.  “Damn it, Zand!” she
muttered as she walked past him.

Before
Zand could gather his wits and answer, Alex had already left the room.