Searching for Moore (24 page)

Mia held her hand out, it was still shaking. “Was my voice shaking on the call?”

“No. You sounded so in control. I think that is what totally unnerved her,” he was clearly pleased.

Kami sat in the extra chair, “Is anyone going to tell me what I missed?”

Mia looked at Seth, giving him the go-ahead to start, “Schooner’s wife just called Mia.”

“Nooooo…” Kami’s eyes were like saucer’s. Her mouth hanging open.

“Yesssss…” Was the stereo response she got in return.

“What did she want?”

“She wants Mia to stay away from Schooner.” Seth hissed.

“What is this? High School?” Kami was clearly astounded.

“Guess she still thinks it’s freshman year in college and that she can still intimidate me. The M.O. worked for her back then. Fucking deluded bitch.”

“So what did you say?”

Seth continued for Mia, “She was brilliant. Totally in control.” Mia handed Kami her legal pad so that she could see what she the notes she was writing herself during the call. “She accused Mia of stealing Schooner and Mia told her not to mistake her husband leaving her for him being stolen away.” Seth and Mia screamed and laughed.

“You didn’t?”

Mia laughed, “If Seth says I did, then I did. I honestly don’t even know what I said to her. I just went into auto-pilot. I was trying really hard not to get baited and at one point,” Mia stopped to laugh, “I informed her that I was recording the call.”

Kami clapped her hands together, “Brilliant and evil. I love it!”

“Oh, oh, oh…” Seth went on with a point he remembered, “She said she wasn’t letting him go and Mia told her he was already gone.”

“How did it end?” Kami asked.

“Mia told her she couldn’t let her go on embarrassing herself and click, pressed the speakerphone button and the evil witch was gone.”

“Holy crap. What possessed her? I can’t imagine her lawyer would have advised it.” Kami just shook her head, “Yoli hates her. She is so thrilled Schooner left her. From what I can gather, CJ doesn’t give Yoli the time of day and looks down her nose at her.”

“Sounds like typical CJ.” Mia concurred, “She and her pageant-girl friends hated me and my friends at school because we were different.”

“Are you going to tell Schooner about the call?” Seth’s eyes were suddenly very serious again.

“No.” Mia shook her head.

“Why not?” Kami was clearly surprised.

“Schooner is very protective. I think he’ll have a kneejerk reaction and call her and go ape shit and that is just what she wants. She wants to get to him. She wants to get to us.”

“BBC, do not keep things from him. Seriously, the last time you didn’t tell him about a little visit from her, look what it cost the two of you. Please tell me you learned from that mistake.”

Mia sat back and listened to Seth’s words. He was right. She could not let CJ come between them again. “Ok, I’ll tell him.”

Kami chimed in, “Mia, seriously. If Schooner finds out from CJ that you two spoke and that you didn’t tell him about it, it will be a huge breach of trust for the two of you. You can’t give her that power.”

Mia had not even considered that, “Thanks, guys. You are right. I’ll tell Schooner about it tonight. I don’t want to ruin his day and I don’t want him going off on her,” she laughed, “So I’ll tell him in bed or something… when he’s, err, compromised.” Mia smiled her devilish grin.

As they walked in the cold, brisk air down Sixth Avenue taking in the sounds and smells and movement of Manhattan on a winter’s night, Schooner commented to Mia how refreshing it was to be able to walk everywhere.

“I think we don’t even realize how much fresh air and exercise we get here because we don’t get in a car to go everywhere. It just becomes the norm and you don’t think about it.” Mia had her arm around Schooner’s waist and was smushing into him for warmth.

“I really like just being able to walk outside and get everything I want,” he laughed, “I can’t believe I’m turning into a city boy.”

“You’ve always had a city boy’s soul,” Mia commented and he pulled her closer to him. “So, I think you are going to love Charles and Gaby’s place. They have the bottom two floors of a brownstone, so they have a little backyard. It’s amazing to have outdoor space in the city.”

“Am I going to want to buy one of these, too?” Schooner laughed.

“I don’t know, Mr. Real Estate Mogul — opening a health club in New York City and buying a beach house on Fire Island, while going through a divorce would be pretty financially strapping, I would think.” Mia looked up at Schooner. She could see he was doing some sort of inventory in his mind.

“What do brownstones sell for?”

“It depends on neighborhood, condition, size. Here in The West Village, where these guys are, I’d say anywhere from $5 million on the low end to probably about $25 million.”

He laughed, “That’s quite a range. Having a little outdoor space sounds amazing though. A hot tub and a grill — what else do you need?”

“Schooner?” They heard a woman calling and turned toward the voice.

A very recognizable Katie Holmes and her daughter Suri were rapidly approaching. Katie was wearing a surprised smile.

“What are you doing in New York?” She asked, kissing him on both cheeks.

“Katie, how are you? I’m living here now, actually I’m kind of bi-coastal these days.” He pulled Mia close, “Katie, I’d like to introduce my fiancé, Mia Silver.”

“So nice to meet you, Mia. Congratulations, to you both. Any chance we’ll get an L9 here in the city now that you’ve become one of us?” Katie was looking for the scoop.

Schooner gave her the All-American boy smile, “Well, I’m planning on spending the lion’s share of my time here now, so…” his voice trailed off.

The pops and bright strobes of camera flashes ended their moment as the paparazzi descended on Katie and Suri, taking photos of the four of them.

Katie rolled her eyes and sighed, “It’s a school night, we’d better get going.” She gave Schooner a kiss on the cheek and Mia a hug, “I hope to see a lot more of you both now that you’re here in New York! And congratulations,” she called as they headed down the street.

Mia smiled up at Schooner with her devil grin and raised eyebrows. “Fiancé?”

He pulled her close to him, “Mmm-hmm.”

“Did I miss the memo?” She laughed as they turned onto West 11th Street.

“Wow, I love this block!” Schooner’s eyes started searching the brownstone lined street, “I really love this.”

“Well, maybe if Katie Holmes invites all her New York friends to join L9 we can afford to live here. And… you changed the subject on me!”

He laughed and hugged her into him, “I actually wanted to tell her what I really feel.”

“Oh, and what is that, Mr. Moore?”

“That you’re my wife,” he leaned down kissed the top of her head, “but I unfortunately can’t say that just yet.” Mia didn’t look up at him, she looked straight ahead and kept walking. The morning’s phone conversation with CJ was weighing heavily on her, as she knew that was a conversation they had to have… later.

“We’re here,” she said brightly, as they climbed the stone steps to the brownstone’s main entrance and rang the bell.

Charles answered the door, holding in his arms a beautiful doe-eyed little girl with long silky dark brown hair and a cloud-chasing smile. She was already dressed for bed, wearing Little Mermaid footie pajamas.

“Auntie Meezie,” she flew out of Charles’ arms into Mia’s. Mia covered her face in kisses, as she giggled.

“What are you doing still awake, my little angel-pie?”

“Papa said you could put me to bed.”

“Oh, did he now?” Mia continued to kiss her, “You smell so good, I’m going to eat you.”

Schooner and Charles shook hands and exchanged greetings as they entered the front hall vestibule, “Paola, I want you to meet someone very special. This is Schooner.”

She gave him a shy smile and Mia whispered in her ear, “Isn’t he cute?” Eliciting a round of giggles.

Gaby appeared in the hallway behind them, flowing in gracefully, as only Gaby could. Charles had met Gabriella Rossetti on a photo shoot in Positano, Italy when she was modeling for the Elite Modeling Agency out of her hometown of Milan. He was providing security for Gaby and four other models and was totally entranced the moment he laid eyes on her. Tall and willowy with a sheath of shiny dark hair, expressive luminous dark eyes and olive skin, Charles knew that he was not leaving Italy without her.

After the shoot had wrapped up, he didn’t go back to the States with the rest of the security detail, but instead followed her back to Milan where she was still living in the family’s ancestral home. Her father was leery of the tall, quiet American who was coming around to see his daughter, until one Friday night, when Charles was welcomed to join the older man for Friday night services at the local synagogue. As Charles recited all the prayers in Hebrew, Giancarlo Rossetti warmed to the young man, who was about to become a fixture in their home. Three months later Charles and Gaby were married.

“Mia,” she embraced Mia warmly, kissing her on both cheeks, “I have missed you.”

“Gaby, this is Schooner.” Gaby smiled up at him and greeted him with a kiss to each cheek.

“I am very pleased to meet you, Schooner. Charles has told me much about you,” she turned to Mia and Paola, “I think it’s bed time. Auntie Meezie and I will put you to bed now.”

Charles held up a bottle of Johnny Walker Blue, “Schooner, will you join me?”

“I knew I liked you, Man!” Schooner laughed, as he took in the charm of the brick walls and working fireplace and original ceiling medallions. Mia could see the real estate lust in his eyes.

“We’re going to need this,” Charles informed, “we’re on grill duty out back.” They clinked glasses and then shared the look men have on their faces when that first stream of single malt Scotch begins it’s satisfying burn southward.

Gaby and Mia headed down the wide mahogany staircase with Paola. Her room was Classic Winnie the Pooh and stuffed animals lined the floor. They tucked her and a very bedraggled yellow stuffed rabbit into her youth bed with its white eyelet comforter. Then both sat down on her tiny bed.

“Your Schooner, he is so handsome, Mia.”

Mia smiled and nodded, “Yes, he is.”

“Charles tells me that you know him since you were young,” she tossed her long sheath of hair over her shoulders.

“I was sixteen when we met.”

Gaby’s eyes widened, “He was your first love, Mia.”

Mia nodded at her friend.

“He looks at you with such love, this Schooner.” Gaby was smiling at her friend.

“We ran into Katie Holmes and Suri Cruise on our way over here. Katie knows Schooner from his health clubs in LA. He introduced me as his fiancé. I almost fell over.”

Gaby grabbed Mia’s hand and squeezed it, “He is the one, I know this.”

“Gab, he’s been the one since I was sixteen.”

“This is so romantic.”

Mia rolled her eyes, “More like tragic. We missed 24 years of each other’s lives.”

She shrugged as she stroked Paola’s hair. The little girl was fighting to keep her eyes open and listen to the conversation, “That is the past. Now you have forever. This Schooner is very much in love with you, Mia. I can see that. And you, this is your love.”

Mia smiled at Gaby, “Yes, this is my love.”

Mia and Schooner walked back up Sixth Avenue, arms around one another talking about their evening.

“I belong here,” Schooner ventured, “people are real. It’s not about the bullshit or show. This city and the people,” he gave Mia a hug into him, “this is me.”

She looked up at him, “You feel at home here, don’t you?”

He nodded, “Just the way I have always felt right with you, I feel that way in this environment. I was more comfortable tonight hanging out with Charles and Gaby than I have been hanging with anyone I know in Newport Beach. Tonight felt like I’d been hanging out with everyone my whole life. I didn’t feel like the “new guy” in the bunch.”

Mia smiled, “That makes me happy.”

“Me too, Baby Girl,” he kissed the top of her head.

They were holding hands and swinging arms, like kids, when they walked into the building. The doorman and the guard at the front desk smiled widely at them.

Mia leaned up against Schooner as they waited for the elevator, snuggling into his side. As they got in and the doors closed, he backed her to the corner and tilted her chin up, “I could not wait to get you home tonight.” He put a hand on her lower back and pulled her up against him, his erection pressing hard into her stomach. Mia’s arms went around Schooner’s neck pulling his mouth down to hers, threading her fingers through his hair. The elevator doors opened and he grabbed her hand, pulling her down the hall, breathless, stumbling and laughing.

Schooner fumbled with his keys, trying to get them into the lock, “Sticky fingers?” Mia teased.

He turned to her, hooded eyes and a sexy smile, “we’ll see who’s got sticky fingers soon.”

They made it through the door, peeled off their jackets and gloves, Schooner had Mia backed up against the inside of the door. He pulled her hands above her head, his palms flat on her palms, pressing the backs of her hands against the hard, cold wood of the door. He ground his hips into hers and kept his lips hovering near hers. She lunged for his lips and he pulled his head back, taunting her, just out of reach. She tried to pull her hands away so that she could grab his head, but he held them immobile above her head. She was panting, out of breath, wanting to kiss him, trying to kiss him, feeling his rock hard cock grinding into her and pinning her up against the door.