Eye Candy (37 page)

“
Danny’s going to be pissed.”

“
He’s not going to be pissed. The only reason he asked you not to tell me is because he thinks I have a thing for Candy.”

“You do have a thing for Candy.”

“I know.”

“
But Candy has a thing for Danny.”

“I know.”

“And Harley has a thing for Danny. And for you.”

“
I know.”

“And you have a thing for Harley.”

“Yes. I know.”

Tim sighed. “So what’re we going to do?”

“Nothing.”

“Nothing?”

“That’s right. He loves her. She loves him. I’m not about to stand in the way of that. I’m a lousy friend but I’m not that lousy. Besides, things are going really well between me and Harley. Did Danny say when he’s going to do it?”

“
Tomorrow night. During the fireworks.”

“God, that’s perfect.”

“I know.”

“Think Candy will say yes?”

“Danny thinks so.”

Silence.

“I best head upstairs. Harley’s waiting for me.”

“
Have fun.”

Danny climbed the stairs to his room and went inside. He met Candy coming out of the bathroom. She wore a white towel around her body, cinched by a tuft nestled between her breasts. Her hair was damp and smelled fresh.

Danny removed his clothes. Candy freed herself from the bath towel. They slid into bed.

A few minutes later, t
he slow, rhythmic compression of mattress coils could be heard through the wall.

Danny and Candy smiled at one another. Danny lay behind Candy, with one arm draped around her, holding her tight. The angles, bends, and curves of his body fit perfectly with h
ers. Almost as if each had been created to fit the other.

They lay together, looking out the window at the ocean bright with moonlight, and listening to the cresting of the waves upon the beach.

Danny spoke gently into Candy’s ear. “Did you enjoy your swim?”

“Very much.”

“And the dolphins?”

“A miracle.”

“I’m glad you enjoyed it.”

“Thank you. But I didn’
t do it for me. I did it for Barney.”

They lay quietly, listening to the waves through the open window, until sleep claimed them.

Chapter 27

For Us

Danny awoke.

Candy’s side of the bed was vacant.

Danny sat up. The bat
hroom was dark.

He looked out the window.

A figure was walking on the moonlit beach. Danny recognized the person immediately. The flow of her hair. The way she walked. But what was she doing?

Danny rose and quickly pulled on jeans and a t-shirt.

The hallway was vacant and quiet. Hertz and Volta were nowhere in sight.

Danny quickly descended the stairs, stepping lightly as he went. He exited through the French doors and crossed the deck. He passed the swimming pool and the Jacuzzi.

“Don’t let her get away.”

Danny turned to find Nik relaxing on a cha
ise lounge.

Nik smiled. A tiny orange ember illuminated his eyes.

Beside him sat Hertz and Volta. Their shiny coats gleamed in the moonlight, and their purple eyes were bright.

Danny stepped
off the deck. The sand was cold beneath his feet. He reached the shoreline, where he found a dress in a pile on the sand. He scanned the water. The surf was calm and he spotted Candy floating on her back.

Danny waved his arm.

Candy saw him and waved her arm. She waved once more, this time beckoning him into the water.

Danny pulled off his shirt and dropped it onto the sand beside
Candy’s dress. He unbuttoned his jeans and let them fall as well. He ran naked across the wet sand and dove into the water. He swam until he reached Candy. She wrapped her legs around Danny’s hips.

“
Hi,” said Danny.

Candy smiled.
“Hi.”

“
Seen any dolphins?”

“
Not yet. I hope they come back.”

“Were you thinking about Barney?”

“No. This one is for me.” Candy caressed the back of Danny’s neck and pulled him close. “For us.”

Candy lo
oked into Danny’s eyes. “I love you.”

“
I love you.”

She pressed her open mouth to his.

On the deck, Nik enjoyed one last drag on his joint. He pulled the hood of his sweatshirt onto his head, folded his arms across his chest, and smiled at the happy couple kissing passionately in the ocean.

Hertz and Volta purred in the moonlight.

Chapter 28

Tonight’s the Night

M
orning came.

Danny woke to the morning sun streaming in the window. He found a note
on the pillow beside him.

D,

Went for a run on the beach with G
ali, Copper, and Turing. See you soon.

C.

PS Last night was pure heaven.

No sexy panties accompanied the note. But a pair of red lips had kissed the paper and left a perfect imprint.

As for the post script, he couldn’t agree more.

Danny rose and went to his suitcase. He placed the note inside a zippered compartment, beside a small box. After a moment, he withdrew the box. One of West Coast Artifactory’s finest, a one-of-a-kind original crafted by robotic hand. The box opened smoothly on its 24-karat gold hinge. Inside was a bed of purple silk. Nestled among the silk was the ring. A perfect circle of gold, elegant and timeless, with a diamond solitaire mounted to it.

Danny smiled.

He closed the box and tucked it into his suitcase. He dressed quickly and went downstairs in search of coffee.

He found Maggie in the kitchen, surrounded by pots and pans and
baking sheets and mixing bowls and measuring cups and wooden spoons . . . all of it an array of culinary wonders. Maggie had dressed in a white two-piece bikini, covered by a knee-length sheer-white linen chemise that fluttered as she moved about the kitchen. With her wind-swept sandy-blond hair, her sun-kissed olive skin, and her youthful curves lurking beneath the chemise, Danny understood why Tim fought to keep her.

Maggie attended
the pots on the stove, checked dishes in two ovens, and assembled ingredients into waiting bowls. She moved calmly, never in a hurry. She smiled as Danny entered. “You look like you could use some coffee.”

Danny sat on one
of the barstools facing Maggie’s workspace. “Yes, please.”

“I just made a fresh pot. I don’
t think I could survive without my coffee and chocolate.” Maggie poured a cup and handed it to Danny. “Candy went jogging on the beach with the girls. Candy was the first one up, to watch the sunrise. Man, that girl’s got a lot of energy. You two love birds were out swimming pretty late.”

“You don’t miss a thing, do you?”

“It’s my house. I’m the mom. It’s my job to know everything that goes on around here. For example, I know Nikola was out on the beach last night, blazing up. But I also know he just graduated top of his class and is going to S.C. next month, so if he wants to enjoy a little weed here and there, that’s his business. I know Rory has a crush on Candy and that you’re planning on proposing to her tonight on the beach during the fireworks. I also know that if you and Rory aren’t careful, your friendship won’t survive the weekend.”

Maggie stirred a pot of red sauce simmering on the stove. She tasted it, added red wine from a nearby bottle, stirred, and tasted it again. She turned and brought the
spoon to Danny. “Taste this.”

Danny sipped sa
uce from the tip of the spoon. “Well, I don’t normally eat pasta for breakfast, but that is incredible. What’s your secret?”

“
If I told you, it wouldn’t be a secret, would it?” Maggie smiled. “But since I know your secret, I’ll tell you mine. It may have something to do with sugar and red wine.”

“
I’ll file that away in my memory banks.”

“
Speaking of sugar, I sure do like Candy. I’ve never met anyone like her. We were talking this morning while the girls were upstairs getting ready for their run. She asked me about Tim’s new motorcycle. So I told her about the Relationship Oil Change class. I had a bit of a crush on the man teaching the class. Tim calls him the underwear model.”

“Did you and he ever. . . ?”

“Oh no. It never got that far.”

“Do you think you ever would’ve?”

Maggie chopped some parsley, added it to a bowl of diced tomatoes, and rinsed her hands in the sink. She carefully washed and then dried her wedding ring. “I’m ashamed to admit it, but maybe. If Tim and I had continued on the path which led us to the oil change class in the first place. . . .”

Maggie stare
d out the window at the ocean.

“We would’
ve ended up like Rory and Melinda. Tim would probably move into a condo somewhere in Santa Monica. There’d be an ugly custody battle neither of us would’ve wanted to lose. We both hate to lose. Tim would start banging one of the temps in his office and I’d probably start sleeping with every man I could find in order to validate myself after the underwear guy decided he wanted to trade me in for a younger model. And the kids would wind up hating us both.”

Maggie took up a brush and gently painted olive oil onto thick slices of eggplant.

Danny sipped his coffee. “So what changed?”

“
Well, apparently we have Tim’s boss to thank. He’ll be here tonight. He was the one who suggested the motorcycle. The man is a genius. Because when I saw Tim ride that bike into the seminar room, my heart leapt. I felt like a girl in a movie.” Maggie was grinning now. “Tim took me up to Malibu for fish tacos and a cold beer. Then we started kissing. And I don’t just mean kissing. We were going at it like teenagers at a drive-in. Have you ever been to a drive-in?”

“No.”

“Neither have I. But from what I understand, kids used to go at it hot and heavy. Tim and I certainly did. We wound up doing it right there on the bike. We were parked behind some trees so I don’t think anybody saw us but I wouldn’t have cared if they had. We’ve been like newlyweds ever since.” Maggie was positively beaming now. “I’m sorry, I don’t want to embarrass you.”

“
No, it’s great to hear you guys are doing so well.”

Maggie slid the tray of eggplant into the oven.
“So . . . tonight’s the night?”

“
Tonight’s the night.”

“Nervous?”

“Maybe a little. But mostly I’m excited. I can’t wait for the fireworks to begin.”

“
That makes two of us. I really think Candy is perfect for you. Which is why God put her in your life. Don’t let her get away.”

“
That’s exactly what Nik said last night.”

“
He’s a smart kid.”

Danny sipped his coffee. “You don’t think it’s too soon?”

“Does it feel too soon?”

“No.”

“Then it’s not too soon.”

“What about Rory?”

“If he’s truly your friend, he’ll understand. Besides, you’re forgetting one very important thing.”

“What’s that?”

“Which boy gets the girl isn’t up to you or Rory. It’s up to Candy. And judging by the racket coming from Rory and Harley’s room last night, I’d say he’s got his hands full. He just doesn’t know it yet. I’ve known Rory for more than ten years now. I was there the day he married Melinda. I hate to say it, but I knew she was bad news. Tim tried to talk to Rory but Rory wanted a family so badly. He tried so hard to make it work. Bless his heart.”

Tim an
d Rory walked into the kitchen.

T
im went to Maggie and took her in his arms. They shared a deep kiss. “Morning, gorgeous.”

Rory turned to Danny.
“Ready?”

“For what?”

“It’s time to tow the barge out for the show tonight,” said Tim. “We’ve got to finish rigging the display.”

Danny recalled last night,
when he’d heard Tim & Rory arguing. “I think I’m going to sit this one out. Why don’t you guys go without me.”

“
Bullshit,” said Rory. “It’s a tradition. We finish setting the mortars, wire up the computer, then sit on the boat for two hours drinking beer and doing backflips into the ocean.”

“You gotta come,”
said Tim. “I pumped out the head and everything. You have any idea how bad that smells?”