Like a Bird (16 page)

Gareth flipped her onto her back and rocked gently in and out. As her panting increased he sped up until he reached the peak. As he lay down next to her, his moist skin against hers, Sky pulled his hand between her legs so Gareth could fully satisfy her with his pristine right hand. As the thrusting and twisting of his fingers became harder and deeper she shuddered and released a few small sighs.

Gareth cleaned his hand on his shirt and fixed his pants. He put his arm around Sky as a bridge exploded on the TV screen in front of them.

Wisdom jumped up suddenly, startling them. Gareth lifted his head from the sofa to see his sister standing in the archway. Elise leaned against the wall, her arms crossed. She wore a gray A-line skirt with a high waist that accentuated her long legs. Her white shirt was neatly tucked and she balanced effortlessly on a pair of red heels.

“How long have you been there?” Gareth asked and cleared his throat.

Elise smiled. “Long enough.”

Gareth eased himself off the sofa. He walked over to embrace his sister as Sky tried to slide further into the crevice between the cushions.

“You’re glowing,” Elise said to her brother as she touched the side of his head.

“Shut up.” He lightly pushed her hand away and tried to stifle a grin.

“You’ve lost a lot of weight; you look great,” Elise remarked. “You look like the brother I used to know.”

“Why don’t we move to the sitting room and have some tea,” Gareth suggested, attempting to steer Elise down the hall.

Elise held her ground.

“What about your girlfriend? Wouldn’t she like to join us?” Elise asked with a coy smile. “You’re such an uncivilized brute, you haven’t even introduced us.”

Gareth raised his arm in the direction of Sky who had more or less merged with the sofa.

“Elise, this is Sky.”

Elise walked over to sit near Sky, who curled herself upright, with the length of Gareth’s T-shirt wrapped around her knees. Elise extended her hand and Sky offered her left hand, turning it to match his sister’s palm. Elise’s confident grasp overpowered the young girl’s slender fingers. Sky scrutinized the tall woman’s perfect posture and noticed her eyes were a sparkling gray that contrasted nicely with her smooth, dark hair. Sky had to look away to escape the intensity of Elise’s gaze.

“Why don’t you join us for lunch?” Elise’s tone was kind.

Sky just smiled politely, and when Elise rejoined Gareth, she slipped on her leggings. Elise and Gareth walked toward the sitting room with Wisdom trying to inspect Elise from behind.

“Is that a wolf sniffing my ass?”

“It is. Her name is Wisdom.”

“Oh, I didn’t know you were into wolves.”

“It’s a long story.” Gareth led his sister to a tray of tea that awaited them on the table of the intimate, sunlit room.

As they sat down, Sky entered the room and the wolf pranced around, excited to see her.

“She really likes you,” Elise said to Sky, who smiled again before she slipped down beside Gareth, opposite Elise. Sky tried her best to remain invisible, but Elise prodded her with questions.

“Sky, how did you wind up in a remote place like this? Where is it you’re from originally?”

Sky only opened her mouth, uncertain how to answer.

“This isn’t a case, you don’t need to grill her,” Gareth intervened.

“Oh but it is, Gare. And a most intriguing one at that.” Elise smiled broadly.

“Can you just relax and pretend you’re not working for a few hours?”

“You don’t have to get defensive. Isolation has made you quite unsociable.” Elise poured herself a cup of tea. She inhaled the aroma from her cup. “This is my favorite, Earl Grey.”

“I know,” Gareth replied.

Elise sat back in her chair and crossed her toned legs.

“So, tell me how you two met.”

Sky looked at Gareth for an answer.

“We met . . . at a party,” he said.

“You? At a party? I don’t believe that,” Elise laughed. “Why don’t you tell me the truth?”

“No, really. It was a business . . . thing. You can ask Louis, he was there.”

“Oh, it was Louis’s doing. Well,
that
I can believe. How is he, anyway?”

Gareth poured himself a cup and left it black. “That’s also a long story.”

“I have time, that’s why I’m here.” Elise relaxed into her chair.

Sky sat stiffly next to Gareth with her hand in her lap. She glanced at Elise only when she was sure the sharp-eyed lawyer wasn’t watching her.

“Sky, sweetheart, help yourself to a cup of tea. Don’t be shy,” Elise urged. Sky paused before she dutifully leaned forward, but Gareth reached in to prepare a cup for her. She watched anxiously as he added a little cream and sugar, just the way Sky preferred. Gareth handed her the cup and saucer, which she balanced in her lap.

“There’s so much to catch up on. I don’t even know where to start,” Elise said.

Gareth nodded. “How are things with you? You look pretty much the same.”

“Yeah, we can basically start where we left off. Nothing changes much. I made partner though, like I told you, which is great news and plenty of extra work, but hey, my name is on the sign now. I took a picture for Mom. I’ll find it for you.” Elise dug into her purse and pulled out her phone. She passed it to Gareth who glanced at it the image. Sky peered over his arm and managed to read the gold and black sign: Helmann, Cohen, Renaut & Associates.

“It has a nice ring to it,” Gareth said and returned the phone and Elise.

His sister rolled one ankle around and stared out the window into the garden. “Plenty of old white men causing enough scandals to keep me busy for the next few decades, at least.”

Gareth chuckled while Sky studied Elise, taking in her every movement.

“How are you feeling?” Elise asked Gareth with an air of concern. “You seem well. Although you’re long overdue for a haircut,” she added.

“I’m well.”

“How is business with Lou?”

Gareth sighed. “Not ideal. He made some poor decisions while I was . . . away. We’re in the process of rebuilding. My position is stable but he’s fucked.” Gareth drank some tea.

“Well, I’m sure the two of you will find a way out of it,” Elise said and crossed her legs the other way. “Sky, are you always this quiet?”

Sky looked down at her lap, mute. Gareth swept the hair away from her face and she looked up.

“Do you like it out here?” Elise asked her.

Sky nodded. “It’s peaceful,” she said, her voice soft and raspy.

“So, what is it that you do exactly?” Elise inquired, reaching for a croissant.

“Uh, out here?”

“I mean for a living.”

Sky sat with her mouth open a little. She glanced sideways at Gareth who glared at his sister.

“Oh, I see. You work for my brother,” Elise surmised.

“Yes,” Sky said, pleased with that conclusion.

Elise gave Gareth a knowing smirk; Gareth looked away.

“Are you
still
single?” he shot back.

“At the moment,” Elise replied.

“Have you considered that you scare the shit out of most men?”

“Probably, but I don’t really care. Do you still have the cage or did you finally redecorate that room?”

Sky perked up just as Rose appeared.

“Lunch is ready,
”
Rose announced in a chipper voice.

Gareth popped up and held out his hand to help Sky up. As she stood he whispered in her ear, “I think you should leave us now.”

Sky nodded and veered off down the hall to head upstairs, while Gareth and his sister went to the dining room. Wisdom looked back at Gareth before she turned to follow Sky.

“It’s a shame you sent her away,” Elise said to Gareth as they sat at the table.

“There are things she doesn’t need to know,” Gareth asserted.

“She seems submissive and introverted, which is perfect for you. I just hope you’re treating her well,” Elise said, appraising her brother.

Gareth nodded slightly.

“I like her, she’s obviously very loyal and she adores you.”

Gareth raised his eyebrow. “Is that your expert analysis?”

“It is,” Elise said. As they began digging into their first course, she added, “If you hurt her, I’ll fucking kill you.” Elise smiled at her brother.

Gareth scoffed, “Would you represent yourself in court?”

“Yes, and you know I’d win.” She took a sip of white wine. “It doesn’t matter anyway. You’d never hurt her. You’re madly in love with her.”

Chapter 14

The cage bars cast shadows on the book Sky was reading as she sat propped up against them. Her bare toes grabbed at the fur pelt underneath her as she turned page after page, barely taking in the words, thinking more about Elise than the characters in the story. Sky put down her book and headed to bathroom, stepping over Wisdom who lay guarding the door. She turned on the tap and cupped her hand to take a drink of water.

She climbed back into the cage. Instead of reading she lay down on her back and stared at the top of her cell, where the bars converged in a neat pattern.

Wisdom jumped up growling as the door to the room opened. Elise ignored the wolf’s threatening white teeth and stepped into the room in her bare feet. When Sky saw who was at the door she sat up quickly. Wisdom backed away from Elise with her ears pinned back and sniffed the air behind the graceful figure.

Elise ran her fingers along the cage’s bars surrounding Sky. “It feels different with you in this room. The decor suits you.” She smiled at Sky. Elise examined one of the soldered joints. “He did a nice job, building this. He’s always been meticulous.”

“Gareth made this?” Sky asked.

Elise nodded. “Did you know he was an engineer before the accident? He modeled this after a small birdcage our grandfather made. As a child Gareth was fascinated by it, and when our grandfather passed he left it to my brother. He got a small bird to put in it, though I can’t remember what kind it was — animals are not really my thing. He’d let it fly around his room and it would sit on his shoulder while he did his homework. One day someone left the window open and the bird was never seen again.”

Sky listened, hardly blinking.

“He got mad at me because I teased him about being so upset over a stupid bird.” Elise shook her head. She pulled on the bars of the large cage. “He had to assemble this in the room because it wouldn’t fit through the door. It was slow work with his mangled hand. He said he was going to get rid of it, but I can see why he kept it, after all that effort.”

“I like it,” Sky said.

“Miles and miles of space to explore, yet you prefer this?”

Sky shook her head. “I can’t wander too far. I’ve done that before and it didn’t work out so well.”

Elise held onto the bar and leaned on her hand. “Gareth told me a bit about you,” she said. “But he’s not exactly an easy person to get information out of. And I get information from people for a living.”

Sky flashed Elise a knowing smile.

“He tries to come across as an enigma but he’s actually a pretty simple guy,” Elise confided.

Sky raised her eyebrows, curious.

“Oh don’t worry, sweetheart. I’m sure you have him wrapped around your little finger,” Elise continued.

Sky looked away and ran her fingers through the fur rug. “What do you know about Robyn?” Sky ventured.

Elise lifter her head. “You know about Robyn? That’s interesting.”

“What’s interesting?” Sky said.

“Gare keeps pretty hush about it, the whole thing was rather traumatic for him.”

“Did she leave him?” Sky whispered.

Elise nodded. “I don’t know that I should say much about it. I suppose I have a duty to uphold my brother’s veil of secrecy, as stupid as it may be. They were engaged a while ago, she broke it off after the accident and ran away with his doctor while he recovered in the hospital. He took it particularly hard; he’s always been loyal and sensitive to a fault,” Elise said.

“He is?”

Elise laughed and the bedroom door cracked open.

“What are you doing in there?” came a gruff voice from behind the door.

“Just girl talk,” Elise said, as she turned to leave. “Nothing you’d understand.”

Gareth stepped back as she walked past him out of the room. He peered around the door and looked at Sky, who smiled weakly.

“Oh, I almost forgot to tell you,” Elise said to Gareth, out of sight but not out of Sky’s earshot, “I heard Robyn and the doctor got divorced. I guess she’d been having an affair with a painter.”

Gareth stopped. “Really?” he said, a chime of satisfaction in his voice.

- -

The keyboard clacked as Kitty added an enthusiastic bio to her Dream Date page. She searched through the thousands of images on her computer to find the magical few that should adorn her profile. She found one shot of herself in a bathing suit at the front of a boat. So what if it was only a water taxi; it kind of looked like a yacht from that angle. She found another image from a fashion show where she had sidled up to a famous designer for the shot. Her profile was coming together.

Kitty hit the
Publish
button and let out a deep sigh. In the recent frenzy she had neglected her devoted Prowlers. That was not acceptable. She dove into her closet in search of a bikini. She located the bottom — blue-and-white polka dots — but could not produce the matching top. She crossed the living room, where Daniella and Johnathan were wrapped around each other on the sofa, making annoying smacking noises, and went into Daniella’s room to collect her missing bikini top.

Kitty plumped up her breasts and applied a little makeup to ensure they looked magnificent. She started the camera rolling live and leaned forward to apply her lipstick. She smacked her lips together and feigned surprise. “Oh, hello my darling Prowlers! You caught me getting ready,” Kitty said, adjusting her hair. “I know I haven’t been around much, but there has been a lot of craziness going on over here. I guarantee you’re going to be delighted with the changes.” Kitty leaned back to show off her bathing suit top. “You see, I’m embarking on a new adventure and I think you might be able to help me. First, let’s check the mail and see what everyone is up to . . .”

Kitty checked her e-mail and message boards. “Oh, how adorable. Renata from Poland has sent pictures of her baby bunny rabbits. Goodness these pics are too cute, and I’m just going to have to share them with you.” Kitty dragged the photos to her website to post them on the image board.

“And we also have a number of messages from men who like my boobs and want to see more of them. Hmm, how predictable. Ooh, here’s a sexy shirtless message from Andre. Hel-loo Andre! Everyone send some love to Andre by commenting on his picture.
Gracias!
OK, are you ready for some exciting news?”

Kitty watched short, excited comments pop up on the message board. “I’m thrilled to announce the creation of my very own swimsuit line, Karnivore by Kitty. The line will feature sexy, retro-inspired suits for girls with a little meat on their bones, if you know what I mean.” She flashed her Prowlers a sultry grin.

The message board lit up with encouraging comments and Kitty responded to the regulars she recognized. “Now things are just getting started, so I’m looking for investors who want to get on board. If you like bathing suits, why not toss a few shiny coins my way and we can launch this!” Kitty blew a kiss to the camera. “Kisses to you all and I’ll see you tomorrow.” She waved good-bye and turned off the camera.

- -

“I just want you to be careful,” Elise said to Gareth as they stood outside the front door while the helicopter waited on the landing pad. “I don’t understand your lifestyle, but it’s your choice, I guess. Though it would be a shame if anything happened to Sky.” Ellie paused to take a breath. “Anyway, you seem to be doing better. It’s nice to see signs of the brother I knew.”

“It’ll never be the way it was before,” Gareth retorted.

“I know, that’s not what I mean. I’m referring to the person I know you can be. I think Sky is good for you. At least she’s not a blond carbon copy of your ex like Jay was.”

Gareth stiffened and cleared his throat. “Thanks for the house call, doc. Please send your invoice to my assistant.”

“Shut up,” Ellie said and playfully shoved Gareth’s shoulder.

He forced a grin and she smiled back at him before walking to her ride back to the city. The clicking of her pumps on the stone pathway echoed into the woods.

- -

The essence of Elise still filled the isolated house the next morning. Sky had found a shady spot to read in the garden, and Gareth sat at his desk reading the morning financial news. He stopped to check his e-mail and noticed an automated message from Kitty, alerting him that a new video was available.

Gareth’s finger hovered over the button for a moment before he clicked on the link. A bright and smiling Kitty appeared wearing nothing but a blue bikini with white dots. Gareth leaned in to get a better look and turned the volume down. He studied the bulge of her breasts and the soft curve of her hips as she sat perched on her desk chair. He watched her lips moving as she read her e-mail. She pushed her bright hair back and Gareth’s lips pulled into a crooked smile.

The video screen went blank and Gareth closed his office door. He sat back down at his computer and replayed Kitty’s video, blowing her up for a full-screen experience. Kitty went through the motions again and again, her breasts bouncing as she threw her hands up in the air. With each viewing Gareth focused on a different part of her.

On the third replay he flipped open the button on his jeans and pulled down his zipper. His phone rang and displayed a message from Louis, which he ignored.

I’m here! This is it. One week of no phone so I’m saying good-bye for now. Wish me luck!

- -

Kitty woke up stoked. She padded into the kitchen in her fluffy robe and sat down to a bowl of cereal. While scooping it into her mouth she checked her phone; there was still no message from Gareth. She put down her spoon and scanned through her photo album to locate the shots she’d taken of him when he wasn’t looking. Though most were blurry, taken in a rush to avoid getting caught, in one clear shot, Gareth lay sleeping in the early morning and Kitty zoomed in to focus on his hands. Her eyes followed the contours of the scars on his left arm, the rough topography she had enjoyed running her fingertips over.

Kitty put her phone down and played with her soggy cereal. She returned to her room to check the activity on her site and discovered there was a lot of buzz about her latest venture.

She peeked at her income stats to see how many T-shirts she might have sold in the hope there would be just enough to make her rent next month. Kitty’s eyes widened when she saw the figures rolling in. Overnight her fans had donated over two grand to her Karnivore by Kitty project.

“Holy, fuck!” She brought her fingertips to her lips. “This is real,” she whispered to herself. She opened her e-mail to send a note to Creep.

Hey honey,

You’re not going to believe how well things are going. The Prowlers are totally coming through! Now we actually need to produce something and I don’t even know where to start. Help!

XOXO

Kitty

Kitty hit
Send
and noticed a new message from Dream Date. Someone had left a message on her profile.

Hello beautiful,

You look like a lot of fun and I could use a little bright spot like you in my life. I’m an open-minded guy with extensive resources and I’d like to show you a good time. Send me a note if you’re interested.

— George

Kitty did a little groove in her chair. She hopped up from her desk chair and danced on the layer of clothes cluttering the floor.

- -

“Two grand probably isn’t enough to get started,” Creep pointed out, as he ran his finger around the rim of his coffee mug.

“It’s three grand now,” Kitty corrected.

“Whatever, you need a bit more to cover your living expenses plus the fees to have samples made. Unless you can make them yourself, but you can’t sew.”

“Mm, yeah. I can’t sew for shit. And I don’t want to. I’ve made a few sketches but I don’t know where to take them.” Kitty pulled a notebook from her purse and slid it across the table to Creep. He flipped through a few pages and stopped on one.

“I like this one. These sketches are pretty good. I didn’t know you could draw.”

“Me neither,” Kitty admitted. She sipped her latte and licked the foam off her lips.

“Well, there are people who can make patterns and all that, but we need to figure out the costs and crunch the numbers. In the meantime, you need to do more detailed drawings and keep the funds coming in.”

Kitty sighed heavily and took back her notebook.

“Did you hear back from Gareth?” Creep asked.

Kitty solemnly shook her head.

“Well, maybe he didn’t get your message. Call him again,” he suggested.

“I don’t want to seem desperate,” Kitty replied.

Creep thought for a moment. “Maybe you need to appeal to a different side of him. The business side. Tell him you have a little venture you want to talk about. I don’t know this guy, you do. You know what he likes.”