Sapphire (Steele Investigations)

Sapphire

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Thank you for respecting the work of this Author.

Sapphire is a work of fiction.  All names, characters,
places and events portrayed in this book are either from the author’s
imagination or are used fictitiously, with exception to Artists named, and
their song lyrics, and direct quotes from movies whose titles have been named. 
Please note the Author acknowledges the copyrighted or trademarked owners of
the artists, their song lyrics and the direct quotes from the movies and titles
that they are quoted from.  Any similarity to real persons, living or dead,
establishments, events or locations is purely coincidental and not intended by
the author.

Copyright © 2013, Kasey Millstead

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

Wow, writing this is harder than I thought it would be! 
Firstly I’d like to thank my husband.  We’ve been through so much, but it’s only
made us stronger.  Thank you for choosing to spend your life with me, for
supporting me and for loving me.  Zach and Demi:  Your strength amazes me. 
Jovi would be so proud of the courage you have shown over the last eighteen
months.  I’m so proud of you both.  Cruz: You are my saving grace.  You saved
me in more ways than you will ever know.  I love you all immeasurably.

To Mel and Wurry, I think “
I II III IV III II
” says
it all. Mwah.

Thanks to my Mum and Dad, the best parents,
ever.

To Meredy & Hayles – thanks for your support, for
encouraging me and for listening.

Lastly, thank you to each and every one of you that reads
this book.  You are making my dreams come true.

DEDICATION

To Jovi

You taught me the hard way that life
is too short.

Five and a half years with you wasn’t
long enough; but for a parent, forever isn’t long enough.  I love you with my
whole heart.  I miss you even more. xx

Sometimes I wish I wasn’t a pushover!  I mean seriously, how
many times am I going to give in?  When am I going to stand up for myself?  I
know that my best friend Kami only has my best interests at heart, but really? 
I just got off the phone from Kami (our second call today) and she has begged
me to go out tonight with her to the opening of a new nightclub in Denver,
which is where we live.  Deuce is apparently the new place to see and be seen…
Not my cup of tea at all, though I do
love
to dance.  Kami knows this
and is always trying to get me to be more sociable.  She would fail a lot more
if I wasn’t such a bloody doormat.

 Kami has been my best friend since Kindergarten when Miss
Matheson sat us next to each other.  My parents thought it was a great idea,
seeing as though Kami is outgoing and a typical social butterfly and I am quiet
shy and reserved, they thought she would rub off on me a little bit and I would
come out of my shell.  It never worked but as they say (whoever they are)
opposites attract and Kami and I have been attached at the hip ever since.  We
took the same classes through school and now we attend the same college where
we are in our final year.  We live together in a flat and we are both studying business
management.  So now, because I have a weak backbone, I have resigned myself to
the fact that I am going to Deuce tonight with Kami and whoever is tagging
along – probably Marcy, Grace, Maggie and the twins Steph and Shauna.  When we
first came to college, Kami wanted us both to join a Sorority.  She thought it
would help us (mainly me, because she had no problems doing so) to make
friends.  I, for once, grew some balls and told her in no uncertain terms that
I was absolutely NOT joining a Sorority and if she wanted to do so she was more
than welcome to - so she did - and I didn’t.  Marcy, Grace, Maggie and the
twins are Kami’s Sorority sisters and like to tag along sometimes when we go
shopping, for Mani’s and Pedi’s or when we go out to a nightclub.  Steph and
Shauna are identical twins and I have trouble telling them apart.  They are
stunning with long blonde hair, sky blue eyes, tanned blemish free skin and a
figure that is most guys’ wet dreams.  Actually all of the girls have figures
that the boys love…love to look at…love to touch (when the girls let them, which
is often enough).  Marcy and Maggie have medium length dark brown hair (Marcy
often has different colored streaks of color through hers) and chocolate
colored eyes, Grace has short dyed red hair that is cut into a pixie style and
she has dark blue eyes.  Kami has shoulder length honey colored hair with
blonde low lights and her eyes are brown with flecks of gold and green.  And
then there’s me..well I have blonde hair that ends about 5 inches above my bum,
my hair is thick and a serious pain in my ass.  It never does what it’s told and
I often wish I was as stubborn as it!  My eyes are blue..just blue..not deep,
dark and soulful, not sky colored, not ocean like..just your medium everyday
blue.  I’m also on average about 4 inches shorter than the other girl’s ‘cause
I only stand as tall as 5 foot 5.  I have a curvy figure, I have tits, I have
ass.  Unlike the other girls who have B cup boobs, I have D cups, my ass is
also about 2 times bigger than theirs, although their asses are non-existent so
maybe that’s a moot point    All the girls have lovely personalities and have
included me even though I’m not in sorority.  Maybe they feel like they have to
‘cause Kami and I are such good friends.  Based on all of this I should feel
happy to be going out tonight, but I’m not.  When we go out the girls love to
find boys, and the boys love to find those girls, so I usually end up left
alone at our table while they go off and shag randoms.  I am not a girl who shags
randoms.  I am not a girl who shags at all.  This probably has a lot to do with
how shy I am and also the fact that boys aren’t usually attracted to me.  I had
one date when I was a senior.  Cameron Sinclair was a quarterback on the school
football team, he was God’s gift to women, well he thought so, and he had slept
with all of the cheerleaders and most of all the other single girls in school
by time he got around to asking me out.  I said yes and I was so nervous Kami
spent the day calming me down and helping me get ready.  Cameron arrived on
time at 7pm and took me to a middle class restaurant.  The conversation flowed,
he paid for our meal and was really sweet and caring to me.  I thought he was a
real gentleman and nothing like his reputation.  When he pulled into my drive
at about 10pm I started to thank him a wonderful night, while I was secretly
hoping he would ask for a second date, he leaned over to kiss me my first
kiss.  He had one hand on the centre console of his Mom’s car and he placed his
other hand on my cheek and slowly slid it around behind my neck, easing me
closer to him.  When our lips connected he jerked me closer with the hand
around my neck while his other hand roughly palmed my breast.  I was telling
him to stop and trying to push him away when he tried to slide his tongue in my
mouth.  He did this as I was trying to say stop so his tongue actually ended up
in my mouth.  I bit his tongue.  He was not happy.  I was very unhappy and told
him what a jerk he was. I jumped out of the car and raced inside, wiping his
slobber off my mouth.  The next day I arrived at school to find he’d told
everyone he slept me.  That was the moment I swore off men.  So here I am a 21
year old virgin who has been kissed by one sloppy, very handsy boy.

******

Shit, shit, shit. The girls are going to be here in 5 minutes
and my hair is being as stubborn as always.  I quickly braid it to the side and
spritz on some of my favorite perfume, adjust my top, it’s black satin and has
rhinestones on the front and high cut neckline.  It looks demure, until you see
the back, which is non-existent until the small of my back where the fabric
gathers in a swoop.  I quickly put in some large silver hoop earring, a bunch
of silver bangles on my wrists, a few silver rings on my fingers and tug on my
kick ass black and white polka dot peep toe stilettos with red bow and
stitching detail.  These shoes look fantastic with my skinny leg dark blue
jeans and wide red belt which I also have on tonight.

“Rae! Rae? Where are you? We’re here and ready to go.”
That’s Kami. 

“Come on Rae. Get your ass into gear.” That’s Maggie.

“I’m coming, I’m coming. Don’t get your knickers in a twist.”
My voice decreases in volume as I get closer to them in the living room from my
bathroom where I was. 
Holy mother of God! The girls look gorgeous tonight. 
Shit! Maybe I should change into something else so I fit in with them. I don’t
want to look like a total bloody outcast.

“Rae! Earth to Lorraine! Snap out of it!! You look sexy as Hell,”
Kami says clicking her fingers in front of my face to get my attention. 

“C’mon girlies, let’s get outta here and get our drink on,”
Marcy says as she herds us out the door with Maggie, Steph, Grace, Shauna and
Kami giving a fist pump and a “HELL YEAH!”  I grab my “nightclub purse”, which
is essentially a small wallet which I use when we go out ‘cause I can put it in
my back pocket and it holds my license, bank card and cash, and my phone and
stuff them into my back jeans pocket.  I race out the door slamming it behind
me and checking it’s locked before making my way over to Steph’s car.  She’s
obviously DD tonight.  Steph and Shauna have the same cars, just a different
color. Steph’s is a red 2012 VW beetle.  Shauna’s is blue.  We all pile in and make
our way across town to Deuce while listening to Marcy’s Bon Jovi playlist..loudly..
Because we all know, there are some songs you just have to have to have the
music blaring for.

We make it across town in good time considering the traffic
and decide to get some dinner at El Taqueria, a totally awesome Mexican food
restaurant.  We settle into a booth and order Burrito’s, Quesada’s and Taco’s. 
I grab a chip and scoop some of the salsa onto it before stuffing it in my
mouth.  Of course, Shauna would take this time to start a conversation with me.

“Sooo Rae, you gonna try and get some tonight?  I hear
there’s been a shitload of hot guys frequenting Deuce and you never try to get
laid.  At least make out with a guy or two”. 

“Yeah c’mon Rae, you’re hot as and you never hook up with
anyone.” Ugh that’s Steph and she has here whiny voice on.

 “Actually, Rae, I don’t think I’ve ever seen you make
out with anyone…Ever!” That’s Marcy joining in the conversation.  I take a swig
of my iced tea and slowly look up and around at everybody at the table.  My
eyes land on Kami last.  She can tell I’m starting to panic, because I really
don’t know how to answer it and I don’t want these girls knowing anything at
all about my totally non-existent sex life.  Oh, holy shit. What am I going
say? How am I going to answer this? How can I play this off and not let them
know that I had one sloppy kiss 4 years ago and I haven’t had anything since?
Damn you Cameron Sinclair you useless wanker!  Luckily, as she has many times,
Kami saves my bacon.

 “Girls, let’s just see where the night leads us! I for
one am feeling as toey as a Roman sandal and I’m in need of some man action. 
That guy I met at the Frat party two weeks ago was a total tool and got too
drunk to shag me so I  really want some action tonight.”  Yep. That’s my Kami.
No bones about her. She doesn’t care what anyone thinks of her. She is who she
is and I love her for it!  Thankfully, our food arrives and we all tuck in,
with thoughts of my lack of action fleeing from everyone’s minds. I mouth a quick
‘thank you’ in Kami’s direction.  She gives me a small smile and a silent
‘you’re welcome’. Phew.

******

Duece is as popular as we’d been led to believe.  We’ve been
here for about an hour and a half and the music has been fantastic, the drinks
are going down nicely and we have a table in an awesome location.  I’ve decided
that I am going to let my hair down tonight and have a blast.  While I admit
this decision has come about after I’ve downed four rum and cokes and I’m
feeling buzzy, I am none the less very happy with my decision.   I’ve just
loudly sucked up the last mouthful of my drink when a bunch of guys descends on
our table.  “Hello ladies, I’m Brad and these are my buddies, Tom, Preston,
Mitch, Mace, Sloane, Vin and Brett.  Would you mind if we joined you?”  We all
look at each other with wide eyes, my wide eyes are shock.  They’re not
seriously going to let a bunch of guys we don’t even know sit with us they?
Especially when one of those guys is named Vin and looks like he has ties with
Mafia or the Mob or something.  Oh.My.God!  I notice as I look around the table
at the girls that they’re wide eyes are excited wide eyes, not holy shit
nervous, scared wide eyes like mine.  “Hey guys, I’m Kami and these are my
girls Steph, Shauna, Marcy, Grace, Maggie and Rae.  We’d love for you to join
us.  Take a seat and I’ll go top up our drinks”.