Starstruck (28 page)

Chapter Nineteen

By the time the jet was inspected, fueled and their flight
plan logged, the early hours of Tuesday morning had arrived. Once they touched
the skies, Mannie’s usual co-pilot George announced their expected arrival time
would be approximately 3:00 p.m. Wednesday, Australian Eastern Standard Time.

Jesse and Rick divided the long flight by talking, eating
and sleeping, though Jesse didn’t do much of any of those things. He was
nervous as hell.

He’d asked his PA to arrange a rental car for when they
landed and to call Vince and let him know they wouldn’t be available for the
meeting the next day. Regardless, he wanted Vince to go ahead with Sam’s
artwork and start the printing immediately—finished product unseen.

Jesse and Rick arrived in Sydney on a beautiful summer’s
day, but soon realized if they stood too long in the heat they risked their
blood being boiled.

Their rental waited in a discreet location and they were
able to get out of public view without being noticed. Only Jesse’s PA, Vince
and Jesse’s housekeeper in New York knew where they were. With a little luck,
they had at least an hour’s head start before the Australian paparazzi clued in
to their arrival. Someone working for an airline always wanted to make a quick
buck so the media was bound to be alerted soon—if they hadn’t already.

Jesse and Rick made every attempt to disguise their
identities physically, but the huge “Jerico” painted on the side of the jet
just might have given them away.

Dodging through peak-hour traffic, Rick drove while Jesse
flicked through the Sydney Street Directory looking for Sam’s address. The cars
were lined up bumper-to-bumper.

“Ah, just like home.” Rick nudged the small blue hatch
forward an inch at a time.

Jesse couldn’t get used to driving on the left side of the
road—the reason why he always used a driver in England and gladly let Rick take
the wheel.

Finally they pulled into Sam’s driveway. Her house was no
palace, but quaint and cute, reminding him of an old English cottage. The
garden was small and packed with color, tall lavender bordering the side
fences. For an old home, it was tastefully revitalized, the wooden front gate
finished in cream to match the house with complimentary navy blue and gray accents.
A loveseat perched on the verandah swung gently in the breeze and painted a
perfect picture of Sam’s artful taste.

Jesse breathed in the ocean breeze, inhaling deeply a few
times to calm his nerves. He knocked on the front door. There was no answer. He’d
tried calling her when they’d left the airport, not wanting to totally surprise
her with his presence, but his calls had gone to voicemail every time.

“What now? Do we wait?” Rick turned off the car radio.

“No, we’ll try her studio in the city. If we hurry, we
should be able to make it before they close.”

He retrieved her business card from his wallet and looked up
the address.

* * * * *

Caitlin did well keeping Sam’s mind occupied with constant
chatter and jokes.

Monday was a complete loss due to the recovery needed after
waking with killer hangovers. They had some fun on Tuesday with a dip in the
lake, and later drove the houseboat’s small aluminum runabout closer to shore
to hunt for bait in the sand. Catching fresh fish for dinner, they were proud at
being able to provide their own meal without a man in sight.

Summers together as kids had been full of adventure and
mystery. There was at least one funny story to be told from each of Sam’s
visits and Caitlin reminded her of some of those times to cheer her mood. She
prattled like an Energizer bunny to keep Sam’s mind off Jesse, and Sam
appreciated her attempts. But in truth, she hadn’t stopped thinking about him
since walking out on him ten days ago. Even while laughing and reminiscing, a
part of her was still with him, still inhaling his scent, still reveling in his
touch.

She kept her phone switched off while on the lake. She
didn’t want to be questioned by yet another reporter and she didn’t trust
herself not to call Jesse if she had to listen to his messages much longer. Her
willpower was weakening.

Nights were the worst, alone in bed. There was nothing to
distract her and her mind would drift to the memory of his warm, strong body
lying beside hers or waking in his arms, his breath on her neck. How when he
entered her everything else disappeared except for an all-consuming pleasure.

She and Caitlin spent the afternoon lazing on the top deck
of Daniel’s boat. They’d coasted farther up the lake and planned to dine at a
local waterside restaurant Sam had discovered the last time she was on the
houseboat. Already having gone ashore earlier in the day to pick up more
supplies, they baked in the sun and enjoyed the rays—her reading a book,
Caitlin flipping through magazines.

“Ah, Sammie, I think you’d better take a look at this.” She
passed the open gossip mag.

Jesse’s face stared up from the glossy page and Sam’s heart
ached. The hole she’d hoped was healing caved in on itself like a heavy weight
in quicksand. Right then, if she could have, she would’ve reached into the
fibers and pulled him through the prison of paper for just one more kiss.

The article reported a recent interview with Quincy Ray. She
read it from start to finish while Caitlin wore smug satisfaction on her face.
Sam closed the magazine and handed it back without a word, refusing to meet
Caitlin’s gaze.

“Well?”

“Well what?” She refocused on her book.

“This changes things, doesn’t it? He was telling the truth.
He’s announced it to the whole world.”

“Maybe.” Sam put her sunglasses back on and turned the page,
clearing her throat.

Caitlin pressed her lips together tightly as if she was
forcing what she wanted to say back down her throat. Sam was eternally grateful
her cousin knew her better than anyone. Pushing her just made her rebel. She
needed more time to get her head together.

* * * * *

Sunglasses on, Jesse tucked his hair under his baseball cap
and checked the gold board in the lobby near the elevators. Murphy Graphics was
on the seventh floor.

Most people were leaving this time of the afternoon so he
had the ride up all to himself. His heart raced and his mind was a scattered
ball of confusion. What would he say when he finally saw her again? How could
he persuade her to believe him?

The doors slid open onto a deserted carpeted corridor.
Straight ahead were glass doors with black and gold lettering. Through them, a
conservative but pretty woman, maybe in her late twenties, sat behind a
reception desk. He slowly entered, pulled off his glasses and walked toward
her.

When she looked up from her computer screen she did the
customary double take, an all-too-familiar glint in her eyes. “
Oh
! Ah,
good afternoon. Welcome to Murphy Graphics. My name is Julie. H-how can I help
you?”

“Well, Julie, I hope you can do just that. I’d like to see
Samantha Raven, please. My name is Jesse Maurello.”

“I’m sorry, Mr. Maurello, but Sam’s on leave at the moment.
Would you like to speak with Mr. Murphy instead?” She jumped up from her swivel
chair.

“No thank you. Ah…Julie, I’ve come a hell of a long way to
see Sam.” He leaned over the counter and flashed his trademark smile. “Any
chance you can tell me where she is? It’s really important I speak with her.
I’ve been to her house, but she’s not home. Do you have any idea where I might
find her?” He briefly glanced at her computer screen.

“I’m sorry, but I can’t give out that information.”

“You know, come to think of it, I will see Daniel…if he’s
available?”

“Sure thing. I’ll just be a moment.” She quickened her step
down the hall and disappeared around the corner.

He reached across the high counter, feet lifting off the
ground, the countertop digging into his ribs. He swiveled the computer screen
to find an open email from Daniel, asking Julie to send Sam flowers and a
bottle of Jack Daniel’s on his behalf. The gifts were to be sent to an address
at the South Belmont Pier, care of a boat called
Arteest
.

He snatched a pen off the desk and scribbled the address
onto the palm of his left hand, dropping it right before Julie came back around
the corner, a tall, distinguished man behind her.

He extended his hand with a warm smile. “Mr. Maurello!
Daniel Murphy. Such a pleasure to finally meet you. I do hope you’re happy with
the work we submitted.”

“More than happy. Yes, thank you. Sam’s extremely talented.”

“Jules, if you’ve finished up, why don’t you take an early
mark? It’s almost six anyway.”

“Okay thanks, Daniel, I will.” Switching off her computer,
she grabbed her bag and jacket. “See you tomorrow, boss. Nice to meet you.”

She nodded as she passed Jesse and exited through the glass
doors to the elevators.

Daniel asked Jesse if he wanted to have a seat in his
office, but he declined. “I really only came here for one thing, Daniel.”

“Ah…yes. Look I’m sorry, Jesse, but I can’t tell you where
she is if she doesn’t want to be found. You
do
know she’s a black belt,
right? She’d kick your arse…and mine.”

Jesse stuffed his hands in the pockets of his jeans and
expelled a heavy sigh, the lack of sleep suddenly hitting him hard.

“You know, she was really hurt when she got back from New
York. She told me a little of what happened and I think she just needs time to
get her head together. She’s been through a lot lately, but I’d never seen her
that upset before. Not even when she called off her wedding.”

He winced as he lowered his eyes to his feet. “Yeah, I know
just how she feels.”

“So you came all this way just to speak with her, huh?”

“Yeah. She hasn’t answered my calls. I can’t just leave it
like this. I need her to know, explain to her what
really
happened.” He
met the tall man’s eyes. “I’m in love with her, Daniel.”

Jesse’s eyes glassed over with stagnant tears, blurring his
vision. He didn’t want to cry like a baby so he latched on to every reserve of
strength he had left. His emotions were too wiry and erratic. This was not the
Jesse Maurello he wanted anyone to see.

Daniel’s brow pulled together tightly, aging him ten years,
sympathy rolling off his dark suit. “I believe you, Jesse. I really do. But
unfortunately, this is not my decision to make. I’m between a rock and a hard
place. The best I can do is call her for you and let her know you’re here. I’m
sure once she knows how far you’ve come just to speak—”

“Thanks, but don’t bother. As far as I can tell, she’d not
taking calls. Besides, I can only stay a few days. I have to be back in New
York by Sunday. Thanks anyway, Daniel.”

“I’m sorry, Jesse. I wish there was something else I could
do.”

Jesse forced a smile and left.

He got back to the rental car and slumped in the seat beside
Rick’s.

“What happened?”

“She’s not there. She’s on leave. They wouldn’t tell me
where she’s staying.” Jesse buckled his seatbelt.

“Shit. Sorry, man, that sucks. Well, I guess that means
we’re goin’ back home then?”

He held up the palm of his hand. “No, it means we’re goin’
here.”

Rick stared at him for a moment until a smirk finally graced
his face. He laughed. “Woo hoo! Don’t fuck with a Jersey boy!”

He pulled from the curb to rejoin traffic once again. They
navigated out of the busy city and headed north toward the central coast.

By eight that night, they pulled into the address Jesse had
swiped from Julie’s computer. The boat rental shop was closed for the day, but
there was a number for after-hours service on the door so Jesse dialed it from
his cell. The man who answered agreed to meet them at the shop.

Ten minutes later, an older man, slightly hunched, crossed
the gravel parking lot to the shop’s front door.

“What can I do for you boys?” He shook both of their hands.

“Sorry to bother you so late, sir, but we’re hoping to hire
one of your boats.” Rick flashed his dimples at the elderly gent. “Of course,
we’d be happy to pay you double your rate considering it’s so late…if you’d be
so kind to help us out.”

“Don’t see why not. You boys aren’t from these parts?”

“No, sir, we’ve traveled quite a way,” Jesse said as the man
opened the front doors.

“Is the boat for business or pleasure?”

“Pleasure, hopefully.”

“I hear ya, son, and call me Ted. So which one of you fellas
has a valid boat license then?” He moseyed behind the counter and lifted a
large blue ledger from underneath.

“That would be me.” Rick stepped forward, producing his
wallet. “Is a US license okay?”

“Fine with me.” Ted selected a pen from a tall glass near
the register. “Water’s the same over there, isn’t it?”

“’Cept when it’s going down the can, Ted, far as I know. You
know, the whole southern hemisphere thing.” Rick shared a laugh with the old
man.

“I like you, son. You can stay. Now what about this boat?
What did you have in mind?”

“The bigger, the better, I say.”

Ted scanned his rental bookings. “You’re in luck, fellas.
I’ve got one houseboat left—
Regal Lady
. It’s a bit pricey, but it’s the
best I’ve got.”

“That suits us just fine, Ted, my man. We’d want nothin’
less. You take American Express?”

* * * * *

They booked an early table at Lakeside for dinner since
Caitlin had to leave the next day. Being an executive chef at a busy
restaurant, she could only get four days off work. Still she was worried about
leaving Sam so was considering asking for an extension.

Sam didn’t know when she’d return to work. Daniel had told
her to take it easy. She could use his houseboat for as long as she needed.
He’d been extremely considerate since she’d returned from New York and she was
truly touched by his kindness and generosity.