More Layers: Book Two Layers Series Read online

  “Yeah, right. I have Lee here to thank for this one.” She points a finger into Lee’s huge, hot, hairless chest.

  “Hey, I just told Lane that he ‘might’ want to check it out for me. It’s not like I ordered him to go.”

  “Yeah, right,” she says, “Lane is so pumped about being a part of your ‘security team,’ he’d kiss your ass if you asked him to.”

  Lee chuckles. “That does sound hot, and I’m sure it would feel even hotter to have Lane’s lush lips pressed into my ass. But it’s against company policy to have employees kiss my ass. Literally and figuratively.”

  “Well, thank fuck for company policy. Because there is no fucking way I’d put my lush lips anywhere near your ass.”

  “I would never say never, Dimple Boy,” Jules purrs. “That is one fine ass.”

  Lee blushes.

  Lane shakes his head.

  “Could we stop talking about kissing ass and sucking on tits?” I ask.

  Jules laughs. “Oh, poor thing, is it making you horny?”

  “Damn, sister, you really need to get some,” Sam adds.

  “Tell me about it.” I frown-pout—frout.

  “Lucky for you we’re in Sin City. Even ‘you’ could get some here.”

  “Thanks, Sam. You really know how to make your big sister feel good,” I quip.

  She giggles. “Well, just saying.”

  Marco and Jules start to laugh, and it soon turns into the snorting-wheezing, pee-your-pants kind of laughter.

  “What’s so funny?” Lane asks.

  Jules points to me between snorts.

  “All right you two, it was so ‘not’ funny.”

  “Tell us,” Sam pleads.

  Marco finally composes himself. “Au contraire, my dear friend. I beg to differ.”

  “If you continue on with this telling, I’ll give you something to beg about.”

  He grins. “Oh yeah, and what, pray tell, would that be?”

  “I have no idea. But I’ll come up with something.”

  Jules hiccup-snorts. “With your luck, girlfriend, you’ll be the one begging and praying.”

  She and Marco crack up again.

  “Tell us,” Lee says.

  “I don’t think so,” I warn them.

  Marco wipes happy tears from his eyes. “Where should I begin this sordid tale?”

  “You shouldn’t.”

  “Oh yes I should, my dear.” He clears his throat. “A few years back the three of us were hanging out at Polo after closing, getting smashed.”

  “Well, that’s no news flash,” Sam comments.

  “That’s true,” he says. “Anyway, we’re pretty wasted and trying to decide where to take our little party next. We couldn’t decide, then Jules had a V8 moment. ‘Let’s fly to Vegas.’ Long story short, we do.”

  “Okay, I don’t think you need to continue.”

  “Oh, but I do.” He laughs. “Another long story short. We get here, check into the Mandarin, and then go clubbing. Our last club was called the Shark, or Fish Tank, or something like that. We could never remember the name.”

  “We went to so many, they started to blend into one,” Jules adds.

  Marco continues. “As you can imagine, we’re pretty wasted at this point. Our dearest Alexia was slurring-word drunk. And as you all know this is a rare event for our girl. Being our last club for the night/morning we decide to find ourselves a hook-up for the night/morning. Jules chooses her guy right away, and soon so do I. Our dear girl, however, finds herself surrounded by drooling admirers, and can’t decide.”

  “They were not drooling, and I wasn’t surrounded.”

  “Oh, yes they were, and yes you were,” Jules adds.

  I frown.

  “Stop interrupting,” Sam says.

  Marco clears his throat. “Lex, was too inebriated to narrow down her choice to one. So she decides that she is going to partake in her first ever threesome.”

  “No way,” Sam says.

  Lane laughs.

  “Yes, way.” Marco laughs. “After Lex painstakingly narrowed her admirers down to a lucky two—by means of flipping a coin. We, by some miracle, make it back to the Mandarin. She takes these two hot guys to her room and proceeds to pass out before they get their party on.”

  He starts to laugh again so hard that Jules takes over the story.

  “Some unknown time later she wakes and finds herself in her room. After a moment of thanks to the saint whom protects stupid inebriated souls, she realizes that she is on the floor. After a few minutes of contemplation, she manages a vertical state and makes it to the bedroom. As she enters she observes her two hot guys partaking in a threesome with some other unknown chick.”

  They all laugh. And I admit, that I find it hard not to smile because it really is funny now that it’s been a few years.

  “Oh my hell,” Sam says. “What did you do?”

  “I just stood there and watched for a minute. I was in shock and curious, I guess. They were so wasted and high and...occupied they didn’t even notice they had an audience. After a minute or five of voyeurism, I gathered up my things and left the room. Then I went down to the front desk; checked out of that room, and checked into another.

  They continue to laugh.

  “Did they ask you why you were getting another room?” Lee asks.

  “It’s Vegas honey, they don’t ask,” Jules answers.

  Sam laughs. “Well, I stand corrected, sister. You can’t even get ‘some’ in Vegas.”

  “Ha, ha, you’re so funny.”

  “I think you should give it another go. You know what they say—’third’ guy’s the charm,” Marco quips.

  They all crack up again.

  “Why are you picking on me? Aren’t we supposed to be harassing the bride-to-be?”

  “But it’s more fun to pick on you,” Jules says.

  Lane looks at his watch. “Well, I hate to say it, but we should go.”

  Sam groans.

  “If you really don’t want to go, Lane, you don’t have to,” Lee says.

  “No man, I really want to go. Sam’s the one that’s not into it. I told her that she can stay here and sun sit.”

  “And I told you that I miss your fine ass. I never get to see you anymore. With all the flight exams, flight hours, and all the other security crap that you’ve been doing—you never have time for me.”

  “It’s something I’ve always dreamt of doing. And thanks to Lex, I’m doing it.”

  “And I’ve always wanted a helicopter,” I add.

  Sam squeezes Lane’s hand. “I’m sorry. I want you to follow your dreams.”

  Lane looks at his watch again. “Well, babe, are we ready?”

  “As ready as I’ll ever be.”

  “I’ll reward you afterwards,” Lane says with a suggestive cute-as-all-hell dimpled grin.

  “You bet your ass you will, big boy. And many, many times.”

  “Okay you two. Take that shit elsewhere,” I say in faux distain. I couldn’t be happier that my sister has fallen for Lanie. When she moved from Oregon to New York, Lane picked her up at the airport and they’ve been together ever since.

  I grab her hand. “Love you.”

  “I love you, too.”

  Lane rolls his eyes at us. “Are you two done with the sister love? We need to get going.”

  “We are, Mr. Gray. Now don’t forget about the party tonight. Cocktails at eight—don’t be late.”

  “We won’t,” they both reply as they get up and leave.

  * * *

  “Have you seen a drink sever?” Jules asks me.

  I look at my watch. It’s just past eleven a.m. “No. But I think a round of Bloody Marys are in order.”

  “I’ll go check at the bar,” Lee says. “Marco, you’re the man.”

  Lee does this stupid thing where he points two fingers to his eyes then points them to Marco. I think they got it from an episode of 24. Damn that Jack Bauer.

  Marco does
the same stupid pointing eye thing. “I’ve got her covered.”

  “Copy that,” Lee replies.

  Jules and I look at each other and shake our heads.

  A couple of minutes later Lee returns. “They’re sending a sever right over. They don’t start serving alcohol until noon.”

  “What the fuck!” Marco, Jules and I say simultaneously, and crack up.

  Five minutes later a sever shows up with our Bloody Marys.

  “Jesus,” Jules says. “I don’t think I can do a Virgin Mary.”

  Our sever smiles. “It’s noon somewhere,” he says then winks at her.

  “Thank God, we have us a rebel,” she says.

  He laughs.

  She looks at his nametag, “Gary, dear, just keep them coming.”

  He smiles. “Yes, ma’am.”

  We sit and drink in silence for a couple of minutes.

  “When the fuck did we became ‘yes ma’ams?’ I miss the ‘sure thing girl’ and the ‘you betcha’ babe,’“ Jules says.

  “I don’t know, but now that you mention it—it sucks. I don’t want to be a ‘ma’am.’“ Mom and mommy are bad enough.

  “Me either,” Marco adds.

  He laughs and Lee joins in.

  “Shut the fuck up, gaywads,” Jules says.

  My cell rings out the Jaws theme music. I pull it out of my bag and answer, “Gram?”

  “Hey, Mom, what are you doing? Did Aunt Jules and Uncle Nick get married? Did you know that there are 150,000 hotel rooms in Vegas? Did you know that 60,000 shrimp are eaten every day in Vegas? And did you know Mom, that the MGM Hotel washes 15,000 pillowcases every day?”

  “I’m siting by the pool with everyone. No. Jules and Nick will be married tomorrow afternoon. And no, no, and no, to your other questions.”

  I hear the phone drop. “Mom don’t care about that stuff, JB. Let me talk to her.”

  I hear the phone being passed around. “Hey, Mom, sorry. He makes my brain hurt. I miss you. Can we get a dog? I can’t find my Oldsmobile Vista Cruiser—the green one with the wood panel. Can you ask Lee if he knows what box it’s in?”

  Are you a parent? If you are, then tell me—is it normal for kids to talk so much and ask endless questions?

  “I miss you, too, and no, you can’t have a dog.”

  “Can we have a conversation about the dog thing later?”

  “My answer will still be no.”

  “Can’t blame a kid for tryin’.”

  “No, you can’t. Let me ask Lee about the car. Lee, do you remember what box an Oldsmobile Vista Cruiser, green with wood panel, is in?”

  “The box that says vintage American with the blue label.”

  “Did you hear that?” I ask Chase.

  “Yeah. That box already went with the mover people.”

  “Sorry, kid. Where’s your Gram? And did you ask to use her phone?”

  “She’s having an ‘adult’ conversations with Stewart. She asked us to play in the playroom. But, Mom?”

  “What dear?”

  “We’re in the closet and we can still hear her ‘adult’ conversations. Gram don’t have a quiet voice.”

  “It’s ‘doesn’t’ have,’ and you’re right. Are you in the closet because you took her phone without asking?”

  “Duh.”

  I hear JB say, “Let me talk to Mom, I need to ask her somethin’.”

  “Mom, JB wants to give you another brain aneurisims.”

  “It’s ‘aneurism.’“

  “Whatever. I love you, Mommy. I have to pee.”

  Another question for you parents or smart asses. Do you correct speech or not. And what’s up with the announcing of bodily functions? Is this normal?

  “That’s...nice, dear, and I love you, too. I hope you’re being good for Gram and Carrie. By the way, where is Carrie?”

  “She’s in her room packing.”

  “Give me the phone, Chase. I don’t have all the day,” I hear JB say.

  “Okay, man, don’t get all bent. Mom, I’ll talk to you later.”

  “Okay, sweat pea, kisses.”

  He hands the phone to JB.

  “Mom?”

  “Yes, dear?”

  “Stewart said that Gram has a stick up her arse. Don’t you think she should pull it out? Maybe he should take her to a hospital?”

  “Yes, I most definitely think she should.” I laugh. “It’s a figure of speech. She really doesn’t have a stick up her arse.”

  “I figure of speech? Is that like sarcasmness.”

  “It’s ‘sarcasm’ without the ‘ness,’ but yes, it’s like sarcasm. Stewart means that Gram is being a stubborn arse.”

  I’m still waiting for your answer, about the correcting of speech.

  “Okay...Mom?”

  “Yes, baby.”

  “I love you...but I’m done. Can I talk to Uncle Marco? Is he at the pool?”

  I smile. “Yes, he’s sitting right next to me—sunning.”

  “Whatever. Let me talk to him.”

  “Okay. When you’re done talking to Marco you better put Gram’s phone back before she finds it missing.”

  “Duh, Mom.”

  I smile despite myself. “Duh” and “whatever” are the current words du jour. “I love you both, and I’ll call you later.”

  “Whatever, Mom.”

  “Whatever, huh?”

  “Sorry, Mom.”

  “It’s okay, here he is.” I hand the phone over to Marco and mouth. “JB.”

  He smiles and takes my phone.

  “How are my boys?” Lee asks.

  “Your boys are fine. They took, Gram’s phone, and are calling from the playroom closet. Gram needed a minute to have an ‘adult’ conversation with Stewart.”

  “Are they still fighting about the move?”

  “Yes. Stewart is still refusing to leave London unless she gives him a commitment.”

  “Do you think she will?”

  “I do. I think she gets that he’s finally done with her shit. It’s about time he started to show his balls.”

  Lee laughs.

  “She loves him. She’s just too stubborn to admit it.”

  Marco laughs and hands me back my phone. “Where did he come up with that Vegas stuff?”

  “Googles most of it.”

  “Fuck me. Twelve o’ clock,” Jules says.

  I look up. “What the hell is he doing here?” That cheeky bastard!

  “He’s not alone—eleven o’ clock.”

  “Fuck me. I was hoping I wouldn’t have to see her tinker ass until the party tonight.”

  “Sure is a tiny little thing,” Lee comments. “What the fuck is up with those tits?”

  Jules lets out a discussed snort. “They’re called disproportionate implants.”

  “You got that right girlfriend,” Marco adds.

  Lee laughs. “I’ll bet you they’re fifty percent of her body weight.”

  “Lee,” I say, “wave over Gary, I need a stronger drink.”

  “I think this situation calls for tequila shots,” Jules adds.

  Lee nods at her in agreement, then waves over Gary, and orders us two shots and a margarita.

  We watch as Jaxson and Mia grab towels and pull up loungers directly across from us.

  “Bastard,” I say under my breath.

  Mia says something to him and he nods and walks to the bar. He returns and places two drinks on the table between them. He sits down facing her and they talk for a minute. Then she grabs her bag and pulls out some sunscreen and hands it to him and lies on her stomach.

  Gary arrived with our drinks. I raise a shot. “To Jules,” I say. Then we tap glasses.

  We pick up our second shot. “To real ta-tas,” Jules says, and we throw back our second shot.

  We sit and sip our margaritas as we continue to look over at Jaxson and Tinker Hell. I’ve never been more grateful for hunormous sunglasses. I watch as Jaxson unhooks the back of her suit with one hand. Then squirts sun
screen and begins to rub it onto her back. I suck in my breath and close my eyes. I can’t help but feel jealous, sad, and fucking mad. I know how wonderful those hands feel on skin. I open my eyes and continue to watch them. I bite my lip trying to abate tears. I down the rest of my drink. Why am I inflicting Chinese self-torture?

  “More shots,” I say.

  Lee waves over Gary and orders another round.

  “We can leave if you want,” Marco says and squeezes my knee.

  “No. We’re not going anywhere,” I answer with false bravado.

  Gary returns, and I grab a shot off of his tray and down it.

  He smiles and places the others on our tables.

  I down my other shot.

  “Another round?” he asks me.

  I nod and he leaves.

  This time the burn reaches my empty gut. I knew I shouldn’t have skipped breakfast.

  “How about something to eat?” Marco says.

  I smile at how well he reads me.

  “What do you think?” he asks me again.

  “I think that’s an excellent idea.”

  We all watch as Jaxson sits back into his lounger and waves at us.

  “Did you see that?” Jules asks.

  “Yes,” I reply. Cheeky asshat.

  “Well, there’s only one thing we can do,” Marco says.

  “What’s that?” I ask.

  “Wave back.”

  “On three,” he says, “one, two, three.”

  We all wave back.

  Jaxson grins like an idiot, and gives us a salute.

  “What an arrogant asswad,” Jules comment.

  We watch as Jaxson folds down his lounger and stretches out his beautiful body.

  “How can he look hotter than I remember?” I say out loud without realizing.

  “Nick says he works out almost every day,” Jules answers.

  Damn him.

  Gary returns and we order some lunch.

  “I just don’t get it, Jules says. “I mean other than the tits, what the hell’s the attraction? Nick and I have gone out to dinner with them a few times and she is a pompous bitchwad with the personally of a gnat.”

  I laugh. Have you noticed that Jules adds “wad”, to her profanities, insults, and even some endearments?

  “I go to these dinners for Nick, but I bite my tongue the entire time, and order doubles.”

  “You must really love him.”

  “Damn straight. I wanted to murder her every time she opened her mouth. Lucky for her, she never had much to say. She’s a huffer and a tsker.”