Connections Read online

  Paul pulled out a sonogram picture and handed it to his sister, “I hope you’re ready to be Aunt Shayla.”

  Shayla looked at the grainy image, “For real? Wow. Congrats little bro!”

  “Thanks, we’re going to start converting the basement into an apartment so we have some more space.”

  “Don’t you ever get sick of Mom?”

  “She and I get along fine; she and Nora get along great. You and her, just clash. It’s kind of creepy.”

  “Try living it.” She sighed, “I gotta get ready. I’m meeting an old friend for drinks.”

  “Don’t worry I’ll tell Mom and Dad you did arrive.” He called out before slamming his door.

  Shayla shook her head, something’s never changed.

  She wasn’t sure what she expected when she walked into the bar and saw that Zach was already seated at the bar with a Coors Light in front of him. She felt oddly nervous, she’d gone up to so many men before that she was surprised at how nervous she felt right now. “You know, you could’ve told me it was you Zach.”

  He stood and pulled her seat out for her quickly. “You were having so much fun; I didn’t want to burst that bubble.”

  She smiled, “So are you back for the reunion?”

  “Technically no, since I didn’t graduate from Summit, the timing just worked out for some business meetings I’ve got this week in the city.” He waved the waitress over.

  “Cosmo please.” Shayla leaned back in her seat, a smile on her face as she studied Zach. His long sleeve thermal shirt stretched across his obviously hard body. He wore jeans that appeared to be tight in the right places and fashionable.

  “Good choice.” He smiled as he took a quick sip, “So, what are you up to these days?”

  She tossed her hair, “Well, I’m an actress on the last New York City soap opera. I’m part of a dying breed. I’ll be lucky to have a job in a year.”

  “That sounds poetic and terrible.” He smiled, “You’re also a favorite in the clubhouse.”

  “Clubhouse, you’re an athlete aren’t you?”

  “Short stop, I’ve been playing in Denver for a while now.”

  She leaned forward, “That explains the beer.”

  “Oh it does?”

  “Coors field, Coors light.”

  He smiled, “You think you have me all figured out, don’t you?”

  “Actually, I don’t. However, I’m not sure how much I’ll be able to figure out with the death stares I’m getting from the bar.”

  Zach didn’t need to turn around, “Just ignore her, she’s just jealous. She thinks more happened between you and Carter then really did.”

  “She always thought more happened then it did.” Shayla reached out, placing her hand over his.

  Zach had to control the part of him that was still 17 years old and freaking out right now that Shayla was touching him. “So, let’s stop beating around the bush. How about you tell me what you were really looking for this afternoon.”

  “Oh well, I’m not sure I could say that here.” Her fingers stroked his as she felt sparks that she couldn’t ever recall feeling in the past.

  Every rose has its thorn…Every rose has its thorn…

  Zach looked towards Shayla’s purse as it sang the familiar lyrics.

  “Just one second.” She pulled it out, ready to silence it until she saw who it was. “Shayla Daniels, what’s up?”

  Zach watched her, intrigued by her more now that he had been as a teenager. She had matured; perhaps it had been her years in New York. Something was different about her, but then again he had to hope so. He wasn’t the same person he was at seventeen either. If he was, he wouldn’t be sitting here with her, no he’d been in his room jacking off to a magazine.

  “Is everything okay?” He asked when she slipped her phone back into her purse.

  She picked up her Cosmo the waitress had just dropped off, “Oh, just a blogger looking to confirm a rumor. It was only a matter of time before they recast my characters mother. The original actress hasn’t been heard from in years. Long before I started on the show.”

  “Oh, so word got out and they want an insider to confirm it?”

  “Something like that.” She picked up the orange slice on the rim of her glass, “We’re not here to talk about soap operas if I remember correctly.”

  “You’re right, we’re not. We’re here to discuss what you were looking for on the train this afternoon.” He leaned forward, “I’m curious Shayla, don’t make me so curious that it kills me.”

  She giggled, “If I did that then this would’ve all been a waste of perfectly good time when we could be finding some place to fuck.”

  Zach felt his stomach twist with excitement, “My, my, my suspicions were right after all.”

  “Oh were they?” She leaned back again, letting her hand rest on his leg. She could feel Eva watching them.

  “Yeah, they were.” He watched her finish her drink, “You want to get out of here and away from the drilling death stare that I can feel you getting.”

  “That would be paradise. Let’s go.” She hopped off the seat and started to pull out her wallet only to see that Zach had paid for the drinks before she could.

  “A gentleman always pays.” He told her as he helped her on with her jacket before putting his on. “Now, let’s get out of here.”

  Shayla grabbed his hand, looking towards the bar just once to see Eva turn towards Carter.

  “Can you believe that whore?” Eva chewed on the slim red straw from her rum and coke.

  Carter rolled his eyes, “Remind me to get you a dictionary and thesaurus for Christmas.”

  “With gifts like those, you’ll sweep me off your feet for sure.”

  “Fuck you.”

  “Yes, please.” Eva bit her lower lip, arching her breasts towards him.

  “Not happening Eva. We’re not a couple and we never will be.” Carter slammed his beer down on the bar, causing a few other patrons to glance over for a moment before going back to their own conversations.

  “What do you mean?” Eva was surprised; Carter never spoke to her this way.

  “I mean what I said. We’re not a couple.” He took his wallet out and tossed some cash on the bar. “I’m out, see ya.”

  “You can’t walk out on me!” She called out while watching him storm out.

  Carter didn’t stop, he just kept walking. He was done putting up with her. He’d spent his entire life being her friend, and she always wanted more. Why couldn’t she understand it wasn’t going to happen?

  CHAPTER FOUR

  Alice Daniels sat in her kitchen after cleaning up the takeout containers from the small family dinner she’d brought home after her meeting. She’d been surprised when she’d gotten the call and asked to come into New York. It had been years since she worked, so why bring her back on now?

  The building had been a different one then when she last worked twenty some odd years before. Most of the people she’d known were long gone, a few faces were familiar but really they were just there to make people feel like things didn’t really change.

  “Mrs. Daniels, thank you so much for coming into the city. I know this is a surprise.” Tyler York sat in his desk studying her, judging her, the way she’d aged. He was younger then she’d expected, late thirties, maybe early forties.

  “Is everything alright with my daughter Shayla?” She twisted her fingers together as she watched him. He couldn’t have asked her here for anything else, could he?

  Tyler let the amusement cross his face, “Alice, please let’s cut the bullshit and get to the point. You and I both know that you were the original Maeve Evermore. I bet you also know that we want to bring her back. It’s time for Addison to know her mother.”

  Alice leaned back in her chair, “And of course why not bring back the original and only actress who is also Shayla’s mother in real life.”

  “When we cast Shayla, we didn’t know she was your daughter. It was a pleasant sur
prise though.” Tyler stood up, “Come on Alice, if you had no desire to be back you wouldn’t have taken this meeting.”

  Alice sighed, “You’re right. I want to be back. I would love to return as Maeve.”

  “Great! We’ll have you back just in time for the next sweeps.”

  “One thing, I still need to be billed as Abigail Jackson, I can’t be billed as Alice Daniels.”

  “That’s fine; it’s easier to tell the audience that Abigail Jackson is returning then trying to explain who Alice Daniels is.”

  “Wonderful.” Alice stood up, “I’m guessing the details will be negotiable in the contract.”

  Tyler pulled out a stack of papers, “We’ve sent a copy over to your manager.”

  “Wonderful. I can’t wait to be back.”

  “I can’t wait to see you on set with Shayla. She doesn’t know you were on the show, does she?”

  Alice moved towards the door, “Shayla has no idea. It will probably be a bigger shock for her, then for Addison.”

  “That should be, just about perfect. We’ll be in touch.”

  It would be weird, Alice knew that to return to a life she hadn’t been part of for almost twenty years.

  “You don’t have to do this.” Her husband Ryan stood in the doorway of the kitchen.

  Alice shook her head, “Oh how I wish, I could just go and tell her. Shayla is not going to take it very well when she finds out that her Mother will be playing well, her Mother!”

  Ryan rolled his eyes, “Just tell her. Get it out in the open. Be honest with her for once in our lives.”

  “She’s not going to like it. Why not let her have some time to not know.” Alice chewed on her pinky nail. “Besides, I don’t want her to jeopardize her own career by freaking out.”

  “Again,” Ryan started “You need to tell her.”

  She sighed, “Fine, I’ll sit her down tomorrow and tell her.”

  “Good.” Ryan opened the fridge and took out a beer, “It will be better the sooner you do it. Are you coming to bed soon?”

  “Yeah, just as soon as I finish cleaning up, and leave a note for Shayla.”

  Ryan kissed the top of her forehead, “Good, I’ll be waiting for you.”

  Shayla looked down at her feet, as Zach pushed her on the swing set. It wasn’t too late but the sky was dark, the smell of roaring fireplaces was in the air. The air was cold, and the sound of the leaves was crisp under each step. “You used to watch us on the train rides, didn’t you?”

  Zach laughed as he gave her a good push, “Yeah, I did. I watched the way you would go up to guys and offer them blow jobs.”

  On her return towards him, she leaned her body to turn and face him. “You jackass, so when you saw me on the train today and sat across from me—”

  “I was thinking that there was no way in hell I was sitting across from my dream girl. No way could I be that lucky, especially when you smiled at me.”

  “Dream girl huh?” She reached out, her hands on his hips as she looked up at him, the yellow wash of the street light creating shadows on his face.

  He reached out, running a hand through the curls of her hair. “I was terribly jealous when I found out you were dating Carter.”

  “I would barely call it dating.” She confessed as she pulled herself up from the swing, feeling Zach’s arms wrap around her.

  “What was it then?” He could smell the fading scent of her perfume.

  She pulled away just a little bit, “Well, Carter was revenge.”

  “My brother was revenge, against whom?”

  She couldn’t tell him it was Brad, but she knew someone else it worked against, “It got Eva’s goat, especially when she saw me and Carter on prom night.”

  “Always a bonus,” He watched the way the light reflected in her eyes. “So, if I wasn’t Carter’s brother, what would we be doing right now?”

  “Well, I probably wouldn’t have met you at The Office. In fact I probably would’ve just stayed at my parents’ house and spent the evening arguing with my mother, because as far as she’s concerned when I’m there, I’m still 17.”

  Zach sat in the swing, bringing her down with him. “I’m glad you showed up.”

  “So am I. Too bad we’re out here in the middle of the playground at night.” She looked around at the darkness, the shadows created by the equipment which was all different from her own childhood having been replaced long ago.

  His hand moved up the sides of her body, feeling the softness of her curves, “No one’s around.”

  “You like the danger of being caught, don’t you?” She was surprised to find herself practically purring in response to him.

  “Maybe I do, maybe I don’t. Maybe, all I can think about is some silly teenage fantasy.”

  Shayla leaned back in the swing as she watched Zach in the darkness. “Tell me, give me details.”

  He pushed her backwards, letting her swing in the air as he moved to swing beside her. “Well, that’s your thing, isn’t it? You want the details, but not the action huh?”

  She giggled, “More like, I’m curious what teenage you wanted from teenage me.”

  He pushed himself to start swinging, finding himself out of sync with her as he looked out at the playground, “Well, the most prominent one was where you would show up at my bedroom door, catching me masturbating.”

  “Is that so?”

  “It is.” He shook his head, “Well then in the fantasy, you would take over. You and those mint green nails you always had, before of course using your mouth.”

  Shayla stopped swinging and watched him, “Is that it? I gave you a blow job in your fantasy?”

  He could feel himself turning red, “Yeah, though sometimes it was more. Mostly though the thought of your glossy lips on my cock was enough to get my teenage self thoroughly off.”

  Shayla reached out and stopped him from swinging, pulling him closer to her. “What about now? What would get you thoroughly off now? Does the thought of my cupcake colored lips on your hard cock turn you on? Or is it the thought of seeing my French tipped nails sliding up and down as I bring you closer and closer to releasing your cum?”

  Zach could feel his heart racing as he put his hands over hers, “Actually, as arousing as that is, I’m thinking more along the lines of finding out what turns you on Shayla. What makes your pussy dripping wet? Would you rather my fingers explore you, or my tongue?”

  Shayla felt her body responding to Zach as her mind flashed on the idea of him touching her sexually. She wished she could just take him home with her, or vice versa. Right now that was kind of out of the question. “Come with me.” She set her eyes on the supply building towards the other end of the playground.

  “Where are we going?” Zach followed her as she darted across the grass in the night’s darkness.

  She was at the door of the closet, and if she remembered correctly a key would be somewhere nearby hidden. She reached up, pushing herself onto her toes as she reached the top of the door frame and found the key.

  “How did you know that would be there?” He watched as she worked to unlock the door.

  She turned with a smile, “My father is the football coach, remember? I’ve spent plenty of time around these grounds all over town.”

  He nodded, “Okay, fair enough.”

  She pulled the chain, turning on the light. “Much better, more space than I expected.”

  Zach followed her inside, “Should I close the door, or will we be locked in?”

  “You can close it.” She leaned against the shelf, “During the summer, this is used to store crayon, bored games, first aid kits for the summer program. Right now though, I think this is the perfect place for two adults who want to get a little frisky and perhaps can’t take the other hope.”

  Zach smiled game for anything at this point. “We only have one life to live, right?”

  “Exactly, now come here and kiss me already.”

  Zach took the few steps closer, his hands r
esting just above her hips and he leaned down to kiss her.

  Shayla hadn’t been sure he would actually kiss her, but the moment she felt the pressure from his lips she could feel it in her toes. This was strength, a passion she hadn’t felt in a long time.

  Zach pulled her closer, his fingers sliding under the bottom of her shirt, feeling her smooth, cool skin as his body ached to be closer to her.

  The light was momentarily blinding, shocking both Shayla and Zach, ending the kiss.

  “Shayla Daniels, is that you?” The voice belonged to a police officer who stood in the open doorway.

  Shayla could feel herself red with embarrassment, had she and Zach really just been busted, making out in the field house. “Yeah, that would be me.”

  “Well, I’ll be damn. You were the last person I expected to find in here.” He turned the flashlight off and Shayla could finally see who it was.

  “Curtis, is that you?”

  Zach looked at the man in uniform, unmistakable it was Curtis Collins who had spent most of high school worshiping Carter and drooling over Shayla. “Wow, Curtis, you’re a cop now huh?”

  Curtis looked at Zach, “Do I know you?”

  “Zach Jensen, Carter’s twin brother.”

  Curtis’ eyes went wide, “Sorry didn’t recognize you. Come on guys, you can’t be in here. If you leave now, I can say when I got here that whoever unlocked the door was gone.”

  “How did you know?” Shayla crossed her arms over her chest.

  “I was driving by on patrol, saw the light on.”

  Shayla nodded, “Fine, we’ll go. Just Curtis, keep this between us, okay?”

  Curtis nodded, “For you, anything Shay.”

  “Thanks.” She kissed him on the cheek before she and Zach left.

  Once they were out of earshot he leaned in, “He’s still got a crush on you.”

  “Yeah, well I think I can only handle one high school crush on me a night and tonight is your shot.”

  “Which sadly, he just busted up.”

  Shayla nodded as they left the playground, “This town is kind of dead isn’t it?”