Chapter Twenty-Nine
Fenton
I tried not to look at Kya anymore, but I could feel the look in her eyes. I had had that look before. She still smiled, she still danced, but her eyes were far away. She was on the other side of the wall I put up. Now, there was nothing but business between us.
The party kept going and I kept up with it. Sienna did not notice that I switched out lots of the tequila shots for water. She was too busy with her cameras and they were too busy with her. The reality show was exhausting and her plastered on smiles were wearing me down. I was glad when the party finally started to break up.
My swollen eye did bother me. Kya had been the only one to ask about it. My shoulders were stiff, my arms sore, the effort of the fight was finally weighing down on me. The crowd inside the suite thinned out and once the music stopped, I switched back to real tequila. There was no wall of people hiding Kya from my sight. It was time to get drunk.
I did not know why I had to keep her at a distance. Winning the fight, signing the endorsement, admitting that she could be an integral part of my life – it was all too much. I needed to take a step back, but now it felt like a step off a jagged cliff.
"You did good, kid," Aldous said. He held up his phone. "My wife wants to say hello."
"Hello, Tia. Yes, thank you. Yeah, you're right it is about time for me to move my stuff out of your basement. Yes, I'll tell him. Okay, goodnight," I said.
Aldous laughed. "She figures now that you're up the next rung you can afford to get your own place. Gotta say I wouldn't mind it being somewhere around here. Tia either. She wouldn't mind kissing those cold winters goodbye."
"You like it here, too?" I asked.
"Aha! See, I told you he was thinking about making Vegas his base," Kev said. He swayed against Aldous and threw an arm around his neck. "I love this town. I knew you'd love this town. Let's do it, let's move here."
"Whoa, slow down, Kev. How much have you had to drink?" I asked.
"Enough to tell you that this is the best idea Team Fenton has ever had," he replied. "I mean, come on, most of your fights are out here or in Southern California. We could drive there like in a convertible across the desert."
"You've been watching too many movies," Aldous said.
"Who has time for movies? I've been getting this guy gigs, then getting to the gigs, then making sure he doesn't misbehave enough to get dropped from the gig. I'm exhausted," Kev said.
"What makes you think living out here would make it any different?" I asked.
Kev eyed a few of the beautiful women on their way out of the party. "I could relax by the pool here in between. You know, take in the sights."
I took another shot of Tequila and let the warmth wash over me. "Alright, say I was interested. You really think we could make a go of it out here?"
Aldous smiled. "Here is better than anywhere. Tia's sick of you living in our basement. I'm sick of being on the road. Kev's right, most of the fights are around here. Weekends with the family would be really nice."
"Yes! Yes! This is what I was telling Kya," Kev said.
I stopped cold then slammed another shot. "You talked to Kya about moving to Las Vegas?"
"Yeah, she was thinking about it on her own. No more lonely little house in Chicago," Kev explained. "She wants to set up shop here."
"What are you three talking about so cute over here?" Sienna asked. She was still on, even though she waved to her exhausted camera crew as they left.
"We're talking about living in Vegas," Kev said. He sidled closer to Sienna and gave her a sloppy smile. "What do you think about that?"
"Yuck, it's good for a weekend, good for some fun shots for the show, but I'm not sticking around," she said.
"Well, good luck with that," Kev told her. He rolled his eyes at me and followed another trio of pretty ladies out to the elevator.
"Good night," Aldous said. "We'll talk shop in the morning, not too early."
I stood in the door and expected Sienna to leave, too. Instead, she smiled and laid a very long kiss on my cheek. Then, she sashayed over the white sofa and curled up close to the fireplace. She crooked a finger, indicating I was supposed to come and sit with her. For a minute, I hesitated. Kya was tipping the careering staff and directing some of the party clean up. She refused to look at me, so I went to sit with Sienna.
"I had a good time tonight," Sienna said. She ran a hand up and down my sore bicep. "You'd make a good regular on the show. I think fans will like you as much as I do."
"And, if they didn't?" I asked.
She pouted her pink lips. "My fans like what I like, otherwise what is the point in starring in your own reality show?"
"I have no idea," I said. My eyes wandered to Kya. For one split second, her green eyes flashed across mine. Then, she turned and disappeared through a side door.
I wanted to follow her. I burned to know if she was sneaking off to see that horrible golfer. I could round out the night by punching him clean in the face.
"Fenton? Did you hear me?" Sienna asked.
"No, sorry, what?"
"I was saying we should head into the master bedroom," she stood up and shimmied in front of me before sticking her hands out. Even though there were only a handful of catering staff left, she still checked to make sure someone was watching her.
I looked away. Kya had slipped out to the balcony, and I could just barely make out her outline in the dim morning light. Sienna pulled my face back to her and leaned down for a long, lip-glossed kiss. She tasted of strawberry, the fake flavor that in no way reminded me of the actual fruit. I could not do it.
"I'm tired. Too many rounds with Maxwell Lewis. I'll walk you to the door," I said.
Sienna stood up and pouted. She planted her hands on her hips and posed. "You can't be serious."
"I fought tonight, remember? I'm sore and I'm tired." I heaved myself off the white sofa and walked her to the door.
"I sent the cameras away and everything because I wanted some private time with you."
"Thanks for thinking of me," I told her. "Goodnight."
Sienna's face had the red tinge of a coming tantrum. I felt bad for the caterers waiting for the elevator. They shuffled off toward the service elevator and I locked the door behind them.
When I turned around, all I could see was Kya. Pale streaks of orange broke over the horizon and her silhouette was clear, standing alone to face the sunrise.
"Hell of a party, huh?" I asked.
Kya jolted against the balcony railing, surprised that I had joined her outside. She swiped at her cheeks and turned away from me.
"Are you crying?" I asked. "Are you okay?"
"Don't be stupid. I don't have anything to cry about. I came out here to celebrate. Business success and all that," she said.
I could not keep my hands from wrapping around her shoulders. She pulled against the railing, stiff from my touch, but I did not let go. I turned her slowly and pulled her against my chest. Kya fought me, but then gave in for one sweet moment. The sky brightened and she nestled her head under my chin.
"It's too early in the morning for business," I said.
"Then, I should go," Kya said. She pulled away and headed for the door.
"Is that all you can do? Run for the door? Because that's exactly what you did the other morning," I snapped.
Kya whirled to face me, her eyes flashing emerald in the early morning light. "Excuse me? Of course, I left. What did you expect me to do?"
"Me?" I asked. "I guess I was fooled by your reputation. I thought you'd have the decency to stick around. I didn't know you were one of those love 'em and leave 'em girls."
"Of course, you would confuse that with a woman that has some dignity," Kya said.
"Dignity? Is that what you call skipping down to the pool to flirt with your next potential client?" I asked. My hands throbbed as my fingers curled into fists. I should have iced them hours ago, but I welcomed the pain. It only made me angrier at Kya. "Excuse me, if I thought you moved on a little too fast."
“You think I'm the one that moved on fast? You're the one that invited a stripper to the suite. Let me see if I have the timeline right – we had sex in front of the fire, we ate omelets, you invited the stripper to come join you, we had sex again, and then you fucked a stripper in the room next to mine!"
I burst out laughing. Kya's faced bloomed with an angry blush and she whirled towards the door again. I lunged toward it and land the flat of my hand hard against. Kya tried, but she could not pry the door open with me leaning on it. I laughed even harder when my phone started ringing.
"What is wrong with you?" Kya asked. "Is that her? By all means, answer it. I'll get out of your way."
I pushed against the door, giving Kya no choice, but to retreat to the opposite end of the balcony. There was no other door.
"Hello, Sis? Yeah, thanks. Yeah, I'm in a good mood, but you'll never guess. You were right. About Kya. Yeah, that's exactly what she thought." I said. I held out the phone. "Dana Maria wants to talk to you."
"What?" Kya asked. She gave the railing a wild look. "Why would I want to talk to her?"
"Because she's my sister. My sister came over that morning and you met her at the door," I said. My phone beeped and I looked at the screen and laughed. "Here, she's sent a pic of her holding out her driver's license."
Kya crept toward me and glanced at the phone. "And, her middle finger," she said.
"That's my sister!" I tried to stop laughing, but it erupted out of me again as I hung up on Dana Maria.
"It's not funny," Kya said. She crossed her arms tight over her chest. "I thought, I mean, you know what I thought."
"Well, now that you know, what are you thinking?"
Kya covered her face with her hands. "I'm thinking that I screwed everything up by going out with Jackson. It really was just to sign him. I mean, he wanted a real date and I was mad but, well, you were there. Nothing happened."
"Yeah," I said. "I was there. And, I forgot to tell you thanks for not letting me get Tasered." I pulled her hands from her face and wrapped her arms around my waist. "Business or not, you're there when I need you."
"And, how about now?" Kya asked.
I tipped her sweet lips to mine. "I need you now more than ever."