Alyssa
When our plane made the first curve over the ocean turning around the land at LAX, I couldn’t take my eyes off the vast blue expanse. Sure, I’d been living in New York City for years, but something about seeing the ocean on the other side of the country held some sort of special thrill for me. It might’ve been due to the fact that the ocean in New York was, well, nothing all that special. Sure, you could go to Coney Island every now and then if you wanted to see the beach, but anything other than that was just so much hassle. Not to mention that ’it wasn’t like Logan was the type to take me on fun excursions like that.
The plane started its descent, and as it did, the name “Logan” hung in my mind. As I sat next to Russell on that flight to Los Angeles, I couldn’t help but reflect on how my old life seemed like it was ages ago, despite it only being a couple of weeks since I’d made my escape from it. Everything with Russell had just so fast.
But I was more than happy with the direction my life was taking. Being with Russell was like nothing else that I’d ever experienced and as I waited for the flight to land, I couldn’t help but think about what was to come next with a little thrill in my heart.
After a smooth landing, the two of us made our way through LAX and to the car that Russell had rented in advance. The ride was a sleek, cherry-red convertible, and as I laid my eyes on it I could already feel the California wind blowing through my hair.
“Went for the convertible, huh?” I asked, eagerly anticipating sliding into the car.
Russell flashed me a sexy little grin.
“If you’re going to be driving in California, you might as well do it the right way.”
I couldn’t have agreed more. Soon, we were in the car and pulling out onto the freeway. Russell brought the top down and soon the warm wind was coursing through the car, a smile spreading across my face as I looked up at the cloudless blue sky. The weather was a wonderful little break from the chill that’d had New York in its grip for the last month, and I was ready to take advantage of it.
But as we made our way down the freeway, I couldn’t help but think about Cory, as strange as that sounds. While Russell and I were getting ready to make the next journey in our life together, Russell’s brother was likely in some rundown apartment, putting the last bits of money that he’d earned up his nose or into his arm. He could’ve been a part of all this if only he’d made the right decision that night at the townhouse. Cory was an odd guy, for sure, but watching someone turn his back on the only family he had so that he could walk headlong into the life of a junkie … it was hard to think about.
Russell, however, hadn’t said a single word about the issue, and I knew better than to pry. I hoped that he was dealing with it somehow, and not just burying it deep inside.
After a time, we arrived in Santa Monica, where Russell had rented us a house on the beach for the next couple of weeks while we took care of our business in the city. I couldn’t help but let a big grin break out on my face as we pulled up to the beautiful beachside home.
“This is amazing,” I said, stepping out of the car and looking the place over.
The home was built in the modern geometric style that I’d seen before when looking at pictures of houses in the Los Angeles area. The shape was like two large rectangular boxes stacked on top of one another, a still, calm pool wrapped around the side. Glass walls afforded us a look straight into the place, which was just as modern inside as it was on the outside.
“Sandor recommended this place,” said Russell, grabbing our bags out of the back of the car and bringing them up to the front doors. “In my opinion, you need two things when visiting LA: a convertible and a beachfront place.”
“No arguments here,” I said.
Russell dug a key out of his pocket and opened the front door, revealing the beautiful interior that I had been able to see hints of from outside. I stepped into the vast living room, my jaw nearly on the floor as I took in the incredible design of the inside of the home. Making my way to the back of the house, I saw that the back wall was all glass, allowing for a stunning view of the beach and ocean beyond. I couldn’t wait to slip into a two-piece and spend some time splashing around in the water.
“Place work?” asked Russell, bringing in the last of the bags and shutting the door.
I couldn’t help but dash up to him and throw my arms around his neck.
“It’s perfect,” I said.
“Good,” he responded. “If all goes well, then this trip to LA will be the first of many. Lots of money to be made out here.”
Russell’s mention of his job brought back to mind just what he did to earn all of this. I told myself that I’d never forget the fact that despite how much I was enjoying this lifestyle, it was all because Russell was a criminal. A tight feeling formed in my stomach when I realized that if he was a criminal, then I was his accomplice.
“Something wrong?” he asked.
I jolted a bit, a little surprised that my emotions were being advertised so obviously.
“No,” I said. “I mean, yes. I was just thinking about all of this, all of what we’re doing here in LA. Sometimes I forget that you’re in, well, the business that you’re in. What if something goes wrong during a deal? What if something happens to you?”
My words shocked me a little bit. When thinking about the situation, I was concerned for my safety. But now that I was actually expressing my feelings to Russell, all that came out were concerns about him.
Russell responded by placing his hands on my shoulders and looking at me deeply with those gorgeous green eyes of his. Just having him look at me, his hands on my body, made me feel a little calmer.
“Listen,” he said, his voice low and serious. “This is a dangerous business, but I know how to handle myself. And I’ll never, never let anything happen to you, not as long as I live. Don’t worry about a thing.”
That was all it took to calm me down. Something about Russell had a way of making me feel safe and at ease, as though he was more than comfortable taking on the concerns of the world so that I didn’t have to.
“Well,” I said, feeling myself loosen up. “What’s the plan for our time here?”
Russell headed into the kitchen, and I followed him there.
“I’ve got the usual shit,” he said, reaching into the fridge and grabbing a bottle of some microbrew beer that I didn’t recognize the label of. “Meetings, inventory checks, all that; nothing you need to be around for. But we’ve also got a few more parties coming up, one happening this weekend.”
“Oh?” I asked. “You want me to put on the usual routine?”
“Sort of,” he said, grabbing the bottom of his shirt and using it to twist the cap off of his beer, giving me a little peek at his sexy stomach. “Like I said, if all goes well here in LA, I’ll be able to do business both here and in New York. But I’m still building my networks here; I don’t know as many people here as I do back on the East Coast. And that’s where you come in.”
“How do you mean?” I asked. “You want me to make some friends?”
“Precisely,” he said. “Remember the girls you saw at the last party?”
I nodded, the images of them appearing in my mind.
“Not all of those girls are barely-legal arm candy for these guys; a lot of them are actual wives. And while the men run their own sorts of operations, the women have their own things going on.”
“‘Their own things’?” I asked. “What does that mean?”
“The men do the work, and the women enjoy the fruits of that work, just like in the normal people world.”
“You mean like … have brunch? Go shopping?”
“That’s exactly right,” he said. “The usual LA things. And while I’m making the sales and carving out a little space for us here in the city, I want you to start making some besties.”
My stomach flipped over at this. Was he really asking me to pal around like any other rich LA woman? I mean, it wasn’t dangerous work, sure, but I’d never really fit in with the brunch crowd. Even when I was living the New York yuppie lifestyle with Logan, I’d had trouble fitting in. And now here I was being asked to do it as a job.
“Don’t look so nervous,” said Russell. “All you have to do is do what you’ve already shown a talent for, except without the flirting.”
He thought for a second.
“Then again, who knows what some of these bored trophy wives get up to.”
He then flashed me another smile and I gave him a playful swat to the chest.
“So, just schmooze with these women?”
“Exactly,” he said. “Easy stuff. In fact, so easy that I’ve already arranged a little outing for you this afternoon.”
“What?”
“Calm down,” he said. “Just a little brunch and shopping with a few women. You’ll be meeting them in Beverly Hills around twelve thirty. There’s another car in the garage that you can take.”
I didn’t say anything; I didn’t know why, but something about all this just made me so nervous.
“You’ll do great,” he said. “I already know how charming you can be, and you can buy some clothes that are a little more suited to the city. But just relax until then; enjoy the weather.”
Before either of us could say another word, Russell’s phone buzzed in his pocket. He took it out, answered the call, and left the room in mid-conversation.
Might as well make the best of it, I thought to myself, the afternoon ahead looming in my mind.
I had a few hours to kill, so I took a little tour of the house. It was much bigger than the place in New York—almost too much space for two people. I’d gotten so used to the tight quarters of just about every New York apartment that I’d forgotten what it was like to be in a house where spreading out on a big piece of land wasn’t an issue. The house had four bedrooms, plenty of bathrooms, and even a basement. And as I strolled around the place, I couldn’t help but think about how to put all the space to use.
Be a nice house for a family, I thought, the words appearing in my mind out of nowhere.
I caught myself; what the hell was I doing thinking about a family? With who, Russell?
But though the idea seemed ridiculous at first, the more I considered it, the nicer it sounded.
Easy, girl, I thought to myself. He seems like a good guy, but maybe give it more than a couple of months before you start thinking about having his babies.
Finishing my stroll through the house, I made my way to the bright, sunny kitchen, poured myself a glass of wine, and decided to relax on the back patio before my afternoon with the other women. Basking in the warm late morning sun, the time slipped by. Before I knew it, the time to leave had nearly arrived. I finished my drink, threw on a fresh set of clothes, and grabbed the set of car keys that Russell had laid out for me. I entered the garage and saw that the car I’d be driving was a sporty, dark blue convertible, not too different than what Russell was driving. After a nice long drive through the city, I arrived at the lunch spot where I was to meet the girls.
Here goes nothing, I thought, and headed in.
The restaurant was a chic place with contemporary décor and a staff of young men and women who looked like they all moonlighted as models. Knowing what I knew about LA, they probably did. I found the girls towards the back of the restaurant, gathered around a table on the patio in a lovely spot that overlooked Rodeo Drive. The three women were all stunningly gorgeous, extremely well-dressed, and carried themselves with poise and sophistication. I felt out of place right from the start.
As I approached the table, their eyes all snapped onto me.
“Hi,” I said in a meek voice. “I’m Alyssa. Um, Alyssa Culverton.”
They shared a quizzical expression.
“I’m sorry,” said one, a gorgeous blonde. “Who?”
“I’m Russell Carrick’s, um, partner.”
I had no idea what other word to use. Were we a couple? Just business associates? Something more?
Their eyes all lit up with the same look of happy realization.
“Ah,” said a slender brunette with striking features and a very low-cut top. “Russell’s girl! Sit, sit; we’ve heard so much about him.”
I slid timidly into the free seat and took off my purse.
“Welcome to Los Angeles,” said the third woman, another blonde, this one with a pixie cut and sharp, elf-like features. “How’re you liking the city so far?”
“Well, I just got in a few hours ago, but so far it’s amazing,” I said. “If only for the weather.”
“Oh, right,” said the brunette. “The weather. You know when you live here as long as we have, you kind of forget about it.”
“Right,” said the short-haired blonde. “You forget that people actually have to deal with awful things like snow.”
The three girls shared a little laugh that I was late to join in on.
“Anyway,” said the first blonde. “I’m Annie, that’s Martina, and that’s Emma.”
She gestured to the brunette then the blonde.
“Nice to meet you all,” I said, my eyes drifting to the bottle of white in the middle of the table.
“Don’t be shy,” said Emma. “Pour yourself a glass; that’s what it’s there for.”
Right on cue, a waiter appeared and placed an empty white wine glass in front of me. I filled it and took a sip, ready for the alcohol to do its work on my nerves.
“So,” said Martina, the brunette. “You’re with Russell …”
The name seemed to linger on her lips and a dreamy expression formed on her face, an expression that was soon shared by the other two women.
“Yep,” I said, not sure of how else to respond.
The girls all shared another knowing look.
“Is there, um, something that I’m missing?” I asked.
“Oh, no,” said Martina. “It’s just that your Mr. Carrick has been the talk of the, ah, industry for quite some time.”
“Right,” said Annie. “He’s been making quite a name for himself in New York. So much, in fact, that his reputation has made its way all the way over here.”
“A good reputation, I hope,” I said, preparing to take another sip of my wine.
“Absolutely,” said Annie. “He’s been quite the up-and-comer, and we’ve all been waiting to see just what the fuss is about.”
“Well,” said Martina, a sly grin forming on her face. “We’ve already seen …”
“Martina!” said Annie, giving her friend a playful slap on the leg.
“What do you mean?” I asked, curious.
“We’ve seen pictures of Russell,” said Emma. “And let’s just say that you might want to keep a close eye on him around LA.”
“Emma,” said Annie. “Alyssa just got here a few hours ago; I think you can wait a while before letting her know you’ve got you sights on her man.”
“I’m just joking around, of course,” said Emma. “Well, about the ‘stealing him away’ part.”
“Mhmm,” said Martina. “That is one gorgeous man you’ve got there.”
“Well, to be honest, I don’t know if I’ve even really got him,” I said, accidentally letting my concerns about ’my relationship with Russell slip out.
“Tell me about it,” said Emma. “I’ve been with my man for a year and I’m still wondering if we’re actually a couple or not.”
Annie turned to me.
“That’s kind of how things go for us,” she said. “We all start out as pretty faces for our men to show off to the other men in the, um, business, and it’s a long climb up to become something more than that.”
My eyes flicked onto the large, beautiful ring on her finger.
“You seem like you’ve managed to pull it off,” I said.
“I have,” said Annie, “but it took every bit of wrangling I had in me to get Carlos to put a ring on it.”
“That’s right,” said Martina. “The types of men drawn to this industry are usually the types who don’t really have a wife and kids in the long-term plans. They’re all drawn to the power and the money.”
“Not that we’re any different,” said Emma.
The other two girls conceded the point. I couldn’t help but feel a little crestfallen by this. Was Russell really just planning on keeping me around for show and sex? He had made it very, very clear that I was his property. What was going to happen when he decided that he was bored with me?
“You look worried,” said Annie. “Have another glass of wine, and don’t concern yourself too much with the future.”
“Trust us,” said Emma. “You’re going to fare much better in this world than most of the girls who come here trying to make it big as an actress. You get involved in that shit and you’ve got about ten years of getting passed from producer to producer until you get replaced by some girl from the new crop of big-breasted idiots fresh off the bus from the Midwest.”
“We have money, power, and everything else,” said Martina. “And our men take care of us.”
Between this and what Russell had said to me earlier in the day, I felt a lot better.
The lunch went on, and once I loosened up I actually started to have a bit of fun with the girls. They struck me as the LA type—into fashion, gossip, and all the rest—but they went out of their way to be accommodating towards me, which I really appreciated. And once we were done with our boozy lunch, we headed out onto the town to do some shopping. During our time out, I connected more and more with the girls, learning some of the ins and outs of being a “companion” to the men in the particular industry we were in.
“Remember that you’re dealing with some major egos,” said Annie. “These are the guys who think they’re above the whole nine-to-five thing, and have the bank accounts to prove just how unlike the average schmuck they are.”
“For sure,” said Emma as we strolled down Rodeo Drive, bags of clothes hanging off our arms. “Have you had the opportunity to go to any of the parties in the city?”
The question was addressed to me.
“No,” I said. “Just got here.”
“Oh, that’s right,” said Emma.
“But I went to a party in New York. It was incredible.”
“I can only imagine,” said Martina. “Probably in some penthouse overlooking the city, right?”
I chuckled a little. “Exactly right.”
“Well,” said Martina, “don’t you worry—you’ll get the chance to experience the LA scene. For good and for bad.”
“Oh yeah?” I asked, deciding to pry for a little info. “And what should I expect?”
“All the money of New York, but without the sophistication,” said Emma. “People here like to wear their cash on their sleeves, and the girls aren’t shy about making it clear just what they’re looking for.”
“That,” said Martina, “and fake tits as far as the eye can see.”
“Please,” said Emma, laughing, “those things bolted on your chest are as fake as they come, lady.”
Martina gave her ample, ample cleavage a squeeze.
“Not like I had to pay for ’em,” she said with a smirk.
“But seriously,” said Annie, “you’ll be fine. I’m guessing if a guy like Russell’s bringing you along with him to LA then he probably isn’t too worried about how well you’ll do at these little soirees.”
“Good,” I said. “Part of me’s worried that I’ll get eaten alive by the LA scene.”
“If you can survive New York, then you can survive here,” said Emma. “Just as long as you keep in mind that the bigger the smile someone has, the less you should trust them.”
We did a little more shopping, and by the middle of the afternoon, the girls and I were ready to call it quits. After some hugs, we were all off, and I left feeling actually pretty good about the whole afternoon. The girls were all eager to help me get acclimated, and I chalked it up to the camaraderie we all shared by being in the same business—in a matter of speaking.
When I arrived back home Russell was nowhere to be found. Not sure what to do with myself, I wandered around the place for a bit, taking in the view of the beach and relaxing after my busy day of shopping. After a time, my appetite started to pick up again and I headed to the kitchen to rummage through what was there. Surprisingly, the fridge and pantry were fully stocked. In the freezer I found a pack of steaks and looking them over, a thought occurred to me: why not make dinner for Russell?
I took the steaks out and started the process of thawing them. While they were getting ready, I found a few more odds and ends that looked like they’d make good sides. Over the course of the next hour or two, I prepared dinner, and as I made the food, a warm feeling ran through me. I wasn’t the best cook in the world, but knowing I was doing something nice for Russell, who was likely in the middle of a hard day at work, provided me with a sense of satisfaction.
Around seven, I heard the front door open, followed by the sound of Russell’s heavy boots on the solid floor. By now, the steaks were on the stove and the sides were just about done.
“Dinner?” he asked, stepping into the kitchen and taking a long sniff of the delicious scent that was now wafting through the air.
“Dinner,” I confirmed. “I figured you’d be in the mood for something homecooked when you were back.”
“You figured right,” he said. “Today was a killer.”
“Anything interesting?” I asked.
“Nope,” he said. “Not unless you consider going from warehouse to warehouse checking out inventory interesting.”
It was strange; Russell was back after a long day at his very unconventional job, and here I was ready to serve him dinner like a dutiful wife serving her man after a day working at a bank or something. Knowing how Russell earned his money was a detail that I was still having trouble with.
“Mind setting the table?” I asked. “Food’s just about ready.”
“Sure,” he said.
I finished up the meal and Russell set the table. Once everything was ready, he put on some mellow jazz and dimmed the lights, the dark blue of the ocean beautiful outside of our windows. I took my seat, and Russell poured a glass of wine for the both of us.
“We should absolutely toasts to something,” he said, his hand on the base of his wine glass.
“I think you’re right,” I said, lifting my glass.
After a moment of thinking, I spoke.
“To all this,” I said, gesturing to everything around me.
“And to much more,” said Russell.
The table was too long to touch our glasses, so we both raised our wine a bit more in the air before setting into our food.
“This is … really good,” said Russell, not wasting any time starting on his steak.
“Really?” I asked, pleased. “It’s been a long time since I’ve cooked anything. My last … living situation was more of a takeout-every-night kind of affair.”
“In that case, you were really letting some talent go to waste. Meat’s perfectly cooked.”
I couldn’t help but smile.
“I’m just finding out all sorts of things about you,” said Russell, washing down his steak with a sip of wine. “I can’t help but wonder about the next thing you’ll show a talent for.”
My face reddened. He was right, in a sense—being with Russell was giving me the opportunity to learn more about myself in a way that I hadn’t before.
We ate in silence for a time.
“Good day with the girls?” he asked.
“Yeah,” I said truthfully. “I was a little nervous at first; loaded LA socialites aren’t really the type of people who I normally spend time with. But they went out of their way to make me feel welcome.”
“You sound surprised,” said Russell.
“Maybe I am,” I said. “I guess I was expecting them to be a little …”
“Cattier?” finished Russell.
I hated to admit it, but he was right.
“That’s the word,” I said.
“You’ll find that this little business we’re in is pretty tight-knit. If you’ve gotten up to this level in the game then you’ve dealt with enough criminal scum to last you a lifetime. It’s like we’ve all fought the same war together. And the women are the same; once you’ve gotten immersed in this world, you realize that you and the other women in your same situation need to stick together.”
“Are those women, um, also someone’s property?”
I realized as soon as the last word left my mouth that I’d had less trouble saying it than before. It was almost comforting, as strange as that might sound.
A sly little smile formed on Russell’s lips.
“It depends. Some are girls who just got caught up in the scene; some are girls who just want men with money and power and don’t care how they got it; and, yes, some are like you. Property of a man in the business.”
It was strange to be talking about this so casually. But that was the life that I now lived.
His words hung in the air for a time as we ate and drank, the music drifting softly around us.
“We’ve got another party coming up,” he said. “One of the big players in the scene just bought a new beachside estate and wants to show it off to everyone he can.”
“Then that means you’ll need my, um, hostess skills again?”
“I’m going to need them more and more as time goes on,” he said. “If these deals here in the city go off the way I hope they will, then we’re going to be spending a lot of time here. And that’s on top of our New York obligations.”
I had a flash of the life that I was going to be leading, that of a cross-country international arms dealing hostess. It was all too strange to consider.
“But you’ll be fine,” he said. “Don’t worry about anything. I’m taking care of all the dirty work and bringing in the money. All you need to do is keep making nice with the girls and doing what you do so well at those parties of ours. It’s all a run-up to the big event, you know.”
My eyes went wide. What was he talking about?”
“Sorry,” I said. “The big event?”
Russell nodded slowly.
“I don’t want to be too premature, but if everything goes well this month, then we’re going to cap our little entry into this scene off by throwing a party here. It’ll be just like what you’ve already done, except you’ll be the hostess of the evening.”
My heart began to race at the mere thought of this. Me, in charge of my own party? That meant that everything came down to me. All of the details, from the food to the music to the invitations, all down to making sure each guest was happy. I didn’t know if I’d be able to handle the pressure.
Russell must’ve picked up on this.
“You’re worrying again,” he said.
“I can’t help it,” I said. “It’s just all a lot to take in. I’ve never organized a fancy party.”
“You won’t be doing it all on your own,” he said. “You’ll be able to hire some of the best party planners in the city. I’m sure that you’ll be fine, and we’re not going to leave anything up to chance. I only mention it now so you can start getting some ideas about what sort of little fête you might like to have. It’ll all be your call.”
I turned my attention back to my food. Part of me was nervous beyond belief, but another part of me kept in mind that Russell wouldn’t be asking me to do this if he didn’t think I could pull it off.
“You’ll be fine,” he said. “You might be my property, but we’re also a team.”
As corny as it sounds, hearing Russell say this warmed my heart.
After a time, the two of us finished our meals. I cleared the table and poured the two of us the last bit of wine in the bottle. Together, we drank our wine on the balcony, the music and the hushed waves of the ocean blending together.
“I feel like dancing,” he said, standing up. “Come here.”
He extended his hand, and I couldn’t help smile as I took it. Russell pulled me close and I rested my head on his chest as the two of us danced slowly to the music. For a time, it seemed like there was nothing in the world but the two of us.