Complicated Ties (The Ties Trilogy (A Contemporary Erotic Romance Novel)) (9 page)

“Sounds like a good idea, I’ve got some contacts...we could organize it for next week, I’ll call someone at the Federal Trade Commission”, Lisha said while I opened up my laptop and started to search for venues.

“We could have it here you know, the place is big enough”, Lisha said while handing me another drink.

“What about an auction...raise lots of money, I’ll speak to Bonham and Butterfields they’ll send someone over who can get a crowd dipping into their pockets”, the ideas were flowing as the doorbell rang.

The same kid who had delivered my pizza delivered my Chinese food, he looked at me and went shade paler,

“Oh Shit! ...um.. Here’s your food lady”, his response seemed rushed and panicky.

“Thanks kid...at least your not late”, I grabbed the bags and paid him.

“Oh and how’s your shit heap of a car doing?”.

“That guy was unfortunate to deliver here twice”, Lisha giggled at the delivery guy who was unlucky to deliver to mine twice.

Saturday morning turned up looking wet and miserable, I had half a dozen things to organize for next week. My party planner who had organized parties for me before had arranged to call me and I had a list a mile long, Alice had taken the dogs out and I heard her come through the door,

“Morning Miss Maddie.. You ok today?”, her question seemed innocent.

“Good, Good...oh could you get my mom on the phone please and at some point my dad”, I asked while pouring myself a coffee.

Alice handed me the phone and I heard voices in the background as my mom sounded cheerful.

“Hi Honey...you ok?,

“Yeah mom, Just thought I would let you know I’m organizing a charity event to promote the creation of my Children’s charity, should be on Friday hopefully”

“Are you looking forward to it then, you and Lisha?”,

“Yeah mom, how’s  Owen?, what you have been up to since our dinner date”, I asked while I heard Lisha getting dressed and banging around in the bathroom.

“Owen’s good, been kinda busy, I’ve redecorated the lounge”, I knew Mom had a habit of decorating every year as she got bored easily.

“Oh and taken up Tai Chi, down at the community center...met lot’s of nice like minded people”,

“Mom, I’ll chat later, I’ve got some things I need to sort for Friday, give my love to all the gang”,

“Sure sweetie, make sure you do ring me, and say hello to everyone there”, we exchanged goodbyes and I hung up.

Lisha’s smiling face came into the lounge as the view from the patio doors showed the clouds parting to reveal the mornings sun,

“Morning gorgeous...how did you sleep then?”, I asked as Lisha was face deep in the refrigerator mooching for breakfast.

“Like a proverbial log,what about you?”, Lisha had pulled out a carton of orange juice and began to pour it into a glass that she had bought in.

“Slept like a dream”, although I kept the fact from Lisha that I had thought about Daniel and his invitation for lunch half the night.

“We’ve got a tonne of things to sort before next week, we have to sort out a marquee, hire a decent DJ, get the tickets done and sort out the marketing”, I opened my laptop and emailed my planner.

TO: [email protected]

FROM:MADDIE WHITE

SUBJECT:CHARITY LAUNCH [email protected] FRIDAY 8 TIL LATE

Abigail, Can you sort out the guest list/tickets for charity launch Friday, will need you to contact Bonhams to get a decent auctioneer and find me some sort of marquee that will be able to hold 300 people. Advertise across social media you know the sort Abby, Facebook etc. Let me know if you need anymore information...

M.W x

The familiar animation  of an envelope being sent appeared on my laptop,
‘at least that’s out of the way’.
Hearing the grandfather clock chime the half hour told me that it was half past ten, I had to lunch to sort out a dress, call my dad and actually eat something while juggling several other things that threatened to encroach my day.

Mike White had spent the last twenty years running a private investigation agency in San Francisco, and had moved to Auckland to semi retire, even in his time over there he had managed to start his agency again, retaining the contacts that he had made whilst in San Francisco.

I had always respected my father, he was someone who could be trusted, and even after the roses had appeared my dad was a man who would stop at nothing to find out what and who was responsible.

“Dad, It’s Maddie, Any chance you could fly from Auckland next week, me and Lisha are organizing a launch party for our new charity”, I asked hoping he would say yes.

“Charity event? ...Hang on sweetie let me check my diary...”, I heard flip through the pages of his date book. Even as a child he had always kept a date book on his desk, it’s well turned pages giving away the fact it was well used.

“I can fly  over from Thursday till Sunday if that’s ok?”, he said while I wrote it down on a scrap piece of paper that lay on the table to the side of the couch.

“Have you had anymore weird calls or flowers...”, his question touching a nerve.

“No Dad, nothing more...although here’s hoping that I don’t”, Lisha looked at me as my face turned a little pale.

“You sure honey, that friend of mine Dan, the one near you, has been in touch yet?”, he asked.

“No not yet Dad, I’ll let you know when he get’s in contact”, Lisha handed me another cup of coffee, it’s welcoming taste making me feel better as I sipped it.

“Ok honey, I’ve going to have to go , I’ve got another call coming through, I’ll see on Thursday, I'll let you know the flight details”, his voice sounding cheerful.

“Sure Dad, speak to soon, Love you, say hello to Bernice”,

“Bye honey...speak soon”, Dad hung up, the buzzing noise, letting me know that he had gone.

“So...what’s happening then Mad?”,

“Dad’s coming on Thursday Lish.. But I think it’s time we head into town and pick out some kick ass dresses...and shoes to match”

“It’s about time, shall we take my car or pull out the Evoque..”, I could see the excitement in her face at the prospect of spending the afternoon dress shopping.

The house seemed quiet as Alice and Ant had taken the afternoon off, the Evoque parked inside the four car garage that smelt of gasoline and oil, with several racks of automotive tools arranged neatly along the wall. I jumped into the driver's seat and adjusted its position, although Ant wouldn’t be happy that his seat was going to be a little short on legroom. Lisha came towards me as I started the engine the sound comforting me.

“Shall we? ...” Lisha asked, her excitement being barely contained,

“Rock and Roll...as they say”, replying with equal excitement. We pulled out of the garage and watched as the door closed behind us as the Evoque moved along the driveway with delicate poise towards the wrought iron gates that were opening up before us to the road that ran along my house.

The feeling of being followed crept upon me as I glanced into the rear view mirror, I swear I spotted a black van behind me, but as I looked again the van had gone.

San Francisco was a beautiful town, with its street awash with history and culture. What started out as a gold rush town had evolved into a wondrous and fabulous city of different people and cultures that had melded into something that made it what is was.  Our journey came to a stop on Market Street outside Juicy Couture, Lisha jumping out of the car before I had the chance to park properly.

“Ooh!, Juicy Couture...”, she moved quickly towards the door. Lisha enjoyed shopping as much as the next woman, but when it came to Juicy Couture she was in a league of her own, I can always imagine credit card companies rubbing their hands in glee when Lisha starts shopping.

Neat looking mannequins stared at me from behind the glass, their plastic faces devoid of emotion, dressed  in the latest fashion. Before we had chance to have a look at anything, a small fashionably dressed woman approached us, with dark brown hair and oversized glasses,

“Welcome to Juicy, if you need any help, just let me know K”, she moved across to the checkout and served a woman who had several piles of clothes in her arms.

“K?”,

“It’s a young thing Mad, the youth of today with their complete

“Ooh, how bout this”, as Lisha pulled a dress off the rack.

“Mmm, that looks good...how much?, I asked as Lisha read the pricetag, ‘$300.00’.

She continued to pull dresses and show me them pushed against her body, she then pulled me into a changing room with a pile of dresses on a hook.

“So.. Where we are going to find a decent DJ?, he’s got to be hot”, I looked at her while she pulled a $300 dress over head.

“Well there’s Big Bad Bruce from MatrixFillmore, he’s hot and pretty damn good at what he does”, another dress hit the deck as another one went on.

“Are you going to try a dress on Mad?”, Lisha asked, handing me a dress.

“Chill Lish, I’ll try that one on”, as I pointed to a dress that hung in front of me. Pulling it over my head I could see that Lisha had chosen the dress she was going to wear.

“So we going to get Big Bad Bruce then?” she asked as we walked towards the counter.

“Yeah, it should be a hectic night, get the auction out of the way and then the party can get started”.

The woman who had spoken to us earlier was serving someone else as we waited in line,

“You guys chosen then?”, she asked taking our dresses and scanning them on her till.

“Yeah, so what’s the damage then?” I took out my Amex card and handed it to her.

“$4800”, Lisha’s mouth dropped when she heard the woman tell us the price.

“Not bad...Lisha you can close your mouth..it’s worth it and I don't mind paying for these as long as you buy coffee”,

“Sure there's one across the road”, we left Juicy Couture and headed to a coffee shop that was across the street.

We collapsed in the coffee shop across the street nursing two lattes, the small matter of climbing a small mountain of finding dresses had been conquered,

“Any idea on who were going to invite to the launch then?”, her question coming in between sips of coffee and bites of a blueberry and chocolate chip muffin.

“God knows...it will have to be the movers and shakers in and around Santa Clara County”, I replied looking at the now half consumed muffin that lay on her plate.

“What about Kyle Mclaren, the Sharks player?”,

“The one with the cute butt?”, I asked while sipping at my latte.

“Jeff Garcia?”, I asked, thinking of more names.

“Mike Swick?, Lisha had a fondness for Mike Swick the UFC fighter, because he was ripped and Lisha always went weak at the knees for him.

We continued to write names down on the back of a napkin, as Lisha took bits off her muffin with a fork.

“Fancy a bite..”, Lisha pushed her plate towards me, the muffin staring back at me asking to eat it.

“There's still some chocolate chips left in it”, she smiled at me sweetly, brushing crumbs from her jacket.

“Mad, you fancy going to see a movie?”,

“Well they're showing Caddyshack at the Castro Theater,  looks fun...love that movie”,

“Caddyshack it is then!”, we grabbed what was left of our drinks and headed towards Castro Street.

Two hours later we emerged from the theater onto the street,

“Now that was a funny film...”, Lisha said in-between eating popcorn.

“Maddie, I want you to kill all the gophers on the golf course”,

“Correct me if I’m wrong Lisha, but if I kill all the golfers they’ll lock me up and throw away the key.”, Lisha began to laugh, spitting popcorn out.

“Not golfers, you great fool. Gophers. The little brown, furry rodents.

“We can do that, we don’t even need a reason.”, I started to laugh uncontrollably at her.

We stopped outside a hot dog vendor and ordered a couple of chili dogs, it was getting closer  to  three and I wanted  to  get home to my dogs.

“Oh, shit!, God damned traffic!”, Lisha looked at me and smiled  sweetly.

“Calm down, it’s only traffic, it is getting close to rush hour”,

“Yeah I know..but it really pisses me off!”, I pulled across two lanes and sped up.

My foot began to push down on the accelerator as the same black van appeared behind me, the driver obscured by the tinted glass. I tried to make out the license plate but couldn't as it was covered with mud, Lisha looked at me with a slightly worried look on her face.

“What’s a matter?”,

“I think we're being followed...by a black van”, moving lanes I watched as the van did the same.

“Really?, now you're scaring me”, she pulled her seat belt tighter as I pulled on my hand-brake  and swerved into a turning that led to my house, I looked behind me and the van was nowhere to be seen.

I had now got the feeling that I didn’t want to be alone tonight.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                 

.

When we arrived at home it had gone 4, the time spent avoiding the black van, the house was quiet but the quietness was short lived as the dogs came towards us with their tails wagging.

“Fancy feeding them Lish?”, pointing to the dogs who had decided to all place themselves on the couch, completely messing up the cushion to couch ratio.

“Yeah..will do...you know I don’t mind mucking in”, Lisha headed towards the kitchen as the dogs followed her, knowing they were about to get fed with their tails wagging behind them.