Adventures of Hollywood Jim Ch. 83

She nodded.

I slid my dick into her again and she moaned loudly, her head going backwards in ecstasy. I reached down and grabbed a hunk of her blonde hair and gave it a tug as I fucked her.

"Oh yeah! Oh my god...yessssss..." she moaned "Oh god...ohhhhhhhgggodddd...!"

I was pounding into her now, and adding a few slaps to her ass.

"That feels really good..." she said breathlessly "I gotta slow down, babe..."

"OK..." I said as I pulled out of her.

"Let's do it face to face...that way we can kiss." She said with a sweet smile that still oozed sex.

Kate got up close to me and I somehow got my dick into her from this angle. She smiled as I filled her, then we kissed as we fucked. Her soft moans only sounded sexier this way. My explosion came on quickly.

"Gonna cum Kate...gonna cum..."

"Oh yes...cum for me Jim...cum for me..." she said quickly.

She held me tightly as I exploded into her pussy. She gave perhaps the sexiest-sounding exhale ever.

I leaned back onto the soft bed and she did the same, lying on top of me. We were both breathing hard. Eventually she rolled off and rested her head on my chest. We lay there in the quiet of the room. Outside in the twilight, I could hear the ocean waves. They made for the most relaxing sound after the tumult of the day.

"Mmmm...that was niiiiice!" she said with a beaming smile.

I could only nod in agreement.

"I always wanted to try that last move, it sounded so romantic." She said.

"I liked it too. I wish I could've lasted a little longer."

"Awww, don't worry. It was fun." She said adding a little kiss on my cheek "I wonder what else we could do?"

"Um, I've got an idea...but it's probably dumb."

"Tell me."

"No, it's silly."

"Come on!" she said with an eager smile.

"OK...but don't say I didn't warn you."

Kate nodded. I could tell she was eager to know what I was thinking.

"Um, y-you know that, um, speech you did..."

Her eyes widened.

"Ohhhh, I know what you wanna hear." She said with a sneaky look on her face "God of War right?"

I sheepishly nodded.

"OK, let me do this right." She said as she straddled my waist.

"I hope I can remember it..." she said as she situated herself, looking all-powerful in her naked glory.

She gave me a deadly serious look, like she was "getting into character", as it were.

"Your empires are how the world will remember you...it's where your dreams come to life..." she began, adding a somewhat flirty tone when saying "your dreams". "...but you must not delay..." she continued "...build quickly or be destroyed quickly...will you build an empire that lasts forever?"

She then leaned down close and slowly whispered in my ear as only she could;

"Will you be my hero?"

Now it's safe to assume some guys would completely melt after something like this, and I'll admit I was like that. But the wise-ass side of me came out and I replied in my best Jerry Lewis voice;

"Layyyydy I'll do anything you ask!"

Kate fell back laughing hysterically, I did too.

"Oh my god!" she laughed as she laid on her back "That was funny!"

She finally sat up, still laughing and curled up around me.

"It's been so long since I laughed like that!"

Kate gave me a wonderfully soft kiss.

"You're a great guy, Jim...I really like you."

"Well, uh, I really like you too."

"You probably have to be somewhere in the morning, right?"

I nodded.

"Too bad we can't do more."

"There's always next time." I said.

Kate smiled as she pulled the bedcovers over us and laid her head on my chest.

We were soon asleep.

Kate drove me to the train station the next morning, I felt like every other commuter as we sat in the car, albeit in the same suit from yesterday.

"OK, you got everything?" she asked, sounding like every commuter's wife.

"I think I'll be fine, dear." I replied, making her giggle as I got out of the car and walked around to her side.

"Are you sure?" she asked as I saw her dangling my tie from the day before. I snatched it from her hand as she giggled at me.

"It was so good to see you again, Jim. I'm happy everything's been worked out."

"Well, not everything. There's still this meeting to go to."

"You know what I mean." she said with the smile seen on magazines everywhere "You take care of yourself, promise?"

"I promise." I said with my hand on my heart "I promise."

Kate gave me one last kiss.

"Go, you'll miss your train."

Even through the tinted windows, I could feel the morning sun as I rode the train into Manhattan. Chuck, Jeff and whoever else was needed were probably there already. I guess my entrance was the one everyone was waiting for.

"Nice of you to join us." Jeff hissed as I met him in the reception area.

"What? I'm on time."

"Not to Chuck...come on!"

The conference room's double doors swung open and for the first time I saw what I would've been in charge of. Scott Jackson, his lawyer and supporters were on one side. On the other were mine. Scattered around the room were other members of the company I didn't know. It was hard to tell who was on whose side. The arbitrator, having seen me enter, called the meeting to order. Chuck beckoned me to his side.

"Nice of you to join us." he said in the same tone as Jeff as I sat down between him and Michael Baldwin, who leaned over to me;

"This shouldn't take long, just don't say anything, I'll do the talking."

The arbitrator began reading the basics of what was going on, Scott's lawyers gave affirmative answers to all points of the agreement, and Michael did the same. All the time, Scott was looking straight at me. It was hard not to notice his icy glare, the daggers in his eyes. I stared straight back at him, the spoken words fading into nothing.

"We'll take a 10 minute break, everyone." the arbitrator said.

I immediately stood and headed for the door, I needed some air.

I splashed some water on my face, it felt good. I could get my bearings now. I was ready to face the challenge of the board room again. I looked up and saw not only my reflection in the bathroom mirror, but that of Scott Jackson standing behind me. He was giving me that same icy stare from the conference room.

"So, I guess you're happy now..." he said in a slow, menacing tone "You'll be back home in la-la land...not a care in the world..."

I stared at him, though my mind was racing, I tried not to show any fear.

"But I know what you're doing...I know people too...just like you do." he continued, his voice growing with menace "And those people could be very troubling to you...just because you saved your little girlfriends that night...it don't make you more of a man..."

All the memories of that night came rushing back. I'll never forget seeing his brutality towards Rita, hearing her screams and the fear in her voice. And then seeing Vicki slammed into the wall and Laura attacking him while defending her friends.

Now it was my turn to strike.

"Neither does beating up women just because they won't be in your cheap little porno films..." I said with just as much menace.

"So whaddya gonna do...you little punk." he said with that same icy stare.

I turned around and we were face to face.

"You lookin' for a rematch?" I replied with my own icy stare.

Scott looked ready for battle, I did too.

"James!"

Chuck stood in the doorway, with what appeared to be bodyguards and ready for whatever action was necessary.

"Come on, he's not worth it." he said as he grabbed my arm, his eyes on Scott. As we walked down the hallway, we could hear Scott yelling behind us.

"Yeah, you keep walking...you little punk ass!"

I started to turn around but Chuck kept me walking forward.

"Keep walking!" he said sternly, his eyes fixed straight ahead "Don't give him the satisfaction."

Chuck hustled me back to the conference room, looking straight ahead the whole way.

"I just realized that's the first time you've ever called me James."

"Let's hope it's the last." he replied firmly while still looking forward.

With a quick series of signatures, Scott's lawsuit was dismissed and with the ink barely dry, Scott was out of the conference room. I couldn't help but wonder if this would be the last I'd see of him.

There was no time for celebrating the end of the lawsuit, we were back on the company jet and on the way back to Los Angeles before you could say "New York Minute". Artists Unlimited was back with Chuck Tyler in control. Mike Schneider agreed to take over the New York office but would still report to Chuck. It seemed to be implied this would be permanent.

Chuck wasted no time in re-asserting his authority. He called a staff meeting and demanded updates from everyone as to their current projects. To him, Scott's attempts to take over the company and throw everybody out were just an annoyance, a pothole on the ultra-smooth super highway that he saw before him. And people like Scott Jackson? Well, to him they were roadkill. He wanted AU to be back on top and he wanted it yesterday. But before closing the meeting, he had one more little surprise up his tailor made sleeves.

"In closing, I want to thank all of you for your work, we've still got a lot to do and to accomplish that we'll need the best out of everyone" he said before turning to Natalie.

"Natalie, could you step up front here?"

Natalie Hayden looked confused, but did as she was told and Chuck continued;

"As I said, to accomplish our goals, we'll need the best out of everyone. And we'll have someone new as part of our team. I'm proud to announce the newest member of our agent staff. You know her and love her...Natalie Hayden."

Natalie was in shock, she held her hands to her face as the staff applauded. She'd always wanted to be an agent here. Now she was being rewarded for her patience and hard work, she hugged Chuck and Jeff, and then trotted over to me and we embraced.

"You did it, darlin'! You made it!" I said. I was just as surprised as she was.

"I can't believe it! I can't believe it!" she said through her tears of joy "I don't know what to say!"

"Say which office you want and it can't be any bigger than mine." Chuck said behind us.

When I got back to my office, I found a message for me to call the Beverly Hills Hotel. A secretary patched me through to the manager, a Mr. Roth whose voice reminded me the character Higgins on the old "Magnum, P.I." TV show of the 80's. He had some strange news for me.

"Yes..." he said slowly in a very posh, very British voice "I'm calling in regard to a certain car stored in our garage."

"What car is that?"

"A red Corvette Stingray convertible."

"Um, I-I don't own a Corvette, how did my name show up?"

"We have an arrangement for, shall we say, certain guests. We allow them to store their vehicles in our garage. The storage fees for the car haven't been paid and you'll need to remove the car or it will be towed."

"But I don't own a 'Vette, how'd you get my name?"

"You were listed as an emergency contact by the car's owner...a Ms. Laura Austin."

"Laura Austin?"

"I assume you know one another?"

"Well, yes, we do but I...I still don't understand why I'm the emergency contact."

"Nevertheless, we need to know your plans."

"Why not call her? She's the owner."

"We tried that, her number's been disconnected."

"Uh, well, can I call you back?"

"Please do."

I sat back in my chair, still confused. Sure, Laura kept a lot of things secret, it's part of her job after all. But this felt very different. I fished out the business card she'd left me with her phone number. Just as Mr. Roth said, the number was disconnected, and I knew of no other contact number for her.

But I knew somebody who might.

Saying her name to Michael Baldwin guaranteed an instant reaction. He had used her as a contact during the Marty O'Brien case and knew she was as good a secret keeper as I thought of myself to be. But this time, he was just as dumbfounded as I was. He had the same number I did, and got the same results.

"Any ideas, Sherlock?" I asked.

There was a long pause from him.

"Can you get the car delivered somewhere?"

"Yeah, I think Joey Cortez could help."

"OK, pick up the car and let me know where it's going. I'll make a couple of calls and meet up with you."

"I'll pick it up for you, but I ain't got room in the garage." Joey said when I called "No offense, man, but you had that Porsche here for a long time until you sold it and we really needed the space for parts."

"OK, can you deliver it to my place?"

"Yeah, you got it."

Metro West, where I lived, provided storage for tenant's cars and I had a large unused space next to my Mercedes available to me, Joey would deliver the Corvette there. I met Mr. Roth at the Hotel and he was just as I imagined, a twin for "Higgins" in voice and looks. He presented me with a document that listed me as a contact.

"When was this signed?"

"It was done by the previous management. I have no knowledge of when. Please sign here."

"I still can't understand why my name is on this. Wouldn't she have to clear this with me?" I said as I signed the document.

"Sir, I'm afraid you'll have to take that up with her." he said dismissively.

"Are there any leftover fees to be paid?"

"Her storage fees were paid automatically each month. Then the payments stopped."

A clue suddenly came to me.

"What bank did she use?"

Roth looked at the form.

"It was Credit Suisse, it's a bank based in Zurich, Switzerland."

"The funds came from there?"

"That's correct, sir."

So much for that clue solving the mystery, I thought.

"I guess I just need the keys." I said with a resigned sigh.

Roth instantly produced them.

"Your car is in the garage."

"I appreciate your assistance...and it's not my car." I said as I walked out.

As Joey followed me back to my place, the Corvette on his truck, I pondered what could be going on. Someone I know lists me as a contact for a car she has stored at a posh hotel without telling me. Now that person is suddenly incommunicado. The phone number I have for this person yields no answers. I was now the owner of a four wheel mystery.

Joey's wife Maria handled the controls of the flatbed as he carefully unhitched the car. Michael Baldwin pulled up in his black Aston Martin convertible to join us.

"This is it, huh?" he said as he took off his sunglasses and admired the car.

"What did you find out?" I asked.

"Nothing more, you got the paperwork from the hotel?"

"Yes" I said as I handed it to him "Manager says she paid her fees electronically every month on the same day."

"OK, so she didn't pay in cash...that's a start." he said in a near mumble.

"Maybe not, he said the bank was based in Zurich."

"She's no dummy, I'll say that."

"Can we open the car, look for paperwork inside?"

"You're the owner, you got the keys?" he said to me without looking up from the paperwork

I took out the keys but when I slid them into the lock, nothing happened. I tried numerous times with no luck.

"Maybe they gave you the wrong ones?" Maria said

"Lemme look." Joey said as he examined them "Nah, they're real...I've seen enough Chevy keys to know the difference."

"Do we break the windows?"

"Nah...I got the tools." he said as he got out a long piece of metal known as a slim jim. But even he couldn't get it unlocked.

"Oh, ay carumba..." Maria grumbled in Spanish "Gimme that."

Maria snatched it out her husband's hands and immediately popped the door lock before you could say "knock-knock".

"Where'd you learn that trick?" Michael asked.

"I had brothers, all he had were sisters." she said as she twirled the tool like a drumstick and gave it back to Joey who only shrugged his shoulders.

The inside of the Corvette was immaculately clean. Fortunately, the glove compartment was unlocked. Inside was only a leather portfolio with registration documents.

"Bingo!" I said as I pulled it out.

"OK...let's see what we've got here." Michael said as he took the documents out and spread them on the hood to look them over. "Registration and title papers...no repair receipts, so she hasn't had it serviced lately...her car tax seems to be in order..."

I read the registration.

"Laura Austin...25 Riva Ridge...maybe we should go there?"

Joey looked at the registration over my shoulder.

"Nah, you'll be out of luck there amigo."

"Why?"

"I was just there a couple of days ago, there's only like 5 houses on that street, those house numbers are way too high."

"A fake address?" Maria said

"Looks like it." Michael said "She's covered her tracks pretty well from what I've seen, the title has a P.O. Box for an address."

"Could she have abandoned the car?" I asked

"You abandon a Hyundai with a busted clutch, not a Corvette like this." he replied without looking up.

"What do we do now?" I said as I leaned against the car.

"Well, probably the best thing is to keep the car here; this seems as secure a place as any. I'll make some more inquiries and get back to you." Michael replied "I'd keep it covered until then."

"I've got a really good cover back at the shop. I'll bring it by tomorrow." Joey said as he went back to his truck.

I took Michael aside as he walked back to his car.

"Michael, gut feeling...what do you think is going on?"

"Honestly, I don't know. It could be something as simple as her being out of town for an extended time, forgetting to pay the storage bill...bank mix-up..."

"Or...?"

"Look, let's not jump to conclusions, OK?" he said that calm, relaxed voice that showed he knew what he was doing "I'm gonna make some more calls and if I find out anything, you'll know."

He got into his car and drove away. Joey and Maria were about to leave too.

"Hey, don't look so worried honey." Maria said reassuringly as she got back in the flatbed truck.

"OK, thanks."

Everyone else left and I was alone in the huge garage looking at the Corvette. Michael was right; there were any number of logical reasons for all this. I kept running all of then through my mind but was still left with more questions than answers.