Traffic Girl - Juliet Ch. 30

Author's Note: This is more of a plot chapter, setting up some significant things that are going to be going down over the next several chapters. In case you can't tell, there's some shit going on with Jess. We're going to sort through all of that, and hopefully she doesn't screw things up too badly. There's drama ahead, and we'll have to see how the group weathers it -- and if they can survive together.

* * *

The double date came up quickly, only two nights later. Kat thought it was exciting, and she was all-in on supporting Jess. Rita's skepticism of Manny echoed in my head. I decided that this date night could help me figure out which one of them was right.

But before dinner, which would take place at a trendy new bistro on Melrose, Kayla had summoned me to the Daydream Pictures office. I wondered if she wanted to talk about her husband and Jess dating, although she insisted she had a few questions about the next couple movies. I arrived to find Kim and Ginger out back passing a bubbler back and forth and, in spite of a solid breeze coming off the ocean, a healthy cloud of smoke rose above the deck.

"Oh, hey, John," Ginger said, glancing down at her topless chest when she realized my eyes were affixed on her green ones.

"How are you, ladies?" I said. "Besides gorgeous."

"Are you going to give us the naughty workout we need, boss man?" Kim teased.

"Actually, I'm looking for Kayla," I said. "She said she had some things to chat about."

"Probably scripts," Ginger said, rolling her eyes. "But if you get tired of that, Kim and I have some practice for a cum swapping scene that we're doing for the web site."

"Don't you have, uh, male talent for that?" I asked, enjoying the banter.

"We thoroughly wore them out last night," Kim said.

"By reputation, I thought that was impossible with any of them," I said.

"Nothing is impossible with the two of us," Ginger said, her words dripping with double entendre.

"Well, it sounds like I should finish up business as quickly as possible, huh?" I said.

"It's in your interest," Kim said, licking her lips.

Inside, I found Kayla sitting at a dining room table that also doubled as the most frequently utilized workspace in the house. She had her hair pulled back in a ponytail. Her famously thick, beautifully nipples poked aggressively against the fabric of the UCLA t-shirt she wore. Her legs were tucked underneath her, and I noticed she didn't seem to be wearing any bottoms. She clicked away on a laptop keyboard, with glasses of water and white wine next to her, along with a small mirror streaked with evidence of cocaine use.

"Hey," I said somehow quietly, not wanting to jar Kayala out of her obvious thought too severely.

"Oh, hey, John!" she said, smiling when she saw me.

She stood up, and I realized that, below her t-shirt, she wore only a white lace thong.

"Hard at work?" I asked.

"Script for the fourth movie," Kayla said. "You want a bump?" She nodded toward the mirror.

"Ah, I probably shouldn't," I said. "Big night tonight."

Kayla laughed. "I have a feeling you won't be entirely sober," she said. "But suit yourself."

She scooped up a puffy pile of blow onto one of her perfectly manicured nails and inhaled.

"I'm such a coke fiend when I'm writing," she said. "I get on these creative rolls, and I just have to keep up the momentum."

"Well, don't let me distract you then," I said.

"Actually, I need your opinion on something," Kayla said, her ponytail bobbing from side to side. Her lips were a bit fuller than I recalled, so she must have just had them refreshed, giving them a bee-stung but not garish look.

"What's that?" I asked.

"Well, Jess has told me a thousand times what a fan of my work you are," she said.

I looked down, a little embarrassed, and felt my cheeks flush.

"I might be," I said.

"Well," Kayla said, cradling another bump of coke on her nail, "I filmed a new, solo vignette for the web site yesterday. "I thought maybe you could give me your ... expert opinion."

She snorted the coke and immediately went back to the pile a third time.

"You sure you don't want some?" she said, her eyes expectant, almost pleading.

"Shit, you make it impossible to say no," I said.

She smiled. I stepped closer to her as she stood up from the table. I grabbed her delicate wrist and hoisted it toward my face. The bump disappeared in a quick sniff. Her gray-blue eyes hypnotized me.

"So what's this new scene about?" I asked.

"Let me describe it to you," she said. "Then you can watch it, if you want."

"Okay," I said.

"It's just me in the shower," she said. "I strip, get in, wash myself."

As she spoke, she took my hand with both of hers, pressing it against her t-shirt and moving south.

"I'm sure that's hot," I said.

"And I shave myself," she said, pushing my hand farther down her body.

"Very sexy," I said.

"I mean really shave myself," she said.

I looked at her quizzically, and she pushed my hand inside the front of her panties. It took me a moment, but realization finally washed across my face. It must have been a combination of surprise, confusion, and sheer excitement.

"It's called 'New Beginnings,'" she said. "Do you think that works?"

I could only nod my head. Kayla's pussy, which radiated warmth, was also completely and utterly bare. Except for a brief period at the beginning of her career, she had always had a landing strip. It had become something of a signature, even as completely shaved pussies swept through the industry. She also resisted growing out a bush when a certain segment of the industry went for the retro look.

"Wow," I finally managed to push out of my dry throat.

"No one has touched it besides me," she said. "Well, and now you." She held her steely gaze, drawing me in deeper. "Not even Manny."

"I'm sure he'll enjoy it," I said.

"I don't know," she said, with a laugh. "He was the one who convinced me to keep the landing strip all these years."

So many thoughts raced through my head. I remembered what Stephen had said to me at his ranch, what seemed like forever ago, about control. And how he had taken such delight in controlling Kat by getting her to grow a landing strip for him. I also had the image freshly burned in my head of Manny fucking Jess like she was his possession. I smiled back at Kayla.

"Did you do this for me?" I asked.

"Maybe not all for you," she said playfully.

"Well," I said, my voice turning serious, "then keep yourself smooth for me. Until I tell you otherwise."

"You're the boss," Kayla said.

In the heat of the moment, I decided not to press my advantage any further. As difficult as it was, I pulled my hand from her panties.

"And, unfortunately, I've got some more work to take care of before this double date tonight," I said.

"That's no fun," Kayla said.

"I don't want to interrupt your writing flow," I said. "Gotta keep those movies coming."

"Maybe you should come check on my progress tomorrow," she said, arching her sculpted eyebrows.

"Are you free in the morning?" I said, wanting to dictate the terms.

"Sure," she said. "I'm just in writing mode."

"Let's make it early, like 9 a.m.," I said.

"I'll be here," Kayla said.

* * *

"Are you about ready, darling?" I called up the stairs.

"Yes!" Kat shouted down.

She appeared at the top of the stairs, bending down to put on her high heels, and glided down to meet me on the first floor. I kissed her on the cheek.

"You look breathtaking," I said.

Simple elegance was a look Kat pulled off with ease. She wore clingy white pants, a pastel green blouse with a deep plunge to the neckline, and a dangling sterling silver necklace that rested in her decolletage.

"Too casual?" she asked.

"Perfect," I said, her sparkling eyes greeting my response with approval.

From the kitchen, Rita and Katie poked their heads out from making dinner for the kids.

"We are dying to hear how it goes!" Rita shouted as she ran toward us to say goodbye.

"For sure," Katie said, her face obscured by steam rising from a boiling pot of pasta. "I'm so interested to find out what the dynamic is like."

A reflexive look must have taken over my face because Rita added, "Don't worry, John. It'll be fine."

Kat and I got in the McLaren to drive to dinner. It was a little bit of a flex. I knew it. I wanted Manny to see how successful I was, to make a statement that I was a breadwinner and steady force in Jess's life. Part of this was fueled by jealousy. But part of it also was fueled by my mistrust of him, especially after Rita's initial assessment of the dynamic that existed between the pornstar and my girlfriend.

"This is kind of exciting, daddy," Kat said as we made our way the short distance down to Melrose Avenue. "Don't be so tense." She paused and added, "We should have smoked a joint before we left."

"I'm good, Kitty Kat," I said, taking her hand. She squeezed and looked at me warmly.

"At a minimum," she said cheerfully, "I'm excited to try this restaurant!"

The bistro was buzzing. The elaborate pattern on the tile floors and the exquisitely crafted hardwood ceiling created hard surfaces that allowed sound to bounce around freely, creating the noisy atmosphere of popularity restaurants were so keen on. The tables were close together and barren of decoration except for plates, glasses, and flatware. Servers bustled about.

"I like the vibe," I said, glancing around.

The bar was packed with people waiting for tables. The restaurant was teeming, packed to the brim with see-and-be-seen Hollywood types. The energy was electric. I was about to ask the tall, stunning, and decidedly aloof hostess if we could have a drink while waiting for our companions, when I felt a clap on my back.

"Johnny, John, John!" I heard Manny's thick Latin accent behind me. "Let's eat!"

He clapped me on the back before sweeping Kat into a hug. Jess stood behind him, looking radiant in a short dress covered in sunflowers. I hugged her and gave her a kiss hello. She smelled like sex, and her eyes were glazed, dilated, and bloodshot.

"Looks like you've had a fun day," I observed.

"I've been working hard," she said with an ironic smile.

"I didn't see you at the Daydream office earlier," I teased.

"Oh, we were trying out some things," she said non-specifically with a breezy laugh.

Manny had stalked over to the hostess stand and overtly flirted with the girl who had given me such an icy stare. She immediately led him, with the rest of us trailing behind, to the one open table, in a dark, tight corner of the restaurant. I made a mental note that Manny hadn't let the girls walk ahead to the table. The lack of manners rubbed me the wrong way, but I also reminded myself not to get too edgy and critical. Make nice, the voice inside my head told me. It took every fiber of willpower in my being. I just had a bad feeling about it all.

Manny slid into the back corner of the table, in the banquette along the back wall. He pulled Jess in beside him. Kat and I settled into the chairs on the other side across from them.

"We're going to need some oysters," Manny said immediately. He looked at Kat and added, "They're a well-known aphrodisiac, you know."

"You definitely need a recharge after what you did to me this afternoon," Jess added with a giggle.

The music and din of the restaurant crept up the back of my neck. Kat put her hand on my leg for reassurance.

"I love a good workout!" Kat said in a bubbly voice.

"Why don't you boys get started on drinks and apps while Kat and I hit the ladies' room," Jess suggested, already standing up.

"You like oysters, right?" Manny asked rhetorically.

"Love them," I said. "And Champagne, maybe a good Chablis."

"I like red wine," Manny said dismissively.

I rolled my eyes but said, "Let's get both."

The waitress came for the drink order first, and I got a bottle of Champagne and a light red wine. What did it matter if Manny wanted red? It didn't. Let him drink what he liked. Maybe it would loosen up his incessant hyper-alpha tendencies.

"I love this place," Manny said. "So much fucking ass crawling around it at all times."

"Great vibes," I said. "I dig the energy."

"Energy," Manny said. "That's the word I was trying to think of earlier. Jess. She is a ball of energy."

"There's no one quite like Jess," I said sincerely.

"Yes, yes!" Manny said. "She has no limits! Just insatiable thirsts! At least, I've found zero limits!"

"That sounds like Jess," I said.

Manny ignored my response and continued talking.

"I've tried," he said with a low chuckle. "But she does it all. She takes it all. It's invigorating! She shouldn't be behind the camera! She should be in front of it!"

My eyes narrowed, and I wondered if he was truly trying to angle to have Jess appear in one of the movies. I glanced behind us, wondering what was taking the girls so long. The sommelier rescued me first, with the bottle of Champagne. As he worked out the cork, Kat and Jess returned.

"Oh, Champagne, my favorite!" Kat said with enthusiasm.

Manny put his arm around Jess as she slid back into the banquette next to him, and they kissed. Jess's dress went slightly awry and showed off a lot of side boob. She also hadn't dusted off all the coke crystals under her nose. After the sommelier finished the Champagne ritual, Kat pointed this out to her.

"Sweetie, you need to," Kat said, gesturing to her nose.

"Oh, fuck me," Jess said with a high laugh.

Our server returned, this time with two-dozen fresh oysters, all from the West Coast.

"The best coast," Kat joked, trying to keep the tone of the evening light.

But it wasn't a light evening. It was uncomfortable. And it quickly became clear to me why. It was Manny, who lived in Manny's world and refused to take account of the other people around him. That included Jess, and she didn't even seem to notice. After the oysters came, he poured her a glass of red wine, then put his arm around her and fed her from the shell. She took a swig of the red wine after, and the barely perceptible grimace wasn't lost on me. When it came time for the rest of the appetizers, Manny ordered for the table. When the server took our entree requests, he told Jess what to get.

The food was excellent, and I really fell in love with the restaurant. But I couldn't escape the bittersweet feeling tugging at me. Jess tugged Kat along to the bathroom like clockwork at half-hour intervals. The wine flowed. The girls got handsy. And all that lubrication at least kept the conversation going. It was safe, surface-level stuff. Manny told tales of porn movie sets, which led Jess and Kat to trade tales of their wildest escort escapades. Once we hit that mindless conversation, the meal moved along just fine.

In the haze of alcohol and the girls' ski trips to the bathroom, it didn't surprise me that Manny suggested we join him and Jess for a night cap. They had a room at the Beverly Hilton for the evening, he said. Jess looked eager, as if she was seeking approval. But Kat and I had discussed this possibility on the drive to the restaurant. She played her part perfectly, making it come off as entirely unforced.

"God, that sounds like fun," Kat said. "I love the Beverly Hilton. The lobby bar there has such great people watching."

"Great, let's grab a nightcap then," Manny said, standing up and ready to lead the way out the door.

"Well, but don't you have an early meeting tomorrow, John?" Kat continued.

"Oh, shit, that's right," I said. "It'll feel like the crack of dawn at 9 a.m."

I hoped the words didn't sound too forced and melodramatic. We were standing, waiting for the valet now. They brought up my McLaren first, which gave me more satisfaction than it should have.

"That's just cruel," Jess said, putting a hand on Manny's chest.

"Actually, you might find it interesting," I said, making direct eye contact. "I'm chatting with Kayla about one of the new scripts."

"Wait, really?" Jess said, surprised.

Manny stood there dumbly, trying to process what I had just said.

"Yeah, that's right," I said. "She had some questions about it. But, boy, I have to tell you. Having Kayla shave completely bare? That was such a great move. It'll be a hit. And it looks fantastic."

Before Manny could respond, Kat embraced Jess in a hug.

"See you tomorrow, girl," she said. "Love you."

"Love you, Kat," Jess said.

The last image burned in my mind of that evening was seeing Manny standing at the valet station, hands on his hips, looking confused. It didn't last long because I lit up the McLaren's tires and got out of there. Inside, Kat took my hand. Hers was warm and soft, enveloping me in a similar feeling.

"You were smooth, Kitty Kat," I said with a smile.

"Thanks, daddy," Kat said. "Rita was right. I get a bad vibe."

"Something's going on, right?" I said.

"Definitely," Kat agreed.

"Did she say anything while you two went to the bathroom?" I asked.

"Mostly just girl talk," she said. "All the sexy stuff. Manny sounds like an insatiable animal."

"I gathered that," I said, my voice flat and cold.

"But there was one weird thing," Kat added. "She talked a couple times about all his ideas for the Daydream business."

"Huh, okay," I said, processing it.

"The way she phrased it," Kat continued, "it just felt like ... like he was trying to dictate things."

"That sounds like Manny," I said.

Something was definitely going on here. I just needed to figure out what. I hoped my meeting with Kayla in the morning would tell me more. But, for the time being, Kat wasn't going to let me focus on it.

"Maybe you could do a line off of me when we get home, daddy?" she said, snaking her hand into my crotch as I drove.

I smiled and said, "That sounds perfect. Maybe right above your pussy so I can eat you out right after?"

"God, daddy, that would be amazing," she cooed.

"Should we ask Rita and Katie if they want to join us?" I asked.

"Silly, daddy," Kat said. "Of course they should join us. I already texted them. They're waiting in bed!"