Page 9 of Hot Mess

I grimaced. It hadn’t been just my shirt. It was a game of strip poker, I lost my pants, and my car too. It was easy to go from a fun game of poker to a competition of rival proportions too fast, too easily.

Marci nodded, her hair bouncing, her smile fake. She held her hands to her chest, and then she left. As she turned, that Gabe guy turned. I got a good look at his face. I don’t think he saw me. He had a thin mustache above his lip. I couldn’t tell if it was a style choice or a costume choice. He turned back to the person on the other side of him and then followed in the same direction Marci had gone.

The crowd parted perfectly. I didn’t have to strain to see who he had left behind. She was beautiful. My heart hit my throat and I couldn’t speak. I was well aware that I was having a middle-school-boy reaction, but of all the Ishtarias at this party, she was the one Mithrandes would have wanted.

The character Mithrandes was a barbarian leader who, in an attempt to buy his allegiance, the local Persian magistrate arranged for a royal marriage with one of the emperor’s young daughters. The plot of the show followed as Ishtaria fought to reclaim her family title after she had basically been sold off to the barbarians.

In an unexpected twist, Ishtaria had fallen inexplicably in love with Mithrandes, and he with her. And when he died, she went after the Persians with a sense of revenge.

The actress who played Ishtaria, Sonja Harding, was launched into superstardom. Hell, playing Mithrandes had taken my career to an all-new level I was beginning to think wasn’t going to happen. There was a dramatic age gap between the two characters. In the book the show was based on, Ishtaria was all of thirteen. I was playing a battle-hard barbarian king, decades older. It made me shudder to think about it.

Sonja had been all of nineteen in the first season. Nineteen and skinny as a supermodel. No self-respecting ancient barbarian would have wanted a woman who looked like she would die in childbirth. Okay, I didn’t want a woman who looked like she would snap a limb while riding me. I didn’t want to date a child, and I liked my women with curves and softness.

In my head, Ishtaria should have had wide hips and looked like she would be able to take a stand against a fierce wind. The woman I was staring at was shaped like a Greek amphora, all curves in ancient dress. She was a veritable goddess waiting to be worshipped.

I blinked and she was gone. The crowd shifted. I could no longer see the vision. It was as if she had been a figment of my imagination.

“All I’m saying is stay away…” Isaac had continued to speak as I had gotten lost in the perfect vision of loveliness.

“Yeah, yeah, yeah. I got it. No gambling. No more drinking. No underaged girls.” I handed him my half-drunk beer and patted him on the shoulder. “Don’t wait up.”

I had zero problems with Isaac’s limitations. I hadn’t partied like that in years, I had mellowed. But at that moment, I needed to find that woman.

5

KAYLA

Once I arrived at the party, it was exactly as I had expected it. Lights sparkled up in tree branches. A vested door man helped open car doors and even held his hand out to help me from the car.

I stepped aside and waited as Jessie, Claire, and Kiki got out of the car. I was at a real Hollywood party with real actors. This was so thrilling. I had butterfly swarms in my stomach. I was so nervous and excited all at once.

I must have been gawking at the decorations too long because the next thing I knew my cousin and her friends were giggling and walking away from me. The short skirts on their matching dresses flipped up exposing their butts as they strutted in the high-heeled go-go boots. My eyes went wide. They weren’t even wearing panties to cover their butts.

My mother would die if she knew I was out with Jessie. My dress was taped on, and anyone looking at Jessie’s butt was going to get an eyeful. I spun to see Gabe as he finished adjusting his suit after having stepped out of the car.

Either he didn’t notice his sister’s bottom was exposed or he didn’t care. I had to assume he didn’t know. Surely, he would be protective of her reputation.

I stepped up to him and wrapped my arm around his.

“What the fuck are you doing?” He sneered down at my arm.

I gripped a little tighter. “Please don’t abandon me here. I’ve never been to a party like this before.”

“Sure, whatever. Just don’t let people think you’re my date. Oh, I know. We’ll tell everyone I’m your pimp.”

I glared at him before letting my gaze soften. “Oh, the costume,” I let out a nervous laugh.

“Um, I thought you should know Jessie is exposing herself. She doesn’t seem to have any panties covering her bottom.”

“Gross don’t tell me stuff like that. I don’t want to see my sister’s ass.”

I didn’t understand his reaction. “But other people can.”

“If she wants to show off her ass, that’s on her. I don’t know why you’re telling me.” He put his hand over mine as we strolled into the party.

I took in everything. The high ceilings and grand staircase of the entryway, all of the beautiful people. Everyone in Los Angeles was unrealistically attractive. And then there were the costumes.

I felt half naked with my back not covered, and my dress taped on, but there were people who were literally half naked.

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