Killing Time OST – 11b – Deception

<< 11a – Deception

When the automated voice pierced through my dream, I taught I was having a nightmare. I turned around in my bed but the voice came again. This time, it had a much human tone.
“Come on, party girl! I’ve got chocolate croissants!”
My eyes snapped open. Naomi was at the door. The alarm clock said it was eleven which would have been a reasonable hour to wake me up if I’d gone straight to bed when I came home.
Damn her!
I hurriedly pulled my satin robe around my naked body and scuffed downstairs. Naomi didn’t have the necessary standing to be invited to the Merrilyn Ball so she counted on me to bring back the tasty gossips that didn’t make it to the press. She could usually wait two or three days to hear them though.
“Those croissants are saving your life, Nam.” Her arms drew a circle of chocolate-scented air when they came around me for a hug. She wore a tight blouse that nicely hugged the breasts I paid for.
“You’re so funny,” she chuckled in my hair. “Soooo –” the stretched out “o” sounded so ominous I instantaneously pulled back “– when’s the hottie coming down?”
I blinked a couple of times fast. Then my mind pulled out of the last shred of slumber.
“Don’t hold out on me!” She brushed past me, looking towards the stairs leading to the second floor. “The morning news said you brought him home and the paparazzi parked out front are positive he hasn’t left.”
Shit!
I grabbed Naomi’s arm before she headed upstairs to check herself and hustled her to the living room which, luckily, was out of view from both the second floor and the secret stairs.
“I’ll go get him. You sit here.” I dumped her on the couch. “Julia!” The familiar scrapping of the robot’s wheels approached. I turned back to Naomi. “You knock yourself out and request what you want to go with the croissants. I’ll be right back.” Before my friend could protest, I exited the room.
Of all the ways to start the day!
As soon as I reached my bedroom, I grabbed the phone and called Vexx’s cell.
“Pick up, pick up, pick up.” Explaining a disappearing boyfriend would be way harder than producing a fake one. I couldn’t afford to draw that kind of attention and neither could Vexx’s new identity. A sleepy mumble finally answered. I suspected Vexx picked up by reflex. “Vexx, put your face on and get up here.” A monosyllable demanded more explanation. “Naomi’s here. I need you in the house. Now!”
“Okay.”
I hung up and rushed to the bathroom. The shower would help cover the soft shushing sound of the secret door. I turned it on and headed back downstairs.
“He’ll be right down,” I said to Naomi when I walked back inside the living room at a controlled pace. I turned on some background music. “I just need to fetch him a towel from the clean bin.”
“He smelled too much of sex?” Naomi chuckled behind her fresh cup of coffee.
“Potty mouth!” I winked. “Be back in a sec.”
I went to the secret door and pressed the opening mechanism. Vexx, in his Vincent face and a pair of briefs, waited in the stairs. It looked like he kept his face to sleep; he still wasn’t completely awake or else he would have put on some clothes – not that I minded. Pulling his arm, I closed the way to the basement and led him upstairs as subtly as possible. He yelped when I pushed him in the shower. At least now he was awake.
“It’s for the cover,” I explained before he complained.
“Right. How do we explain the wet undies?”
“Strip.” I handed him a towel but he didn’t take it. “Rich heiresses don’t get seriously involved with men in cheap undies.” Shoving the towel in his arms, I left him to pat himself down and reached for a box in the far corner of my walk-in.
Thank God I bought silk PJ pants for my dad the last time I traveled to Milan!
I threw them to Vexx who quickly put them on but not before his nakedness made him blush. I smiled; he had nothing to be ashamed of.
“Why do I even need to be there?” He murmured in my ear as I steered him back to the stairs.
“Do you really want people to investigate your fake identity already?” I wrapped my fingers around his. “Besides, I thought you wanted to meet Naomi.”
“And you said it was a bad idea.”
I laughed and kissed him briefly on the threshold of the living room; Naomi would think I thought she couldn’t see us.
“They weren’t kidding,” Naomi sighed as she took in the damp curls, and the droplets sliding down Vexx’s chest. Knowing all pictures were touched up, no one entirely trusted the magazines. “I suddenly feel overdressed.”
“Naomi, this is Vincent. Vincent, Naomi. She brought chocolate croissants.”
“Awesome!” Vexx extended a hand to shake but Naomi hugged him. I chuckled at his bewildered expression.
“Is he as natural as you?” She shamelessly squeezed his bicep, much to Vexx’s uneasiness.
“Yes.” She whistled to my reply and finally let go of him.
“So Vince, how did you two meet?”
Naomi obviously came over that bit of gossipy news more than anything else. She was friends with a star and wanted to get the news before everyone else. Luckily, Vexx and I had rehearsed our cover story and he had started to learn Vincent’s complete biography two months ago. We still had to improvise a little bit but we could pick a piece of fruit, pastry or ham on the coffee table and win some time to think with the excuse of not speaking with our mouth full. I cringed when Vexx slipped and used a few dorky expressions but Naomi didn’t seem to notice.
Two hours later, Naomi left us for her wedding cake tasting. Her car pulled out the driveway and we sighed in relief. Only to burst in laughter seconds later.
“You were right, Queen of Deception,” Vexx said. “I wouldn’t want her with me in the basement. She’s nosier than spyware.” I chuckled and followed him as he made his way across the hall to head back downstairs. “Nice boob job, though.”
I punched his shoulder and he cowered downstairs, his laughter trailing behind him. I had had more pleasant wake up calls in the past but at least, Vexx was back to his normal self.

11c – Deception >>