Jealousy at TAC Read online



  Jealousy at TAC

  (Book 11 in the Mob from TAC series)

  Copyright 2016 Richard Pinkerton

  CHAPTER 1:

  Hiding the Truth

  Vanessa Danté flicked her long dark hair back over her bare shoulder and shuffled across the bed closer to the body that lay there under the sheets with her. It was Tuesday morning, but fortunately no school, due to the fact it was the ANZAC Day public holiday. She ran her finger down the cheek of her bed partner and down, across the top half of the chest to where the sheets covered everything else. ‘Ooh la la. That was mind-blowing.’

  ‘As good as Rex?’

  ‘No one can ever be as good as Rex and I’m afraid you’re missing some vital equipment, Maggs.’

  ‘Are you sure he won’t mind?’ Maggie Matthew’s bright brown eyes stared at her.

  ‘Of course he won’t. I’ve told him about the other times.’

  ‘You have?’

  ‘Yeah huh! I tell him everything and he tells me everything.’

  ‘Even when he sees other girls?’

  ‘Especially when he sees other girls. I just have to hear every little juicy detail.’

  ‘You are so lucky, Nessa,’ Maggie said. ‘My boyfriend would be horrified if he knew about us. He’d probably dump me on the spot.’

  ‘Then he can’t be much of a boyfriend, then. I mean, what’s the big deal really? We’re two lesbian lovers... well you’re bi, I’m lesbian, but that’s all, right. We’re just having fun. Enjoying what we’ve got.’

  ‘Yeah, I know, but he’s really homophobic. Even when it comes to women.’

  ‘That’s so unusual for a guy. Normally it turns them on thinking about it.’

  ‘Not, Shawn. He’d be appalled if he knew about all the times we’ve skinny dipped together and made out.’

  Vanessa sighed. ‘Yeah, there are some really insecure guys out there. My dad for instance. He dumped my mum, just like that, when he found out she preferred women to men. And he couldn’t accept me for the same reason.’

  ‘That’s so sad.’

  ‘I know. Are you sure Shawn’s like that?’

  ‘Yes. Definitely. I can never tell him about you and me. He’d see it as cheating for a start. We don’t have an open relationship like you and Rex do.’

  ‘One of these days you’re going to have to introduce us all to him. Pity he lives over in New Plymouth. Although a group of us will be over there this weekend at the Aquatic Centre. Why don’t you ask him to come?’

  ‘I guess. He may be nervous about not knowing any of us though.’

  ‘Well he has to get to know us all sooner or later.’

  ‘Yeah.’

  Vanessa ran her fingers through Maggie’s long ginger hair. ‘It’s neat that I got to be your first girl-on-girl encounter.’

  Maggie smiled, her cheeks displaying her deliciously kissable dimples. ‘I wish I could have been your first.’

  ‘Way too late for that now.’

  ‘Well I guess it’s cool you’re experienced. It means you know what to do.’

  ‘Yeah huh.’

  ‘Would you do this with Holly?’

  Vanessa pictured Holly’s face in her mind. The rounded chin, the big brown eyes, soft cheeks and shoulder length brown here. She couldn’t help but smile.

  ‘Have you? With her?’

  ‘I wish,’ Vanessa said. ‘She’s gorgeous.’

  ‘Do you think she’s prettier than me?’

  Vanessa examined Maggie’s face. Her eyes seemed worried. ‘I can’t compare you two. You’re both unique. You’re both gorgeous.’

  ‘So you would sleep with her?’

  Vanessa would have eagerly done so, but the look on Maggie’s face sent alarm bells. ‘She’s not like that. She’s straight.’

  ‘But would you make love to her if you could?’

  ‘I don’t know.’ She didn’t like to lie, even to make someone feel better. ‘Probably.’ That was an under exaggeration, but she had to tread carefully. She knew what it was like to have girlfriends jealous of each other. The last thing she wanted was bad blood between Maggie and Holly.

  ‘Oh.’ Maggie’s face dropped.

  ‘Maggs...’ Vanessa said. ‘Remember, I’m dedicated to Rex. You realise that, right? And I’m not the type just to have one girlfriend either.’

  ‘No, that’s ok,’ Maggie said quickly. ‘Honest. Besides, I’m dedicated to Shawn.’

  ‘That’s right,’ Vanessa said. ‘You have to be able to keep your emotions in check, otherwise it’s all gonna mess with your mind. Take it from someone who knows from experience. Remember, we’re great friends first and foremost. We’re lovers second, but only on the odd occasion. Only when it’s the right time and place.’

  ‘Ok. I got it.’ Maggie smiled, showing her dimples again. ‘Hey, speaking of hot chicks, when do you do your first modelling shoot?’

  ‘Not sure yet. I have to go into New Plymouth next week to talk to Anne Summers and sign a contract.’

  ‘That is so exciting. You’re really going to do it?’

  ‘Yeah. It’ll be fun.’

  ‘Well you have the looks and the body for it. I can’t believe you got approached on the street by the owner of a modelling agency.’

  ‘I know,’ Vanessa said. ‘At first I thought she was some kind of a nut, saying “Wow, you are so incredibly gorgeous! You have a unique look and you are just the sort person we’re looking for. Hey, darling, ever thought of doing modelling?” But she turned out to be the real deal.’

  ‘Is it a very big company?’

  ‘Yeah, it’s huge. One of the biggest in New Zealand. I got to take a look around on Saturday. Even got to meet some of the models. They were shooting a layout for Urban magazine. They had a whole group of girls there.’

  ‘Are there guys too?’

  ‘Of course. I met a couple who were there. One of them tried to hit on me.’

  ‘And you rejected him.’

  ‘Nicely of course.’

  ‘Does it annoy you? Being hit on by guys all the time.’

  ‘Hell yeah. Sometimes I consider wearing a T shirt or a hat that says something like ‘I’m gay, so don’t bother.”’

  Maggie glanced over at the clock beside her bed and jerked up. ‘Oh, my God, Mum and Dad will be back soon. We better get cleaned up.’

  There came a distant knocking.

  Ohhhhh. You stay in here. I’ll go out and see who it is.’

  ‘Ok.’

  Maggie quickly pulled on a pair of jeans and slung on a T shirt, leaving her underwear on the floor where it lay. She left the room.

  Vanessa covered herself up with the sheets and relaxed for a few seconds. She glanced around the walls, looking at the posters of various rock groups, mainly metal. She didn’t mind metal, in fact some of it she quite enjoyed, but she was more into mainstream music. Retro was really her thing, which was great because Rex was the same. They loved the same music.

  Maggie burst back through the door. ‘Oh my God,’ she hissed. ‘It’s Shawn! You have to get dressed. He’s downstairs right now.’

  ‘Oh...’

  ‘Hey, Maggs, wait up!’ A male voice came from further down the hallway.

  ‘I said wait!’ Maggie called back. ‘I’ll be there in a minute!’

  ‘Hey, your parents aren’t back yet. Let’s go to your room for a bit.’

  ‘No!’ Maggie stepped back into the hallway and closed the door shut. ‘The room’s a mess and I don’t want Mum and Dad catching us doing anything. They’ll kill me.’

  Vanessa quickly climbed out of bed and slung on some clothes. The last thing she wanted was him to come in and find her in Maggie’s bed.

  ‘Ah come on, just for a few minutes,’ came
Shawn’s reply. ‘Hey, what gives? Why won’t you let me in? What’s going on in there?’

  ‘Nothing!’

  ‘Is someone else in there?’

  ‘No!’

  ‘There’s a guy in there, isn’t there?’

  ‘No!’

  ‘Then let me see! Come on!’

  Vanessa hauled on her jeans, now fully dressed and plonked herself down at Maggie’s computer, shifting the mouse so that the screen saver disappeared. She quickly opened up a card game and started to play.

  The door opened behind her and she turned to see a curly, brown-haired male peer through. ‘Huh? I thought you said no one was in here.’

  Vanessa turned around from the card game. ‘Hi.’

  Shawn entered the room with Maggie behind looking slightly pale.

  ‘Who are you?’

  ‘I’m Vanessa. Just here hanging out. You must be the Shawn I’ve been hearing all about.’

  Shawn peered around the room and down at the floor where Maggie’s underwear lay. Unfortunately it stuck out like a sore thumb because the floor was otherwise spotless. ‘I thought you said the room was messy?’

  ‘Well it is!’ Maggie stepped forward and picked up her gear, throwing them into a basket near the door. ‘My stuff is still lying around and my bed’s a mess.’ She went over and pulled the sheets and blankets over. ‘Now are you satisfied there’s no guy here?’

  ‘Yeah... Sorry.’ He stared at Vanessa and his brown eyes sparkled. It was one of those gazes Vanessa had seen many times from guys when they saw her for the first time. She’d gotten used to it, but it made her a little uncomfortable this time, considering he was Maggie’s boyfriend.

  ‘Vanessa was just saying before you got here…’ Maggie said, still looking a little flustered. ‘You should join us this weekend at the Aquatic Centre. A group of us are going.’

  ‘Yeah?’ Shawn continued to gaze at Vanessa.

  ‘Yes. Vanessa’s boyfriend will be there and a whole lot of others from school. It’s going to be great.’

  ‘Ah... yeah...’ His face dropped a little. He scanned the room some more, then turned to Maggie. ‘Why did you tell me no one was in here?’

  Maggie opened her mouth to speak, but it was a couple of seconds before any words came out. ‘She was... she’s...’

  ‘Not supposed to be here,’ Vanessa stepped in. ‘Maggie’s mother wanted her to do her overdue book report before she had any friends over.’

  Maggie’s face lit up. ‘That’s right.’

  ‘Yeah, but I wouldn’t tell your mother,’ Shawn said.

  ‘I told her not to tell anyone I was in here,’ Vanessa said. ‘I didn’t want her risking getting into trouble.’

  ‘Yeah,’ Maggie said. ‘I was just doing what she told me.’

  ‘Ah, ok.’ Shawn walked across the room and picked up a pile of CDs that sat on a chest of drawers. He fingered through them. ‘Hey, you’ve got Miss Googoo’s latest.’

  ‘Yeah, I bought it last week.’

  ‘I hear she’s doing a concert in Auckland next month.’

  ‘I’ve already got my ticket,’ Vanessa said.

  Shawn turned his head and smiled at her. ‘Cool! You’re going?’

  ‘That’s why we bought the tickets.’

  ‘We?’

  ‘Rex and I.’

  ‘He’s your boyfriend?’

  ‘Yeah huh.’ She decided to tag something extra onto the end just to make sure he knew where he stood. ‘The only guy for me. My dollbaby.’

  ‘Dollbaby?’ Shawn snickered.

  ‘The perfect model of a male.’

  ‘If you say so.’

  ‘I do.’

  ‘Hey, Maggie. We should go. I’ll get us tickets.’

  ‘Sorry,’ Vanessa said. ‘But you’re too late. They’re already sold out.’

  ‘Bugger.’

  Vanessa would have had serious doubts about double dating Shawn and Maggie, because she felt uneasy about his intentions. She had to tell herself though, that Shawn was just reacting the way any male would when they met her for the first time, but was loyal to Maggie and his desire to go to the concert had nothing to do with Vanessa being there.

  ‘Pity,’ Maggie said. ‘It would have been neat, hanging out with my three most favourite people in the world.’

  ‘Huh?’ Shawn swung his head around to face her. ‘Three most favourite?’

  ‘Yeah,’ Maggie said, concern coming over her face. ‘Vanessa... and Rex are two of my best friends.’

  ‘Oh... ok. I guess that’s ok. You never told me you were friends with a guy though.’

  ‘I have lots of friends that are guys.’

  ‘Yeah, but best friends?’

  ‘Well, you know, we all hang out. There’s other guys that we hang out with too, but they’re...’ Maggie hesitated.

  Shawn peered at her again, one eyebrow raised.

  Vanessa once again came to the rescue to prevent Maggie from having to come up with a reason that would not make Shawn jealous. ‘Because he’s my boyfriend and we’re always together. That’s the thing when you’re my friend… Sexy Rexy comes with the territory.’

  ‘I guess so,’ Shawn said in a monotone voice.

  ‘Let’s go downstairs,’ Maggie said. ‘We can get a drink. I’m parched.’

  Vanessa thought about their little charade and decided it best to continue going along with it, even if Maggie had forgotten about it. ‘But if your parents come, they’ll see me.’

  ‘Oh... right, yeah.’

  ‘And you’re supposed to be doing your book report, right?’

  ‘Oh yeah’

  ‘What’s the book report on?’ Shawn asked.

  ‘Ummmm,’ Maggie said. The fact is there was no book report. The last book report they had to do was handed in a over a week ago.

  ‘Animal Farm,’ Vanessa said.

  ‘Oh, we did that one last term. Can I see what you’ve done?’

  Maggie froze and stared at Vanessa.

  Vanessa laughed and deliberately tried to sound scornful, but just enough to make it sound like she was doing it light-heartedly. ‘What, you’ve come here to see Maggie and you want to look at some school book report? Your teachers must love you and your dedication to learning.’

  ‘Huh, what?’ Shawn stood straight. ‘Hell no, I do what I have to do and that’s it. Won’t see me pandering to no teacher. Ah, forget the book report anyway. That story was a load of bull or should I say pig.’

  Maggie smiled warmly at Vanessa from over Shawn’s shoulder.

  ‘I should go,’ Vanessa said.

  ‘No, don’t, stay for a drink,’ Shawn said. ‘We’ll keep an eye out for Maggie’s parents.’

  ‘No, I have to go. I promised I’d go around to Rex’s before dinner.’ She hadn’t, but felt uncomfortable with the way Shawn continued to gaze at her.

  ‘Oh... Well I’ll come along to the Aquatic Centre with Maggs. I’ll see you then.’

  ‘Ok.’

  Shawn smiled and delivered her a wink.

  Alarm bells went off again inside Vanessa’s head, even louder than previously. She couldn’t help but wonder just what sort of a guy Shawn was and whether he would ultimately end up hurting Maggie.

  CHAPTER 2:

  Fending off Advances