Chapter 21

Author’s Note: This is the longest chapter of this series to date. The next few chapters are crucial to the story and these characters. It will really map and set the tone for where we go. So here we are: jealousy night for Jess. What buttons will they push? And will they push her too far? Vegas brings out strange sides in people, so let’s find out.

Jess and I held our breaths and exchanged a glance, waiting to see who Kat would return with. We heard multiple footsteps clicking on the marble floors. When we looked at the opening to the sitting room, where we had been relaxing, my face met a familiar one and Jess’s met a new one. I smiled. Jess forced a smile with a mix of surprise and panic.

“Kelly!” I said and immediately stood up. “Of course, Kat brought you into these hijinks.”

“It’s so nice to see you John,” she said. “You look.” She paused and scanned my body up and down. “You look very well.”

“I think retirement suits me,” I said, putting my hands on my hips.

Jess stood and greeted Kelly warmly, too. It was nice to see our old friend from LA. It had been too long. Vegas would be better with her in the mix. Greetings out of the way, our eyes collectively fell to the woman standing next to Kelly.

She was taller than Kat but slightly shorter than Kelly. I estimated maybe five-foot-six. She wore a large hat and sunglasses, along with a conservative blue dress. Her legs were encased in stockings. There was a European quality to her, and she gave off a mysterious vibe. It was hard to assess her body under the somewhat bulky dress, but she seemed petite. I also got a strong feeling of charisma, and she hadn’t even spoken a word.

“Darling friends,” Kelly spoke up, always comfortable in every setting. “Let me introduce to you a very, very special guest.” She spoke with the affectation of a late-night talk show host.

The mysterious woman took off her hat and sunglasses with refined flair. She had a million-dollar smile on her face, and I immediately knew why. It was Juliet Lawson, the Academy Award-nominated actress who had garnered nothing but critical acclaim and box-office success since bursting onto the Hollywood scene at age eighteen. Now twenty-six, she avoided the normal pitfalls of meteoric stardom thanks to a famously disciplined focus on her career. She generally stayed out of the tabloid spotlight and moved with laser-like precision from one role to the next. She was an undeniable talent.

Now, in what came as a total surprise, she began to unbutton her dress and reveal her body to us. She was even more enchanting in person than on the big screen – or in 4K high definition on my huge television screen at home. Every move was precise and controlled. She alternated eye contact with each of us, appearing to relish her striptease as much as I did. No one spoke. The only sound was the rustle of fabric as the blue dress dropped to the floor. The lingerie underneath was black but of such fine, sheer material that it improbably looked almost white. Her bra came off in a flash, and she kicked away her panties with a flick of a delicate foot.

Juliet smiled, and I had to remind myself to breathe. I had never seen a more beautiful woman in my life. Her features were fine and delicate, but your gaze automatically was drawn to her ice blue eyes. They were hypnotic and created an unexpected contrast to her thick, lightly wavy brown hair that gave off a silken sheen. She gave off the impression of simultaneously being petite and voluptuous – ripe for whatever costuming magic a movie role required.

I caught glimpses of Kat and Jess out of the corner of my eye. Kat smiled, as if in awe. Jess retained a warm smile now, but her eyes radiated anxiety. It made me think Kat had nailed the jealousy portion of this evening perfectly – depending on how things would unfold.

I was sure I looked like a drooling pervert. Juliet was stunning. Her breasts were large, with pastel pink nipples that stood out turgidly. They looked so much more vivid in real life than on screen. Her tiny waist gave way to deceptively attractive hips and long, slender, toned legs. Her legs did seem impossibly long. Trying to maintain some sense of decorum, I tried not to stare at her pussy, but there was no use. There was an oval gap between her thighs. I couldn’t think of any description to describe her pubic mound other than “movie star pussy.” It looked perfect, and I was drawn to it like a beckoning finger.

It felt as if thirty minutes had passed, but it had only been a few seconds. Juliet punctured the vacuum in the villa that her appearance had created by introducing herself.

“Hi, I’m Juliet,” she said and did a wave-handshake combination to Jess. Her charisma was undeniable. She owned the room. She had spoken three words, and she was the center of attention. I had only felt this kind of electric energy in the presence of truly gifted politicians or rock stars.

“Jess,” my starstruck girlfriend said with a smile.

“I’m Kat,” Kat said and extended her hand. “I’m so, so grateful you could make it! Kelly wasn’t sure if you’d be off shooting again!” She was bubbly and effusive, doing her best to match Juliet’s personality. Her television past gave her a certain sense of ease in the situation.

“So that must make you John,” Juliet said.

“It must,” I said awkwardly, like a teenager trying to hide a boner.

Juliet stepped forward and hugged me. Her skin was warm, and the hug was confident, firm, and generous. It gave the impression of total sincerity. I instantly noticed how soft her skin was, yet her body was also powerful. Her nipples poked against my midsection, and I could feel them through my dress shirt. I tried to speak but couldn’t.

“Just go with it,” Juliet whispered in my ear.

Go with what?

“Jess, Kat tells me you brought this incredible cocaine I keep hearing so much about!” Kelly said enthusiastically. She was being kind, distracting her. “I want a taste!”

“It’s better than advertised,” Jess said, regaining her composure.

“Oh, now this is glorious,” Kelly said as Jess escorted her to the bar and the cocaine setup. “I love pure, uncut flake. Do you mind?”

Kat gravitated toward the bar in what I sensed was a calculated move. To my mind’s total incomprehension, that left me standing with Juliet Lawson, who was only in her birthday suit. She had a warm smile that made you want to tell her secrets. I tried to steady myself by resorting to my hosting instincts.

“Juliet, could I get you a glass of Champagne or,” I paused, not sure how open to be. “Something else?”

“I absolutely love Champagne,” Juliet said.

“It’s probably my favorite thing in the world,” I said, getting my footing and regaining control over my tongue. I reminded myself to speak to her eyes, not her exceptional tits. “If I drank nothing by Champagne for the rest of my life, I could probably die happy.”

Juliet laughed. “Well, it just so happens that Dom rosé is my favorite wine in the world,” she said. “So there’s a point for you.”

I poured a glass, showing off a little by gripping the magnum firmly from underneath, with my finger in the punt for control.

“I don’t think I could pour a magnum with both hands, let alone one,” Juliet said.

She was flirting with me, I realized. But I didn’t believe it. This was impossible. I heard laughter and familiar snorting from the girls. Juliet glanced at them, too, but only briefly. Her eyes enveloped me. It was an ego stroke.

“So how do you know Kelly?” I asked.

“It’s a funny thing,” Juliet said. “When I got my first big role when I was eighteen? My parents were really savvy. They insisted I get in touch with someone who was smart about money. It just so happened he was married to Kelly, who I met at a party the firm had for its clients. It was such a stroke of luck. I didn’t go to many big parties like that after my first couple years.”

“Kelly does have a way of ingratiating herself, doesn’t she?” I said. “She’s really responsible for me being here at all, in a lot of ways.”

“She has taught me everything about keeping up normalcy in my regular life, when I’m not shooting a movie,” Juliet said. “It really boils down to privacy.”

I chuckled. “Let me tell you,” I said, “I am amazed at what she’s able to keep private.”

Juliet’s eyes changed. They grew sharper, somehow conspiratorial. “I’ll let you in on a little secret,” she said. She moved closer to me. I could feel heat radiating from her bare skin. “In the eight years I’ve known Kelly, this is only the fifth time she’s asked for this kind of favor from me.”

“I’m not completely sure what that means, but I know for sure it’s flattering,” I said.

She smiled at me. “My time is worth a lot,” she said. “And I don’t often give it out. But Kelly was very convincing that you deserve it. All three of you, actually.”

“She is too kind,” I said. I heard two long, loud snorts and saw Jess staring at me with longing and emotion as she rubbed her nose. She was nervous. “I’m sure your time is short, so how do you want to spend it? Vegas is full of possibilities, as I’m sure you know.”

We had rapidly drained our Champagne glasses, so I refilled them. The flow of wine made conversation feel more natural.

“I’m afraid I can’t really leave the villa,” Juliet said, a hand absent-mindedly glided over her breasts. “But it certainly looks like you have everything we are going to need for a really, really fun night.” She licked her lips. It was barely perceptible, a practiced, seductive movement. She was good.

“My apologies,” I said. “I’m so rude. Would you like any of our other, uh, indulgences?”

“After dinner,” Juliet said breezily. She emptied the Champagne into her mouth and extended the glass for another refill. “I like a good meal before I party. If I get into the cocaine first, I won’t want to eat, and that would be a shame. The chefs here are absolutely amazing.”

“This is my first time at the Mansion,” I admitted.

“The king crab,” she said without hesitation. “You will thank me later.”

“Just hearing that is giving me serious munchies,” I said. “We might have smoked a joint earlier.”

“Now that sounds really good,” Juliet said enthusiastically, making her tits jiggle. “Do you have any more?”

“Tons more,” I said. “Of basically anything you want.”

“Let’s start with a joint and then dinner,” she said.

“Your wish is my command,” I said cornily.

“That’s not exactly how tonight is structured,” Juliet said with a laugh. “More like the opposite. Within reason.”

“I’m eminently reasonable,” I said.

“All things in moderation, including moderation,” Juliet said flatly. We laughed.

The girls had gravitated back toward us. I noticed Kelly’s nipples, hard and fierce, protruding through her white blouse.

“You two seem to be hitting it off,” Kelly said to Juliet.

“It’s nice to find a charming man who isn’t tongue-tied, even around a celebrity,” Juliet said. She had her eyes fixed on Jess.

“It seems a little unfair that the rest of us are all so overdressed,” Jess said.

“Maybe you and John,” Kelly said. “But Kat and I are about to head off to dinner.”

“Oh, you are?” I said, surprised.

“We don’t want to interfere with what should be a very interesting start to the evening,” Kat said, voice pregnant with tantalizing anticipation.

“John and I were going to smoke a joint, if you want to join us, Jess,” Juliet said.

“See you in a while,” Kelly said, as she and Kat headed for the door.

Jess had regained her poise. There was a nervous excitement on her face. She stripped off her dress and left it in a heap on the ground, but she kept her heels on.

“Let’s go smoke that joint,” she said. “Come on, John, get comfortable.”

Her exhortation made me a little self-conscious.

“Yeah, I want to hear about what you’re packing that Kelly has told me so much about,” Juliet piled on.

Jesus, talk about shrinkage-inducing pressure. Who could say no to Juliet Lawson, though? And so I lost my clothes. Jess looked at me possessively. Juliet smiled in a way that either betrayed amusement or pleasure.

We sat with our feet in the pool, Jess sitting closer to me than Juliet. Jess sparked the joint and passed it across to Juliet.

“It must be so nice living in California where weed is legal,” Jess said.

“Weed is everywhere,” Juliet said and took a massive inhale. She held the hit and continued. “Smoking is like getting a Starbucks.”

I took my hit, but Juliet still held hers when I exhaled. I was impressed. She finally let it out as Jess was toking again.

“That’s good stuff,” Juliet said. “So Kelly tells me you two and Kat are all together, like a couple? But, I guess, what? Like a threeple? I don’t know what to call it.” She laughed.

“Exactly like that,” Jess said as she handed her the joint again. We were smoking it fast.

We launched into some comfortable small talk, and being stoned made me horny. I found myself increasingly staring at Juliet’s body. It’s impossible to describe the hotness, sensuality, and sheer perfection of Juliet Lawson. The only way to put it is to say that, if you imagined what you thought a movie star was, she was the full-throttle embodiment of all of that. She had charisma. Looks. Charm. There was only one thing left to find out: did she live up to the fantasy that every red-blooded male had when they looked at her? My presumption was that Kat had worked with Kelly to let me find out.

“Is it time to find out what this king crab is all about?” I asked, figuring the main event – whatever it was – wouldn’t start until after we ate.

“Yes, I’m starving!” Juliet said enthusiastically. She stood up, and I felt a primal urge to dive into her with my tongue as she bent over, exposing her pussy and ass to me for the first time.

“That sounds amazing,” Jess said. She spread her legs and made eye contact with me briefly before she got up, too.

I called Madeline, who answered before the phone had even rung once. She complimented our choice of king crab and also suggested Dover sole and langoustines. I told her I trusted her to bring whatever dishes she recommended and went to the bar to pick a couple appropriate bottles of wine.

Juliet and Jess were huddled over the cocaine.

“See, so you just grind it up,” Jess said, “and it’s like snorting powdered sugar. Such a beautiful consistency. Very little residue to worry about and no little rocks getting stuck in your nose or anything. It’s so, so nice.”

“That’s so cool!” Juliet enthused.

“Here, try just a little,” Jess offered.

“Well, I know I said normally not before I eat, but one little bump can’t hurt, right?” Juliet said.

I turned my attention away from the wine chiller, where I had already pulled out a bottle of Montrachet, and gazed at Juliet. Delicately, she scooped up a pillowy bump on her perfectly manicured pinkie nail. She made eye contact with me as she raised it to her nose and inhaled, vacuuming up the tiny crystals and closing her eyes as it hit her. It sent a bolt of desire through me.

“Oh my!” she exclaimed. “That is so nice!”

“Jess has the best source,” I said with pride. She beamed at me, appreciative.

“Uncut,” Jess said. “I have very simple taste. I only like the best.”

“Do you want a little, John?” Juliet asked. She dipped her finger back into the pile, scooped another bump, and extended it to me.

“If you’re asking?” I said. “I could never say no.”

I inhaled sharply. Juliet let her finger linger briefly, rubbing my nostril for me. She then slid her hand down my cheek. It was a brief moment, but my arousal began to stir powerfully.

“It’s been a while since I’ve had blow,” Juliet said, “but this is fantastic. What a nice little buzz. I can only imagine what a couple lines will do!”

“A couple lines will make me only want to do one thing,” Jess said.

“Fuck,” Juliet said, completing her sentence. She grinned. And, like a revelation of something that was so obvious that it was under your nose the whole time, I realized how perfectly Kat had curated her evening to stoke Jess’s jealousy. A famous actress, poised, beautiful, and audacious. She was a cut above what Jess saw herself as, the kind of woman who forced Jess to get inside her own head.

“What a coincidence,” I said. “I think that’s something all of us have in common.”

“It’s been a good six months since I’ve had a guy who didn’t just get coke dick,” Juliet said. She looked at me expectantly, but given the groundwork Kat surely had laid here, she knew what I was going to say. “Hollywood is littered with disappointment.”

“Huh,” I said, cockiness returning to my tone. My eyes bored into her ice-blue pools, which sparkled flirtatiously. “I’ve never had that problem.”

“Maybe we’ll let you watch later,” Jess said, obviously joking. If she had regained her footing around Juliet, the actress immediately swept her legs out from under her.

“That’s not what this evening is about,” Juliet said flatly.

Jess looked like she had been slapped in the face. Juliet piled on. She put a hand on my chest and let it glide across. It was a romantic touch.

“John, can I help you pick another bottle?” she said. “I love wine.”

Without even thinking, I turned my back to Jess and took the few steps to the wine chiller with Juliet. As I knelt down to pull a few options, I caught a glimpse of the hurt scowl on Jess’s face. Go with it, I told myself. This is her night of jealousy. But what if we pushed her too far? The soft, casual brush of Juliet’s hand across my arm pushed the thought out of my head.

“Here are a couple options,” I said, putting two bottles down on the counter. As I did, I heard Jess inhale hard. Given the length of it, she had to be snorting a massive line. Then the sound repeated itself.

“Tough call,” Juliet said. “But I’m feeling a little more Puligny than Chassagne tonight.”

I smiled at her. She really knew her wine. I didn’t believe in love at first sight, but I was starting to reconsider that. But then I reminded myself: she’s an actress, and tonight is about Jess and making her jealous. Juliet’s words from earlier rolled through my head: “Just go with it.” Go with it, I told myself, but don’t blow it out of proportion.

“I love that wine,” Jess said. It seemed like she had shaken off the first jab of jealousy and come back to us. “Great choice.” Still, she had crossed her arms over her breasts in a gesture that seemed self-conscious.

Just then the doorbell rang again. Juliet excused herself to the restroom, and I asked Jess to answer it while I pulled the corks on the two bottles of wine. Madeline entered the villa again, trailed by two carts covered in silver-domed dishes.

“Don’t gawk, gentlemen,” she admonished the two porters who accompanied her. “It’s not like you’ve never seen an exquisite woman in these rooms.”

I could see Jess smile at the compliment. This evening really was shaping up to be a complete mind fuck for her.

“Here you are, Mr. Cameron,” she said. “Shall we set up in the dining room?”

“That’s perfect,” I said.

In moments, the three of us were sitting before a feast of perfectly prepared seafood. The king crab, in a beurre blanc with chives, was perhaps the most delicious thing I’d ever eaten. The wines paired brilliantly. It was a perfect interlude and foundation for the night ahead.

“Jess, I don’t know how you can eat so well after doing coke,” Juliet said, genuinely complimentary.

Jess laughed it off breezily. “Oh, I think it’s because cocaine has been part of my diet for so long, I’m immune to appetite suppression!” she said.

“You’re lucky,” Juliet said. “You get all of the coke and none of the guilt!”

“Well,” Jess said, “I don’t know how you can walk into a room of strangers and take your clothes off and not bat an eye. I mean, I get it. Your body is perfect, but I would be so self-conscious!”

Juliet smiled at her. “Don’t forget I’m an actress,” she said. “Every nude scene is walking into a room full of strangers and taking your clothes off!”