The Player - Part 9
By Cherie      
 
Day 9

The blaring sound of the alarm stirred Locke from sleep as sunlight filtered through the partially drawn curtains. Locke's eyes slowly opened, and he turned to his right side, reaching for the 'off' button on the digital alarm clock. He stared at the numbers for a second, realizing that Meliza was supposed to be arriving to pick him up in over an hour. After throwing the covers off the bed, he made his way to the closet, noting the sparse amount of clothing left inside, and with a grimace, began to gather up his used clothes into the laundry bags provided by the hotel.

While Locke began to list his items on a piece of paper, he called the front desk.

"Front desk, this is Tom, how may I assist you?"

"I have laundry that needs to be taken care of. Should I wait for housekeeping to take care of it when they clean the room or...?"

"Oh, I can send a bellman up to retrieve the bags. You should get your laundry by six p.m. today."

"Yes...that would be helpful."

"All right. Now in the event you aren't in your room at six, we can have the front desk hold your laundry for you."

Once Locke had everything packed and marked, he set them by the door and started a pot of coffee. The strong caffeine was definitely needed. Just before the pot was ready, the bellman arrived promptly, along with an envelope addressed to him, before taking away the bags. When Locke was by himself, he tore open the envelope, pulling out a handwritten note:


Mr. Cai & Ms. Rinaldo,

I hope you've found your stay so far at The Flagship to your liking. Unfortunately, I have a guest coming in three days who wishes to stay in the suite. Please let me know if you would like to be moved to a separate room. Ryan said that you're welcome to contact him anytime - we'll do our best to find alternate accommodations for you if your difficult situation hasn't been resolved yet. Let me know if there is anything else I can help you with.

Sincerely,
Zack Lander
General Manager
The Flagship Atlantic City


Locke's cell phone began to ring. He picked it up after checking the caller ID.

"Hello."

"Hi," Meliza greeted. "First thing, I am running a little late. I called the vineyard to let them know when to expect us."

"All right. What's the second?" Locke began to throw clothes on the bed.

"I just got off the phone with Ryan...he said that his buddy at The Flagship will need the suite in a few days."

"I know." Locke glanced back at the note. "He just sent both of us a note about that."

"Oh, okay. That was nice of him."

"He said that he and your boss will try to find 'alternate accomodations' for us if our 'difficult situation' isn't over yet." Locke moved to lean against the kitchen counter.

"Oh yeah," Meliza let out a small laugh. "I told Ryan the details about what happened and he didn't think it was a good idea to tell him I was being shot at, so instead, he told him that I had some crazy stalker."

"Some crazy stalker?" Locke echoed.

"Yeah. He was superimposing my face on pictures of women in crazy orgies and sending them to me. So Ryan told him I needed to lay low for a while since the police couldn't do anything, and that I hired you for protection just in case."

"Not a bad story," Locke mused.

"Ryan's other favorite subject in college, besides hotel tourism management, was creative writing, apparently," Meliza joked. "I can call Ryan and have you moved back into The Rinaldo later today if you'd like?"

"Tomorrow would be better."

"All right. I'll see you in a few..."

Locke glanced at the clock and figured by the time he'd finish his morning shower, Meliza would be here. Ten minutes later, he quietly exited the bathroom, pausing in the bedroom doorway to see Meliza's back to him as she made the bed. She had chosen to wear a light blue peasant top and white denim shorts that showcased her long legs. Awareness and heat quickly rippled through him.

As if sensing his presence, Meliza turned and let out a startled gasp, her eyes wide. "Don't do that!" Meliza's fists clenched. "I can't believe after all this time you can still sneak up on people!"

Locke took a second to clear his head and mentally scolded himself. Meliza said they should just be friends, it made things less complicated. He didn't necessarily agree, but it seemed that since she had said that, his thoughts had taken to the more physical side of what their relationship could be like. It was very unlike him.

So he said the only thing that came to mind. "How was your date last night?"

Meliza shrugged and lowered her gaze. "Same. My cousin always picks the same Italian bistro to eat at on our monthly dates."

Locke stared at her. "You went out with your cousin?"

Meliza nodded, keeping her eyes averted. "Didn't I mention that? She's a flight attendant from Virginia and usually makes at least one stop a month here in Atlantic City."

His eyes narrowed again. No, she hadn't mentioned her 'date' was her cousin. He would have remembered that. And here he'd been having thoughts of strangling the lucky man taking her out.

"I'll...let you get dressed." Meliza's eyes quickly glanced somewhere near his abdomen before darting away and moving to exit the room.

Even with his back to her, he could almost feel her head turn to look at him one last time before firmly closing the door.

Locke allowed himself a brief smile. Friends. Right. She wasn't immune to him, even though she could pretend very well that she was.

It took him a few minutes longer than he liked, but he dressed casually for their vineyard outing, throwing on a pair of dark wash denim, a black t-shirt, and a dark red polo.

When he exited the bedroom, sunglasses hooked into the collar of his shirt, he spotted Meliza at the dining table, sending a text. She looked up and went still at the sight of him.

"Wow." Meliza shook her head. "I...don't think I've ever seen you in casual clothes. Mostly suits. Or button-downs. It suits you, somehow. The everyday guy look."

"Back to that again?" Locke disconnected his cell phone from its charger.

"You shouldn't take it as an insult," Meliza replied. Then her eyes danced with mischief. "But if I had to pick what I like you best in, it'd be nothing."

He swallowed and cleared his throat. "Meliza-"

She shrugged and got to her feet, adjusting the strap of her purse over her shoulder. "I know what I said about being friends, but it doesn't mean I can't appreciate a body..."

Locke set his jaw. Of course. Because, after all, that's exactly what he would be if she didn't want to be friends. Some random male to occupy her time until she felt like calling him again.


000


From beneath dark sunglasses, Locke watched the scenic drive away from Atlantic City. Meliza had chosen to play some flamenco guitar music during the drive - after listening to some French cafe-style music and realizing that wasn't her driving music for the day.

She seemed to not mind his long bouts of silence, so he sat quietly, thinking on what to do about her. There had to be some way to convince her to give them a chance...or at least stay faithful to him for the duration of their affair. However long that lasted.

Locke held back a grimace. Even the word 'affair' sounded so...cheap. 'Relationship' sounded too heavy at the moment, and it usually implied being with someone for the long-term in the hopes of building a future with that someone. And yet...he glanced over at Meliza again...Meliza made it a point to go out with men who weren't interested in anything more than a nice dinner somewhere. She said so herself - she didn't sleep around as much as the gossip columns said but she did have needs like the average woman and wasn't against propositioning a man if she felt he could adequately give her a good time. One would think he'd be flattered...Meliza was obviously very careful when choosing sleeping partners. In all honesty...it made his skin crawl thinking that she could be in his arms and then another man's a mere two weeks later if she felt like it.

Jealousy sucked.

Was he really that old-fashioned? The last woman he slept with had been a long time ago. Very long time ago. And even then...she hadn't been seeing anyone or interested in seeing anyone else while she had been seeing him.

Maybe some women just didn't want to be with the same person for a fixed amount of time. Yet something was telling him to try and convince Meliza that he'd be worth the risk. Personal pride, maybe?

He looked up as Meliza pulled into a medium-sized parking lot in front of a stone structure resembling a small mansion. Once they got out of the car, Locke studied the area. The structure was approximately three stories tall. And behind it, acres of neat rows of grapes framing the property, complete with rolling hills of lush vegetation.

They entered through the propped open front doors. Meliza told the lady at the reception desk that Leona was expecting them. Locke took a moment to examine the interior. A bar and restaurant with rustic chandeliers was the first thing to greet guests. The dining room was decorated in rich earthy colors, with burgundy linens and chairs.

"Meliza, how are you?" a woman's voice entered Locke's ears.

He turned to see a redhead hug Meliza in greeting. Meliza returned the affectionate gesture with a warm smile. The redhead was dressed in a navy suit, her hair pulled up in a bun. She was probably in her late twenties, to Locke's estimation.

"Busy as usual," Meliza answered. She made the introductions.

Leona looked a little flustered when shaking his hand. "It's very nice to meet you. Do you live nearby or...?"

Before he could answer, Meliza interjected for him, "Devlin's an old friend visiting Atlantic City."

"Oh. Well...welcome to our wonderful state." Leona gave him a friendly smile.

"Leona used to be the event coordinator at The Rinaldo until her father convinced her to stop being so rebellious and join the family business," Meliza informed Locke. There was a teasing undertone in her voice. She and the event coordinator had obviously been very close as coworkers.

"You can say that only because you went through the same thing," Leona admonished. "Well, why don't I show you around here and then I can take you around the grounds..." A jaunty tune filled the space around them, and she glanced down at her cell phone. "Oh, I'm sorry...I have to take this. A potential bride who wants to use our space for our wedding..."

"No problem," Meliza assured her. Once Leona stepped away to have her conversation, she turned to him with a wry smile. "Careful. Leona likes you."

Locke frowned slightly in response. "You assumed that in the last two minutes of conversation?"

"No...I just know her. She has a thing for handsome Asian men."

"Hm. She's not my type," Locke said casually.

Meliza lifted her brows. "I wasn't aware you had a type."

Locke met her gaze. "Everyone has a preference."

He sensed she wanted to reply to that, but Leona returned and took them around a tour of the vineyard. She started by showing them the different grapes that formed cabernet, merlot, and other wine. They eventually made their way to the barrel room, doing a few tastings along the way. Meliza would ask a couple questions about the wine-making. Throughout the tour, Locke felt Meliza's eyes on him constantly. What was she up to? Close to the end of the tour, Leona asked him to pick a wine to accompany their lunch while Meliza chatted with some of the workers.

It was during Meliza's trip into the gift shop that Locke did a double take at the person making purchases at the register. He rolled his eyes heavenward. Locke paused to study a wine display when he caught Sun Chuong making her way towards him.

"Well, well. Looks like you've been busy," Sun declared. "I'm paying you to do a job and you're wasting my time getting vineyard souvenirs."

Locke gave her a cool smile. "You should keep your voice down."

Sun's eyes widened, and she glanced around. "Is she here with you?"

"Is there any other reason why I'd be two hours away from Atlantic City?" Locke responded lightly. He watched as she took out her cell phone, checked the display, and began texting back the person who had sent her a message. "It's going well, in case you needed to know. A little slower than I first thought it would go...but other than that..."

Surprisingly, a pleasant smile came to her features. "Good. As long as she's happy and then heartbroken." Sun walked away, and Locke looked up to see Meliza watching him from behind a display.

Meliza came forward, wariness clearly in her eyes. "What was that about?"

Locke cleared his throat. "She...recognized me from Ms. Brentworth's party."

"And she wanted to say hi?" Meliza inquired. "She's not a social person."

"She wanted my phone number," Locke responded, the lie coming out easily enough. What was he supposed to say? That she was paying him to make Meliza miserable? He then remembered that Chuong had a boyfriend, and he was currently in the hospital under arrest for kidnapping Meliza. Did Meliza know the relationship between Hendrick and Chuong? He felt slightly guilty for the lie, but when the time was right, he'd tell her.

"And people say I throw myself at men," Meliza murmured. "At least I've never willingly thrown myself at taken men. At least men that I knew weren't available."

Locke glanced down at her, then moved his eyes in the direction that Sun had disappeared before casually saying, "Last I checked, I was single."

Immediately, embarrassment filled her eyes. "I just...well...you're the unknown person in the gossip columns. And...she saw us dancing together at the party."

"It doesn't mean I'm unavailable," Locke reasoned.

"You certainly work fast," Meliza commented.

"Meaning?"

"Nothing. Forget I said anything," Meliza muttered, brushing past him to exit the store.

She got about four steps before he grasped her upper arm and turned her to face him. "You're upset."

"I'm not upset!" Meliza retorted, tugging her arm free. At his arch look, she crossed her arms over her chest and glanced away. "Maybe. Maybe a little."

Locke kept a smile to himself. Meliza couldn't turn off her feelings as easily as she made everyone believe. She was jealous. She'd never admit it, of course, but seeing another woman find interest in his company definitely bothered her. "You turned me down."

"I know that!" Meliza shot back. "But her? Of all the women in New Jersey...you had to be nice to the one woman who I can't stand! And since when were you so fickle? One day you're telling me you want exclusivity and the next you're...Forget it," Meliza sighed, waving her hand. "You're free to see whoever you want. We're not together, and it's not my place to be judgmental..."

So much for that. He studied the rigid set of her shoulders as she walked away. Then again...he'd never been a quitter.

When she reached the restaurant, she informed the host that they would be ready for their lunch.

Until an idea came to his head. Earlier while he'd been surveying the restaurant, he'd spotted a flier describing the vineyard's picnic packages.

"I would be interested in having our meal on the vineyard grounds," Locke spoke up. He directed his comment to the host. "Is it too last-minute or...?"

The host shook his head and picked up the phone. "Let me check..."

"What are you doing?" Meliza asked him warily.

Locke picked up a quick reference menu from the host's podium and showed her the back. "They arrange picnics here with views of the vineyard."

Her eyes widened. "But I thought..."

"Eating here is a nice option, but I haven't been outside a city in a long time," Locke reasoned.

"You...want a scenic lunch?" she asked dubiously.

"Is there a reason why we shouldn't have one?"


000


Locke had to admit, the vineyard knew how to sell itself. Their particular picnic spot had only been accessible by golf cart.

Meliza had been quiet the entire drive. He wondered if it was because of what happened in the gift shop or because she just enjoyed silence while driving. They had parked at the bottom of some hill - overlooking the vineyard no doubt. As he climbed out, Meliza immediately jumped off, grabbed the blanket and bottle of wine.

"Race you to the top," she offered, that familiar twinkle of mischief in her eyes. "You bring the food."

And without warning, she raced up the incline. Locke frowned. Her mood certainly had changed. He'd be damned if he chased after her like a panting dog. Then again, maybe that's what she wanted. As soon as that thought hit, Locke froze while trying to extract the bag from the back. His mind quickly processed everything from yesterday...the easy conversations...they completely contradicted the way she had looked at him during their tour of the vineyard today. And then that brief fit of jealousy when seeing him with Sun. As if...Locke's eyes narrowed and his lips pressed into a grim line as anger at her manipulation came to him. So that's the way she wanted things, fine. He could play that game just as well. Okay, maybe not that well. But she needed to know he had a few tricks of his own. Locke picked up the bag of food, slinging it over his right shoulder and slowly made his way up the hill, a plan forming in his mind. Good thing he wore decent shoes.

Once at the top, he spotted the blanket spread out, and Meliza sitting on top of it, her arms wrapped around her knees. He felt his anger fade as he took in the sight of her - the relaxed smile as she looked up at the sky, her long blue-black hair framing her features - and swallowed as anger was quickly replaced by something else. What was wrong with him? As his shadow fell across her, she tilted her head to look up at him.

"Sorry," she said with an apologetic smile. "I haven't been here since I first got back from Fighter's Isle. I've always considered it my place..."

So she'd never even taken her husband here. Locke found some comfort in that.

Their location could be considered romantic, now that he was looking at it. They were secluded, their picnic area was shaded by trees and it overlooked the entire vineyard.

After opening the bag containing their food, Meliza sat across from him so they could start lunch. The catering staff had given them a variety of foods, fruit, cheeses, chicken sandwiches, pasta salad and apple pie for dessert. He worked the cork off the bottle while she arranged their containers of food in front of them.

"So what do you think?" Meliza asked as she sipped her wine.

"It's a nice change from being indoors," he admitted.

They ate and chatted amicably. He'd almost forgotten why they were here in the first place. Almost.

When she was finished with dessert, Meliza took a sip from her second glass of wine and set it aside, producing a deck of cards from her purse.

"Okay, I've been working on this for a while..." Meliza shuffled the cards from one hand to the other.

Locke drank his wine, watching as she manipulated the cards. She then fanned the cards out in her hands. Meliza moved so that she was closer to him, hands out in front of her. He lifted a brow in question.

"Pick one and memorize it."

Locke withdrew a card, tilting it to see its face. Queen of Hearts. He inserted it back into the fan, and she shuffled again.

Meliza fanned out three cards so he could see the faces. "It's none of these, am I right?"

Three of clubs, two of diamonds, and Jack of spades.

"No."

She tossed them aside and they fell onto the blanket beside them.

"And none of these..."

Four of hearts, eight of clubs, ten of diamonds.

"No."

Meliza tossed those cards aside. "Check your pockets."

Frowning slightly, Locke rose to his knees, placing his hands in his front pockets. Empty. Then his back pockets. Also empty.

Meliza grinned and leaned forward, walking two fingers up his chest. "Are you sure you've checked every place?"

Locke covered her hand with his, stopping its movement before reaching into his shirt pocket to retrieve the missing card.

"Nice trick."

"I do my best," she replied with a mysterious smile. That smile faltered slightly when she tried to pull her hand back, but he held fast.

Instead, Locke tugged her closer, hiding a smile at the shocked look in her eyes.

"Nice earrings." Interesting that she had chosen to wear the ones he bought her.

Meliza bit her lip. He caught a flash of vulnerability in her eyes. "Thanks. The man who bought them for me can be very generous. Locke-"

He nearly smiled at her wide gaze as he grasped her chin so he could meet her eyes. The delicate crystals dangled from her ears, brushing the line of her throat.

"They suit you."

"What are you doing?" she asked quietly.

"You aren't the type of woman to ask questions when you know the answers," Locke observed.

Her lashes lowered as his mouth covered hers. Meliza tipped her head to the side as he deepened the kiss. He slid his hands down her back, drawing her closer to him, her hands dropping the cards, her fingers blindly reaching up, curling into the fabric of his shirt.

He lay back, pulling her down with him, ignoring the slight protest from his shoulder. She went eagerly, her lips never leaving his as she moved to half-lay on top of him, one leg thrown over his. He skimmed his hands roughly over her shoulders, down her back, slipping his fingers beneath the hem of her top. Her skin was soft and smooth to the touch.

Somewhere in the back of his mind, he realized that his plan to catch her off-guard about her 'friends' idea had turned into something else entirely. He was grateful for being in a secluded and in a fairly private area. Kissing her as if he didn't want to stop wasn't an act he could do in a public place. Then again, there was an appeal to being outdoors, beneath the sky.

Meliza's hand reached down, yanking his shirt and undershirt up, exposing his chest and abdomen. She slid down his body, exploring his torso with her fingertips and mouth. He watched her, savoring the feel of her cool hair against his skin. Her touch was bold and sweet as she traced the ridged contours of his stomach.

A part of him wasn't sure how long he could go without taking control, the other part was content to sit back and let her have her way with him, see how far she'd go. But her hand stopped at his belt buckle, and her head lifted.

"Did you like that?"

He grasped her upper arms and dragged her up so that she was pressed against him. "Yes. But I'm interested in seeing what you like."

She suddenly glanced away, nibbling her lips, and he realized that she didn't want to let him see what made her vulnerable. Of the few times he'd held her, something was different about today.

He had a strong feeling that she wouldn't be able to keep herself emotionally detached. If she wasn't already.

All he wanted was a chance to show her that there was more to their attraction. Now...he felt this strong need to take away her loneliness, to show her that there was more to life than parties and making gossip column headlines. And while having her in his arms like this was one way to start - it wasn't the only way.

It was that final thought that made his grasp on her loosen ever so slightly.

A shrill ring cut through the air. Meliza stiffened. Locke completely eased his hold on her, and she moved to retrieve her phone from her purse.

"Hello?...Hi...What?" Meliza raised a hand, pressing her fingers to her temple, guilt filtering into her eyes. "Oh. I...I'm sorry...No, no, I'll be there as soon as I can." She hung up, taking a deep breath before turning to Locke. "I need to get back to Atlantic City." Meliza adjusted her top before gathering the empty containers and dumping them into the bag. "I'll drop you off."

He didn't miss the different emotions reflected in Meliza's eyes. Anxiety, a little fear, and desire as well. And then those emotions were gone, replaced by her usual, untouchable facade.

Locke pulled his shirts back down over his torso, noticing that she avoided looking at him by fiddling with the zipper on the bag containing their picnic containers.

His eyes narrowed, and he tamped down the frustration that threatened to surface. When Meliza felt cornered, her walls went up very quickly. "Back to being the ice queen?"

She looked away, unable to form an answer to that. He almost regretted his last comment. Meliza was clearly off-balance thanks to what just happened. He forced himself to hold onto that thought as they headed back to the car in silence.


000


Two hours later, Meliza pulled in front of The Flagship, putting her car in park. Locke had sat in the passenger seat, quiet during most of the ride. They'd had stilted small talk during the drive, but other than that, neither of them had spoken much.

She cleared her throat. "Listen...I...I like my life the way it is." How could she explain to him in a way that he would understand? She enjoyed his company, but the longer she was around him, the more complicated things could become. Was that something she wanted to deal with?

"It's only now I'm beginning to see how much." Locke ran his fingers through his hair before looking out the windshield. "I don't put half-attempts at anything. You know where I stand."

What was he saying?

"I can't pretend that nothing is there."

Was this his way of saying goodbye?

Fingers tightening around the steering wheel, Meliza quickly said, "This is all happening so fast." She looked up to see obsidian eyes staring at her with that all-familiar impassiveness. She took a deep breath. "Maybe...we should start over. Start at the beginning."

Locke turned in his seat to face her. "Meaning?"

Okay, so he wasn't saying goodbye. Not yet. She honestly didn't think she was ready to hear him say that, either. "As in a date? A real date. You can pick what to do, where to go, and you can even pick me up."

Locke frowned. "You generally prefer to drive."

"I know. That's why I said a real date."

He appeared to think for a moment. "I'll be at your place tomorrow at five. Any preference between steak or seafood?"

"No, I can eat either."

"Then I'll see you tomorrow."

Meliza watched as he exited the car and entered the front doors of the hotel. She leaned her head back against the headrest, recalling their kiss at the vineyard. She hadn't meant for things to go that far. She wasn't supposed to have touched him, period. She'd only meant to tease him. A look here...standing a little too close to him there...an accidental touch here...But instead...

Of course, he'd probably known all along that she'd been putting up the whole 'friends' front. He'd torn down that barricade all too well by kissing her. Meliza swallowed. What would have happened if her phone hadn't gone off? He had seemed all too eager to seduce her in the open air...and she would have let him. Even thinking about it made her hands tremble. She wasn't going to forget that anytime soon. Come to think of it, she couldn't recall the last time she'd been so carefree with a man. How could she help it? He was intelligent, sophisticated, and sexy as hell, capable of passion and tenderness. When she was with him, she almost forgot herself. It was exciting and scary. How could one man make such a big impression on her in such a short time?