Knight of Ocean Avenue (5 page)

The phone buzzed in his pocket, and he glanced at the screen. Rhonda.
Okay, okay.
He clicked the button. “Hi, sis.”

“Are you avoiding me?”

“Nah. I just overslept and had to run out the door, after feeding the boys, of course.”

“How are the boys?”

“Demanding.”

She laughed. “Okay, I want you to hear me out. What did you think of Sissy?”

What the fuck
? “She seemed like a nice girl.”

“Well, she thought you were fantastic.”

“No kidding?” Nice to hear some female thought he was beyond fine.

“And you’re going to be marching down the aisle with her. So it occurred to me that you might want to escort her to the parties and breakfasts and stuff. Since you’re without a girlfriend at the moment.”

He wiped a hand on his neck. “Yeah, well, I’m not really looking for another one either.”

“Annie hurt you bad, huh?”

It’s complicated
. “Maybe a little.”

“Okay, but see, Sissy is a different kind of animal. Even overlooking her rather prominent charms—” She laughed. “—this girl has money, Billy. She’s not really looking for a husband, I don’t think. She just wants a presentable escort. Most guys are fortune-hunting her, and I think she liked that you weren’t. She also liked that you’re great-looking.”

Hard not to be flattered. “Okay.”

“Just one thing. She’s a stylist, right? I mean, the job is mostly for fun because she’s got this huge trust fund, but she’s conscious of clothes. So Mom and I were thinking—”

“Ah, now we hear the truth.”

“Don’t be a wiseass. Yes, Mom loved the idea. I told you about my stylist, Shaz. You’re going to see him anyway because everyone in the wedding party has to. So how about you see him early and get a little spruced up?”

“Come on, I can’t afford that kind of shit, uh, stuff. Do you know how much it costs to dress somebody like me? And besides, why would I do something like that when I don’t want or need another girlfriend?”

“First off, you’re not going to pay for it, I am. Or Mitch is. I owe you so much, Billy, I can never pay you back.”

He shook his head. “Nobody pays for me, sis. If you want to help Mom and Dad, that’s fine. But I pay my own way.”

“Don’t worry about Mom and Dad. Mitch and I will be taking that burden off you too.”

Jesus, what would it be like to not have to help support the family? “It’s sweet of you, Rhonda, but I’m fine the way I am.” He gritted his teeth. Why did he choose that word?

She was quiet.

“What?”

“You’re not fine the way you are.”

“I’m not?”

“Mom’s never going to get off your ass, Billy. Come on, let me do this for you, even if you never take Sissy out. It will shut Mom up, and maybe you’ll even like it.”

He rubbed a hand over his neck. “I guess you have a point.” Jesus, he should just give in. “But I’ll pay for it myself.”

“Billy!”

“That’s it or forget it.”

“So you’ll do it?” He could practically see her jumping up and down on the other end of the line. Truth was, he’d put some money away. If anybody asked, he said he was saving for a trip, but he knew he wasn’t. It was for that dream that would never come true. He could use a little of that money.

“Okay, yeah. But this guy isn’t going to dye my hair pink or something, is he?”

“Shaz is brilliant. A genius. Whatever he wants to do to you will be the perfect thing.”

Yeah, right
. “Okay. How do I meet your genius?”

“Well, I just might have happened to call Shaz last night and beg him for a consultation tonight.”

“Rhonda! Jeez, am I that easy to manipulate? No wonder I can’t hold on to a girlfriend.”

He heard her soft intake of breath.

“Well, it’s true.”

“Not anymore. Shaz will change all that.”

He didn’t say
only if Shaz was an expert at personality transplants
.

“He can only do it after hours because he’s booked months in advance. So five o’clock?”

He sighed. “Okay. I’ll just make it after Little League. Give me the address of your genius.”

She giggled. “Got a pen?”

B
ILLY
STOOD
on the sidewalk and stared at the shop in front of him.
You have to be fucking kidding me.
The sign was crafted in large script letters across the two-story stucco building. It said Shazam!
Really?
That’s what Shaz was short for? Just how highly could a person think of himself? Under that word it said, much smaller, Elements of Style. He could just run.

“Hey, sweetie.” He looked to his right and saw Rhonda and Mitch walking toward him. As always, Mitch looked like the cover of some magazine. Handsome as hell, his tall lean frame seemed to carry clothes like a fashion model.

“Hey, you guys.” He stuck out his hand. “Hi, Mitch.”

“Hi.” The guy shook Billy’s hand. Amazing how smooth his skin was.
That’s what comes of never swinging a hammer.
Mitch grinned. “Are you ready for this?”

“I don’t know, am I?”

Mitch gripped his shoulder. “Trust me, no one is really ready for Shaz.”

Rhonda slipped her arm through Billy’s. “Now, now. Shaz is amazing. Come on.”

He walked up on the porch with the overhang. Had to admit, it was a nice building. The owner had done some serious improvements, at least to the exterior.

Mitch pushed open the door, and Rhonda led the way into a beautiful waiting room. Those cool slatted benches Billy liked lined the wall under the big windows. It would be great to have something like that in his place. One end of this waiting room was furnished with two comfy-looking leather couches, and footstools covered in something like Persian rugs. Wow. He could get great ideas here.

A black-haired girl with piercings in several places sat behind a sleek desk. “Hi, Rhonda. You here to see Shaz?” She glanced meaningfully at the clock.

“Yes, hi, Millicent. He said he’d take a few minutes after hours today to work with my brother.” She nodded toward Billy.

The girl looked Billy over like he was hanging from a hook in a butcher shop. “Yes, I see.”

What does she see?

She picked up the phone. “Shaz. Your after-hours appointment is here.” She listened, then hung up. “He’s just finishing up. Please take a seat.”

They walked to the leather couches. Man, they were supermodern but really comfortable. Probably too rich for his blood, but he could look for knockoffs.

The girl walked over to them. Her outfit was as black as her hair—tights under a long sweater, and high-heeled boots. “Can I get you anything?” She grinned at Billy. “What’s the old saying? ‘Coffee, tea—me?’” She laughed.

Billy hoped the low light covered his blush. “Uh, sure. Do you have tea, really?”

“What, no me?” She chortled again. “Yeah. Want some ice tea? We have bottles.”

“Sure, that’d be great.”

Rhonda and Mitch asked for the same, and she left through a door into what must be the rest of whatever the hell a stylist had set up.

Rhonda winked. “You made a conquest. She’s usually so cool about everything.”

Conquests of women weren’t his problem. Hanging on to them was another story. “This is a nice place.”

Rhonda nodded. “Yes. Shaz is a master of all things stylish.”

A voice came from behind Billy. “Master, did you say, darling? Ah, call my name and I am there.” The high, musical voice danced up Billy’s spine, and he remembered the tune.

Why was he scared to turn around? Slowly he shifted and looked over his shoulder.
Holy blessed shit
. It was the same guy from the coffee shop, which made sense since the place was only three blocks from here—but still. If ever there was a guy who deserved to be called Shazam, this was the one. That was the word of a wizard, and Billy just got turned to fucking stone.

How did you get hair that color? The blaze of fire surrounded his face and fell well past his shoulders in spikes on top and undulating waves below. And his face. If somebody turned a cat, a Siamese cat, into a human, there he stood. Huge eyes with an upward tilt dominated the widest part of his face, above cheekbones so high they could cut glass, and a pointed chin. Maybe a girl would have called his face heart-shaped.
Like a cat
.

Their little army of three stood. The guy floated over and kissed Rhonda on the cheek. “Never fear, Rhonda dear, Shaz is here.” He laughed at his own rhyme. Music. This guy was so far over the top, he had his own cloud cover.

He extended a hand delicately and Mitch took it, more a touching of fingertips than a true shake. “Hello, Mitch darling.”

Just like the day before, his clothes were wild. Skintight jeans, in brilliant pink this time, hugged very long, lightly muscled legs. Billy knew about the muscles because they were on display in those pants. Above the pink he wore a white silky-looking shirt and a wild floral kimono thing over the whole outfit. Hoops glistened in his ears and a diamond nestled in the side of his nose. He was his own holiday. Christmas and the Fourth of July rolled into one.

He turned with a swirl of the kimono to Billy. “And this must be our emergency.” He stepped back. “Don’t we know each other, darling?”

Billy’s mouth opened and then closed. There were no words.

Rhonda put a hand on Billy’s shoulder. “Shaz, this is my brother, Billy Ballew. We’d like you to use your magic to give Billy a bit more style.”

Shaz looked up at Billy, his eyes widened, and he smiled, then reached out his hand again. Jesus, he wore fucking black fingernail polish. “Hello, Billy. So glad to meet you. Don’t be put off by my excesses. I’m not as dangerous as I look.” He popped his hip. “Well, maybe almost as dangerous.”

That would be damned fucking dangerous
. Billy swallowed.
Give me strength
. With one swoop, he swallowed that graceful hand in his giant paw and squeezed. Surprisingly Shaz didn’t even flinch. He squeezed back, and that pressure rippled up Billy’s arm and set up sympathetic vibrations in his belly.
What the hell?
He wanted to sit back down and catch his breath. He didn’t move. “Coffee shop.”

“Excuse me?”

“I saw you yesterday evening at the coffee shop on PCH.”

Shaz nodded, his eyes never leaving Billy’s. “Yes, I remember, of course. I wasn’t sure if I should mention it.”

Rhonda looked back and forth between them. “You know each other?”

Shaz shook his head. “We didn’t meet, but your brother defended me against a would-be asshole who I feel quite sure would have punched my lights out given a chance.”

“Dear God. Why? What happened?”

Shaz raised an eyebrow. “Nothing happened. More a matter of being. The asshole felt I was not
allowed
to be.”

Rhonda grabbed Billy’s arm. “Oh my Lord, did you get in a fight?”

Shaz gazed up at Billy. “No, he didn’t have to. His mere presence was enough to dissuade the attack. My hero, for sure.”

Jesus
. His ears were going up in flames.

Mitch laughed. “You had a busy evening yesterday, my man. Breaking up with women, saving men.”

Crap, did he have to put it like that?

Shaz cocked his head but didn’t smile. “So that’s what I was watching. A breakup. I’m so sorry. You looked upset.”

Billy nodded. “Yeah.”
Could they please change the fucking subject?

Shaz seemed like he read Billy’s mind. He stepped back and gave Billy a sweeping glance. “My oh my, what exquisite raw material.” He walked beside Billy, looking at him closely. “A forty-six long, are we, darling?”

“Yeah, how did you know that?”

Shaz tapped a finger to his temple but kept staring at Billy like he was memorizing him. “Rhonda dear, thank you. This is a good one. I’ll fix him up for half price if you let me take some photos and use them as promotion.” He looked up at Billy. “So often men think they have to be a model size to be fashionable. I’d love to show them otherwise.” He smiled kind of sweetly. “Actually, I’ll do better than that. I’ll only charge cost to thank Billy for being my white knight—and for modeling.”

Billy frowned. “I’m no model. And I’m definitely not a knight.” Hell, he didn’t even know what he would have done if that bulldog guy had gone after Shaz. But half price sounded damned good.

“I disagree.” Shaz grabbed Billy’s bicep, and his eyes widened. “Oh my.” He fanned himself with the other hand. “Come along. While my staff is still here, I want to make a few notes. Then we’ll set up an appointment to style you and dress you, okay?”

Shaz was probably five ten and he came up to Billy’s shoulder. Still, the guy had absolute power. Billy had to follow. Shaz pushed open the door. “Hey, boys and girls, looky what I have.”

In the big room beyond, at least ten sets of eyes flashed to Billy.
Died and gone to hell
. Billy stopped inside the door, which had the effect of stopping Shaz’s forward motion like someone had thrown an anchor. He didn’t know how to feel. This was weird. This guy hauling him around. People staring at him.

Two women were being blown dry by stylists of indeterminate gender. Another woman appeared to be getting makeup applied. In a room that opened into the salon through an arch, a person was standing on a little stage getting a dress pinned. What the hell was Billy doing here?