Author's Note: Thanks for your patience. 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.
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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."
