Sky Queen Read online

  Emma Jean glanced at her friend. “Would you like to live in a home like this someday?”

  Katherine shrugged. “Not really. I don’t know where I want to live. Living on Chicago’s Gold Coast is fine for now.” Katherine laughed to herself when she recalled her first impression of the Gold Coast. On her quest to find an apartment, the Playboy Mansion was the first home that appealed to her. Of course, she didn’t know it was the Playboy Mansion. It had a regal appeal like an understated beauty without fake adornment. Katherine smiled. Wow, was I a poor judge of places. I hope I’m better at judging people. She liked the friends she’d made at Butch McGuires, the neighborhood parties, and the Lincoln Park Zoo’s volunteer events. Katherine sighed. Chicago was a great place. Wherever she went, Chicago would be in her heart.

  The women continued their stroll as they passed the Ambassador Hotel. Katherine cheered. “Hey, the Pump Room is where we have to get our next big dates to take us.”

  “Yes, even Mama tells me that I must go to the Pump Room. She loves Frank Sinatra’s song ‘My Kind of Town’. He has a line in the song about the Pump Room. Mama insisted that when I go there, I must get lots of celebrities’ autographs.”

  They arrived at the Playboy Mansion, a grand limestone and brick facade designed by David Adler, a Chicago architect, wreathed in an ornate eight-foot wrought iron fence. Katherine’s eyes twinkled. “This belongs in an English country village. Where are the sheep grazing in the nearby green pastures?” she asked as she opened the iron gate to the mansion. “Yikes. I almost forgot!” Katherine reached inside her purse to pull out the fake press badge. She pinned it to the strap on her purse. “There, I hope it’s not too visible.”

  “Darlin’, are you really going to interview people?”

  “Only if I need to as a cover. Charlotte said the publicity woman might look for me.” Katherine released a breath and jerked a spiral notebook from her handbag. “Since Charlotte told me to look the part, I have this pad in case I have to act like I’m really a student journalist.” Katherine gulped. “Remember, my fake story is our ticket to this party.” She smiled at her friend. “Cross your fingers that I’ll never have to write a real article for this event. I want to write about serious stuff like ancient Greece, not a lowbrow story about a Playboy party!”

  Emma Jean chuckled. “As Papa would say about your situation, it’s like getting caught with your pants down. But if you’re faking it as a student reporter, you can still interview people that you’d like to meet. You can play it like the old Southern belle ploy of the dropped hanky in front a man she wants to meet.”

  Katherine wrinkled her brow and tapped her finger on her lips. “Hey, I could also use it to avoid someone.”

  Emma Jean winked. “Like that gangster guy?”

  “Yep.”

  Emma Jean turned to her friend. “Darlin’, how do I look?”

  Katherine wanted to tell her to forget the Aqua Net hair spray. Maybe she could tell her that it’s not good for the environment or that it made her look stiff and not as feminine and alluring as she could be. She scolded herself for criticizing her friend. She really did appreciate her. Her gooey black bouffant hairstyle was part of her mystique. And everyone loved how her deep blue eyes twinkled when she laughed. “Geez, you look fantastic. When you make your grand entrance, every guy will turn to you and forget those curvy Bunnies.”

  Katherine turned around and squealed. “Look! There’s Ernie Banks. He’s going to the party! Wait till I tell Dad.”

  Emma Jean gave her friend a wink. “Will your papa be impressed that you saw him at a Playboy gala?”

  Katherine’s heart pounded. “Well … he might be impressed with the Playboy party more than Ernie Banks.”

  A statuesque Bunny with gleaming white teeth opened the massive double doors and welcomed the young women. She looked dramatic in her black satin corseted Bunny costume. Katherine remembered Charlotte’s comment that the black outfit was a mark of achievement for a Bunny. Katherine offered a half smile and a sweaty handshake.

  The young women entered the elegant, turn-of-the-century mansion. Its classical stateliness was unexpected backdrop with the cacophony of The Who and festive laughter. They noticed every detail of the wood-paneled room and ogled the variety of partygoers, from celebrities to politicians to famous athletes.

  The lady guests’ fashions ranged from bathing suits to snug mod dresses, and the men were in tailored suits with narrow lapels and skinny ties. Emma Jean threw her hands to cover her open mouth. “I can see my dear parents’ reactions if they knew about the goings-on in this place. Mama would faint on the couch, and Papa would aim his shotgun at these rascals.” She paused and sighed. “Do I have to put on a bathing suit?”

  “Maybe later if we decide that we want to slide down the firemen’s pole to the underground swimming pool. According to Charlotte, we don’t have to change. I think I’ll pass on the swim suit and stay out of trouble.”

  Katherine wanted to find a safe place to hide, to mix into the safety of the crowd. She spied the circular stairs leading to the giant ballroom. “Let’s follow the crowd to the ballroom. That’s where the action starts.”

  Emma Jean gawked over her shoulder. “Oh, no! Katherine, look down there.” She pointed to a dark-haired man in a tuxedo jacket with a busty bikini-clad young woman on each arm.

  Katherine shrugged. “Oh, that’s Hugh Hefner. That’s his style.”

  “That’s style?”

  Katherine chucked. “Yes, if you run a mega sex empire.”

  “Sex empire? What decadence!”

  “Yeah, I agree. Hey, forget Hefner.” Katherine glimpsed the mobster and ducked her head behind a group of guests climbing the stairs. “Oh no, that’s him on the sofa. Hurry. I can’t let him see me.”

  After each step, Katherine kept her eyes on the next step. With her foot on the last step, her mind focused on finding a safe place away from Dominick. Katherine forged ahead up the stairs and peered over the bobbing heads.

  Katherine took one quick glance over her shoulder at the leopard-suited Bunny with sunglasses leading people up the circular stairs. The euphoric crowd bounced and twisted to the Watusi as the throng drifted into the grand ballroom like a giant helium balloon. Then, she spied him. Her shoulders tightened. Her heart bounced against her chest. I might be safe. He looks comfy lounging on that huge black leather sofa with four women encircling him. Yuck, Emma Jean will vomit if she sees him. In fact, I want to vomit too. His thick dark wavy hair swept over the collar of his pink shirt. A gaudy orange, green, and black paisley tie aren’t our style.

  Katherine tapped Emma Jean’s shoulder and whispered. “Dominick is here. That’s him on the black leather sofa.”

  Emma Jean sighed. “Katherine! That guy attracts sleazy women with his black velvet bell-bottoms. He’s despicable.”

  Emma Jean shivered when she saw him leer with a plastic grin as he turned from one woman to the next. He reminded her of a sheik with his harem, each woman competing for his attention.

  Emma Jean tugged at her friend’s arm and pointed at the womanizer on the sofa. “Well, Darlin’, is that your Dominick fella?”

  Right after Emma Jean’s words left her mouth, the notorious ladies’ man noticed Katherine. He waved and ascended the stairs to meet them.

  Katherine crouched and dropped to the floor, moving her hand over the carpet is if she were searching for something. I have to think of a way to avoid this jerk. I don’t want him to ruin our fun. Maybe he’ll find someone else in the ballroom. She tugged on her friend’s skirt to get her to join the search. “We’ve got to crawl over there and mingle with the people around that hors d’oeuvre table. Just keep feeling on the carpet and pretend to look for my contacts.”

  After crawling halfway across the floor, Katherine felt a tap on her shoulder. She froze and took in a breath. With a nonchalant air, she looked up and smiled as Dominick’s paisley tie tickled her nose.

  “Katherine? What ya doing? You oka
y?” Dominick said as he proffered his hand.

  “Oh, hi, I’m looking for my contacts. Thanks.” Katherine refused to extend her hand.

  Dominick nodded and continued through the crowd with an, “Okay …”

  Emma Jean raised herself halfway. “Katherine, don’t you think we can get up now? I’m ready to move on, this is silly.”

  Katherine tugged her skirt and whispered, “I know, but we’d better act like we’re still looking for something. Just a couple more feet, and then you pretend you found something on the floor.”

  Emma Jean shouted, “I found it!” Emma Jean jumped up and feigned handing a contact to Katherine.

  Katherine raised and sighed. “This looks fake.”

  “Oh, no, Darlin’, I could have found it sooner. We’re here for fun, not stress. Forget about him. Isn’t that what you said you’d do?”

  Katherine skimmed the massive spread of food, an array of gourmet cheeses, fruits, smoked salmon, and prime rib. A Playboy Bunny ice carving stood at the center of the sumptuous morsels.

  Looking over her shoulder, Katherine released a sigh. “Hey, we need a table surrounded by a big crowd nibbling food to blend in with them. Okay?”

  Emma Jean glided through the massive ballroom like a queen hoping to command the attention of admirers.

  “Darlin’, isn’t this beautiful?” she said. “Why this room—it’s as big as a polo field full of men.”

  Katherine bit her lips. For now, her mind wasn’t on working the room to find a celebrity or possible date. She wanted to escape the scuzzy guy and vanish into the crowd. The size of the room made Katherine feel safe. She felt she could disappear in here. She grabbed a handful of grapes.

  Out of the corner of her eye Katherine noticed Danny O’Brien as he wrinkled his brow and touched his lucky leprechaun charm in his pocket. She wondered how unusual he seemed compared to other men wandering around the ballroom.

  If she could peer into his mind, she’d find her answers. Since it was his first day on the job, he wanted to make the best impression possible. It was his business to perform as a gentleman toward the Bunnies and protect them, but if there was no danger, his job was to keep his cool. His instincts were strong, but he felt superstitious reinforcement when he touched his lucky leprechaun. Hey, what’s up? Danny sensed the leprechaun’s message to turn his face toward the lovely lady, who looked helpless. He always trusted his secret companion.

  With a determined glide, he walked to her. “Excuse me, miss. I’m Danny O’Brien. I work here, and I just wanted to see if you’re okay.”

  Katherine gasped for air. She swallowed a grape. Hm, he must have seen me acting like a drunken fool floundering on the floor. Wiping her mouth, she responded, “I was looking for my lost contact, and my friend found it. Thanks for your concern, but I’m fine now.”

  Danny bit his tongue to avoid asking more questions. He remembered his brother’s words: “If you see a damsel in distress, move with caution.” Instead, he just smiled and nodded. “Very good. Do let me know if you need anything.”

  Katherine released a breath and walked to a serving dish of Swedish meatballs. She saw Dominick huddled with two sleazy fellows wearing the standard uniform of white silk shirts opened to their navels. Gold chains hung to their belt buckles. And yes, they each wore large diamond pinky rings. Dominick slipped a five-inch wad of cash in one of the guy’s hands. Her heart raced like a thoroughbred racing to the finish line. Her shoulders tightened. She scouted around for shelter, but it was too late.

  Danny had his eye on Dominick because his brother had educated him on the mafia and their signs. From a distance, Danny observed Dominick slipping a wad of cash into the suspicious man’s suit pocket and motioning him toward the circular stairs. Dominick’s shady companion dashed down the stairs. Dominick ran his fingers through his hair, threw his shoulders back, noticed Katherine at the appetizer table, and sauntered up to her. “Hey, Katherine. Would you like a drink?”

  Katherine cocked her head and glimpsed at Danny O’Brien as he cast squinted eyes at Dominick. His glance said it all. She could almost hear him say, “Get away from that viper.” She wanted to run away.

  6

  KATHERINE CRINGED AS DOMINICK yanked her against his paisley tie, grabbed her arm, and twisted her wrist into a captive lock. Like a glutton, he swallowed her lips in a kiss that nearly made Katherine gag. “Hey, sweetie,” he whispered, “have you been trying to hide from me? You got my flowers, didn’t you?”

  Katherine gulped. “Oh, thank you so much. I forgot myself. I was busy looking for my contacts. I wanted to come over and tell you how much I appreciated them. But I didn’t want to interrupt Mister Popular.” Katherine forced a half smile as she slipped her hand over the neckline of her red velvet mini dress, feeling reassurance from the turquoise necklace snuggled under the fabric. She gulped and searched for something, a safety net, or an escape route. Her father’s smiling face burst forth in her mind’s camera. He whispered his favorite John Wayne saying, “Courage is being scared to death and saddling up anyway.” She raised her back, offered a cold stare to Dominik, and tilted her head toward Emma Jean. “Would you like to join us?” Now, why did I say that? I should have said it was nice seeing him, but we have some friends to meet.

  Right on cue, Emma Jean motioned to Katherine. “Golly, look over there!” She fanned herself and squealed. “Mr. Handsome, Dean Martin, is in the game room with a pool cue in his hand. And, oh dear, a chubby, gray-haired woman cornered him. Let’s cut through that large fireplace and rescue him. Quick, he’s going somewhere else. Come on, Katherine.”

  Dominick grabbed Katherine’s arm and glared at Emma Jean. “Hey, babe, get lost. Go find your own playmate.”

  Katherine’s heart pounded; her blood roared through her body like a runaway train. I have to be calm and smooth with this guy. His steamy breath reminds me of a dragon with flames flying out his nostrils. She paused with a firm glance at her friend and looked toward the celebrity. “Go ahead and get Mr. Martin’s autograph and I’ll be there in a sec. Remember, I’ll need it for my article.” Okay, I’m ready to be a super reporter. I have a great escape plan.

  Emma Jean giggled and patted her friend’s arm. “Oh, Darlin’, that’s a fantastic idea. Mr. Martin is so handsome. I’ll offer to bring him a mint julep and show him real Southern charm.”

  Dominick grumbled under his breath and pulled Katherine to him. “Tell your sidekick to stay away from us. I want one special woman at a time. Capisci?”

  Katherine’s knees wobbled. Dominick’s dark eyes shot bolts of fire. They reminded her of the rattlesnakes she ran from as a young girl playing in the Wisconsin meadows. “Please excuse me, but I need to talk to that person, so I can write an inside scoop on this first Playboy Penthouse event.” Katherine pulled the press badge from her purse strap and pasted it right over her heart. She flashed a wide-toothed smile. Finally, she dug inside her purse and waved the spiral notebook in front of Dominick’s face. “I’ll be quick.”

  Dominick’s scowl made Katherine flinch. “I promised my roommate, the Playboy Bunny who gave me the invitation for tonight, that I’d write an article about the event. It’s for my friend since she went to the trouble to get me this party invitation. You understand friendship and keeping your promises to them, don’t you?” Katherine thought about the mafia’s rules on friendship.

  Dominick released her. “Sure, I do. I can visit with a couple of old friends over there. Get your story. I’ll take you somewhere after.”

  Dominick winked at Katherine and slapped her ass. Katherine wanted to slap his face and run away, but that Danny guy would come and make a scene, so she made a hasty retreat.

  Katherine rubbed her shoulders as she made her way away from Dominick. Sweat oozed from every pore in her body, and her breath stuck in her throat. Katherine’s muscles tightened, and her eyes darted from left to right; like a deer glaring at a hunter’s spotlight. She couldn’t move. She had negative panic; the kind scare
d passengers experience after a plane crash. Her instructor in stewardess school emergency training class had told her to use her hatpin to poke frozen passengers out of their seats after a plane crash. Now she needed someone to give her a pin poke.

  I’m trained to get people out of burning airplanes. I can do this. I’ll find a person to interview and make my escape.

  She surveyed the crowd. Two women in bathing suits strolled past her toward the underground pool. A line of half-naked people in swimming suits lined up to slide down the brass fireman’s pole.

  On her way to the crowd, Katherine made the mistake of turning around and sighting Dominick’s dark eyes focused on her. Her clammy hands dropped her notebook.

  She turned from his stalking eyes and stumbled over the feet of a waiter wearing a red jacket. She tumbled to the floor, and her black sling pumps flew off her feet. Her face warmed to a red the shade of the waiter’s crimson jacket.

  Not her prince charming, but he held her black slippers in his hand for assistance. With a profound foreign accent, he smiled. “Do you want to sit?”

  Katherine focused her dazed eyes. Right now, his offer is my best option. As Dad says, take the ball and go with it. “Yes. Can I go somewhere away from here?”

  “Yes.” He nodded toward a swinging door. “The kitchen. Okay?”

  After the embarrassing nosedive, Katherine wanted to take refuge. Speechless, she nodded.

  Chefs were shouting orders and waiters zooming in and out of the swinging door provided sanctuary.

  She felt safe here but wondered what she’d tell Charlotte. That she’d spent the evening in the Playboy Mansion’s kitchen? She turned to her host. “Thank you for helping me. My name’s Katherine.”

  He motioned for her to sit on a stool in the pantry with the linens. “My name is Angelos.” He smiled. “Please sit here. I’ll get you something to drink.”

  Katherine’s heart pounded in rhythm with her eyes as she searched to find an exit out of the kitchen. Her manners took over, and she postponed her escape. She wasn’t sure she was ready to return to the wolf’s advances. “A glass of water would be fantastic.”