The Golden Pecker Read online

  The Golden Pecker

  Penelope Bloom

  Contents

  1. Andi

  2. Landon

  3. Andi

  4. Landon

  5. Andi

  6. Landon

  7. Andi

  8. Landon

  9. Andi

  10. Landon

  11. Andi

  12. Landon

  13. Andi

  14. Landon

  15. Andi

  16. Landon

  17. Andi

  18. Landon

  19. Andi

  20. Landon

  21. Andi

  22. Landon

  23. Andi

  24. Landon

  25. Andi

  26. Landon

  27. Andi

  28. Landon

  29. Andi

  30. Landon

  31. Andi

  32. Landon

  33. Andi

  34. Epilogue - Andi

  35. Epilogue - Landon

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  1

  Andi

  Well, that sucked.

  I thought about going back to the hotel lobby where my sisters were grieving but decided against it. We had all spent the past few days moping, and the only way I’d start piecing my life back together was to do normal things. Like eating too much candy and reading books. Alone, preferably.

  I shuffled down the checkered carpet hallway in my fluffy socks, not paying particular attention to where I was going. After all, my sisters and I had grown up in this hotel. I probably could’ve made the trip to the vending machine blindfolded.

  I passed a row of frost-covered windows that gave me a glimpse of yet another snowy New York City night. Thankfully, the heat in the hotel was cranked up so I was plenty comfortable in my thin sweater and socks. Of course, I also stood out like a sore thumb. The Wainwright hotel was a five-star establishment where most of the women I passed were decked out in designer outfits and the men wore tailored, thousand-dollar suits.

  Good for them. All I cared about was getting a bag of Skittles and diving into a book to distract myself.

  I left the window and went into the small room where the vending machines were. I rarely saw any of the rich guests lowering themselves to using the machines, but tonight, there was a man inside the small room.

  He had short, messy hair and a face that belonged on some long-dead dark prince. It was all graceful lines and sharp edges, with strong eyebrows over a pair of equally dark, piercing eyes. I guessed he might be in his early thirties but couldn’t be sure.

  I hadn’t been self-conscious about my casual clothes until I saw him looking me up and down.

  “Nice socks,” he said.

  I was a little startled that he was speaking to me. I’d never had much luck with men, and I’d never even spoken to a guy on this man’s level. “Wasn’t planning on going out, so…” I said, trailing off.

  He noticed the Kindle tucked under my arm. “Long night of reading?”

  “Something like that.”

  “What are you reading?”

  “Uh,” I said, face turning a bright red. Just make something up. Think of anything. Any normal book that won’t embarrass you. “Uh…”

  A slow smile spread across his lips. They were nice lips, too. “Here,” he said, reaching to take it from under my arm.

  All sorts of internal alarms went off. Danger. Bad. Very bad. All I could do was stand there in stupid shock, watching as he tapped the screen and woke up my Kindle—the one I’d never bothered to password protect.

  The man’s eyebrows shot up. “Wow. This is quite the library.” His face scrunched up when he noticed something, then he burst out with a deep chuckle. “The Cocktopus? Any chance you can give me a plot summary on that one?”

  A sound somewhere between “dying cat” and “old, rusty door” escaped from my lips. “I can explain that.”

  He made a carefree gesture, handing the Kindle back to me. “You look embarrassed,” he said seriously. “Don’t be. Too many people are ashamed of what they desire. I’ve never believed in hiding from what we want.”

  Now it was my turn to raise my eyebrows. Was he making a pass at me?

  “See,” I said, talking more to fill the silence than for any other reason. “I don’t always read the title of books. I got started on that one, and then the hero got some irradiated goo on his… Yeah. And before I knew it, I was reading a story about the dreaded octocock and his sexual exploits.”

  “You like reading on those things more than paperbacks?” He asked, gesturing to the Kindle.

  “I’ve kind of always hoped I’d become a writer some day, so I read a lot. And my Grandpa thought this would be easier than always having to walk to the store. Actually though, walking to the store and smelling the books and just… being around all of that. It’s part of the magic for me. So, no,” I said, turning over the Kindle and looking at it. “But he gave it to me, and it feels like that’s more important right now, I guess?”

  The man listened to me go about ten miles deep into the T.M.I with a stranger zone like I was the most interesting person he’d ever met. His eyes hardly moved from mine, and the way he seemed do fascinated was an odd combination of flattering and unnerving. “So you want to write?” he asked. The shadow of a smile crossed his mouth. “I wonder if the stories in your head are as dirty as the ones on that thing?”

  I clamped my mouth shut tightly. Some girls blushed when they got embarrassed. Others shut down and got quiet. But me? I felt an almost compulsive need to say something sarcastic or funny to diffuse the moment. It was far from my most charming quality, and I’d already decided I wasn’t going to make a bad impression on this guy. With an effort, I forced myself to say something normal, even if it was a few beats too slow to sound natural. “I just like writing. It doesn’t even have to be a story, so…”

  “Well,” he said. “I won’t know to keep an eye on the shelves for you unless I know your name. I’m Landon, by the way. Landon Collins.”

  “Andi Wainwright,” I said, reaching to shake his hand.

  The warm look on his face abruptly changed and he paused before taking my hand in his. “Wainright,” he said slowly. “As in the granddaughter of the man who owned this hotel?”

  Owned. Past tense. As in, Grandpa Willy is dead, remember? But hey, I was an old pro when it came to the death of loved ones. At least I didn’t need to delude myself into thinking it would get better with time. No I’d learned that time just helps you find ways to avoid thinking about it for long enough periods of time to function.

  “Uh,” I said, stammering a little when I realized I’d just been staring back at him like an idiot. “Yes. That’s me.”

  Landon’s nostrils flared.

  It was like a switch had flipped. Even though I couldn’t put my finger on what it was, something in his expression had hardened, wiping away all the approachability and kindness I’d seen just a few moments ago. It was almost like learning I was Grandpa Willy’s granddaughter was some sort of problem in his mind. I couldn’t imagine why. Before he died, my grandpa had gotten along with everyone I ever saw.

  He turned back to the machine and tapped the same button a few times, then grunted with irritation.

  “Here,” I said, stepping forward. I kicked the leg at the front of the machine and pulled my foot back quickly. The leg slid backwards, making the machine fall slightly and jostle his candy free.

  Landon gave me an unreadable look, then dug out the bag. He held it up to me and gave a little shrug. “My dad always loved the things,” he said.

  “My grandpa
did, too,” I said. I stuck my coins in the machine and tapped the number to get a bag for myself. “He always had them around. Practically grew up on the-” when I turned, Landon was gone, and I was talking to myself.

  Instead of reading alone, I met my sisters in the lobby. Bree was working on college applications and Audria was scribbling notes by hand for her dissertation.

  Bree noticed me first. She had dirty blonde hair, light brown eyes, and was pretty in a painfully sweet kind of way. She looked up, smiling but clearly scanning me for any signs of distress. Even though she was the youngest of us at eighteen, she had a habit of trying to mother us.

  I smiled back, doing my best not to let any of my feelings show so she’d leave it alone. I plopped into an armchair next to Audria, who was sitting cross-legged on the carpet.

  If Audria knew how to wipe the scowl from her face, she would’ve had the same kind of sweet prettiness Bree had. Instead, she wore her black hair in a tight ponytail and always seemed to be thinking about something deep and concerning.

  For a few minutes, all I did was sit in the chair and stare at my Kindle. I didn’t even turn it on. I just looked down at the black screen like if I stared hard enough, I could feel Grandpa Willy in there. I let out a sigh and hugged the Kindle to my chest, closing my eyes. When my mom and dad died, I lived in the pain until it felt like I didn’t even know what was going on around me anymore.

  This time, I was trying so damn hard to just keep looking forward. I still hated how I’d done exactly what my mom and dad wouldn’t have wanted. I’d let their death paralyze me and wasted years of my life feeling sorry for myself. Of course, Grandpa Willy had been the biggest part of me climbing out of that hole. He adopted us, became like family, and let us know someone still cared.

  Except now he was gone, too. There wasn’t anyone left to save me, so I needed to do better this time. To be better. Even if it was going to hurt, I was going to keep pressing forward and I wasn’t going to let his death define me. I also made a silent promise to myself to really give the writing thing a shot, even if I had no idea where to start with that.

  “So,” Audria said, not looking up from her notes. “I talked to Grandpa’s lawyers this morning. There’s some sort of weird stipulation in his will, and we have to have it explained to us by a third party.”

  “Wait,” I said. “That doesn’t make sense.”

  Audria shrugged. “Did anything Grandpa Willy did ever really make sense?”

  She had a point. “When are we supposed to meet this guy?”

  “Any minute,” Audria said. “His name is Landon Collins, apparently.”

  “Uhh,” Bree said. “Is she okay?”

  Both my sisters were studying me.

  “You look kind of… not okay,” Audria said. “Constipation again? I’ve told you a million times you need to keep up with the fiber. It’s not just something you do when you feel like it, it’s-”

  “No,” I said. I shook my head. “It’s just that I already met him. At the vending machine.”

  Bree squinted. “You guys exchanged names?”

  “Yeah, and he looked like he wanted to murder me with an axe when he heard mine. For some reason, I don’t think we’re going to like whatever he has to tell us.”

  2

  Landon

  I tossed the bag of Skittles in the trash. My father’s death had me feeling stupidly sentimental, I guess. I hadn’t eaten the things in years.

  I was waiting just outside the lobby where I was supposed to meet the Wainwright sisters—Andi, in particular. But I’d accidentally gotten a jump on that directive, hadn’t I?

  Even though I wasn’t sure I’d ever come face to face with the Wainwright sisters, I’d always known how the encounter would go. I’d hate them. It wouldn’t matter if they were Kindergarten teachers, charity workers, or the hottest damn women on the planet. I’d hate them purely out of principal, just like I had from afar for most of my life.

  Meeting Andi unexpectedly hadn’t been part of the plan. But it was just a quick conversation. Sure, I hadn’t hated her. I’d even enjoyed the little exchange, but I was certain I could put it all behind me once I’d had a little more time. After all, hating people was much easier than the alternative, and God knew I had plenty of practice.

  I raked a hand through my hair and tried to refocus. The Wainwright sisters were the enemy, I reminded myself. Even Andi. Especially Andi.

  Fuck it.

  I walked into the lobby, spotted them all gathered around a pair of armchairs in the corner, and headed toward them.

  Andi was facing me with her head down as she read something on her Kindle—probably one of the many trashy novels I’d seen in her library. She had a simple look about her—with brown hair, brown eyes, an upturned nose, and a slightly too-wide smile. And yet I’d found it hard to look away from her. Maybe it was just the effortlessness about her. She’d been wearing an “I don’t give a shit” outfit, didn’t appear to be doused in makeup, and probably hadn’t spent more than a few seconds on her hair. She’d felt real. Far more real than the women in my life.

  Her youngest sister was in the chair across from her. She had the pretty, innocent teacher’s pet kind of look about her. A black-haired Wainwright sister sat on the floor cross legged. She was glaring at something in her lap.

  Andi looked up when I stopped in front of them. It looked like she wanted to say something but couldn’t quite figure out how to word it. Instead of giving her the chance, I started talking.

  “Your grandfather asked me to come,” I said. “I’m Landon Collins. I just need Andi to come with me.”

  “What?” asked the black-haired one. I’d never let myself look up pictures of the girls, but I knew Audria was the oldest, and undoubtedly the one sitting on the ground. “Why just her?”

  “My job isn’t to answer all your questions. Andi can come with me and find out what she needs to do to get her share of the hotel, or she can stay here and get nothing. Simple as that.”

  All three of them were glaring at me now. Good. This was more like the way I’d imagined meeting them would go. Hostility. Anger. The way it should be.

  “How do I know you’re not a serial killer?” Andi asked.

  “I had you alone just a few minutes ago. I could’ve done whatever I wanted with you.” I inwardly cringed at the way the words sounded once they left my lips. I had imagined what it would be like to do a few things to her before I’d heard her name. Pinning her against the wall and tasting her with a kiss, for starters. Tying her wrists together with those fluffy pink socks…

  “Where am I supposed to go?” Andi asked.

  “Downstairs, to The Golden Pecker.”

  The girls exchanged a look, then burst out laughing.

  “What?” Andi asked. “If that’s a joke, I don’t get it.”

  I stared. “He never told you about it?” I shook my head. “Never mind. It doesn’t matter. You can come with me now, or not. Your choice.”

  “You’re sure the lawyers said his name was Landon?” Andi asked Audria.

  Audria nodded.

  Andi looked back up at me. “I’m going to assume my Grandpa wouldn’t have asked someone to take me to the basement if he thought there was a chance it’d lead to my murder. So, I’m trusting him, not you.”

  “Great. As long as we can get moving,” I said, gesturing for her to follow me.

  “You sure this is a good idea?” the youngest sister—Bree, I was fairly sure—asked.

  “No,” Andi said.

  “Here.” Audria dug in her bag. She pulled out a small, black object and squeezed the side of it. We all jumped a little when electricity crackled and flickered between the two metal tips on top of it. “It’s my taser. Just in case.”

  3

  Andi

  I followed Landon down to the basement of the hotel. I probably should’ve been more worried for my safety, but I did have the taser Audria had given me. I also believed what I’d said: Grandpa apparently
asked this guy to take me somewhere, and I knew he wouldn’t have ever put me in danger. I also thought that curling into the fetal position in my room didn’t line up with my plan to keep living my life. A little risk and adventure would be good for me.

  My plan was to keep my mouth shut. Mostly, I didn’t want to give Landon the satisfaction of thinking I was curious or that his rudeness had gotten to me. Whatever his reasons were for flipping a switch and deciding to turn cold, I wasn’t going to worry about it.

  Except it wasn’t that easy. I lasted about two minutes before I finally spoke up in the stairwell.

  “What is the story with you and my grandpa?” I asked. “That has to be it, right? You got all pissy toward me when you heard my last name because you knew Grandpa Willy.”

  He shot me a glare over his shoulder but kept walking.

  “Or maybe you stayed at the hotel one night and got a dirty room?” I suggested.

  Landon stopped at the door leading to the basement and turned to face me. “Do you always ask so many questions?”

  It was so bizarre. Before we exchanged names, he was so easy to talk to. I couldn’t have even imagined him having a temper. Now he was acting like a totally different person.

  “When strange men make me follow them to the basement, I’ve been known to get inquisitive.”

  “Your grandfather and I were business partners.” Landon made no attempt to mask the irritation in his voice.