Page 12 of Beautiful Noise
“Stop looking at me, pervert. And what the hell are you doing here and how did you get in?”
I granted her request and focused on her face. A beautiful face I might add even though she was scowling like I was public enemy number one. I probably looked like a murderer. My thoughts shifted to my hood, which was still tossed over my head. I flipped it back in an effort to coax her to relax.
Why the fuck I cared that this squatter who’d helped herself to my very expensive wine and bath deserved to feel relaxed wasbeyond me, but I didn’t like the panicked look resting on her pretty face.
“I used the door code, whichIset. This ismyhouse. Instead of asking me what I’m doing here, how about you tell me what the fuckyou’redoing here.”
“This is not your house. This is Ezren’s house, or rather Gwendolyn’s since she’s majority shareholder of Grand Diamond LLC, but that’s beside the point. You, buddy, are not Gwendolyn and you’re definitely not Ezren. Nobody namedEzrenlooks like that.” She waved the empty wine bottle, which she was still currently holding as a weapon, in my direction while I processed what she said.
Gwendolyn and Ezren.
She knew my name. The one my mother gave me. I hadn’t used that name publicly since high school and even back then most people called me E or Eccentric since I’d adopted the name in middle school. I was sure with a little digging the world could find out what my real name was, but no one seemed to care. I had my name legally changed to Eccentric months before I signed my first deal. The fact that she had that information meant one thing.
This was my mother’s doing.
I was going to fucking murder that woman.
Okay not really because I would never in my life disrespect my mother but she had gone too far. Apparently my house squatter was courtesy of Gwendolyn Shaw.
“You know my mother?”
“No, I just told you?—”
“That this house belongs to Ezren, which is me, or rather used to be, but she refuses to call me Eccentric. I think it’s mostly to remind me that no matter how big I get, I’m just a southern boy from Georgia but point is, this ismyhouse.”
“You’reEzren?” She tilted her head to the side, then gasped at the realization that no doubt just processed. “Holy shit, you are Eccentric. I…oh my God, this is your house. I’m naked inyourhouse.”
That was when it registered that she was still indeed naked. She dropped the wine bottle, which landed into the water, while she threw an arm across her breasts and placed a hand just below her waist and turned away from me.
“Please get out so I can get dressed. Oh my God, I’m so embarrassed.”
“Don’t be embarrassed, the view is quite nice.”
“That’s not what I meant, asshole. Yes, my body is nice. I work hard to ensure it is. I meant you seeing it, like this is embarrassing. Please get out.”
I chuckled and stepped around her, lifting a towel from the counter which was just out of reach. I handed it over and she quickly accepted, covering up with record speed.
“I’ll be in the living room. Get dressed. We need to talk.”
She turned with narrowed eyes. “If you’re going to ask me to leave, then don’t bother. Your mother promised me I could stay. You might want to call her.”
“Oh, I fully intend to. Get dressed and hurry up.”
I left her there, pulling out my phone as I stepped into the hallway to call the source of my current problem and to my surprise she answered right away.
“Morning, baby.”
“It’s evening here.” I quickly did the math in my head. Nine hours’ time difference meant the sun hadn’t risen in Belize yet. “And don’t baby me. Did you forget to tell me something?”
“Oh, I see you’ve met Kori. Isn’t she lovely?”
Her body damn sure is but she as a whole…jury’s still out.
“She’s naked in my house is what she is.”
“I told that girl to put some clothes on while cleaning,” she grumbled then released a sigh before adding, “I told her she can stay. So if you’re calling to tell me you’re putting her out, then you’ve wasted your time and interrupted my peaceful morning for no reason. The point of being here was to unplug, Ezren. Not be stressed by you.”
Is she fucking kidding me?