Chapter 70

Tightrope Happiness

Intro: Tip on the Tightrope, Janelle Monae

"Oh my god," Beth whimpered. "I can't take any more of this. Just let me die now."

Simone opened one eye and grinned at her from her position across the room, flat on her stomach on a massage table. "Rodolfo's the best, isn't he?"

"Gee, thanks, girlie!" her masseur protested, giving her shoulder muscles an extra hard dig.

"Ouch! Except for you! Except for you, Collier!" Simone wiggled and twisted under the young man's strong hands.

Rodolfo said nothing, but just shook his head and smiled at their antics as he continued to work away at Beth, kneading and stroking tired muscles with his capable hands, adjusting the sheet covering her as he worked.

"You are very tense, Miss Turner," he said quietly. "Is your neck bothering you?"

"Not anymore," Beth sighed happily, laying her head back down and closing her eyes. The afternoon was passing with blissful slowness as the two women were primped and pampered, courtesy of Josef Kostan. It had started with an elaborate – and late - breakfast for the two women on the sunny terrace.

Wrapped in a luxurious, ice-blue cashmere robe that had been at the foot of her bed when she awoke, Beth had, at first, been embarrassed at how late she had slept. Finding Simone already ensconced on the terrace with a steaming mug of black coffee, she had voiced that though.

"Don't you dare feel that way!" the lawyer had exclaimed. "After all you've been through the past couple of weeks, don't beat yourself up over a couple of extra hours of sleep." The thin brunette had looked stunning in a similar floor-length robe in a deep crimson color.

"So, what's going on, Simone?"

"I don't exactly know. Josef woke me up this morning to tell me that he had plans for the two of us today and that we should start out here for breakfast." She had shrugged and taken another gulp of the strong coffee as Beth sat down opposite her. "Honestly, it's so beautiful out here, I could sit on this veranda all day and be happy."

Beth agreed. The terrace, with its beautiful vistas and peaceful atmosphere, had become her favorite spot at the vineyard over the past fortnight - an antidote for the cold reality of the freezer.

"It's so hard to believe that we are going to leave here tomorrow. I feel like I've been here forever. It's as if time has stood still. Honestly, it's hard to remember what the real world is like."

"It's not as nice as this, I can tell you," her companion had retorted. "I'm going to drag Josef here more now that I know how beautiful this place is."

"You'd never been here before?"

"Nope." Simone's thick brown mane had swirled around her shoulders as she shook her head vigorously. "I knew about it, of course. I helped with the purchase before I started to work for him - in fact, that's how we met. Fitting, huh? I was working for another firm, representing the seller, but in true Kostan fashion, he lured me away." She smiled at the memory of the persuasive billionaire, convincing her to come to work for him. The deciding factors were a combination of an obscene salary and the promise of making her a key decision-maker in his business dealings. A seat at the table at a major company had always been her professional goal, one that her gender had made more difficult. Josef had made that happen and then some.

"I didn't know that's how you met. Did the vineyard look like this then?" Beth had looked around the beautiful room appreciatively.

"Lord, no. It was a mess! At the time, I thought he was crazy to be paying so much for it. But...that was before I really knew Josef. He had big plans, kept saying he wanted it to look like a place he remembered from when he was young. As a human, I mean," she clarified. "So, there's been something under construction or some renovation going on ever since until very recently."

"How long has he owned it?" Beth had silently cursed her inquisitive nature – and apologized aloud to Simone for the barrage - but she could no more stop herself from asking questions than she could stop breathing.

"Don't be silly; the questions don't bother me at all. After all, we're friends now. At least that's the way I feel. If it's something I shouldn't discuss, I'll tell you. Anyway, he's owned it for over two years."

"Two years! And he'd never stayed here before now?" Beth's tone was incredulous.

Simone had met her gaze with an indulgent smile. "No, just visits to meet with his vineyard master or to check on the progress of renovations. Come on, Beth, you know Josef pretty well by now. You can see what a perfectionist he is. I mean, look at the detail he was involved in when he rebuilt his office – and this was a whole estate!"

"I suppose," Beth had acknowledged. "I'm really sorry for all the questions. I just find all this interesting."

Simone had reached across the café-style table to put her hand on her friend's. "Your questions are fine. Something you have to think about in relation to Josef and Mick, is that they have all the time in the world. They're immortal. So they look at these things differently." She shrugged. "What are a few years to get it right when you have forever?" She had given Beth's hand a friendly squeeze before withdrawing her own.

Her comments had stuck with Beth while the two women finished their breakfast. What must it feel like to have eternity stretching in front of you, with no need to hurry or try to cram too much living into too small a period of time? To have regrets as you neared the end of your life for the things you didn't do or see, the places you didn't go, the loved ones you didn't spend enough time with… Josef could look back on so many years, so many changes, so many experiences... So many relationships…

Shivering, Beth had thought of how many humans Josef must have said goodbye to in his centuries of life. And what about Mick? How many loved ones had he lost so far? The evening he had experienced the hallucination involving his brother, Mick had talked long into the night about him. Tears had slipped silently down his face as he told her about the night he had learned that Michael had died. So much pain… Are you going to make him go through that again with you?

Beth had shoved the thought away. She had told Mick that she wasn't ready to join his world after the Monaghans were executed for Emma's defiant threat to expose the entire vampire community. Did she still feel that way? I don't know. So many things were different now and she was no longer as sure of her answer. What she was sure of, however, was that she just wasn't up to dealing with that thorny issue right now. Not after all that had happened.

"You are tensing up again, Miss Turner. Is something hurting you?"

Rodolfo's voice broke through the funk she was falling into. Remember what Josef said – there is no room for bad news or problems this weekend. She was determined to follow that dictate as well as she could.

"I'm sorry. I don't know what my problem is. You are doing a great job."

"I know what the problem is." Simone chirped, turning her head back toward Beth's masseur. "She's spent most of the past two weeks in freezing temperatures, she's hardly eaten, hasn't slept, worried every minute… if you can fix all that, Rodolfo, you really do have the magic hands Josef claims you do."

"I do have magic hands, just like Mr. Josef says… but it sounds like Miss Turner might need divine intervention – and, despite what you might think, given how I look, I am not a god," the older man responded with a wry smile.

Everyone laughed.

Fifteen minutes later, the masseurs had disappeared into the house, leaving the two women stretched out with hot rocks placed on strategic spots along their spine, soothing music playing in the background.

"I could get used to this," Beth murmured sleepily. Rodolfo may not be a god, but she was willing to attribute god-like qualities to him right now. She had not felt this relaxed since… well, she couldn't remember when.

"Mmmmm," Simone responded, her lips curving into a smile. "Thank you, Josef." A determinedly pragmatic young woman, she had already put the events of the past ten days behind her. It was unproductive to dwell on them. If more trouble was ahead, it would find them soon enough. In the meantime, she intended to take advantage of Josef's largess.

Within a few minutes, both women had fallen asleep, lulled by the soft music, comfortable massage tables, and completely relaxed muscles. Rodolfo and Collier may not be gods, but they were almost certainly wizards.

Mick, stripped down to boxers and a robe after a shower, sat in a leather recliner in Josef's private study, watching his friend experience bliss similar to Beth's under Rodolfo's talented hands. He'd never been able to break the habit of hot showers, even though cold showers were certainly better for vampires. He tried that now and then, but always came back to the feel of hot water pounding down on him.

"Sure you don't want to partake?" Josef's voice was muffled, coming from a face hidden in cool towels as he lay on his stomach to allow his masseur to work on tight back and neck muscles.

"Um, how would I do that, Josef?" Mick shot back, gesturing toward his chest where the raw evidence of his recent brush with death was visible above the robe's belting at his waist. "Somehow, I don't think it would feel too good to lie on my stomach and be pushed and prodded right now." His tone was testy; truth be told, he was envious of his friend's indulgence. If he could have figured out how to get it done without causing pain or wreaking havoc to his incision, he'd be on the table next to Josef right now – but he certainly couldn't lie on his stomach and the thought of Rodolfo's or Collier's hard hands massaging his chest if he were on his back, made him wince, especially now that Dr. Spector had removed him from all morphine.

"Don't pout," Josef scolded, raising his head. "It's not becoming. We'll think of something else for you to do." He paused, his lips twitching in amusement. "Besides, that might not be a good idea anyway… massages can be, ah, stimulating – and with your restrictions and all…" The billionaire waited, hoping for a reaction from his friend. Mick didn't disappoint him.

"Jesus, Josef. Thanks for reminding me and rubbing it in! Like it won't be hard enough tonight!"

"What are friends for if not to make sure you follow doctor's orders?" Kostan watched as the P.I. leveraged himself slowly and carefully from the chair and began pacing. He's got it bad. Josef let out a low whistle. "Damn. You'll never make it a week without jumping Beth's bones."

Mick snorted and lowered himself gingerly back into the blood-colored leather chair without bothering to reply. Instead, he reached for the scotch sitting on the floor next to his chair. Swirling the liquid, he sighed morosely and tossed the drink back, grimacing as the strong alcohol burned at the back of his throat.

Josef laughed. "Now that you're back in the saddle – sexually speaking - you really don't wanna climb down, do you?!

Mick considered - and discarded - several surly responses before answering honestly, "Do you blame me?"

Raising his head from his arms, Josef retorted, "I could point out that your previous enforced celibacy was of your own volition - and that I advised against it on numerous occasions - but I won't, because that's the kind of friend I am. What I will do - or, actually did do - was arrange for a reflexology masseuse for you. She'll be here in fifteen minutes or so. No lying down. Just sitting back and relaxing in a chair." He propped himself up on his elbows, a boyish grin on his face. "Think you can handle that... stud?"

Fuck! Mick supposed it had only been a matter of time before Josef had latched onto that particular piece of information. His only chance was not to react, not let Kostan see that the nickname, coming from him, was irritating. Nonchalantly, he shrugged. "Sure. Thanks, Josef."

"Don't mention it... stud." Kostan's eyes gleamed wickedly as he lowered his head back onto his arms.

Mick sighed. Clearly, he wasn't fooling his friend. "Do you mind not calling me that, by the way?"

"But... it suits you so well!" The muffled voice coming from under Josef's arm was clearly amused.

"Yeah, well, there are several names I can think of that would serve you well too - but I'm too good a friend to use them. I was hoping you'd reciprocate."

"Well, see, there's your problem. You think I'm as good a friend to you as you are to me." Josef lifted his head and smiled innocently over at the P.I., but wisely refrained from adding the offending term again. Removing one particular word from his vocabulary, however, did not prevent the billionaire from pursuing one of his favorite pastimes - giving Mick St. John a hard time. "So," he began, propping himself back up on his elbows again, "you and Beth are going back to L.A. tomorrow?"

"You know we are, Josef," Mick answered patiently.

"And... then what?"

"What do you mean?" The recovering vampire shifted uneasily in his chair and reached again for the glass of scotch. He had learned long ago that it was wise to be fortified with alcohol when Josef Kostan was on a roll.

"What I mean," Josef mimicked, pushing himself to a sitting position and waving away his masseur, "is what is your plan? Are you going to ask Beth to officially move in with you? You gonna marry the girl? What exactly are your intentions?"

"Jesus, Josef, you sound like you're her father! I don't know, we'll just play it by ear."

Kostan tucked the towel more securely around his midsection before reaching for his own glass of scotch. Glancing slyly at Mick as he hoisted the heavy crystal glass to his lips, he stated emphatically, "With an answer like that, you'd better thank your lucky stars I'm not her father! I'd be kicking your ass halfway to Petaluma." I should do it anyway, just to knock some sense into your hard fucking head. Josef smiled at the thought. "Might not be far enough, though," he grumbled to himself. "It's only about 450 miles."

"What?!"

"Nothing, Mick."

"So, what's next on the agenda, Simone? You seem to have more information than I do." Beth's inquisitive nature chafed at the idea of anyone else knowing something she didn't - even when it was something as trivial as party preparation.

"Josef left me a sheet with times and subject, but that's all, Beth, I swear. Here, take a look for yourself." Simone pulled the heavy linen paper out of the pocket of her robe and thrust it at her companion.

Beth studied the page for a moment. "So... we have manicures and pedicures in a few minutes - and then a 'fitting with stylist'?!" She raised puzzled blue eyes to Simone. "What does that mean?"

The slim brunette shrugged. "I have no idea. So far though, the day has been heavenly, so I suggest we just go with it."

Beth had to agree. The massages each woman had been treated to had been... well, heavenly was the right word. Each of them had drifted off to sleep for more than an hour afterward. They might still be asleep had it not been for the gourmet meal they were served, complete with a pitcher of mimosas made with very tasty champagne. She licked her lips, remembering the sweet taste and glanced at the empty pitcher longingly.

As if magically summoned, there was a knock at the door to the suite and a fresh pitcher of mimosas appeared, followed by two Asian women carrying all the accoutrements for pedicures.

"I think round two has arrived," Simone said archly, with a smile for her... friend. I think we are finally friends now. "Thank you, Josef."

Mick ran one hand up through the thick hair at the back of his head, scrubbing his scalp in frustration. Josef had been needling him about Beth, and his plans for their relationship off and on for the last half-hour and he'd had enough.

"Come on, man, leave it alone! I mean... we've just barely gotten together - and look what's happened in the past two weeks! Things go so well for us... we're almost normal for five minutes... and then here comes the bullshit!" He waved his hand in the air for emphasis. "And I don't mean the usual, everyday crap a couple goes through when they are getting used to each other. I mean, the having-my-guts-blown-open-and-my-girlfriend-slitting-her-wrist-to-save-me kinda bad day."

"Gee, Mick, here I thought we were having a celebration tonight. Guess I didn't read the fine print - I didn't know it was a pity party." The billionaire frowned. This attitude was to be expected from his friend - expected, but still irritating.

The injured vampire leaned back in the crimson leather chair, resting his head against its high back, and sighed deeply. "Sorry, Josef, I know, I know. I'm gonna do better, I promise – just right now… I..." He stopped, realizing that he really didn't quite know how to put into words exactly what he was feeling.

Kostan hopped down off the table and padded over to the ever-present bar. Contemplating the array of containers and carafes in front of him, he selected his last bottle of Hardy Perfection, once again cursing himself for destroying most of his stash. He poured a hefty measure into his glass and then walked over to his friend, holding out the bottle to St. John.

"Peace offering?"

Mick silently held up his glass and watched the golden liquid splash against the sides.

"Look," Josef began, setting the precious bottle of cognac carefully down on a side table, "I know things have been worse than shitty for you and Beth lately. Believe me. You would have every reason to dwell on that and be depressed. But you'd be missing the bigger picture."

He stood in front of his friend and ticked points off on his fingers. "You are alive when you have no right to be. You have a woman who loves you and wants to be with you when she should be running away, screaming. You have me as a friend. You have Gabrielle as a friend. And did I mention you are still alive? Count your blessings, would you? For once?" Sitting down in the chair next to Mick's, Josef raised his glass to touch it to his friend's.

Mick had to agree with most of Kostan's points and made a conscious effort to relax. This was not the first time, after all, that Josef had waxed philosophical - in fact, he had a penchant for it, though Mick knew better than to note that aloud. More than once, the elder vampire had commented on their unspoken rule not to "nag" each other as a source of pride to him. The reality, however, was that Kostan often provided him with the ear, sounding board and guidance he needed.

Josef took the younger vampire's silence as a cue to continue. "Look, I don't mean to nag. You know I don't like doing that. It's just that from where I sit - and I do have a ringside seat to your life - you have a hell of a lot going for you. Is your relationship with Beth complicated? Absolutely. But show me a relationship with a female that isn't. Do we have trouble ahead of us? Perhaps. Probably, even," he amended when he caught the look Mick shot him. "But so does everyone, of one sort or another. But life won't be worth living if we fixate on that. So for us... there's no trouble tonight. Tonight, let's have some fun - like we used to. What do you say?"

The dour expression on Kostan's best friend that so annoyed him, suddenly shifted into a smile. "Hell, why not? You're right. It might even do me some good."

The billionaire snorted. "You got that right! And it would certainly do all your friends some good. At the very least, don't spoil tonight for me." Slyly, he added, "You have no idea how much I've been looking forward to watching Beth meet Guilia."

Mick froze, his face paling from sheer terror at the thought. "You aren't serious!" he growled.

Josef grinned. "Hey, you met Josh on more than one occasion, as I recall - and, I hazard, a few more of your beloved's ex-beaus, at least in passing. Why shouldn't she meet one or two of yours? And, why shouldn't I get to watch?" He gazed thoughtfully down at his half-empty glass for a moment. "You know... I think they look a lot alike, don't you?" He raised his eyes to his friend's stricken face, striving for a look of innocence.

Mick was hell-bent on not agreeing with anything Kostan said, and he shivered at this particular thought. "Nope, not a bit."

Josef couldn't help smirking He was enjoying the evening already - and it was several hours before the party was due to start. He downed his glass, then reached for the bottle to refill it. "Yeah, guess you're right. They're both small, blond, curvy, feisty... but Guilia has green eyes and Beth's are blue. You're right, nothing alike." His eyes sparkled. "You seem a little... tense about their meeting, Mick."

"Wouldn't you be? Guilia's a piece of work; who knows what she'll do or say," Mick said worriedly.

"Guilia? Who's worried about Guilia?" Josef asked, deadpan. "Guilia's just a vampire. Beth's the one who scares me." His expression shifted. "Speaking of... what does Guilia know about all that?"

"What are you talking about?" Mick reached over and took the Hardy cognac bottle out of Josef's hand. If Kostan was going to make him suffer, he was going to pay for the pleasure with his favorite rare liquor.

"Coy doesn't suit you," Josef stated bluntly, taking another sip. "You know what I mean." He exhaled loudly when he realized Mick was going to make him drag this out. "About how a little blond human girl was the real reason you two broke up?"

Mick groaned. "Josef, why don't you get a dog? You need something else to play with besides me. Guilia and I were never going anywhere. Neither one of us wanted it to go anywhere. It was just for fun - and yes, for sex. We both agreed with that, and we both agreed when it had run its course. We didn't 'break up' as you put it. And, it sure wasn't about Beth. Happy?"

"Well, you sure were." Josef took another draw from his glass. "Happy, that is. Or, whatever passes for happy in that thick skull of yours. At least," he amended, "it was the best I'd seen you since… well, you know."

"Yeah, I know. Since Coraline. And it was fun, I admit that - but the kind of fun you like to have. No strings, no commitments. It wasn't about anything. Guilia knew I wouldn't be there for the long haul and she was fine with that. She's not exactly a long-term relationship kind of person either."

Kostan sat back in his chair, lifting his feet atop the ottoman. "Yeah, that's to hear you tell it now - but I remember when you finally told me you were seeing her. You weren't quite as nonchalant as you pretend to be now."

"Because it was a big deal then for me to have an affair with a vampire!" Mick exclaimed, exasperated. "You may recall, I didn't exactly have a very good experience the first time I'd slept with one. And I'd been alone a long time." He held up his hand to silence Josef when he saw the billionaire open his mouth to speak. "Do not tell me that I had you so I wasn't alone - you know perfectly well what I meant."

Swallowing the last of his cognac, Mick tilted the bottle and shook it over his glass to get the last few golden drops, exaggerating the movements for Josef's benefit. He decided to change tactics. The best defense is a good offense. "It seems to me that you're the poster child for short-on-commitment, long-on-fun relationships."

Josef nodded. "Touché. But there are a few critical differences. First of all, I've had the love of my life – even though we didn't get much time together," he added, his tone turning wistful for a moment. He roused himself. "And I mean to play the short game. You don't. Let's face it, Mick. You're the marrying kind." He shook his head in mock defeat. "I tried to raise you better than that - but you just ain't a player."

"And so we've come full circle in this discussion," Mick grumbled, getting up to grab a carafe of blood and bring it back to their chairs. He held it up questioningly to his host, who nodded.

"Why not, you drank all my Hardy Perfection."

Mick threw back his head and laughed. "Serves you right, you jerk! Entertainment comes at a price." Sobering, he poured blood into both their glasses. "I'll make you a deal, Josef. You don't push me or paint me into a corner on the marrying thing - and I promise to work on toning down the gloom and doom. Deal?"

Kostan pretended to think for a moment, then nodded in agreement and held up his glass. "To truces and good times?"

"To truces and good times," Mick echoed.

There was a clink of crystal as the two friends toasted, then silence as each drank deeply of the burgundy liquid that sustained them. The sound of a knock at the door fell into the companionable silence, and a beautiful woman was shown in.

"Pssst! I believe your reflexology masseuse is here," Josef whispered. "Should I go get Beth so she can watch?"

Determined to uphold his end of the bargain, Mick grinned and shook his head, forcefully pushing away his doubts and worries. Instead, he concentrated on the statuesque auburn-haired beauty in front of him. Leave it to Josef. He knows I like redheads. He immediately felt disloyal to Beth for the thought.

"Go easy on him, Michelle" Josef instructed with a grin, getting up to usher her over to his friend. "He's recovering from a... hunting accident… and he's not supposed to get excited. I have things to attend to for tonight. Mick, I'll leave you in Michelle's extremely capable hands."

Kostan placed the young woman's hand in Mick's and stepped away. "By the way, when she's finished? Do me a favor and shave. You look like a gorilla. Oh, and I took the liberty of getting you some decent clothes to wear this evening - they're in there." Josef inclined his head toward the entrance to the opulent bathroom just off the study.

He headed for the door, pausing in the doorway to glance back at his best friend. "And don't forget our deal – you are a fighter, a survivor. It's time you celebrated that."

Before Mick could formulate a response, Josef Kostan was gone.

End song: Rise, Katy Perry