Always Means Forever

by Deborah Fletcher Mello

  They were playing like schoolkids racing in circles around the room. Darwin paused at the other end of the sofa, mischief painting his expression.

  “What’s the matter?” Bridget asked, breathing heavily. “Can’t you catch me?”

  “Oh, I will catch you!” Darwin exclaimed.

  The moment was interrupted by the ringing telephone. The duo stood eyeing each other, both refusing to move as it rang a second and third time.

  “Aren’t you going to answer that?” Bridget asked. “It might be important.”

  Darwin grinned. “I have voice mail,” he responded, lunging toward her.

  Bridget jumped out of his reach. The answering machine clicked twice then Darwin’s seductive voice filled the room. “I’m not in. Leave me a message and I’ll call you back.” The machine beeped and a woman’s voice replaced his.

  “Mr. Tolliver, this is Yvonne from Dr. Page’s office. Your sample of Viagra is ready for pickup, but the doctor would like to schedule an appointment to speak with you first. We’ll be back in the office tomorrow after eight o’clock, if you would please give us a call. Thank you.”

  The answering machine clicked off, the sound of the tape rewinding suddenly piercing through the quiet. Even Biscuit could sense the quick change in atmosphere, a blanket of embarrassment clouding the room.

  “Well,” Darwin said, clearing his throat. “If this isn’t an awkward date moment, I don’t know what is,” he said, turning back into the kitchen.

  Bridget was at a loss for words as she followed behind him.

  Darwin met her gaze as he returned back to the sink and the last of the dishes. His humiliation was acute and if it were at all physically possible he would have dug a deep hole in the center of the room and buried himself beneath it.

  They continued to stare at each other as she eased into the room, moving to stand by his side. Reaching for the dishcloth, Bridget swiped the last bit of moisture from a freshly washed pot resting on the dryer rack. Darwin heaved a deep sigh.

  “I guess I should have answered that call,” he said, finally breaking the silence.

  Bridget smiled. “Sounds like you’ve got a personal problem,” she said smugly, humor brimming in her tone.

  “Oh, so you’ve got jokes now.”

  She shrugged. “It’s always been my experience that when something like this happens, if you can laugh about it, then you won’t be inclined to cry about it.”

  Darwin leaned back against the sink, crossing his arms over his chest. “Well, now that you know my most embarrassing moment, what was yours?”

  A moment of reflection crossed her face. Her smile widened to a full grin as she leaned against the countertop beside him. “I had just passed the bar exam and it was my first week with Hartley, Liebermann and Stone. All the attorneys were in our weekly review meeting and I was making a presentation on a new case I’d been assigned.

  “I really thought I had things under control. New suit, Roshawn had done my hair the night before and I was working it. Well, I’m doing my thing and all of a sudden one of my new microbraids falls onto the conference table. Then another, and another, and before I realize it I have a trail of yaki hair following me around the room.

  “One of the partners reaches down, picks one up, examines it, and says, ‘Miss Hinton, I think you’re shedding. Please see if you can get a handle on that problem before you have to go before Judge Baines. He’s bald as a cucumber and might think you’re poking fun at him.’ I was so embarrassed!”

  Darwin laughed. “So, we will really laugh about this in a few years?”

  “I thought we were laughing about it now.”

  The man smiled, reaching to draw a warm palm against her arm. “Thank you.”

  “Besides,” Bridget added, “you probably don’t remember, but this isn’t nearly as bad as when you and I first met and I tripped into the room, right into your mother’s lap. That was my second most embarrassing moment.”

  Darwin closed his eyes, a faint smile pulling at his full lips. “But I do remember the first time I saw you,” he said softly, his voice just a hair shy of a whisper. “You were wearing a pair of those capri pants. They had a drawstring waist and your hands were pushed deep into the pockets. They were green, army green, and the shirt you wore was a pale floral print. It had these thin straps and one of them had fallen off your shoulder. I remember that I wanted to touch you. I was thinking that all I had to do was push that strap back onto your shoulder and that could be my excuse to touch you. I remember thinking that you were the most beautiful woman I had ever seen.” He opened his eyes and stared into hers. “Should I continue?” he asked, an air of seduction rising in his tone.

  Bridget hadn’t expected the comment and she stood staring at him, her mouth parted ever so slightly as a look of awe washed over her expression. A wave of something she couldn’t quite name twisted slowly in the pit of her stomach. Her voice caught in her throat as she tried to speak. She inhaled deeply, then tried for a second time. “You have a good memory.”

  Darwin grinned. “Only about the things that are important to me.”

  The man continued to stare at her and the room suddenly felt as if it were spinning in slow motion. Darwin swallowed every inch of her with his eyes, his gaze stroking each curve and dip of her body. He could see her quiver and he stepped in closer, wrapping his arms around her waist and pulling her tightly to him. Once she was in his arms he couldn’t begin to imagine the moment that he would have to let her go.

  Bridget slid her palms over his biceps, the muscles solid beneath her touch. Her hands looked small against his arms and she felt safe and secure with them wrapped so tightly around her. She hugged her own arms around his neck and pulled him closer, lifting her mouth to his.

  The kiss was tender, a sweet brushing of his mouth to hers. Neither moved, both lingering in the beauty of that first touch, the sensual glide of a duet they were starting to dance. Darwin deepened the embrace, drawing her even closer as he pressed his body anxiously against hers, his lips moving with more intensity against her mouth.

  “If you want me to stop, just say so,” he murmured, his warm breath caressing her flesh.

  Bridget responded by pulling him back to her. As his tongue slowly caressed her top lip and then her bottom, she opened her mouth and began to nuzzle his tongue with her own. Although only a moment had passed, Bridget imagined that she could spend an eternity feeling Darwin’s sweet mouth tied to hers. She was trembling and it was only Darwin’s solid frame and the wealth of his arms wrapped so tightly around her that kept her from dropping to the floor. When he finally lifted his mouth from hers she would have done almost anything to have kept him close to her.

  Darwin sighed, a low gust of air easing past his lips. He pressed his mouth against her cheek, gently kissing the soft flesh, then leaned his forehead against hers. “That was very nice,” he whispered.

  Bridget nodded, her palms skating lightly across his back. “Very nice,” she responded, her head bobbing ever so slightly. Taking a quick step back, she needed to ease away from the rising heat that was swirling like brush fire over them. She smiled shyly. “I think I should be going,” she said.

  Darwin returned the smile, his own filling his dark face. “Do you have to?”

  “I think it’s a good idea.”

  “Will you come back?”

  “Will you invite me?”

  His grin widened. “What are you doing tomorrow?”

  Chapter 7

  Ella Scott was knee-deep in conversation. So intent on the exchange she was having she was oblivious to all else around her.

  “Look, this is exactly what this station needs. We’ve been taping for weeks now. We need to stir things up some, draw some attention to our lineup. We’ve been airing long enough now to really go full-throttle. We’ve played up his nice-guy image, and it’s working nicely for us. But we need to do more. The man has a reputation for being quite a ladies’ man. Let’s use that.” She paused, list
ening intently to the party on the other end before she continued. “He’s a cook, for crying out loud, and as far as I’m concerned, if it backfires, he’s expendable. We can find a dozen pretty faces to show us how to fry eggs so I really wouldn’t worry about Darwin Tolliver. Besides, you never know, although his ratings are good and rising nicely, a little negative publicity might actually be the fuel we need to generate more interest.” She paused a second time. “Bad publicity is better than no publicity. The public likes a little scandal. They’ll eat it up. You just be ready to take the pictures. I’ll take care of the rest.”

  The knock on the office door interrupted the exchange.

  “I have to go. You just do what I’m paying you for. Goodbye.”

  As she slammed the receiver back onto its hook, Darwin pushed his way inside, gesturing to see if he should come back later.

  “Darwin! Please, come in. I was just on the phone with one of our investors. They are so thrilled with your show that the man couldn’t stop raving about you!” Ella smiled as she pointed to the chair in front of her oak desk. There was no hint of the lie that had just fallen past her lips.

  Darwin took a seat in the cushioned chair. “I’m glad everyone is pleased,” he said.

  Ella’s smile widened. “We’re all more than pleased. We’re absolutely delirious.”

  The telephone on the desk rang for attention. Ella gestured with her index finger for Darwin to hold on while she answered the call. “Ella Scott.”

  Darwin clasped his hands together in front of him, his elbows propped against the chair’s arms. He sat watching as she commanded the conversation she was having.

  Ella was an attractive woman with porcelain features, a complexion that hinted of some mixed breeding and dark, ebony eyes that shadowed a mysterious air. Had it been another time or another place, he might have entertained thoughts of the two of them, but at this stage in his life he was hardly interested. He was convinced that Ella was not an easy woman for any man to handle. There was a significant part of her personality that was cold as ice, with walls made of thick, crystallized water around her spirit. Darwin found her propensity for control to be a large turn-off, and everything the woman did seemed overtly contrived and oddly calculating.

  Darwin had no doubts that the network’s decision to pick up the show and hire him had been all her doing but he didn’t have a clue about her motivations. What he was certain of was his own intention to show Ella and everyone else that the sum and total success of the Cooking with Darwin Tolliver show would be all his doing.

  Ella’s grin beamed in his direction as she hung up the receiver, disconnecting her call. “Now, where were we? Oh, yes. The numbers have been exceptionally good for a new show and the advertisers are very happy. At this rate you’ll be in syndication in no time.”

  “My agent and I would both like to see that happen,” Darwin said with a light chuckle.

  “Where are we with those additional contracts?”

  “Signed, sealed and delivered.”

  “Wonderful. So everything met with your approval?”

  “Nothing my attorney couldn’t resolve with yours.”

  The woman nodded, her smile fading ever so slightly. She reached for the calendar on her desk. “I have a promotional function to attend this evening with our sponsors. I think you should be there. Can you be ready at seven?”

  Darwin was only slightly taken aback. “Tonight? I actually had plans….”

  She interrupted him, her tone bordering on demanding. “This is very important for your career, Darwin. I’m sure it won’t be a problem if you cancel. I’ll pick you up at your place. It’s black tie so you’ll need a tuxedo. Should I have my secretary arrange for one?”

  Darwin shook his head, reeling in his growing annoyance. “That’s not necessary. I own a tuxedo. If this is necessary then I’ll be ready.”

  “It is. Trust me. I am as anxious for you and the show to do well as you are. Regrettably, the work sometimes has to interfere with our personal lives.”

  Darwin rose from his seat. “I’ll see you at seven, Ella. I need to go get ready to tape.”

  Ella watched as he exited the room, displeasure pulling at his expression. She smiled, her plans falling into place easier than she’d anticipated.

  The star-studded event at the Fairmont Olympic Hotel was a cornucopia of local television, news and radio personalities, plus the requisite political leaders and Chamber of Commerce members. Ella and Darwin arrived fashionably late, Ella looping her arm through his as they made their way into the ballroom.

  “Let me introduce you around,” she said, smiling brightly, “and talk up the show. Let everyone get to know the real Darwin Tolliver.”

  Darwin put on his game face as she escorted him around the room. It took no time at all before he’d shaken more hands and posed for more promotional shots than he would have cared to. The entire time Darwin wished he were at home, with Bridget. They’d both been disappointed when he’d had to cancel their plans, but she’d been understanding, promising to have breakfast with him the next morning.

  As he stood in conversation with a member of the Seattle city council, a representative from the governor’s office and a visiting professor from the University of Washington, it was a struggle to stay focused. His mind was drifting back to the previous evening, Ella’s current aggressive demeanor and his own personal issues. He was totally distracted when Ella moved back to his side to introduce him to infamous personality Ava St. John.

  Ava’s flamboyant reputation preceded her. The woman had come into notoriety on the heels of a government sex scandal that had her allegedly trading favors with some of the most noted men in politics and the media. Her tell-all exposé, a twenty-six-chapter page-turner that had actually hit the New York Times bestseller’s list three weeks running, was still being heavily promoted by her publicists. Ava was trying to transition careers, looking to be the next name and face in feature films.

  There was no denying her beauty and Darwin imagined it took very little for her to charm any man right out of his pants. She was what he and his boys would have called a “cocktail babe,” sugar-sweet with just a little of this and a touch of that. She had features that were not quite European, a tad Native American, and her coloring was a rich, warm, dark cinnamon brown. Her face was almost square with large onyx eyes and long, thick, lush lashes. Tresses in a rich shade of sun-streaked honey-brown hung in soft waves past her shoulders. As Darwin eyed her, he had to admit the many photographs he’d seen didn’t begin to do her justice. When she opened her mouth to speak, the deep, smoky alto voice was beguiling, the influx of raw sexuality permeating everything around her.

  “It’s a pleasure to meet you,” Darwin said, politely extending his hand in greeting. He suddenly found his hand lost in the woman’s firm grip, both of her palms caressing his fingers.

  Ava purred. “Hmm. I’m sure the pleasure will be all mine. How do you do, Mr. Tolliver.”

  “Please, call me Darwin.”

  “Darwin,” she said, rolling the syllables of his name over her tongue. “I hear you’re the man of the hour. Our newest celebrity du jour?”

  Darwin chuckled, finally extracting his hand from her grip. “Is that what you hear?”

  The woman smiled, seduction washing over her expression. She leaned her body closer to his, one palm falling against his chest as the other snaked around his waist.

  “You’d be surprised what I’ve heard about you.”

  Darwin laughed, tossing his head back. He gave her a quick wink. “I doubt it.”

  Ava laughed with him, turning to the others who stood watching them. “Ella, gentlemen, if you will excuse us. I’m going to steal Mr. Tolliver away for just a brief moment,” she said. She turned back to Darwin. “Is there someplace a girl can get a glass of champagne?”

  Darwin nodded. “I’m sure we can find one,” he said as he gestured toward the others. “Excuse us, please.”

  The two headed in the direct
ion of the open bar. As they moved out of earshot, Darwin stepped away from the woman’s grasp, moving her to drop her hands back to her sides.

  “Do I bother you, Darwin?”

  “No. Not at all. I just wouldn’t want people to get the wrong impression.”

  “And what impression might that be?”

  He met her gaze with his own but said nothing, the look saying more than words would have been able to.

  “Don’t you like Ava?” she asked, referring to herself in the third person.

  He raised his eyebrows ever so slightly. “I don’t know you. And if I don’t know you, I can’t say what I do or don’t like.”

  She purred again. “Hmm. Why does that sound like a challenge?”

  “Trust me. It isn’t.”

  “Have you read my book, Darwin?”

  “No. I haven’t. Have you seen my show, Ava?”

  This time she laughed. “No.”

  “Then I guess you and I are on the same page. I’m not your type and you aren’t mine.”

  “I’m offended,” she said as she took a quick sip from the glass that had been handed to her. She gave him a wry pout.

  “I doubt that.”

  Ava tapped the length of her manicured fingers against his chest as she leaned to press a moist kiss against his cheek. Resting her own cheek next to his she whispered softly into his ear. “This has been quite entertaining, but I actually have important people to meet.”

  He nodded as she stepped back.

  “I’ll see you later, darling,” she said, blowing him a quick kiss as the waitstaff stood watching them.

  Darwin watched as she slithered away, the form-fitting dress she wore clinging to her body like wet paint. Taking a quick glance around the room he realized that as many in the room were watching him as her. And the one person whose stare he found most disconcerting had a cell phone pressed to her ear, Ella’s gaze as enigmatic as his encounter with Ava St. John.

  Jeneva Tolliver stood in the doorway of her daughter’s bedroom, her arms crossed evenly over her chest. Alexa was sound asleep, the faint hiss of a stuffed nose disrupting the quiet in the room. Watching her child sleep had become a nightly ritual, the habit formed the day of her birth. Jeneva watched over Alexa, whispering a nightly prayer skyward, just as she had done for her son, Quincy, when he had been that age.