She glanced at the clock it was 6:05am. “The sun will be up in a minute. We’re supposed to have breakfast with Dillon in a few hours. Do you think we can pull it off without looking as if we’ve been doing the naughty all night long?”
He held out his hand to help her up. “You might have to ask for a raincheck.”
She shook her head standing up. “No, we have to show for breakfast. He already suspects something is going on between us. Set the clock for 9:00am; we’ll have to pull this off somehow.”
He set the clock alarm and recited in Spanish. “Nosotro no nacesitamos hacer esto si el supiera la verda.”
Taylor waited by the bathroom door. “What did you say?”
He joined her by the door. “I didn’t say anything.”
She trailed her finger down his chest. “Ya know I’m going to learn Spanish and know what smart remarks you are saying to me.”
He kissed the back of her hand. “I will teach you. Just let me know when you are ready.”
“You are too smooth, Mr. Infante. Too smooth,” she said grinning and stepping backwards into the bathroom.
Chapter 8
Sitting in IHOP Mario sipped his coffee, amused by Taylor’s disheveled appearance. She combed her usually immaculate hair straight and secured it in place with a headband. Missing were the healthy curls she sported the day before. She hid her bright brown eyes behind large dark sunglasses. Her outfit was too casual for her fashionable style. Dark blue jeans, a plain white knit shirt, and white tennis shoes did nothing to emphasize her curvy body. He found it hard to believe she was in public and not wearing designer clothing or her signature high-heels.
Taylor removed her glasses placing them on the table to rub her temples. “I cannot believe we are up this early, on a Sunday morning, and Dillon isn’t even here yet.”
“Sweetheart, it is just 10:00am. Trust me, Dillon will be on time for his date with you.”
She added half- &-half to her coffee cooling it enough to drink and not burn her lips. “Now is not the time to be cute, Mario; I’m too tired and sleepy to argue your hang-ups about Dillon. I’ll need more than three hours of sleep to deal with that.”
“What? Do you not agree Dillon will not miss this opportunity to be with you alone? Only he will be surprised to see me.”
“I know we’ll have to explain your presence but let me handle it. I asked Kelly to come this morning to be a buffer.”
He nodded slowly. “The woman he wants to dump is going to be a buffer. Taylor, the tension will be so thick we’ll need a knife to cut through it. Baby, I think inviting her was a mistake.”
The stinging glare had her forgetting the pleasure he bestowed last night. “I’m his friend and know him better than you do. You’re free to go to avoid the drama, if you want.”
“I only seem to upset you when we talk about Dillon. May I be honest and ask you a question without getting coffee thrown in my face?”
She crossed her legs sitting straight with her back against the leather booth. Her tone was dry and unfriendly. “Say what you have to say and I’ll determine if I’ll answer the question or not.”
He palmed his coffee cup staring directly at her. “OK. If Kelly weren’t in the picture would you be interested in a relationship with Dillon?”
Her tired eyes were dry and ached like sandpaper lined her lids when she blinked. As painful as they were to shut, she managed to narrow them in his direction. “I’ve told you on numerous occasions that Dillon and I are only friends. I was in the picture before Kelly, and I never had the desire then or now to be anything more than his friend.”
“Yes, you have said that.”
“You know what, Mario? Maybe having you come along wasn’t a good idea.”
“Taylor…”
“I do believe it is my turn to speak.”
“Pardon me, continue.”
“Ever since we’ve been together, you’ve had nothing nice to say about Dillon. You almost had me believing he was stalking me or wanted to do bodily harm to me because he has keys to my house. I’ve never had a reason to fear him before you came into my life. Baby, are you threatened by him? Is that why you want him totally out of my life?”
“I am not threatened by Dillon; trust me when I say that.”
In an assertive tone, she asked. “Then what exactly is your problem with him.”
“My problem is how you react when I say anything about him you don’t approve of. He is showing you two faces, Taylor. What is it going to take to get you to see that?”
“More than what you are offering. Dillon has keys to my house and never once entered without me knowing about it. We have gone on business trips together. He has never come onto me. He has always been a gentleman and a true friend. I will not allow your petty jealousy to destroy my friendship with him. If you can’t accept our friendship, then you can take a walk because true friendships last longer than one-night stands.”
He rubbed his chin not reacting to her flare-up. “Taylor, is that how you feel? Was last night a one-night stand for you?”
Moisture filled her eyes but she refused to cry in front of him. Her voice was unsteady, as she nodded, “Yeah. We teased and lusted after one another for weeks until we finally had sex. We’ve done the sex now it is time to move on. We can work together but that is all I see happening between us.”
He leaned back tapping a finger on the table. “Wow, I did not see that coming, but you are calling the shots. I will take my walk and not bother you again.” He slid from the booth stopping to caress her hair. “Take care of yourself, Taylor. Adios.”
His thick accent lingered in her ears as the scent of his cologne dissipated from the area as he walked away. Looking through the large plate glass window, she saw him get into his car and drive off. One single teardrop traveled down her cheek to fall on the tabletop.
She wiped her eyes with a paper napkin deeming another prospect gone before it even got started. Crossing her arms over her chest, her breasts remained sore and tender from their lovemaking. The flashbacks from less than four hours ago blinded her vision. She had developed an emotional attachment to Mario, and now it was over. How would she be able to work closely with him and not feel or show affection for him? His cologne, the swagger in his walk, the sexy way words rolled off his tongue, those gorgeous charcoal eyes that pierced her soul when he looked her, and his incredible intelligence that drew her to him in the beginning. All of it gone in a split second.
Men of his caliber didn’t come around often, and she showed him the door to protect a childhood friendship. As she drank her cold coffee, she saw Dillon and Kelly entering the restaurant. Taking her compact from her purse, she opened it to see her reflection in the mirror; she was a mess. She sponged makeup under her eyes to cover the dark circles forming. The redness staining the white of her eyes came from a lack of sleep, and she didn’t have any eye drops to use to rid that. Checking her reflection again, her appearance wasn’t going to get any better and closed the compact putting it in her purse before Dillon and Kelly arrived at the table.
She adjusted her phony smile as the happy couple slid into the booth. “Good morning Taylor,” Kelly said with a wide grin on her face.
“Good morning, Kelly. Good morning, Dillon,” she said noticing the scowl on his face.
“Hey,” he responded picking up the menu the server placed on the table.
Taylor held her cup out for the server to refill with fresh hot coffee. “Okay, what’s going on? Dillon your face is dragging the ground and Kelly is faking happiness.”
Kelly arranged her hair around her shoulders to avoid sitting on it. “Nothing is wrong with us but you look a little upset. Is everything okay?”
Dillon’s head snapped in Taylor’s direction and she lowered her eyes. “I’m just tired. I was out late last night and up early this morning.”
“Did the baby shower last that long?” Dillon asked.
“It lasted longer than I expected. I hung around to talk with family member
s I had not seen in ages. The hours just flew once we got to partying.”
Dillon folded his menu sliding it across the table. “So, what time did you get home? Was it later or earlier than midnight?”
Kelly nudged him. “Dillon, she is a grown woman. Quit questioning her like she is your daughter who missed curfew.”
“I’m not questioning her. I’m just asking what time she got home.”
“You sound like her father.”
He sighed. “Taylor, I didn’t mean to sound as if I was questioning you….sorry.”
A mild thumping beat behind Taylor’s eyes. “It’s okay. Kelly, I am used to Dillon questioning me about my whereabouts. He’s worse than having a big brother.”
She picked up her menu when the server returned to take their orders. “I’m starving. I think I will treat myself and have bacon and eggs this morning. What are you guys having?”
Kelly flipped the menu over scanning it. “Hmm, I will have the fruit and oatmeal breakfast platter. I have to watch what I eat if I want to fit in my wedding gown and have room left to move.”
Taylor caught sight of Dillon’s red face as he ordered a short-stack of pancakes and sausages. Taylor turned her attention back to Kelly. “So, Kelly, have you had a fitting for your wedding dress yet?”
“Oh, Taylor, I have and the dress is just gorgeous on me. You should come with me for my next fitting so you can see it.”
Playing with the silverware on the table, she wasn’t sure how to respond knowing how Dillon dreaded the upcoming nuptials. “Um, sure, I would love too.”
“Speaking of the wedding, I have a favor to ask you, Taylor.”
Dillon rested his head on his fingertips, in an annoyed manner. “Why are you asking Taylor for a favor now? Can’t you see she’s exhausted?”
Taylor shrugged her shoulders. “I don’t mind. Kelly, what do you need?”
“Apparently Dillon doesn’t approve of me asking you this, but one of my bridesmaids had to drop out of the wedding. I was hoping you would replace her.”
Taylor bit her bottom lip as Dillon spoke up. “See what you’ve done! You’ve put her on the spot. Kelly, explain to me why you’d think Taylor would want to be the only black person in our all white wedding? How awkward would you feel if you were the only white person in an all black wedding?”
Taylor opened her mouth to speak but Kelly beat her to the punch.
Kelly’s voice deepened as she hissed at Dillon. “I didn’t think about that at the time, Dillon. I consider who my friends are before I look at their race!”
“I told you last night not to ask her, but you don’t listen! You hear or do what you want and screw what anyone else, or in particular me, has to say!”
Taylor’s eyes crossed trying to decide if she should jump in the argument brewing before her. Mario was right about the thick tension, only it didn’t have to do with them hiding anything from Dillon. Dillon and Kelly were obviously in need of serious counseling before getting married.
“Whoa, whoa, whoa! Will you stop bickering and lower your voices? We are in a public place, and you are drawing unwanted attention,” she said finally getting a word in.
Dillon removed his glasses pinching the nerve on the bridge of his nose. “Damn, this is not what I wanted when I asked you to have breakfast with me, Taylor. I wanted us to catch up on what is going on in your life, not talk about the damn wedding.”
Kelly shoved Dillon with all her might almost knocking him from the booth to the floor. “I’m sorry I ruined your stupid breakfast by coming with you. Taylor, I apologize if I offended you with my request to be in the wedding. That was not my intention.”
“Kelly, please calm down. Wh-what on earth is wrong with you two?” Taylor asked stunned they were acting inappropriately in public.
“It’s a long story,” Dillon said not looking down at the table.
Kelly rolled her neck. “Actually it is a very short and simple story, Taylor. Dillon doesn’t want to get married. He is blaming me for ruining his life, and keeping him from the woman he’s truly in love with!”
People in the restaurant turned to eye the table with the loud commotion. Slightly embarrassed, Taylor wished she had followed Mario’s advice and cancelled breakfast. “Okay, first we need to bring the voices back down. The people in here don’t need to know your business. Secondly, Dillon has never once put you at blame for what happened. He doesn’t talk about it, but said it was a freak accident.”
“Taylor, he has you fooled. He doesn’t care about our dead baby or me! He won’t even talk about it with me.”
“Cut it out, Kelly. You are making a scene,” Dillon growled.
Kelly pulled the big guns from her holster. “Dillon, am I an embarrassment to you? God forbid I make the hotshot lawyer look bad in public. Oh, but wait, that will give you another reason to continue your affair.”
“For the last time, I’m not having a fucking affair with anyone!” Dillon replied loudly and quieting the section of the restaurant they were seated in.
Taylor’s eyes widened. “Hold up a minute. Kelly, if you are saying stuff about an affair assuming I know what you’re talking about, well I don’t. If Dillon is seeing someone other than you, I have no idea who this person is. I will not drill him for information to find out either.”
Dillon spat out angrily. “Taylor, I told you she is fucking crazy! Kelly is paranoid, and I am tired of hearing about a woman that does not exist. Wait—she exists but only in her mind.”
Bothered by the disrespect he was showing Kelly, Taylor lost her temper. “Dillon! Show her some respect. She is upset. Ask what is bothering her instead of accusing her of being crazy.”
“What’s bothering her is bullshit, Taylor. I won’t entertain her imagination.”
“You know I love you and Kelly, but my number one rule is to stay out of other’s business unless I am retained as legal counsel, and you don’t need a lawyer for this; you all need a marriage counselor to help you work through these issues.”
“I’m not going to a damn stranger to air my dirty laundry,” Dillon barked. “I just want this shit to be over with.”
Kelly sobbed harder, slumped against the windowsill. Her words and actions complied with a woman scorned. If Taylor didn’t know Dillon as well as she did, she would opt to believe Kelly’s claim of infidelity. Kelly sniffed choking on her tears. “I’m not crazy! She does exist! You know who she is, and she is ruining our lives!”
Having enough, Taylor got her purse and slid from the booth as the server returned with a tray loaded with breakfast food. “I don’t know what is going on and I don’t want to be caught in the middle of a serious personal matter. I’m leaving so you can talk about it without me present.”
Dillon tried to stop her. “Taylor, wait, at least eat your breakfast first.”
She took a twenty-dollar bill from her wallet and laid it on the table. “I’m not hungry anymore and definitely not in the mood to continue refereeing this fight. I’m going home to get some rest. I will see you at work tomorrow.” She turned to say something to Kelly, but the woman was balling her eyes out.
Leaving the restaurant without looking back, she realized she didn’t have a ride home. After walking a block or two, she took her cell phone from her purse to call her sister to come get her. Tired and irritable, she did not have the desire or energy to walk the fifteen miles to get home.
A black sedan rolled up beside her, the driver lowered the passenger side window. She kept the phone in her hand ready to dial 911 until she saw the person inside. “Sebastian?” She knew it was Sebastian from the color of his eyes. They were an Irish green with bits of gold twinkling from the sunlight bouncing off them.
“Taylor, I thought that was you. Are on a run?”
“No, I was supposed to have breakfast with friends.”
“Why are you walking? Where is your car?”
“I came with another friend but he had to leave. I was calling my sister for a ride.”
“I’m on my way home. I’ll give you a lift,” he said opening the door for her.
She tucked her cell phone inside her purse and got into the passenger’s seat of the car. Buckling the seatbelt, she was grateful Sebastian stopped. “Thank you. I was not in the mood to walk home.”
“I was coming from the hardware store when I saw you. You didn’t appear dressed for your usual run.”
She laughed. “I’m glad you saw me. This is the main reason I drive and meet people at the destination; I hate being left stranded. So, what are you building now?”
“I’m remodeling the basement.”
“Nice. Are you contemplating having someone special move in, Sebastian? You’ve been doing a lot of upgrading to your house.”
He drove looking straight ahead. A trace of a grin curled on his thick lips as he said, “Maybe. I get lonely with just me and Thor around the house.”
“Ah, I see. I’m so busy at work that once I get home; I enjoy the peace and quiet.”
“That’s understandable with the work you do but you also have friends over to visit. I don’t have company over that much, and I want to expand on that aspect of my life. How would someone like me go about meeting new people? Should I throw a few parties?”
Taylor nodded in agreement. “There is nothing wrong with widening your social circles. Your line of business is construction, right?”
“I’m an independent builder. I do contract work for many companies around the city and a couple of out-of-state gigs.”
“Networking would definitely benefit you. If I were you, I would speak to someone in public relations. They could guide you in the right direction and connect you to the right people.”
“I’ll do that. How is life at the law firm?”
She covered her mouth yawning. “Sorry about that. I’ve been mulling over making a change with my career.”
“Oh, yeah, like what?”
“I want to open my own law firm; a small firm and nothing as spectacular as where I am now.”
“That’s ambitious and time consuming. How big are you going?”
“I don’t know; maybe three or four lawyers and a paraprofessional. Of course, I will need a support staff of no more than three people.” She flipped her hand. “This is all theory; I haven’t put anything on paper or taken any action yet.”
OBSESSED WITH TAYLOR JAMES Page 10