Deceptive Nights

by Sylvia Hubbard

Patricia was still speechless.

  Phoebe knew she would sleep well tonight because when she saw Jacoby tomorrow she would do what Amy had told her to do. What’s the worst that could happen.

  Chapter 30

  Desmond looked over at Jacoby with much annoyance. Jacoby was drumming his fingers so hard on the table at The Whitney the crystal water glasses were starting to vibrate.

  The Whitney was a high-end restaurant housed in one of the enormous historic mansions in Detroit. On Woodward Avenue, The Whitney hid behind large brush and on the outside had this forbidding feel. Most people believed the place was haunted.

  “Do you have to?” Desmond asked quite annoyed.

  “Yes,” Jacoby snapped not even looking over at Desmond. He kept his eyes at the Whitney’s restaurant doorway. This was one of Thaddeus Newman’s favorite spots other than the damn cafe he loved to visit on the outskirts of Detroit. Yet with it being December, Thaddeus choose closed quarters and the Whitney would definitely put him into a better mood since he might be a bit perturbed at Jacoby for standing him up Sunday.

  The doorway stayed empty as minutes passed and Jacoby was about to conclude that Thaddeus had probably decided to stand them up. Jacoby knew he really didn’t have to watch the doorway for Thaddeus. The room of people would indicate Thaddeus’s arrival when their heads would turn, gasps would follow and whispers would be abounded. Thaddeus was no ordinary man with a height of over six and a half feet and a thick brawniness about him. On top of this, he had a face that women couldn’t help but drool over. He was an ex-University of Michigan two time champion before his knee busted on him in his junior year and he was forced to immediately find something else to pay his bills. Going into the construction business had been a good idea and his company was internationally known for its high quality and excellence in building structures. He had worked with nationally and internationally known firms and architects including a locally known Davenport architect named Abigail McPherson.

  The steady drumming of Jacoby’s fingers became harder and harder as the minutes passed.

  “How can you be nervous? This is your friend,” Desmond stated. “You aren’t the one begging for an account with his construction firm.”

  Jacoby choose not to answer him too on edge to not give a harsh answer and Desmond’s sense of humor was starting to piss him off. He had decided not to be around anyone since he was so tense inside he knew he would not be good company for anyone.

  Thaddeus and Jacoby had been friends since college and Desmond had begged for this meeting to get more revenue into the company. Jacoby knew Thaddeus wouldn’t be that mad because Thaddeus had stood Jacoby up in the name of love several times in the past.

  Plus, yesterday’s meeting was only a small friendly get together at the Windsor Casino. Nothing spectacular, although Thaddeus had insisted on speaking with Jacoby privately about Desmond and Lawrence’s computer firm and if Jacoby had confidence they could handle Thaddeus’ company.

  As told when their guest arrived, the crowd did turn heads and many people recognized Thaddeus Newman as he entered the room. The host went up to meet him, but Thaddeus brushed him away and came straight for the table because Jacoby was no hard man to miss either.

  Soon as Thaddeus arrived at the table, the frown on his face completely went lax as he sensed the tension in Jacoby immediately. “What’s got your boxers in a bunch? I haven’t seen you like this since college finals. Not getting any, Jacoby?” he teased.

  “How did you know?” Jacoby blurted out.

  Desmond chuckled. “Does everyone know when you aren’t getting any, Jacoby?”

  Jacoby shot him a murderous glare.

  Thaddeus had a seat as he said, “I know when Jacoby’s not getting any because of the way he acts and looks. He used to deny himself around finals time because he said it made him study harder. I guess it worked since he graduated in the top five percent.”

  “Is this meeting about me or about other things?” Jacoby snapped.

  “Now I see why you stood me up yesterday, Jake. You aren’t in the best of moods are you?” Thaddeus guessed.

  “I’m not in any mood to be teased, if that’s what you mean.”

  “Don’t tell me you have women problems. Not Jacoby Knight.” Thaddeus chortled in amazement. “I didn’t think I would live to see the day when you would actually have women problems. What are you saving yourself for?” This was a joke, but the look on Jacoby’s face clearly said Thaddeus had hit the nail on the head.

  “I don’t believe it either,” Desmond said.

  “I’m not in the mood to hear your comments, Desmond,” Jacoby snapped.

  “I’m just trying to tell you, she’s not all that, although I do commend her on handling Natalie very well.”

  “You sent Natalie over too her?” Thaddeus asked. Even he knew of the meddlesome, troubled wife of Lawrence from all the stories Jacoby related to him over the years. “Was she still standing afterwards or did she wither from the fire Natalie spouted out her mouth?”

  Jacoby had to chuckle and then said proudly. “According to Desmond who heard from Lawrence, Phoebe handled the situation quite well and actually got a compliment from the fire breathing dragon wife if you call being called sweetie a compliment, but in Natalie’s book that is almost like being placed on a pedestal.”

  “Who the hell is Phoebe? And how did you meet her?” Thaddeus inquired.

  “He paid for her, almost like you did for your wife, so you two should have something in common,” Desmond blurted out.

  Jacoby thought to straighten the matter with Thaddeus. “Not as extensive or complicated as your situation, Tad, I assure you.”

  Both men shot Desmond a potent glare, who all of a sudden decided the ceiling was looking very interesting about now.

  “Details, Jake, I’m quite intrigued,” Thaddeus said after everyone ordered a drink.

  “None to tell. She’s intelligent, beautiful and wants nothing to do with me or my money.”

  “Is she blind and frigid?” Thaddeus asked.

  “No, but she’ll change her tune tomorrow when I see her.”

  “What are you going to do?” Desmond asked poking his nose in again.

  “Now that she knows that Lawrence is a slime, she’ll come running to me.”

  “How so when she thinks you’re upset with her over her seeing Lawrence behind your back?” Desmond asked. “You haven’t said anything about forgiving her.”

  “But if she truly knows me, she’ll see that I’ve already forgiven her and she just has to admit to me that she really loves me.”

  “And if she doesn’t do that? Then what?” Thaddeus inquired.

  Jacoby didn’t want to think about that and changed the subject, but since he really didn’t have to be there mentally at the meeting, just physically to introduce them and get the discussion going, this gave him time to think about Phoebe more and what he would do if she decided to be involved with him. He didn’t think he could take this abstinence much longer without killing someone in a rage of passion.

  Chapter 31

  Every nerve in Phoebe’s body was on edge as she awoke Tuesday. She had been on pins and needles yesterday, but since she had not heard from Jacoby, she slept almost all the way through the night. His calendar was booked all Monday and she was busy assisting in another employee’s project.

  The employee’s meeting wasn’t scheduled until five and the conference center that was booked for the meeting was right down the street on Woodward from the office building where Jacoby’s business occupied. She had already made sure yesterday and early this morning that everything was going to go like clockwork and she didn’t have to be there until the last minute, which was at ten.

  So when she arrived at the office from the conference center at eight, she was surprised to see Desmond at the front lobby desk making some adjustments on the computer there for the new permanent office help that was to start next week. Business had picked up considerably in the la
st weeks that she had been there and instead of using the temporary companies every day, Jacoby decided to have her hire someone on a permanent basis, so she could handle more stuff outside of the office for him.

  “Good morning, Mr. White,” she said about to walk past him to go to her office. She knew Desmond did not care for her at all because he assumed she had played both friends.

  “Phoebe, can I speak with you?” he asked casually.

  “Can you?” she questioned sarcastically, stopping and turning to him.

  “I know you have a meeting in a couple of hours and I didn’t want to take away the time you might need to prepare for it.”

  “I’m already prepared.”

  “Good.” Desmond stood up and moved in an awkward spot so her back was to the office. “I just wanted to know what you intended to do.”

  She frowned. “What do you mean? About what?”

  “Jacoby. You’ve got him about to burst. He hasn’t had a woman since you and it’s driving him crazy. I think you should talk to him, Phoebe.”

  “He hasn’t had a woman?” she asked in disbelief.

  “He believes himself to be saving himself until you come to your senses. No matter how I have tried to convince him that this is a foolhardy idea, he believes you will one day, but I don’t think I can wait until you decide to drive him to the nut house. Jacoby is my good friend and I need him to be in good spirits especially for my wedding in two weeks. You two need to speak and I want to know when.”

  Her shoulders sunk in defeat. “I know, Desmond, but there’s been no time lately with the new office and since he doesn’t mix business with pleasure, I never know when to speak to him and...” Her voice trailed off.

  “What?” Desmond asked impatiently.

  “I really don’t know what to say. I’ve been given a lot of ideas, but whenever I think about doing them, it’s all wrong or it doesn’t feel right.”

  “Like Saturday?” he asked.

  She looked a bit perturbed that he would know about Saturday, but they were all friends so most likely he also knew about Natalie as well. “Yes, Saturday. I wanted to tell him about how I felt, but I didn’t think it was the right time. Maybe it will never be the right time, Desmond. Maybe I shouldn’t even try.”

  “Don’t even think that way, Phoebe. I think if you expressed the feelings I think you have for Jacoby to him, then you wouldn’t have any problems with him. Bottom line is I think the two of you need to talk. He really wants to know how you’re feeling.”

  She looked now a little wary. “Why are you so concerned? I know that you have some animosity towards me, Desmond, because of the kind of person you think I am, but I always made my feelings known to both of them. I never led them into believing there was more.”

  “But have you really told Jacoby the extent of how you feel?” he asked.

  Phoebe didn’t really want to answer his question. Not until he answered hers. “You first Desmond. Why do you care?”

  All of a sudden his confidence faded a bit and he stuttered slightly. “Like I told you, Jacoby’s my friend and he’s starting to get on my nerves with his touchiness.”

  She smiled, which relaxed him and decided to answer his question. “No, I haven’t told him anything about how I presently feel because like I said he doesn’t mix business with pleasure.”

  “He would make an exception to this rule for you, Phoebe, trust me.”

  This took a lot of weight off of Phoebe’s mind and heart and a brilliant smile came to her lips. Desmond seemed memorized as she approached him and kissed his cheek.

  “Thank you, Mr. White,” she said.

  He took a moment and swallowed before he said, “Desmond, please call me Desmond.”

  “Thank you, Desmond.”

  “No, thank you. He’s been a sour puss for the longest.” He nodded towards Jacoby’s office. “He’s in there right now probably biting off people’s heads.”

  She gave him another kiss and rushed to Jacoby’s door. Before opening it, she took a deep breath and closed her eyes. Suddenly she remembered the intercom red light blinking on the phone in the lobby.

  Looking back at Desmond, she saw how he was just standing there very sure and confident. It was a plan. All planned, Phoebe realized. That son of a bitch was probably sitting in his chair gloating wanting her to come back to him and confess that he wanted her, and then what? What did he have planned?

  The office phones rung and she decided to answer it before going in the office. It was a team member letting her know he had arrived at the conference center early and was wondering when Jacoby would be coming down. She let him know they still had an hour and a half left before Jacoby had to be there. The team member then asked if she could add something on the itinerary.

  She agreed and wrote down what he needed for Jacoby to address at the meeting. When she was off the phone, she decided to go into Jacoby’s office and give him a piece of her mind about how he was trying to deceive her.

  Phoebe should have suspected Jacoby was the mastermind behind all of this. First her car, then that horrible Lawrence and Natalie situation, and now Desmond purposely trying to convince her when she knew Desmond could care less.

  Stubbornly, she decided to go in his office and be perfectly professional to him and not give in first. That was what he wanted, she was sure of. He wouldn’t have gone through all this trouble if he didn’t want her to concede first. Phoebe concluded that two could play his game.

  Going in the office, Jacoby was just getting off the phone. She paused at the doorway and remembered some of Amy’s words on what to do. Shoulders back, breast thrust forward and a walk so sexy he couldn’t help but stare. With the wicked knowledge that he wanted her, Phoebe came in with the confidence of a woman bent on seduction.

  Late last night, she had put some reports on his desk that he needed to have looked over by the time he went to the meeting. He had a pencil in hand for corrections and as she got closer and closer to the desk, the grip on the pencil became tighter and tighter until his strain on the wood broke the pencil in half.

  He hissed an expletive dropping the pencil on the desk. Jacoby’s cinnamon sensuous eyes were liquid pools of passion seeming to visually caress every inch of skin from her head to her toes. She couldn’t help herself knowing her heart rate increased at her proximity to him.

  Leaning over the desk, she placed the message in front of him, but his eyes never moved from her, especially as she leaned over revealing a very open neckline.

  Phoebe was enjoying herself immensely as she had to repeat her message over to him that she put in front of him. He looked very perturbed now. It took all of Phoebe’s control not to laugh at him and his present “hard” dilemma.

  “Did you need anything, before leaving for the meeting?” she asked simply.

  Whether he knew it or not, he was not viciously gripping the arm of the chair. “You don’t have anything else to say to me?”

  Phoebe pretended innocence as she stood up and came around the desk. “Well there is one thing I did want to tell you.”

  “What?” he asked on the edge of his seat.

  She paused a moment, then said, “You weren’t going to address Campbell about New York were you when he isn’t completed with all three club openings yet, were you?”

  The deflated look in his face was evident and Phoebe gloated on cloud nine.

  In a strained voice, through tightly clenched teeth, he snipped, “No, I had no intentions, especially after reading his report. Was there anything else?”

  “One more thing,” she said leaning down again, and wrapping his tie around her hand. “You weren’t going to wear this tie were you?”

  He gave her a look as if she had lost her mind. Unwinding his tie around her hand, he sneered, “My tie is fine, Phoebe.”

  “Well then, I’ll be seeing you at the meeting then.” She moved from around the desk and started for the door.

  “That’s it!” he exclaimed, jumping from the ch
air and coming around the desk.

  She faced him. “What more were you asking for, Jacoby? This is business.”

  “Dammit Phoebe. I don’t give a fuck about the business right now and you damn well know it.”

  Looking insulted and confused, she asked, “What do you care about then?” she asked.

  He ran a frustrated hand through his hair glaring at her knowing what she wanted. “You are nothing but a stubborn anal woman.”

  “And you are nothing but a conniving deceitful man, Jacoby Knight, and there’s nothing for us to say.” She went to the door and opened it.

  He was beside her in a flash, slamming the door back closed. “Dammit, I love you, Phoebe. I Love you!”

  “And I love you too, Jacoby, now get off the door!” she hollered back, just as frustrated and hurt.

  So confused and disconcerted, he opened the door to let her leave. Phoebe gave him a look of disbelief. She couldn’t believe that was it. He was going to just let her go! Wasn’t this where he was supposed to take her in his arms, carry her over to the desk and make good love to her?

  Stepping out in the hallway, she decided to just walk to her office and cry. Halfway down the hall, he came after her, grabbed her arm and swung her around.

  His mouth captured her own so possessively, as the wind was knocked out of her as she was slammed against his chest. Breathlessly pulling away for a moment, he asked again filled with uncertainty, “You love me?”

  Phoebe was too out of breath to speak and only nodded. This was all he needed as he kissed her hard and long. Her mouth couldn’t keep up with his, as he seemed to drain her senses and then fill them up again with a need to have him so overwhelming their surroundings were forgotten.

  He swept her up and carried her to his office, never breaking the kiss as he kicked the door hard behind him. Jacoby didn’t stop until he got to the desk and knocked whatever was on it off.

  “The reports,” she warned, opening his tie and then his shirt.

  “Who cares,” he muttered, kissing her face and neck. His hands were everywhere holding, gently squeezing, and undressing her.