Pleasure Rush

by Farrah Rochon

  Just before halftime, Cedric caught a short pass and ran it sixty-nine yards for a touchdown. Impartiality went out the window as Theo pumped his fist in the air, unable to suppress his excitement. By the middle of the fourth quarter, Cedric had two more touchdowns, clearly making him eligible for the Pro Bowl’s MVP.

  The game ended with the NFC winning out, 47—36 over the AFC team.

  Theo interviewed several players as they all congregated in the center of the field to congratulate each other. The amity would end in a few months with the start of the upcoming regular season, but for now, it was all about the brotherhood that was the NFL.

  Theo spotted Torrian and started toward him. He looked back and held a hand up to his cameraman, who had never been more than a couple of feet away the entire game.

  “Give me a few minutes, Charlie. I’ll be right back.”

  He met Torrian on the thirty-yard-line and stuck his hand out. “Congratulations on the win,” Theo greeted.

  “Thanks, man,” Torrian returned, pulling him in and clamping him on the back.

  The only thing Theo could deduce from Torrian’s warm reception was that his friend had no idea what had transpired between him and Deirdre the night before.

  “I guess your sister hasn’t said anything to you about last night?” Theo asked.

  The puzzled look on Torrian’s face confirmed Theo’s suspicion.

  “I only saw Dee for a few minutes this morning at her surprise party. Why, what happened last night?” Torrian cocked his head to the side and narrowed his eyes. “Will I have to make good on my promise to kick your ass?”

  “Probably.” Theo winced.

  Torrian’s jaw hardened. “What did you do?”

  “Acted like a jerk,” he admitted. “But I’m going to fix this. I’ve got to join the crew for the post-game wrap up show, but as soon as we’re done I’m going to catch up with Deirdre and sort this out.”

  “You’ll need to grow a pair of wings,” Torrian said. “Dee and Paige’s plane should be taking off in the next twenty minutes. They left the stadium just after halftime to fly back to New York.”

  Theo’s stomach tanked. “They what?” he asked, alarm rising in his throat. “Why would they leave before the end of the game? That’s the main reason they came to Hawaii!”

  “The game is the main reason we came to Hawaii. If it was up to Paige she would have left after Deirdre’s cooking competition this morning. The only reason she even came to the stadium is because the afternoon flight was the earliest they could get.”

  Theo shut his eyes tight as a mixture of panic and despair gripped his chest.

  He should have gone back to her room and apologized last night, or at the cook-off this morning. He’d accused her of using him, when he knew in his heart that Deirdre could never use anyone. Her soul was too pure. How could he have let her leave this island without apologizing for the way he’d left her last night?

  Torrian clamped a hand on his shoulder. “Look, man, I don’t know what you did, but I do know that you and Dee are good for each other. Whatever it is you need to straighten out, you’ll figure out a way do it.”

  “Yeah,” Theo murmured as his best friend patted his arm and left him standing in the middle of the field. “If she’ll let me.”

  Chapter 15

  “Elaine, can you hand me those mushroom caps?” Deirdre called out to her head sous-chef.

  “Would you get out of here,” Elaine said as she stretched a bowl of clean white mushrooms across the stainless-steel prep area. “You should be getting ready for the party, not worrying about the food. That’s what I’m here for.” Elaine shot her a wary glance. “You did bring other clothes to wear for the party, right? You’re not going in your chef’s jacket again.”

  “What’s wrong with my chef’s jacket?” Deirdre asked in a purposely affronted tone. She laughed at the look of horror on her sous-chef’s face. “My clothes are in my office,” she said. “I told you on Monday that I am done hiding out in the kitchen. Especially for special occasions such as this one.”

  “Good,” Elaine said with a nod. “It’s a day to celebrate, and for once I’m making sure you join in the fun.”

  “I’m never missing out on the fun again,” Deirdre assured her. “I just wanted to make sure everything was perfect, and now that I see that it is, I’m going to get dressed and join my son and his friends.”

  As if he’d heard them talking about him, Dante bounded through the swinging doors that led to the kitchen at The Fire Starter Grille.

  “Hey, Ma, did you remember to bring the acceptance letter from Music for the World?” Dante called.

  Deirdre raised her chin in the air and managed to peer down her nose at him, even though he was nearly six inches taller than her. “Whose name is on that letter?” she asked him.

  Dante rolled his eyes. “Mine,” he said. “But you know I never think about stuff like that.”

  Because she had always been there to do it for him. Not anymore.

  “If you want to show off the acceptance letter you should have brought it with you. And since this little get-together is in honor of you getting into the program, you’d better go get the letter right now. Everyone will want to see it.”

  His mouth edged up in a smile. “Fine, I’m going.” He gave her a kiss on the cheek before leaving the kitchen.

  “Aren’t you afraid of letting him go halfway around the world?” Elaine asked once they were alone again.

  “Sometimes I’m afraid to let him go halfway across this city,” Deirdre admitted. She let out a deep breath. “But he’s growing up, and I’ve decided not to stand in the way of that anymore. Dante’s going to do just fine.”

  “But how is Dante’s mother going to do when her little boy leaves her for the entire summer?” Elaine asked.

  Deirdre tilted her head to the side and pondered that for a second. A slow smile crept up her lips. “Dante’s mother is going to do just fine, too. You know, I’ve lived in this city for nearly eight years, and there are so many things I have yet to do. I’ve never even been to the top of the Empire State Building.”

  “Neither have I,” Elaine admitted, “But I’m afraid of heights.”

  “Don’t let that stop you,” Deirdre said. “I have a list of things I’ve always wanted to do in New York. I’m going to take some time off, and do each and every one of them.”

  “I think I need to get myself on a plane and head down to Hawaii,” Elaine said. “You’re like a brand-new person.”

  “I know.” Deirdre smiled as she headed for her office.

  She quickly changed into her dress. It was something she’d picked up on a whim a couple of years ago, but had never had the courage, or opportunity, to wear. The deep fuchsia dress had a flirty hem that ended just above her calves, and its scooping neckline draped off one shoulder. It was a fun dress with just the right amount of sass. And it showed off her bare arms.

  And since her fun dress called for equally fun shoes, she slipped into a pair of strappy, heeled sandals.

  “You look good,” she said to herself while making a mental note to have a full-length mirror installed on the inside of the door. She was greeted by a high-pitched whistle when she walked out of her office.

  “Look at you,” Torrian said, placing a peck on her cheek.

  Deirdre held her arms out and took a leisurely spin. “I know I look good,” she said. “Where’s Paige?”

  “She’s out there.” He gestured toward the banquet room. “Dante’s friends have already started arriving. You know how teenagers are when it comes to free food.”

  “I know how people, in general, are when it comes to free food.” Deirdre chuckled. “He only invited about twenty of his friends, but I told Elaine to prepare eno
ugh for twice that many. I better get out there with some food,” Deirdre said, moving past her brother. But before she could take more than a step, he caught her arm.

  “Are you okay, Dee?” he asked.

  Deirdre didn’t try to pretend that she didn’t know what—or rather who—Torrian was talking about.

  “I am,” she said. “Really,” she stressed when her brother’s eyebrow cocked up in a skeptical peak. “I haven’t talked to him since he got back from Hawaii, but that’s okay.”

  “Theo just returned to the city a couple of hours ago,” Torrian said.

  Deirdre’s head jerked back at his announcement.

  Torrian nodded. “Theo spent the past two days in Los Angeles. He flew straight there from Hawaii for an emergency meeting with the management at Sports Talk TV.”

  Hope threaded through her veins. Even though she had convinced herself that she was just fine after not hearing from Theo, part of her latched on to the excuse that he had been too busy meeting with the network execs to contact her.

  “I’ll bet they offered him that desk job,” she said, willing her voice not to show the barest bit of emotion. “Good for him.”

  “Dee.” The worry edging Torrian’s eyes touched her heart. “Are you sure you’re okay? I know something bad went down between the two of you in Hawaii. Theo wouldn’t go into detail, and Paige refuses to tell me anything. She says I have a big mouth. “

  “You do have a big mouth.” Deirdre laughed. “But I love you anyway.” She leaned over and kissed his cheek. “Do not worry about me, Torrian. Especially now. I am so incredibly happy and…just…excited. I can’t even point out what I’m excited about. I’m just ready to get out there and enjoy myself.”

  “Hawaii was good for you,” he said.

  “Yes, it was,” Deirdre agreed. “So was Theo,” she added. “Thanks for letting me know he’s back in town. He may not want to hear from me, but that’s too bad. I’m going to call him after Dante’s party. Right now, I’ve got a roomful of hungry teenagers to feed.”

  Torrian wrapped his arm around her shoulder and gave her a quick squeeze. “I don’t know what happened to my sister, but I like this new Deirdre.”

  Deirdre wrapped her arm around his waist and returned his hug. “Get used to her, because she’s here to stay.”

  * * *

  Theo leaned heavily on the doorbell to Torrian’s four-story brownstone. Deirdre and her son lived in an apartment on the top floor, but apparently no one was home.

  “Hey, Theo, what’s up man?” Theo whipped around. He spotted Dante Smallwood a couple of yards away. He took the stone steps two at a time and offered Theo a balled fist. Theo gave him a fist-bump, their usual greeting.

  “How’s it going, Dante,” Theo greeted. “I just dropped by to see your mom.”

  Dante gestured to the luggage at his feet. “With all your bags?”

  “Yeah, I…uh…had the taxi bring me here from the airport.”

  Theo hadn’t even considered going home first. As soon as the plane touched down at JFK International, his only thought was getting to Deirdre as fast as he could. It had been a lesson in fortitude not to call her these past couple of days, but what he had to tell her could not be said over the phone.

  He needed to talk to her face to face. Now.

  “Is your mom home?” Theo asked Dante.

  “She’s at the restaurant,” Dante answered.

  “I thought she was off on Wednesdays?” Theo asked, his shoulders slumping in disappointment.

  “She’s not working. I just got accepted to this program called Music for the World, so she’s throwing me a party at the restaurant. I came back here to get my acceptance letter. I’ve got some big payouts headed my way from a few of my friends who were stupid enough to bet me that I wouldn’t get in, or that mom wouldn’t let me go if I did.”

  “Congratulations on being accepted,” Theo said.

  “You want to come back with me to the party? I’ll only be upstairs a minute.” Dante tossed him a set of keys, and motioned to a jet-black Mercedes with temporary plates. “Put your bags in the trunk.”

  “Is that yours?” Theo asked.

  “Heck no.” Dante laughed. “It’s for Uncle T. Can you believe he let me drive his new Benz? I don’t know what it is about Hawaii, but I’m thinking we should all just move there. Who knows, maybe then Ma would let me get that tattoo I’ve been asking for.”

  Theo chuckled at the teen, then piled his luggage into the car’s trunk. Dante carried the bulk of the conversation as they drove to The Fire Starter Grille, describing in day-by-day detail the itinerary of the six-week-long trip that would take him all over Europe.

  Theo could recall not that long ago when Deirdre had to be coaxed into allowing Dante to take a week-long trip to Italy with his high school marching band. Now she was letting him travel around the entire continent with a bunch of musicians and no chaperones. Hawaii’s effect on her really was something to marvel at.

  As Dante pulled into Torrian’s reserved spot in the parking garage a block from the restaurant, Theo’s heart started pumping overtime. He’d considered postponing his conversation with Deirdre until after Dante’s party, but that wasn’t happening. He could barely wait the three minutes it would take him to walk to the restaurant.

  Theo entered The Fire Starter Grille after Dante, hardly registering the packed dining room. He headed straight for the restaurant’s private banquet room.

  He spotted Deirdre the moment he walked through the door, and the sight absolutely stunned him. The sassy, sexy dress was enough to ramp up his heart rate, but that’s not what captured him. It was the aura around her—the confidence that flowed from her was tangible.

  She was a brand-new woman. No longer was she the quiet mother hen who stood in the background and made sure everyone else was okay. Theo watched her float from one guest to another, chatting and laughing, the gracious host.

  “Hey, man, when did you get in?” Torrian asked.

  “My plane touched down just before six,” Theo said.

  Torrian glanced at his watch. “And you’re here already?” Torrian stopped short. “Wait, what are you even doing here? How did you know about Dante’s party?”

  Theo patted his friend on the back. “I’ll explain it to you later,” he said. “Right now, I’ve got something important to do.”

  Theo strode across the room, stopping a couple of feet behind Deirdre. God, she looked sexy in that dress.

  “Hello, Deirdre,” he said.

  She spun around, her eyes wide. “Theo? What…what are you doing here?”

  “I’m here to apologize for what happened in your hotel room Saturday night,” he said.

  The eyes of the three other people in her group bucked.

  “Okay, since we’re surrounded by teenagers, including my son, I think this conversation should take place in my office. He may be growing up, but there are still some things a teenage boy doesn’t want to know about his mother.”

  “Sorry,” Theo said, mentally groaning at his idiocy.

  He followed Deirdre out of the banquet room. She stopped at one table in the dining area to greet a regular at the restaurant before guiding him through the kitchen and down the short hallway to her office. She gestured for him to go ahead of her, then closed the door behind them.

  Theo opened his mouth, but she stayed him with a hand before he could utter a word.

  “Before you begin, let me give you this.” Deirdre captured his face and pulled him down for a quick kiss. “Congratulations,” she said.

  For a moment, Theo was too stunned to speak. He quickly rebounded. “What was that about?” he asked, though it really didn’t matter. She’d kissed him, which meant he was light years ahead of where he thoug
ht he would be on the journey to get back into her good graces.

  “Torrian said you were called in for a special meeting with the executives at Sports Talk TV. I assume they offered you that coveted vacancy with that Sunday morning show?”

  “They did offer it,” Theo said. “But I turned them down.”

  “You what?”

  “I turned them down.” He shook his head. “Forget about the network. Deirdre, you just kissed me,” Theo pointed out.

  “Should I have asked permission?”

  “No…Deirdre…” He ran a hand over his head, not sure what to make of her. “Based on what happened the last time we saw each other, I wasn’t sure if you were ever going to speak to me again.”

  “Not speaking to you is something I would have done a year ago—two weeks ago,” she amended. “But I don’t want to play any more games. I refuse to let some ridiculous misunderstanding get in the way of us being together, Theo.”

  She grabbed his hand and guided him to the chair behind her desk. She gestured for him to sit.

  After he was seated, Deirdre began, “Back in Hawaii, when I scribbled those words on that napkin, it was more about me than it was about you, Theo. It was about me finding the courage to go after what I wanted. I’m so sorry I hurt you. Know that I never meant to do that.”

  “I know,” Theo said. “You could never hurt anyone, Deirdre. It’s not in your makeup.” He shook his head. “It’s just when I saw it written down like that, it just…it seemed to cheapen everything that had happened between us.”

  “Nothing can cheapen what we shared,” she said. “It meant too much. The time we spent together last week, it was life-changing, Theo. I’m not the same person I was before I went to Hawaii.”

  “But I fell in love with the person you were before you went to Hawaii,” he pointed out.