“I’ll go check on Chloe.” Lil crossed the living room and walked into her room, allowing a brief glimpse of Chloe’s robed figure before she closed the door behind her.
“Why’d you do it, Alicia? Chloe told me you disliked her but I didn’t believe it. How can you hate her so much to sell lies to a gossip rag to hurt her?”
Alicia’s mouth widened in mock indignation. “Devon how could you believe—”
“Cut it, Alicia.” He slashed his hand up in the air in anger. “I thought you’d be woman enough to admit to what you did.”
Tears filled Alicia’s eyes. Her best-laid plans were going painfully awry as Devon eyed her with contempt. She felt swallowed by the pain. “I can’t believe my best friends would think this of me. Has she turned you against me? She hates me—”
“I can see why she would,” Deshawn interjected wryly from where he now stood by the staircase.
Her ready tears and pleas moved neither of them. What she did was treacherous and deceitful. Those were traits neither of them found they wanted in a person they called a friend, or an employee.
“Look Alicia, because you took advantage of your job to obtain the photos, we’re going to have to let you go.” Devon became saddened and wearied by the whole affair. “I’m sorry Al, but you brought this on yourself. Chloe is our client and this could jeopardize future projects because of your lack of respect for our client’s privacy.”
Alicia’s tears dried up and her face twisted in anger. She looked from Devon to Deshawn and back to Devon again. “I’m fired?” Her voice was incredulous and hoarse.
“Yes Al,” Deshawn answered from behind her.
She nodded and looked down at her hands, which were trembling with anger. “Oh I understand. You had a choice to make, either me or the rich bitch. With friends like you two, who needs enemies?”
Devon saw the hatred for Chloe and maybe even himself as he looked at her. He could hardly believe that this evil, twisted-faced shrew in front of him was his childhood friend. “Look, just calm down, Al.”
“Calm down?” she yelled, stomping her foot in frustration. “I hate her. Why couldn’t she just leave town? She’s got your nose so wide open that you’d turn your back on your friend. You’re whipped, Devon!”
“That’s enough, Alicia,” he warned.
“Just go home, Al,” Deshawn said wearily before walking over to slump into one of the recliners in front of the television.
“She’s a damn coke fiend,” Alicia spat as she shoved Devon’s chest.
He grabbed her hands and pushed them down to her sides, before releasing her. “And you’re jealous.”
She laughed bitterly to disguise the hurt his words caused. “Oh yeah? Jealous of what?”
Devon’s eyes raked up and down Alicia, his intent clear. “It’s pretty obvious.”
Alicia’s eyes filled with hurt and real tears. He instantly regretted the words because right now she resembled the girl he grew up with. “Alicia—” he began.
She slapped him hard across his face. “I hate you, Devon!”
His face stung from her attack. “Get out, Alicia. Stay the hell away from Chloe. If you attempt to harm her in any way, I will make sure you regret it.”
“Chloe . . . Chloe . . . Chloe,” she mimicked in a high- pitched voice. “This is all her fault.”
Devon eyes glittered with anger. “Chloe and I are together. I don’t give a damn who doesn’t like it, and that’s including you ... for whatever reasons you have.”
She stiffened at his words. “She told you that I was in love with you, didn’t she?” Alicia spat. “And y’all just laid up in bed together and laughed at me, right? Well I got the last laugh, didn’t I?”
“Get the hell out of my sight. You’ll never find a man to love an evil witch like you.” He turned his back and walked into Nana Lil’s bedroom.
She was weak with grief. Devon was completely lost to her now. Tears flowed bitter streaks down her cheeks, collecting at the edge of her face before dropping to wet her T-shirt. “What have I done?”
Deshawn felt pity for their friend as her legs seemed to give out beneath her. He moved just in time to catch her before she fell. But at the touch of his hands, she angrily slapped them away.
“You turned on me too, Deshawn. So stay away from me.” Alicia forced her body to move as she walked stiffly to the front door under his watchful gaze.
“Look Alicia. Are you gonna be okay?” Deshawn asked, but the door had already closed quietly behind her with a click.
∞
“Nana Lil, can I talk to Chloe alone please?”
“I think that’s a good idea.” She exited the bedroom, leaving them alone.
Chloe flung her arms around a surprised Devon’s neck. He immediately pulled her tight against his chest, burying his face in her neck, fresh with the scent of soap. He enjoyed the feel of her body through the thin cotton material.
“Oh Devon. We heard every word in here.” She leaned back to look up into his eyes and saw the mixed emotions in them. “I’m sorry. I know Alicia’s your friend, but what she did was despicable. You did what you had to.”
Devon nodded before planting a brief kiss on her upturned mouth, his one good hand freely roaming her body with gentle massages. “I know. It’s just that I didn’t know she could be so vicious.”
“Where’s Deshawn?”
He shrugged. “Probably somewhere eating something,” he said wryly, and they both laughed.
“Did you really beat someone up for little ol’ me?” she asked sweetly, feigning weakness.
Devon slapped her soundly on her behind before tightly gripping the full swell. “If you were there you would’ve done it yourself. You’ve got one helluva swing.”
“Yeah, so you better watch out, especially with only one functioning hand.”
He raised a brow in mock indignation. “I’m shaking in my boots, baby.”
“I love that,” she sighed, just as his hands grasped her.
“What . . . this?” He massaged the soft fullness of her buttocks.
“No,” she answered quickly, laughing at his shocked expression. “I meant when you call me baby.”
“You are my baby . . . baby.” He lowered his voice as he nuzzled her earlobe. “I’m sorry about all of this. If I had just listened to you I could have prevented—”
“Ssshhh,” Chloe silenced him. “I wish it hadn’t happened either, but it did and I’ll just have to deal with it like before.”
“Before?”
“Uh-hum.” She filled him in on her first tango with the treacherous tabloids.
“Damn,” he swore when she was finished. “You were just a kid.”
Chloe nodded, her head against his chest as he rocked their bodies in a slow and gentle motion that could lull her into falling asleep on her feet and in his arms. They remained that way, simply enjoying the warmth and comfort of one another. In each other’s aims they felt they could battle all challengers and win.
“Why don’t you sue?” Devon asked, his own voice dragging like he was near sleep himself. “Make them print a retraction. All of the lies can easily be proved false.”
“True, but I think I’ll follow my mother’s advice.”
“And what’s that?” His mouth kissed a trail from her ear lobe to the base of her neck as he struggled to lift her robe up around her waist with his uninjured hand.
Chloe gasped in pleasure when he began to explore her intimately with his fingers. “Let . . . it . . . roll . . . roll, uhm let . . . it . . . roll ... off... oh, my ... wow!”
He laughed low and husky against her neck, enjoying the havoc he wracked on her senses. “What’s that?” he asked as he lifted her leg around his waist and delved his fingers into her wetness.
“I said ... let ... it ... roll ... oh, just . . . forget it.” She grasped both sides of his face with her hands and kissed him, deepening it with her tongue. His moan of pleasure was just as loud as her own.
&nbs
p; Baam . . . baam.
They jumped apart as someone knocked loudly on the bedroom door. “You two are mighty quiet in there. Whatever it is you’re doing, don’t need to be done in my room!”
They laughed as Lil’s voice floated through the solid wood. Chloe retied her robe just as Devon opened the door. Lil walked in, sniffing the air.
“I don’t smell anything, so I’m guessing I knocked just in time. Now scat. I’m gonna watch TV.”
Devon and Chloe left the bedroom hand in hand to enter the living room. Deshawn was nowhere in sight. “Wait here,” he ordered, before running up the stairs.
Chloe’s eyes caught the tabloid hanging halfway out of the wastepaper basket with the rest of the trash where it belonged. She felt much stronger knowing she had this family, especially Devon, behind her with support. Her heart swelled with affection for them as she thought of their immediate defense of her.
Devon walked back down the stairs carrying a small duffel bag. “Let’s go.”
Chloe feigned innocence. “Where?”
He pulled her in his arms and kissed her thoroughly. “We can finish what we started in my bedroom upstairs. I’m sure you remember how that was, keeping ourselves from screaming out each other’s name too loud. Or, we can hop in your big SUV and shake the rooftops at your place. What’ll it be?”
Chloe winked, her breathing still ragged from his kiss. “Race you to the big SUV?”
Chapter Seventeen
In just two days the tabloid’s lies had made it to radio and television media everywhere. They were having a field day with it, especially with the fashion awards just two weeks away. Chloe’s answering machine was filled with calls from her concerned friends, many of them members of the famous and rich elite like herself. And Anika called every morning and evening with the brash advice for her to tell the world to kiss her rear end.
She couldn’t bear to have the television or the radio on for too long. And she was tired of the whole circus, praying for when some other unlucky celebrity would become embroiled in calumny, leaving Chloe’s scandal but a forgotten memory to the gossip hungry.
The small town of Holtsville was of course ripe with the news, although overall they were very supportive and not believing of the lies. For that she felt even closer to the town’s people.
Sunday morning Chloe reluctantly left Devon lying on his stomach, his head under the pillow, asleep in bed. Thankfully his hand had recovered from its injuries and last night he had spent the night showing her just how adept his hand was again.
Chloe picked up his gray Nike T-shirt from their pile of discarded clothes on the floor and slipped it over her naked figure. In the bathroom, she cleansed her face and brushed her teeth before padding barefoot out of the room and down the long curved corridor to the kitchen.
The sun’s rays blasted through the clear glass of the skylight, warming the large kitchen. Within minutes she had their breakfast on. Ham steaks fried in the cast iron skillet, fresh peeled potatoes sliced with green onions and bell peppers cooked on another eye in a similar pan, and a bowl of six eggs sat mixed in a bowl ready to be scrambled. She settled on browning thick slices of Texas toast over dealing with making homemade biscuits.
Using the remote, Chloe turned on the television in the kitchen, which was also equipped with cable, and turned to the Bobby Jones Gospel Show as she settled on one of the stools surrounding the island. Her thoughts were filled with the latest turmoil in her life, and they seemed endless.
She was scheduled to leave for New York at the end of the week and she hadn’t yet worked up the nerve to tell Devon. Instinctively she knew he wouldn’t like her returning to what he called “sin city.” Every time the path in front of them seemed smooth, a large hurdle would appear.
First, she had to get past her own hang-ups and realize that it was okay to have this man in her life. Then, they argued about Alicia and that kept them apart for two weeks that seemed an eternity. And then they argued again about Alicia the night of her dinner party. And now this.
But she had to tell him because she was going. His dictating her moves was not a part of her plans for them, but he did deserve to be told. Chloe knew she might as well get it over with. “I’ll tell him today,” she promised herself out loud as she flipped the ham steaks. “It’s only for two weeks. I’ll tell him today.”
“Something smells good.”
Chloe turned to find Devon groggily walking into the kitchen, clad only in Calvin Klein boxers. He looked just as good as the handsome, muscled models of the notorious Calvin Klein ads. He rubbed his eyes and stretched before coming over to look down at the food cooking.
“Good morning, baby.”
“Morning.”
He leaned over and kissed her cheek.
“I would kiss that sexy mouth of yours, but . . .”
“Morning breath,” they said in unison and laughed.
“I’ll go shower and brush my teeth.” He walked out of the kitchen.
“Breakfast will be ready in a few minutes, Devon,” she called after him.
When he emerged back into the kitchen, now clad in a tank and matching nylon sweat pants, he pulled Chloe away from the stove and kissed her thoroughly. “Now that’s a good morning.”
Dizzy with desire, Chloe’s step faltered when he finally released her and took his seat on one of the stools. Inhaling deeply for breath to strengthen herself, she set a plate of food in front of him, along with a carafe of orange juice and a saucer of the buttered Texas toast before serving herself.
Devon whistled at the sight and smell of the food. “Damn, my baby can cook.”
She smiled in pleasure. “Thanks.”
“So what do you want to do today?” he asked as he dug into the home fries on his plate, now soaked with ketchup.
“I don’t know, what do you want to do?”
He took a large gulp of his juice. “Whatever you want to do.”
She knew he was trying to get her mind off the media frenzy swirling around her, and she adored him for it. After thinking about it, she said, “Frankie’s Fun Park.”
Devon nearly choked on his juice, looking at her in surprise. “You want our first date to be at Frankie’s?”
“Second date.”
“Huh?”
“Our first date was when we went horseback riding.”
Nodding, his eyes met hers as they both recalled that day by the pond. “You really want to go Frankie’s?” he asked after a while.
At her nod, he returned to eating. “It’s nothing like Disney World in Florida, so don’t get your hopes up. But if you want to go, then Frankie’s it is. We’ll leave at eleven o’clock.”
“Eleven it is.” She glanced at the round digital clock on the wall. “That gives us another whole hour. What shall we do to pass the time?”
Suggestively he wiggled his eyebrows, and Chloe knew they both had loving on their minds.
∞
It was four o’clock when Chloe and Devon walked out of the small amusement park arm in aim. They had ridden all the water rides, played the video and arcade games, and laughed at each other’s antics until they were tired and ravenous. Many times during the day they had resembled the hordes of children surrounding them as they frolicked together.
It was the most fun she had had in a long time. Probably because it was time shared with Devon. Just as Chloe suspected, her relationship with him had stepped to another level, something that she hadn’t wanted to venture into when she first seduced him, yet couldn’t seem to avoid. It was as if everything was following a logical course of events. But she told herself that she hadn’t fallen in love, so the power was still hers.
“Where do you want to go to eat?” he asked as they climbed into Chloe’s SUV with Devon driving since he knew the Charleston area better than she did.
“Wherever you choose is fine, but I would love some chicken quesadillas.”
Devon glanced over at her. Again she amazed him with her simplistic requests
from him. It was as if she was a normal woman, and not a mega-rich celebrity. “Mexican it is,” he said, as he started the engine.
The spicy scents from La Hacienda could be smelled outside as he parked. Chloe’s stomach grumbled loudly in protest to its emptiness. She wished now she had accepted Devon’s offer to eat at the amusement park, but she wasn’t a fan of hot dogs.
“Hungry?” he asked wryly, having heard her stomach’s growl, before shutting off the Navigator.
Chloe pinched his arm playfully before climbing out of the vehicle. “You shouldn’t fool with me when I’m hungry.”
He laughed as he came around to walk with her into the restaurant. “Believe me, I know. Remember, I’ve seen you eat plenty of times.”
For this he got a soft pat on the back of his head.
She saw, with relief that the other patrons were dressed casually, ensuring that Devon and she wouldn’t feel out of place in their jeans and T-shirts. They were seated within minutes and supplied with laminated menus.
Chloe already knew what she wanted, so she looked around the restaurant as Devon studied the many selections. The decor was dark with wood paneling and maroon carpeting, but the walls were lined with sconces, allowing small amounts of light that gave the entire restaurant a cozy, warm atmosphere. A light Spanish love song played in the background and the tantalizing scent of Spanish delicacies was in the air. All of it combined for a warm, welcoming atmosphere. Hardly Tavern of the Green in New York but she liked it just the same.
“Can I take your order?”
Chloe looked up at the pretty, honey-complected waitress standing at their booth looking at Devon, who was still looking at his menu. Rolling her expressive eyes upward, Chloe cleared her throat. “I’m ready even if he’s not,” she said sweetly with a false smile.
The waitress reluctantly turned to her and Chloe felt satisfied when the young woman’s eyes widened in recognition of her. “I’ll have a double order of the chicken quesadilla appetizers and a frozen margarita with salt.”
Admission of Love Page 22