Any Man I Want

by Michele Grant

  Belle slid into the chair on my right and squeezed my hand. “Patience, sis. We’re almost there.”

  Yazlyn sent us both a look indicating that she knew exactly what we were thinking. She rose from her seat, wearing a stunning black bandage dress before striding toward the podium placed beside a large drop-down movie screen. She picked up the microphone. “If everyone will be seated, we’ll begin dinner service. We’d like to thank everyone for coming out tonight to celebrate the anniversary of the birth of an extraordinary woman, Audelia Katrina Montgomery.” Applause rang out and I nodded and smiled, too anxious to truly enjoy it. “We’ll let you enjoy your meal and then we’ll show a short video made especially for the birthday girl’s enjoyment. Bon appétit!”

  Yaz winked at me as she glided back to her seat. The waiters came out and made an impressive presentation of serving a mixed field greens salad with strawberries, hickory-smoked almonds, and sunburst tomatoes.

  They offered everyone a choice of red wine, white wine, champagne, or a nonalcoholic beverage of their liking. I glanced down at the plate and wondered how I would take a single bite. A glass of champagne appeared in front of me. I hadn’t ordered any.

  Carter nodded and pushed the glass closer to my hand. “Sip, Kitty. Slowly, for your nerves. Then eat. We got you.”

  Suddenly, I knew it was all going to be okay. Carter, my friends, my family, people who genuinely cared about me, were all in this room. But, I still had to fight off the urge to swig the entire glass like a shot. I sipped and managed to make small talk as people dropped by the table to visit. I took several bites of the surf-and-turf dinner with asparagus tips and sipped a little bit more champagne. By the time Veronica and Beau got up to start the presentation, I was pleasantly mellow, but still had all my wits about me. Beau motioned for the press outside to be let in.

  I reached for Carter’s hand under the table. He grabbed it and squeezed. I turned to check on Madere and Pops. Madere had a mischievous grin on her face and Pops sent me a wink. I caught Chris’s eye and he mouthed, “It’s about to go down!” I smothered a giggle and turned back to the screen. Here we go.

  Veronica had spent years hosting a late-night radio call-in show. Her voice was ideal for this kind of presentation. She was wearing a black-and-white pantsuit with a nipped-in waist and palazzo pants from last year’s spring line. I made a mental note to try a similar one in crepe for next summer.

  “Good evening,” she greeted the crowd of close to three hundred. The lights dimmed and a video started rolling on the screen. “Thirty years ago yesterday, an adorable baby girl was welcomed into the world by her parents, Alanna and Avery Montgomery, and looked upon with skeptical wariness by her older brothers Roman and Beau.” Pictures from our childhood flashed with humorous commentary from Veronica. Even I was amused, knowing what was coming next. They moved through my teenage years and into my early twenties with the same light-hearted tone. When they transitioned to my work with BellaRich, Beau took over the microphone. He cracked a few jokes about how my design aspirations had netted him a job, a wife, and a life. Then his voice slipped from easygoing and light to serious.

  “The thing about Katrina that we hope is coming through is that she’s a person who has worked hard to get where she is. She’s a strong, independent woman with an unflagging moral compass. None of this was in question until I had the poor taste to become involved with this woman.” The next video on the screen was Renee dancing in her underwear with Madison Archeneaux.

  Amid gasps, Chris’s teammate Paul leaned over to Renee. “Yo shorty—is that you? You lookin’ right!” His voice carried and snickers broke out. I had to cover my mouth with the napkin to keep from laughing out loud.

  “What the hell is this?” Madison snapped. No one answered, as it was pretty obvious exactly what the hell that was we were looking at.

  Beau continued. “Katrina’s life was further complicated when these two people met.” The next video showed Kevin and Renee in an equally intimate situation. My jaw dropped open. I knew the two of them had hatched up a plot against me; I didn’t realize they had quite gotten that personal. “Apologies for the R-rated nature of this portion of the evening, folks. Since Kevin and Renee felt at ease making up and dispersing false information about my sister, I feel just as at ease sharing some truths with you. Here’s a conversation between Ms. Nightingale and Mr. Delancey.”

  Kevin’s voice came through the speakers loud and clear.

  “We’ve got them on the ropes, Ray. I hear Belle is looking to sell,” he said smugly.

  “Kevin, I told you it would work,” Renee cooed back. “I can’t wait until we take over that company and kick them all out on their snooty asses.”

  “I think spreading the rumors about her and Archeneaux is what turned the tide,” Kevin chuckled.

  “Probably. Now that he’s on the hook for additional financing, I’m going to quit sleeping with him. It’s just not that satisfying.”

  “Whatever you’d like. I appreciate you taking one for the team. I’ll make it up to you, baby.”

  “You bet your ass you will.” Renee giggled. “I like diamonds.”

  “All women do,” Kevin replied drolly. “We’d better lay low until after the sale goes through. I don’t want anything to blow this deal. The offer is going in next week.”

  “I can’t wait to be with you again, lover. So good between us.”

  “Ummm, keep it warm for me, baby. Daddy’s gotta go make a few million.”

  Beau cut the feed and signaled for the lights to come up. Kevin was making a break for the door. Renee was frozen to her seat and Madison Archeneaux stared glumly into his cocktail.

  Captain Calvin stepped in front of Kevin. “Hold up there, partner.” He escorted Kevin out of the building.

  Beau signaled to Tara and Shawn, and they started handing out flash drives to all of the media. “We’re giving you information on various infractions Kevin Delancey committed over the course of the past ten years. From just plain-brewed to all kinds of wrong to downright illegal—it’s all on there. Over the past year he has participated, with the help of Renee Nightingale, in a conspiracy to defame my sister and devalue BellaRich, all in an effort to purchase it for a lower price. I don’t know which of these actions are criminal, which are civilly liable, and which are just despicable actions. But we have people here from a number of different agencies who are going to figure it out. Some of you are going to be asked to leave. The rest of you are welcome to stay—we’re about to cut a step up in here. And by the way, happy birthday, Kit-Kat!” He threw back his head and laughed.

  The room broke out into nervous laughter as the Beyoncé song “Grown Woman” came on. Reporters rushed forward to ask questions. Renee pushed her chair back and I hopped up quickly to intercept her before she could go too far.

  “What?” she said defiantly, eyes flashing with malice.

  “Well, you tried it,” I declared with a smirk.

  “I’ve never liked you,” she hissed and stalked away. Captain Calvin had someone waiting to take her away for further discussion as well.

  “The feeling has always been entirely mutual,” I called after her and spun away to sing along with Bey, “I’m a grown woman, I can do whatever I want!” I raised my hands over my head and spun around before landing in Carter’s lap. I threaded my arms around his neck. “This is the best birthday ever.”

  He grinned down at me. “Glad you’re enjoying it. You want to talk to reporters?”

  I sighed. “Not really, but let’s make it quick. I want to dance with my guy.” I stood up, pulling him with me, and walked over to where the media were lined up.

  “I’m just so pleased that the truth has come to light and I hope in the future, people will stop and consider what’s real before they rush to judgment. As much as I appreciate your interest, you don’t mind if I ask you to continue your reporting from the staging area... outside?” I smiled sweetly. “We’ve provided food, drinks, and free Wi-Fi.” W
hen they scattered, Madere, Pops, and Gramps were standing beside me and I hugged each of them happily.

  “Well, that’s that,” Gramps said.

  Chris spoke up. “Kitty, can we get the real party started now?”

  “Indeed, sir.” I smiled and called out to my brother. “Beau, cut the lights down and bring the music up.” The old Commodores song “Brick House” rang out and I sent a flirty look over to Carter. “You got your dancing shoes on?”

  He took my hand and twirled me three times in fast succession. “I think I can manage a l’il sumthin’ sumthin,’ diva.” We led the way onto the dance floor and soon most of the party was on their feet. With the pesky distractions out of the way, we could get down to the serious business of celebrating my birthday. Year thirty was looking all right by me.

  29

  I’m Carter freaking Parks, woman

  Carter—Thursday, August 4—10:18 p.m.

  It had been close to two weeks since Katrina’s party and things had been moving at a crazy pace ever since. Chris was playing preseason games, Gramps had the foundations running smoothly, and business was busier than ever for both Katrina and me.

  Instead of the publicity dying down, it had scaled back up. Once the media got hold of the initial threads of the story, they started uncovering all sorts of dirt on Renee and Kevin. Every new revelation triggered a fresh wave of calls to Katrina, to me, to everyone who had been touched by the mess. Eventually it would wind down, but in the meantime, it was wearing on all of us. Katrina included. This morning, I scooped her up with Belle, Beau, Jewel, and Roman and we headed down to Stavros’s vacation home in Dana Point, California.

  There was financially comfortable, there was rich, and then there was this level of wealth. All of our homes combined could fit into this 12,000-square-foot property. The place was so huge that when the three couples retired for the night, we were on completely different wings of the house. We had to text each other to meet for dinner earlier. We had dined on grilled shrimp and vegetables. It was the first truly relaxing meal any of us had enjoyed in a few weeks.

  A few hours later, Katrina and I sat out on the patio adjacent to our room overlooking the Pacific.

  “This was a great idea, CP.” She smiled and took a sip of her wine.

  “Thank you. I thought we could use a little time away from it all. Monday is soon enough to get back to the grind. We deserve the time-out for dealing with the next phase of our real lives.”

  “Whatever that is.” She smiled.

  “We should talk about what that will look like.” I took a deep breath and exhaled.

  “What real life will look like?” She frowned in confusion.

  “Yes, now that it’s just you and me without all of the drama and impending doom. What’s life going to be like for us? Let’s get into it.”

  She nodded and then her face fell instantly. “Wait, now that everything is straightened out, are you trying to back out of this?”

  “Out of what?” I asked in confusion.

  “Out of this relationship. Like, it’s been fun but see you later?”

  “Why would I do that?” I repeated, still lost. I didn’t know what she was talking about, but I did know it was pissing me off.

  “Yes, Carter, this is what I’m asking. Was this whole thing just about saving me and now that I’m saved, you’re done? Do you want out? Have you decided you had enough? Because I have to tell you, if you dragged me halfway across the country with my friends and family just to cut me loose, you have a hell of a fight on your hands. I don’t shake easy. I’m not going down without a fight. You are stuck with me. Like it or not.” She glared at me and swigged a generous portion of wine.

  “What the hell are you talking about?” I still had no idea where she was coming from. This woman could take the most innocuous comment and turn it into a major thing. It was one of her less endearing traits.

  She shrugged. “I assume that you’ve realized that it’s not going to be all moonlight and roses and you’re ready to go back to your old life. Well, that’s just too damn bad.”

  I set my own wineglass down with a snap. “Who do you think you are talking to? When has this relationship ever been moonlight and roses? You and I are never going to be a walk in the park; we just don’t work that way. But I know that. And what old life am I supposed to be going back to? I haven’t been that guy I think you’re referring to for years. Are you crazy?”

  “Are you leaving me?”

  “After all of this, do you not know who I am? Have you no clue what I’m really about? Like none?” My voice escalated at the end of the sentence.

  She figured out that I was upset. “Ummm. Well . . .”

  I cut her off. “I am Carter freaking Parks, woman. I am in love with you and I was trying to propose before you lost your fool-ass mind. For some damn reason, I thought spending the rest of my life with you would be a good idea.” I slapped the velvet box down on the table and stomped inside the room, slamming the door behind me. If I’d said it before, I’d said it a thousand freaking times... that woman was going to be the death of me.

  30

  I’m slow, but I’m not stupid

  Katrina—Thursday, August 4—10:21 p.m.

  I squeezed my eyes shut and shook my head. I stayed messing up with Carter Evan Parks. Sorry, make that Carter Freaking Parks. He whisked me off to the ocean to this beautiful state with people I cared about for some much-needed decompression time. He waited for this special moment to propose and what did I do? I promptly accused him of wanting to be free and play the field. I slapped my hand to my forehead. What could I say? For all my life experience, this was still my first real relationship with an actual grown-up. I had some catching up to do. I was programmed to expect the worst. I still had trouble embracing the best.

  Reaching over, I plucked up the jewelry box and twirled it around in my hands. There was nothing else to do but woman up and face the music. I rose and headed inside, determined to restore some special to this evening.

  Carter stood beside the fireplace with his hands in his pockets. “You know, Katrina, I don’t know what else to do. What else to say to prove that I’m in this.”

  I gave him a crooked smile. “You don’t have to say or do anything else. But I do.”

  He relaxed his stance and kept listening.

  “I promise I’ll do better. I’m spoiled, more insecure that I thought I would be, and generally when I get scared, I suck. Seriously, I get a little irrational and then I say stupid, hurtful things that I don’t mean. ”

  “This is an interesting tactic,” he noted with a tilt of his head.

  “Be that as it may, I’m slow, but I’m not stupid. I recognize a good thing when it’s right in front of me.” I stepped closer. “And you are right here. You, Carter Freaking Parks, are a very good thing.”

  “Oh yeah?” He nodded slowly. “It’s about damn time you recognized, woman.”

  “People tell me I can have any man I want and maybe that’s true. I don’t know. All I know for sure is that the only man I want is you. If you’re deluded enough to want to marry me, I’m selfish enough to hold you to it.” I went down on one knee in front of him and held up the ring box. “Will you do me the great honor of asking me to marry you, please?”

  He flung back his head and laughed before kneeling beside me. He took the ring box from me, flipped it open, and turned it toward me. My jaw dropped open. What was that? It was big and pink and sparkly. Gorgeous. I wanted. I grabbed for it. He held it out of my reach. “Not so fast. Audelia Katrina Montgomery, any interest in becoming Audelia Katrina Parks?”

  I raised my eyes from that magnificent ring and met his. “Every interest in the world.”

  “Yeah?”

  “Yeah. That’s yes. A hell yes, in fact.” I held my hand out and he slid the ring on. It was a perfect fit. A perfect color. Perfectly me. I smiled. “I’m going to be Mrs. Sexy.”

  “Yeah, you are. Katrina Sexy.” Carter snickered. “
So you’re sure about this. You’re not going to freak out or anything? Cause this is it. You and me. No more nonsense.”

  I flung myself at him and wrapped my arms around his neck. We rolled around laughing and tussling on the rug. I landed on top. “I’m a freak out. I may drive you crazy. But I’m in this. Sickness, health, all of that. Like I said earlier, you’re stuck with me.”

  “Looks like we’re stuck with each other,” he murmured into my hair.

  “How lucky are we?”

  “Not lucky, blessed,” I said with a smile.

  “I agree. And Katrina?”

  “Yes?” I responded.

  “Let’s remember this,” Carter said seriously, “what this feels like, what it took for us to get here. Let’s just do whatever it takes to feel a little bit of this every day for the rest of our lives. Can you do that?”

  I stared into his eyes and saw all the reasons why he was the only man for me. He kept me grounded; even when I felt I was floating above the air. He kept it real; even when we were living out a fantasy. He understood me; even when I didn’t understand myself. “I can. I will. Because we are so totally worth it. Now shut up and kiss me, Sexy.”

  Epilogue

  Luckiest day of my life

  Jewel, Roman, Beau, Belle, Carter, Katrina—Saturday,

  August 6—12:42 p.m.

  The three couples sat on the back patio of the house in Dana Point by the outdoor fireplace. They’d made pizza in the custom oven outside for lunch and were lounging around for the rest of the day before heading back to Dallas tomorrow.

  “God, I’m happy,” Katrina announced, holding her ring hand up toward the light for the umpteenth time that day.

  “It’s a damn fine day,” Belle agreed. “You put that hand down before you blind all of us, Kit-Kat.”