"It happened; it's public. Go out there and put on a brave face." Slater sighed. "Life has a tendency to go on, even though it may not seem like it at first."
Alex frowned. "Grandma said the same thing but I think she just wants to get rid of me. I think my notoriety is affecting her standing with her old lady church group."
Slater chuckled. "That won't stop Mrs. Perry from supporting you. She doesn't really care what people think about her. Besides, you are family; she treasures her family."
"You are so handsome." Alex twisted to her side and looked at him. "This morning when I saw you, I was like where on earth did Granny get him from? You could be a movie star."
Slater whistled. "Thank you but no. Not interested."
"Yeah, why, your girlfriend won't let you?" Alex raised an eyebrow.
"Definitely," Slater said mock severity. "She makes all my decisions for me."
"You don't look like the kind of man who would let your woman make all his decisions. So I am guessing that was sarcasm and you don't have a girlfriend."
Slater shrugged. "Maybe."
Alex smiled. "I could come with you to this shindig tonight, be your date and all. People see me with you and they'll stop feeling sorry for me. I can see the headlines now: Alex Perry bounces back with mystery guy."
"I am going to work, Alex." Slater straightened up. "And as soon as we are done, I am coming back home. I feel tired."
"But it won't matter, I just need a couple of people to see me with you and I will be fine."
Slater groaned. "Women are such users."
"But it's for a good cause. You don't have a girlfriend, so you won't be hurting anybody and God knows that if anybody can use a break, I can."
*****
"You have a meeting in the boardroom," Lydia greeted Amoy as soon as she stepped off the elevator. "And no, there is no change in delivery men; it's still the ugly one."
"Good morning to you too," Amoy said, running her fingers through her hair as she made a beeline for her office. "And Lydia, you can stop reporting about the delivery man."
"Don't tell me the romance is over already?" Lydia shook her head. "People just won't stay in relationships longer than a day these days."
Amoy was in no mood to entertain Lydia; she was running late today. It was almost eleven o'clock, and she had a meeting across town with one of her clients. She assumed that the meeting in the boardroom had to do with Carmen's case, maybe one of the government lawyers she kept rescheduling as a stalling tactic.
That was confirmed when Debbie saw her striding toward her desk. She got up and walked behind her.
"You look pretty today!" she cooed.
Amoy put down her briefcase and narrowed her eyes. "What is the bad news?"
"Seriously, you really look good today. I like that navy suit and red shoes. Really eye-catching."
"And..." Amoy folded her arms.
"And Jaylon Best the second is the lawyer waiting for you in the boardroom."
Amoy closed her eyes and then opened them. "Okay, no problem. This is a small town; it was only a matter of time before the both of us met over a case."
"So you are good?" Lydia asked doubtfully. "You once said that he was the love of your life."
"And I have lived several lives since then." Amoy laughed. "He was the love of that period in my life. Where are the files? I haven't even familiarized myself with them yet."
She picked them up, scanned through them and sighed. "Okay, I am going to have to wing this meeting."
She headed down the hallway toward the boardroom and took a deep breath before pushing open the door. There he was, Jaylon Best. Tall, dark and handsome. He had put on some weight, which suited him; he had always been a thinnish fellow. But then as now, he was still a beautiful man.
"Jay," she smiled when she entered the room. He got up and straightened up to his six-two height. "Amoy Lee Chang... er... Gardener, how are you?"
"Good," Amoy smiled. "And you?"
"Great." Jay paused awkwardly. "I heard that you are filling in for Carmen--pretty surprising since you knew I was lead opposing counsel."
"Yes, and it's not an issue for me." She sat across from him and smiled. "So what brings you here?"
"Our motion to dismiss your last petition." Jay pushed a file toward her.
Amoy sat back and grinned. "You know this won't see the light of day in court."
"Your client is a scavenger, trying to fleece away the resources of the Jamaican people," Jay said passionately. "How can you represent them?"
"My client is an investor who will be hiring three thousand people if this sale ensues. How can you prevent this?"
"We always see things differently." Jay smiled ruefully. "This feels like old times."
Amoy nodded. "We did have some really passionate debates."
"You ever think about us?" Jay asked. "What if we were still together?"
"Not regularly." Amoy shrugged. "Well, to be honest, just last week. I spared you some brain space. I was reflecting on how we ended. I regretted how it happened."
"Me too." Jay rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "If we hadn't ended, you would be Amoy Best now. With a million kids. You always said you wanted a million children."
"Yes," Amoy grimaced, "but here we are."
"You still like jazz?" Jay asked, closing his briefcase. "There is a jazz concert at the Courtyard Hotel. We could go together. I have two tickets. Don't think of it as a date; think of it as a peace treaty."
"With opposing counsel?" Amoy chuckled. "I don't think Carmen would like it that I am making peace with the opposing point man on her case."
"We won't discuss law." Jaylon grinned. "We'll just catch up on each other’s lives. What do you say?"
"Okay." Amoy nodded. "Sounds good. It beats going home and talking to my brother's cat."
Chapter Nine
"Hey man," Tony slapped Slater on his shoulder as soon as he entered the circular courtyard area of the hotel where the stage was set up for the performance. "I was worried you wouldn't make it. We are the first act. Three songs."
Slater nudged Alex, who was hanging onto him like a human shield, and she had all right to: as soon as they stepped into the courtyard, there were murmurs and sly looks cast her way.
Alex would probably have a crick neck by the end of the evening; her head had gotten higher and higher the more uptight she got.
"Alex took a while to get ready." Slater indicated Alex, who was dressed in a black pantsuit which showcased her slim figure. A slash of red lip stick was the only color on her.
Tony looked at his cousin and nodded. "You made it out of the house. Good for you. And you look great. Now, can I borrow Slater for a minute? We need to discuss songs."
"I am coming with you," Alex pouted, "I am not leaving Slater's side."
"So you coming up on stage too?" Tony asked, grinning. "I remember how good your voice was back in the day. Want to sing the first song?"
"What is it?" Alex looked relaxed for the first time that evening, "I am still good."
"I was thinking Fever, the Ray Charles and Natalie Cole version. Sounds jazzy to me. You can sing it with Slater."
Alex nodded. "I know the words."
"And I don't. Never promised to sing, Tony. You said you wanted a saxophonist." Slater pointed out. "Besides, if you are serious, Alex, you can do it as a solo."
"I will." Alex pushed up her chin. "I see the producer for Sunrise over there near the back. This should prove to him that I am doing other things."
"Yeah," Tony grinned and then pointed in the distance near the lawn where the white chairs were arranged in a half circle. "There is Amoy G."
"Who is Amoy G?" Alex asked, straining her neck to see who it was.
"Slater's ideal woman." Tony laughed. "He has a serious thing for her."
Slater studiously did not look to where Tony pointed.
"She is pretty," Alex murmured. "I know that guy who is whispering in her ear. I see him on TV."
Slater couldn't resist. He had to see who was whispering in Amoy's ear. He couldn't pretend disinterest anymore. A shaft of jealousy hit him—gripped his chest and rubbed it raw--when he saw that she was sitting with the conservationist lawyer who was always on television programs talking about saving the forests and such.
The famed Rhodes scholar and Harvard graduate who was the government’s newest legal mouth piece.
He was whispering in her ear and she was laughing at what he was saying. Obviously she was enjoying herself. She did look pretty too, in her tight little black dress and her hair falling in waves onto one shoulder.
Obviously, she was into relationships again, or she had found a more appropriate sucker to have her babies with.
An educated and rich lawyer just like her. She was probably very grateful that he had said no.
He shrugged off the melancholy that had suddenly descended on him, not even realizing that a guy was taking his picture and Alex was digging her fingers into his arms.
"Smile," she gritted out.
Slater frowned and looked at the cameraman. "Why?"
Alex punched him when the cameraman left. "Because that was the press. They have to think I am happy!"
"But why do I have to smile?" Slater patted her hand gently. "Alex, you'll be fine. I have to go and play and you are going to stick it to this crowd by proving to them that you can sing too. Come on."
He took one last look around for Amoy. And he may have spent a little bit too long.
Tony touched him on his shoulder. "We are playing Unforgettable as the second song. I can dedicate it to her if you like."
"Don't you dare!" Slater shook his head.
****
It registered that Slater was the one playing when he did the solo piece in Unforgettable. Amoy had been enjoying the song with her eyes half closed when Jay whistled softly.
"He's really good, isn't he?"
And then she had opened her eyes and saw that it was Slater. It was that band that he played with and he was actually up there with the sax.
"Yes," Amoy leaned back in her chair. The fleeting flirtation that she had entertained that she and Jay could get back together because they had so many things in common died a quick, painless death.
"He can play several instruments." She said it boastfully and a touch possessively.
Jay looked at her. "You know him?"
"In a manner of speaking," she inhaled. "Yes, I do."
"He should have an album." Jay nodded to the song. "I would buy it."
Amoy nodded but she wasn't really listening to Jay. She was thinking that her evening with Jay was now wasted. Slater had occupied most of her thoughts in the week and here he was. Jay didn't stand a chance now. When Slater was around he was the only man she could think of—wanted to think of.
And even when he wasn't around, if she were to be honest.
What was happening to her?
She suffered through the haunting notes of the song and even stood with the rest of the audience and clapped when the band was finished, but through all that she was questioning her emotions.
When had she gotten so involved with the notion of Slater? Even to the point where she was sitting with Jay, a man who was a known entity, currently single, and best of all, he was educated and handsome and they had the same interests, and all she could think about were dark amber deep-set eyes, gazing at her with a thousand and one emotions as he recited Dennis Brown's For You.
She sat down abruptly. What was going on?
There must be some glitch in her hardware. She needed fixing.
She watched as Slater's band exited the stage. He walked off to the side behind the others and the young woman who had sung Fever came from the side of the crowd and hugged him tightly around the neck. She could see the embrace clearly from where she sat.
Was that some crazy female fan?
Slater had fans?
But of course, he would be popular with the ladies. It wasn't impossible. It was to be expected; after all, he was a talented musician. Women seemed to go for those kinds of things.
She subsided in her chair, waiting for Slater to ease away from the girl, but she hung onto him like a limpet.
They moved away from the stage and walked toward the rear of the gathering.
Jay touched her and she jumped.
"I didn't know you were a celebrity watcher?"
"Huh?" Amoy frowned.
"That girl with the musician is Alexandra Perry. He must be the one she was featured with in the sex tape."
"Sex tape!" Amoy widened her eyes. "What?"
"Maybe it's not him; the one who leaked her sex tape was her ex. Maybe he is her new guy." Jay grinned. "She sure moves on fast. Seriously, you have eschewed reading all entertainment news now?"
"Yes--well, no. Alexandra Perry--should I know her?"
"She is the daughter of the dictator in the soap opera Sunrise. In the show she is an innocent teenager torn between the attention of her schoolboy crush and older guy who wants her father's money. I wonder how they are going to correlate that to her having a sex tape in real life."
"Fascinating stuff," Amoy sneered. "Sorry, don't watch it."
Amoy swung around to look at them. Alexandra was no longer hanging onto Slater. She was talking to a group of women. Slater said something to her and left for the parking lot.
Amoy stood up. "I'll be back, Jay."
"Okay." Jay smiled at her. "Don't stay away too long."
*****
He was easy to spot in the well-lit parking lot. He was just about to get into a black SUV, the same one that she had thought she had mistakenly seen him in at the parking lot at Eugenia's workplace.
So it had been him!
"Slater!" she called out before he could get into the vehicle and walked rapidly toward where he was standing.
He froze and spun around.
Amoy's footsteps faltered. His expression did not look friendly.
"Hey." Her voice was not as strong as she would have liked it to be.
He didn't answer; he just inclined his head and nodded.
"I haven't seen you in a while." Amoy cleared her throat. "You stopped working for King Express?"
"No." His voice was cool, aloof. "I switched routes."
"Listen, I have wanted to apologize to you for a while now…for Thursday night. I shouldn't have said what I said to you."
"Because you found a more suitable replacement?" He almost sneered it.
"What?" Amoy couldn't for the life of her think who the replacement could be, then she remembered Jay.
How on earth could she have forgotten Jay already!
"Oh," she shook her head. "Jay and I are old friends. Well, we were a little more than that but we broke up a long time ago. And no, he is not a replacement. Seriously, Slater, I am sorry for what I said about not wanting a relationship and only wanting your... er ...sperm."
"So you want a relationship and you don't want my sperm?" He pushed his hands into his pockets and leaned back on the vehicle. Self assured. Cool. So handsome. He struck her as the kind of guy who could hypnotize women with just a stare from those deep-set eyes.
And she must be hypnotized because the next words out of her mouth were full-time crazy.
"If I said I want to try, what would you say?"
The lazy look slipped from his face. "Say that again."
"Let us try. We obviously like each other; it's foolish of me to deny it anymore. This week I kept hoping for you to show up at the office. I think about you at night. I keep coming up with new reasons we shouldn't be a couple, but I also see how we could if we try."
"Amoy," Slater moved closer to her, "are you sure about this? I don't want to be your little experiment. I don't want to be your secret love either--you know, like that Luther Vandross song, where we can't tell anybody because you don't want your fancy friends to know about me
."
Amoy smirked. "I don't have fancy friends and to dispel the secret love notion, I guess I am formally inviting you to brunch at my parents’ house next Sunday at eleven."
"Wait!" Slater frowned. "Your parents? That's deep...that's scary."
Amoy nodded. "I know but it is the perfect occasion to out us. And I am going to need to know your phone number, so we can talk. I have to get back to Jay."
Slater looked shell-shocked as he gave her his number. Amoy rushed on before she lost her nerves. "What's with you and Alexandra Perry?"
"She's my landlady's granddaughter. And she wanted to come along this evening as we played. She has been in hiding for a while."
"Oh." Amoy frowned. "And you were not in that tape of hers, were you?"
Slater rubbed his chin. "No, I wasn't. Are you going to do this lawyer thing with me all the time?"
"Are you the cheating type?"
"No. I am strictly a one-woman kind of man." He looked at her intensely.
"Good." Amoy exhaled. "Call you later, so that you can get my number."
She left him standing at the car, feeling an absurd sense of relief. She needed to ask him how he got that car. And where he lived.
So much she didn't now about him, but that would change. She felt as if she was stepping into uncharted waters when she headed back to her seat bedside Jay but she also felt a deep-seated certainty that she and Slater could make a go of it despite their differences.
Chapter Ten
Slater was feeling high as a kite. He drove home after the jazz concert with Alexandra in tow, telling him that things were not as bad as she thought they would be.
"The producer I thought was really evil for firing me said he could arrange an audition for a Caribbean docu-drama. About a girl who could sing but lost her voice and the guy that she loved..."
He nodded and must have murmured the appropriate responses because Alex talked nonstop all the way home. And all he could think of was that Amoy Gardener wanted to have a relationship with him. Him!
Scarlett Love (The Scarletts Page 8