The Billionaire Saved My Life - The Finale

by Sherie Keys

  ***

  Jeannie showed up at the birthday party wearing the outfit that Tanya had coordinated for her. The first person she saw was Kurtis. She had only spoken to him briefly on the phone since the break up between him and Tanya, and never mentioned once that Tanya had moved in. She hugged him.

  “Hello, stranger. How you feeling?” she said.

  “Couldn't be better.”

  “You here alone?” she asked.

  “No, I brought a date.”

  Jeannie froze for a moment.

  “Don't worry, it's not Catherine. There's no going back as far as she's concerned.”

  “Well, thank God. Who are you here with?”

  Just then, a black woman with large breasts hooked her arm through Kurtis's. Jeannie glared at her.

  “This is Seanique,” Kurtis said. Seanique waved at Jeannie and kissed Kurtis's cheek. “Would you mind getting us some champagne?” he asked her.

  “Sure,” said Seanique and disappeared through the crowd.

  “What the hell?” Jeannie said. “Who on earth is that? Is she some kind of Tanya replacement or something? If so, she doesn't even come close. Tanya has class. What are you doing? I mean apart from Seanique? I thought you had good taste.”

  “I'm not marrying the girl, I'm just having fun.”

  “So you're back to your old ways, huh? Love 'em and leave 'em. Does the lovely Seanique know that? Mind you, she doesn't look like she's got much in the brain department but I don't suppose that's why you're with her, is it? Come on, Kurtis. James was the real woman-using bastard, it never suited you.”

  Seanique returned with two glass of champagne. “Sorry, that's all I could carry.” She looked Jeannie up and down. Jeannie turned her back and walked away, fuming at Kurtis.

  A little later, she caught up with him alone.

  “Where's the girl?” Jeannie asked.

  “I sent her home. I've had enough of her for now.”

  “You're a bastard. You deserve to suffer.”

  “Who's suffering?” He had a smug look on his face and sipped brandy from a large glass.

  “I know all about what happened. The whole Tanya and James thing is old news now. I was not happy about Tanya not telling you the truth but I think you deserve to stew.”

  “What are you babbling about, Jeannie, what truth? I saw the truth with my own eyes.”

  “Did you? Or did you see the truth James wanted you to see? Did you listen to Tanya? Do you know what she'd been through that night?”

  All color was gone from his cheeks. He turned, stony faced, to Jeannie. “What are you saying, Jeannie? Are you trying to tell me James raped her?” His eyes were filled with rage and hurt.

  “No, he never laid a finger on her, but you never stopped long enough to find out.”

  “You're not making any sense. You didn't see them, butt naked in bed – what else could they have been doing, decorating the bedroom?”

  “Did you get a good look at the woman you said you loved? She was drugged, you asshole. He spiked her drink at Rafaelo's and took her away into the night. He sent us all messages saying she'd gone home and she was fine. But all the time he was setting you up and you fell for it. You didn't see past your own stupid pride and broke that girl's heart. You're a bastard, Kurtis. I'm not sure I want you as my friend.”

  Kurtis put the glass of brandy he was drinking down. He had tears in his eyes. He turned to Jeannie again. “I have to go to her.”

  “She doesn't want to see you, idiot. She has completely lost faith in you now. She's moving on with her life.” Jeannie crossed her arms and glared at Kurtis.

  “Is that what she said? Have you been over to her apartment?”

  “She's not there any more. She moved out a week ago. She left the keys in there and the keys to the car you bought her. I believe she left the ring in an envelope there for you to pick up.”

  “When was she going to tell me this?”

  “Would you have given her the time of day if she asked to speak to you?”

  “Yes, no. I don't know but this changes everything.”

  “Yes everything has changed, Kurtis. It wasn't supposed to be me who told you this but I couldn't hold it in any longer. You two have wasted something good. And Kurtis, it's all your fault.”

  Chapter5

  Kurtis tried for a week to find Tanya but to no avail. He drove over to the apartment he'd bought for her and it was as Jeannie had said, she was gone, leaving the diamond engagement ring and the keys to the car behind. No forwarding address and no message from her.

  After trying repeatedly to call her cell, he then tried calling the boutique Tanya worked at as a fashion buyer.

  “I'm sorry, Mr Reed, but I don't have any information for you.” Elena, the owner of the boutique said to Kurtis. “Now I want you to stop calling here. I'm trying to run a business and having to stop and tell you the same thing every day is just not on.”

  “I understand, but if you should see her, please tell her I'm trying to find her.”

  What Kurtis did not know was that Tanya had already told Elena to field all calls from Kurtis. She didn't want to speak to him and Elena was happy to comply.

  “I suppose it's none of my business,” Elena said one day after coming off the telephone to Kurtis for the fifth time that week, “but don't you think you ought to talk to him?”

  “I wanted to, but the longer I left it, the harder it got for me to bring myself to see him.”

  “You haven't told me what went on and I'm sure you have your reasons for breaking up, but he seems pretty desperate.”

  “I know that, Elena. But he's only been this desperate to call me since my friend Jeannie saw him at a party. I've got a feeling she let him in on a secret I asked her to keep. She keeps avoiding me, but I knew, anyway, she couldn't hold back, he was her friend first.”

  “If she's your friend and his, then perhaps she thought it was for the best,” Elena said. “Maybe she realizes it's time you two spoke.”

  “Well, I think the time has passed. Anyway I've got a lot to do.”

  Tanya left the boutique and was on her way to see a client when she bumped into Jeannie.

  “Speak of the devil,” Tanya exclaimed, when she almost knocked her over. “I want a word with you, Jeannie.”

  “I know what you're going to say. I know he's been calling you, but honestly, Tanya, I couldn't help myself. He just got me so riled up and I just needed to put him straight. I'm sorry. I didn't go there with the intention of blowing your secret but...”

  “It's all right,” Tanya sighed. “Like everyone keeps telling me, maybe it's time I did speak to him then I can sever all ties and finally get back on with my life.”

  “Really?” Jeannie practically jumped up and down on the sidewalk. “That's so great.”

  “Jeannie, don't think it will lead to a reconciliation because I told you, I'm moving on.”

  “Can I call him now?”

  “If you must. I'll meet him at Maxie's on 5th at 8pm tonight.”

  “I'll tell him. He'll be happy to at least get a chance to apologize for acting like a jerk. After that, I promise to butt out and I'll never let you down like that again.”

  Later that evening, Jeannie buzzed around Tanya as she was getting ready to meet Kurtis. Kaya and Mae had dropped in too because Tanya sent them a text to say she was meeting him. They showed up with flowers and alcohol, saying they were there to give her moral support.

  “You guys, this isn't a date,” Tanya said as she pulled on a sweater. “This is just going to be a chance to clear the air and let him know where I stand and to make sure he knows that it's over.”

  “So you won't bend a little?” Mae said, trying to make something of Tanya's hair.

  “Stop fussing, Mae,” Tanya said only to have Jeannie approach her with a pair of glitzy, diamond earrings.

  “Just cut it out, girls,” Tanya dodged out of the way. “I'm ready to go.”

  “You look perfect,” Kaya
said.

  “Thank you, Kaya, at least I can always count on you to be level headed and realistic. You of all people will understand where I'm coming from.”

  “Girl, I never said I understood, I just think these two ought to back off and let you make your own mistakes.” Kaya ate a large spoon of the ice cream she had gotten out of Jeannie's freezer. “We'll be waiting here for you until you get back. If you're late back, we'll understand.”

  “I won't be, so don't wait up.” Tanya picked up her purse and heard the taxi driver. “That’ll be my ride. See you later.”

  Tanya trotted down the stairs knowing her girlfriends would be disappointed she hadn't worn her hair in the updo that Kurtis liked and because she'd gone out in her most unflattering jeans possible and wore a stuffy sweater.

  She got into the back seat of the taxi and the driver took off. He took a right turn as they pulled away from the gates to Jeannie's mansion. Tanya had butterflies in her stomach. She wasn't sure how this evening would go and didn't know what a conversation with Kurtis would be like after all these weeks. It had been over a month since they last saw each other. She kept telling herself, don't be weak, Tanya, and stick to the plan.

  Not too far from Jeannie's place she heard her cell in her purse. Someone had sent her a text. She smiled, assuming it would be one of the girls. Or what if it was Kurtis and he'd changed his mind and wouldn't be there? But the text was from a number she didn't know. It also had an attachment. Should she open it, she wondered. Something in the back of her mind told her she should.

  Clicking to open the attachment, Tanya could not believe what she saw.

  “Hey, could you stop the car,” she said in a quiet voice. The driver carried on driving. The city lights shone bright, she was close to Maxie's already. “I said stop!” she shouted. The driver's brakes screeched as he came to a halt.

  “What is it? What's the matter?” he said looking into his rear view mirror. He got no reply from Tanya and turned to see what had happened. He hoped she wasn't sick. “Miss? You all right? You look like you seen a ghost.”

  Tanya did not answer; just stared down hard at the attachment she had just been sent. It was a photograph and she knew exactly when and where it had been taken. If she was right, then this journey in to the city center would be a waste of time. She was in no mood to humor Kurtis, not after what she'd just seen.

  “Please,” Tanya said. “Turn around. Take me back.”

  “You got it. Just don't throw up in cab will ya?”

  “Well you better hurry. I might just be sick.”

  The driver stepped on the gas and hurried Tanya back to Jeannie's mansion. He stopped at the huge front door.

  “That's $25.50.” The driver said, watching Tanya over his shoulder making sure his cab stayed intact. She handed him a fifty.

  “Keep the change,” she said and slowly got out.

  She walked up to the front door as if someone had tied weights to her feet. She unlocked the door and before she could make her way across the large hallway, the girls had come running out to see why she was back so soon.

  “What happened, Tanya?” Kaya said putting an arm around her. “You get cold feet?”

  Tanya shook her head. They led her to the kitchen where they were preparing snacks and opening bottles of the beer Kaya brought over.

  “Tanya...Tanya...Tanya!” Mae waved a hand in front of Tanya's face. Her eyes had glazed over. “Are you going to speak to us?”

  Tanya was holding her cell in her hand. She clicked it on and pulled up the attachment. She held it up. Jeannie grabbed the cell from her hand and the three of them gathered around it.

  “This is a picture of Catherine in a bathrobe,” Jeannie said. All three looked at Tanya. “Who sent this to you and why?”

  “Why?” Tanya said. “That's Kurtis's room number. It's the hotel where he stayed when he was in LA. And that's Catherine in a bathrobe, telling me she's stayed a night with my fiancé.” Tanya started laughing. They girls stared at her, wide-eyed.

  “Why is this funny?” Mae said.

  “Don't you see?” Tanya replied. “It was all one big fat waste of time. Me going over to see Kurtis tonight. To do what? Make him feel better about himself for knowing the truth about James being in my bed? Well, what about how I feel, knowing that he was so ready to call me a cheat when he'd just come back from screwing Catherine.”

  “Maybe it's not how it looks,” Mae pleaded.

  “Oh come on, Mae. Grow up or wake up. This has all been one great big mistake from the word go. We should never have gotten together. We were only fooling ourselves.” She stormed out of the kitchen.

  Meanwhile, across town, Kurtis sat and waited a whole hour before he started calling Tanya's cell. The girls in the kitchen stared at the cell, vibrating on the kitchen counter top in the middle of potato chips, beer, wine, popcorn and ice cream. Kaya grabbed it and saw Kurtis's number.

  “What are you going to do?” Jeannie said.

  “I'm going to show him why Tanya won't be showing up to meet him, not today and not any day either, the lying little...there.” Kaya forwarded the photograph to Kurtis. “Let him try to lie himself out of that one.”

  Chapter6

  Tanya, Jeannie, Kaya and Mae were well on their way to being drunk.

  They were all in the kitchen around the center island with even more comfort food and drink ready for consumption since the photo text of Catherine came to Tanya earlier. They had music playing and Kaya was singing, trying to persuade Tanya to dance her blues away.

  “Leave me alone,” Tanya protested. “I don't want to dance. But you can pour me some more of that wine.”

  “Coming up.” Kaya did the honors and topped up everybody's glass. “We are all going to have thumping headaches come tomorrow morning.”

  “Don't worry,” Jeannie said. “You can all crash here and take the day to sleep it off.”

  “Amen to that,” Kaya held up her glass and started to sing and dance again.

  All of a sudden, there was a sound like the rumble of thunder coming from somewhere.

  “Shh,” Mae said, “did anyone hear that?”

  They were quiet for a second and the rumbling started again. It was the front door and it sounded as though someone was trying to bang it down. They girls all looked at each other.

  “What the... should I call the police?” Jeannie slurred.

  “I take it you're not expecting anyone?” Mae said walking to the kitchen door and then out to the hallway. She tiptoed to the door and looked at the security camera picture to see who was there.

  “It's Kurtis,” she said in a stage whisper. Tanya waved her hands, she didn't want to see him and ran up the stairs to her bedroom.

  “I'll take care of this,” Jeannie said. She straightened up and pulled open the door. “A little late in the evening for a visit, Kurtis.

  “Is Tanya here?”

  “Why would she be here?”

  “I kinda put two and two together since our talk at that party.” He scanned the hallway and saw Kaya and Mae trying to prop each other up. “Ladies,” he nodded to them and then looked around and saw no sign of Tanya. “Where is she?”

  “Who?” Kaya said and squared up to him.

  “You know who I mean. Where's Tanya? I need to talk to her.”

  “Well she doesn't want to talk to you, Mr. Big Shot,” Mae said with her hands on her hips. “Forgive me, Jeannie, but Kurtis you can't just come up in here making demands and acting like you own everybody in the place.”

  “I'm not, I just...”

  “Just what? Got so much money you think you can just pick people up, tell them you love them and then drop them like a rock? No way, uh-uh, that ain't happening. Not on my watch. Now you take your billionaire butt and get out of here.” Mae's face was threatening enough but when Kaya crossed her arms and glared at him, he looked at Jeannie for help.

  Jeannie crossed her arms too. “Don't look at me, I'm with them. I told you, Kurtis, you'
ve acted so badly to that girl. She deserves better and you know it.”

  “Yeah,” Kaya said. “You're so ready to accuse our girl about all kinds of stuff and there you are having a ball in LA with the ghost lady.”

  “Now wait!” Kurtis said. “I can explain all that.”

  “Whether you do or you don't, Kurtis,” Mae said, “Tanya just doesn't want to see you again.”

  “I can't accept that,” Kurtis said, desperately looking up the stairs, hoping Tanya would, miraculously, put her head out of one of the many doors on the balcony above. But they were all closed and there was no sign of her. “You know I love, Tanya. She knows that. I never stopped loving her. I was a jerk, a creep, call me what you like.”

  “A bastard!” Kaya said.

  “A liar,” Mae added.

  “A stupid ass,” Jeannie nodded and looked at the girls.

  “All those things,” Kurtis said. “And much more besides. But I do love her. I love Tanya and I don't want to lose her because other people are trying to break us up. I can explain that photo of Catherine. In fact I have quite a few things I need to tell Tanya about Catherine.”

  “I'm sure she won't want to know.” Kaya said.

  “I just want one more chance. Please. Please ask Tanya to meet me tomorrow afternoon, three o'clock at our place in Central Park. She'll know. I'll be there waiting for her and I'll have all the proof she'll need that all of this has been one great big lie. We're being kept apart by people who want to hurt us; I can't let that happen and I don't want to lose her.”

  “You talk big, Kurtis. But talk is cheap,” Kaya said. “Actions speak louder than words and seems to me you been getting more action than anyone around here. All that girl ever did was love you. You think because you saved her life you can treat her so bad?”

  “No Kaya, you got that wrong. I didn't save Tanya's life; she saved mine. I just need to show her what that means to me.” With that, Kurtis walked back to the door, turning one more time, he looked up the staircase. “Three o'clock, our place in Central Park. I'll be waiting.” He left and closed the door.

  All the girls sighed and looked up the stairs. Tanya was slowly making her way down them. The girls were quiet and watched her descend, her eyes were glassy with tears.