The Lies We Tell for Love (The Love, Lies & Lust Series)

by Mz. Robinson

  “Okay,” I said, wondering what her point was. “So go on a diet or hit the gym. Get back in shape. There’s $5,000 equipment sitting in the other room collecting dust.”

  “I have a better suggestion,” Nadia said, glaring at me. “Why don’t you call that bitch and ask her for an advance!”

  What Nadia was unaware of was that I had all the advance I needed; I just chose not to spend any of my earnings on her. “Why don’t you sit down and shut up?” I said calmly. I placed our disagreement on pause when I heard my phone ringing. “Yeah?” I answered. I listened as I was updated on a few changes to my itinerary. “Are you sure?” I looked at Nadia, who was watching my every move and hanging on my every word. “That’s cool,” I told my caller. “Peace.”

  “And who was that?” Nadia questioned. “Her?”

  “Her who?”

  “Octavia?”

  I looked at her and shook my head. “No,” I said solemnly. I was having a moment of nostalgia. “You know, some of the best moments of my life have been spent with you.”

  Nadia’s expression changed from being pissed off to flattered. She was so simple, so predictable, and so damn easy to manipulate—like a stupid lost puppy.

  “Our first date,” I said, walking up to her. “The first time we made love.” I pulled her into my arms and whispered, “Watching you give birth.”

  “Giving birth is what landed my body in this condition.” She sighed, rolling her eyes. Not only was Nadia simple and predictable, but she was also shallow as hell. The more I looked at her, the more the negatives were starting to stack against her.

  “But he’s worth it.” I smiled, thinking about Donovan.

  “I guess.”

  “I’ll tell you what,” I said, kissing her nose lightly. “Why don’t you go and pick out something sexy to wear, and the two of us will drive to Nashville for dinner?”

  The thought of money being spent on her always lightened Nadia’s mood. She smiled brightly. “Ooh! Can we stay overnight?”

  “Of course we can,” I said, staring her in the eyes. “Did you call Bernice to check on Donovan?” I asked, changing the subject.

  “No,” she answered, pulling away from me, “but I’m sure he’s fine.”

  “How do you know?”

  “He’s my son,” she said, placing emphasis on the possessive.

  I nodded my head in agreement.

  “I’m going to take a shower and get dressed,” she said. “I’ll be out in a few. Oh, and can you get us a car for tonight?” she asked. “I do not want to ride around in that wretched borrowed Camry.”

  “Whatever you like,” I said.

  Nadia smiled triumphantly.

  ***

  A hour later, I strolled outside wearing jeans creased to the max, a dark blue button-down, and gators. I carried my overnight bag in one hand and my cell phone in the other. I walked up to the black Cadillac with smoked-out tint that was waiting by the curb for me. I opened the passenger door and climbed in. “You know I like to drive,” I teased.

  “Mama is chauffeuring tonight,” she said softly. “You look nice.”

  I looked over at Lena and smiled, letting her know I also approved of the fitted knit dress she was rocking. “So do you.”

  “Thank you, baby,” she said, seductively leaning toward me.

  I greeted her properly by giving her a slow, tender kiss on the lips.

  “Everything taken care of in there?” she asked, raising her eyebrow at me.

  “It’s done,” I said, looking back at the house.

  Chapter 35

  Lena

  I believe everything happens for a reason but that it’s up to us how we look at it. No one has to tell me it was destiny that brought Damon and me back together after so many years; this was obvious. It was meant for him to fall for Octavia so that the two of us could be reunited. After all, there’s something to be said about first love. As I sat in the car with Kelly, waiting, I thought about how we’d first met.

  “I think we both know how you’ll benefit,” I replied. “Money.”

  Kelly looked like he was pondering my offer. “And you?” he asked. “What’s in it for you?”

  “I told you,” I said, staring at Damon’s picture. “All I want is Damon.”

  Kelly laughed lightly. “You and almost every other woman in the world,” he said.

  “Possibly,” I said, “but I’m a lot closer to him than all those other women.”

  “I want you to tell me how you expect this plan to work.”

  “Well, you and Damon share a mutual interest,” I advised him.

  “And what would that be?”

  “Nadia,” I informed him.

  Kelly’s eyes lit up. “How do you know Nadia?”

  “We’ve met,” I said. I refrained from explaining that Damon had told me during one of our conversations about his relationship with the woman. I also chose not to disclose that my curiosity had me wanting to know more about her, so the first opportunity I had, I sent her a postcard good for $200 of free services in my salon. At the time, Nadia was still a resident of L.A., and after the first spa treatment, she started coming back. One day during her regular visit, I casually dropped a hint about who owned the building my salon was in.

  “Damon Whitmore? Really? Damon Sr. or Jr.?” she asked, looking up at me.

  “Junior,” I said, continuing to trim the ends of her wet hair. “Why?” I asked. “Do you know the Whitmores?”

  “I know him,” she said flatly. “The two of us used to date.”

  I acted like I was interested while pretending not to be nosy, and Nadia opened up like a book. One evening when the two of us were alone in VIP, Nadia shared with me how and why she got involved with Kelly. It wasn’t love or even lust at first sight. For Nadia, money ruled everything, and Kelly was just another a meal ticket.

  “So you want me to be your informant in the Whitmore household?” Kelly questioned. He opened the folder I had given him and scanned the résumé I had made for him. The résumé wasn’t the only thing I had presented him with. I set up a bank account for him with a small cushion, a Social Security number, and a completely different background. As fate would have it, there were several Kelly Bakers across the country, but I had to steal the identity of just the right one. Again, as fate would have it, there was one around the same age as Kelly who had passed on. I had the money to cover the changes, but I had yet to build up my contacts, so I had to hire someone for the task.

  “A nanny?” Kelly laughed. “Who the hell is going to believe that?”

  “I’m counting on the fact that no one will,” I said. “That’s why we need a trusty back-up plan.” I beckoned for the older woman sitting at the bar, watching me and Kelly. I had recruited her in Los Angeles when I found her roaming outside my salon, picking up cans and trash. She was dirty and in serious need of a bath and a good meal. I chose her to be on my team because she had more to lose by betraying me than she did by staying down with our plan. “Kelly, meet your Auntie Contessa.” I smiled and introduced my two accomplices to each other. “Auntie, meet your nephew.”

  Kelly looked from me to Contessa. “Auntie?”

  “Well, not blood related, of course, but Octavia will never know.” I sighed.

  Contessa extended her hand to Kelly and smiled. “Welcome to my family, sweetie,” she said.

  Kelly looked like he was still weighing his options.

  “Contessa, please give us a moment,” I said. I waited for the woman to return to her seat at the bar before speaking to Kelly again. “Look, you deserve this,” I told him. “Why would you throw this opportunity away?”

  “Who said I’m going to?” he asked. “I just want to know how you and Nadia are going to play nice, knowing that you both want the same man.”

  I wanted to choose the right words to address the delicate situation, but there were none. “You’re right. Nadia is a liability. I would say, ‘May the best woman win,’ but we both know Nadia i
s not a gracious loser. I mean, the fact that she struck up a relationship with you is proof of that.”

  Kelly shook his head. There was a pregnant pause between the two of us until he finally said, “I’m in.”

  ***

  It seemed like hours, but it was only a few minutes after Kelly exited the house that we began to see flames, followed by a loud boom. In less than sixty seconds, the house was engulfed in flames, the inferno lighting up the night sky.

  “First stop?” I asked Kelly as we pulled away from the curb.

  “Airport,” he said, looking out the window.

  “Where are we going?”

  “New York,” he advised me.

  I looked at him and smiled. “Then the Big Apple it is.”

  Chapter 36

  Damon

  The sounds of laughter and chatter filled the air surrounding my home as my wife and her parents exchanged friendly banter with my parents. It was a beautiful day, and I was enjoying one of my favorite pastimes—standing over my outdoor grill, cooking for my family while listening to jazz on the surround sound. My family was happy and full of joy and laughter. I was basking in it and the expressions of peace on all of their faces. In spite of her cancer and recent surgery, Charlene was looking beautiful and strong. I admired her strength and her faith. My mother and father had come to town, and we were having a true family gathering.

  I can’t deny that Nadia was also on my mind. I couldn’t believe she was actually gone. My grandmother was the one to break the news to me. According to her, Bernice had called her, hysterical, and told her that officers had identified Nadia as the victim of a house fire. I had seen a report on WHNT19 about a deadly fire, but I didn’t catch the name of the victim. According to the investigators, it appeared as if Nadia was attempting to light a candle, but a gas leak in the home caused an explosion; she was in a home I was unaware she had in Huntsville. I couldn’t believe Nadia had been in the same city the whole time, less than ten miles from the home I shared with Octavia.

  It wasn’t until I called to offer Bernice my deepest apologies that I was blessed with even more knowledge. I casually asked Bernice over the phone how Donovan was doing, and she told me he was fine and would be returning to Huntsville with his godmother. I didn’t want to ask too many questions, so I opted to wait until Bernice had time to deal with Nadia’s death. Octavia and I were back on the right road, and I was not trying to hit any speed bumps. If the only thing I had to deal with was a guilty conscious, I’d take that over losing my wife and daughter any day.

  The keypad for our gated entrance began to vibrate in my pocket, an indication that someone had pressed the intercom. “Octavia!” I yelled, waving for her to come over and tend to the grill.

  She looked up, smiled, and excused herself from our guests. I watched as she walked in my direction, looking like she was glowing from head to toe. She wore a long off-the-shoulder peach satin dress that flowed freely around her ankles. Her hair was swept up in a small bun with curls falling around her face, framing it. “What’s up?” she asked, kissing my cheek.

  “Someone’s at the gate.”

  “Hmm. I wonder who,” she said, looking as puzzled as I was.

  “Not sure, babe.”

  “I’ll be back,” she said, spinning on her heels and walking off. She intentionally put an extra twist in her hips and turned around to look at me.

  “All right. Keep on, and you’re going to be in trouble,” I teased, licking my lips.

  “I hope so,” she smiled.

  I continued to tend to the rack of ribs and chicken quarters I had cooking on the grill in front of me.

  Contessa walked up carrying a plate of shrimp. “Here you go, sweetie.” She handed me the plate and smiled.

  “Thank you, Ms. Contessa.”

  “You’re welcome.” She turned to walk away, then stopped suddenly. “Oh, I almost forgot.” I watched as she slipped her hand down inside her shirt and pulled out a white envelope.

  I shook my head, wondering if Octavia was going to use her breasts to conceal things when she was Contessa’s age.

  “This came for you the other week. I forgot all about it,” Contessa said. “I must have gotten busy and accidentally put it with my things. I’m sorry, hon’.”

  “It’s okay,” I said reassuringly. “I know how that can happen.” I wiped my hands before taking the envelope. I stood alone at the grill and stared at the return address. It was from the DNA Diagnostics Center. I looked around to make sure no one was watching me before I ripped the envelope open. How did they get my home address? I asked myself. Then I reminded myself that the technician was buddies with Nadia. There was no telling what else would arrive at my home if the two of them were still living. I pulled the letter out and scanned over it quickly. The letter was from a Dr. Arnadi, at the clinic. I read the letter again before ripping it up and throwing it down in the fire of the pit. I wanted to be 100 percent sure that what I read was not a joke or something Nadia and Gia had sent me before their deaths. I asked Charles to take my place at the grill while I excused myself to make a business call.

  Inside the guesthouse, I called the number I had seen on the letter.

  “DNA Diagnostics Center. This is Tosha. How may I help you?”

  “I need to speak with Dr. Arnadi.”

  “May I ask who’s calling?” Tosha asked.

  After giving her the rundown of who I was, verifying my date of birth and the last four of my Social Security number, I was put on hold for the doctor.

  Dr. Arnadi sounded as if he was in his early thirties, and he confirmed everything I read in the letter. “I apologize, Mr. Whitmore, but in Gia’s suicide note, she confessed to swapping your test results with another man’s,” Dr. Arnadi told me. “I am sorry for the mistake, but the child in question is not yours.”

  I told him I understood and thanked him for notifying me. I know I should have been relieved and lighting up stogies, but there was a portion of me that was disappointed and damn near speechless. I knew Gia’s explanation of her connection to Nadia was missing some details, but I wasn’t ready for that one. I sat down on the edge of the bed, trying to get my thoughts together. I dropped my head into my hands and replayed the last few months of my life. Nadia was a special kind of something to go through all that damn trouble for a child who wasn’t even mine. I shook my head and laughed; I had to or I would have driven my fist through a wall. After a few minutes, I decided to rejoin the party. I was staring down toward the floor when something caught my eye. I reached down to retrieve the diamond stud lying by the bed.

  Chapter 37

  Octavia

  Contessa informed me that it was probably Kelly at the gate. “He is supposed to be bringing me some more insulin,” she said.

  “Well, tell me next time, and I’ll pick it up for you,” I said, smiling politely. I loved Contessa and wanted to help her, but I also wanted to keep Kelly as far away from me as possible. I opened the front door to find him smiling from cheek to cheek.

  He was wearing a mint-green Ralph Lauren polo shirt and jeans, and he looked completely relaxed and refreshed. I noticed he wasn’t driving Contessa’s car; he’d pulled up in a midnight-blue Nissan Armando with tinted windows. “How are you?” he asked.

  “I’m fine. And yourself?”

  “I’m good,” he said. “Real good.”

  I waited for him to say something slick or inappropriate, but he didn’t.

  “I’m actually glad you answered the door,” he said.

  “And why is that?”

  “Because I have someone I want you to meet,” he said, backing away from the door.

  I wondered if he had finally found a woman who could put up with him. My question was answered quickly when I saw him open the back passenger side door and assist a beautiful little boy out of the car. The child was dressed exactly like Kelly, from his shirt down to his classic white Nikes. Kelly walked hand and hand with the child back up to my doorstep. The boy smiled up
at me, batting his big brown eyes.

  “Hello, cutie,” I said, bending down so to meet his eye level.

  “Hi,” he said, giving me a shy smile.

  “I’m Octavia,” I said, extending my hand to him. “And you are?”

  “Donovan,” he said slowly, giving my hand a gentle squeeze.

  “He is adorable.” I smiled, looking at Kelly. As I looked at the child, I realized he favored Jasmine. “Whose son is he?” I asked, curious.

  Kelly stroked the bundle of tiny curls on top of the child’s head. “Mine,” he said proudly.

  Chapter 38

  Damon

  I had an abundance of thoughts running through my head as I walked up the lawn back to where my family was waiting. My mother and Charlene were huddled around Octavia, talking and laughing with their backs to me, while my father and Charles stood by the grill, talking with Kelly, of all people. He was the last person I expected or wanted to see.

  “How’s it going?” Kelly asked, extending his hand to me.

  I gave his hand a firm shake. “Good,” I said. “And yourself?”

  “I’m much—”

  “Damon!” Octavia interrupted, cutting Kelly off. “Come over here,” she said excitedly while walking toward me.

  “What is it, love?” I asked, stepping away from the other men.

  “Well, I don’t know if Kelly told you or not,” she said quickly, “but he has a son!”

  “Oh, really?” I asked, looking back at Kelly, who gave me a cocky smile.

  “Yep, and he is too handsome,” she exclaimed. “Mama Ilene, turn around.”

  My mother turned in her chair, and I felt like my knees were going to drop out from under me and send me to the ground. Sitting on one leg was Jasmine, and on her other knee was Donovan. I looked from Donovan back to Kelly to my wife then back to Kelly again. Slipping my hand in my pants pocket, I touched the earring I had picked up in the guesthouse. I didn’t know if I was losing my mind or if my life was truly capable of spinning that far out of control that fast.