“Then let’s begin again.” Ian motioned to the director to start up.
Taking a deep breath, Adrianna willed her nerves to calm down and faced the camera. The rest of episode continued with their usual smiles, cooking tips and a few familial anecdotes. Afterward, Dante was glad it was over and he could remove the plastic smile he’d plastered on his face for the duration of the two episodes.
“Good job,” Ian said to Dante once they’d finished taping and he was walking off set. “I’m sorry I had to be harsh before. I just had to snap you both out of whatever was going on between you. I needed you to make magic.”
“You were right,” Dante responded as he removed the makeup from his face. He’d gotten used to doing it himself. “We’re professionals and we should behave as such.”
“Well, I know how hard it can be when you’re working with someone you’re in a relationship with.” He and Sage had gone through something similar when they’d been dating secretly.
“You needn’t worry about that anymore,” Dante replied, “because Adrianna and are I over.”
“You are?” Ian was stunned. Sage hadn’t mentioned anything to him.
Dante nodded. He’d asked Sage to keep his personal business private and apparently she had.
“Well, I guess that explains the hostility that you were giving off at the start of the taping.” Ian rubbed his chin thoughtfully. “I’m truly sorry to hear it, but you do realize that I have a lot of press planned for you and Adrianna over the next week to promote the show. Are you going to be able to handle that?”
“Absolutely,” Dante replied. “As you said, we are professionals.” He’d pushed down his feelings for Adrianna before and he would do so again. He would do whatever was necessary to ensure the show would go on.
“This really wasn’t necessary, Madison,” Adrianna said as her cousin pulled her inside the local health club in the Hamptons for a yoga class on Saturday morning. Madison had barely given her time to throw on her yoga pants, sports bra and tank top before she’d hustled Adrianna out of the house.
Her cousin was already attired in her snazzy matching gym outfit complete with makeup and perfume. Were they going to the gym to work out or to be seen by the local muscle men?
“It’s exactly what you need to decompress,” Madison responded. “You’ve been worried sick about Uncle Howard and to top it all off you and Dante have hit a snag.”
Adrianna sighed. “It’s more than a snag, Madison. Dante is through with me.” She stuffed her gym bag into a locker in the women’s locker room.
“Why, did something else happen?” Madison asked as she completed a quick series of stretches before class. Adrianna had called her several days ago weeping that Uncle Howard had told Dante the truth about why she’d married Phillip. Poor thing had been devastated.
“Do you mean when he barely looked at me while we taped the television show or his steadfast refusal to return a single one of my phone calls?” she asked, grabbing her mat and heading for the doorway.
“All of the above,” Madison offered and opened the door to the yoga class for Adrianna to enter.
“He’s so upset with me, Madison,” Adrianna said as she placed her mat on the floor. “I know I could get through to him if he just gave me a chance. I don’t want to lose him again.”
“Let’s talk more after class. You need this more than ever,” Madison said, joining her on the floor.
Adrianna sat cross-legged with her hands on her knees and tried to focus on her breathing. She kept her spine straight as the teacher suggested and pushed her backside down into the floor. She raised her hands over her head and slowly exhaled, bringing down her arms each time. She repeated it several times until she began to relax.
They moved to the dog and cat positions. She was on all fours with her legs and hips apart, tilted her pelvis up and then down. Then it was on to the mountain position in which she was on her toes to the forward extension bend. It felt good because it stretched her legs and back.
When the hour-long yoga session was over, Adrianna felt her balance and concentration was much improved.
“See, didn’t that make you feel better?” Madison asked when they went back to the locker room to collect their belongings.
“Much, thanks.” Adrianna patted the perspiration on her brow with her towel and took a sip of water from her bottle. “I’m surprised how much of a workout yoga really is.”
“How about a smoothie?” Madison asked once she’d grabbed her gym bag out of the locker.
“Hmm…” Adrianna moaned. “Sounds perfect.”
The smoothie store was in the perfect location, right next door to the gym. Adrianna ordered a strawberry and peach smoothie with an energy booster. It was exactly what she would need to get her through the long night with her father. Sometimes she sent the nurse home and sat with her father during the night, tending to his needs. They would reminisce about when he was running for office or the elation he felt when he won an election. It was in those moments that Adrianna would see a spark of her father’s former self.
“Can I ask you something?” Madison asked, taking a seat on the barstool while she waited for her smoothie to be prepared.
“What’s that?”
“Do you think Uncle Howard told Dante on purpose to sabotage your relationship?”
Adrianna paused and reflected on Madison’s question. “I’ve wondered that myself, but when I asked him about it he denied it. He said he just wanted to clear his conscience. He was surprised to find out that I hadn’t told Dante. I mean, how can I blame him? I had tons of opportunities to tell Dante myself and I didn’t.”
“I guess I didn’t offer you the best advice,” Madison responded. She accepted her smoothie from the cashier and handed her a five. “Keep the change.”
“Don’t go blaming yourself, either.” Adrianna pointed her finger at Madison. “The blame rests entirely upon my shoulders. It’s just that I love Dante and I want him back and I’m hoping that maybe not now, but one day, he’ll forgive me.”
Chapter 13
“Ladies and gentlemen, we are so excited to have the hosts of Easy Entertaining, Dante Moore and Adrianna Wright, with us this afternoon,” Angie Taylor, radio host for Hot 97 FM said on Monday.
Lawrence Enterprises had arranged a press tour for them and Dante and Adrianna had a full slate of guest appearances on radio and television during the week as well as a print interview with CRAZE.
They’d arrived about fifteen minutes prior to allow the production crew to give them headsets and add extra microphones to the interview table.
“Thank you, Angie,” Dante said. “We’re excited to be here to promote the show.”
“How did you both get into cooking?” Angie asked. “We’ll start with you, Adrianna.”
“Well, I grew up with a cook that always prepared my meals for me, but I still loved to go into the kitchen and try the new dishes the cook was preparing for our family. Eventually, when I graduated high school, I decided to pursue the culinary arts.”
“Your bio reads that you studied in Paris at Le Cordon Bleu,” Angie continued. “That’s quite an accomplishment.”
“Yes, I did. It was an amazing experience getting to work with chefs of that caliber.”
“And you, Dante. You’re the owner of two fantastic restaurants right here in Manhattan. Tell us about them.”
“Yes, I own Dante’s tapas bar in Greenwich Village. It’s been open for about five years and Renaissance, my new restaurant, specializing in New American cuisine with a soul food twist, opened in Harlem about six months ago,” Dante replied. “They each offer me a chance to explore a different culinary point of view.”
“And what point of view will you be trying to get across to viewers of Easy Entertaining?”
“That cooking can be fun,” Adrianna replied.
“It doesn’t have to be hard,” Dante added. “With a little planning and some fresh ingredients, you can make some great dishes to
entertain either your family or a large group.”
“Well, I thank you both for stopping by Hot 97,” Angie replied, speaking into the mike. “And you can catch the debut of Easy Entertaining on Sunday at 10:00 a.m. on WTTG.
“Thanks, guys,” Angie said as Dante took his microphone off his lapel. “You gave my listeners exactly the tidbits they needed to hear.”
“Thanks for having us.” Dante shook her hand.
“And I look forward to having you on the show again,” Angie responded. “Best of luck.”
Two days later, it was off to a morning news show. Dante and Adrianna climbed into the limousine waiting for them at the curb. Ian had hired the limo to drive them around while on company business. Still the gentleman, Dante held open the door for Adrianna and with as much decorum as she could in her pencil-straight black skirt and button-down cardigan, she slid inside. She noticed Dante’s eyes roving her bare legs just as he closed the door behind her. Had she imagined it? Or was it just a wish fulfillment?
Dante had been keeping his distance. First it was the radio show, then the interview with CRAZE and yesterday a photograph and review in the New York Post. It was driving Adrianna mad even more so because he was silent during the ride to the news program.
The air inside the vehicle was thick with anger and regret. Dante was still furious with her for keeping the truth that she’d been pregnant with his child and Adrianna because she had failed to tell him the truth herself.
She’d had countless sleepless nights over the past couple of weeks. She’d lain awake in bed and dreamed of the passion they’d shared together and what might never be again. And she had only herself to blame. Dante had forgiven her for marrying another man and would have forgiven her this, too, if only she’d told him sooner.
“We’re almost there,” the driver said.
Dante pressed the intercom. “Great, thanks.” He lowered his head and continued flipping through the magazine he’d been reading.
“Are you ever going to speak to me again?” Adrianna asked, swiveling around to face him. “Or are you just going to sit there and ignore me all day?”
“The latter,” Dante responded, not looking up. Did she think it was easy for him to ignore her after all they’d shared? It wasn’t, but he refused to be lied to. He deserved better from the woman who said she loved him. He deserved a woman who was open and honest with him. And Adrianna wasn’t that woman.
“As you wish.” Adrianna turned around and faced the window. Taking a deep breath, she willed herself not to cry. She refused to mess up perfectly good makeup. If he wanted to behave as if they’d never meant anything to each other, then she would try and do the same.
As if he was Dr. Jekyll/Mr. Hyde, Dante changed into a completely different man in front of the camera at the news station. Adrianna was amazed at how he could turn his emotions on and off. In the green room while they’d waited for their segment, he’d been cold and unfeeling. In front of the cameras, he was warm and kind to her, even a little bit flirtatious.
“How long have the two of you been working together?” the newscaster asked.
“Only a few months,” Dante answered quickly.
“Well, you could have fooled me.” She laughed. “It seems like you’ve been a team for years.”
“Thank you.” Adrianna’s mouth creased into a smile.
“So what are you making for us today?” the host inquired.
“We’re going to be teasing you and the viewers’ tummies with some flank steak with chimicurri on crostinis,” Dante said.
“Sounds delicious.” The host grinned. “And while these chefs prep, we’re going to go to commercial break.”
“And cut!” the director yelled.
“You two are doing fantastic,” the newscaster said. “You’re naturals.”
The ten-minute segment went smoothly as if it had been prerecorded. Adrianna prepared the ingredients for the chimicurri, the cilantro, parsley, mint and garlic, during the break. When they returned, she added the olive oil, red vinegar and a little salt and pepper to the mixture.
“Taste that.” Adrianna gave the host a little spoonful of the chimicurri sauce. “That is sooo…good and flavorful.”
“That’s what Easy Entertaining is all about,” Dante chimed in as he grilled the flank steak he’d already premarinated in red wine, garlic and salt and pepper.
Once the steak was done, he sliced it across the grain. After a brush of oil, he added the sliced baguette on the grill, let it crisp and then topped it with the steak and chimicurri sauce.
“How about we have a taste?” Dante asked the host.
“You’re going to love this,” Adrianna added. “All the flavors combine to make one great bite.”
They each grabbed a piece of crostini and took a nibble.
“Everyone, that was divine. You’re going to love this recipe,” the host gushed into the camera. “And I’m sure a whole lot more on Easy Entertaining premiering Sunday at ten o’clock on WTTG.”
“Good job.” Dante gave Adrianna a fist bump when the taping was over. It was the first friendly gesture Dante had made toward Adrianna in weeks. She was happy for just some sign that he didn’t despise her.
“You, too.” Adrianna smiled.
“Saw you on the morning show,” Sage said, joining Dante in the Renaissance kitchen that evening.
“Yeah, how was I?” Dante inquired, looking up from the homemade gnocchi he was making.
“You were quite good considering you were standing next to the woman who betrayed you.”
Dante laughed derisively. “Yeah, there’s that.” He moved from the counter to stir the white truffle sauce on a slow simmer on the stove.
“But who you’re still obviously head over heels for,” Sage commented, tilting her head so she could glance at Dante, who was doing his best to avoid her gaze by furiously stirring the sauce.
“Sage, don’t start.”
“Start what?”
Dante glanced in her direction. “Meddling, what you do best.”
“Do I meddle?” Sage said it as a rhetorical question even though she already knew the answer. She did have a tendency to stick her nose where it didn’t belong. “Okay, yes, I do meddle. But even I can see how besotted you are with the woman.”
“And that means absolutely nothing without trust. I don’t trust her, Sage, and doubt I ever could again. If she could lie to me about carrying my child, what else would she keep from me? How could I trust her with my heart?”
Sage paused. She didn’t have a quick response for that question. “True, I don’t deny trust is important. I guess that’s why I’ve kept Ian at bay for nearly a year. He wants to marry me, but it’s been hard for me to make that final step. I’m afraid because of his playboy reputation and because I don’t want to get hurt. But I don’t want that for you, Dante. Despite how you feel about Adrianna, I want you to be happy even if it is with her.”
“I thought you didn’t like Adrianna.”
Sage smiled. “I don’t, but if she’s the person that does it for you, then who am I stand in your way?”
Dante shook his head. “You are not standing in my way, Sage. Your silence allowed Adrianna to dig her own grave. She broke us, not you.”
“But I…”
“Sage, I appreciate you trying, but not even you can wave a magic wand and make what Adrianna did suddenly okay.”
“There’s nothing I can do?” She was crestfallen. “I’m used to fixing things.” As an attorney, it was her specialty to come up with a solution.
“I know, kiddo,” Dante put down the knife he was using, wiped his hand on his apron and came over to stroke her cheek. “But some things, once broken, can’t be fixed. Work on you,” he suggested. “And finally allow Ian to put a ring on it.”
Sage threw back her head and laughed. “Since when did you start quoting Beyoncé?”
“When my hardheaded little sister keeps playing hard to get.” He pinched her nose.
Sage slapped his hand away. “I hated when Q did it and I don’t like you doing it now.”
“Stop being a little brat then and go home to your man.” He pushed her toward the door.
“And what about you?” Sage asked from the double doors that opened to the dining room. “I don’t want to leave you alone.”
“Don’t worry about me,” Dante responded, going back to the stove. “I’m used to it.”
Sage didn’t like his comment, but knew when to leave well enough alone and walked out the door. It was then that Dante allowed himself to feel the hurt and anger bottled up inside. He reached for a bottle of white wine on the counter and flung it across the room. It shattered into tiny little pieces just like his heart.
“You and Adrianna have exceeded my expectations,” Ian told Dante and Adrianna on Friday evening after their short press tour was over. “The buzz we’ve been getting is fantastic.”
Ian had graciously invited them to share a drink at his penthouse in Central Park West. Dante hadn’t wanted to attend, but figured he owed Ian for giving him the chance to show what he was made of.
They were now sitting on his Italian leather sofa making small talk. Sitting next to Adrianna was the last place in the world Dante wanted to be. For days, he’d had to endure a mixture of emotions from anger and wanting to ream Adrianna out to desire flowing hot and heavy through his veins to a lower part of his anatomy. The same pull he’d always felt for her was right underneath the surface, and try as he might, he was having a hard time letting go.
Adrianna felt a deep physical yearning in her lower belly. She fought to ignore it, but even from where she sat, she could still smell his robust, manly scent.
“I think you two have what it takes to go the distance,” Ian said, offering them both a flute of champagne to toast.
“What’s this for?” Adrianna accepted the champagne.
“For the great job you’ve done and for the next step in your television future,” Ian stated.
Two to Tango Page 15