Date Cute Marry Rich

by Alexis Nicole

  But as we got closer to the table, I noticed that Kayla was not alone.

  “Hello, Chyanne,” Kayla said, rising to greet me. The man—a tall, sandy-haired, blue-eyed white man—stood, too. “Thank you for coming.”

  “That’s okay,” I said, still eyeing the dude. Who was he? Her man?

  “Hi, Chyanne.” He held out his hand to me. “I’m Marvin Whitley, Kayla’s attorney.”

  Her attorney? Okay, what was this about? I slid into the chair that he held out for me, just because now I was nosy. If she already had an attorney on the case, why had she asked me and why was I here?

  “You probably are wondering what’s going on,” Kayla said.

  I nodded, looking back and forth between the two of them.

  Marvin spoke. “Well, I’ll actually be handling Kayla’s divorce negotiations.”

  “Okay,” I said, releasing a long breath. I didn’t realize how relieved I was. I guess I really didn’t want to handle this and had only been thinking about doing it as a way to get back at Malcolm. “That’s fine. It’s better this way, anyway.” Looking straight at Kayla, I said, “I really shouldn’t be involved in this.”

  “But you are involved. That’s why I asked you here.” She motioned to Marvin as if she wanted him to pick up the conversation, and I turned to him.

  He said, “To get to the point and keep this simple, there was a prenup that Kayla signed, and we want to break it.”

  “Oh, really? A prenup?” That surprised me. Prenups were normally reserved for people who had something to lose. I mean, Malcolm made quite a bit of money as one of the partners, but surely, most of his money had been made after he was married. So, why had a prenup been necessary?

  Marvin answered my question. “Malcolm Parks is worth quite a bit of money. Several million dollars.” He paused and then repeated it, as if he needed to make the point. “Several million dollars.”

  “Really?” Dang! I didn’t know that. All that from the firm?

  “He was left quite an inheritance,” Kayla explained, “by his grandparents, who had bought bonds during World War II. He was eighteen when they were killed in a car accident, and he received the bonds. It was only about a million dollars.”

  We all kind of chuckled a little when she said only.

  Kayla continued, “But within five years, with some savvy investments, he’d quadrupled that.”

  “And we’re sure that over the years his fortune has grown even more,” Marvin finished up.

  “But Malcolm is hiding money.” It was Kayla’s turn to speak. “He has properties overseas, and we’re sure he has offshore accounts, all kinds of things that I don’t know about.”

  Wow! All that time I was sleeping with this man and I didn’t even know who he was. “This is all very interesting, and I wish you the best with this,” I said. “But what does this have to do with me if I’m not going to be representing you?”

  Kayla and Marvin exchanged a glance, and I had a feeling I was not going to like the answer to my question.

  She said, “I’m going to need to get a statement from you. I need you as a witness. You’re proof of Malcolm’s infidelity.”

  Damn! This was getting worse and worse. They wanted me to stand up in court and testify that I’d been with a married man? That I was the other woman? That I was a home wrecker? Hell, no, I wasn’t going to do that! Not only would that be beyond embarrassing, but if this got out, got back to the firm, I could end up losing my job.

  “I know this puts you in quite a position,” Marvin said, as if he could imagine what I was thinking. “But, I can protect you. We’re hoping to do this all through depositions, and once Malcolm knows we have you, we’re hoping that he will give us what Kayla wants.”

  “Whew!” I shook my head.

  “I know you don’t want to get involved this way,” Kayla said.

  “I don’t.”

  Kayla sat back and stared at me for a moment. “Is it because you’re in love with Malcolm?”

  I shook my head. “I haven’t seen him since the night of the gala—except for at work. After his lies, I’m not interested,” I said, telling her more than I’d planned to.

  “So he still doesn’t know about . . .” Her eyes drifted down, and at the same time I put my hand over my belly.

  “No. I’m going to raise my baby by myself.”

  She nodded. “That’s your choice to walk away.” She looked me dead in the eyes when she said, “But that’s not mine. I’m not walking away from anything. Not until I get what’s mine.”

  I inhaled and said, “I’m sorry,” and at the same time I prayed that she would respect my wishes.

  “Why don’t you think about it, Chyanne?” Marvin said. He reached into his pocket. “Here’s my card.”

  Standing up, I took his card and said, “Thank you.”

  This time Marvin stood, but Kayla didn’t. She said, “I hope to be hearing from you soon.”

  I didn’t give her a yes or a no. Just turned and walked out of that café. I couldn’t believe these people wanted to get me all up in their drama like that. And the thing was, there was really nothing I could do about it. Marvin was being kind, but he could have me subpoenaed. They knew about me, they knew about the baby, and I wouldn’t be able to lie about it. Malcolm was in trouble, and he didn’t even know it.

  My first thought was that I needed to tell him. And then I was mad at myself for thinking that. After the way he lied and cheated and humiliated me, why was I thinking about protecting him? Naw, he was on his own.

  I wasn’t going to say a word. All I was going to do was sit back, watch, and wait this out.

  Chapter 29

  Skye

  Meet the parents. Wasn’t that the name of some movie? A comedy?

  Well, what I was about to do wasn’t even funny. It was meet the parents, all right, but it felt more like a thriller to me. What was I doing? Why was I doing this? Did I really want to meet Trent’s parents? I mean, that was always a big step in a relationship—only one other time had I actually ever formally met the parents, and that was with Chuck in high school. So, why was I putting myself through this when I wasn’t even sure that Trent was the one?

  My nerves had been frayed ever since Trent asked me to go with him to some end of the summer party that his parents were having out at their vacation home in the Hamptons. Now, trust, at first I had been so excited. I mean, the Hamptons? Really? Where Sean “P. Diddy” Combs and all the other stars hung out? I’d always wanted to go to the Hamptons!

  But not to meet anybody’s parents—not to be on display. Not to have his father look me up and down and have his mother hate me. Because surely, that was going to happen. With all the money that the Hamiltons had, I was sure they didn’t think that any girl was good enough for their son.

  “Don’t you think this is too soon?” I’d asked Trent when he’d asked me, and I’d thought about it for a while. “I mean, meeting the parents. That’s serious.”

  “It is,” Trent said, hugging me. “And right after this, we’re gonna fly to Atlanta and I’m gonna meet your parents, too.”

  I didn’t know if I was feeling all of that. I mean, Trent and I hadn’t even had sex yet, though we had gotten close a couple of times. That was one place where he made me forget all about Noah. I mean, Trent could kiss! For real, because he took his time—slow and easy was what I liked to call him. His kisses took my breath away! And his touches made me lose my mind.

  But a good kisser, a good fondler, did not make a relationship.

  Still, here I was, sitting in the front seat of Trent’s Mercedes coup and heading to the Hamptons. The air felt good, the sights were wonderful, and I still wanted to throw up.

  As if he knew what I was thinking, Trent reached over and held my hand. “My parents are going to love you,” he said, trying to reassure me. “They adore you already.”

  “How? They don’t know me.”

  “They know you through me, and if I like you, then the
y’ll love you. And trust, baby, I love you.” He kissed the tips of my fingers.

  Trent had said that before—that he loved me. And what I loved about this man was that he didn’t say it, waiting for me to say it back to him. He said it because he meant it.

  I wanted to mean it, too. That was why I had never told him that I loved him. I just wasn’t feeling it . . . not yet.

  It wasn’t that Noah was still in my mind. Slowly, he was melting away from my heart and my head. But he’d left such a gaping hole in me. I guess I was kind of gun-shy. I wanted to take my time. I wanted to be sure. I didn’t want any surprises.

  Although the Hamptons were still part of New York, they were at the tip of Long Island. Trent’s parents’ home was in the village called Sag Harbor, in Southampton. It was only about ninety miles from Manhattan, but it took us more than two hours to get there. I mean, dang! I’d heard about New York traffic, but living in the city had spoiled me. I could walk or cab it anywhere.

  I couldn’t wait to get out of the car! That is, until Trent started slowing down the Mercedes and I could tell that we were getting close.

  “Oh, God!”

  “What, baby?”

  Dang! Had I said that out loud? “Oh, nothing,” I said.

  He glanced at me sideways and chuckled. “You nervous?”

  “Should I be?”

  “No.”

  “Then why am I?” I almost felt like crying.

  He laughed. “Trust me. Today is going to be a fantastic day.”

  Everything else he’d ever told me had been true, but there was no way he would be right about this. Parents never liked the girlfriend—especially the mother.

  Trent slowed down in front of a house that had a boatload of people in front of it. There was a line of cars waiting for a valet to park for them.

  “We’re here,” Trent said.

  A valet! I knew these people were rich, but they were taking this money thing to levels I’d never seen.

  Trent pulled up to the end of the line, but instead of waiting, he jumped out of the car and then took my hand. “Come on, baby!”

  I had to trot to keep up with his long, quick steps, and since I was hyperventilating, it was even harder. In front of the house, he tossed his car keys to one of the attendants.

  “What’s up, Kenny!” he said.

  “Hey, Trent, man!” They did that brother man hug thing before Trent introduced me. “This is my girl, Skye Davenport.”

  “What’s up?” The attendant grinned, then winked at Trent. “A keeper, dog,” he said before he ran off to take care of the next car.

  We stepped onto the long porch, then inside the house, and I gasped out loud. I couldn’t help it. I’d never seen anything like this, except for in the movies. There was a winding staircase—actually, two of them—that was the centerpiece of the foyer.

  “I thought you said this was their summerhouse,” I whispered.

  “It is. Come on. Everyone is out back.” He led me across the marble floors and down a long hallway, and then I heard a shriek.

  “Tee-Tee!” A heavyset woman ambled from the kitchen and wrapped her arms around Trent. She was so short that her arms reached only to his waist.

  “Hey, Miriam, honey.” When Trent pulled back from the woman, he said to me, “Skye, I want you to meet the first woman I ever fell in love with.”

  He laughed, and Miriam playfully hit him on his arm. “Get out of here, boy, with that craziness!”

  Trent said, “Skye, this is Miriam. She’s been with our family since I was born, and practically raised me!”

  She grinned. “Don’t let your mother hear you saying that!”

  I held out my hand to shake hers, but she slapped my hand away. “Girl, we don’t do no handshaking around here. Especially not with someone as special as you. Come here and give me a hug.”

  Before I could say anything, Miriam had me wrapped up so tight in a bear hug that I could hardly breathe.

  “Trent has told us some wonderful things about you,” she said, finally letting me go. “Welcome to the family!”

  “Uh . . . thank you?” I said as if that was a question. What was she talking about? Welcome to the family? But I didn’t say anything else; I just grinned as she told us that Trent’s mother and father were already in the backyard, greeting their guests.

  Trent was still holding my hand as he led me through the French doors into the most fabulous backyard I’d ever seen. It felt like it was as large as Central Park and as beautiful and colorful as the botanical garden.

  We pressed through the crowd of people, and though many called out Trent’s name, he only smiled and waved. It was like he was on a mission to get to his parents.

  “Trent!”

  Instantly, I knew that this man in front of me was Trent’s father. He had to be. . . . They practically looked like twins. Everything about them was the same—their build, their height, their bald head, their light brown eyes. Even the facial hair that covered their face was cut the exact same way, only Mr. Hamilton’s slight beard was sprinkled with gray.

  “Son,” Mr. Hamilton said, grabbing his son into a bear hug. “What’s good?”

  “What’s up, Pops?” Trent asked his father. And then his eyes softened as he looked down at the petite woman standing next to his father. She’d been so quiet, I hardly noticed her. But there was no doubt in my mind that this was his mother. It was the way they looked at each other that let me know.

  Mrs. Hamilton was really a beautiful woman. She and I were about the same height, maybe even the same size. She had a golden complexion, and her hair was pulled back into a soft ponytail. She hardly looked old enough to have a son Trent’s age. And she was the CFO of a major bank? Dang!

  “Trent,” she said quietly. “How are you, son?”

  “I’m great.” He hugged her, then stepped back and presented me as if I was some sort of trophy. “Mom, Dad, I want you to meet Skye.”

  My heart was pounding so hard, but the way they looked at me, the way they smiled, made every apprehension I had fade away.

  “Finally!” Mrs. Hamilton said, taking both of my hands into hers. “We are so happy to meet you, Skye.”

  “Yes, indeed,” Mr. Hamilton said. “I couldn’t wait to meet the woman who had finally convinced my son that there was more to life than just work.”

  “Trent,” his mother said, “would you mind if I borrowed Skye for a moment? I want to show her the grounds.”

  “Go ahead.” Trent winked at me. “I want to talk to Dad about something, anyway.”

  “No business!” his mother admonished. She was still holding my hand as she led me through the backyard. “I am so glad to finally meet you.”

  “Me, too,” I lied, though I was feeling bad about all the things I’d been thinking about this wonderful woman.

  “Let me show you around.” She pointed out the flowers, and then on the other side of the backyard, she showed me the Olympic-sized pool, where kids were already splashing around.

  “Wow, this is amazing,” I said.

  “Have you ever been to the Hamptons before?”

  I shook my head. “No.”

  “Then, you must come again and soon. The beach is only two blocks away.”

  After we toured the grounds, Mrs. Hamilton took me through their six-bedroom house. “I hope you and Trent will join us for one weekend before the season officially ends,” she said. “We don’t see enough of him, and I think you are the only one who can convince him to spend more time with his mother.”

  I laughed. “I’ll see what I can do.”

  “Trent tells me that you’re a designer—a fashion designer.”

  Uh-oh. I knew this was too good to be true. There was no way the Hamiltons would want their son with anyone who wasn’t as high powered as they were.

  “Yes,” I said, ready for the fallout.

  Mrs. Hamilton clapped her hands. “My husband and I are having a winter gala the night before Thanksgiving, and I would lo
ve for you to design something for me. I’ll pay you, of course.”

  These people were off the chain! “I’d love to do that.”

  Back outside, Mrs. Hamilton introduced me to her friends and family as Trent’s girlfriend. It was surprising at first when she said that, but really, I guess I was Trent’s girlfriend.

  At least an hour had passed by the time I found Trent, still with his father. But when he saw me, his face lit up and the way he smiled at me warmed my heart—and did a few other things to my body, too. It felt good to look into someone’s eyes and know that they were glad to see you.

  “Gotta go, Pops!”

  The rest of the day was a whirlwind to me. All the people I met, including Trent’s younger sister, who kept telling me that she had always wanted a big sister, embraced me as if I was already a part of the family.

  At one point, his sister, Tracie, pulled me aside to tell me, “Trent has never brought a girl home. You must be special.” And then she wrapped her arms around me, and all I could do was think that this was one hugging family!

  I was exhausted when, at eleven o’clock, Trent and I climbed back into his car after promising his parents that we would see them soon. As I leaned my head back on the soft leather headrest, I closed my eyes and thought about what a wonderful day I’d had.

  Trent was silent as we maneuvered through the streets of Southampton. It wasn’t until we were on the highway that he asked, “So, did you have a good time?”

  I opened my eyes, and when I looked at his profile, I couldn’t help but smile. What had I been thinking? This man was everything that any woman could want. Maybe, just maybe, if I opened my heart, he could be the one.

  “Yeah,” I said. “I had a wonderful time.” Then I reached for his hand, and Trent drove with one hand all the way back to New York City.

  Chapter 30

  Devin

  This was the night. The night that I’d been planning. The night that I was going to pop the question to Antonio.