Something to Talk About

by Melanie Woods Schuster

  1

  Something to Talk About

  Melanie Schuster

  Copyright 2005 Melanie Schuster

  Dedication

  This goes out with so much love

  to my readers, who are also my friends.

  You’ve taken the Cochrans and Deverauxes into your hearts

  And I appreciate that more than I can say.

  Stay Blessed, and keep reading!

  Books are a rare blessing to anyone with

  An inquiring mind and a curious soul.

  Acknowledgments

  A special thank-you to

  Ms Sharon Blount

  For all her hard work in getting people

  Excited about the magic of reading.

  I’ve never known anyone to work

  As tirelessly, selflessly, cheerfully and happily

  To bring people together over the love of books.

  Authors and readers everywhere owe you so much.

  Stay Joyful and keep reading!

  Prologue

  The patriarch of the Cochran family held his newest grandchild lovingly and looked into her big, bright eyes. At nearly four months of age, Lillian Rose Bennett Cochran was a beauty, with her mother’s dimples and her father’s rich caramel coloring. Big Benny Cochran chuckled as the baby smiled up at him and squeezed his forefinger tightly.

  “I think you’re a keeper, little girl. You remind me of your Aunt Benita when she was a baby,” he said fondly.

  He was seated in the living room of his youngest son, Adonis Cochran. Donnie and his wife, Angelique Deveraux Cochran, glanced at each other before looking back at the handsome white-haired man doting on their daughter. Donnie was about to bring up a very sensitive subject. He and Angelique had something of great importance to discuss with his father, which they’d been putting off during the Christmas holidays and the New Year celebration. They had agreed to wait until after they renewed their wedding vows on Valentine’s Day to talk about it, and now the time was here. They were in the middle of unpacking their new home, and the usual array of packing boxes was visible in every room. On Christmas Eve, Big Benny had given the young couple the family home in Palmer Park, as he and his wife, Donnie’s stepmother Martha Davis Cochran, wanted to move into a condo. So now the young couple was in the throes of unpacking, Big Benny was in the midst of spoiling his fourteenth grandchild, and Donnie was about to bring up his father’s best-kept secret.

  “Pop, Angelique told me about the conversation you had with her before Lily Rose was born. I think you know which conversation I mean,” he said gently.

  Big Benny barely glanced away from Lily Rose, who was making the humming sound she made every time she was completely content. “Of course I remember the conversation, Adonis. Do you think I’ve suddenly turned senile? I told Babydoll about an episode of my life, one that I’m not particularly proud of.” He paused to shift Lily Rose more comfortably in his arms. “I’m not ashamed anymore, but I can’t take it to the grave with me. It’s time the story was told to everyone concerned.”

  Angelique’s eyes met her husband’s and they communicated wordlessly for a moment before she spoke. “Well, Daddy, if you’re determined to do this, how do you want to do it? And when do you want to do it? And how are you going to . . .” Her voice trailed off as Big Benny waved aside her questions.

  “Babydoll, don’t worry your head about it. There’re a few details to be worked out, but we can handle them. I agree it’s going to be a surprise to a lot of people, but I’ve always liked surprises. Lily Rose likes them too, don’t you, sweetheart?”

  Donnie made a skeptical face as his father blew noisy kisses on Lily Rose’s cheek, making her giggle with joy. “Uhh, Pop, I think surprise is an optimistic understatement This is more along the lines of a guided missile set to detonate any second. It’s going to take a lot of getting used to for a lot of people, not to mention all the attention it’s going to attract. A story like this one is going to make a lot of headlines. Are you sure you want to have to deal with all of that?”

  His father looked him full in the face and all traces of the doting grandfather vanished. He looked every bit what he was, a man in control of his own fate, a man who would bend to no one and followed only his own rules. “At this point, Adonis, I don’t give a damn who gets upset. This is the right thing to do and I’m going to do it I’ve taken the easy way out for too long. I’m not about to leave this world without putting this right. And as far as headlines are concerned, who cares? People always have something to say, so we’ll just give them something to talk about.” He went back to playing with the baby as though they’d been discussing nothing more important than the weather.

  Donnie walked across the sunny living room to embrace Angelique, who had stopped unpacking to listen to what was being said. Putting his long arms around her, he kissed her hair, then her face, and murmured, “Well, Angel, at least being a Cochran isn’t dull.”

  She leaned against the comforting warmth of her husband’s body and nodded in agreement. Being a part of his family was many things, but none of them were boring. And things were about to get a lot livelier.

  Chapter One

  “Ladies, we’re running out of bachelors. Here it is April and the auction is set for May and there just aren’t as many candidates as there were last year,” Michaela said sadly. She and her sorors were gathered to discuss the lineup for the annual Bachelor Auction that was a major fundraiser for their group. Her announcement drew noises of protest from her tablemates.

  “What do you mean we’re running out?” asked Erica, her pretty face creased in alarm. “Didn’t you call the ones we used last year?”

  Michaela sighed deeply. “Of course I did and the supply is short, I’m telling you. Church bells have been going off like nobody’s business around here. Dr. Warren Alexander is now happily married, Vincent Hankins is also married, and Pierre Rollins has moved to Cleveland.”

  Nicole’s expression brightened. “Well, heck, Cleveland isn’t that far, I’m sure he’d come back for the weekend. It’s a good cause, after all,” she said confidently.

  Michaela was shaking her head as she put her stemmed goblet of water down. “Pierre moved to Cleveland with his new bride,” she reported glumly. “And of course we all know that Donnie Cochran got married. Twice!”

  “Yes, he did,” agreed one of the women. “He eloped last Valentine’s Day and then he and his wife renewed their vows with a beautiful wedding on their anniversary this year. I can’t get hooked up one time and they did it two times. I’m so jealous.”

  A collective sigh went around the table, broken by the snap of someone’s fingers. “Well, what about Adam Cochran? He’s always glad to do it and he’s not married yet.” This comment came from the happily engaged Sarita. Her pretty, round face took on a look of extreme surprise at the reaction brought on by her words.

  “No, no, no! Not Adam Cochran, anybody but him!” All eyes turned to the speaker, Katina Warren. Katina immediately held up her hand in the easily recognized “don’t even go there” signal. Her sorority sisters didn’t have long to wait to find out the reason for her vehemence.

  “Adam Cochran is too weird. He may be the best-looking man in Detroit, but he’s crazy. And there’s no point to asking him, because he’ll do the same thing he always does. He says sure, no problem, he’ll be glad to. Everybody gets all excited about winning a date with him, but he brings that so-called business partner of his and hands her his checkbook. Then, as soon as there’s a really high bid, she doubles it, writes out a check, and he disappears into the night. What fun is that? He’s disappointed too many women over the years. It’s just not fair,” she said, pouting.

&nb
sp; The women tried to cover their amusement with varying degrees of success. Sarita immediately defended Adam.

  “Don’t say that, he’s not crazy. He’s different, that’s for sure, but he isn’t crazy by a long shot I dated him, remember, and he’s a wonderful guy, very romantic and sexy, and he treated me like a queen. And if it wasn’t for Adam I might not have met my Derrick,” she said, waving her three-carat ring as a reminder. “He’s the one who introduced us and look how that turned out.”

  Michaela smiled in memory. “You must admit that Adam is eccentric. He asked me to go to a concert once and I got all excited, thinking we were going to see Prince, and he took me to see Placido Domingo. Me, who’d never been to an opera in my life,” she said fondly.

  Katina pointed her finger at Michaela and made a face of triumph. “See what I mean? I told you he was weird. Who wants to hear some stupid aria when Prince is in town?”

  “Hey, I didn’t say I hated it, did I? I developed quite a taste for opera after that night. And he cooked me a delicious late supper afterward, too. It was a wonderful evening, as a matter of fact.” Michaela smiled dreamily and winked at Sarita. “And I ended up meeting my husband at the symphony one night, so he actually did me a big favor."

  Katina was on a roll, however. “He’s got that horrible long hair, he never commits to anything, and he never does what he’s supposed to do. I say forget about him and let’s find some real men for the auction.”

  The other five women at the table stared at Katina and someone said what was on all their minds. “You seem to be taking this all quite personally, soror. What exactly did Adam do to you?”

  Katina struggled with her response, then it all came out in a heated rush of words. “He asked me to go up north with him one weekend and I’m thinking we’re going to the Grand Traverse Lodge or someplace luxurious like that, someplace with a big casino and a fireplace in the room and a four-star restaurant. He took me up north, all right Camping;” she said venomously. “Can you believe it? He actually expected me to sleep in a tent and cook out over a fire!”

  The other women burst into simultaneous laughter. “It’s not funny,” Katina said crossly, her cute little face taking on an unbecoming red hue. “I got my hair done, a manicure and a pedicure, and bought an expensive Tracy Reese frock to dazzle him and this joker takes me into the woods where the critters are! It was the shortest camping trip in history because we had to come back to Detroit that very night. I wasn’t staying in the wilds with that maniac,” she huffed.

  Sarita and Michaela winked at each other and spoke in unison. “That’s why you’re so ticked off; you don’t know what you missed out on, girl.” They were giving each other a discreet high five when a voice that sounded as rich as one-hundred-year-old cognac cut into the conversation.

  “Good evening, ladies. How is everyone this evening?”

  Adam Cochran loomed over their table wearing a perfectly fitted cashmere sport coat and a perfectly charming smile. Everyone returned the smile but Katina, who was frozen in a posture of utter horror. How the devil did he sneak up like that? Dear Lord, he didn't hear me, did he? And why does he have to look so darned good?

  Adam was with a tall, equally handsome man who was also wearing a devastating smile. Adam introduced him as Bryant Porter. Michaela, who was on a mission for her sorority, boldly asked if he was available for their auction. “It’s for a wonderful cause and it’s a fun event, too,” she said persuasively.

  Bryant turned his dark chocolate face with the beautiful bone structure to her and smiled with what looked like genuine regret. “Unfortunately, I live in Chicago and I’m only here on business. If my schedule weren’t so full I’d love to accommodate you. I’m sure my friend here will volunteer in my stead though,” he said with a pointed glance at Adam.

  Adam shrugged eloquently. “Sure, I’ll do it. You know I always step up to the occasion.” He kindly ignored the indelicate snort that issued from Katina. “If you like, I can ask a couple of my associates at the firm to participate. They’d never miss an opportunity to perform a service for the community,” he said smoothly.

  After he and Bryant left the ladies’ table a few minutes later, one of the women looked at Katina with an expression of total disbelief. “And you made that gorgeous hunk of man bring you home so you could sleep in your own bed? Girl, if that had been me, we’d still be in the woods and we’d still be busy. You’re not mad at him; you’re mad at yourself, fool. And I’m not mad about the long hair, either; that ponytail is hot.”

  ***

  After Adam and Bryant were seated in a booth, Bryant nodded toward the table of women. “Why do these organizations think that auctioning off men is a good way to raise money? There’s something really creepy about being ‘sold,’ even if it is for a good cause,” he said with a shudder.

  Adam shrugged and gave an expression of indifference. “Yeah, it’s kinda whacked in a way, but I never pay it any attention. Some women go crazy for it and they do make a lot of money every year. Me, I go along with it. I get Alicia to bid on me with my money and get me outta there before any real damage is done.”

  Bryant raised his eyebrows and smiled. Alicia Fuentes was a topic of interest with him. As all three of them were architects, they’d met often over the years, usually at conferences. The reason Bryant was in Detroit was the annual Midwestern Conference of African-American Architects and Urban Planners. After the conference ended, Bryant had offered to take Adam and Alicia to dinner to repay their hospitality, as they had hosted him earlier in the week. But that wasn’t the only reason; he wanted to get to know Alicia better. Alicia was brilliant, attractive, and single, and Bryant was quite taken with her. Now he was reconsidering his interest because if he wasn’t mistaken, someone else was rather taken with her, too, and the person was sitting across the table from him.

  Suddenly Adam rose from his seat, just as Alicia reached their booth. He stepped aside to allow her to enter and made sure she was comfortable before resuming his place. Alicia flashed her usual bright smile and greeted the two men. “Sorry I’m late, but I had to pick up the kids from daycare and drop them at my parents’ house. Have you ordered yet?”

  Bryant reached for her hand across the table and squeezed it gently. “Absolutely not. We just got seated a few minutes ago. We ordered drinks, but nothing else. You’re really not late at all,” he said. He looked her over thoroughly, enjoying the intelligence in her long-lashed eyes. “I didn’t know you had children,” he added.

  Alicia returned the squeeze with a friendly one of her one, and then discreetly took back her hand. “I don’t have children, yet. I was referring to my niece and nephew. I live with my sister and we share a lot of carpooling duties,” she said as she rapidly skimmed the menu.

  Adam hadn’t said a word; he was merely observing his dining companions with a neutral expression. Alicia was her usual charming self, understated but beautiful. Her deep bronze complexion was rosy from the cold early spring weather, her shining black hair was in its usual long braid, and she was neatly but casually attired in khaki slacks, a ribbed silk pullover sweater, and a nicely tailored wool sport coat. She had no idea of the effect she had on men. Alicia never seemed to notice when one was drooling all over her, and Bryant was doing just that. For reasons he wasn’t willing to examine closely, Bryant’s attention to Alicia was getting on Adam’s last nerve. Adam was the coolest, calmest, and most self-possessed of all the men in his family, but something about the way Bryant was looking at Alicia was annoying in the extreme. The caress of Alicia’s familiar fragrance, coupled with the warmth of her body, created a warm aura from which he was loathe to emerge, but Bryant’s constant attention to his partner was jarring him out of his newly found comfort.

  The drinks arrived, and Alicia beamed when she saw that Adam had ordered her favorite libation, a mojito, the rum cocktail that originated in Cuba. The server asked if they were ready to order and Alicia was the first to respond.

  “Absolutely
. I’d like a cup of French onion soup, the petite filet mignon, medium rare, and the steamed vegetables. And may I have extra vegetables instead of a potato? What’s the house dressing?” she asked, looking up at their server. Upon hearing that is was a creamy Caesar, she replied, “Okay, that’s fine, I’ll have that, please, but I’d like my salad after my entree, and yes, I will be having dessert if you have blueberry pie and vanilla ice cream.” She handed her menu to the server. When he told her they did indeed have the pie, she smiled in delight, which charmed Bryant.

  “Alicia, I have to confess, I love watching you eat,” he drawled. “There’s something profoundly sensual about watching a beautiful woman enjoying the pleasure of a good meal, and you, my dear, have perfected the art. I love watching those lips in action.”

  Alicia’s eyes crinkled in a smile and she responded cheerfully, “Well, you’ll get plenty of opportunity to watch since I never seem to stop eating, do I, Adam?”

  Adam took a deep swallow of his scotch before answering, and when he did it was more of a grunt than actual words. He’d never told anyone before, but he loved to watch Alicia eat, too. Her eyes always lit up when she was about to consume something wonderful and she had a habit of giving her bottom lip a dainty little lick before she took her first bite. Then she would issue a heartfelt sigh of repletion and close her eyes in bliss as she savored the morsel. Alicia had really sexy lips, lips that were big and moist and prettily shaped, and the way she used that mouth in eating was, well, arousing, that was the only way to describe it. Adam got a secret thrill whenever they ate together. But being her mealtime voyeur, that was his thing, something between him and Alicia alone. And that bigheaded, grinning baboon had somehow stumbled onto his private fantasy. Adam abruptly excused himself and left the table. Something was going on in his head and his heart that was becoming more and more difficult to handle. He and Alicia had been best friends and business partners for over ten years, and somewhere along the line, Adam had crossed the line of friendship. But what was he venturing into?