It had taken every ounce of self-control she had not to make that call to Charlotte. But she didn’t.
Just as Liza was about to log off her computer, her business cell phone rang. She had never changed the number, even though she had a personal number that had the Raleigh area code. Only her inner circle had that number. So getting a call from an unknown number on her business cell wasn’t a shock.
“Liza Palmer.”
“I thought it was Franklin now?”
Her jaw tightened at the sound of the voice on the other end. “What in the hell do you want, Robert?”
“Aww, is that any way to talk to a friend? Remember, I’ve always been your best friend, right?”
“I’m hanging up my phone, you asshole.”
“Wait, have you heard the news?”
Liza chided herself for not following through on her threat to hang up the phone. “Are you talking about your campaign to be mayor of Charlotte? That’s not news, Bob, that’s a joke.”
“Until I win. And then I hope you and soldier boy will be able to let bygones be bygones so that we can work together to build a better Queen City.”
“The people of Charlotte aren’t stupid. And it would take five villages of fools for you to win anything.”
“That’s where you’re wrong, Liza. I have a commanding lead in the polls as it is.”
Even though she knew it was a lie, Liza did a quick Google search, and her suspicions were confirmed. But instead of rubbing the truth in Robert’s face, she let him continue weaving his lies.
“So,” she said, “did you call me to gloat, or are you trying to hire me to run your social-media campaign? Just so you know, you can’t afford me.”
“I’ve seen what your help can do. I’ll pass. But I hope you realize that I don’t have any ill will toward you and Chante. I think we should meet and clear up this ugliness between us.”
“There is nothing to clear up, Robert. Don’t ever call me again, you assclown.”
“Such language. I figured you’d be a little more refined by now. Then again, you’ve always been a trashy bitch.”
“You bastard. Let me do us a favor and end this conversation before I go get Chante and we give you the ass whooping that she should’ve given you when you admitted to paying for sex.”
“So, Chante is in Raleigh with you?”
Liza hung up the phone. He was looking for Chante, huh? She wasn’t going to tip him off as to where her friend was. But she was going to call Teresa now, because this was a favor that didn’t have anything to do with her husband.
Chante and Zach lay side by side on the sand, enjoying the heat of the sun and some frosty iced tea. Zach glanced at her hips as Chante flipped over onto her stomach and took an ice cube out of her cup and popped it into her mouth. Those lips closing around that ice cube gave him an erection that he couldn’t hide. Reaching into his cup, Zach grabbed an ice cube and ran it down Chante’s back, stopping right above her behind.
“Oh, that felt so good,” she cooed. “It’s hot out here.”
“Not half as hot as you look. But you already knew that. I’m glad you ditched the sarong today.”
Chante giggled as he ran another ice cube down her back. “All right, too much of a good thing.” Zach leaned over and untied the back of her bikini top.
“Don’t move,” he said, then slipped his hands underneath the loosened top. Chante moaned as he kneaded her breasts.
“You are so bad,” she intoned.
“And you love it.” His fingers played with her nipples, and she arched her back, slamming her booty into his erection.
“You keep this up and we’re going to get arrested,” she said as she pressed her body against his.
“Doing that is not helping the cause,” he groaned. “You know I went to the store and I got a big box of . . .” This time it was Zach’s cell phone interrupting their interlude. “Shit.” He rolled over and glanced at his phone. It was Kia. “What’s up, Special K?”
“Zach, it’s me.”
Launching to his feet at the sound of his ex-wife’s voice, Zach was filled with anger and disgust. “What in the hell are you doing in my office?”
“Zach, why are you being so hostile?” Natalie asked. “I need your help, or I swear to God I will tell the feds that you were involved.”
“Natalie, you can take the highway to hell. I’m not helping you do a damned thing, and I’m sure I will get to the FBI before you do, since they have my office under surveillance. Here’s hoping they bust in there right now and haul you off to prison.”
“Why do you hate me so much? I just wanted something of my own. I was tired of living in your shadow, being that perfect little housewife you wanted. Zachary, you neglected me. So, yes, you were a part of this because you didn’t give me a choice.”
“Have you lost your mind, and did it ever occur to you that we should’ve talked about this when we were still married?”
“Bastard!”
“Get out of my office.” Zach ended the call, then dialed the building’s main number. When the head of security answered the phone, Zach lit into him with a litany of curse words that would put to shame a native New Yorker stuck in a traffic jam at rush hour.
“If you allow that woman into the building or even on the sidewalk in front of my building again, I’m getting a new security company.”
“But, sir . . .”
Zach hung up the phone, not wanting to hear any excuses for their incompetence. Natalie’s clearance had been revoked from his office the day that she said she needed space. Sighing, he pulled up Kia’s cell phone number.
“Zach,” Dave said when he answered his wife’s phone, “I’m glad you called. Kia just gave birth to a beautiful little girl and a handsome little boy.”
Despite his anger, Zach smiled. “Twins, huh?”
“Yep. I’m so proud. We were going to call you when the hubbub died down around here. We have so many people in and out of this place right now. So what’s going on? I know you have to be calling for a reason.”
“Umm, nah, nothing, other than to see if Kia had given birth, and it looks like I called at the right time. I’ll see you four soon.”
Zach hung up and felt like a jerk because he was actually calling to chew out a pregnant woman. He should’ve known that Kia had gone to the hospital if Natalie had gotten up the stairs and into his office. But what in the hell had she gone there for?
The sound of Chante clearing her throat broke into his thoughts. Facing her, he could tell she’d heard a lot of his conversations.
“And I thought I’d cornered the market on cursing people out. I was drunk. What’s your excuse?” she asked with her right eyebrow arched.
Zach smiled. “I really don’t want to talk about it when we’re having such an amazing time.”
Chante tilted her head to the side. “My, how the tables have turned. I think we had this conversation in reverse last night.”
“You were drunk.”
“And you’re angry. I’d like to know why.”
Zach sighed. How much longer could he avoid telling her everything? “Why don’t we get dressed and have a few adult beverages? I’ll tell you everything,” he said.
Chante blinked, then nodded. “Wait,” she said, “we’re supposed to be having fun, and I’ve already let my issues intrude on that. So I say let’s get dressed and take a ride in the Mustang.”
Zach smiled. “I’m guessing you’re going to be doing the driving?”
“Wouldn’t be fun if I didn’t,” she quipped. He took her hand in his and brought it to his lips. He was thankful for the brief reprieve, but he knew it wouldn’t last long.
Teresa Flores tried to hold back her response as she listened to Liza rail on about Robert Montgomery. “Liza,” she said, then broke into laughter, “everyone in Charlotte thinks he’s a joke. Why did you let him get to you?”
Sighing, Liza gritted her teeth. “He was so damned smug, and I’m just hoping that he
isn’t up to something that’s going to hurt Chante again.”
“She hasn’t been around since the media descended on her after that fool went on TV and announced they were back together.”
“She called me about that, and I sent a release for her. I thought that had done the trick,” Liza said. “Chante isn’t the one who should be running away. Maybe I should . . .”
“Stay out of the fray, Liza. If I need to get down in the dirt with Nic and Robert, then I will. But you and Jackson have bigger fish to fry in Raleigh.”
“I know, but . . .”
“Friends and politics make strange bedfellows. But you and I know that anything that would distract from Jackson’s bill would play into the hands of those who are against him. Remember all the rumors swirling around you during the election? Want all that stuff to be brought up again?”
“No.”
“Then let me handle Charlotte. When I get some things going in the news, I’ll send you links to tweet. I know you have an anonymous account somewhere.”
Liza chuckled. “Can’t keep anything from you, huh?”
“Nope, and that’s why you and Jackson have me in your corner.”
“Thanks, Teresa.”
After Teresa hung up with Liza, she made a call of her own. She was going to beat Dominic Hall again, and Clemmons was going to accept her help, whether he wanted to or not.
Chante fluffed her hair after her shower and dressed in a white tank top and denim shorts. “What am I doing?” she thought aloud. “Obviously, Zach and I have issues that we’re hiding from, and they’re going to explode in our faces.”
Smoothing gloss on her lips, she told herself this wasn’t anything serious; she didn’t need to worry herself silly about his issues. Grabbing her phone and heading for the door, she was ready to have a good time and drive really fast.
Riding down to the lobby, she groaned when her cell phone rang. And when she saw it was her mother calling, she didn’t answer. The last thing she wanted was an argument.
She was about to turn her phone off when she got another call, this one from Liza.
“What’s up, Mrs. Franklin?” she asked as the doors to the elevator opened.
“Why do you have your phone on when you’re supposed to be chilling with your grandmother?”
“Grammy is on a cruise with her boo,” Chante said. “So she got me a suite at the Charleston Harbor Bed and Breakfast.”
“Well, I’m glad you’re still out of Robert’s reach. He had the nerve to call me.”
“I’m surprised you don’t have his number blocked.”
“Creep boy has a new number. Anyway, he’s looking for you, and he tried to pick a fight with me so that I would let your whereabouts slip.”
“I guess he hasn’t figured out that everyone around him has changed and he’s the one who’s still the same.”
“Anyway, how is Charleston? I’m thinking after this session is over, Jackson and I have earned a relaxing getaway. He’s been working so hard to keep up with his campaign promises and not get caught up in the BS that goes on up here. I wish some of these politicians were my clients. I could probably retire.”
“And never get a moment’s rest,” Chante said. “Politicians are worse than athletes.”
“I know, and that means I’ll be able to have something to do while my husband is saving the state.”
“So you’re not in the honeymoon stage anymore?”
Chante heard a happy moan in her friend’s voice. “I wouldn’t say that. It’s just that since he won the election, the work has gotten harder. And because my man doesn’t play the game, he has a lot of people who are looking to bring him down.”
“I know Senator Franklin can handle it. He’s a man of conviction, and you have his back.”
“He’s lucky, isn’t he?” Liza broke out into laughter. “I’m the lucky one. That man has actually shown me that slowing down is not always a bad thing.”
“Elizabeth Palmer-Franklin, I can’t believe you! You’re actually happy and talking about slowing down. Marriage is really good for you.”
“And I hate to sound clichéd, but I hope this situation with Robert hasn’t turned you off to . . .”
“Don’t go there. But I do have a confession: I met someone.”
“All right, now! Is it . . . ?”
“A vacation fling. I’m not looking for that Claire Huxtable life anymore, even if I told my mother that Zach is my fiancé.”
“Wait? What?”
Chante was about to tell her about her ruse with Zach, but as she walked off the elevator, she saw Zach standing in the lobby with a long-stemmed red rose in his hand.
“Liza, I have to go.”
“Oh, you better call me back!”
Chante ended the call, then shut her phone off as she drank in the image of Zach in his white linen slacks and white tank top. He held out a long-stemmed red rose to her. “You look amazing,” Zach said.
Smiling, Chante took the rose from his outstretched hand. “Thank you.” She brought the rose to her nose. “I love roses.”
“Haven’t met a beautiful woman who doesn’t.”
She raised her right eyebrow. “Is that so?”
“Think about it, a rose is the symbol for beauty, love, and war.”
“War? And why do you know this?”
“Got to know these things. You never know when you will be able to impress Chante Britt with it.”
“Anyway.”
“Okay, the florist told me when I bought the rose.”
Chante broke out laughing. “I was about to be impressed.”
“Ah, random facts impress the lady. Let me take note of that.”
She playfully pushed him in the chest. “Taking notes, really?”
“Yes, I have to know how I can keep that smile on your face.” He stroked her cheek. “Where are you driving me to?”
“Jestine’s Kitchen.”
“Where?”
“You will see when we get there. Come on,” she said.
Zach handed her the keys to the Mustang.
“I’d tell you to drive slow, but I know that would be a waste of breath,” he said as they walked out of the hotel. They passed a film crew and a few photographers. Neither of them gave it a second thought as they climbed into the Mustang.
One of the production assistants for the film crew, which was recording a documentary about African American landmarks in Charleston, nudged the director.
“What?” the burly man barked.
“I think I just saw Zachary Harrington.”
The director almost dropped his camera. He was a native New Yorker who’d been following the case of the “Harlem Madame.” No one in the city had been able to find Zachary and discover what his involvement had been with the alleged sex ring. But if he could locate Harrington, get some footage of him, and maybe even ask him a few questions, CNN would pay him a lot for it.
“Hey, guys! Let’s come back at sunset,” he said. “It will be a better shot.”
The crew groaned, since they had been up since six a.m. “Wrap it up!” the director yelled, then turned to the eagle-eyed production assistant. “What were they driving, and which way did they go?”
Smiling, the production assistant handed the director a slip of paper with the license-plate number written on it. “All right,” the director said, “let’s find him.”
Meeting Street was packed, as Chante expected. But she found a parking spot about a block and a half from Jestine’s Kitchen.
“What’s so special about this place?” Zach asked as they got out of the car and walked toward the restaurant. A line of people stretched along the sidewalk.
“Well,” Chante began, “it’s named after Jestine Matthews, a woman who lived until she was one hundred and twelve years old. The family she worked for in the late 1920s opened this restaurant to keep Jestine’s legacy of good food alive.”
“You know your history of this city,” he said with a smile.
<
br /> “Charleston is filled with a lot of history. A lot like New Orleans.”
Zach nodded. He’d considered going to the Big Easy before settling on Charleston for his great escape. Holding Chante’s hand, he knew he’d made the right decision.
As they waited in the line, he couldn’t help but wonder if things would change between them when she learned of the drama he was embroiled in back in New York. Glancing at Chante, he wondered if she would be forgiving, or would she take exception to the fact that he didn’t tell her everything?
“What’s with that look?” she asked.
“Huh?”
“You were staring again,” she quipped.
“Have you seen yourself? I’m not the only one staring. But at least I know what’s underneath the wrapping.”
She pinched his arm. “Keep it up and you will never see underneath this wrapping again.”
Zach snickered. “You and I both know that’s a lie.” Bringing his lips to her ear, he said, “You’d let me take those sexy shorts off your exquisite body right now and eat you for lunch.”
The heat of his words and his breath made her tingle with excitement. She couldn’t even jokingly deny what he said. “I don’t know what I’m going to do with you.”
“After we eat, I have quite a few ideas.” His smile made her throb between her thighs.
“Takeout?” she asked.
Chapter 11
Though the sexual tension between Zach and Chante was hotter than the oil used to fry Jestine’s famous chicken, the cozy atmosphere of the restaurant drew them in. And a coveted empty table made them stay. “I see this is a popular place,” he said as they took a seat.
“Very. There’s no telling whom you might run into here,” she said as she placed her napkin in her lap. “And the cucumbers are to die for.”
Moments later, a waiter set a bowl of pickled cucumbers on the table. “Welcome to Jestine’s Kitchen. I’m Peter, and I’ll be taking care of you today. Would you like to try Miss Jestine’s table wine?”
I Heard A Rumor Page 10