Fifteen minutes later, Ayana reemerged looking like a celebrity. Gone were the jeans and T-shirt, replaced with a tight black dress that cinched her waist and hips, with black stiletto heels to match. Her hair was no longer in a ponytail—instead, a long platinum-blond wig was cascading loose around her shoulders. She wore dangling earrings that matched a series of necklaces adorning her neck. Her face was made up with bright red lipstick, blush and long false eyelashes.
“Wow, look at you!” he said, having forgotten the glamour of Saturday Knight.
“How’s that for a quick transformation?” She put her bag back in the overhead and sat down.
“Here, this is for you,” he said, handing her the airline-issued napkin.
Ayana took the napkin out of his hands. “Oh, do I have lipstick on my teeth?” she asked, assuming he was giving her the napkin to clean her makeup.
“No, read it.”
She looked at the white napkin and read the message written in the center. Blissfully Yours, B.
“Aww.” She touched the napkin to her chest. “That’s so sweet. Let me use your pen.” She then wrote on the back, Blissfully Yours, A. She kissed the napkin, leaving the imprint of her ruby-red lips on the white surface, and handed it back to him.
“I mean it, baby. I am blissfully yours and don’t you forget it when we’re back in New York on set.”
“I promise I won’t,” she said, snuggling closer to him.
Brandon put the napkin in his pocket and closed his eyes, revisiting their time together in Jamaica. He knew that going back to New York and working on the show as a couple was going to be a challenge, and he wanted to hold on to happy memories for as long as possible.
Chapter 20
Ayana and Brandon went directly to the set from the airport. They arrived at the penthouse on Central Park West together. Riding up in the elevator, Ayana felt her heart sinking. Although she was dressed as Saturday Knight, she wasn’t ready to face the cast and morph into character. In her spirit, she was still feeling irie and wanted to return to Jamaica as fast as she could. However, she was under contract and had a job to do.
Standing beside Ayana, holding her hand, Brandon could sense her trepidation. “Are you all right?”
“Yes. I’m fine,” she said with coolness to her voice.
“No, you’re not. You don’t even sound like yourself.”
“Brandon, I need to get into character. We’ll be on set in a few and I don’t want any signs of Ayana showing.” She eased her hand out of his. “I didn’t mention this before, but I think it’s best if we keep our relationship under wraps. It wouldn’t look too professional if one of the cast members and the director were dating.”
“What difference does it make? We’re two consenting adults.”
“The difference is, I’m supposed to be single on the show, and going through the dating process to find my next husband.”
Brandon exhaled hard. “So, you’re telling me, I’m supposed to just sit back and watch—wait, direct—my woman with another man? Ayana, I don’t like this arrangement one bit.”
“Yes, until the show goes on hiatus again. My contract will be up by then, and hopefully I will have found another income.”
“Since you have everything figured out, when are we supposed to see each other?” he asked, sounding quite annoyed.
Ayana took hold of his hand again, trying to smooth things over. “When we’re not taping you can come over to my place, and I can come over to yours.”
Now it was Brandon’s turn to remove his hand from hers. “So we have to sneak around like teenagers hiding from their parents.”
“No, we’re not hiding—just keeping our relationship to ourselves. It’s nobody’s business what we do after the cameras go off.”
He exhaled again. “You told me the truth of why you’re on the show back in Jamaica, and I accepted it. I guess I didn’t factor in the dating component and the premise of Divorced Divas. I’m not going to jeopardize your livelihood, but I’m telling you right now, I don’t want you kissing on any of these guys.”
Ayana chuckled slightly. “Somebody’s jealous.”
“It’s not funny. I’m serious,” he said with a straight face.
“Okay,” she said and leaned up and kissed him on the cheek.
The elevator doors opened. Ayana stepped off first and strutted into the penthouse ahead of Brandon. The expansive living room was set up with lights and overhead boom microphones. Two plush white sofas were arranged in a row with a white leather chair positioned in the middle. The walls were adorned with copies of artwork by the masters—Van Gogh, Monet and Renoir. Lead crystal vases with fresh-cut flowers were arranged throughout the room. The scene resembled an old-money Upper East Side matriarch’s living room, where high tea and finger sandwiches were served. This room, however, served up juicy gossip and plenty of drama.
“Where have you been?” Steve asked, rushing up to Ayana.
She quickly got into character and gave him one of her demeaning looks, complete with an annoying teeth suck. “I was on a plane. Don’t blame me for being late when I only had a day’s notice.”
“I’ve been calling you for the past two days,” Steve said in his defense.
“Whatever,” she responded, flipping her hand. Ayana looked around the room, expecting to see the show’s creator, but he wasn’t there. “Where’s Ed?”
“He won’t be here until tomorrow, but he’ll be calling in throughout the day.”
“You’re complaining that I’m late, but I don’t see anyone else on the set.”
“The other ladies are in their dressing rooms waiting for you.”
“Well, you can go tell those heifers the star has arrived.”
Steve didn’t say a word. He just looked at her with disdain. Ayana knew he knew better than to get into a verbal sparring match with the infamous Saturday Knight, for surely he would lose.
“Uh, hey, Brandon,” Steve said, diverting his attention from her.
“Hi, Steve. How are you doing?” Brandon asked as he walked toward the executive producer. Brandon strolled right past Saturday as if she weren’t there, giving no hint that they were a couple. He shook Steve’s hand.
“I’m good. No complaints. Just ready to get the show under way.”
“When are we going to start with rehearsals?” Brandon asked, also anxious to begin so that he could get out of there and spend time with Ayana.
“Soon. I’m waiting for Ed to call. He left explicit instructions to wait for his call before we began.”
“Well, hello, Brandon,” Brooke, the blonde flirt of the show, said as she came into the room. She went directly over to him, ignoring Saturday and Steve, and stood so close to Brandon that her surgically enhanced boobs were almost touching his chest.
Brandon took a step back. “Hello, Brooke,” he said in a professional tone.
“So, Mr. Director, how was your time off? Too bad we couldn’t get together and hang out. I’m sure we would have had a ton of fun,” she said with a wink.
Ayana cut her eyes from Brandon to Brooke. She was seething but didn’t say anything. She had laid the ground rules but didn’t like this game of nondisclosure. Ayana wanted to let the world know that Brandon was her man, but she was forced to remain silent. She especially wanted to tell Brooke to keep her paws off of him. Instead, she went over to the sofa, sat down, took her phone out of her purse and pretended to play a game, all the while listening to their exchange.
“I don’t think my girl would have liked me hanging out with you,” he said, giving Brooke the cold shoulder.
Ayana’s ears perked up, and she smiled slightly. That’s right, baby. Tell her you’re taken.
“Oh, I didn’t know you had a girlfriend,” Brooke said, sounding surprised.
“I do and we’re extremely happy. So getting together with you isn’t even an option.” Brandon cut his eyes at Ayana, who was looking down at her phone but had a pleasant expression on her face. From
their close proximity, he knew that she was listening to his every word. Although they couldn’t reveal their relationship, he wanted to reassure her of how he felt.
“I can be discreet if you can. We could at least have dinner together. Your girlfriend would never have to know,” Brooke said, refusing to accept no as an answer.
“Like I said, getting together with you isn’t an option.”
Yes! Yes! Inside, Ayana was doing a fist pump and happy dance at the same time. Brandon had put Ms. Thing in her place, and she was elated.
Brandon turned his attention back to Steve, totally ignoring Brooke. “I’ll be in the production room. Let me know when we’re ready to begin.”
“Okay, will do. I’m going to get the other ladies so everyone will be on set when Ed calls.”
Once Brandon and Steve had left the room, Ayana put her phone aside, looked up and started in on Brooke. “Tell me something.” She stood and walked over to Brooke. “Why are you always trying to push up on somebody’s man?”
“What are you talking about?” Brooke asked, flinging her long blond hair, nearly hitting Saturday in the face.
Saturday quickly moved out of the way. “I’m talking about you coming on to Brandon.”
“What’s it to you?”
“He’s here as the director, not your personal boy toy.”
“Once again, I’m going to say, what’s it to you? Who I flirt with is none of your business,” Brooke responded, not backing down.
Saturday stepped closer and pointed her finger in Brooke’s face, nearly touching her nose. “I’m going to tell you what it is to me. He’s...”
Brooke slapped Saturday’s finger out of her face, interrupting her tirade.
“How dare you hit me!” Saturday raised her arms to push Brooke.
“Whoa, whoa, what’s going on here?” Brandon said, stepping between them. He had come out of the production room just in time to stop the fight.
“That whore hit me!” Saturday yelled.
“Who are you calling a whore?” Brooke shouted back.
“Did I stutter?” Saturday countered, trying to reach around Brandon and get to Brooke.
“You both need to calm down. This is a production set, not a boxing ring.” He took Saturday by the arm and led her over to the huge floor-to-ceiling window. “What’s going on? I step out of the room for a few minutes, and when I come back you’re arguing with Brooke,” he said under his breath.
Saturday looked past him, leering at Brooke. “She thinks she can just come on to you, like you’re here for her personal pleasure.”
“Are you kidding me? You’re getting all riled up because she flirted with me?”
“I needed to put her in her place and let her know that you’re not available.”
“Ayana—” he looked over his shoulder to make sure no one was listening “—I already did that. Besides, Brooke is just being Brooke. Remember when she flirted with me a while back? I put her in her place then, and you and I weren’t even dating.”
“Of course I remember. However, that was then. Now you are my man, and I don’t want her trying to sink her claws into you.”
“I could go over there right now and tell her that we’re dating and put an end to her flirting once and for all. Is that what you want?” He peered directly into her eyes.
Saturday folded her arms across her chest, exhaled hard and said, “You know that’s not an alternative.”
“Well, then, you need to cool your jets.”
Saturday didn’t say anything. She couldn’t believe how upset she had gotten over a little flirtation. I must really love this man. I’ve never acted a fool over any guy before, she thought. Ayana didn’t like the vulnerability that came with being in love. She nearly told her own secret and needed to get a grip. If any of these women smelled a whiff of weakness, they would go in for the kill. Saturday was the vixen of the show, and had to stay in character so she wouldn’t lose her job.
“Are you all right now?” Brandon asked when she didn’t answer.
She exhaled. “Yes, I’m fine.” She crossed the room and returned to the sofa, ignoring Brooke, who was still standing in the middle of the room with her arms folded across her chest.
“Looks like we are postponing today’s rehearsal. Ed will be here in the flesh tomorrow and we’ll start then. I’ve already told Petra, Trista and the rest of the crew. Tomorrow’s call time is eight a.m. See you guys then,” Steve said.
Saturday gathered her belongings and made a beeline for the door without giving Brandon a second look. She needed to go home and formulate a better game plan. Ayana realized that pretending she and Brandon were platonic coworkers was going to be harder than she’d initially thought.
Chapter 21
Ayana hadn’t been in her own bed in weeks, and it felt good to relax among the myriad of pillows in varying sizes tossed against the headboard. Her body was sandwiched between the six-hundred-count sheets, which were as smooth as silk, and a plush down comforter was folded at her feet. The only illumination in the room was the streetlights streaming through the mini blinds and the light of the muted television. She wanted to quiet the chatter in her head and didn’t need any additional noise. Ayana ran through the day’s events in her mind and didn’t like how she had allowed Brooke to push her buttons. Ayana had nearly blurted out that she and Brandon were dating, which would have defeated her plan to keep their relationship under wraps.
“I really need to keep my emotions in check,” she said aloud.
Her cell rang, interrupting her thoughts. Ayana reached for the phone, which was lying on the nightstand. “Hello?”
“It’s me! I’m back!”
“Hey, Reese! How was your trip?” Ayana was happy to hear from her friend. She had a lot to tell her.
“It was fabulous. We bought some amazing gems, tooled around Capri and ate and drank ourselves silly. We really needed the time away, so we could reconnect as a couple. The first part of the trip was all business—however, the last leg was all pleasure!”
“Nice!”
“So, how’s the show been going? I miss my regular updates.”
“The show has been on hold for a while. Ed had a heart attack...”
“What! Is he okay?”
“Yes, he’s fine now. Tomorrow, we’re taping for the first time since he got out of the hospital.”
“How long was he laid up?”
“A few weeks.”
“What were you doing all of that time?”
“I was in Jamaica. My dad had a slight stroke.”
“What? How is he?”
“He’s fine.”
“Wow. I can’t believe all of that happened while I was away.”
“It’s not all bad news. Guess what? You were right.”
“Right about what?”
“Remember when I told you about the new director of the show kissing me?”
“Of course I remember. Wait a minute... Don’t tell me that you guys are dating?”
“Yes, we are!” Ayana said, sounding totally elated.
“That’s great—now tell me everything.”
Ayana went into detail, telling Reese how Brandon had nearly run her over with his Jet Ski, and how he was related to her friend Marigold. She told Reese that Brandon had been standoffish until she revealed the truth of why she was on the show. Ayana told Reese how she and Brandon had fallen in love while in Jamaica.
“That’s fantastic! I couldn’t be happier. So how is the cast responding to you guys as a couple?”
“No one knows that we’re dating. I have to keep our relationship under wraps until the end of the season.”
“Why is that?”
“I can’t jeopardize my Saturday Knight persona, and risk losing my job.”
“Oh, I see. Hold on for a second.”
Ayana could hear Reese talking to someone in the background.
“I’d love to continue our conversation, but Joey has drawn me a candlelit bubble bath.”
“Aw, that’s so sweet. Okay, talk to you later.”
Ayana placed the phone back on the nightstand and wondered if she and Brandon would become a happily married couple like Reese and Joey. Although she was falling deeply in love with Brandon, she couldn’t allow her feelings to overshadow her judgment. Ayana already didn’t like portraying Saturday, but it had gotten even worse. Now she’d have to conceal two lies. The pressure was already getting to her, and the special taping hadn’t even gotten under way.
“I have to get back on my game plan.”
The time spent with Brandon in Jamaica had been beyond great but had shifted her focus from finding a way out of reality television into a profession that she could be proud of. Brandon had mentioned that she might try her hand at acting, and she thought that was a great idea. Ayana also had branding ideas in mind, but that would probably take longer to facilitate. Presently, she didn’t have a talent agent, but getting one shouldn’t be a problem because she was already a television personality.
Ayana reached for her cell phone to call Brandon and ask him about his agent. She didn’t want to waste another second. She needed to get the ball rolling.
“Hey, are you asleep?” she asked once he picked up.
“Hey, baby. No, I’m not asleep. I’m just lying here thinking about you.”
She smiled. “And what were you thinking?”
“How much I miss you. Why don’t you come over?”
“I would, but I’m beat. Traveling and dealing with the show has me wiped out.”
“Are you too tired for a little phone action?” he asked seductively.
“Hmm? Are you talking about phone sex?” Brandon’s question had taken her totally off guard.
“Yes, I am. So tell me, what are you wearing?” he asked, getting right down to business.
Ayana had on a threadbare Reggae Fest T-shirt that was at least ten years old, panties and a pair of sweat socks—the antithesis of sexy. “Uh...I have on a fire-engine-red lace negligee with a matching red thong tucked between my butt cheeks,” she elaborated, playing along and getting in the mood.
Blissfully Yours (Mills & Boon Kimani) Page 11