* * * *
Kaylin, who knew that Chloe and Temple had been a couple for six months and why they had broken up, smiled at him. “So, John, long time no see. How have you been?”
“I’ve been okay. It looks like some changes have been going on around here, though. Are you two dating?”
Jack stepped in. “That’s right. Kaylin and I have been together for almost two months. We met over that Alan Baker serial killer case. One of the victims was Lucy Evans. You may remember her. She was the receptionist here at the club and was murdered in the parking garage.”
“Yes, I remember Lucy, but wasn’t aware that she had been killed. I haven’t been following the Baker case. That’s a shame. She was a lovely girl. I haven’t been to the club in quite a while.”
“Really, John? Why not? I haven’t been coming here that long myself, but it certainly is a fun place.” Now, the little bastard who had hurt her friend was beginning to look uncomfortable. Well, she wanted to pick his pocket so revenge could wait. “Well, I hope you’ll open your heart and your wallet for the shelter. It’s a great cause.” She turned to Jayden, who was looking a little confused by all of this. “Jayden is going to give a little talk about the shelter after we’ve all enjoyed the buffet. Why don’t you go through to the dungeon and get a drink? You look like you could use one.”
When John had taken her suggestion, Jack turned to Kaylin. “Do you want to clue me in on what just happened?”
“Temple and Chloe had a thing that didn’t end well. I’ll tell you about it later. I guess I have a thing too—I don’t like people who hurt my friends.”
“I thought you might be about to pull your gun.” He grinned. “If you had a place under that dress to hide one.”
“Not to worry, babe. I have my badge and a twenty-two in my handbag.”
“I should have known.”
* * * *
John Temple was looking for Chloe in the dungeon, but he didn’t spot her. Where the hell had she gone? He wanted a minute to talk to her alone. He didn’t know what he was going to say except that he was sorry for the way things had ended and that he had missed her. He had missed her. He hadn’t slept well for weeks after that last Saturday afternoon when she had walked away from him. He hadn’t realized how important to him she had become. He knew he had handled the whole thing badly. But her accusations had come right out of left field, and he hadn’t been prepared with a good answer. There was no good answer, and he had been an ass. He wondered if there was any chance…Probably not if the way she had taken off was any indication of how the wind blew. He just wanted to say he was sorry. That had not been one of his finer moments, and regardless of what Chloe thought, he realized that he had cared deeply for her.
Several minutes later he saw her coming out of the ladies’ room. So she hadn’t gone to see the caterer in the kitchen. She had wanted to escape from him. That hurt, but he couldn’t blame her. He cut across the dungeon to intercept her. “Chloe. Can we talk for a minute?”
“I don’t think we have anything good to say to each other, J.J., so I’d say—no. I’d rather not talk to you.”
“Please. I just wanted to say how sorry I am…”
“I really am not interested in hearing how sorry you are. You could have said that any time since last December. You didn’t. I have to infer from that that you aren’t. Have a nice life, Temple. Enjoy the evening and make a big donation.” She turned to walk away from him.
His arm shot out and stopped her. “I think we need to talk and clear the air.”
“My air is very clear. I can see you quite clearly, J.J., and what I see is a small man who didn’t think I was good enough for him. I admit I was hurt at the time, but I’m over it and don’t plan to go back for another dose of humiliation. Now, if you will excuse me, I have duties on the receiving line.”
He stood there. He didn’t know what to do or say next. He had tried to apologize, but Chloe wasn’t having any of it. He knew he’d hurt her feelings that day. He just hadn’t known how deeply, and he was ashamed.
* * * *
When Chloe rejoined Kaylin, Jack, and Jayden in the foyer, most of the guests had arrived and been greeted. Thank goodness. She wouldn’t have to stand here much longer trying to look like everything was fine. She was far from fine. At least she hadn’t broken down and thrown herself into his arms. That would have been the icing on the cake.
“Thanks for covering for me, guys. That was a little hairy. I didn’t expect to see Temple here. I never knew he was a member. At the time, I didn’t even know the club existed.”
Jack pulled her into his side for a hard hug. “It will be okay. If you need a break, just take off. You can go through to my apartment if you need privacy. We’ll understand.”
Jayden just shook her head. “Well, I don’t understand, but all I can say is we are going to skin that guy for a good cause.”
* * * *
Jack Brown joined John Temple at the bar, where Temple was downing another scotch on the rocks. Jack shook his head. He had recently been in his place, and it had sucked big-time. “If you want her back, you might as well resign yourself to groveling and begging. I know. I’ve been there.”
“Doms don’t beg. They apologize politely when they are wrong, but they don’t beg.”
“Doms who fuck up and then don’t beg don’t get any. Do you want to tell me what happened?”
“About eight, nine months ago, I totally pissed Chloe off. We had been seeing each other for about six months. She noticed that I hadn’t introduced her to many of my friends, and she called me on it. I made the mistake of being honest and telling her I wasn’t comfortable introducing a vice cop to my BDSM friends or my law firm partners—some of whom occasionally do a little weed or blow—or bringing her to my club. Your club. How could I bring a vice cop in here? I should never have let her walk away. She thought I was embarrassed or ashamed of her because she doesn’t make the big bucks. That was certainly not it. I just…I just was stupid, man. It looks like I’m going to have to grovel and beg.”
“Yeah. Looks like it. Buck up. After the first grovel, the second beg isn’t that bad.” Jack laughed. “You can do it, man. I know you can. A big donation to the shelter would go a long way toward the third grovel.”
“Yeah?”
“I’m sure it would.” Jack laughed to himself. Poor fucker. He has no idea what is in store for him. Jack wasn’t going to enlighten him.
* * * *
After the buffet had been decimated and more drinks had been served, Jack watched as Jayden Lane did her thing. She was a mistress at pulling checks out of wallets. She had come prepared with pictures of homeless kids on the street before she brought them into the shelter, and then pictures of the same kids cleaned up, well-fed, and working toward GED high school equivalency diplomas online at the shelter. Jack had to hand it to her. She was good. She was so good that he had been a regular donor for a couple of years himself and funded a full college scholarship every year for a student to attend Broward College, and if they did well, to go on to the University of Florida. Most of his charitable donations were made quietly, and he didn’t seek publicity. He got enough of that without trying.
Jack was amused watching Kaylin and Chloe make the rounds of the room, charming the members and collecting checks. When Chloe was about to pass by Temple, he put his hand on her arm.
“What about me?”
“What about you? Give your check to Kaylin.”
“No. If I give a check it will be to you, and you have to promise to have lunch with me—one hour—and let me have a chance to apologize and explain. You don’t have to forgive me, just listen and give me a chance. What do you say?”
“How much?”
“How much?”
“Yes, how much is your donation? If it’s enough I’ll consider lunch. If not, buzz off.”
“You are a hard woman, Chloe.”
“You have no idea—and I carry a gun. How much?”
&nb
sp; “Five grand?”
“Make it ten and you have a deal. You can afford it, Temple. Just add it on as a line item on your next multimillion-dollar closing statement.”
“Deal. Lunch tomorrow? I’ll call you.”
“Check. Now. Or no deal.”
He pulled his checkbook out of his jacket pocket and wrote the check which she tucked into the envelope she was holding. “Hard woman. I’ll call you.”
“I may answer.”
“I can stop payment.”
“You wouldn’t dare.”
“You’re right. I’ll call you.”
Jack had to smile as he watched Chloe walk away. That was masterfully done. She’d scored an extra five grand for the shelter. Kaylin would be proud. Hell, he was proud. Poor fucker.
* * * *
Chloe smiled to herself. Ten thousand dollars for the shelter was worth an hour of her time even if she had to spend it with J.J. That was all he was going to get though. One hour.
* * * *
Temple smiled to himself. He’d come prepared to donate five grand. That had been his intention all along. If the extra five grand got him an hour of Chloe’s time and he could get her to listen, it was well worth the tax-deductible investment. He hadn’t expected to get this chance to talk to her, and he wasn’t going to waste it.
* * * *
Jayden Lane was thrilled. Chloe had played that dude, Temple, like a master. Jack Dalton Brown had been a soft touch for a couple of years—monetary donations as well as the scholarships, and one time a new roof for the shelter. She appreciated this opportunity, but she didn’t get these folks. Really? What was all this about? And the confidentiality agreement she’d had to sign in the foyer? She had been to Jack’s office on the nineteenth floor once, and it was fancy, but of course she had never been to the penthouse before. Hell’s bells, she didn’t know how much they had collected, but she knew it was a pile for one night’s work. She had so many holes to plug with that money it wasn’t funny. She had many donors, including some institutional ones, but she was always chasing a dollar. The current financial climate had cut into charitable donations across the board. Kids needed stuff—food, clothes, shoes, books. It was endless. Yeah, this had been a good night’s work.
Chapter Six
At the Royal Pig Pub on Las Olas Boulevard, Fort Lauderdale, Florida, Saturday, noon, August 30, 2014
John Temple had wasted no time calling Chloe’s cell phone that morning. He had barely waited for a decent hour. He was eager to see her again although he hadn’t wanted to torture himself with the possibilities. He had thought of her often in the past months and wished he could summon the nerve to just call her. Then this unexpected opportunity had presented itself. He wanted to pin her down while his check for ten grand was still warm in her hands. He wasn’t going to let this chance slip away. By next week she would blow him off again. He had seen the hurt and anger in her eyes, and he knew he had some fast talking to do before the door hit him on the ass on his way out. She had a lot more grit than he had given her credit for. That was his mistake. He hoped she would allow him to correct it.
He had chosen a restaurant on Las Olas Boulevard, a trendy shopping street in downtown Fort Lauderdale. He wanted to keep their encounter casual. Las Olas Boulevard was a beautiful, tree-lined, east-west thoroughfare that ran from the downtown area for several miles all the way to the beach. The street was picturesque with a mix of high-rise office buildings, quaint shops, boutiques, art galleries, and restaurants. It was a gathering place where people strolled the street in the evenings and congregated along the Riverwalk for jazz and art festivals. The Royal Pig Pub was located a few buildings down the street from his office. He hadn’t taken her any place on the Boulevard while they were dating, fearing they might run into someone from his firm. Stupid. He could see that now.
John didn’t want to revisit a restaurant on the Intracoastal Waterway after their last disastrous encounter. That would bring up bad memories and be asking for trouble. He had wanted to pick her up, but Chloe insisted on meeting him at the pub. He knew that was so she could get up and leave if she decided she wanted to. He appreciated that. He always had an exit strategy himself. He just didn’t want her to walk away from him.
John was at the bar anxiously waiting for Chloe to arrive. He gave a huge sigh of relief when he saw her step through the door. God, she looked great. Her figure could best be described as bountiful. She was dressed casually in a pair of butt-hugging denim Capri pants with a short, pink cotton top, and high-heeled sandals. Her blonde hair was pulled up on top of her head, and she carried a big straw bag. He got up, walked over to her, kissed her on the cheek, and quickly hugged her before they followed the hostess to a secluded booth in the back of the restaurant.
After they ordered drinks he reached across the table and took her hands in his. When she tried to pull back, he held on tighter. “Let me just say I’m sorry. I was an ass. I would like a chance to make it up to you.”
“Yes, indeed. That’s one thing we can agree on. You were definitely an ass.”
“Chloe, please. Can you listen to me with an open mind?”
“Probably not. But thanks for the check for ten grand. It will be put to excellent use at the shelter.”
“You don’t feel the least bit bad about playing me like that, do you?”
“Nope. Not even the least little, itsy-bitsy, tiny bit. It made my night. It probably made my week, month, year. Whatever.”
“I know I deserved that, but please give me a chance. Jack said I’d have to grovel and beg, and I came here prepared to do that.”
“Did he? Well he should know. He had to do a fair amount of that himself a few weeks ago. You should listen to him.”
“Chloe.”
“J.J.”
“Okay. Let’s order lunch. Maybe you will be more reasonable after you get some food in you. I know how your blood sugar drops and then you get cranky.”
“Really? You remember that?” Then she started to look annoyed. “And I don’t get cranky.”
“Yes, you do get cranky. Baby, I remember everything about you. Everything. That Saturday I made the biggest mistake of my life, and I hope you’ll give me a chance to fix it. Let’s order just in case I only have an hour.”
“Clock’s ticking.”
“Let me know when you think you’ve given me enough shit, and we can talk.” He picked up his menu and retreated behind it. Let’s see what she does with that. This was actually fun. It’s like playing chess. I move my king, you move your queen.
* * * *
Chloe knew when her bluff had been called. Maybe she had given him enough shit—for now. “Let’s order, and then you’d better start talking because your hour is slipping away.”
“Okay. Let me start by saying I’m sorry I hurt your feelings. I never meant to. Your accusations blindsided me, and I wasn’t prepared with a good and truthful answer. The truth is, Chloe, that I wasn’t comfortable introducing you to friends who might do some recreational drugs or taking a vice cop to The Black Iris. I now see that was something I needn’t have worried about. How long have you been friends with Jack?”
“Not long. He and Kaylin have only been seeing each other for about two months. I am very impressed with him so far. If he continues to meet expectations, I hope we will be good friends.”
The waitress came and took their orders and then John continued. “Well, right or wrong that was a concern for me. When we met I didn’t know what you did for a living and didn’t care. I was not embarrassed to be seen with you, and certainly not because of how much money you do or do not earn. That never factored into my equation. You’re a very beautiful woman, Chloe. Any man would be proud to have you on his arm, and besides that you’re smart and interesting and kind—not to mention sexy as hell.”
She could feel herself beginning to soften and had to buck up. “I’m not the gestapo, J.J. I don’t interfere in normal people’s private lives unless there’s a damn good reason.
I’m more interested in crimes like large-scale prostitution rings, human trafficking, and drug running. I’m not out to bust my friends and their acquaintances because they smoke a doobie occasionally. I’m studying for the sergeant’s exam, and I hope to move into homicide or major crimes, or maybe out of BSO entirely and to a new area. I’m thinking maybe Tampa. When I made detective, Strategic Investigations was the only opening available so I took it. Thank goodness I’ve moved up in seniority and don’t have to do the John sweeps anymore. Now, that was not fun.” She smiled at him for the first time since she had arrived at the restaurant, and indeed, for the first time in about nine months. “I’m not a threat to you or your friends. Did I ever give you the impression that I judged your lifestyle, that I didn’t enjoy what we did together?”
“No. I have to say you didn’t. I’m sorry, Chloe. This was all a big mistake on my part. I’d like for us to start over and try again. I’ve missed you. I just didn’t know what to do about it.”
“Well, I think it’s too late for that, J.J.”
Chloe's Rescue [The Black Iris Club 2] (Siren Publishing Everlasting Classic) Page 4