Sugary Sweets (A Taste of Love Series Book 2)

by A. M. Willard

  “Come on, let’s get you dessert so you can finish packing and get some rest. You look tired tonight,” he says as I lead the way back to our kitchen and prepare our snack. My mouth is literally drooling from the smell of the brownie, and I thank God right now that I’m not allergic to chocolate. I can’t imagine Morgan pregnant and not able to enjoy this concoction.

  Chapter 5

  I overslept this morning and now find myself flying through traffic to make it to the airport on time. I texted the girls before I left to let them know that I would meet them at the gate and to not worry. Thankfully, I was able to find a close parking spot once I arrived at the airport, checked my bag in record time, and now I’m standing here in the TSA line ready to walk through the crazy machine. I slide my shoes off and place them in the dingy brown tray along with my purse, backpack, and phone. Walking through without any beeps, I’m waiting for my stuff to come down the conveyor belt when I hear the one behind the counter ask whose belongings these are. That’s when I take a glance and notice she’s holding up my backpack. I raise my hand and state that it’s mine. Once I’m closer, I notice she’s opened my bag and is going through my stuff.

  “What are you doing? I don’t have time for this as I’m going to miss my flight.”

  “Ma’am, you can’t take all this on the plane. We’re just going to remove it and toss it away so you can be on your way.”

  “What do you mean I can’t take it on the plane? It’s only juice, water, brownies, chips, a few granola bars, and look I’m pregnant and those bags of peanuts aren’t going to fill me up until we land in New York.”

  “I’m sorry, but we can’t allow food or drinks from the outside on the plane. You are welcome to stop by the gift shop and purchase items before boarding,” she says as she hands me back my backpack that weighs less now that I’m foodless. I glance down the aisle and notice Natasha headed my way in search of me. A part of me wants to blow up and go crazy on them, but I honestly don’t have time to be detained which would be the end result of this problem. So I snatch my bag out of the lady’s hands and grab the rest of my stuff. Saying I’m pissed off is an understatement. I’m starving and didn’t have time to eat before I left this morning. They better have a case of honey nut salted peanuts on this ride or we are in for a world of hurt.

  “Took you long enough,” Natasha says as she approaches me and helps balance me so I can slide my shoes back on.

  “Don’t start with me, Natasha. I’m tired, hungry, and pissed that the TSA chick took all my food.” I state as we start to head down to our gate where Morgan is waiting on us.

  “Figured they would so we got you all this,” she tells me as she opens a bag in her hand. My eyes light up and my mouth turns into a water fountain as I dig in and open the blueberry mini muffins that are right on top.

  “How did you know I would need food?” I ask with my mouth full.

  “Hatcher texted and said to stock up on the amenities or TSA would be arresting you.”

  “That man…” is all I can say as I see Morgan waving her hands in the air for us to hurry up. Natasha and I speed up and I have to say we barely boarded the plane in time. It would have been a disaster if we had to wait for the next flight.

  “I texted Frankie and she’s off today. She stated that she was having a lazy day and catching up on some work. She still doesn’t know we are coming or suspect a thing,” Morgan explains as we are all buckled and waiting for the plane to take off.

  “She is going to scream when she opens that door and sees us standing there. I’m so excited to see her and her place. Is it me or has it been forever since we’ve seen our girl?” I ask with excitement.

  “It’s been forever, and I know she’s going to be thrilled to see us. Do you remember the last time we all went to New York for that weekend away?” Morgan asks.

  “Yes, I thought I was going to have to bail us all out of jail and use my new degree to keep Zara from going to prison. Hey, let’s try to stay out of trouble this time around and no male strip shows this time, little momma,” Natasha warns, giving me a nudge with her shoulder. It only causes my eyes to go wide as I can’t speak well with a mouth full of blueberry muffins. I down a huge gulp of apple juice and look over at them. “It wasn’t my fault; I didn’t know what the guys were saying in Spanish. Who would’ve known that he was offering me sex and drugs while an undercover cop was sitting next to us?”

  “You might have known if you actually studied in class. I mean, how the hell did you make straight A’s and not even know how to say sex in Spanish?” Morgan asks.

  “Easy, I slept with the professor and let me tell you I had to work hard for that A.” I smile and pop another muffin in my mouth as I hear Natasha say, “You know when that child is born we will have blackmail to use against you. Just remember that in your parenting skills. We know your deepest, darkest secrets and aren’t afraid to use them against you.”

  I smile; sure that Natasha doesn’t know them all. Frankie does, but I’m not saying a word about that. Poor Frankie would crack under Natasha’s cross examination skills. When Natasha first started practicing law, we would go sit in the back of the courtroom and watch her do her thing. I know it might be lame, but we were so proud of her, and after hours and hours of being her pretend jury we wanted to see our hard work in action. I have to say that even though I’m not into women, I would have had sex with her after that first case. She was strong, passionate, and stood her ground in her navy blue suit. That was when her relationship with Marcus started. Something about her drive and the way she could make a jury eat from her hands had him begging for her. It wasn’t until years later that we all found out he had a thing for associates, and had a string of them on the side. It nearly crushed her and caused her to lose her case that she’d spent months preparing for. That’s when we watched Natasha transform into the person we see today. Don’t get me wrong, we all love her the way she is, but the soft side of her vanished with her heart. Diesel and Cassidy are pulling those strings out and mending her soul back together one section at a time. I just pray we don’t have to go back down that road ever again.

  Our normal banter goes back and forth between us and before we know it we’re landing at LaGuardia. Exiting the plane, we make our way down to the baggage claim. Natasha sends me to get a taxi as she and Morgan grab our bags. It’s a little past lunch and we are all starving, which causes Morgan to snap us in gear. The plan is to arrive and kidnap Frankie for lunch and a little sightseeing before dinner. I’ve managed to occupy the taxi driver with my southern charm until the girls arrive with our luggage. The sweet man packs the trunk and jumps in the driver’s seat, and before I know what happens, we are plastered to the sticky leather seat as he juts out in traffic. I’m pretty sure that I saw my life flashing by like ten times before we arrive at Frankie’s apartment building. Lucky for us, the door man has our names on the list of approved people. Ha, this is great because they don’t even have to call and warn her that we are coming up. The three of us stuff the elevator with our bags and hit the sixth floor button and watch as the floors light up above the door.

  Prepared to surprise our friend we knock three times on the front door together. When the door opens, we realize the joke is really on the three of us. Standing before us in nothing but a towel is a man that looks to be in his mid-twenties, jet black hair, dripping water down his chest. Morgan moves to look at the number on the door and back up to the guy before us.

  I go to open my mouth and ask if Frankie lives here, but just before I do I hear her voice come from behind him, “Who’s at the door?” He steps to the side, showcasing the three of us standing outside her door in shock.

  “Ummm… Hi guys, okay… Well, come on in before you make a scene. Josh, why don’t you go get dressed and let me… Shit, I just need a moment,” she says, as she tightens her towel around her naked body.

  We all step in and I can tell that Morgan and Natasha aren’t going to say anything since they left their m
ouths out in the hallway by the door. I, on the other hand, have a lot to say about this. “Who’s that?” I spit out, crossing my arms over my chest.

  “What a surprise, I can’t believe you just flew up here to see me. It would’ve been nice to have called and told me that you were coming.”

  “Cut the shit Frankie, and spill it,” I say, a little more upset than I should be.

  “Zara, calm down and let me go get dressed. Make yourselves comfortable and I’ll be right back.”

  Frankie dashes off down her hallway towards the back of the apartment. Morgan and Natasha find a seat in the living room while I stand here with my arms crossed over my chest still fuming. The only thing I can think about right now is how Brody would feel if it was him surprising her and not us. This would crush him, finding another man with Frankie. How am I supposed to not say anything about this? Hell, the guy would jump in a volcano to make her happy if she wanted him to and here she is running away to another city and screwing another man while the one she left behind is waiting for the love of his life to return to him. This makes no sense to me and I can’t wrap my mind around what I just witnessed. The more I stand here the more my heart breaks for all parties involved. Still standing here, my eyes zone in on the guy named Josh who walks towards me. He stops for a brief moment to say it was nice to meet us, which only means that Morgan and Natasha return the same kindness. I on the other hand, stare daggers through his heart and eyes at the same time. I make eye contact with him and before I can blink, he dashes away from me and out the door, surely avoiding me before I go bat shit crazy. I have to say he’s a smart guy for that, but not smart to be here in the first place.

  I take this chance to look around the apartment and notice nothing here reflects the Frankie I know. She has one picture of the four of us on her side table and that’s it. It’s like she’s erased her life back in Atlanta. How can this be? Where’s my friend and what has New York done with her?

  I plop down next to Natasha and pull the snack bag out from my backpack. Yes, I saved a few muffins for later and since I’m stressed, I need to eat before I flip out on them with my baby hormones. Frankie comes hopping out on one leg as she slides her shoe on and comes to a complete stop when she notices the firing squad situated on her sofa. Something deep within me lights a fire and I can feel my blood boiling like it never has before. If I’m being honest, I could walk out the door now and catch an early flight back to Atlanta and never look back. I feel as if she’s betrayed me in some way and I’m not even the one who is in love with her. I keep thinking to myself over and over again how Brody wanted to do this same exact thing. He wanted to fly here a few weeks ago and throw her over his shoulder and bring her home- back where she belongs. But, now here we are waiting and from the looks of Natasha and Morgan, I’m going to be the one to start this conversation. The now empty bag of muffins gets placed on the coffee table and I dust my hands off from the crumbs. Yes, I don’t even care if I make a mess right now as this apartment is too clean and perfect.

  I cross my left leg over my right knee and look up at Frankie. “Care to explain what’s going on here?”

  “No, I don’t as there isn’t anything to explain. I have a friend who happens to be a guy, and you three decided to barge in and surprise me. What are you all doing here anyway?”

  “I think you do have some explaining to do, and since you’re our best friend we wanted to see you. But… You know what? Maybe that was a mistake, as it seems your new life has kidnapped you,” I say as I take another look around the place. The pristine white and modern look is causing me to want to smash and break things. Like really, I want to pick up the white twisted glass vase on the table and throw it against the wall.

  “Natasha, Morgan, can you calm her down? I don’t see the problem with this. The only problem is you surprising me and barging into my apartment unannounced.”

  Fuming, I stand and pace to try to calm myself before I lash back at my best friend and regret what I want to say. I turn and start to open my mouth and Natasha holds her hand up and stops me so she can speak. “Clearly we have caused an inconvenience with our surprise visit, Frankie, but the old friend we know would’ve loved this kind of surprise. Now, I’ve reserved us a suite at the Sheraton in Times Square. The best thing for all of us to do right now is give you some space and feed the cranky one. You have our numbers, and Frankie I expect to see you by dinner, okay?”

  “Thanks Natasha, and yes, give me a few to regroup and I’ll meet you all for dinner.”

  “I can’t believe you are letting her off this easy, this is ridiculous and so not right,” I say and stomp away, not able to wrap my head around any of this. Here we are miles away from home and she’s fine with us checking into a hotel. Not to mention she’s letting us walk away like nothing, like our friendship has meant nothing to her. I stand at the door and watch Natasha and Morgan head my direction. The expression on Frankie’s face is somber, but at this moment I don’t care. Yes, I know this might be a little childish, but I’m also hurt and feel cheated on by this situation. Not to mention, I hate secrets and can’t stand the fact that I’ll have to return home and make something up for Brody. Silence overtakes the elevator as we head back down to the lobby to flag a cab.

  Natasha takes over and gets us to the hotel where she checks us in. None of us have spoken yet as they’re trying to give me a little time to process everything. See, Frankie and I go all the way back to freshman year of college where we met and became roommates. We’ve been thick as thieves since then and the woman we just saw here in this state is not my friend. I hate this feeling, I hate that I feel like I’ve lost her when I need her the most. I want her to come home with us and help me shop for this baby, the house, and tell me what to do. The hardest thing I’ve ever had to do was tell her I was pregnant, but there’s so much more she doesn’t know. Deep down, I know I’ll be able to figure this out, but I need her support to make this work. The whole planning of this trip was so I could see her and confide my fears; it’s just not the same with Hatcher, Natasha, or Morgan. They would listen and offer me the support I think I need, but Frankie will not only tell me but show me in the same light. Needless to say, I’m terrified of the outcome from this trip and I want to crawl up in this fluffy bed before me and sleep the rest of the trip away. Now more than anything, I wish I would have given in to my husband and let him win that bet, just so I would’ve been a little more relaxed before arriving.

  “Zara, I ordered us room service for lunch as you need to eat and get some rest. We’ll figure out dinner later this afternoon, okay?” Morgan says from the doorway of my room. I didn’t even look around the space as I found the first room and made it mine. I shake my head in agreement and curl into the dozens of pillows that cover my queen bed.

  Chapter 6

  I’m not even sure what time it is since right after I ate my lunch I closed the huge drapes and went to sleep to mourn something that I’m not even sure about. Most wouldn’t understand how I feel or they’d blow it off to nothing. But, here’s the thing… I have hopes and dreams and they aren’t just for me. I pray that Brody and Frankie will finally get together and have their happy ever after. I want her to have what I have with Hatcher. He is my everything; not to mention he’s made me believe in love and family – even though I’m scared shitless. I see us living next door to each other in suburban hell, raising our children and just being us as we cause madness with the housewives from hell. A faint knock emits throughout the dark room, “Come in,” I say as I position myself up in the bed to greet my visitor and notice right away it’s Frankie coming to wake me.

  “Hey, you awake? We all thought we would go get some dinner if you’re up for it.”

  “I have an alien growing in me, of course I want food. That’s all I seem to want now, food, juice, sex, and brownies, and not in that particular order either,” I say as I roll myself out of bed, making my way over to my luggage so I can change and freshen up. With a glance at what Frankie is
wearing I know it’s safe for me to wear my black Maxi dress and jean jacket as it’s cooler here than back home. I grab my makeup bag and head to the bathroom and slam the door behind me so she knows to not follow. Currently, I need food before I can think about dealing with our tiff.

  It didn’t take me long to pull my hair up in a low twist, freshen my makeup, and change my clothes before I’m back out in the living room. The girls seem to be having a casual conversation when I enter. Just my presence has them grabbing purses and racing to the door. The air around us is stiff like a jack straight up from a local bar and all I want is food. I could care less right now about a conversation, or Frankie’s reasons on being with that guy and such a witch to us when we arrived. Morgan and Natasha are chatting about something that I can’t hear while I continue to stare at Frankie. It’s like I’m searching for something different. Something to explain the difference in my friend. Did she grow a new head, have an electronic chip planted in her head so she can be controlled like a robot, or even get a gang tattoo that would explain why the guy she’s screwing looks like a mobster? That could explain the reason and difference. Maybe she walked in on a robbery gone bad by the mob and they are blackmailing her to keep her mouth shut. That, I think I could handle, but how do I find out if that is the case? It’s not like she would be able to tell me if that’s what’s happening, but it wouldn’t hurt. So me being me, I blurt it out. “Frankie, are you mixed up with the mob? I mean, are they using you for a sex ring, drugs, money laundering?”

  “No Zara, I’m not mixed up with the mob. God, you two were right, she has lost her mind,” She says as we step out in the cool air of the night.

  “I’ve not lost my mind. If you guys think about this, it would make sense.”

  “How would that make sense?” Morgan questions as she gives me this weird look while we flag down a cab.