"You shouldn't be so disrespectful to your mother, Cherrelle," Logan growled.
Cherrelle sighed.
"It's not disrespect, Pa. It's fact. I'm not saying anything more about my private life, even to you."
"I don't believe you."
The bluff wasn't working. But Cherrelle was desperate. She wasn't getting married to Jason Colney. If that happened, Jason would force her away from her work and make her stay at home, having baby after baby; he had always said he wanted lots of kids. While Cherrelle would love a child or two, she wanted them on her terms and not be tied permanently to the house. If she didn't have her work, she would go crazy.
"I'll bring him over for Sunday dinner. How about that? You can grill him then."
"How do I know you're not going to bring in a bum off the street?"
Cherrelle scoffed.
"Please, I have more class than that. Besides, he's certainly no bum."
She was going to make sure he wasn't. How, she had no idea - she hadn’t dated anyone in a long time - but she was going to make certain that whoever she picked to be her make-believe boyfriend was the cream of the crop.
Logan glanced at his wife, who was still looking upset at her daughter's jab. Then he smiled. It wasn't a nice smile.
"I've got to see this. Our daughter gets a boyfriend by herself. Go on, Princess." He sat back, lacing her fingers over his gut. "I want to see you squirm when I rip him to shreds."
*****
Cherrelle slumped forward and rested her head on the steering wheel.
"Why did I have to open my big mouth?"
"I don't know, but with your parents, I don't blame you for saying something that outrageous to get them off your back."
"It wasn't outrageous!"
"It is if you haven't even had a steady boyfriend for two years," Sarah Wiley pointed out.
It had been an outrageous lie. But Cherrelle wasn't prepared to let her parents walk all over her. Unfortunately, that had meant doing a lot of hard work finding a guy who was perfect to be her fake fiancé.
So, she had called the only person who could help her. Sarah was her best friend from university, her roommate for most of it, and her fellow computer genius. She was also the owner of a security firm where she had free rein when it came to background checks.
The two of them were as different as you could get. Cherrelle was African American, tall and slim like her mother, and obsessed with fitness like her father, extroverted and outgoing. Sarah was Caucasian, barely five feet and dumpy; she preferred to stay behind a computer then go out and meet people. The pool games with their friends were one of the few times she voluntarily left the house to see people other than Cherrelle.
She was perfect for sizing up the best choice for Cherrelle. They could find anyone's background and decide if he was the best one to parade in front of Cherrelle's parents. Sarah may not have been the best when it came to talking to someone outside of her friendship group, but she was the best when it came to finding the best candidate. Cherrelle wouldn't trust anyone else with the task of selecting a man for her.
But it wasn't working. They were using Cherrelle's dating site and Sarah's background checking to see who they could borrow for a while. But they were all coming up short and Cherrelle was at her wit's end. They had less than forty-eight hours before she had to go to her parents for the Sunday dinner and she had no date. No man.
She sat back morosely.
"It's either this or I am forced to marry Jason and he will try to wrestle my company away from me."
"Why don't you just say no? They can't force you."
Cherrelle snorted. "You've had the pleasure of never meeting them. You don't know what they'll do. And they can easily force me into marriage."
That was scary part. Logan Mason could make you do anything whether you wanted to or not. And Cherrelle could run as far as she could, but she would always be dragged back kicking and screaming. Daddy's money turned everyone into her enemies. No one helped her when her father could top her.
"You could've just lived off your trust fund for life without getting a job," Sarah pointed out. She picked up a lip gloss and used the mirror on the visor to apply it delicately to her mouth.
"I founded Live and Love because I was going stir crazy doing nothing. What was the point in getting a computer science degree when I wasn't allowed to get a job?" Cherrelle rested her head against the head rest. "I was lucky it was so successful or my parents would have made me do a job they wanted me to do."
"At least you wouldn't have had to do any interviews." Sarah chuckled. "They're a bitch."
Cherrelle twitched a smile.
"At least if I get an interview without my parents getting involved it would feel more satisfying than getting a job because of who they are. Sarah, I hated living with my parents who thought money meant more. I wasn't going to do anything for them."
She learned a long time ago that she wasn't going to bow down to her father because of his money. Cherrelle had stopped longing for unconditional love from either Logan or Emily. She had found out about being born to a surrogate when she was seven and that had given her a reality check. She had witnessed Logan use money to get what he wanted and had had to fight tooth and nail to let him keep her in her university degree when he wanted her home. Thankfully, he had given in to that, but that was the only time he had given in.
Even after eight years, he still thought Love and Life was a whim and she would get bored eventually. Cherrelle was determined to make sure that didn't happen.
Sarah was watching her with bemusement.
"How you managed not to kill each other when you were still living at home I have no idea."
Growing up with two loving parents, Sarah couldn't understand how two people could create a child, albeit in a different way, and not love them beyond having a trophy daughter. Cherrelle had spent several weekends with her parents in college and had been overwhelmed with their love for their daughter. It had taken half a dozen visits before she was able to stop crying.
She rubbed her hands over her face and reached for her handbag on the back seat.
"We need to find someone. I'm not going to be made a fool. I'll pick someone randomly off the street if it means getting my parents off my back."
"That's asking for trouble."
"I asked for it by saying something I shouldn't." Cherrelle opened the door and climbed out. "Let's go in. I need a distraction."
Sarah climbed out of her side and came around the car as Cherrelle locked up. They fell into step as they walked towards the pool hall. Sarah grinned as she slung her handbag strap over her shoulder. She was looking good in a blue strapless dress that showed off her overly large curves. Her red hair was left loose around her shoulders. She was looking even better than Cherrelle, who wore a simple white blouse from work and a pair of faded jeans.
"How much do you think you'll win tonight?"
"I don't know, but I'm looking forward to it."
Sarah laughed. Their pool game was a ritual from their college days. A few people in their dorm had met on the off-chance around the pool table in the common room and it had become a regular thing, bonding them together and allowing them to get away from university stresses. Now, nearly ten years after graduating, they were still meeting every six months to play pool. The stakes were higher, which all of them could afford, but the buzz hadn't gone.
Cherrelle loved it. It spoke of normality, a regular life. The fact that she was very good at pool and always wiped the floor with them may have had something to do with it.
They entered the pool hall and saw their friends by the bar. Seeing them, Cherrelle felt a sense of contentment. They were her true family, always there whenever she picked up the phone. While their personalities and backgrounds were different, they stuck together. Cherrelle saw them more as relatives than her own, who were just as bad as her parents.
She strolled up to them and raised her hand.
"Watch out, guys," she
said loudly. "The girls are here."
Michael Finch groaned.
"Dear God. Hand over your wallets and save yourselves the heartache of losing your money."
"Only because the last two times you've lost in the first round," Jim Reese teased. He got off his stool and kissed Cherrelle's cheek. "What do you fancy, Cherrelle?"
"You?" Cherrelle joked as she hugged him. Jim withdrew and gave her his trademark grin before kissing Sarah's cheek.
"Unfortunately, I'm not on the drinks menu."
Cherrelle laughed. Jim and Michael were friends from Fresno and were in partnership together. Michael was the computer nerd and former classmate while Jim was a business major. They worked well together and Cherrelle found a kinship in Michael while she drooled over Jim. The man was gorgeous, and women were constantly falling over themselves. While Cherrelle had never stepped over the line, they toed it with the heavy flirting.
If he wasn't engaged, Cherrelle would have asked him to play the fake boyfriend. But the girlfriend might have said something about it.
"The usual, then." She put her handbag on the counter. "For both of us."
"Naturally it was extended to the pair of you," Jim quipped, giving her a wink.
"I'll get them."
The new voice had Cherrelle catching sight of the new member of the group sitting on a stool two seats away. Cherrelle thought he looked familiar but couldn't place where. She would have remembered him; if Jim was gorgeous, this guy topped the scale. Even sitting, he towered over everyone - he had to be at least six-five. Broad shoulders and a muscular torso were offset by a dark blue t-shirt and strong-looking thighs in brand-new jeans. His hair was almost as dark as Cherrelle's own, tanned, and slightly rugged with chocolate-brown eyes.
Cherrelle didn't know when it happened, but her body reacted. Her nipples tightened, her stomach flipped, and she had to clamp her thighs together when her core began to throb.
She really needed to get laid.
"You sure, Brad?"
"I'm sure." Brad took out his wallet. "Don't worry, Jim, I won't break the bank."
"Brad." The name clicked in Cherrelle's mind. She stared at the newcomer. "Brad Jarrett? Jim's roommate?"
Brad grinned, flashing his white teeth.
"I'm amazed you remembered me considering I spent more time studying in the library."
"It took a moment." Cherrelle looked him over, her heart struggling to decide whether it should speed up or stop entirely. "Last I saw you, you were stick thin, you wore glasses, and your hair was past your shoulders."
"I had a makeover the year after graduation. Bulked up, got laser surgery and a haircut." Brad spread his hands. "Massive improvement, isn't it?"
"It certainly is." Cherrelle's body was agreeing big-time. She swallowed. "You look great."
Brad winked and turned to the bar, signaling for the barman. Jim gave Cherrelle an apologetic look.
"Sorry, Cherrelle, I know it’s one of our rules that it's only for us, but he's a bit down at the moment. I suggested he joined us for our usual pool game."
"It's fine, Jim." Cherrelle eyed Brad's backside. "I'd like somebody else to beat hands down."
Sarah leaned against the bar between her and Brad, blocking her view, and gave Cherrelle a saucy look.
"He's hot," she whispered. "Very. So much better than the geek I knew in college."
Cherrelle had to agree. Whatever had happened to Brad Jarrett had been for the best. He was drop-dead gorgeous.
She was in trouble.
"Can't we do something else?" Paige Morgan complained, tying her hair into a high ponytail. "We've been playing pool for years and we know Cherrelle is going to win nine times out of ten."
Her tone suggested whining, but she sent a wink in Cherrelle's direction. Paige didn't like to lose, but she wasn't a sore loser either. However, she was the one who raised the highest stakes, so she always lost the most.
Ken Tao laughed and slung an arm round her shoulders.
"We keep doing it, Paige, darling, because we're all so sure we'll have a lucky streak and beat her."
"You do beat me," Cherrelle pointed out. She grinned. "Every now and then."
"Not nearly enough," Michael muttered.
"I take it she's the resident champion," Brad commented, handing Cherrelle her orange juice and Sarah her cola.
Their fingers brushed and Cherrelle felt the jolt run into her hand. She bit her lip and managed to stop herself from dropping her glass.
Jim laughed.
"That's an understatement. We've been playing since college and we still haven't caught on to the fact that we're going to lose more often than we win if she's in the room."
"It's just a good thing we've got the money to cope with the loss," Paige commented, moving to Jim and slipping her arms around his waist. Jim gave her a kiss on her forehead.
"How come I never went to these games?" Brad asked, sipping at his beer.
"You were too busy chasing girls," Jim pointed out.
"Not that it made any difference," Paige muttered.
Brad winced and clutched at his heart in mock hurt. "Ouch. You know how to hurt a man, Paige."
Paige grinned and blew him a kiss. "I do it for a living, honey."
Cherrelle leaned against the bar and tried to focus on the friends she considered her family. But her attention kept getting pulled towards Brad, who was still verbally jousting with Paige. He was still smiling and Cherrelle could feel her body reacting. She wanted that smile directed at her, not at anyone else.
She shook her head. This was no time to be daydreaming of something she couldn't have.
But then a germ of an idea took hold. Could he be the answer to her troubles?
"Shall we get going?" Sarah demanded, dropping her bag on a nearby table. "I want to lose my money the sooner the better."
Cherrelle laughed and gulped half of her glass. "Bring it on."
Chapter 2
Michael groaned as the black ball disappeared down the corner pocket. He held up his hands in surrender.
"That's it. I'm out. You've beaten me, Brad."
Brad laughed and leaned against the table with his hip.
"That was too easy," he declared.
Cherrelle agreed. While Michael was a good player, the way Brad had taken him apart had been too easy. She couldn't have done it better herself.
Brad had claimed at the start that he wasn't a fantastic player, but he could hold his own. What he should have said was he was actually the best of the lot, almost as good as Cherrelle herself. He potted the balls faster than she could keep up with. They always played round-robin, eliminating until they got to the final two. The stakes got higher and higher and the tension, despite the laughter and joking, got thicker and thicker. It was even tenser than any other game they had played in the past.
The sudden curve ball thrown into the midst had thrown everyone off, making everyone bet higher than before. Cherrelle hadn't faced Brad yet, but she was sure he would be a real challenge. With his wit, charm, and smarts, he was a worthy opponent.
Maybe he could be more than worthy if she could get him alone and find out more about him.
The thought that he should become her fake boyfriend to make her parents rethink marrying her to Jason had been forming in her mind since the game had started. The more she considered it, the more it sounded like a good idea.
Cherrelle just had to speak to him as soon as she could.
"How did you not join us at college?" Ken asked. "You would have wiped the floor with us."
"Where's the fun in saying I played professional as a teenager?" Brad picked up his beer and took a long gulp. "I prefer to act stupid."
"You're very good at that," Paige muttered.
Sarah slapped Paige's arm and Jim laughed, tickling Paige as she sat on his lap. Paige squealed and tried to get up, but Jim held her down.
Brad turned to Cherrelle, whose heart rate sped up so much she thought it was pounding in her head. She
swore everyone could see her pulse beating in her throat. Brad grinned. "Is it you next?"
"It's me." Cherrelle stood, glad that she wasn't standing on rubbery legs, and picked up her cue. "How high are the stakes?"
"How high do you want them?"
Cherrelle looked at Sarah. "What was the last stake?"
"$50,000."
That was the highest they had even gone up to before. The highest bid they had made previously was half of that. Maybe having a new member in the mix made people reckless, made sure they didn't get beaten by the newbie.
Cherrelle faced Brad.
"Double it," she said calmly. "$100,000."
She heard the gasps from her friends, but she was focused on Brad. For a moment, she thought she saw an uncertain flicker in his eyes. But then it was gone and his smile, which had momentarily faltered, was back again.
"You're on."
They set the table up and Brad allowed Cherrelle to break first. She did so and began to pocket the balls at speed. She could feel everyone, especially Brad, watching her as she proceeded to take her color balls off the table. Only once did Brad come to the table, but his hands were shaking enough that he only got three of his into pockets before Cherrelle pocketed the rest.
The cheer was deafening as she put the black ball in the middle ball with a firm strike. Cherrelle glanced up and saw that Brad's face had paled. He was staring at her as if he had just seen his life drain away. What had just happened?
She straightened up. "You owe me."
Brad gulped and laughed nervously. "I don't carry that much on me. Can I write an IOU?"
"Sure."
Cherrelle went to her table, unable to feel like she had just won a large chunk of money. Her thoughts were on Brad and his reaction. Why had he paled so much at losing so much?
"Cherrelle." Jim appeared at her side. He looked worried. "Are you sure about this?"
"Am I sure about what?"
"Brad doesn't have the money."
Cherrelle paused, her hand reaching for her handbag. She straightened up and looked at Brad, who was shrugging into his jacket and making a quick exit, barely stopping to say goodbye.
Being Harrison Bloom's Girl (That Forbidden Love Book 2) Page 15