Antonio turned back to Emily. She jumped back in the truck faster than a crack head running from the police. The officer turned off the spot light and backed his car up. He couldn’t believe he was enjoying Emily so much that he, or she for that matter, didn’t hear the officer pull up.
Antonio got back in the driver seat.
“What are you smiling about?” Emily asked.
“What I’m going to finish doing to you when I get you home.”
“What makes you think we’re going to finish?” She crossed her arms.
“Because that little kitty of yours is still purring for me. I also know that deep down, getting caught turned you on more.” He leaned over and gave her a small kiss. “I know you, il mio amore.”
Chapter Fifteen
Outside of business, Antonio barely let Emily out of his sight for the next few weeks. He wanted to be her rock, her support, and her backbone. If he could, he’d be the air for her to breathe. As the days wound down, he could see her stress level rise. She tried pretending everything was okay, but her facial expressions said otherwise. Emily’s day in court was coming up, and he knew she was stressed out and nervous, regardless of how hard she tried to hide it.
Emily brushed passed his desk and flopped down in his oversized leather chair. The peach-colored capri business suit highlighted her skin tone perfectly. He wanted to close his door and have his way with her, but now was not the time.
“What did your lawyer say?” Antonio asked.
Emily pushed her hair out her face, revealing fresh lines in her forehead. “That they have no case. They’re just coming after me because of all the other prostitution cases. You know, those so called massage parlors. They’re stretching it a bit too far trying to come up with something with me. Other than that, she went over her questions for me and how I should answer theirs.” She yawned and cast her gaze out his office window.
“You know they’re going to come at you hard right, baby?” He came from behind his desk over to where she sat. Taking her by the hand, he pulled her out of the chair and up to him. Antonio looked deep into her brown eyes. “No matter what they say, I know the real you. And nothing is going to change that.”
“I know, baby.” She wrapped her arms around him and laid her head on his chest. “I love you.”
“Ti amo così. Everything will work out as it should.”
They remained silent a few moments, enjoying the embrace. When this blew over, Antonio had plans to take her on a vacation. She needed to get away, and he’d have no problem being on an exotic island with her. He kissed her forehead.
“It seems like lunch is out the question. It’s going on three o’clock. How about I finish up here and meet you at your house in a couple of hours?”
She let out a sigh. “That’s fine. It’ll give me some time with Sean. I’ve been so worried about going to court I slacked a little in the mommy category.”
“Baby, you are a great mom. Everyone needs some ‘me’ time every once in a while. Do what you have to do.”
She nodded.
Antonio walked her out to the elevator. He gave her a longing kiss that ended when the elevator dinged and the doors opened. “I’ll see you later.”
His eyes were on her until the metal doors closed.
***
Emily navigated through traffic and made her way to the preschool academy. Sean started talking a mile a minute the moment his seatbelt was secured. The school had taken the kids on a field trip to the Children’s Museum, and he was still bubbling with excitement.
“I saw the stars…and we saw the dinosaurs. They were big! And, oh, Mommy! Can we go to McDonalds?” The golden arches caught his attention.
Emily hated McDonald’s. All it did was give her gas. Reluctantly, she slowed down and made a left turn into the entrance.
“Can I take your order?” an irritated female voice asked through the speaker.
“Yes. May I have a kid’s cheeseburger meal, with ketchup and pickles only?”
“Is that it?” the voice shouted.
“Yes, thank you,” Emily responded politely. She didn’t want to give the girl any reason to spit or put something extra special in her son’s food.
There was a long pause.
“Hello?” Emily asked.
“You said that was it. Pull up then, dang.” The speaker box crackled.
She drove her car forward to see a female with orange and green braids in her hair, with just as colorful fake nails working at the window. Only three of her nails appeared to be intact. The scowl the girl wore matched her voice perfectly.
Emily dug in her purse for the money.
Rainbow Bright stuck her head out the window to collect and looked Emily up and down. “Dang, your dude let you roll in his car?”
Ignoring her dumb question, Emily handed her the twenty dollar bill, got her change and food, and took off.
Why is it that a woman can never make her own money and buy herself nice things? The same mentality was what she faced with the prosecutor’s office. If she was a man, there’d be no issue with her opening up her club.
Sean sat in his booster seat, grinning like he’d just won the million dollar jackpot. He held onto his happy meal like it was his most prized possession.
Once they made it back home, Sean devoured his food, leaving ketchup all over his face, the kitchen table, and on the floor. Emily had him help clean up his mess, then let Sean beat her at a few games on the Wii—it wasn’t hard being she had no idea how to play.
Her phone chimed as she lost another round.
She wiped the sweat from her brow and checked the message from Antonio. On my way.
Ok. She sent back. Checking the time, she noticed it was almost seven.
“Are you having fun?” she asked Sean.
“Yes,” his chipmunk voice squeaked.
“Good, now go get cleaned up. Tee-tee Shayla is about to come and get you.”
Shayla’s son and Sean had a standing play date. The boys would get together once a month and hang out.
“All right!” Sean screamed, pumping his fist in the air. “Can I bring my games?”
“We’ll see. Now go and get ready.”
He took off in a sprint down the hall.
A few moments later, the doorbell rang.
Emily answered, “Hey, girl.”
“Hey. How are you?”
“I’m okay.”
Shayla gave Emily the once over. “You don’t have to lie to me.”
“Everyone says it will be fine, but I’m nervous.”
“You have a right to be.” Shayla gave her a hug. “No matter what I’m here for you.”
Sean came running into the room with his Spiderman backpack. “I’m ready!” He headed for the door.
Emily laughed. “Thanks, girl. I’ll talk to you later. He’s ready, and I won’t be the one to hold him up.”
“Come on, little man.” Shayla opened the door, and they headed out.
Moments later, Antonio arrived.
“You look sexy, baby.” He gave her a kiss.
“Why thank you. I think.” She looked down at her t-shirt and jeans.
“You look great in whatever you have on.”
They headed into the living room.
“Where’s little man?”
“Shayla came by and picked up Sean for a play date with her son. He darn near wore me out playing the Wii. I thought I was going to have to drink a Red Bull or something.” She took a seat on the couch next to Antonio and turned on a movie.
“On any other day, I would have said drink up because you’re going to need it, but you have a big day tomorrow. I’m even going to back off and not wear you out tonight.” He gave her a sly grin.
“Please.” She gave him a playful shove. “You know that’s the other way around.”
Emily sunk into the couch and snuggled up next to him. She was content being near him. Every now and then as the night went on, he planted soft kisses on her forehea
d. Emily soon dozed off.
Chapter Sixteen
The ringing cell phone startled Emily out of her slumber. She felt paralyzed. Something heavy weighed her down. Her eyes adjusted, and she realized it was just the weight of Antonio’s arm. Gently, she freed herself before answering the phone.
“Hello,” she answered groggily.
“I wanted to tell you good luck before you left,” Mama Washington said. Emily could feel her warmth through the phone.
“Thank you. What are you doing up so early, Ma?”
“Watching crazy Granny. Her dementia is getting worse by the day. She’s always trying to escape.” Her mother owned a Hospice and Home Health Care business. Mama Washington held the phone away from her mouth and said to Granny, “Look, I told you this is not your phone, this is my cell phone. I’m talking to my daughter.”
“Help! Help! I don’t know this woman! She’s in my house, holding me hostage!” Ms. Classy screamed in the background.
Emily couldn’t help but laugh. Granny was ninety-two years old and only four feet eight inches tall, but she was a pure hellion.
“Lord help me with this woman,” her mom prayed out loud. “It’s taking everything in my power not to hog tie her and put duct tape over her mouth. Yesterday, she called me a black bitch. I had to remind her we weren’t in the fifties, and this black bitch would kick her ass.” She let out a laugh. “Anyway, I love you, but I have to go. Remember to keep your head up. My baby has nothing to be ashamed of.”
“I love you too, Ma,” Emily said, but her mother had already ended the call.
“What in the world was that?” Antonio propped up on his elbow.
“You don’t want to know.” Emily laughed.
“I’m about to go home and get dressed. I’ll be back to pick you up. I don’t want you riding to the City County Building alone.”
He left and returned in less than an hour. Emily nervously awaited him. She had to constantly remove her hands from her mouth as she resisted the urge to bite her nails. Antonio led her to the car, and she was grateful he chose to drive. She wasn’t too sure she would have made it safely. Trepidation set in. A wave of nausea hit her, and her hands were trembling.
“Damn. The media’s surrounding the place.” He parked. “You okay?”
Never let them see you sweat. She put on her white framed sunglasses and got out the car. Angry women with signs shouted obscenities at her. Antonio shielded her from the crowd as best he could.
When they were safely inside the courthouse and past security, she said, “I’ll see you in the court room.”
Emily made a dash for the restroom. Once inside, she stood at the sink, desperately trying to pull herself together. She took controlled slow deep breaths and splashed water on her face. Giving herself a final pep talk in the mirror, she put on her game face.
“You ready?” her lawyer asked when she came out.
“It’s now or never.” Emily took a deep breath and let it out.
She walked in the courtroom with a look of determination. Emily held her head high and her shoulders back, unfazed by the onlookers. She didn’t even blink when she saw the picket signs in front of the courthouse nor when it seemed like the entire city had squeezed into the courtroom.
To her surprise, Heather sat in the second row. It left no doubt in Emily’s mind that she was the cause of all the drama. She continued down the aisle to her place at the left bench. Janet gave her an encouraging smile, and Antonio grabbed her hand mouthing the words, “I love you.”
A slightly overweight bailiff slowly walked in, instructing the courtroom to rise for the Honorable Judge Rachel Carter. In walked Judge Carter, the youngest judge Emily had ever seen. Not that she had seen many, but she expected an older rounder white man. This judge looked like a younger version of Judge Judy, the TV judge from hell.
Swallowing the lump trying to build up in her throat, she listened as the DA tore her character apart, making it seem as if she had previously worked in a whore house and was currently prostituting others out via her website. He’d downloaded pictures from her website and even a picture she took with some other girls to promote The Playhouse. None of the items, however, included any men.
When it was time for her lawyer to speak, she described Emily as a hardworking, single parent, and her dancing was a way to make ends meet instead of collecting a check from the government. She described Emily’s internet site as a great business move, supplying a demand to wanting customers while providing a safer environment for women, by not having physical contact with the men. She finished up by claiming Emily’s Playhouse was a complete separate entity. It combined the love men had to have sexy woman around them, and a place to party. She even suggested that the taxes Emily would have to pay would benefit the struggling economy and put some people to work.
After hearing both sides, Judge Carter adjusted her small frame in her chair before speaking to the court. “This has been a very long morning, and I’m sure you all can’t wait to be on your way. First off, I would like to say that this has been one of the more interesting cases I have seen, though I could have done without all the pictures.” She gave a glare to the DA before speaking further. “I have my own thoughts and opinions about the adult entertainment industry, but those are not on trial. This issue of Ms. Washington promoting prostitution and formerly being one herself is. The evidence doesn’t support these claims. Ms. Washington, I don’t agree with your line of work; however, I do admire your cleverness and ambition. You’re well onto being a millionaire before you turn twenty-five. I say bravo for stepping into the men’s only club and ruling it. I could only wish I had your business sense at such a young age. As for you, Mr. Herald Mies, take the padlocks and chains off of Ms. Washington’s property because she’s free to open it up at her leisure.”
Judge Carter slammed down her gavel and disappeared in her chambers. Keisha, Antonio, Janet, and Kenny all rushed over to Emily, speaking at once while Heather faded into the mass of people leaving the court room.
“I told you those bastards couldn’t keep you down,” Janet said.
“You looked so glamorous walking in the door, sis. Just like mamma taught us,” Keisha chimed in.
“Yes, you were very graceful,” added Kenny.
“You ready to go home, baby?” Antonio pulled her into his muscular arms, giving her a much needed hug.
***
Exhausted from the long day of court, Emily wanted to be alone. Yes, it turned out in her favor, but she was dog tired. After Antonio dropped her off, she went to her room, closing the door behind her. She slid off her shoes and flopped on her bed, trying to free her mind.
“I know you don’t want to be bothered, but Kenny is on the business phone. He said your cell went straight to voicemail, and I guess you turned the ringer off the house phone. He wanted me to tell you it’s very important,” Tyson said, barely poked his head in her room.
“All right. I’m up. Can you please bring me the phone?” She sat up on the bed.
Once the phone was in her hand, Tyson hightailed it out the room and closed the door softly behind him.
“Yes, Kenny.” She sighed into the phone.
“I have something… You need to know this.” He rushed, his British accent thicker than normal.
“What is it?” She was fully awake now.
“Antonio, he, ah…hard for me to say. He is the cousin of Summer.”
Emily’s blood turned cold. Summer was Dwayne’s girlfriend. After stalking Emily two years ago he’d found out where Emily worked and made it a point to date one of the other girls. Summer was used as a character witness against her when Dwayne tried taking her to court for custody of their son. Soon after the Banana Split was robbed and Summer was named as an accomplice. As far as Emily knew Summer was still in prison.
“Summer? What? How do you know? This has to be a mistake.” Any person related to Summer was not a friend of hers. “I got a picture of him visiting her at the Women’s Prison
with a note telling me to check my sources. After seeing that, I most certainly did. It seems that their mothers are sisters and they are, in fact, first cousins. There’s more.”
“More?” Her heart dropped.
“I was at the club when the newly hired security showed up. They were one short and I overheard the name. It was Dwayne.”
Emily felt shortness of breath. If Dwayne was supposed to be there then they’d all been a part of it, Dwayne, Summer and Antonio. It was one big conspiracy. Tears threatened to burst past her eyelids. “Thanks. I’ll talk to you later.”
“I can come by if you want,” he said, his voice now soft.
“No,” she choked out. “I have to handle this.”
She ended the call. A salty stream of liquid poured down her face. Picking up a pillow, she put it to her mouth and screamed into it. Her heart hurt. How could I have been such a fool? The one I love is the one doing this to me.
Minutes passed before she was able to calm down and make the call.
“Hey, baby,” Antonio answered.
“Antonio, we need to talk.” Her throat was dry.
“What’s wrong, baby? You sound terrible.”
“I’ll tell you when you get here.” She pushed the end button on her cell.
Emily cried until she collapsed on the floor. She continued crying until it turned into anger. She felt like a complete fool, deceived, and played harder than a video game in a room full of teenagers. For the life of her, she couldn’t see how Antonio could profess his love to her, help her with her business, and lie to her for almost a year. There should’ve been some signs, but she came up blank trying to recall any. She wondered if this was his and Summer’s whole plan. Get her to fall in love with him while plotting to destroy her business. She didn’t doubt it if Summer sat in her cell, laughing away at Emily’s expense whenever she received an update.
“Baby.” Antonio walked in her bedroom. “You look awful. What’s going on?”
Her appearance was the last thing Emily cared about. He ripped her heart out and needed to see how hurt she was.
“What’s going on?” She got up in his face. “How about you tell me? I know the truth. Your game is over!”
Fire and Desire (BWWM Romance) Page 14