by D. A. Young
“Actually I’m helping her out with a situation that has the potential to become a scandal for her and ultimately her family. After reviewing the cluster fuck from all angles, I felt that marriage was the best way to diffuse it,” Jack said carefully, hoping that his answer would be enough for the shrewd bastard.
There was a long pause before Ian finally spoke in a harsh tone. “So you thought you’d kill two birds with one stone, eh? Be very careful about the games you play, Jackie. Noelle won’t take too kindly to being your pawn and you playing with her heart. If I’m not mistaken, the saying goes ‘One of the cruelest things a person can do is to awaken someone’s love without the intention of ever truly loving them’.”
“It’s not a game for me, Ian,” Jack said forcefully. “I married her with the intention of staying married, and I don’t give a damn what any of you may or may not believe.”
“Does she know that or how you feel? I do not doubt your feelings are real. I’ve seen the way you look at her. All I’m saying is that if you got her under false pretenses, that will be how you lose her,” Ian warned.
“She is my wife and that is how it’s going to stay,” Jack replied fiercely. He was tense, feeling the anger and something else trying to claw its way out of the pit of his stomach. It was the fear of losing his beautiful, sweet wife. He would go to war with anyone who dared to try and interfere in their relationship, including the man on the phone.
“Don’t misunderstand me; I’m very happy for you, Jackie. Despite what you may think, you deserve happiness just like everyone else. As do your brothers, although it should be mandatory that Darby gets his with a shot of penicillin the way he spreads himself about,” Ian said in exasperation. “Vivi just gave me an earful about how she’s going through receptionists left and right because they’re sprung on his ‘damned ginger-headed ass’.” The last part was said mimicking Viv’s voice perfectly.
Jack laughed, relaxing again. “Y’all need to leave Darby alone. Now before I dig into the pile of paperwork on my desk, tell me about your vacation.”
He leaned back in his chair to listen as Ian launched into the details of his vacation, but Jack was only paying half attention because Ian’s words were lingering in the back of his mind.
“If you got her under false pretenses, that will be how you lose her.”
***
What a day, Noelle thought tiredly as she walked past the two security guards on front door duty and gave them a wave. “Goodnight, guys.”
“Goodnight,” they chorused, smiling and nodding before returning to monitor the surveillance cameras of the building. It was eleven-thirty at night and the venue was all set for Tarik’s party tomorrow. Everything was being done onsite, and the deliveries had been nonstop throughout the day. Her ears were still ringing from the dancers practicing their routine, and Avery’s scream of rage when she discovered the florist had sent the wrong kind of flowers. This pushed the arrangements that she planned on making two hours behind as they waited for the correct ones to arrive.
Four cases of party glasses arrived shattered, so polishing was delayed. They Skyped with Sidra, who was being vague on her whereabouts, regarding the music genre and did a checklist run-through of all the equipment needed for the DJ booth that arrived early that morning. It was one thing after another all day; and the only way she and Avery got through it was by chanting their favorite Nelson Mandela quote to each other when they crossed paths: “Everything seems impossible until it is done.”
Tomorrow would be another long day, and all she wanted was to go home and get something to eat before bed so that she would be well-rested and prepared for it. Hopefully it would also take her mind off the fact that she hadn’t heard from Jack at all today. As Noelle walked out the doors and into the late evening, she came to a stop. A black, matte Range Rover was parked out front and Jack was leaning against it, staring at the front doors, making it obvious that he was waiting for her. Pleasure stole through her, and she couldn’t contain her wide smile; just to know that he cared enough to come pick her up even if he was mad at her. She marveled at how impeccable he looked, as handsome and fresh as he had that morning except for the tie loosened around his neck. Meanwhile her light makeup had faded away hours ago, tendrils escaped from her braid and curled around her face.
Jack smiled when he saw her and held out his arms. Noelle ran into them, sighing as his strong arms closed around her, holding her tightly to him. She wrapped her arms around his neck and whispered into his ear, “I’m sorry I was a jerk this morning. Please forgive me.”
Jack held her tighter and cleared his throat, “It’s alright. Let’s go home.”
Unease settled in the pit of Noelle’s stomach as he shut the passenger door behind her, and she watched him walk around to the driver’s seat, his expression inscrutable. Just because he came to pick her up didn’t mean all was well between them. His ‘It’s alright’ wasn’t exactly the same as ‘I forgive you’.
When they got to her brownstone, Noelle walked into the tantalizing smell of jerk chicken and quickly followed it to the kitchen where there were bags from the Jamaican restaurant around the corner. She turned to look at him as he shrugged out of his suit and tie, unbuttoning the first three buttons of his white dress shirt. For the hundredth time she wished that she was back in Whiskey Row with ‘Scruffy Jack’. “It’s as if you were reading my mind; I’m starved! I haven’t eaten anything all day.”
Jack smiled, moving forward to take her workbag and purse. “Figured you would be too busy to eat. Why don’t you take a quick shower, and I’ll make our plates?”
Noelle willingly handed over her things and hurried to do just that. That was really nice of him to be thinking of her after she was such a bitch this morning. I’ll make it up to him tonight in bed; she thought, grinning in anticipation as she shed her clothes and stepped into the steaming shower. Fifteen minutes later, she found him in the living room watching the news channel with two heaping plates of rice and peas, jerk chicken, and fried plantains. Two iced, bottled beverages were placed beside them.
“That looks soooo good, Jack. Thanks again,” Noelle said as she picked up a plate and spied the label on the bottle. “Orangina! How’d you know I love drinking this with Jamaican food? I didn’t know you even liked Jamaican.” Picking up her fork, she dug in, ravenous after her long day.
Jack picked up his own plate and started eating as he nodded his head, feigning a look of surprise. He knew she liked Orangina and that she visited the restaurant whenever she had a long day, from the private detective’s reports. He finished chewing. “You’re kidding me right? Who doesn’t have Jamaican food and Orangina together? They go hand in hand.”
“Exactly!” Noelle beamed; glad that he got it, and took a sip of the fizzy, citrus drink. “So how was your day?” The hooded look Jack was giving her from over the bottle let her know what was up. For good measure, she slowly sucked the top between her lips and ran her tongue around the rim.
“It was good.” He cleared his throat, staring at her glistening lips. “We’re taking on a new client, a celebrity chef named Seline Marcuzzo. Familiar with her?”
“Yes, she was really good on that food challenge show. I remember how pissed all the other contestants were with her because she was winning all the time.” Noelle frowned slightly. She also remembered how beautiful Seline was. Resembling a young Sophia Loren in looks and knock ’em dead curves, the chef was also smart and cunning as she played to the male judges and audience. The behind-the-scenes footage with the other contestants had not painted her in the most flattering of lights.
“She’s quite smart, and during lunch today, she laid out her game plan. It was ambitious as hell; I almost felt like I should warn Martha Stewart that she’s about to be dethroned,” Jack said half-jokingly. Seline came from humble beginnings but wasn’t about to let that stop her from getting to the top. Even if it meant attempting to seduce him to get it, Jack thought, recalling their lunch meeting today.
“Monsieur Sullivan, I promise that if you take me on you won’t regret it!” she stated dramatically in her charming accent, pressing a hand to her generous cleavage and slightly brushing her blouse to the side to draw his attention. She tossed her long, brown waves over one shoulder and pouted prettily. It was a deliberately calculating move that was wasted on him, as he was too busy thinking about Ian’s words of warning.
‘If you got her under false pretenses, that will be how you lose her.’
He looked Seline directly in the eye. “I think you’re very talented, and I like the plans that I’ve seen so far. You’re hungry and that’s good, because I will put you where you want to be as long as you are willing to work hard and comply with your contract.”
Seline smiled flirtatiously, a speculative gleam in her eye as she leaned in closer to reveal more of her breasts, slyly suggesting, “Monsieur Sullivan, you are just as hungry as I am, perhaps we should be eating together, non?”
Jack gave her a hard stare. “I only eat with my woman, and she brings the table to the table, comprenez-vous?”
“It sounds like you have your work cut out for you, and you’re both on the same page. I’m glad it worked out well. You’re going to be at the party tomorrow night, right?” Noelle asked stealing some chicken off his plate. Jack snagged one of her plantains and avoided looking at her by pretending to be interested in the news. It flashed to world news in and images of protestors appeared on the screen. Jack quickly changed the channel to HBO, and an image of a woman nursing a dragon appeared. Tell her, tell her before it is too late, his conscience urged. He clenched his jaw tightly, trying hard not to give away his anxiety.
“Yes, it probably won’t be until later. Our other potential client is coming by the office, and I have a dinner meeting with Seline and some investors. Did you need me to get anything for you? Let me know, and I can have Margo arrange it for you. I promise I will be there as soon as it’s over.”
Noelle watched him carefully, looking for signs of affection as he continued to eat and watch the news. There were none. “No, I think I’ve got everything covered.” She glanced at the television. “I didn’t know you were into Game of Thrones.”
He wasn’t and found the little blonde girl with the dragon sucking at her breast to be fucking weird as hell. Jack stood up and gathered the remains of their dinner. “Every now and then. I’m going to clean up in the kitchen and lockup. Why don’t you get some rest? I’ll meet you in the bedroom shortly.”
***
Noelle lay in bed sleepily waiting for Jack to join her, but he took so long that she fell asleep. The next morning there was a note on his pillow stating that he’d gone in to work early so he could try to be at the party at a decent time. There was no lovemaking and teasing, and Noelle knew for certain that his feelings had been hurt by her careless words and actions. Guess the honeymoon was officially over.
Chapter Twenty-Nine
Tarik’s party was in full swing and packed to capacity. The Great Gatsby theme was a hit, and Noelle smiled as she worked the main room, taking in the activity around her. The crowd had gone wild when Tarik rolled into the venue, driving a vintage Rolls Royce surrounded by scantily-clad flapper models. Art Deco décor in black, gold and silver screamed glamour; prints of famous artists from that era were blown up and hanging everywhere. Cocktails named after 1920’s musicians such as Duke Ellington and Louis Armstrong were circulating the room; and the dancers mingled with guests, pulling them onto the dance floor as Sidra rocked out in the DJ booth.
The party was a raging success for On a Whim. Tarik had introduced Noelle and Avery to the crowd, thanking them profusely for a wonderful party; and they were now networking as they mingled. Jack showed up around eight-thirty and was at the bar speaking with two men. All evening he’d been in the background, proudly smiling and watching her do her thing. Although right now, he wasn’t smiling. He had a very stern expression on his face as he spoke with the men. Finally they stormed away, leaving Jack to sip his drink and survey the crowd. He looked so dapper in his tux with his hair slicked back, his profile model-perfect and exuding sex appeal.
As Noelle watched him, a beautiful blonde woman walked up to him and gave him a very long hug which he returned affectionately. As the woman pulled away, she realized it was the woman from her birthday party on the night they met. Noelle felt her left eye twitch as Jack kept his hand around her waist and leaned down to listen to her speak, and she wrapped her arm around his. Occasionally he smiled and nodded. Noelle felt a stab of pain in her heart as he brought his hand up to take a drink, and she stared at his bare left hand. Well what did you expect, missy? That’s what you wanted right? her conscience taunted her.
“That’s Jack Sullivan, the P.R. guru. Isn’t he yummy?” a woman’s voice said behind Noelle. She turned around to see two well-dressed partygoers who probably hadn’t eaten in years surveying her husband like he was a seven course meal. She turned back around to watch him, engrossed in deep conversation with the blonde leech. The handsome husband that she’d let out of the house without the ring he was supposed to be wearing and was surrounded by beautiful women daily. Dumbass. Noelle caught Sidra’s look and her raised bitch brow as she looked back and forth between Jack, blondie, and her. Whatchu wanna do? her look said.
“Yeah, that’s him. They say he’ll never settle down and commit to one woman. The woman standing next to him was his on and off again love. Her name is Vaughn Emerson, and she’s a shoe designer. They look good together don’t they?” Hungry Girl Two confirmed.
“They might look good together, but I heard she’s married to some asshole banker who runs around on her,” Hungry Girl One said in a gossipy tone.
To hell with this, Noelle had heard enough and walked away, shaking her head no at Sidra. Protocol demanded that she go over to the blonde hussy and beat her down for touching her man; then turn to said man and knee him in the balls for allowing himself to be touched. Jerk. Unfortunately, since she was here in a professional capacity, she’d have to take the high road. For now…
She grabbed a Sidecar cocktail from one of the waitresses before crossing the room to stand by the side doors where she could view the entire room. Downing a big gulp, Noelle grimaced as she thought about her situation with Jack. Deep in thought, she didn’t even notice when someone crept up behind her.
“There was a time when you could drink three of those like they were water,” a British accent said in her ear. Noelle spun around to see Theo standing there grinning at her. “Theo! What are you doing here?!”
They exchanged hugs, and Noelle stiffened as he squeezed her extra tight, pulling her against him. She stepped back and gave him an eyebrow as he laughed. “Sorry, luv. It’s just always a pleasure to see you. So this is your shindig, eh? Absolutely done right. Completely spot on and I’m proud of you and your mate.”
“Awwww thanks, babe. It’s nice to see you as well. How’s the painting going?” she asked with a big smile and it was his turn to grimace.
“Not well. My best subject seems to be fond of up and disappearing. I’ll need you to come by the studio sometime this week and see what I’ve done with your painting. I’ve been experimenting with shading, and I have to say that I think I’m onto something. Aside from that, I’ve got a show in London next month,” he beamed proudly, and she grabbed his hand, squeezing it tightly.
“Theo, that’s wonderful! I’ll give you a call later so we can set something up,” she promised with a big smile.
“Okay then; it’s a date. Looking forward to it. Hey, I ran into an old friend from school here earlier. Elizabeth Markel? Busty girl with multi-colored braids? Anyway, she wanted to meet me so that we could catch up. Poor thing looked pretty down in the dumps about an old flame dying, so I shall do my best to console her,” he wagged his brows and kissed her cheek.
“You are absolutely incorrigible,” Noelle said, rolling her eyes. “Don’t go breaking her heart, Theo.” He didn’t say anything f
or a moment as he gave her a head to toe lingering look.
“How is it that you get more gorgeous every time I see you?” He shook his head in bemusement. “Anyhow bye, luv. Congrats to you and Avery on a successful party!” And with a two finger wave, he was gone, mingling into the crowd.
Noelle smiled to herself. Theo would probably gag if she told him the answer to his question was post-coital glow.
“I’d like to laugh with a pretty lady. Care to share the joke?” The voice behind her was silky smooth with a Long Island accent.
Men are just popping out of the woodwork tonight; she thought and turned to meet a pair of ice-blue eyes. They belonged to an owner who wasn’t handsome, but there was something about him, Noelle decided, with his wavy brown hair slicked back and his nose that was a little on the larger side, and lips that were too full for his face. Something that women would like; and when he licked his lips with his long tongue as he coolly perused her from head to toe, she knew what it was. This man knew how to fuck, and women loved the way he did it. He was one of the men that Jack was speaking to earlier.