Keeping Secrets & Telling Lies

by Trice Hickman

  Tyler put his hand on Victoria’s shoulder. “You used to love him, and it’s only natural that seeing him for the first time after all these years would stir up some old feelings, especially since you never put them to rest.”

  “You think?”

  “Of course. The bottom line is this.You know that you’re gonna run into him at Jack and Jill and at Alex’s school, so you’re gonna have to deal with it. I’m sure that the more contact you two have, the more these fantasies will start to fade away,” Tyler said, trying to reassure her—and himself, for that matter. “Trust me, familiarity breeds contempt, especially with someone like that mutha—”

  “I get the point,” Victoria said, cutting him off.

  “You’re still gonna have to tell Ted about ole boy, though. Let him bury his mother first. Then break it down to him so he’ll know the deal.Ted’s a strong man. He’ll be able to handle it, because he knows that what you two have is solid ... right?”

  Victoria spoke quickly. “Absolutely.”

  “Then you should have no problem telling him.”

  “Right.” She nodded, even though she knew it wouldn’t be that simple.

  Tyler unbuckled his seat belt and opened the door. “And by the way, Debbie called me this afternoon to let me know that she made it to town. What’s up with her?”

  “What do you mean?” Victoria asked, raising her brow.

  “What’s that look about?”

  “What look?”

  “The look on your face that says somethin’s up.”

  Victoria tried to sound casual. “Nothing’s up.”

  “Okay, keep your little girl’s secret. But I know that somethin’s goin’ on, I could tell by the vibe I felt in her voice when we talked.”

  Damn, he’s good! Victoria hoped that nothing had gone wrong, and that Rob hadn’t found out about Debbie’s affair. “You know how Debbie is. She’s fine, just crazy as all get out.”

  “All right,” Tyler said, unconvinced. “Get some rest, ’cause you’ll need it to deal with Gigi and the wedding crew.”

  “Isn’t that the truth.”

  “And one last thing. What you’re feeling for Parker will pass.”

  Victoria drove from Tyler’s subdivision and onto the highway, headed for home. Her heart sped up in her chest when she realized that for the first time since she’d known him, Tyler was dead wrong.

  Chapter Six

  The Realm of Possibilities ...

  Time replayed itself in a strange déjà vu, reminiscent of the evening before, as Ted found himself alone with his mother in her hospital room. She hadn’t talked about the secret she’d spoken of, and he hadn’t pushed her, fearing the stress of probing questions might be too much for her in her weakened state. But the unknown was maddening for him.

  His sister had left to pick up her college-age daughter from the airport, and to prepare her home for the rush of grieving relatives and family friends she was sure to receive in the next few days. His brother hadn’t come by the hospital all day but had called for periodic updates, claiming that his appointments were keeping him too busy to stop by.

  Ted thought about his brother’s flimsy excuse. “Busy, my ass,” he whispered to himself as he looked over at his dying mother. She was on her deathbed, and her firstborn didn’t even have the decency to come and see her. Ted knew that his brother had done some pretty despicable things in his sordid life, but this took the cake.

  He’d always been at odds with Charlie, who was usually involved in a half-baked lie to cover a crooked scheme. Ted knew that whatever his brother was up to now, it couldn’t possibly involve anything legitimate. And he knew without a doubt that his brother couldn’t be any busier than he was.

  He thought about Charlie’s situation compared to his own and shook his head. Charlie didn’t have accountants breathing down his neck, or investors asking him probing questions, or production numbers that needed to be met, or tempers that needed to be calmed, or employees who needed to be reined in. And those were just the demands of ViaTech. Added to his workload were the pressures of his involvement in several real estate development projects in two burgeoning Atlanta neighborhoods, a host of other business dealings, and family obligations that he juggled on a daily basis. But he didn’t complain, because, unlike his brother, he thrived under pressure.

  Charlie ran a small accounting firm that was always on the brink of either collapse, bankruptcy, or scandal, and sometimes all three. He was the oldest of the Thornton children, and his father’s namesake. But it was Ted, the youngest, who their father had always favored, and for good reason.The elder Thornton could see early on that Charlie looked for the easy route and was prone to lie his way into and out of situations, many times dragging everyone else through the self-made chaos with him. There was something spoiled deep down inside Charlie, a natural inclination to go the way of wrong.

  As Ted sat in the chair beside his mother’s bed, watching her sleep, he prayed that Charlie would cause only minimal headaches over the next few days. Charlie loved dominating people and exerting his gruff manner, which made those around him shy away from confronting him directly, as was the case with Lilly. He felt comfortable bossing and manipulating Lilly and her mouse of a husband, Grant. And at times he’d even tried his shenanigans on Carolyn when she wasn’t in the best of health. But Ted was another matter completely, and that was part of the reason Charlie had steered clear of the hospital since his younger brother had arrived in town.

  “I can’t let Charlie get to me,” Ted mumbled to himself. His mind was tired from lack of sleep. Just as he was about to dose off, Carolyn opened her eyes.

  Ted jumped to his feet and leaned against the side of her bed. “It’s good to see you awake,” he said, grateful to see his mother conscious again.

  Carolyn mustered a small amount of strength to reach for Ted’s hand. “Where are Lilly and Charlie?”

  “Lilly’s gone to pick up Sandra from the airport, and Charlie had to take care of some business.” He knew that his mother knew the latter part was a lie.

  “But you’re here... .”

  “Yes, I am.”

  Carolyn took a deep, labored breath. “Good. I’m glad we’re alone.You’re who I wanted to talk to, anyway.There are things I need to share with you.”

  “All right.” It was the only response that Ted could think to say.

  Carolyn swallowed hard, trying to hold on to her shallow breathing. “I shouldn’t have held on to our secret for so long, or maybe not even at all.Your father told me that we should’ve let you children know the truth.” She paused, focusing her eyes directly on her son’s. “But I couldn’t. I needed to protect you... . Once you hold on to something for so long, it’s hard to let go. Especially when you know the damage it has the potential to do.”

  His mother’s words made Ted nervous. He’d never known her to talk about her past, and now, as he listened to her speak, it appeared as though his father’s life was up for questioning, too. Suddenly, his far-fetched notion about secret, double lives didn’t seem so far from the realm of possibilities. “Mother, I don’t understand. What are you saying?”

  Carolyn summoned her last bit of strength to grip her son’s hand as tight as her frail fingers would allow. “There’s a safe-deposit box waiting for you at Boston Private Bank. Abe will give you the key tomorrow, after I’m gone. Soon, you’ll find all the answers to the questions I see in your eyes.”

  It took a few seconds for her words to fully sink into Ted’s ears, because he couldn’t make sense of them. Safe-deposit box? Abe Brookstein? He wondered what crime his parents had committed that required a bank’s safekeeping under the watchful eye of their family’s longtime attorney, Abe Brookstein. Disbelief covered Ted’s face like a cold sweat. “Mother, who are you?” he asked, the question sounding foreign, even to his own ears.

  “I’m the woman who raised you and loved you. Always remember that, Theodore... . Now I need to rest, so I can see you one last time when
morning comes.” And like a curtain coming down onstage, Carolyn closed her eyes and fell back to sleep.

  Damn!

  The wedding ceremony for Mr. and Mrs. Gary Leon Hicks had gone off without much commotion.The only hiccup during the lavish event came when Gary stumbled over his vows—several times! Still, there wasn’t a dry eye in the church, because despite the drama and madness that Gigi and Gary often created, it was clear that the two truly did love each other.

  An hour after the ceremony, the reception at the Ritz-Carlton, Buckhead, was in full swing. People were laughing like old friends, drinking at the open bar like there was no tomorrow, and throwin’ down on the dance floor like they were on the set of a music video.

  Several floors above the ballroom, as the celebrating guests danced the night away, Victoria was lying across the king-size bed in her club-level suite. She always reserved a room for herself at the venue of every wedding she coordinated, which served as her virtual office on location to store wedding gifts, extra flowers, toiletries for the wedding party, and any other important items for the day. Because of her working relationship with the luxury hotel, and the insane amount of money that the Howard/Hicks wedding party was shelling out for the big day, Victoria had managed to snag an upgraded suite for herself in the deal.

  Victoria knew that she needed to be downstairs, overseeing the festivities, but the thought of it made her head throb. All she could think about was the possible fiasco that awaited her several floors below. And this time, her worries about creating a scene had nothing to do with the bride and groom.

  “Lord, why is this happening? And why now?” she said aloud to no one, holding her head in her hands. Three hours earlier she’d gotten the shock of her life when Debbie and her lover made an appearance at the church.

  Victoria had been running between the sanctuary and the waiting room where Gigi and her bridesmaids were having their make-up applied by professional stylists, compliments of Gigi’s company, as a wedding gift. Although the paparazzi were camped outside the church, snapping pictures and trying to catch a glimpse of the rich and famous, things were actually flowing without incident. Victoria tossed her worries to the side, feeling that the day was going to turn out better than she’d expected. She was walking out into the vestibule to check on the progress the ushers were making with seating the guests when she ran smack into Debbie and Stan.

  “Hey, Victoria.” Debbie beamed. She was wearing a delicate, peach-colored sundress that complemented her fiery red mane and suntanned skin. Her make-up was light and fresh, and her eyes sparkled like marbles. Victoria had to admit that she’d never seen Debbie look so good. “I have someone I’d like you to meet,” Debbie said and smiled, motioning to the man at her side. “Victoria, this is my friend, Stan... .”

  Victoria looked the man up and down. She thought he was cute in an average kind of way. But the most strikingly odd thing about him was that he could’ve passed for Debbie’s husband; he looked just like Rob.

  Victoria nodded politely in Stan’s direction, then turned her attention to Debbie. “Can I speak to you in private?”

  She ushered Debbie off into one of the small meeting rooms adjacent to the main sanctuary. “What are you thinking, bringing your lover out in public like this?” she said after closing the door. “Have you lost your damn mind?” She knew she shouldn’t curse in the church, but the situation had gotten the better of her.

  “No one here knows who he is, and honestly, besides Gigi, Tyler, Denise, and you, the majority of the people here don’t know me, either.”

  Victoria shot her a look. “Are you forgetting that you used to live in this city? Don’t be fooled. People talk, and in less than twenty minutes this church will be spilling over with some of the most gossipy black folk from here to the North Pole. And some of them are gonna be the very same people who attended my wedding, and you better believe they will remember the white girl with the fire-engine red hair who was my matron of honor,” Victoria said, trying to reason with Debbie, as she continued, “Not to mention the camera crews out front. For all you know, they could’ve already captured you on film, and you and lover boy could end up on YouTube before the sun sets.”

  Debbie stood in silence, panic flashing in her eyes.

  “You didn’t think about that, did you? Those cameras aren’t just flashing for the celebrities. They’re catching everyone. I can’t believe you brought him to this wedding,” Victoria said. “I hope you at least came in on separate flights.”

  Debbie looked down at her brand-new, ill-fitting pumps, which Stan had purchased for her just days before, and shifted her weight back and forth. It was apparent that she’d done exactly what Victoria feared.

  “Oh, my goodness.You have lost your mind!”

  “Victoria, you’re making this seem way worse than it is. Stan and I saw this as a chance to get away.This is the first time we’ve been able to go out in public and actually spend the entire night together.We’re having fun, and we’re being careful.”

  “Careful?” Victoria whispered, as if they were being watched. “Clearly, you’re not, or you wouldn’t be parading him up in here like it’s no big deal. How are you gonna introduce him to Denise and Tyler?”

  “As my friend.”

  Victoria sucked her teeth. “And he has the nerve to look just like Rob.”

  “No, he doesn’t,” Debbie snapped.

  Victoria twisted her mouth but didn’t say anything.

  “Look, I know we’re taking a small risk, but it’s a calculated one. Believe me, we thought this through before we decided to make this trip together.”

  “Oh, just like you thought about the TV and newspaper reporters scattered out front, taking pictures and filming everyone who’s coming in and out of the front doors?”

  Debbie didn’t have a comeback for that one. “Okay, so maybe we didn’t anticipate that, but—”

  “This is a high-profile wedding with a guest list that includes some of the top names in sports and entertainment. How could you not think about that?”

  “Damn it,Victoria. Stan and I aren’t celebrities, and no one is going to pay any attention to us with a guest list filled with hundreds of glamorous people.”

  “Okay, if you say so ... It’s not my ass that Rob’s gonna kick if he finds out.”

  The two friends stood in silence, with Debbie looking as though she was going to have a meltdown at any moment.

  Victoria was afraid for her friend. She’d heard about people who had affairs and went completely nuts, losing all sight of reason. But she never thought Debbie would be one of them ... and over a man who looked exactly like her husband! Victoria thought her friend was risking everything for what she already had at home. “Debbie, I love you, and I’m only trying to help you the best way I can,” she said, reaching out and giving Debbie a long, gentle hug. “I’m not judging or condemning. I just want what’s best for you, and I don’t want to see you get hurt.”

  Debbie sniffed back a small tear that had started to form. “I know, and even though it may not seem like it, I know what I’m doing.”

  Victoria wanted to talk some more sense into her friend, but she didn’t have time. She had a wedding to oversee, and as much as she loved Debbie, she had to be on her game, because business was business. “They’re filling up the church from front to back as people come in, but I’m going to walk you and Stan up to one of the ushers and get them to seat you in the back of the sanctuary, okay?”

  Debbie breathed a sigh of relief. “Thanks,Victoria.”

  The two left the meeting room and found Stan still planted in the same spot where they’d left him. After Victoria made sure that Debbie and her lover were tucked away in one of the back pews, she made her way back out to the front of the church. Her mind was swimming with worry when she looked up and found herself face-to-face with Parker.

  She was speechless, not wanting to believe her eyes for the third time in one week. He looked amazingly handsome in his custom-tailored
, navy pin-striped suit. She quickly scanned him, admiring his broad shoulders and gorgeous face. She thought he looked fine as hell, delicious in fact, and she could tell by the sly look in his eyes that he knew exactly what she was thinking. She wasn’t sure why he was there, and started to wonder if there was any truth to what Tyler had suggested. Is he stalking me? But her mind paused the thought when she saw the woman standing beside him and realized that he wasn’t there alone.

  “Three times in one week,” Parker said and smiled.

  Victoria didn’t smile back. “What are you doing here?”

  There was dead silence.

  “Hello, Victoria. Do you remember me? I’m Samantha,” the tall, thin-boned woman interjected, extending her slender hand.

  Victoria immediately recognized Parker’s favorite cousin. She had fond memories of Samantha from when they’d met several years ago, during her disastrous Christmas visit with Parker’s family. Samantha had been kind to her and had even snuck in a jab at Parker’s mother when she tried to get under Victoria’s skin. It had cemented her as an ally.

  “Yes, of course I remember you,” Victoria replied and smiled, trading Samantha’s handshake for a warm hug.

  “Do I get a hug, too?” Parker asked, sounding completely serious.

  Victoria dismissed his comment but couldn’t ignore his laser stare, which penetrated her skin. She attempted to act casual as she tucked a stray strand of hair back into the delicate upsweep that highlighted the elegant angle of her neckline. She saw how his eyes zeroed in on her hourglass silhouette, compliments of her small waist and curvy hips. She stood tall and erect in her knee-length, apple green chemise dress. Her long legs—one of her many physical attributes that had always driven Parker wild when they dated—were accentuated by a pair of bejeweled stilettos.

  “Are you a guest of the groom?” Victoria asked Samantha, remembering that the attractive woman was a bit on the wild side and could easily be a friend of Gary’s or maybe even a groupie.