No Other Lover Will Do

by Hodges, Cheris

  Why am I so worried about it? It’s not my problem or my place to tell this man what to do. Solomon can handle this, I pray that he can, she thought while she put her shirt on and watched him walk out of the bathroom.

  “You didn’t have to get up,” he said as he walked over to her and kissed her cheek.

  “I wanted to see you off and make sure you’re all right,” she said. “Besides, I’m sure housekeeping is going to come and clean your room. I don’t need to be asleep in your bed when the vacuuming starts.”

  “Take my number and use it. I’ve got the feeling that I’m going to need to hear your voice these next few days. In a perfect world, you’d be coming to New York with me so I could show you off,” Solomon said.

  “Maybe one day,” she said.

  “I’m going to hold you to that,” he said. “And hopefully the circumstances will be a lot better.”

  She stood on her tiptoes and kissed him on the end of his nose. “Please be careful when you get there and don’t go off half-cocked,” Kandace said.

  “I’m not going to tell you that I won’t lose my temper when I get there, but I’m going to make an effort to control it,” he said.

  “That’s all I can ask you to do,” Kandace said. “Do you want me to walk down to the lobby with you?”

  “You can if you don’t want to go to your room and go back to sleep.”

  She stroked his cheek and offered him a small smile. “I can do that after you leave.”

  “All right, let me grab my overnight bag,” he said.

  Moments later, Kandace and Solomon were in the elevator heading to the lobby. As they rode downstairs, he held her against his chest. “I really enjoyed our time together,” he said. “And as soon as this mess is cleared up, I expect to see you again.”

  “Solomon…”

  “Don’t make me send my jet to Charlotte and have a driver come find you,” he said.

  “All right, you won’t have to do that,” she said. The elevator doors opened and Solomon kissed Kandace on the lips.

  “Please go to your room and get some rest,” he said. “I can wait for the car alone and you look so tired.”

  “I want to wait with you. You’ll be alone on the plane, you don’t need a head start.”

  As they passed the front desk, the clerk waved in an attempt to get Solomon’s attention, but he and Kandace passed her without looking in her direction. They headed for the sofa in front of the fireplace and the clerk started in their direction until the phone at the desk rang.

  “I’m glad they keep the fire going all night,” Solomon said. “Adds to the ambiance.”

  “Yeah. I’m amazed that you can still think about business,” Kandace said.

  He shrugged. “I can’t help it. Besides, it keeps my mind off what’s waiting for me in New York.”

  Kandace stroked his forearm gently. “Well, the car should be here soon and you’ll be able to get back to New York and find out what’s going on.”

  “I wonder if Danny’s death had something to do with me.”

  “Why would you think that?”

  Solomon shrugged. “Because this thing doesn’t make any sense.”

  “What if it is a random crime?” Kandace asked.

  “Too many layers of security for a robbery to happen in my building,” he said. “Too many damned layers.”

  Kandace glanced at her watch. It was four-thirty. “I’m going to get us some coffee. Or maybe some tea for you. Solomon, you should really try and go home calm.”

  He didn’t say anything as she headed to the drink kiosk in the corner where coffee and tea were available to guests twenty-four hours a day. Solomon dropped his head and prayed for strength.

  Kandace returned with a steaming cup of tea for him and a cup of coffee for herself.

  “Lemon and two sugars,” she said as she handed him his drink.

  “I don’t even drink tea, so I’m guessing that’s all right,” he said with a slight smile.

  Kandace took a quick sip of her coffee, noting the Seattle’s Best Blend was great. As the caffeine began flowing through her system, she wondered how the killing of Solomon’s friend was playing out in the New York media. With her work in marketing, she knew how tough reporters in the Big Apple could be. Since Solomon was used to making headlines for love gone wrong, she was sure they weren’t being kind to him.

  “How’s the tea?” she asked.

  “Pretty good, actually. I might have to start drinking it more often,” he said as he took another sip.

  “Well, think of me every time you do,” she said. He smiled as he looked at her, knowing that he wouldn’t need a cup of tea to think about Kandace.

  The tapping on the window and the bright beams of the sun woke Carmen up. She rubbed her forehead and rolled the window down. “Ma’am,” a Charlotte-Mecklenburg police officer said. “Are you all right?”

  Carmen blinked as she looked into the officer’s face. “Yes, I’m fine. I guess I fell asleep.”

  “Is there someplace you need to be?” he asked.

  “No. I was driving all night and I pulled into the restaurant and saw that it was closed, but I couldn’t drive any further,” she said.

  “Well, you’re going to have to move along. It’s not safe for a woman to be out here sleeping in a car,” he said.

  Carmen smiled sweetly and said, “Yes, sir.”

  “There is a twenty-four-hour diner about two miles south of here. You should be able to get some coffee and a bite to eat there,” he said.

  “Thank you, sir,” she replied. The officer nodded at Carmen and returned to his blue and white cruiser. She started her car and drove to the gas station close to the restaurant, parked near a gas pump, and filled the car’s gas tank. Looking at her watch as she walked into the store to pay for the fuel, she realized that the restaurant would be opening in about an hour and then she could make her move.

  It won’t be long before Solomon and I are together, she thought as she walked up to the cashier.

  CHAPTER 14

  As soon as Solomon’s flight touched down at JFK International Airport, his mood darkened. Being back in New York made everything real. Danny was dead and Solomon had no idea how he was going to deal with losing the best friend he ever had. He moved through the airport like a man possessed as he headed to the curbside to meet his driver. When Solomon spotted the driver holding a sign with his name on it, he hopped in the waiting Lincoln Town Car without giving the man a greeting.

  “Where to, Mr. Crawford?” the driver asked once he was behind the wheel.

  Solomon rattled off the address of his office building and eased back on the leather seats. For once, he didn’t care how he looked when he arrived in the office. His pants were wrinkled, his shirt crumpled, and he didn’t have on a tie. Normally, Solomon wouldn’t dream of going into the office unless he was photo ready, since the paparazzi often waited for him.

  Today, he didn’t give a damn who was at the office or what conclusion people drew about him.

  “Please be careful when you get there and don’t go off half-cocked.” Kandace’s words echoed in his head as the car crawled along in traffic. Solomon pulled out his cell phone and called Richmond.

  “Crawford,” his brother barked when he answered the phone.

  “It’s Solomon.”

  “Great, you’ve decided to take a break from whatever woman you’ve been under or on top of to check on the mess you created, huh?” Richmond snapped. “Do you plan on coming back to New York and talking to the detectives about why you hired Danny Jones in the first place?”

  “I’m in the city right now, stuck in traffic, and if I were you, I’d watch my damned tone,” Solomon said icily. “I don’t care how you feel about Danny, he was a Crawford employee. This is not just my mess, it is a company problem.”

  “A problem you created that I’ve been having to clean up while you play in the fucking mountains,” Richmond barked.

  “Just shut up, Richm
ond. This is something we’ve never dealt with and if I were you, I wouldn’t be concerned with who hired Danny, but with who killed him and what effect this will have on our company. You always talk about my priorities, but what about yours? Don’t you think you ought to put your childish rivalry with me on the back shelf until this crisis passes?”

  Richmond groaned loudly into the phone. “I’ve always put this company first. Unlike you. While you spend your nights getting photographed for Page Six, I’m working my ass off to keep our name as pure as possible.”

  “Why don’t you tell me what, if anything, you know,” Solomon said as he silently counted backward from ten.

  “There isn’t much to tell. Police think Danny brought his killer in with him. I’ve asked the security guards if they saw anyone with him and they said no.”

  “Have your reviewed the surveillance videos?”

  “I turned them over to the police.”

  “What?” Solomon shouted as he squeezed the bridge of his nose. “How could you be so stupid? We should’ve allowed our security to go over them first.”

  “Excuse me? Why would I keep those videos? I’m not a detective.”

  “Obviously. Maybe I would’ve recognized the person who came in with him. Did you ever think of that?”

  Richmond sighed into the phone, obviously tired of the conversation with his brother. “Then go to the police department and talk to the detectives. I’m done with this. And just so you know, I’m calling a press conference this afternoon to talk about this matter.”

  “Matter? My best friend is dead and you’re calling it a matter. Go to hell, Richmond.” Solomon pressed the END button, then tossed the phone on the seat beside him. “Driver,” he said as he tapped on the window separating them, “take me to One Police Plaza.”

  Kandace woke up at ten-thirty from her nap. She was sorry to see Solomon go and she missed his arms around her. Now she had to find a way to fill her time without him being there. She rolled over on her side and pounded her pillow. There was no way she could sleep the day away when a fresh dusting of snow had fallen. Maybe she would take another hike or rent a snowmobile and go further into the woods. “That’s a good idea,” she mumbled as she tossed the covers back and sat up in the bed. But, before she headed outside, she picked up the phone and called Jade. She had to tell someone about her fling with Solomon.

  “Hello?” Jade said when she answered the phone.

  “What’s up, Mrs. Goings?”

  “Kandace, you’d better not be calling about work,” her friend said. “I want to hear about snow.”

  “It is beautiful here,” she said as she glanced out the window.

  “Been skiing yet?”

  “Once, and I will never do it again. But you will not believe who I met,” she said.

  “You met someone and you’re telling me about snow? Details, please.”

  “Solomon Crawford.”

  “The Solomon Crawford? CEO of Crawford Hotels?”

  “Yes,” Kandace said. “We spent the last two days together and it has been amazing.”

  “Where is he now?”

  “Have you been watching the news? I don’t even know if it made headlines in Charlotte, but one of his employees was killed. He had to go back to New York. But, Jade, I’m starting to understand what went on with you and James when you two met in Vegas.”

  “You’re falling for this guy after a few days?”

  “No, not that. I’m talking the hot sex,” Kandace said with a giggle.

  “You know he has a reputation. He’s like a supermodel hunter,” Jade said. “He’s always on Extra or Access Hollywood with some beautiful woman on his arm.”

  “I’m not trying to become Mrs. Crawford and I’m under no illusions we’re going to have a fairy tale Las Vegas wedding and start a family. But he’s an incredible man,” Kandace said.

  “And a dog if you believe the press about him. I just hope you’re not getting in too deep.”

  Well, it’s too late for that because this man is like quick-sand. I’m sinking into him, she thought. But she said, “No way. I’ve given up the canine. Speaking of dogs, how’s Devon doing? Are we still getting customers because of his reputation and meals?”

  “I knew that was coming, even when you pretended it was about business. He’s wondering why you’re avoiding him, but other than that, he’s making our restaurant the hottest place in town. Hold on, Kandace.”

  “Why don’t we talk later. This phone call is costing me a lot since I was urged to leave my BlackBerry in Charlotte.”

  “All right. I’ll call you later.”

  Kandace hung up the phone, then hopped in the shower. As she stood under the spray, she said a silent prayer that Solomon was all right.

  “Miss Jade, over here,” the waitress said.

  Carmen smiled tensely. Please don’t let this woman ask me a bunch of questions, she thought as Jade walked over to her.

  “Is there a problem?” Jade asked as she looked from the waitress to Carmen.

  “Oh, no, no,” the waitress said. “She was asking about Miss Kandace. She said they were old friends, and since you and Miss Kandace are so close, I thought she should talk to you.”

  Jade gave Carmen a cautious once over. “Hello,” she said.

  “Hi, I’m April Martin. Kandace and I went to graduate school together and I heard about the restaurant and wanted to come check out the place and see if she was around,” Carmen lied as she extended her hand to Jade.

  Jade shook her hand limply and said, “Oh, well, that was nice of you to come all the way here to see her. But Kandace is on vacation.”

  “Darn. Did she ever get married? We lost touch after we graduated, but I remember there was this one guy who she was always talking about,” Carmen said.

  Jade laughed. “And you thought they were going to get married?”

  “Well, I assumed they would.”

  “Maybe you have her mixed up with another classmate,” Jade said. “What did you say your name was again?”

  “April,” Carmen said. “Why don’t I just give her a call?”

  “Yes. You should do that.”

  “One more thing. Is it true that you all have Devon Harris from the Food Network as your chef? How did you pull that off?”

  “Are you sure you and Kandace were close?” Jade asked, raising her eyebrow suspiciously.

  “I said we knew each other. I read about the restaurant on the Internet. I had business in Charlotte and decided to stop in,” Carmen said.

  “But you told Lynette you guys were old friends,” Jade said.

  Get out of my face, you nosy bitch! “No, she misspoke. If you talk to Kandace, tell her I said hello,” Carmen said as she grabbed her purse and pulled out enough money to pay for her meal.

  “I will,” Jade said, eyeing Carmen with suspicion dancing across her face. “Do you have a card?”

  “No, I don’t. I’ll just call her,” Carmen said, then dashed out of the restaurant.

  “What was that all about?” Jade mumbled as the door closed.

  I still don’t know anything about that bitch, Carmen thought as she got into her rental car. Maybe I should wait this Jade person out and come back when there is another set of workers here. No, I have to get back to the mountains and see what I can do to her while Solomon is away. That’s what I’ll do. Carmen started the car and headed for the interstate. She figured the sooner she returned to Sugar Mountain, the sooner she could push Kandace out of the way, even if that meant pushing her down the mountain.

  Kandace entered the lobby and was shocked to see a number of police officers wandering around. What in the world is going on? she thought. She walked over to a group of guests huddled by the drink kiosk.

  “Excuse me,” Kandace asked a woman who was pouring sugar into a cup of coffee. “Do you know what is happening? Why are all of these police officers here?”

  “I heard there was a body found on the property,” the woman said before
placing the plastic lid on top of her coffee cup. “One of the officers said something about it being a hotel employee.”

  “Oh my God,” Kandace said. This is the last thing Solomon needs.

  “Just terrible. My husband wants to leave now, but I refuse to go to South Carolina and spend the rest of my vacation with his meddling mother.”

  Kandace nodded, but her mind had turned to Solomon. Should she call him and let him know what was going on? Is someone stalking his employees?

  “Unfortunately, the ski lift and most of the other outdoor activities have been shut down until the police finish looking for clues. Oh well,” the woman said. “I hope the spa is still open.”

  “Someone is dead and you’re worrying about a spa treatment?” Kandace said before thinking.

  The woman shrugged, then took a sip of her coffee. “I’m on vacation and it wasn’t a guest. It was probably something personal. I doubt we guests are in any danger. It has nothing to do with the free spa treatment that I’m entitled to.”

  Kandace walked away from the woman before she said something that she’d later regret. She headed back to her suite and once she got inside, pulled out Solomon’s phone number and called him.

  “This is Solomon Crawford. I’m unavailable at the moment. Please leave a message and I’ll return your call at my earliest convenience,” his outgoing voice mail message played back.

  “Solomon, it’s Kandace. Give me a call when you get this message,” she said after the tone. Kandace hung up the phone and headed into the sitting area. All she could do now was wait for him to call.

  Solomon cocked his head to the side and looked at Detective Dave Myer as if he was the biggest idiot in America. “How did you get this job again?” Solomon asked hotly.

  “It is a simple question,” the detective said as he rocked back on his heels. “Do you know if Mr. Jones used prostitutes?”