Trouble with Luv' Read online

  “I don’t want to waste any more time discussing this. Kindly lock the door behind you when you leave.” Tears of frustration blurred Ebony’s vision as she trudged upstairs. In her bedroom, safe from hurtful words and accusations, she collapsed on her bed and cried. A full minute passed before she heard the door slam, and then the house fell quiet.

  Chapter 21

  By the time the sun crept over the horizon the following morning, Ebony was behind her desk, hard at work. Staying home had never crossed her mind. Work had to be done and no amount of crying or pondering over what could have been was going to bring Xavier back. He was gone, they were over and the best thing she could do was focus on her business. Ebony had a vaulting ambition to take Discreet Boutiques worldwide, and now that Xavier was gone, she could focus all of her time and energy on making her dreams a reality.

  Unable to shut off her thoughts long enough to get some rest, she had tossed and turned for the better part of the night. Thoughts of happier times had played over and over in her mind like a PowerPoint slide show. Quiet, moonlit drives through downtown, picnicking in Xavier’s backyard, cooking exotic meals and then feeding them to each other were just a few of the memories that touched her heart. And then there were the thoughts of making love. All the times Xavier touched every square inch of her body and the way he would slide himself between her legs at the perfect moment were welcome memories. And so was their birthday romp outside the garage door.

  Filing away all thoughts of her ex, she gave her head a shake. Then a sudden, intense panic gripped her. What if Xavier finds someone else? What if one of those well-meaning but interfering church mothers throw their daughter or granddaughter at him? Xavier had given Ebony every little thing her heart desired, and she knew it was just a matter of time before he found happiness with someone else. Ebony pushed away an errant strand of hair, thoughts of him swarming her mind.

  God, I miss him.

  It hadn’t even been twenty-four hours since they spoke, but it felt like days. Several days. Ebony longed to be back in Xavier’s arms. She missed the feel of his fingers in her hair, hankered for the taste of his lips just one last time. Ebony wanted to hear his voice, but calling him was out of the question. Washing her mind of all thoughts of Xavier, she did a mental check of what she had to do that afternoon. She was taking Lydia out for lunch to celebrate her new apartment. “It’s not the Hilton or anything,” Lydia had said when she invited her over last Wednesday after Changing Lives Through Meals, “but it’s mine.”

  “That’s right,” Ebony agreed, giving her a wide smile. “You should be proud of yourself. You’ve accomplished a lot in a short time.” Lydia’s stint at the women’s shelter had gone far better than either of them expected. Smoking was a habit she had yet to break, but she was trying her best to quit. Despite her past, it quickly became apparent to the staff at the New Hope Women’s Shelter that Lydia Miller was going somewhere with her life. Under the advice of her counselor, she enrolled in adult education classes at a local high school and began volunteering at a day care center three afternoons a week. In her spare time, she spent generous amounts of time at the public library, poring over fashion magazines. Lydia was bent on being a makeup artist and Ebony was already pulling strings to make her dreams come true.

  When Kendall poked her head into her partner’s office at eleven-fifteen, Ebony was staring off into space, her fingers intertwined, resting in the crux of her hands. Polished looking as she was in a conservative charcoal-colored suit, an opaque blouse, and sporting a new wavy hairstyle it was hard to believe that Ebony had been crying her eyes out last night.

  “You all right?”

  “Just fine,” Ebony lied, snapping out of her thoughts and casting her eyes on the spreadsheets in front of her. “How did the meeting with Mrs. Toliver go? Any promising news or was she her usual evasive and surly self?”

  “Things look grim,” Kendall confessed. “She all but said the loan would be denied.” Flopping down on the leather couch, she released a sigh of frustration. Ebony’s mind wandered back to last Wednesday. Xavier had surprised her with lunch from her favorite Italian restaurant. She had jumped to her feet, wrapped him in her arms and properly thanked him with her lips. After locking her office door, she’d straddled him in the middle of the couch and helped him out of his track suit. The seafood spaghetti, garlic cheese sticks and potato salad were forgotten as they satisfied a hunger of another kind. Ebony closed her eyes. Six days later, she could still feel the heat of his lips on her neck and his hands on her breasts. Xavier had done things to her on that couch that she would never forget. And that night in bed, he had given her a repeat performance that left her body writhing in ecstasy.

  “Are you listening to me?”

  Ebony’s eyes flickered. Caught daydreaming, she smiled at her partner ruefully. “Sorry, Kendall. What were you saying?”

  Kendall shot her a sympathetic look. She wanted to ask Ebony if she wanted to talk about last night, but decided against it. Her partner didn’t like the staff discussing their personal affairs during work hours. No matter how grave the situation. “The bank is going to turn us down.”

  Ebony wasn’t surprised by the news. First National Bank had been giving them a hard time all year. They had made good on their loans, were professional and thorough in their dealings, and the boutiques were making more money than the projected figures. Racking her brain for the next step to take, she tapped her ballpoint pen absently on her desk. There has to be something we can do. She eyed the picture frame propped up against the computer. Opal and Spencer were in the picture, along with her and Xavier. His eyes were alight with excitement and he had a hand draped across her shoulder. The shot had been taken at Q’s Joint and they were the picture of happiness. “That’s it!” she yelled out loud.

  Kendall sat up. “What’s it?”

  “I know who can help us. Kale! A few years back he hosted the First National Bank Charity Ball. Who knows, maybe he can pull a few strings for us.” Ebony buzzed Jocelyn and asked her to get Kale Washington on the line. “If anyone can give us a hand, it’ll be Kale. I’ll see if I can set something up for this week. What day works for you?”

  Jocelyn stuck her head in the door, preventing Kendall’s response. “Mr. Washington wasn’t in but his secretary said she’d have him call you back when he returns. He’s expected back within the hour.”

  “Thanks, Jocelyn.”

  Ebony checked her appointment book. She wanted to be ready with a date and time when Kale returned her call. The only day she was available to meet was Thursday afternoon. She told Kendall.

  “I can make it, as long as we’re finished by four. I have an appointment at Garden Square at five and you know how crazy rush-hour traffic is.”

  “Must be a pretty important appointment if you’re willing to blow off this meeting,” Ebony noted.

  Kendall was quiet. She wanted to share her news, but she didn’t know how it would be received. Ebony was going through a rough time, and she knew from experience that when her partner was in a mood, she didn’t want to hear anybody’s good news, especially if it had to do with a man. “I wasn’t going to say anything, because I know you’re bummed out about Xavier…but…um, I think I’m pregnant. I’m not a hundred percent sure, but—”

  The rest of her sentence was drowned out by Ebony’s screams. She abandoned her chair and ran around the desk. “When? How? Well, I know how,” she joked, “but I thought Turner was dead set against having children right now.”

  “He was, but I took your advice, and he—” When Ebony’s eyebrows sank, she said, “No baby, no nooky. Remember? I just flipped the script on that husband of mine. Since he was the one worried about getting pregnant, I told him he should be the one using birth control. Needless to say, it didn’t go over too well.

  “Turner tried to keep on top of things, but failed. Then he told me that if we got pregnant it was God’s will. My period was late, but I didn’t think anything of it because I’m a
lways late. But four days later, I knew something was up. I was waiting for the results of the home pregnancy test when you called. When I heard you crying, I raced out of the house, forgetting all about the test.”

  Ebony fidgeted with her charm bracelet. She couldn’t believe she had cried all over herself like that. “I never did thank you for coming to get me.”

  “You don’t need to. That’s what friends are for.”

  Ebony smiled. “Well, what happened with the test?”

  “When I got back home, Turner met me at the door with the applicator in his hand. ‘Two pink stripes. I guess that means we’re pregnant!’ I bawled my eyes out!” she said, a smile of pure joy on her lips.

  “I’m so happy for you!” Ebony gave Kendall a hug. Kendall was more than her business partner and friend, she was the sister she had never had. Sometimes they called each other names, and back in college, they had even gotten into a shoving match, but no matter what she went through, Ebony could always count on Kendall to be there for her. Her eyes teared and her face twitched like she was about to sneeze. Being a mother meant the world to Kendall, and Ebony couldn’t think of anybody more deserving of the honor. “Kendall, you’re going to make a terrific mother!”

  Kendall felt guilty for not wanting to share her news with Ebony. Her friend was genuinely excited for her. She broke into laughter when Ebony touched her stomach and said she could already feel the bulge. Her stomach was as flat as an ironing board, but she was looking forward to the weight gain, the intense cravings and even the sleepless nights.

  Ebony listened quietly as Kendall chattered about the baby names she had picked out, the colors she was going to paint the nursery and the furniture she was going to buy. Sabrina and Jocelyn came into the office, carrying a tray of coffee and muffins, and suggested they take a break. Kendall told them she was pregnant and was plied with more hugs and kisses.

  Questions whirled in Ebony’s brain. I wonder what our kids would have looked like? Would we have had a set of twins? Thoughts of Xavier, and their love, left her speculating whether or not she would ever find such happiness again. Her eyes pooled with water. Ebony wiped a tear away. She refused to shed another tear over the demise of their relationship. It was over, done, history. And brooding over what could have been wasn’t going to bring Xavier back.

  Kale Washington loved the dog days of summer. Not because of the heady scent of the season or the additional hours of sunlight. There was one reason and one reason only why he looked forward to the summer: the women. The greater the heat, the less women wore outside. Miniskirts, cleavage-baring tops and booty shorts came out the second the temperature soared above seventy-five degrees.

  Kale loved his wife passionately and would kill any man who touched her, but marriage had done nothing to curb his appetite for other women, especially sultry and provocative females like the one sitting across from him. Ebony Garrett had more going for her than just her good looks. She was the prototype of what he desired in a mistress. Secure, career-minded, intelligent and self-sufficient. There wasn’t anything he could do for her that she couldn’t do for herself. He admired that. In his experience, businesswomen made the best girlfriends. They didn’t ask for too much of his time, weren’t interested in taking his wife’s place and had no inhibitions in the bedroom. The confidence they had in their abilities carried over into their intimate lives as well. As far as Kale was concerned, dating a professional woman was a win-win situation. He got all the sex he could stand and she received companionship and romance.

  Tilting his head back to finish his wine, he let his eyes linger over the seductive curve of Ebony’s mouth. He liked that she was a very together businesswoman and sure of herself. If it weren’t for the fact that his wife was on friendly terms with the boutique owner, he would have stepped to her a long time ago. For now, he had no choice but to admire her beauty from afar.

  “It’s a shame Kendall couldn’t join us,” he said. “It’s been months since I saw her. How is she doing?”

  “Great. She had an appointment that couldn’t be rescheduled, but she sent her greetings.” Ebony took a generous bite of her steak. It was moist and succulent, just the way she liked it. “I really appreciate you agreeing to meet with me, Kale. I know how busy you are running the club and satisfying all the other commitments you have.”

  Kale gave her a winning smile. “It’s no problem. I’m always here to help.” His smoky-gray eyes bore down on her like a lynx stalking its prey. His mouth drew back into a toothy smile. “Have I told you how stunning you look tonight?”

  Ebony returned his smile. She considered Kale a friend, but this was still a business meeting, so she had wisely dressed down in a black V-neck dress and sensible pumps. Wanting a smart and professional flair, she had curled the ends of her hair lightly. Ebony knew Kale was attracted to her, but she wasn’t going to do anything to suggest the feelings were mutual.

  Tonight, he had traded in his customary Armani suit for a black mock-neck dress shirt and tan slacks. Although he’d set hearts racing when he strolled into the Indigo Lounge, Ebony wasn’t impressed. He was handsome enough, but there was only one man she desired.

  She took a bite of her sautéed potatoes, and took her time chewing. “This is my first time here, but it won’t be my last,” Ebony told Kale, as her eyes passed over the room. The contemporary and attractive restaurant was sequestered behind tall hedges of ficus trees and boasted a dazzling view of the city. Slightly upscale, the main floor level housed sleek furniture, muted tan walls and glistening hardwood floors. In addition to the delectable Southern cuisine, and extensive wine lists, the restaurant had a live jazz band that wooed patrons on Friday and Saturday nights. Ebony had wanted to eat somewhere less flashy, but she had allowed Kale to pick the time and the place, and he had chosen the Indigo.

  “Amelia just loves it here. She says their Margarita Mama is the best drink on the face of the earth.” Kale chuckled easily. “Speaking of drinks, would you like me to order you one? Looks like you could use something stronger than water. You know, something with a little kick in it.”

  His grin had sexual overtones to it, but Ebony pretended not to notice. She picked up her glass. “No, water is fine for me. I don’t drink on the job.” They both laughed. After some pleasant conversation, Ebony told Kale why she was anxious to meet with him on such short notice.

  “The expansion project has hit some rough spots, huh?”

  Ebony nodded, and then gave him a brief overview of previous discussions with the branch manager at First National Trust and Kendall’s meeting with Roxanne Toliver earlier in the week. “Mr. Oakwood assured me that the project would be approved. But now that he’s been replaced, we’re left wondering where we stand. And my repeated attempts to get in touch with him have gone…”

  Kale had a difficult time keeping up with the pace of the conversation. Her heady, scintillating perfume was working him over. It took all his effort to remain in his seat. Willing his body to remain calm, he rubbed a hand over his stubble-free chin. A steady stream of diners, mostly clans of young, single women, had been sashaying in and out of the restaurant all night, but up until now he had been too preoccupied with Ebony to notice.

  “Go on, ask him. I’m sure that’s Kale Washington,” whispered a female voice behind him.

  Normally he loved being recognized, especially when he was out on a date. It made him feel like a superstar. He had been retired for the past three seasons, but it hadn’t diminished his popularity with baseball fans. When Kale was out on the town, he soaked up the attention he received. He’d sign autographs, pose for pictures, and on occasion he even joined fans for a round of drinks. But tonight, Kale didn’t want anyone cutting in on his time with Ebony, so he glanced over his shoulder and shot the two less-than-attractive women a leave-me-alone look.

  “Jerk!” he heard one of them say.

  “Sorry about that,” he said to Ebony, when he turned back around. “Continue.”

  Ebony fin
ished the piece of steak in her mouth, then washed it down with some more ice water. “Why do you think the bank is stalling? Why won’t they approve the project?” She hated to play the friend card, but this was important to her and she desperately needed his expertise. Not only had Kale cleaned up Q’s Joint and made it the hottest place in town, but he had investors on both the East and West Coasts anxious to bring the club to their cities.

  “Well, I don’t have an MBA in business or finance, but my professional opinion is that First National Trust feels the expansion idea has substantial risks.” Ebony started to speak, but Kale held up a hand before she could interrupt. “Granted, Discreet Boutiques is hugely popular and the revenues generated in the past seven years are impressive, but there’s no guarantee that opening additional stores will be a lucrative venture.” Kale paused to drink his brandy, and noted that Ebony had the kind of eyes a man could get lost in. They were one of the most captivating things about her. “In the last meeting you had with Ms. Toliver you made known your intentions to expand to Michigan and possibly Philadelphia. That was a bad move. You shouldn’t have mentioned your future plans. It likely scared them off.”

  Ebony didn’t speak. Her comments weren’t meant to sound boastful or arrogant, but she could see how the bank manager could interpret them that way. “What should we do now?”

  A lewd thought popped into Kale’s mind, but when he opened his mouth to share it, the deep, slumberous voice of the restaurant manager drowned him out. “Is everything to your liking, Mr. Washington?” The Italian man, aged about sixty, had a large stomach concealed by a tacky gold and black silk dress shirt. His square face was a terrain of wrinkles, eclipsed by a bumpy nose and light brown eyes the size of marbles. This was the man’s third trip over to the table, despite Kale telling him he wanted to enjoy a quiet meal with his friend.