Forever Love (Arabesque) (15 page)

Chapter 15

T
hey left the ball at separate times, him in his car and her in a cab. They met up at the diner. He was there when she walked in. The diner’s lights were bright and, dressed in a stylish evening halter dress and five-inch stiletto heels, she might have seemed completely out of place, but for some reason she felt right at home sliding into his usual booth. “This is so not the way I thought this evening was going to end,” Gia said.

“It’s not over yet,” Keith promised.

“I meant being here with you,” she said softly. Keith smiled. Gia’s stomach tumbled. The man could rock her world without even saying a word. She picked up the menu and flipped through without paying much attention. He picked up his menu, too. She smiled to herself.

It had taken her twenty-eight years to feel this alive, and for the first time in a long while she was deliriously happy. After all the flirting and foreplay on the dance floor, they hadn’t done anything when they were finally alone together. Of course they weren’t really alone.

“What can I get you?” Gladys asked.

“Are you hungry?” Keith asked.

“No, not really.”

“Dessert,” he said.

She smiled and nodded. “Perfect.”

“Cake or pie?” Gladys asked.

“Pie,” Keith and Gia said together, then laughed.

Gladys shook her head. “Ya’ll been having a little too much fun tonight?”

“Not nearly enough,” Keith said.

“I agree,” Gia added.

“I guess those notes ya’ll passed the other night really did the trick. A’ight, what kind of pie ya’ll want, darlings? We have apple, cherry, blueberry, lemon meringue and Boston cream.”

“Cherry,” Keith said.

Gia nodded, smiling knowingly. “Definitely cherry.”

Gladys nodded and walked away. She returned a few minutes later with two huge slices of cherry pie and two cups of tea.

Keith and Gia ate pie and drank tea while Keith talked about his father’s economic plan for the city. He explained in detail their ideas. Gia listened, both impressed and delighted.

“Wow, it sounds wonderful. But will it happen?”

“It already is. The mayor has everything already in place. He’s going to meet with the council to finalize the details in the next few weeks.”

“They don’t know about the plan?”

“They know the general basics, but unfortunately they aren’t the easiest seated council to work with. In most cases the mayor has to circumvent certain obstructions to get anything done.”

“That’s not exactly ethical, is it?”

“It’s legal.”

“What if someone finds out?”

He smiled at her. “Yes, what if?”

“Chairman Jameson,” she said, knowing that’s who he meant.

He nodded. “Yeah, your boy. He’d be very interested in this.”

“No, not my boy,” she defended quickly. “I know it seems to you that OCC and Jameson are tight, but it’s not true. Bill and Lester are friends. Lester and Bill’s dad grew up in the same neighborhood. When Bill and his dad lost their money in that Ponzi scheme, Lester helped his father out.”

“So you owe him?”

“No, I don’t own him and OCC doesn’t owe him.”

“You might want to check with Bill about that.”

“Bill’s all right. He just has family issues. He lost almost everything and being penniless isn’t his style. His half sister, Bonnie, still has her trust fund and inheritance from their grandparents, so every day it’s a reminder that he’s broke.”

“Money has a way of making smart people do desperate things.”

Her eyes narrowed. “Are you trying to warn me about something, Keith?”

“Would you listen to me if I did?” he asked.

“Probably,” she said, wondering just how serious he was.

Keith nodded. “Consider yourself warned.”

She thought about what he said and the whole conversation. But she quickly dismissed his implication. Keith was still a wild card in all this. “Is that all?”

“That’s all I have for you right now.”

“Keith, if you know something...”

“I do. I know you are stunning this evening. I know I’d love nothing more than to release that bow and have your dress drop to my feet. I know that sitting here talking to you about politics is the last thing I want to be doing with you. And I know that you make my body burn and I can’t stop thinking about you, every day, every hour and every minute.”

“What, not every second?” she asked playfully.

He nodded. “I have a feeling that’s coming very soon.”

“I know that feeling.”

“Good. I’d hate to be alone in this.”

“You’re not.”

“Ya’ll want something else from the kitchen?” Gladys asked.

“No, I’m good, thanks. It was the best pie I’ve ever eaten.”

“I’ll pass that on to Twister,” Gladys said, then sashayed away.

“So, tell me about the rest of your family,” Gia began. “I know a lot about your father. What about your mother? We’ve met, but what’s she really like?”

Keith smiled. “Marian Washington is a no-nonsense family court judge who loves children and the law. She protects them both equally and tries her best to keep families together. She’s soft-spoken and even-tempered. It takes a lot to push her buttons, but when she’s upset you’ll know it.”

Gia’s eyes widened. “She sounds fierce.”

“No, no, not at all. She’s the sweetest woman ever.”

“Spoken like a dutiful son.”

“All right, tell me about your mother and growing up,” Keith said. “You lived in Boston for a while, right?”

Gia stopped smiling and nodded. Keith reached over and placed his hand on hers. “Along with my grandmother, my mother is my hero. We didn’t have a long time together, but the time we had was magical. I remember being very happy and then she died and I wasn’t anymore. Afterward, I lived with my father and grandparents. When my father remarried I went to a boarding school in Boston. I ended up staying there.”

“What about your grandmother?” he asked.

“I was told my grandmother didn’t want anything to do with me. I believed it. I could never understand why or what I had done to make her not want to see me. So, growing up, I always felt disconnected. Funny, saying it now sounds so strange.

“When I graduated from college I contacted my grandmother. I guess I just wanted to meet her as an adult. She was nothing like I expected or was told. She told me she loves me and she knew everything about me. She even sneaked in and went to my high school and college graduations. I asked her why she never wanted to see me after Mom died. She told me that she’d been told that I never wanted to see her again.

“Money has a way of making people different. I confronted my father and grandfather about the lies they told me. Long story short, they didn’t want her to influence me. I told them it was too late and I had no intention of working with them. They cut me off monetarily. You know, it’s funny, when you’re used to having money, life is a lot easier. Then when you don’t have it anymore you learn that money isn’t everything.”

Keith nodded slowly. “Money sometimes has a way of magnifying the worst in people.”

“True. Anyway, my grandmother and I got closer and when she had the heart attack I moved back here to Philly to take care of her. Then she got sick again and I took over her position at OCC.”

“You have a law degree, so why community service?” he asked.

“Why not?” she answered quickly. “The best answer I can give you is that I like helping people, but more as a whole, not necessarily one person at a time like in law or social work.”

“The greater good,” he suggested.

She smiled and nodded. “Yeah, that’s exactly it, the greater good.” She looked into his eyes, and the feeling was back instantly. But what she saw warmed her heart just as much. The same feeling was reflected in his eyes. “Keith, what do you think this is, us here, now and before?”

Keith knew exactly what she meant. “Right now this is us getting to know each other without all the goggling and newspaper articles. And before, well, before was...” He smiled seductively. “This is nice, though, very nice.”

She nodded. He was right. “Yes. This is nice, talking with you like this. I like it, not that before wasn’t great, it’s just...”

“What?” he asked.

She leaned in closer and lowered her voice. “Having crazy, all-night-long, multiple orgasmic and nonstop sex with you the first time we were alone together was not good,” she said, then paused. “Wait, don’t get me wrong, you were amazing, you know you were amazing. The sex was phenomenal and being with you makes me crazy happy, but...” she said, then looked away. He stroked the palm of her hand gently just as he’d done on the dance floor. Her stomach instantly jumped. “But that wasn’t me. I still can’t believe we did that, that I did that. It was too fast, too soon.”

He nodded. “Yes, it was fast. And I have a feeling that no matter how much we might want to slow this down, it’s out of our hands. But I promise we’ll go at your pace.”

“I guess we could just be friends, professionals,” she said. Although his expression never wavered, she knew her words had affected him. Truth be told, they affected her, too. He was right. This was more than either of them had expected. “I don’t know if I’m ready for more than that.”

He didn’t speak for a few moments. Then he nodded. “Whenever you’re ready, come find me. I’ll be waiting.”

Chapter 16

I
t was her suggestion and it was without a doubt the dumbest thing she’d ever come up with. Seven days, one week since they had talked all night in the diner and the only thing she got were brief phone messages asking how she was doing. She saved them all, of course. Playing them over and over again was childish but she needed to hear him, even if it was just a recording. Just hearing his voice sent shivers down her body. She grabbed her phone in a desperate attempt to clear her head. “Hey, Val, it’s Gia, are you busy?”

“No, not at all, just catching up on some work.”

“On a Sunday morning?” Gia said.

“You know me, forever saving humanity by righting the wrongs of the world and putting away one nutcase at a time. You know the drill,” she said, “superhero stuff.”

“Woman, you are so dramatic,” she laughed.

“Yeah, yeah,” Val chuckled.

Gia laughed. “Okay, superhero, question. What are you doing this afternoon? I need to get out of this house or I’m gonna be one of those nutcases. I was thinking about lunch at the Art Museum. Are you free?”

“Sounds cool, but I’m hanging out with Prudence today. The Knights are playing at home. It should be a good game.”

“Oh, okay. Well, we’ll do something another time.”

“No, don’t be silly. Why don’t you just come with us? We’re just going to the football game and then maybe grab something to eat afterward.”

“I heard the tickets were sold out.”

“No tickets necessary. We’ll be in the owner’s box. Prudence’s mom and dad are gonna be there, too. It’s good publicity.”

Gia thought a moment. She refused to ask, but even considering the possibility that Keith might also be there gave her a sudden thrill. She might see him again. “I’d love to go, if it’s okay with Prudence, of course.”

“I’m sure it is. Let me call her, then call you right back.”

“Okay, thanks, Val.” Gia pressed to disconnect and just sat looking at her view.
Hey, Keith,
she thought,
I’m ready.

A few minutes later her cell phone rang again. It was Val. Gia picked up. “Hey.”

“I just spoke with Prudence. It’s no problem. She’s gonna pick me up and then we’ll stop by and get you. Is an hour too soon?”

“No, not at all. Thanks, I really need this.”

“No problem, it’ll be fun. We’ll see you in about an hour.”

Gia didn’t waste any time. She locked the balcony door and, having already taken a shower an hour earlier, hurried to her closet to find something to wear. She dressed, pulled her hair back in a bun and then finished getting herself together. Forty-eight minutes later her doorbell rang. She opened it to see Val and Prudence smiling. “Hey,” they said in unison.

“Hi, Val. Hi, Prudence,” Gia said, hugging and welcoming them into her home. “Thank you so much for letting me tag along today. Come on in, I just have to grab my purse.”

“You’re perfectly welcome. It’s gonna be so much fun,” Prudence said. “Have you ever been to a Knights game before?”

“Yes, years ago, before my parents divorced.”

“It’s so much better and the skyboxes are awesome,” Val said.

“I’m really looking forward to it.”

“Gia, your home is beautiful and the view of the bridge and the river is breathtaking. I’ve never been in this building before. I’ve only seen the view from the opposite side facing the city. My brother used to live right across the street in the building facing this one.”

“Really, your brother...”

“Yeah, my brother, Keith,” Prudence said as Val smiled. “So, when are you two going to hook up for real?” Prudence added.

Gia’s jaw dropped. “I don’t know what you’re talking about,” she said, then looked at Val and frowned.

“Hey, don’t look at me. I wasn’t the one on the dance floor at the benefit falling in love. That was you and Keith.”

“We weren’t falling in love. And, Prudence, Keith and I are just business associates.”

Prudence smiled. “Well, personally, I think you two would make a great couple. You look good together. And he needs someone in his life that’s not all about law and politics. He deserves to be happy and so do you.”

“Okay, I’m ready to go.” Gia grabbed her purse and they headed out. Prudence drove to the stadium as the three talked about everything from fashion, to music, to celebrities, to foreign policy. When they got to the security gate, Prudence showed her ID and was pointed to an open parking space. They got out and headed up to the skybox.

* * *

It was one thing after another for Keith. First the almost fire at City Hall; then one of his clients was facing a flood of bad press and major ethics sanctions because of a tabloid article naming him as the father of his assistant’s three-year-old child. The fact that the allegations were true and he’d tried to cover it up didn’t help. Then, of course, Lester Jameson had received a major endorsement and seemed to be riding a wave of renewed popularity.

So the last week had been filled with cancelled appointments, constant travel, meetings and the initiation of full damage control on all fronts. All that forced Keith to refocus on what was supposed to be the most important thing in his life—his work. But the problem was all he could think about was Gia. And it made him realize that there was more to his life than work.

But now with most of the fires put out, he took the rare opportunity to sit back and relax with his brothers. It was Sunday afternoon and their brother-in-law was leading the Philadelphia Knights to another victory. The game was tied and Speed had been taking a brutal punishment for the last three quarters plus overtime. But the team’s renewed rally was strong and the Knights, led by Michael Speed Hunter, had marched down the field on sheer strength and determination.

Keith handed each of his brothers another nonalcoholic beer, then sat down in front of the huge flat-screen television attached to the wall in his game room. Screened and glassed, heated and cooled, this room was finished and designed for four-season use. This was his sanctuary and his new home away from the craziness of Philly, D.C. and New York. Few came unless specifically invited. They cheered after another near-impossible first-down completion.

The regulation game had already been played. They were now in the last few minutes of overtime. The first to score would win and it was more than obvious that both teams were looking for a victory. “Man, this game is killing me,” Drew said as he got up and walked over to the buffet table. It was loaded with every imaginable game-time snack. He grabbed a couple of fried chicken wings and some collard greens and potato salad.

“Yo, bro, bring me back a couple more chicken wings,” Jeremy said before taking the last bite of his cheesesteak.

“You want anything, Keith?” Drew asked.

“Nah, I’m good,” Keith said, sipping his beer.

Drew walked back over, gave Jeremy a small plate of wings, then took his seat between his two brothers. “I don’t know, man. It looks like they just might be able to pull this one off.”

Jeremy chuckled. “Hell yeah, Speed is serious about winning this game. Look at him scrambling behind the line. Hey, remind me again why we didn’t go to this game?”

“You were supposed to get the tickets and you blew it.”

“Oh, yeah, that,” Jeremy said, laughing, “my bad.”

“I don’t know how he does it—football games, practice, national endorsements campaigns and chairman of his nonprofit children’s organization, plus a baby on the way in a few months,” Keith said.

“Don’t forget dealing with Prudence,” Drew said. The brothers chuckled. “Seriously, I think she’s losing her mind lately. Last week she was trying to hook me up with a model friend she knows in London. I couldn’t believe it. She was trying to set me up on a blind date.”

“So what happened?” Keith asked.

Drew shook his head, looking more annoyed than he intended. “My date canceled on me at the last minute,” he said stiffly. “I gotta admit I was a bit annoyed, but then she texted me and it’s all good.”

Jeremy and Keith chuckled. “So, who is this model?”

“Her name’s Angel Periz.”

“I’ve seen her. She’s gorgeous, man.”

“Yeah, she is. I saw pictures,” Drew said, sounding a little disappointed. “Anyway, I texted her and we’ve been going back and forth for a while. She’s got a wicked sense of humor.”

“Sounds like you like her,” Keith said.

Drew shrugged noncommittally. “She’s funny and smart. I didn’t expect that. Anyway, we’re gonna hang out the next time she’s in the States.”

“Prudence playing matchmaker... You know she got that from Mamma Lou,” Jeremy said, shaking
his head.

“Yeah, but at least Mamma Lou’s back on Crescent Island. We’re safe until the next time she comes to town.”

“So, who was Mamma Lou trying to match?”

“Gia Duncan and Rick Renault,” Keith said.

“Now that’s a tough match. Can you see those two together?”

“I don’t know, they might work,” Drew said.

“No, they wouldn’t,” Keith said in a tone that made both his brothers look at him. “I’m just saying, he doesn’t want marriage, we all know that. And she’s—”

“Whoa, whoa, check it out,” Jeremy said as Speed ran down the sidelines being chased by three huge linebackers. They laughed and cheered as Speed stepped out of bounds. The game clock stopped. The stadium cameras focused on him a few seconds, then cut away to pan the crowd and then focus on the owner’s box.

“Man, seriously, when are you gonna get the rest of this place finished?” Jeremy asked. “This could really be a nice place to chill out. Besides, you know I’m not gonna feel like driving back to the city after. If you had more than one bedroom, I could crash here.”

“What do you mean? It is done,” Keith protested.

Drew laughed. “Dude, a bedroom, a bathroom and a game room isn’t what I call done.”

“That’s all I need for right now, although I’m seriously thinking about getting the kitchen designed in the very near future. I’m getting a little tired of ordering out every time I come here.”

“Hey, nothing wrong with ordering out,” Jeremy said.

“Jeremy, you need to learn how to cook. You can’t order out the rest of your life. Besides—”

“Hey, check it out, there’s Mom and Dad in the owner’s box,” Drew said, interrupting.

Keith focused back on the screen. He knew his parents were going to the game. It was a planned press op, and of course they looked exactly as planned.

“Yo, yo, yo, isn’t that your lady, Keith?” Jeremy said, pointing to the television screen.

“Yep, that’s Gia Duncan sitting with Prudence and Mom. Who would have guessed?” Drew added.

Keith looked closer to see Gia and his mom with their heads together laughing about something. The sportscasters didn’t identify her since the time-out ended and the game began again. “What’s she doing there?” he muttered. “And for the record, she’s not my lady,” Keith also clarified. Drew and Jeremy glanced at each other and smiled knowingly. Keith witnessed the open interaction. “All right, if you’ve got something to say, say it.”

“You know you want her, man. Why don’t you just go for it?” Drew said. Keith looked threatening. “I’m just saying.”

“Dude, the two of you out on the dance floor at the benefit the other week nearly set the whole floor on fire.”

“I have no idea what you’re talking about,” Keith said innocently.

His brothers laughed. “The way you were looking at her and the way she was looking at you and then that slow-groove dance. I had no idea you had moves like that. Seriously, you had women standing on the sides staring with drool coming out of their mouths.”

“Now I know I have no idea what you’re talking about.”

“Please, don’t act like you don’t know. Everybody could see that either something was already going on between you or something was about to start.”

“It was a dance, that’s it. Gia Duncan and I are business professionals. That’s all. There’s no way we can explore anything else.”

“Why not, because of the election?” Jeremy asked.

“That and other factors,” he said.

“Man, since when have you let general convention dictate your life? If you want to be with her, tell her.”

Keith looked at his brothers and shook his head.

“Ah, come on, man, it’s all good. Gia’s a nice woman. She’s intelligent, gorgeous and her body is perfect. Seriously, I like her and if you don’t step up, I just might.”

Keith’s eyes instantly narrowed. His brothers laughed again. “See, see, that right there. She got you, man. She got you.”

“Yeah, she’s got me. But right now she doesn’t want me.”

“Come again?”

“We were moving too fast. She wants to take it slow. That was a week ago.”

Jeremy and Drew shook their heads. “And now?” they said.

“And now I’m gonna let her have her time. It’s strange, one day I was enjoying my life and the next I can’t imagine my life without her.” Drew and Jeremy nodded slowly. “You know what, three weeks ago we were worried about Mamma Lou and now look at us.”

Jeremy turned back to the television. “Hey, the game’s over,” he said. Drew and Keith turned to the screen. The game had just ended with the Knights victorious. They watched the replay and highlights and then talked, joked and stayed another hour, helping Keith clean up before heading back to the city. Keith decided to stay until the morning.