Forever Black (7 page)

Peyton
jumped in, “She’s going to a charity event with Connor Black.”

“
The
Connor Black? Hot and gorgeous millionaire Connor Black?”

I
rolled my eyes, “Yes Roger, that’s the one.” He looked at me seriously.

“Elle,
you do know about his reputation right?” I looked blank because I didn’t know
anything about Connor except his one rule about sleepovers and that he didn’t
like relationships.

“We
are friends, nothing more.”

Roger
waved his hand in front of his face. “Girl, Connor Black doesn’t have female friends;
he has sex slaves, not friends.” I gulped and didn’t want to hear anymore.
Peyton could tell I was feeling uncomfortable.

“I
don’t care what he has; I’m going to this benefit tonight as his friend and
nothing more.”

“Come
on Roger, work your magic and fix up our girl so every guy at the event will be
begging her to take them home.” I smacked Peyton’s arm as we followed Roger to
his station.

I
met Roger through Peyton. He used to work at the art gallery part-time while he
was trying to launch his salon. He was a handsome man with brown spiked hair
and just the right amount of facial hair outlining his oval face. He cut hair
and did makeup like nobody’s business. He once worked as a hair stylist for
Miranda Lambert, but gave that up to stay in one place and build a life with
his partner George. I sat in the chair while Roger worked his magic on my hair
and face. I never felt more beautiful as I did that day.

I
stepped into my designer dress and Jimmy Choos and looked in the mirror at my
lightly made up face and elegant curly up-do. For the first time, in a terribly
long time, I forgot about all the bad in my life. I glanced at the clock, and
it read 6:00 pm. I rolled my eyes as there was a knock. As promised, he arrived
at 6:00 sharp. I opened the door as Connor stood there staring at me and taking
in a sharp breath. The butterflies in my stomach started to flutter, and my
heart started racing as I looked at him in his black tuxedo.

“Were
you afraid I’d get mugged between my door and your car?” I smirked.

“Very
funny Ellery,” he said.

I
was surprised that he came to the door himself instead of sending Denny. I
bumped my shoulder against his, and he managed a small smile. We got into the
back of the Limo and Connor poured us a glass of champagne.

“You
look beautiful Ellery; nice dress.” I looked at him, stomach still fluttering
and heart racing.

“Thank
you Connor I was hoping you would like this one,” I winked as he smirked and we
held our glasses up to one another.

The
charity was for the Autism Speaks Foundation. It was to support the biomedical
research for the causes and treatments of autism in children and adults. Denny
opened my door as Connor came around the other side to meet me. He held out his
arm and looked at me.

“Do
you think you can behave yourself tonight?” I put my arm in his and smiled.

“I
don’t know; I cannot make any promises.”

We
walked to the entrance and stepped inside. The ballroom was breathtaking as
were the people who attended. Connor led me over to a reserved table with his
company’s name on it. I sat down taking notice of the pilasters around the room
as well as the beautifully carved ceilings. The walls were painted in a beige
color with mahogany trim as were the chairs that sat at each table.  A band and
dance floor sat in the middle of the room. Off to the side was a large wrap
around bar that was complimented by the same mahogany wood and marble tops.

Connor
went to the bar to get our drinks. Apparently, he didn’t have the patience to
wait for the waitresses and waiters walking around the room with drinks on
their trays. He came back with a glass of white wine for me and a scotch for
himself. Even as beautiful as the ballroom was, Connor was the most beautiful
person there, and I could not help but stare at him. He lightly grabbed my
elbow and escorted me over to a couple who were staring our way. Even the
slightest touch of his hand sent my body into convulsions.

“Good
evening Connor,” the older gentleman said as he shook his hand.

“Hello,
Robert, I would like you to meet Ellery Lane, a friend of mine.”

He
took my hand and lightly kissed it, “You have beautiful friends Connor.”

I
gently smiled at his comment and looked over at his wife who was eyeing me up
and down.

“This
is my wife, Courtney,” Robert smiled.

“Nice
to meet you,” she smiled at me.

Courtney
was extremely attractive, and she was about 25 years younger than her husband.
Robert put his arm around Connor and walked him over to the side whispering so
we could not hear. Connor shook his head, and the two of them came back to
where we were standing.

“What
was that about?” I asked.

 He
looked at me at strangely for even asking, “Just business.”

He
lightly put his hand on the small of my back and escorted me back to the table
while he excused himself to the restroom. I was taking in the beautiful sound
of the band playing soft melodies as Courtney came over and sat next to me.

“So,
you’re Connors new toy,” she remarked. I looked at her trying to absorb what
she meant.

“Connor
and I are nothing more than friends.”

She
shook her head, “Right, well I’m only saying this for your own sake, woman to
woman because you seem like an innocent and nice person, stay away from Connor
Black.”

I
narrowed my eyes at her then looked around to see if Connor was on his way
back. “Why would you say something like that?” I asked.

“Because
Connor will use you till he emotionally breaks you down and physically wears
you out; then he will toss you to the side like a piece of trash.” She got up
from her seat and put her hand on my arm, “Just some friendly advice.”

She
walked away and left me sitting there pondering her words. The way she spoke
led me to believe that she was a victim of Connors. I did not want to think
about it as I got up and headed to the bar for another glass of wine. I glanced
over to the side where there was a small hallway and raised my eyebrow when I
saw Connor talking to the same woman who slapped him at the club. His eyes
looked angered as he grabbed her arm and led her out of sight. My stomach tied
itself in knots, what the hell was I doing here? I don’t even know anything
about this man I was with.

I
was standing at the bar when a gentleman approached me. “Hello, I’m Andrew, I
was wondering if a beautiful woman such as you would like to share a dance with
me?” I looked around, and Connor was nowhere to be found, the nerve of him just
to leave me alone like this.

“It
would be my pleasure,” I smiled.

I
didn’t mind dancing with Andrew; he was handsome with brown hair and hazel
eyes. He was tall, and as he put his arm around my waist, I could feel his
strength. Before we had a chance to finish our conversation, Connor came up
from behind.

“Excuse
me Andrew, but she is here with me.”

Andrew
looked at Connor. “Mr. Black, I apologize I did not know she was yours.”

He
stepped away as Connor took his place. His? I’m not his or anybody else’s. Connor
stared at me as he put his arm around my waist and took my hand in his, “I
leave you alone for a minute and you go off and start dancing with strange men.”

I
narrowed my eyes at him, “You leave me alone to go disappear with the woman who
slapped you at Club S.”

His
look turned to fire, “You saw that?”

I
shook my head, “Yes, I think a lot of people saw that.”

“So,
let me get this straight, you saw me before you found me drunk outside?”

“Yes,
I was sitting at the bar, why?”

The
corners of his sexy mouth curved up, “Interesting.”

I
cocked my head at him, “What’s interesting?” Then it hit me. “Oh I get it, you
think I had my eyes set on you from the start.”

He
wickedly smiled at me, “Your words Miss Lane, not mine.”

I
rolled my eyes and leaned into him, taking in his alluring scent as I whispered
in his ear, “You are a delusional man Mr. Black.”

“Why
this specific charity?” I asked.

He
looked at me and took in a breath, “Why not?” I dropped the subject about the
woman in the hallway and where he disappeared to, but I would not let this one
go.

“Why
though?”

He
stopped looking at me and looked straight into the crowd. “It’s just a charity
my company is involved with, why is it so important that you know a specific
reason?” His words came across cold, almost as if he didn’t trust me enough to
tell me.

“Just
forget I asked,” I kept my eyes straight ahead refusing to look at him.

“You’re
mad,” he spoke.

“You’ll
know when I’m mad Mr. Black,” I responded.

The
song ended, and we walked back to the table that was now filled with some
associates from Black Enterprises. Connor went around and introduced me to some
of his staff. I glanced over at the next table, and there she sat, the
beautiful tall woman from the club. Her straight, jet black hair sat just above
her shoulders, and her tanned skin glowed beneath the ballroom lights. She
sparkled in her silver long dress and silver high stilettos. Diamonds took
their place in her ears and neckline, and she did not miss a beat when it came
to applying makeup. She was a stunning woman, and she kept staring at me, or
should I say glaring at me.

Dinner
consisted of Filet Mignon or Fish. Connor took the liberty to order me the
Filet since he felt I needed to put some meat on my bones as he so kindly put
it. During dinner, a man stepped up to thank everyone for coming and thanked
Black Enterprises for donating five hundred thousand dollars to the charity;
everyone applauded.

I
excused myself to the restroom as I heard someone call my name. I turned around
and froze when I saw Dr. Taub coming out of the men’s bathroom.

“Ellery,
fancy meeting you here,” he said.

“Dr.
Taub, I am here as someone’s guest and would appreciate it if he did not see us
talking.” My stomach felt sick, and my heart was beating faster.

“You
haven’t returned my calls or rescheduled your appointments. You need to finish
our sessions Miss Lane; it’s important and you know it.”

“Dr.
Taub,” I whispered as I looked around to make sure no one, especially Connor,
saw us talking, “I will, just give me some time please.”

“Time
is not on your side Ellery, it is important you schedule your appointment.”

“I
cannot talk about this here, please Dr. Taub.” He walked away shaking his head.

I
walked into the restroom and checked my hair and makeup. I glossed up my lips,
and as I opened the door to step out, I was startled to see Connor standing
against the wall with his arms folded. He glared at me as I spoke, “Uh, hi? Why
are you standing there like that?”

“Because
you have been gone for quite a while and I was checking to make sure you are
ok. I was giving you five more seconds before I was opening the door and coming
in after you.”

I
walked away from him, “Wow, stalker much?”

I
heard him sigh, “I’m not a stalker for the last time; I was concerned for your
safety.” I rolled my eyes; he had safety issues, and it was starting to annoy
me.

We
walked back to the table, and as we passed the “one” next to us, Connor looked
over at the tall beautiful woman. She smiled at him.

“Are
you ready to leave?” He asked.

“I
am if you are.”

He
smiled, and we walked outside where Denny was waiting for us. He stopped and
turned to me, “I’m going to have Denny take you home, I have something I need to
wrap up here.” He took my hand and lightly kissed it, “Thank you for coming
with me tonight; I hope you had a good time.” His lips were warm on my skin,
but I too was focused on the fact that he was not coming to drive me home.

I
looked into his eyes, “I had a wonderful time, thank you for inviting me.”

He
nodded and opened the door. I slid in the back seat and waved goodbye trying to
hide the disappointment in my eyes.

“Good
evening Miss Lane," Denny said as he looked in the rearview mirror. “Hi
Denny,” I replied as I looked out the window.

The
night air was exceptionally warm for September, and I wanted to do something
other than go home to an empty apartment. “Denny, could you please drive me to
the beach?”

He
looked up in the rearview mirror, “Sorry Miss Lane, but my orders were to take
you straight home.”

I
politely smiled, “Denny, either you can drive me to the beach or I will call a
cab the minute you drop me off at home. Mr. Black does not own me nor does he
have the right to tell me what to do. I do not care if he told you to take me
home; I’m telling you otherwise. Now, please drop me off at the beach.”