Joy's Valentine

By

Destiny Wallace

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously and are not to be construed as real. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, organizations, or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental. 

Joy’s Valentine by Desetiny Wallace

Red Rose™ Publishing

Publishing with a touch of Class! ™

The symbol of the Red Rose and Red Rose is a trademark of Red Rose™ Publishing

Red Rose™ Publishing

Copyright© 2013 Destiny Wallace

ISBN: 978-1-4543-0264-3

Cover Artist: Dawné Dominique

Editor: Lara Parker

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced electronically or in print without written permission, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in reviews. Due to copyright laws you cannot trade, sell or give any ebooks away.

This is a work of fiction. All references to real places, people, or events are coincidental, and if not coincidental, are used fictitiously. All trademarks, service marks, registered trademarks, and registered service marks are the property of their respective owners and are used herein for identification purposes only.

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Joy’s Valentine

By

Destiny Wallace

Joy’s sister, Marla, was a true knock-out. She wore a tiny wool skirt that showed off her long legs, a bright red sweater, and her long hair flowed to the middle of her back. Joy noticed Marla had dyed her hair a reddish-brown since she’d seen her at Christmas…she’d probably go back to blonde when spring returned. Marla was so thin, yet there she sat, stuffing her face with a chocolate croissant.

“So, what brings you to the city?” Marla asked when Joy sat across from her.

Joy smiled. “I’ve been staying at Eli’s place ever since we got back from Europe.”

Marla rolled her eyes. “I still don’t understand how you could just hop a plane with a perfect stranger. You didn’t know anything about him!”

It was Joy’s turn to roll her eyes. “Just because I didn’t run down your list of questions doesn’t mean I didn’t know him.”

“My list of questions?” Marla repeated, cocking a perfectly plucked brow.

“What do you do? What kind of car do you drive? Do you own any real estate? What’s your total net worth? Are you first or second string?” Joy ticked off each question on her fingers.

Marla frowned. “Don’t even start that shit.”

Joy sipped her coffee but didn’t snap back at her sister. She just reveled in the fact that for once Marla was jealous of her. Marla was the beauty who got any guy she wanted. Joy was the brain guys didn’t even give a second glance.

Yet, somehow, Joy was the one that had picked up the hottest guy ever and had a romantic jaunt with him through Europe. Joy was the one who decided not to return to work and stayed in his penthouse apartment.

Joy was the one stepping out of character and Marla didn’t seem to like it one bit.

Marla was still gazing at her when Joy’s cell phone rang. She gave her sister the “just-one-minute” finger and answered it. Marla rolled her eyes when she saw the dopey grin that made it so obvious who was on the phone even before Joy said a word.

“Hi Eli,” Joy purred.

“Hello, love,” his deep baritone answered. He’d taken up that pet name when she’d mentioned how much she loved the way British people used it. “What are you doing?”

“I just sat down for some coffee,” Joy said turning toward the window so she wouldn’t meet her sister’s eyes.

“You sure did come off tea quickly,” Eli teased.

“I know. If they made a support group I’d try to quit this coffee habit.”

“I don’t know about that…you’ll need your energy tonight.”

Joy giggled. “I’ll just bet.”

“So, would you be at your favorite café on the corner of 11th Avenue?”

“Yup.”

“Good, I’m just a block away, I’ll join you.”

Joy’s breath hitched in her chest. “No, no,” she stuttered glancing at Marla who watched her intently. “I’ll just meet you later and we can get a real lunch.”

“Nonsense! I’m almost there already. I’ll see you in a minute.”

“Oh,” said Joy miserably, “Okay.”

“I take it that was lover-boy,” Marla said, her voice dripping with sarcasm and just a hint of venom.

Joy nodded as she slipped the phone back into her purse. She wasn’t ready for Eli to meet Marla. She probably would never be ready for that. Considering, Marla had stolen…uh…borrowed…at least three of her exes through high school, Joy purposely kept the few men she’d let into her life far from her sister’s sinister clutches. Now, Eli was walking right into the lioness’ den. She took another sip of coffee and barely tasted it as it went down in a miserable lump.

“He’ll be here in a minute; if you have somewhere to go you can go ahead and…”

Marla’s face changed from a smirk to a smile. “He’s coming here? Trust me; I have nowhere else I’d rather be.” She fished a compact out of her purse and primped.

The bell above the door chimed and Joy turned in time to see Eli walk in. He wore a heavy black trench to protect him from the icy wind. Eli cut quite a figure walking into the café.  He was tall, 6’4”, with broad shoulders and a lean build.  His chestnut brown hair had grown out a bit since they’d met.  Two months ago his hair had been a bit long, falling into his bright green eyes.  Currently, he kept it slicked straight back and tucked behind his ears.  Eli was also handsome; his jaw was square, his nose straight and narrow, and a full, pink mouth. 

He smiled at Joy and slipped off the coat as he approached the table. Under the coat was a custom-made Brooks Brother’s suit.

“Oh. My. God.”

Joy turned back to her sister. Marla finished reapplying her coral pink lipstick and her let her mouth hang open as she stared at Eli.

“Shut your mouth. You look like a fish,” Joy said, a perfect imitation of their mother.

Marla glared at her and slid out of the booth just as Eli reached their table. No doubt so he could get a good look at just how short her skirt was.

“Hi,” Marla cooed as she extended her hand, “I’m Marla, Joy’s sister. You must be Eli.”

Eli nodded. “I’ve heard a lot about you.”

Marla just nodded, not releasing his hand. “Please excuse me,” she said, “I was just on my way to the ladies room.” She released her grip and sauntered away.

Joy noted the extra swish in her sister’s hips as she walked. An image of slapping Marla so hard her head did a 180 and stuck that way flashed in Joy’s mind for a split second.

“Hey,” Eli said sliding into the booth next to her, “get over here and warm me up.”

Joy blushed but slid closer to him. She sighed contently as he put his heavy arm over her shoulders. “How’s work?” she asked.

“Interesting,” Eli said before stealing a sip of her coffee.

“Really?”

“Very,” Eli said. He slid the cup back in front of her. “My boss offered me his condo in Florida for the holiday.”

Joy gazed up at him, confused. “What holiday?”

“Valentine’s Day,” said Eli with a chuckle.

“Oh.” Joy blushed. She’d managed to completely block Valentine’s Day from her personal calendar after years of having no need for the commercial holiday.

“So, what do you say? Can I tell Mr. Pitman that we’d love to use it?”

“Sure,” Joy said with a shrug.

Eli started to speak again but at that moment Marla returned.

“Sorry about that,” she said, not even pretending to address Joy as she stared at Eli.

He smiled. Joy frowned. “That’s okay. We were just about to leave,” Eli said, slipping his arm off Joy’s shoulders. “We just decided to go out of town for the weekend and I want to take your sister shopping for some new things for the trip.”

It was Joy’s turn to look like a fish. She blinked at Eli until he stood to put on his coat. Then, her brain kicked in and she slid out of the booth. Eli helped her with her coat and grabbed her coffee.

“I’ll call you,” she said to Marla before they hurried out onto the busy street. She would have given anything to see Marla’s face as they walked away, but she wouldn’t give her sister the satisfaction of looking back.

“That’s perfect,” Eli said as he reclined on the bright red circle that served as a seat in the area just outside the dressing rooms. He’d rushed her into the tiny boutique two blocks from the coffee shop. Joy had been hesitant to choose anything since all the price tags had at least three numbers before the decimal, but Eli beckoned a sales girl over and begged her assistance.  The tiny blonde girl gazed at Joy’s body for a full minute before abandoning them.

“I don’t think anything in here will fit me,” Joy whispered to Eli after the woman disappeared.

He shook his head and smiled. To her surprise the sales girl returned with an armload of clothes, set up a dressing room, and waited patiently to critique each piece with Eli.

Joy did a quick spin, making the full skirt on the maroon cocktail dress swoosh. She put her hands on her hips, noting how the gold belt made her waist look tiny.

Joy gazed at herself in the three way mirror, speculatively.  Her hair was pulled back in a low ponytail.  Her rich brown complexion went well with the maroon dress.  She was 5’6” and had a generous helping of boobs and hips, which gave her a nice hourglass figure.  Joy knew she’d never be tall and thin like Marla, but most of the time she didn’t care; especially times like this when she wore a dress that accentuated her favorite assets.

“It’s amazing!” the sales girl, exclaimed clapping her hands.

Joy nodded in agreement and retreated back into the dressing room to try on something else. She had just gotten down to her underwear when her cell phone rang. She dug it out of the purse, under the “maybe” pile of clothes she’d already modeled. “Hello,” she said quickly without checking the caller ID.

“Joy Ayanna Grady,” her mother Terri responded.

Joy’s stomach clenched. She’d been avoiding her mother’s calls since the now infamous Christmas blowup when she’d left the family home after causing quite a scene. Now her mother used her full name and that scary emotionless voice, like she’d done something wrong. Well…something else…

“Oh, hi Ma.”

“Don’t you ‘hi Ma’ me. I just got off the phone with your sister.”

Joy cursed her sister…then Alexander Graham Bell for inventing the telephone in the first damn place. “Oh, I just left Marla. We met for coffee. She looks good; dyed her hair brown.”