Star Struck (15 page)

Garrett waited for everyone to leave the conference room before going near Hailey. Once everyone had left, he closed the door and walked up to her. He did something he had been wanting to do the moment he saw her earlier. He leaned down and planted a kiss on her mocha brown lips. Their tongues danced to a rhythm of their hearts. Garrett felt like time had stood still for those seconds their lips were locked around each other’s.

Hailey attempted to pull away first. “Garrett, isn’t this a conflict or something?”

“Only if you make it out to be one.” Garrett wanted Hailey and he refused to let something like her being his client keep him from her.

Before she could respond, he felt her cell phone vibrate in her pocket. He released her from his embrace as she took the call. He could tell from her end of the conversation that it was Trevon on the other end of the phone.

“I don’t see how you two remained friends. He’s so doggone selfish,” Hailey complained.

“I’m not the easiest person to get along with either as you always remind me.”

“You’re not bad. I just told you that to knock you off your pedestal.” She grabbed her day planner and he followed her out.

“I know you didn’t. I’m not the one with an ego problem.”

Hailey laughed. She held out her hands with a large space in between the both of them. “Man, your ego is bigger than the atmosphere.”

“Oh, no, Ms. Think She is the Bomb didn’t try to talk about me.”

“I speak the truth and you know it.”

“True. But it doesn’t mean I have to like it.”

He and Hailey always had this type of banter between the two of them. She would grate his nerves and he purposely would grate hers. By now they were in her office. To his surprise, Trevon was sitting across from her desk.

“What’s up? Caroline told me you were taking on Hailey’s case. I came down to see if I could help.” Trevon looked confused.

“Bach and I got it covered,” Garrett responded. Seeing Trevon there didn’t sit well with him at all. He knew it was just another tactic of his to get back in Hailey’s good graces.

His chest tightened when Trevon hugged Hailey. Hailey frowned as Trevon removed his arms.  Garrett sighed. Jealousy was a new feeling.

“Do either one of you want to tell me what’s really going on?” Trevon asked.

Hailey responded first. “Tre, if you’re not here to talk business, then I suggest you leave.”

“All I’m saying is I heard about the problem but I get here and you two are hee hawing like all is well in the world. Are y’all two seeing each other behind my back?”

“Who I see is none of your business. You’re an engaged man remember,” Hailey snapped.

“But you said you loved me. If that’s the case, why are you going after my boy?” he pouted.

“Tre. We are not an item. We have not been in a real relationship since college. What we have is a thing of the past. So get over it.”

“But you were the one just last week begging me to dump Shareeka and now here you are all up in my boy’s face.”

Hailey opened her mouth to speak, but Garrett intervened. “I got this. Tre, this is neither the time nor place to discuss personal business. I’m here to protect Hailey. If you’re not here on GT Securities business, I suggest that you leave so I can take care of our client.”

Trevon stood by the door and looked back and forth between Hailey and Garrett. “You’re supposed to be my boy and you.” He shook his head. “I see where your loyalties lie. I’m glad I chose Shareeka over you now.”

Hailey said, “Tre, you’re her problem now; not mine. Now please leave.”

Garrett stood in between him and Hailey. “Man, leave. We’ll talk later.”

“We sure will. This is far from over,” Trevon stormed out the room.

“I thought he would never leave,” Hailey exhaled.

“We’ll have to deal with Tre eventually but for now I’m trying to make sure you’re safe.”

Hailey wrapped her arms around his waist. “Oh, as long as you’re around, I know I am.”

Garrett felt like sticking out his chest. Knowing that she trusted him with her life meant the world to him. He would do whatever he needed to do to keep her safe. He would not let anyone harm her ever again. Trevon was a man of her past and he was her future and it was about time Trevon realized that.

~ 26 ~

Hailey packed enough clothes to last the entire weekend. Garrett had finally convinced her to stay at his place for the weekend. She couldn’t believe she would have access to the bachelor pad for two whole days.

“This is Omar Sampson and he’s going to make sure nobody comes around while you’re at my place,” Garrett said, when Hailey met him out in the hallway.

After the introductions, Garrett showed Omar around the premises. Garrett had expressed to her earlier that he would have a trusted employee house sit for her. She finished packing as Garrett gave Omar instructions.

She double-checked to make sure she had everything. Garrett knocked at the door. “It’s open,” she shouted.

“You’re only going away for a weekend,” Garrett said, as he noticed her two huge suitcases. He grunted after he reached down to pick up the bags. “Man, what do you have in here? The kitchen sink.”

“Just a few essentials. Now come on because you owe me dinner.”

“Since I have you for the entire weekend, why don’t I take you out somewhere tonight but cook for you tomorrow night.”

Hailey blocked the door entrance way. “I don’t know. I was looking forward to a good home cooked meal.” Hailey decided to stop torching Garrett. “Okay. Tomorrow night. No excuses either.”

She followed him down the stairs. She waited while he gave his employee some more instructions. “If anything and I do mean anything happens no matter how small you may think it is, call me as soon as possible.”

It took less than forty minutes to get to Garrett’s place. She was surprised that he lived in a subdivision not too far from hers. She had never had a reason to know where he lived. She was impressed at the houses. “I see you’re full of surprises,” she said out loud.

The garage door opened and she saw his black sports car parked next to the open space. She waited for Garrett to punch in his security code and then followed him into his house. A nice floral fragrance filled her nostrils as he guided her through the house. “I know this isn’t grand like your place, but it’s home,” Garrett said, as he hauled her luggage inside.

“Are you kidding me?” Hailey asked. “I love your home. It’s not what I expected from L.A.’s top bachelor.”

“Life with me is full of surprises Ms. Barnes.” By now, he was opening up a door to a mid-size bedroom. “Here’s where you’ll be sleeping.” He placed the bags next to the bed. “I’m not sure where you want your things. There’s a walk-in closet right there. A bathroom connected to the room so you don’t have to go down the hall.”

“Who decorated for you? One of your women?” Hailey asked.

“For the record, very few women have seen my place.”

She grunted. “That’s hard to believe.”

“I’m too old to play games. If I say it, I mean it,” Garrett assured her.

“I would like to wash up some, so I’ll meet you in about thirty minutes,” she said.

“Don’t you mean an hour?”

“Thirty minutes,” Hailey responded.

Garrett said, “I’ve never known you to be ready in less than hour for anything.”

She reached her hand out. “I bet you I’ll be ready in thirty.”

“Loser buys the pizza,” Garrett said, as he shook her hand.

“Okay, you’re ticking into my time. Scoot,” she said, pushing him out of his own guest room.

Garrett didn’t realize that as an ex-supermodel she was used to dressing in a hurry; she just chose not to. She liked taking her time, but a bet was a bet and thirty minutes later, Hailey was calling out for Garrett. They both had a huge smile on their faces. She said, “Make sure you have enough for the tip.”

“Do you want everything on your pizza?” he asked.

“Everything but onions,” she responded.

An hour later, they were sitting in the living room on the floor around his coffee table eating and watching a movie. Although they were not out at a five star hotel or at some big Hollywood premiere, Hailey was having the time of her life doing absolutely nothing with Garrett.

She leaned her head on his shoulder. “I wish I would have talked to you first.”

“Me too,” Garrett confessed.

“Let’s make a pact. Neither one of us will bring up you know who.”

“Well, I wish it was that easy. Tre and I are friends and you forgot we’re business partners as well.”

“Oh yeah, I forgot. You’ve made some bad decisions in your life.”

“Wow. Well thanks.”

“Not concerning me though.”

“So what do we have Hailey? Are you saying, you’re willing to give me a chance? A chance to be your man?”

Hailey didn’t respond right away. “Garrett, I need to be sure. I’ve wasted too much time pining after the wrong man. I don’t want to leave one dysfunctional relationship for another.”

“A relationship with me will be nothing like Tre’s. Trust me.”

“Easier said than done,” Hailey admitted. Hailey placed her hand on one of Garrett’s cheeks. “Can you give me some time?”

Garrett responded, “By the end of this weekend I want an answer.”

“Why do we have to rush?”

“We’ve both wasted too much time with other people. I don’t want to waste any more.”

That’s exactly what Hailey wanted to hear. She kissed him intensely. Before long, Garrett was laying on top of Hailey’s clothed body. “Baby, you’re making it hard on me to resist you,” he said, in between kisses. 

“Okay, we’ll stop for now.” Hailey said, as they both brushed the wrinkles out of their clothes.

Hailey didn’t know if she should feel relieved or disappointed that they each went to separate rooms that night. She thought about Trevon before going to sleep. At one point, she did love him. If she was honest with herself, it had been years since she had actually been in love with Trevon. She was just a woman who hated to lose. Hailey felt like she had invested so much time and energy into their untraditional relationship that the thought of him marrying some other woman made her temporarily lose her mind.

Now that she had her full senses, Hailey would no longer settle for being anyone’s booty call. If she couldn’t have the real deal—the type of relationship she felt she deserved, she would remain by herself. Hailey preached women’s empowerment to her audience and fans. It was way past time for her to live the life she had been lecturing about. Hailey decided to take charge of her life. 

~ 27 ~

The next morning, while Hailey slept, Garrett checked with Omar to get an update on what was going on at Hailey’s place. Garrett felt relieved. No strange events were reported. Hailey remained sleeping, so he decided to surprise her by cooking a hearty breakfast.   This time when he went to her room, she was awake. His labor was worth it when Hailey gave him her trademark smile. He wanted to melt as he placed the tray over her legs in the bed.

“A woman could get used to this treatment,” Hailey said, as she took a bite out of her food.

“This is only the beginning.”

“You’re not going to eat?” she asked, in between bites.

“I’ve eaten. You were sleeping so hard earlier that I didn’t want to wake you up.”

While Hailey was eating breakfast and getting dressed, Garrett retrieved his messages. All was well with his clients as some of his employees that worked the night shift checked in. The doorbell rang as he was disconnecting the call.

Without asking who was on the other end or looking out the peephole, he opened the door. Trevon was standing on the other side. “Man, I thought you were going to be at the gym this morning so since you didn’t show up I decided to stop by.”

“You should have called first.” Garrett wasn’t ready for a confrontation. He hoped Hailey stayed in the other room.

“I tried, but I kept getting your voice mail.”

They stood in the foyer. “Then that probably means I was busy.”

“Hey, I was just coming over to apologize for how I acted yesterday.”

“No problem. But hey I got company so we can catch up later.”

“Oh my bad. I should have known. I just wanted to get that off my chest.”

Before Trevon could turn around and leave, Hailey’s voice rang out, “Garrett, what’s on our agenda for today?”

“I know that’s not who I think it is,” Trevon said, as he turned and looked in the direction where he thought he heard Hailey’s voice.

“Tre. Calm down,” Garrett said, while rubbing his sweaty palms.

“Is that Trevon?” Hailey asked, as she entered the room dressed in a pair of jeans and t-shirt. “Hey what’s up?”

“What’s up? You’re what’s up. My best friend and my girl.”

Hailey crossed her arms. “I haven’t been your girl since forever.”

Garrett, trying to keep the peace, said, “We’re all adults here so let’s sit down and talk about this.”