Authors: Niobia Bryant
He listened patiently, his handsome face serious and expressionless as he focused on her as she spoke of the argument she and Chloe had. This bit of information surprised him but he didn’t show it.
Alicia carried on, her voice condemning as she lied easily, accusing Chloe of looking down her nose at her and picking the argument. For good measure, she voiced her opinions of Chloe, using many of the same terms Devon had found himself using . . . before he really knew her.
“The woman ain’t nothing but trouble.” Alicia feigned tears, causing her voice to quiver as she saw no visible reaction from him. “I know I’m not a famous supermodel, Devon, but I never did anything to that woman. I was a big fan of hers and look how she makes me feel like I’m nothing compared to her.”
Devon immediately rose to pull Alicia’s petite frame into his arms. This was his friend and she seemed very upset. “If you two don’t get along, then it’s best to keep your distance from one another, right?”
Alicia stiffened. That definitely was not what she wanted to hear.
He patted her back in an act of comfort. “Don’t cry, Al. Regardless of who it is, never let anyone know they’ve hurt you.”
She leaned back and looked up into his handsome face. She was disappointed by the friendly love she saw there. “We all should’ve listened to your warnings about her. I just wish she would get the hell out of Holtsville, just like you . . . right?”
How did he feel about everything Alicia just told him? He didn’t know, but he did know that he was in no rush at all to see Chloe leave him.
∞
Chloe descended the stairs, her eyes widening as she saw Devon wrap Alicia’s frame into his arms through the windows looking out onto the porch. She knew if it was at all possible, her smooth bronze complexion would become green with envy. Fuming, she stomped down the rest of the stairs and into the kitchen.
“What’s wrong, Chloe?”
“Nothing, Nana Lil.” She took a seat at the table, drumming her nails on the polished wood.
Lil eyed Chloe as she stirred a pot on the stove. “I didn’t feel like cooking a big dinner, but there’s some smothered chicken and rice if you’re hungry.”
Distracted, Chloe nodded. “Thanks.”
She’s probably telling him about our argument earlier this week,
Chloe was thinking as she again glanced down the hall at the front door.
Lil watched with amusement as Chloe jumped nervously when the front door opened and closed, turning her attention to the salt and pepper shakers as if nonchalant. She shook her head and her thin shoulders shook with restrained laughter.
Devon walked into the kitchen alone, his eyes resting briefly on the back of Chloe’s head before shifting to look at his grandmother.
“Where’s Alicia, Vonnie?”
“She, uh, went home.” He raised a brow at the stiffness of Chloe’s back. He thought he heard her mutter “good riddance” under her breath.
“What’s that, Chloe?” he asked.
Chloe scraped the chair back noisily, moving to stand. Stiffly she faced him, still angry at seeing Alicia in his arms.
Nana Lil smelled trouble about to brew, and she was not in the mood to hear one of their explosive arguments with one of her headaches coming on. “Time out children,” she said, holding up her hands.
They both watched as she fixed a glass of water. “Go to your comers, come out strong, and good night.”
Lil left the kitchen and soon the firm shutting of her bedroom door was heard.
“I suppose she told you we argued earlier this week,” Chloe snapped as she again faced him.
Devon nodded slowly as he leaned casually against the archway, his arms crossed on his massive chest. “Yes she did.”
“I also suppose that she told you I instigated it.” Her voice was nasty.
“Yup.” He started to smile at the incredulous look on her beautiful face at his answer.
“And I suppose you believe that, don’t you?”
Oh no, I’m not falling into that trap.
“Why don’t you tell me what happened? I wasn’t there.”
Chloe sighed, feeling like a child being questioned by her parent. She explained to him about what caused the argument.
“Are you sure Alicia did say those things?”
When Chloe jerked her head up to glare at him, he knew he said the wrong thing. Inwardly he groaned.
Angrily, Chloe stepped closer to him. “I wouldn’t expect you to rationalize the truth.” Her finger angrily poked into his chest as she spoke through clenched teeth. “You can’t even see that the little flat-chested dwarf has the hots for you, you dope.”
His face became shocked as he looked at her. “Now you’re being ridiculous. Alicia is my friend. Can’t a man have a female friend?”
Chloe threw her hands up in exasperation. “Can you see the nose on your face or is that invisible to you too?”
With that she gave him an angry shove and flew down the hall and up the stairs to her room. She was steaming with anger, but she was also disappointed that their beautiful day was spoiled.
Sighing heavily, he pushed his large muscled figure off the wall and left the house, not even bothering to shower. Some gambling and a cold beer at Charlie’s was what he needed right now.
Badly!
It had rained all night and the leaves glistened with moisture as the newly risen sun shone brightly upon the trees. The scent of woods, pines and wildflowers were in the October air. Unfortunately the front of the land was muddy and unsightly, unlike the perimeter where the grounds had not been cleared. Chloe glanced down at her Movado watch, her slender body draped across the three-seater wrought iron swing she had installed onto the porch just yesterday.
It was seven thirty in the morning.
One week ago she finally moved into her dream house, just one week after it was completed. The house had passed county inspection, and the electricity, her unpublished telephone line and cable services were all installed. Full insurance coverage was paid up. This house was hers.
The small town of Holtsville had bustled with activity as the trucks began to roll in earnest with her furniture deliveries. Because of her careful planning, Chloe knew where she wanted every piece of furniture to go in the large house. The twins had brought the items she had in their storeroom on the back of their pickup trucks. She had done the interior decorating in every room and was overwhelmingly pleased with her results.
Sighing, she sipped from her cup of herbal tea before walking through both the open black wrought iron screen door and the carved wooden door to enter her inner sanctum. She smiled with pride at what she saw.
The foyer, with the multicolored terra-cotta tiles on the floor, circled out like a rising sun. The only decorations she put in were deeply stained mahogany side serving tables on either side of the front entrance. Neoclassic, gold-framed African motif paintings adorned the bright white walls and a large modern chandelier hung from the center of the domed ceiling. The navy, maroon and gray hues of the tiles were a treat to the eyes by themselves and she hadn’t wanted to distract from that.
To the left through a large domed archway was the oval shaped dining room. To the right of the foyer was a similar entrance leading into the sunken living room decorated in shades of navy, powder blue, and white with silver accents. Straight down the middle of the semi-circled foyer was a long, wide hallway where the tile continued.
Chloe closed the front door and walked down this hallway, the walls framed with photos of herself, her mother and Anika. To the left was the brightly lit yellow-and-white kitchen of her dreams, but she passed that archway and the two doors leading to the guest rooms on the right to come to the end of the hall where her indoor pool was the circular centerpiece of the house.
The hall divided around the glass-enclosed pool, with the hall to the left leading to her master suite and the other to the sauna and gym. Two doors were on either side of the circular room.
As she did every morning, Chloe swam ten laps in the heated oval pool, allowing the Mediterranean blues and sea greens of the tiles to soothe her. Here she had placed poolside chaise lounges of deep royal blue around the pool. Silver racks held royal blue, emerald green and white folded plush towels. A clear plastic minibar stocked with fruit juices, spring water and soda took up the back wall. There was enough room to hold a party in there poolside, especially with the built-in stereo system. And the glass ceiling was retractable by remote controls, allowing in fresh air if she pleased.
Once done with her laps, Chloe pulled her sleek dripping wet body out of the pool and stepped into one of the mini-showers located in the corner of the rooms to rinse off the chlorine. She pulled on one of the thick terry cloth robes lining the walls on silver hooks, slipping it on as she left the room through the door to the left to cross the circular hallway to her master suite.
Chloe was momentarily blinded by the white-on-white decor as the sun glared though the vertical blinds of her windows. Crossing the plush white carpet, she entered her bathroom. It was nearly half the size of the entire spacious master bedroom. Here the white decor continued with silver accessories, like the makeup table and the étagère in the corner.
She removed her robe and the skimpy white bikini she wore, throwing them into the white wicker clothes hamper next to the octagon-shaped individual shower stall. Under the hot jet spray she showered, making sure to get all the chlorine from her skin and hair, before leaving the cubicle to wrap herself in a plush white bath towel. She contemplated sitting in her personal home sauna in the comer, but decided against it, instead leaving the bathroom to pad barefoot into her bedroom. Vigorously she wiped her damp hair with another towel. From beneath the material she caught sight of her king-sized bed sitting in the middle of a white circular platform in the center of the room.
Chloe wished Devon was lying there waiting for her but he wasn’t. They hadn’t shared any real time alone since they argued that night about Alicia, and after such a romantic, unbelievably sensuous time at the pond. She still shivered with desire when she thought of the precious moments they shared that day.
Neither of them seemed to want to be the first to approach the other, for that was a sign of weakness. But she missed him so, and to see him as he helped her move in, and not speak to him or touch him or kiss him had been pure torture. Several times their eyes had met and held before one would look away, no words spoken between them. That had really bothered her, so she tried not to think of him.
Chloe walked over to one of her two walk-in closets. Anika, to her eternal credit, had supervised the shipping of the rest of her clothing from the New York apartment. It really boosted her wardrobe and she had endless selections to choose from.
It had rained last night but the sun was now shining brightly, so she wanted to dress comfortably because she had a lot of running around to do for the day. Chloe chose a cotton Nike dress with short sleeves and a rounded collar with matching sneakers. After lotioning her body with Pleasure, she pulled on her black cotton sports bra and thong before slipping on the dress and sneakers.
After pulling her wet wavy hair into a scrunchee, she threw her personal items and wallet into her duffel sack. Chloe glanced down at her watch. It was quarter to ten in the morning. Sighing, she retraced her steps to the front door, pausing to activate the alarm system she had installed on the house, before leaving and locking the door.
Within minutes she was seated behind the wheel of her SUV, grimacing at the mud on her sneakers before she pulled out of the yard. On impulse, once she caught sight of the large white house, Chloe turned the large vehicle onto the driveway next to Devon’s blue truck.
“Well, hello stranger,” Nana Lil called from the porch as she walked out of the house.
Chloe hopped down to the ground with a smile. “Stranger? Deshawn just dropped you down to the house yesterday, Nana Lil.”
Lil winked. “I know. You sure look pretty. Where ya headed?”
“Grocery shopping. You all are still coming to dinner tonight?”
“Yes,” she said hesitantly, her expression pained. “You sure you won’t be needing help?”
Chloe laughed. “No ma’am. Do you need anything from the store?”
“No. Don’t think so.”
Just then Devon walked out onto the porch. He didn’t appear to be surprised to see her, so Chloe knew that he knew she was outside. “Hello, Devon” slipped so easily from her mouth that she hated herself for it.
His eyes were obsidian pools as he stared at her. “So you’re speaking to me again.” He nodded. “Hello, Chloe.”
Lil looked from one to the other before walking back into the house without another word.
Chloe shifted nervously under his scrutiny. She missed him and she wanted him back in her life. No, it hadn’t been in her earlier plan to need him, but she did. Funny, as she looked at him, with his handsome self, she couldn’t quite remember why they had even been mad at each other for a brief moment. Coughing nervously, she asked, “You will come tonight for dinner?”
He said nothing, instead jiggling the keys in his hand as he descended the stairs to walk over to where she stood wringing her hands nervously. “And
you’re
supposed to be cookin’ this dinner?” he asked, his deep voice playfully mocking.
She stiffened in indignation and raised a finely arched brow. “Yes I am. I
can
cook, you know.”
“This I’ll have to see.” He leaned down to touch her mouth with a feather-light kiss before hopping in his truck to reverse out of the yard.
Chloe battled herself, forcing her body not to turn and watch him drive off. Her lips still quivered from his kiss and her nipples had hardened into two tight buds beneath her dress. Literally she shook it off before she climbed into her SUV with a sexually frustrated groan.
She drove to town, pulling into the small parking lot of the Piggly Wiggly grocery store. Once she parked, Chloe grabbed a shopping cart that had been abandoned in the spot next to hers.
Chloe went up and down each aisle placing whatever item she wanted in the cart. Occasionally she waved and smiled at people she knew from Holtsville. She came to the aisle with the paper products: magazines, paperback books, stationery and greeting cards. On impulse she slowed the cart in front of the section holding the many magazines. Leaving the cart, her eyes scanned the rows until they lit on the glossy and colorful magazine covers she had once graced:
Elle, Vogue, Mirabella, Ebony, Essence, Glamour
and
Mademoiselle.
Lia Montague, Chloe’s once biggest competitor, smiled from the coveted
Vogue
cover. She had to admit that it was a good photo of the woman’s pale Swedish beauty. Liv had already informed her months ago on how Lia’s popularity had soared among the industry upon Chloe’s retirement.
The woman was also nominated for the award Chloe was up for.
She’ll probably win,
Chloe thought as she studied the cover picture, now holding the thick glossy magazine in her hand. To her it almost looked as if the smile on Lia’s face was one of triumph, as if saying “I’m going to finally beat you.”
Placing the magazine back where she got it, she moved on, first grabbing the recent issue of
Essence
to read later. She finished her shopping, her cart now completely filled with groceries. Moving into the shortest line, she brought the cart to a stop and opened the magazine to browse while she waited.
Soon she was in her SUV, her groceries stored safely in back, headed homeward down Highway 17. Chloe couldn’t wait for the chance to finally prove to everyone that she could throw down in the kitchen, and she also wanted to show off her hand at interior decorating in her dream house. It would take careful planning to make sure everything would be fixed around the same time, but Chloe knew she could pull it off.
As she passed their house, she noticed that Devon’s truck was not parked there, and Alicia’s compact was in its place.
Not stopping, Chloe steered the vehicle up the road to her house. Before turning in the driveway she pulled on the other side of the road on the right and hopped out of the vehicle to retrieve her mail out of the plain white mailbox. She carried the bundle of envelopes along with her copies of the
New York Times
and
USA Today,
not even bothering to glance through them as she got back in the SUV
“I really do need to call some landscapers,” she said aloud to herself as she surveyed the land surrounding the house. It looked three times as bad with the torrential rain last night turning everything to slick mud.
Parking on the left side of the house by the large sliding glass door off the kitchen, she deactivated the alarm by the keypad before she entered the house. Chloe began to unload her packages from the vehicle to the kitchen’s smooth, black-tiled counters.
She truly loved how the skylight in the center of the room allowed the sun’s rays to beam into the kitchen. At night the star’s twinkled just as brightly. As she unpacked the groceries and put them away in the appropriate storage areas, Chloe threw her stack of mail and newspapers onto the glass and wrought-iron table that matched her cabinets.
The cabinets.
Chloe smiled because it was a constant reminder of Devon and the first kiss they shared in this very same spacious room. That kiss had been just a sample of the chemistry they created whenever they were together. Whether arguing or making sweet love, the sparks always seemed to fly.
Leaving the kitchen through the arched entrance on the other side of the massive room, Chloe turned down the hall and headed back to her suite. Quickly she made her bed and changed into an oversized gray T-shirt and black leggings, leaving her feet bare before walking back out to the kitchen. Using the remote, she turned on the black, nineteen-inch television in the comer on a swivel wall mount. After settling on one of those television magazine programs, she had just taken a seat on one of the stools at the black marble island to start peeling potatoes when the phone began to ring. Reaching behind her Chloe picked up the cordless phone from its base on the counter.
“Hello.”
“Hey Chloe.”
A wave of pleasure went through her at the sound of Devon’s voice.
Maybe he’s ready to really apologize.
“Hello Devon.”
He laughed. “Sorry, baby girl, this is the other twin, the cute one with the dimple in the left cheek, not the right.”