Deceptive Nights (27 page)

Patricia noticed the horrified look on
Lawrence’s face and then looked at her daughter. “Who is this,
Phoebe?” she asked.

Phoebe stood up. “This is Lawrence’s wife,
Natalie Ripley, Mother.”

It was Patricia’s turn to look shocked.

“
You little bitch, what the
hell are you doing here?” Lawrence snarled.

Natalie stood up and snapped, “I wouldn’t be
here if you had not broken your promise.”

“
What promise are you
talking about? I never broke any promise to you!”

“
Oh and Abraham Blue, your
lawyer, doesn’t plan on filing separation papers tomorrow
morning.”

“
Abraham Blue isn’t my
lawyer! That’s Jacoby’s lawyer,” Lawrence pointed out.

“
So why is he calling on
your behalf?!” Natalie demanded to know.

“
I DON’T KNOW!” Lawrence
screeched.

Phoebe saw Stephen about to get upset and
decided to calm the situation down. “Mother, please take the
children up to their room and close the door.” Patricia was still
stunned. “Mother!”

Patricia startled and picked up Stephanie
from the playpen and took both twins upstairs as fast as she could
so she could return.

“
Lawrence, why didn’t you
ever tell me you were married?” Phoebe asked angrily.

Flustered, he looked from her to Natalie,
then back at Phoebe. “I was going to. That’s why I was coming over
here to speak with you. I wanted you to know everything.”

“
So she was special enough
for you to leave me?” Natalie cried.

He huffed. “No, dammit, Natalie. Stop
twisting my words around.”

“
But you did keep it from
me, didn’t you, Lawrence?” Phoebe questioned.

“
Yes, but only because I
thought you probably wouldn’t understand our
arrangement.”

“
Arrangement? Is that what
you call this marriage between you and her?” Phoebe asked. “Does
this arrangement have any provisions about children? Your wife is
five months pregnant.”

He looked at Natalie seething in anger
suddenly realizing something very terrible. “You lying bitch!”

“
You’re the one who’s
lying!” Natalie shouted.

“
You told me nothing
happened that night!” he accused her. “You drugged me on purpose to
get me to sleep with you.”

Natalie looked very guilty. “I wanted to make
sure you didn’t break the promise. I wanted to insure that we
stayed together because you knew what the consequences would be if
we didn’t.”

“
How the hell do I know if
that’s my child?”

Natalie slapped him as hard as she could and
then burst out in loud sobs.

Lawrence looked only a little bit sorry, and
then looked at Phoebe for help.

Phoebe moved between Lawrence and Natalie
saying calmly, “I think you should leave, Lawrence. It would be
best.”

“
You’re going to believe
this bitch. She’d do anything to ruin my fucking life-”

The backhand Phoebe delivered was more a blow
to his conscious than for pain, which made him stop talking. “Get
out, right now,” she sneered through clenched teeth.

He actually looked as if she had broken his
heart before he turned around to leave.

Natalie quickly stopped her crying after he
left, dried her eyes and moved to the door. “I should go. I’ve
caused enough problems.”

Phoebe didn’t respond to this still somewhat
stunned over what had occurred.

Natalie came back over to Phoebe and pressed
something into her hand. “This is for yesterday. I’m sorry. Just
write in the amount of the cost of damages and send me the receipt.
You know how love goes, don’t you, sweetie?” She didn’t give Phoebe
time to respond, nor time to see what was given to her before she
left out of the home closing the door behind her.

Patricia came down the stairs. Mother and
daughter eyes met and Phoebe looked down at her hand to a signed
check with no amount put on it.

“
And you wanted me to start
a relationship with him?” Phoebe asked her mother
incredulously.

Patricia was still speechless.

Phoebe knew she would sleep well tonight
because when she saw Jacoby tomorrow she would do what Amy had told
her to do. What’s the worst that could happen.

Chapter 30

Desmond looked over at Jacoby with much
annoyance. Jacoby was drumming his fingers so hard on the table at
The Whitney the crystal water glasses were starting to vibrate.

The Whitney was a high-end restaurant housed
in one of the enormous historic mansions in Detroit. On Woodward
Avenue, The Whitney hid behind large brush and on the outside had
this forbidding feel. Most people believed the place was
haunted.

“
Do you have to?” Desmond
asked quite annoyed.

“
Yes,” Jacoby snapped not
even looking over at Desmond. He kept his eyes at the Whitney’s
restaurant doorway. This was one of Thaddeus Newman’s favorite
spots other than the damn cafe he loved to visit on the outskirts
of Detroit. Yet with it being December, Thaddeus choose closed
quarters and the Whitney would definitely put him into a better
mood since he might be a bit perturbed at Jacoby for standing him
up Sunday.

The doorway stayed empty as minutes passed
and Jacoby was about to conclude that Thaddeus had probably decided
to stand them up. Jacoby knew he really didn’t have to watch the
doorway for Thaddeus. The room of people would indicate Thaddeus’s
arrival when their heads would turn, gasps would follow and
whispers would be abounded. Thaddeus was no ordinary man with a
height of over six and a half feet and a thick brawniness about
him. On top of this, he had a face that women couldn’t help but
drool over. He was an ex-University of Michigan two time champion
before his knee busted on him in his junior year and he was forced
to immediately find something else to pay his bills. Going into the
construction business had been a good idea and his company was
internationally known for its high quality and excellence in
building structures. He had worked with nationally and
internationally known firms and architects including a locally
known Davenport architect named Abigail McPherson.

The steady drumming of Jacoby’s fingers
became harder and harder as the minutes passed.

“
How can you be nervous?
This is your friend,” Desmond stated. “You aren’t the one begging
for an account with his construction firm.”

Jacoby choose not to answer him too on edge
to not give a harsh answer and Desmond’s sense of humor was
starting to piss him off. He had decided not to be around anyone
since he was so tense inside he knew he would not be good company
for anyone.

Thaddeus and Jacoby had been friends since
college and Desmond had begged for this meeting to get more revenue
into the company. Jacoby knew Thaddeus wouldn’t be that mad because
Thaddeus had stood Jacoby up in the name of love several times in
the past.

Plus, yesterday’s meeting was only a small
friendly get together at the Windsor Casino. Nothing spectacular,
although Thaddeus had insisted on speaking with Jacoby privately
about Desmond and Lawrence’s computer firm and if Jacoby had
confidence they could handle Thaddeus’ company.

As told when their guest arrived, the crowd
did turn heads and many people recognized Thaddeus Newman as he
entered the room. The host went up to meet him, but Thaddeus
brushed him away and came straight for the table because Jacoby was
no hard man to miss either.

Soon as Thaddeus arrived at the table, the
frown on his face completely went lax as he sensed the tension in
Jacoby immediately. “What’s got your boxers in a bunch? I haven’t
seen you like this since college finals. Not getting any, Jacoby?”
he teased.

“
How did you know?” Jacoby
blurted out.

Desmond chuckled. “Does everyone know when
you aren’t getting any, Jacoby?”

Jacoby shot him a murderous glare.

Thaddeus had a seat as he said, “I know when
Jacoby’s not getting any because of the way he acts and looks. He
used to deny himself around finals time because he said it made him
study harder. I guess it worked since he graduated in the top five
percent.”

“
Is this meeting about me
or about other things?” Jacoby snapped.

“
Now I see why you stood me
up yesterday, Jake. You aren’t in the best of moods are you?”
Thaddeus guessed.

“
I’m not in any mood to be
teased, if that’s what you mean.”

“
Don’t tell me you have
women problems. Not Jacoby Knight.” Thaddeus chortled in amazement.
“I didn’t think I would live to see the day when you would actually
have women problems. What are you saving yourself for?” This was a
joke, but the look on Jacoby’s face clearly said Thaddeus had hit
the nail on the head.

“
I don’t believe it
either,” Desmond said.

“
I’m not in the mood to
hear your comments, Desmond,” Jacoby snapped.

“
I’m just trying to tell
you, she’s not all that, although I do commend her on handling
Natalie very well.”

“
You sent Natalie over too
her?” Thaddeus asked. Even he knew of the meddlesome, troubled wife
of Lawrence from all the stories Jacoby related to him over the
years. “Was she still standing afterwards or did she wither from
the fire Natalie spouted out her mouth?”

Jacoby had to chuckle and then said proudly.
“According to Desmond who heard from Lawrence, Phoebe handled the
situation quite well and actually got a compliment from the fire
breathing dragon wife if you call being called sweetie a
compliment, but in Natalie’s book that is almost like being placed
on a pedestal.”

“
Who the hell is Phoebe?
And how did you meet her?” Thaddeus inquired.

“
He paid for her, almost
like you did for your wife, so you two should have something in
common,” Desmond blurted out.

Jacoby thought to straighten the matter with
Thaddeus. “Not as extensive or complicated as your situation, Tad,
I assure you.”

Both men shot Desmond a potent glare, who all
of a sudden decided the ceiling was looking very interesting about
now.

“
Details, Jake, I’m quite
intrigued,” Thaddeus said after everyone ordered a
drink.

“
None to tell. She’s
intelligent, beautiful and wants nothing to do with me or my
money.”

“
Is she blind and frigid?”
Thaddeus asked.

“
No, but she’ll change her
tune tomorrow when I see her.”

“
What are you going to do?”
Desmond asked poking his nose in again.

“
Now that she knows that
Lawrence is a slime, she’ll come running to me.”

“
How so when she thinks
you’re upset with her over her seeing Lawrence behind your back?”
Desmond asked. “You haven’t said anything about forgiving
her.”

“
But if she truly knows me,
she’ll see that I’ve already forgiven her and she just has to admit
to me that she really loves me.”

“
And if she doesn’t do
that? Then what?” Thaddeus inquired.

Jacoby didn’t want to think about that and
changed the subject, but since he really didn’t have to be there
mentally at the meeting, just physically to introduce them and get
the discussion going, this gave him time to think about Phoebe more
and what he would do if she decided to be involved with him. He
didn’t think he could take this abstinence much longer without
killing someone in a rage of passion.

Chapter 31

Every nerve in Phoebe’s body was on edge as
she awoke Tuesday. She had been on pins and needles yesterday, but
since she had not heard from Jacoby, she slept almost all the way
through the night. His calendar was booked all Monday and she was
busy assisting in another employee’s project.

The employee’s meeting wasn’t scheduled until
five and the conference center that was booked for the meeting was
right down the street on Woodward from the office building where
Jacoby’s business occupied. She had already made sure yesterday and
early this morning that everything was going to go like clockwork
and she didn’t have to be there until the last minute, which was at
ten.

So when she arrived at the office from the
conference center at eight, she was surprised to see Desmond at the
front lobby desk making some adjustments on the computer there for
the new permanent office help that was to start next week. Business
had picked up considerably in the last weeks that she had been
there and instead of using the temporary companies every day,
Jacoby decided to have her hire someone on a permanent basis, so
she could handle more stuff outside of the office for him.

“
Good morning, Mr. White,”
she said about to walk past him to go to her office. She knew
Desmond did not care for her at all because he assumed she had
played both friends.

“
Phoebe, can I speak with
you?” he asked casually.

“
Can you?” she questioned
sarcastically, stopping and turning to him.

“
I know you have a meeting
in a couple of hours and I didn’t want to take away the time you
might need to prepare for it.”

“
I’m already
prepared.”

“
Good.” Desmond stood up
and moved in an awkward spot so her back was to the office. “I just
wanted to know what you intended to do.”

She frowned. “What do you mean? About
what?”