Diamond Revelation (23 page)

Sabre stood there thinking as he showered.
Topaz lives in Pacific Palisades. He's going home to her,
Sabre suddenly realized.

“Are you still living with
her
?”

Germain stepped out of the shower with a towel around his waist, surprised to find her still standing in the bathroom. “You still here, darlin'?”

She shivered every time he called her darling. “I just wanted to help my man dry off.”

“I don't need any help drying off.” He walked into the bedroom and began dressing.

Sabre folded her arms. “You never answered my question.”

“What was the question?”

“I want to know if you're going home to Topaz.”

Germain went back into the bathroom. “She is my wife.”

“Your wife? After she cheated and lied?”

Germain made no response.

She couldn't stand the thought of Germain going home to Topaz. “I thought you and me were going to be an item.”

“An item?” Germain looked puzzled.

Sabre put her arms around his neck and hoisted her petite body up his six foot frame and kissed him. “I gotta be with you all the time. No man has ever made me feel the way you have. I'm in love with you, Germain.”

“Love me?” Germain pulled her off him. “You don't even know me.”

“I know I love you, and I want to spend the rest of my life with you.”

“Okay, what do you want? Money?” Germain took out his wallet. He had never been in a situation like this and he wasn't sure how to handle it.

“Money?” Sabre screamed. “I don't want or need your money. I want you.”

Germain swallowed hard as he started to wonder if he had gotten himself involved with a fatal attraction. He put on his tie and sports jacket, trying to think of something to say while Sabre watched him. When he picked up his keys off the floor, she knew he was really leaving, so she threw herself in front of the bungalow door.

“No!” she screamed. “You can't go. I won't let you go.”

“Sabre, I have to go now. I already missed saying good night to my children, so I'm definitely going to be there to say good morning.”

“Why don't you just say you want to go home and fuck her now that you're done fucking me?”

“You're crazy.” Germain stepped over her and put his hand on the doorknob.

“No!” Sabre grabbed his leg. “Please don't go!” Germain tried to walk, but she was hindering him by holding onto his leg.

“Sabre, let go of me.”

“I'll be a good girl…just stay with me a little while longer,” she begged as if her life depended on it.

“Sabre, I told you I have to go.”

Sabre began crying. “Everyone I love always leaves me. Now you want to leave me too.”

“But I don't love you, Sabre.”

“Don't say that. You do love me. You just don't realize it yet.”

“No, Sabre. I don't.”

“But the way you made love to me. No man has ever been so kind and gentle and sweet.”

“I'm sorry, Sabre.”

Sabre sniffed and wiped her eyes. “But you could love me, couldn't you?”

“No,” Germain replied firmly.

“Why not?”

“Because I love my wife.” Germain knew he still loved Topaz, but his anger had gotten the best of him. Now he just wanted to be at home with his children sleeping down the hall and in bed next to Topaz more than anything.
I have to get away from this crazy woman
. Sleeping with Sabre was a huge mistake.

“Go then, you punk-ass motherfucker. You're a sorry son of a bitch for lettin' that fuckin' bitch punk yo stupid ass.” Sabre let go of his leg but remained seated on the floor in the opposite direction so she couldn't see his face.

Germain practically ran out of the room as soon as she released her grip on his leg, and she slammed the door closed behind him. Sabre crawled across the floor to the bed, crying and feeling sorry for herself, until she spotted Germain's cell phone lying on the floor. A smile lit up her tear-streaked face.

“I bet wifey would love to know what you've been doing.”

She opened his cell phone and scrolled through it until she found the number and pressed Send. It rang and went to voice mail. She was delighted when she heard Topaz's voice and called again. “Her man's not home…she's gonna answer the damn phone.”

Sabre called the number again. It rang until it went to voice mail. “Answer the phone, bitch.” She dialed it again, and this time it was answered.

“Hi, baby.” Topaz sounded like she had probably been asleep. “Why are you calling on my cell phone?”

“My man accidentally left his phone with me,” Sabre said boldly.

“Your man? Who is this?” Topaz demanded.

“Your husband just left. I just fucked his brains out, so I sent him home to you.”

“Who is this?” Topaz was obviously irritated, and Sabre loved pulling her strings.

“Look, just tell my man he left his cell phone at my place, and I'll drop it by his office tomorrow.” Sabre hung up the phone and laughed. “I got you good, you old stupid-ass bitch.” She climbed into bed and stretched out between the sheets enjoying the lingering fragrance of Germain's scent.

“I don't care what you say, you're my man now, Germain, because once you go Sabre, you never go back.”

T
he ocean never sounded louder to Topaz that night. She tossed and turned until she finally got up to look out at the water. A full moon was fixed in the royal blue heavens, casting an eerie glow over the rushing water and white-capped waves. Normally, she would have thought it was the perfect romantic setting; tonight it only reminded her that she was lonely and alone.

She strained her ears for the sound of Germain's Porsche, but there was nothing. “Who was that on the phone?” Topaz wondered out loud.
Is Germain having an affair?
She had finally allowed herself to think the unthinkable. Fear licked through her body like venom at the thought of her beloved Germain in the arms of another woman.

She pulled on a robe and went to check on the children. Baby Doll had kicked the covers off as usual, and had fallen asleep wearing her iPod headphones. Topaz removed them, turned off the device, and kissed the little girl on the cheek as she pulled the comforter over her daughter. She took one last look at Baby Doll, who looked sweet and peaceful, and closed the door. Chris, as usual, fell asleep while reading. He was so much like his father. She took the book, carefully marked the page, and put it on the nightstand beside his bed. She kissed him, turned off the light, and closed the door quietly behind her.

She went back to bed where she continued to toss and turn, unable to fall back asleep. She hadn't slept well in months with all the dreams about Niki. Now, her insomnia was even worse, with things so messed up between her and Germain. They had never spent one night apart since they remarried.

He has to be just as miserable without me as I am without him. But maybe he's not, if he's out with some other woman.
Angrily, she threw off the covers and got back out of bed. It was just about three in the morning when she went downstairs to the kitchen for something to drink.

Topaz took a sip of water and decided to go to the family room to watch television. She was surprised when she saw Germain asleep on the sofa and stopped dead in her tracks. Unsure of what to do or say, she stood there watching him sleep, resisting the urge to slide underneath the blanket beside him. Sensing her presence, Germain's eyes popped open.

“Hey.”

“Hey,” Topaz replied softly. She sat down in a chair across from the sofa. “I didn't mean to wake you.”

“I wasn't asleep. Just resting my eyes. What are you doing up?”

Answering what I thought was a call from you that turned out to be some woman who has your cell phone,
Topaz wanted to say, but she didn't know how she wanted to deal with the phone call. He could have accidentally left his phone somewhere, or someone could have stolen it. She also knew women loved to play games, especially with another woman's man.

“I couldn't sleep. So I got up to check on the kids and came downstairs to watch television. I didn't know you were here.”

Topaz wanted to know so badly where he had been. She wasn't sure when he came home, but she knew he hadn't been there very long. She tried to get up and go back up to bed, but she couldn't will herself to move.

Germain closed his eyes and sighed. “I can't sleep either.”

He doesn't seem to be angry,
Topaz noticed. It was the first civilized conversation they'd had in weeks, but Topaz was afraid to hope for more.

“I've been thinking…” Germain began. After his revenge sex with Sabre, Germain's anger was fading and he was no longer as upset with his wife. They'd overcome many obstacles, together they could overcome this as well.

“What were you thinking, baby?” Topaz couldn't help being anxious to hear what her husband had to say.

“You didn't sleep with Sean after we got back together, did you?”

“Oh no, baby. From the first phone call when you invited me out on the date to Disneyland, I haven't been with anyone but you. I haven't thought about being with anyone but you. You're the only man I've ever loved.”

“But Sean?” Germain looked at his wife. “What did you like about him?”

“It only happened one time. I hadn't been with anyone since Gunther died.”

And Pete,
a voice in her head reminded. Pete was her late husband Gunther's extremely handsome and extremely wealthy best friend from high school. She'd had a brief fling with Pete, a gorgeous blond investment banker with blue eyes. He had asked Topaz to marry him, but she turned Pete down because she wasn't in love with him. There was no reason to tell Germain about him now. A girl did have needs.

“Keisha was trying to get us back together, and you kept telling her no. I had given up hope. Keisha told me to write you a letter, so I did, then we prayed.”

“I remember all of that,” Germain quietly interjected.

“I did what Keisha said, but I didn't think it would work. I didn't know God would answer my prayer, but He did, because you called and asked me for a date.”

“So how did you end up with Sean?”

“It was after the letter. I went to a Lakers game with Keisha and Nina. Afterward, we all went out to dinner. Sean came with Eric. I rode with Keisha. Nina left for some MTV interview, and somehow Sean ended up taking me home. He came in to see the house. We were talking. He was having problems with Jade and I gave him some advice. Sean was really old-fashioned. He didn't put it in words, but he thought that a wife belongs in two rooms, the kitchen and the bedroom.”

“I could see that.”

“He asked me about you and I started crying. He knew how badly I wanted to be with you and Chris again. But you didn't want me. He was comforting me and one thing led to another. I never meant for it to happen. And I never meant to hurt anyone, especially you,” Topaz explained as she wiped a tear from her eye.

There was a long silence. For a minute, Topaz thought he had fallen asleep, but then she remembered he was processing everything she had just told him.

“Will you ever forgive me, Germain?” Topaz finally asked.

“There's a lot more to this situation than Sean.”

“I know, baby, but I don't ever want you to think this was about another man, especially Sean.”

“We need to take time and sort things out.”

“That sounds wonderful, baby.” Topaz jumped up to give him a hug, and Germain did his best to keep her at a distance. Sabre was an appetizer, giving him an even greater desire to be with his wife. There was no way he was going to make love to Topaz after just leaving Sabre's bed. It was difficult enough dealing with the guilt of being unfaithful to her.

“I'll call you tomorrow from work and let you know what I want to do,” Germain said.

Topaz left him in the family room and went up to their bedroom. She didn't fall asleep but lay in bed thinking about what could be a possible reconciliation while doing her best to keep thoughts of the anonymous phone call out of her head. Somehow, she finally fell asleep, if only for a minute.

The next morning a beautiful bouquet of roses arrived at the house with a gift card.
“Meet me for dinner at seven. Love, Germain.”

Topaz didn't know where the limo was headed that afternoon, but their driver did. She couldn't help wondering where they would be dining when the driver turned off Sunset onto a winding wooded residential road. Moments later, the limo stopped in front of Hotel Bel-Air, probably the most romantic hideaway on the planet for the A-list crowd. Anybody who was anybody had stayed at the hotel, and Oprah even had a slumber party for her fortieth birthday here.

“Oh, Germain.” Topaz clasped a hand over her mouth as her eyes filled with tears. The grounds were breathtakingly gorgeous. Flowering gardens and a blue pond with white swans were straight out of a fairy tale, but it wasn't the hotel's beauty that brought Topaz to tears; this was the spot Germain had chosen as the site for their first date when the couple reconciled over six years ago.

He made the reservation in her maiden name, Topaz Black, and it drove her crazy wondering why.
Did he bring me here to break up with me? That would be too cruel, not that I don't deserve it, but I don't want to break up with Germain.
Her mind raced with a barrage of thoughts. She was crying again as the bellboy led her inside a room with a view of the swans swimming in the pond—the same room they had stayed in on their first date.
This has to be where we made Niki,
Topaz realized as she dried her tears and quickly pushed thoughts of the little girl out of her head.
I've got to get my man back first…I'll deal with getting Niki later.

She started to call Keisha for a pep talk, but she knew Keisha would pray and tell her everything would be fine, so Topaz got on her knees in front of the bed.

“Lord, I know I don't do a lot of things right, so I really need your help with this. I love Germain more than I love anyone, even myself. But I get so afraid sometimes and I do dumb things that hurt people and I don't want to hurt anybody anymore. I need to trust Germain and know that he loves me and won't leave me. I need to trust you more. So could you help me out tonight? Let this night be perfect for both of us.”

She stayed on her knees for several more minutes before she continued speaking. “And God, could you please give us back Niki and bless Nina and Kyle. I know they love her, but she's our little girl. Maybe Nina could get pregnant.” Topaz stood up, then quickly knelt again. “And God, please don't let Jade and Sean get a divorce. And bless Keisha and Eric. Amen.”

Topaz felt so much better that she had the limo take her to Neiman's where she chose something black, short, and sexy to wear to dinner. A pair of Stuart Weitzmans was screaming her name as she dashed out of the store and made it back to the hotel in time for a massage and body scrub, before her stylist came to do her hair. She would have done it herself, but she wanted everything to be extra special on this night.

She checked her makeup one last time before she left the room. Germain had phoned to say he would meet her on the terrace. Topaz pulled the black shawl around her shoulders as she slowly walked to the main part of the hotel. She was a bit chilly and nervous but opted to wait in the bar by the fireplace where a pianist provided the perfect musical backdrop for a setting straight out of a romance novel. A waiter brought her champagne as the music calmed her nerves. Germain had selected the most perfect place as usual.

“Mind if I join you?”

“Huh?” Topaz was so absorbed by the music and atmosphere she wasn't aware that he had arrived. She looked up into Germain's smiling eyes and thought she would melt. “I'm waiting on my husband, but you can sit with me until he arrives.” She returned his smile, then wondered if she had said the wrong thing. She didn't want Germain thinking she was always talking to strange men whenever she was out alone in public.

“What time were you expecting him?” Germain asked, continuing the charade as he was seated.

“He should be here any minute now.” Topaz looked around the bar.

“I hope so because he'd be a fool to leave a beautiful woman like you alone for just one minute.”

Topaz felt the lump forming in her throat as tears spilled down her cheeks.

“I'm sorry. I didn't mean to make you cry.”

Topaz shook her head as Germain gave her his handkerchief. “You always know what to say.”

They were both silent now as they focused on the pianist.

“He's good, isn't he?” Topaz finally remarked.

“Yes.” Germain was also drinking champagne. The waiter had brought them a bottle, and Topaz was relieved to see he wasn't drinking Tanqueray and tonic. She had never seen him drink like that until all the drama.

Another waiter came and escorted them onto the terrace, where their table provided an excellent view of the elegant swans swimming in the moonlight. The tiles in the floor were heated, and she was very comfortable.

“Germain, you always pick the best places.” Topaz smiled as she shook off her shawl and exposed bare sexy shoulders. Her hair, blown silky straight, gently framed her face.

“You look absolutely beautiful tonight. But then you always were the most beautiful woman in the world to me. Sometimes I get caught up in my work and I guess I forget just how much you need to hear that. After all, I am married to a superstar.”

“Germain, you know none of that superstar stuff matters to me and you're always telling me how beautiful I am.”

Germain looked down into his menu, and Topaz reached for his hand.

“I love you with all my heart. I love you more every day,” she said just loudly enough for him to hear.

He bit on his bottom lip and looked back into the menu.

“Don't you believe me, baby?”

“I really want to, Topaz.”

She sighed and looked out at a swan gliding across the water. Things were not proceeding as she had hoped.

“Ready to order some dinner?”

Topaz sighed as she flipped open the menu. “I'm not really hungry. Why don't you order for me?”

They didn't talk all through dinner, and the silence between them was killing Topaz. She picked at the grilled veal chops Germain ordered for them.

“Want some dessert?” Germain asked, breaking the silence.

“No, thanks, baby.” Topaz managed a faint smile.

Germain passed on dessert, too, and paid for dinner. “I'll walk you to your room.”

“You're not going to stay?”

“No, I don't think I should.”

“Then why did you order the room?”

“I'm not sure.” They were walking very slowly. “It was probably a bad idea.”

“A bad idea?”

“I was hoping things might go better.”

“What do you mean better?”

“I was thinking maybe we could resolve some things. The last thing we need to do is jump in bed together.”

“I was thinking that was the first thing we need to do.” They were standing in front of her room. “I miss you and I can't sleep without you.”