Authors: Adrianne Byrd
“O
ow! Let go of me,” Leigh hissed, struggling to snatch her arm out of Jeremy’s death grip as she tried to plant her feet in one place. But nothing stopped him from pulling her across the room at a dizzying clip. He did nothing to quell the renewed panic washing over her. The last thing she wanted was to be alone with this man. How in the hell did she know that he wasn’t taking her somewhere so that he could wring her neck?
“I’ll let go once I get some answers,” he growled. “And I warn you, they better be damn good, too.”
Leigh made another attempt to pull her arm free. But it felt like he would rather rip the sucker off than let her go. “Please,” she begged. “Let’s not do this here.”
“Oh, no. You’re not in charge of this show anymore, sweetheart. We’re done playing games.”
His stride quickened and Leigh feared that she would trip over her shoes. “Well, can you at least slow down? You’re going to draw attention.”
“Like I give a goddamn.” He jabbed at the swinging door to the kitchen, but it was more like he punched it. The door went flying backward with a whack. And the next thing Leigh knew, she was being jerked through the restaurant kitchen.
A few curious workers’ heads popped up.
“Everything’s all right. Nothing to see here,” Jeremy told the staff, and surprisingly they returned to their work.
“Where are you taking me?”
“Why? Are you scared?”
She swallowed, but he seemed to read the answer in her expression.
“Good,” he spat, and then punched open another door as he hollered over his shoulders, “We’ll be out in a moment, folks.”
Leigh’s fear skyrocketed at seeing that he had dragged her into a walk-in freezer. At least she didn’t see any meat hooks in there. Yet she might as well have been naked given the freezing-cold air circulating around them, slicing through the thin fabric of her dress.
“All right. Talk!” Jeremy whipped her around so fast she nearly lost her balance.
“I—I—I don’t know. What do you want me to say?”
Or where to begin, for that matter.
“You don’t know what to say?” he growled murderously. “You can’t be serious!”
“Ow!” She reached over and tugged on his arm. “Let me go! I’m not your damn property!”
“No. What you are is a liar and a cheat,” he sneered.
Stunned, Leigh stopped pulling on his arm and instead backhanded him across his steely face. She didn’t even mind the stinging in her hand. “How dare you. You don’t know me!”
“I know that you haven’t been faithful to my best friend out there. A man who seems to think that the sun rises and sets on you.”
The bark of laughter was out of her throat before she had a chance to stop it, but she quickly sobered. “Look, I’m not discussing my relationship with DeShawn with you. It’s none of your business.”
Jeremy ground his teeth so hard that his veins popped out along his neck. “Well, I think what happened between you and me is very much Roy’s business. What do you think about that? At least, it would show him how much of a fraud you really are.”
Narrowing her gaze, Leigh studied his hard features and tried to make a judgment call. “You wouldn’t.”
Unbelievably, his death grip tightened to the point that she gasped. “Don’t even think about calling my bluff, Baby Girl! Trust me. He’ll believe every word I have to say. So you might as well start getting your lies straight now because your dream of marrying an NBA baller is over.”
“What? I’m not some groupie and I haven’t lied to anyone.”
Technically, at least that was true.
“Oh, really? So we can just march right out there and tell Roy exactly how we met? Is that what you’re telling me?”
She hesitated.
“Good. Let’s go.” Jeremy jerked her arm to head back out the door.
“Wait,” she cried, and then tried to pry her arm free.
“What’s the matter?” he asked, in a patronizing tone. “Did you suddenly remember that maybe a few things might have slipped your mind? Maybe, a few
more
one-night stands floating around?”
“Fuck you!”
“Fuck me?” he thundered incredulously. “Tell you what, I’ll go out there and let my boy know what time it is. Unlike you, I don’t have anything to hide.”
“But you do have something to lose,” she tossed back.
He cocked his head.
“What? You think that you can just walk out there and drop something like this on him and you two will remain
boys?
” When he hesitated, it was the opening that she needed. “You have no right to threaten and bully me. And more importantly I don’t
owe
you an explanation for anything.”
“I have the right to some answers,” he barked. “What was that night—just something you do on the weekends or when the rich, clueless boyfriend is out on the road?”
Leigh unleashed the second backhand. Her hand hurt worse the second time and she left a glowing handprint on the side of his face. “I don’t like what you’re implying.” She seethed.
Jeremy’s eyes narrowed as he leaned into her space. “The only thing that I’m implying is that you’re either a gold-digger or a ho—”
Slap! Slap! Slap!
Leigh couldn’t stop swinging. “How dare you! You self-righteous asshole!”
Jeremy sustained the first couple of blows, but then he finally had to try and ward them off. “Stop it. Stop it.” He made a grab for her free hand, but missed.
However, Leigh spotted other objects in the freezer that would help her win her fight. In the next second, she hurled vegetables, chicken, fish and any damn thing she could get her hands on.
“Men can cheat. Men can do whatever they want—hurt anyone that they want. Well, I’m sick of it. You hear me? Sick! Sick! Sick!”
“Will you stop it? Are you crazy?” Jeremy barked.
“Oh! So now I’m a
crazy
ho. Is that it?” Her arms and hands became a windmill as she pelted him everywhere. “For your information, I didn’t go to that party looking for a one-night stand. It was just a stupid, impulsive thing that I’ll regret for the rest of my life!”
“Ha!” Jeremy’s head popped back up. “I’m supposed to believe that? I remember that night. You were a woman on the prowl and you were no rookie,” he charged.
“I don’t give a damn what you believe!” Tears rimmed her eyes, but she fought like hell to keep them in check. “I just know that I wasn’t supposed to see you again. But so far you’ve been like something stuck on the bottom of my shoe that I can’t get rid of.”
“And you’re
never
going to get rid of me,” he swore, knocking the bunch of produce from her hand and moving in close. “It’ll be a cold day in hell before I let you marry my best friend—even if it costs me my friendship. Now, you look me in the eyes and tell me if you think I’m bullshitting.”
Leigh angled her chin upward in a last bid of defiance, but she believed that Jeremy absolutely meant what he said.
Jeremy nodded. “Good. We understand each other. You have forty-eight hours.” With that he turned and stomped out of the walk-in freezer.
Leigh watched him exit and had the urge to swing a good rump roast at the back of his head. But in the end all that was left were tears and a fresh wave of nausea. Heads turned when Jeremy marched out of the kitchen freezer. He ignored most of the stunned and shocked faces even when he stopped to pass the chef his business card and told him, “Send me the bill for the mess.” After that, he straightened his back, brushed a few leafy vegetables off his shoulders and then headed back into the party. Even then everyone who saw his stormy face scrambled out of the way.
“Jeremy,” Roy called out, and then rushed to catch up with him. “Is there a problem, man? You look ready to kill someone.”
“No, man. I just—had something come up and I really need to get to it,” Jeremy said, avoiding eye contact but, more importantly, not breaking his stride toward the door.
“So you’re heading out of here?” Roy asked, surprised.
“I’m afraid so, man.” Jeremy swung an arm out and briefly whacked his buddy on the back. “Sorry. I have to cut out. It’s a nice party, but I’m going to have to catch you later.”
“Oh, okay, then,” Ray responded, clearly unable to hide his disappointment. “Well, at least you finally got the chance to meet my old lady,” he boasted.
“Yeah, finally.” Jeremy strolled out the front door of the restaurant, but Roy remained by his side as he stopped at the valet. “Sorry. I didn’t get a ticket, but I’m driving the—”
“I remember who you are, sir,” the young kid bragged, and then reached for his keys. “Be right back, sir.”
“Thank you.” While Jeremy waited, for the first time in his life he dreaded having to make small talk with his best friend.
“Well?” Roy prodded.
Jeremy frowned. “Well what?”
Roy laughed. “Well, what the hell do you think? She’s something else, ain’t she?” His friend’s grin exploded, doubling in size. “I’m a lucky son of a bitch, ain’t I?”
Jeremy’s darting gaze finally settled on Roy’s smiling, hopeful face.
What was he supposed to say to that?
He was kind of hoping to keep his quota to one lie tonight. “Yeah, man. You’re real lucky.”
Roy shoved his hands in his suit pants’ pockets and rocked back on his heels. “Look, because we’re boys, I don’t mind telling you that I’m a bit nervous about all this.”
That piqued Jeremy’s interest. Maybe if his boy was experiencing some doubts then there was some room to maneuver in this drama.
“Nervous about what?”
Jeremy’s Porsche pulled up to the curb.
“Well,” Roy hedged and shrugged his shoulders. We don’t have to talk about it now. I don’t want to keep you from handling your business. Another time.” He turned and started to head back to the party.
Jeremy caught his arm. “No. I can—”
“Here you go, sir.” The valet stepped in front of them.
Jeremy quickly gave the kid a folded bill from his pocket and turned his attention back to his best friend. “Now, what were you saying about doubts?”
Roy blinked. “Well, I didn’t say doubts—” He stopped to think about it. “I guess there are
some
doubts. But that’s just to be expected, right?”
“I wouldn’t know.”
“Oh…right.” Roy bobbed his head. “Mr. Bachelor-for-Life. How could I forget?”
Jeremy’s patience was wearing thin. “So—what are you nervous about?”
“I guess the whole thing,” he said, lowering his voice to make sure no one was listening to their conversation. “Don’t get me wrong or anything. I love Leigh and everything. I mean, look at her. She’s hot to def, right? It’s just… I got to thinking about what you said the other day.”
What had he said?
Jeremy’s brows dipped. Roy reminded him, “You know, the whole conversation about my still creeping and keeping my dirt on the low?”
“You’re paraphrasing, but yeah, I remember the conversation.”
“See, it’s not that I
want
to cheat on Leigh or anything. But out there on the road, you don’t know, man. It’s like being a kid in a candy shop and my ass is addicted to sugar.”
“Are you kidding me? Did you forget where I work?”
“Yeah, and how many women fall into your bed?”
Good point.
“The truth of the matter is, if I get caught again, I’m pretty sure Leigh isn’t sticking around. Hell, I had to wage a whole campaign to get her family and friends to help me get back in her good graces. And to tell you the truth—” he glanced around again “—when I popped open the ring box, Leigh actually said
no.
”
“What?”
Roy nodded as his nervous confession continued to pour out of him. “Yeah, man. We had actually broken up and old girl got a little taste of freedom. I’m thinking she realized that she didn’t have to put up with my bullshit. You know what I mean? For the first time I was really scared of losing her. It took me damn near two weeks to wear her down—and I still haven’t been able to get her back into the bedroom.”
“So you two are not…”
Roy shook his head. “Clearly I’m on restriction until after the ‘I do’s!”
“
You
are not having sex until the wedding night?”
A mischievous smile curled Roy’s lips. “
We
aren’t having sex. Trust and believe I’m handling mine out here.”
“But—”
“That’s what I’m saying.” Roy stepped closer. “It’s just not in me to be a one-woman man. But at the same time, a brother doesn’t come across a woman like Leigh every day. Not only is she fine, she’s smart and she not impressed with the money and the fame.”
Jeremy felt a sickening twist in his gut as his recent tirade in the kitchen freezer scrolled through his head. Hadn’t he just pretty much called her a gold-digging ho? No. Scratch that. A
crazy
gold-digging ho.
Cars pulled up and around the valet. Everyone was clearly trying to work around Jeremy’s car blocking the curb.
“Damn, listen to me,” Roy said, shaking his head. “I’m just spilling my guts when you got to get going. You go handle your business, man. We can talk another time.”
“No. It’s okay.”
“Nah. We’ll hook up soon,” Roy said, backpedaling. “I really appreciate you coming out tonight. I’ll holler at you later.”
Before Jeremy could mutter another word, Roy spun on his heels and went back inside the restaurant to the party.
Jeremy’s shoulders deflated. Now he felt like an ass. It wasn’t too hard to put the pieces of this puzzle together. Leigh and Roy were broken up at the time he met her in Malibu. The rendezvous that had him so shook up was likely an impulsive revenge hook-up on her part and… “She had said
no.
” He didn’t know why that small detail filled him with so much hope, but it did. Upon further reflection, he wondered what he was so hopeful about. He didn’t have a shot in hell with her now or ever.
While his thoughts and feelings tumbled over one another, he strolled to the driver’s side of his Porsche and eased behind the wheel. However, a second before he could pull off, the passenger door jerked open and Quentin hopped in.