Love Me Now (30 page)

“Wow, you make me sound like some kind of saint,” Kenya said, then looked at Sidney, who rolled her eyes.

“You a'ight, I guess,” she said.

“Yeah, you a'ight, too.” She hugged her. They laughed.

After much debate over the menu, they picked up a pizza and took it to their parents' home. The lights were all on as they drove up. “Did you leave all the lights on like that again, Sidney?” Kenya asked, exasperated.

“No,” she said firmly, hoping she hadn't.

“Well, somebody did,” Asia said. Sidney glared at her. “I'm just saying.”

“Come on,” Kenya said as she turned off the ignition and got out of the car.

They all walked up the path as the front door opened. They screamed. “Mom!” Bumping elbows, the three sisters rushed to her. They all talked at once, then walked into the house. A smiling James stood inside, his arms wide and welcoming. “Dad!” they screamed again. The conversation was endlessly confusing.

“Okay, okay, I can't understand a word anyone's saying,” Lynette said.

“I don't get it, what are you doing home so early?” Kenya asked.

“Yeah, you're supposed to be in Africa another three weeks,” Asia added.

“Are you okay?” Sidney said.

“We're fine. South Africa is wonderful, incredible. But I missed home too much. I guess I'm not the world traveler I always dreamed I was. Having my three favorites—Kenya, Asia and Sidney—right here is good enough for me,” Lynette said.

“How's everything here?” James asked.

The three looked at each other guiltily.

“What is it? What happened?” Lynette asked. “Sidney?”

“Me? Why are you looking at me? Well, I guess maybe…”

“Maybe you'd better go in and have a seat,” Asia said. They all went into the living room, sat down and Kenya began telling the story. Asia added her part then Sidney added her part. Neither parent interrupted until close to the very end.

“I can't believe this,” James said, standing and pacing. “No, no, no, please tell me you didn't. None of this was supposed to happen. You weren't supposed to get involved. This is all my fault.”

“But we took care of it,” Asia said.

“I exaggerated,” James blurted out. “Trey wasn't solely responsible. I had my part, as well. I got mad, I went after him. I started it, everything. But we have to stop this now. It's already gone too far.”

“Dad, we know. That's what we're saying—we did stop it,” Kenya said.

“Yes, just now, we went to see Regina and Joshua.”

James sat down, still holding his head.

“We talked to them and they're gonna take care of it.”

“I think this family has a lot of communicating to do in the very near future,” Lynette said. She went to stand beside her dejected husband. “We've all done some questionable things. Keeping secrets from the ones you love is not the family way. Whatever happens, love will always be here. We're a family, that means we celebrate the good, the bad and the in-between.

“I'm glad you made it right. The three of you worked together and I'm proud of you. We're proud of you. And we'll definitely talk about this some more, but right now—” she paused and looked at her watch “—it's late and I think we need to call it a night.” Everyone nodded.

“I need to read and study,” Sidney said.

“Kenya, can I get a ride to Union Station?”

Ten minutes later the family stood in the large foyer saying goodbye and making plans to get together that weekend.
Kenya dropped her sister at the train station then headed home. It was an impossible day that had ended as it started.

 

Regina, Trey and Joshua sat in Trey's home office going over the paperwork from James and Sidney Whitaker. “I can't believe they did all this.”

“We should seriously think about giving James a position in our research division. He dug up dad's name in connection with Caine Enterprises almost eight months ago. That's where Sidney got the idea.”

Trey shook his head. “It was pretty ingenious. I was too preoccupied with Kenya to see what her other sister was doing.”

“Kenya and Sidney acted independently,” Regina said.

Trey frowned. “You mean they were each plotting to bring me down.”

“Apparently so,” Joshua said, smiling.

Trey looked at Regina and Joshua and shook his head. “I guess I'm losing my charm with the ladies.”

“You know if they hadn't decided to come to us, you would have signed the merger papers and that would have been the end of TE Acquisitions,” Regina added.

“True,” Joshua said.

“What do you want to do about Cal?”

“Sidney played him totally. I'm sure he still has no clue that she was pulling his strings. He never considered that he was being set up. He just accepted the information he was given and went with it.”

“It shows a serious lack of character and business sense.”

“I agree.”

Regina stood. “Well, I need to go. I have a date.”

“Again,” Trey and Joshua said in unison.

Regina looked at them hard. “Yes, again. And before either one of you says anything, good night.”

Trey and Joshua looked at each other and shook their heads. “Well, that's it for me, too,” Joshua said. “I'll see you tomorrow.”

“Take care,” Trey said.

“Listen, don't concern yourself with Cal and Caine Enterprises. I'll take care of all that. It will be my pleasure.”

Trey saw the gleam of excitement in his eyes. “Maybe I'd better take care of them. You look a bit too eager.”

“I am, and with good reason.” He smiled. Trey chuckled.

“They're all yours, enjoy.”

Joshua nodded. “I will, thanks. Now you need to go to her. Talk, get this straightened out.”

“What?”

“You know what—Kenya. Trey, you can't do this to yourself. You deserve more. She is that more. Besides, imagine the stories you'll be able to tell your children and grandchildren about fifty years from now. Good night.”

Trey half smiled. Joshua had a way of doing that. “Night,” Trey said as his friend walked out. He heard the front door close as he sat quietly in his office. The twins were gone, Mrs. Thatcher was gone and Kenya was gone. He was free now. By all accounts he should have been elated. And eight days ago, he would have been exactly that, but now…

He reached across his desk and picked up the phone. He called J.T. “Hey,” he began, “I need a favor. I need to find somebody.” They talked a while, then after hanging up, Trey got into his car and drove off. He drove to the boutique. It was locked. He got out anyway, knowing that even if it seemed closed there was always a light on in the back area. Tonight there wasn't. He looked down the street toward the alcove leading to the condo apartments above.

Without thinking, he went to her. He rang the bell but didn't get an answer. He stood waiting, thinking, knowing he
should have said something. But he didn't and now she was gone from his life. He once promised to catch her when she fell—he hadn't. The emptiness sank deeply into his soul as his heart broke for the first time.

“H
ey, good morning. Are you ready for today? Man, I have a feeling it's going to be one of those days,” Shelly said, rushing in carrying a large garment bag. “Girl, you would not believe the night I had last night. Talk about crazy. The costume fitting and the dress rehearsal were insane. I swear the only thing missing was Elvis, a couple of aliens and Mr. T on a unicycle.”

“Morning,” Kenya said, shaking her head. As miserable as she felt, Shelly was always a ray of sunshine.

“Hey, you okay?” She walked over as Kenya turned to her. “Man, girl, you look like the pits,” Shelly said. “What happened?” Kenya told Shelly the gist of what happened the night before. “Kenya, I'm so sorry. But you saved the day. Actually you all did.”

“It's my own fault, all of it. I should have listened to you, to Dad, to Mom. I should have just let it alone. He hates me. I could see it in his face yesterday. He hates me.”

“He doesn't hate you, Kenya. How could he? The man is in love with you. Don't you see that? And besides, you just pulled his butt out of the fire. Believe me, he still loves you.”

Kenya shook her head. “No, not anymore.”

“Kenya, I'll tell you what I told you a while back. Love always finds a way. And when it's meant to be it will be. That thing before with Craig was nothing. This is meant to be—you and Trey together forever. Girl, I already have the wedding gown design picked out.”

Kenya smiled and laughed at Shelly's optimism. She was the perfect friend in good times and in bad times. But this time she was totally wrong. There was no way Trey could ever forgive her. She couldn't even forgive herself.

“Are you gonna be okay?”

Kenya nodded. “Yeah, one of these days I'm gonna be just fine,” she lied, knowing that she'd never get over Trey. “In the meantime, come on. We have work to do.”

As soon as they began discussing changes to a design, the office phone rang. Shelly grabbed it while Kenya made more tea, absorbed in her thoughts. It wasn't until a pillow whizzed by her head that she realized Shelly was trying to get her attention. “Yes, yes, we can do that,” Shelly said excitedly, smiling and motioning for her to come over.

Kenya listened in on the end of the conversation. It was a representative from Youngin's retail chain. They were definitely interested in purchasing clothing for all of their nationwide stores. Seconds after Shelly hung up, they squealed, hugged and danced around. “Can you believe it, they want us.”

“Of course they want us. We are incredible designers.”

The impromptu celebration lasted the next fifteen minutes until they realized what working with a nationwide chain might entail. “We have a massive amount of work to do.”

“I know, where do we begin?”

“We need to call the manufacturer. Maybe one of us should fly out there.”

“Good thinking.”

“Marketing. We have to do a ton of public relations.”

“Wouldn't it be fantastic if the boutique opened at the same time?”

“Brilliant. We need to write all this down.” They both grabbed a sketch pad and began taking notes as they talked. They outlined a plan and decided who would handle each assignment. They agreed on everything. They planned the next few days and decided that Kenya would head to New York and meet with the company and Shelly would go to California.

“What about today?” Kenya asked. “What do you have planned?”

“I have the wedding from hell, again. The bride's mother changed her mind again last night. She left a message at the apartment.” They both laughed. “I have to head back over there right now as a matter of fact. She wants her dress sexier now. Can you believe her?”

Kenya laughed and actually enjoyed the lighthearted moment. Shelly was the best. “Okay, you go. I'll get things started here.”

 

Louise Gates was never one to stand on ceremony. She had a calling that she took very seriously. When she was asked to help, she did everything within her power to assist. But this time when she was asked for help from an unlikely source, she outdid herself.

Standing at the gated door, she knocked several times. There was no answer. She peeked through the smoked glass, seeing only her reflection and the empty shadow beyond. She knocked several more times before she saw someone coming. The door opened.

“Mrs. Gates?”

“Hello, dear. Shelly, right?” she asked.

“Yes, ma'am.”

“Oh, please, call me Mamma Lou, everyone does.”

“Of course, Mamma Lou. Uh, Kenya's in the back and I'm on my way out. Come on in, I'll walk you back to her.”

“Thank you, dear.”

“No problem, Mamma Lou.”

Louise waited until Shelly locked the front door again, then she escorted her to the back. “Hey, guess what. We have company.”

Kenya looked up and smiled. “Hi, Mamma Lou, how are you?”

“Fine, fine, dear.”

“Can I get you something to drink—tea, coffee or water?” Shelly asked.

“No, dear, I'm fine. You go on, do what you need to do.”

Shelly smiled and glanced at Kenya. “Okay, then I'll see you later. Wish me luck.”

“Shelly, before you leave I'm curious. How did you ladies get on at Youngin's?”

Both Kenya's and Shelly's mouths dropped open. “It was you? You did that?” Kenya said.

“You got them to call us?” Shelly added.

“It really wasn't much. I wish I could have done more. You see, the owner is a dear friend of mine and is always looking for new talent. When I saw your designs, I just knew it would be a perfect match.”

“Thank you so much, Mamma Lou,” Kenya said.

“Yes, thank you, it was a wonderful interview. I think they were really impressed with our work. As a matter of fact they just called.”

“They want to work with us,” Kenya said happily.

“I should say so,” Louise said. “My friend raved about your designs. She was very impressed,” she reported enthusiastically.”

“I don't know what to say. You're the best.”

“Thank you so much.”

“It was my pleasure, ladies. Seeing women standing up and living out their dreams is my greatest joy. I'm always happy to be of assistance.”

“I wish I could stay longer, but I really have to go,” Shelly said. “Thanks again, Mamma Lou,” she said, hugging her warmly. “See you later.”

As Shelly left, Louise turned her attention to Kenya. “And how are you this morning?”

“Good. Busy. This new project with Youngin's is going to change a lot around here. As a matter of fact we decided to open the boutique a bit earlier to coincide with the Youngin's launch.”

“That's a great idea,” Louise said. “I have a publicist friend who would be perfect for the announcement and opening.”

“Mamma Lou, you've done so much already. I don't know what to say. How do we ever begin to thank you?”

“No, don't thank me. I haven't done anything. Actually Otis is the one.”

“Otis?” Kenya questioned.

“Colonel Wheeler, he's quite a man.” Kenya nodded. “He got a call last night from Trey.”

Kenya went still. “He told you what happened.”

“Only that you and your sisters saved his company, countless jobs and also how much he really loves you. I needn't ask if you love him. I see it in your eyes.”

Kenya nodded. “I do love him so much. We've only known each other a short while, but my heart knows.”

“Time has no bearing on love. You need to talk to him.”

“How can I? After everything that happened. No, he was
right before. We can't change what was. The past will always be there.”

“True, we can't change the past, but we can learn from it and hope for the future. Kenya, believe me, love has a way of making a way. It's never too late.”

“But I hurt him. I can still see it in his eyes.”

“Dear, you need to risk pain in order to find love.”

“Kenya,” a voice said. She turned. Trey stood behind them.

“He's offering you his heart. Accept it and forgive yourself.”

“Trey, what are you doing here?” Her eyes were filled with remorse but her heart still longed for him.

“Surrendering,” he said soulfully. “I don't want to spend another second without you. I can't.”

“But, Trey, everything that happened, what I did, what we almost did. How can you even stand there and—”

“How can I not? I love you, Kenya Whitaker, daughter of James Whitaker. You changed my life, my world, my heart.” She started crying. “Don't cry,” he said, walking over to her and wiping the tears from her face. “I don't ever want to see you cry for me.”

She laughed. “I can't believe you're here.”

“I'm here, exactly where I belong and exactly where I intend to be for the rest of our life together, if you'll have me.”

“What are you saying?”

He knelt down and took her hand. “Marry me, be my wife.”

Tears flowed again as she grabbed him, nearly knocking him over. He stood and held her as she laughed, cried and kissed him. “Is that a yes?” he asked.

“Yes, yes, yes,” she said repeatedly, kissing him each time. “Yes, Trey Evans, I will be honored to be your wife.” They kissed.

Louise, who was nearly in tears herself, discreetly left. Colonel Wheeler and Shelly were standing in the front of the
boutique, waiting. Louise nodded and gave a thumbs-up signal. Shelly cheered silently. Colonel Wheeler nodded and motioned for them to leave. Outside the three stood in front congratulating themselves and delighting in Trey and Kenya's joy. “Thank you for waiting to lock up, Shelly,” Louise said.

“Oh, it's my pleasure. You know, I knew they were gonna make it. I could see it from the instant I saw them together. They had a kind of spark—crazy, huh?”

Louise and Otis glanced at each other and smiled. “Not at all. As a matter of fact, it makes perfect sense to me,” Louise said. “So, Shelly, what does your boyfriend do?”

“Actually, I don't have one at the moment.”

“Is that right,” Louise said interestedly.

“And if I don't leave right now I won't have a mother-of-the-bride dress, either. I'm so glad to see you again, Mamma Lou, Colonel Wheeler. Thanks again for the Youngin's account. I gotta go. See you at the wedding.”

Shelly rushed off down the street to her car, leaving Louise and Otis to chuckle. Louise linked her arm with Otis and the two strolled down the street, enjoying the day.

“You realize, of course, I'm still furious with you,” she began. Otis chuckled. “Imagine, you getting a call from Trey asking for matchmaker assistance. I'm appalled. How in the world will I ever live this down? You, of all people, playing matchmaker.” Otis laughed. He leaned in and kissed her forehead. She was his perfect match.