Slender Bridge

by Katrina Clemons

  Trent sighed. He had tried to tell Maya on several occasions that Tatiana would not just willingly turn the ring over. Well, she wouldn’t turn it over to him. If he told her that the ring belonged to someone else, she’d want to find the rightful owners, and give it to them, and he couldn’t have that.

  There was no way in hell that Trent wanted Tatiana going to see Mad Dog’s men. That was totally out of the question. If she did, she might find out how he’d come to have that damned ring, and as soon as she did she’d tell her stupid friend Amanda. The first thing that that bitch would do would be to track Maya down.

  Amanda would gladly fill Maya in on what she thought were Trent’s indiscretions. And when Maya heard what Amanda had to say, be it truth or lies, Maya would run straight to her father and tell him everything.

  Before Trent moved to New York to work for Maya’s father, he really didn’t know what the good life was. Yes, he grew up in one of the nicest homes in their little town, and was the envy of most of his friends who had two parents that needed to work just to make ends meet. Trent’s mother, Eugenia, never had to work a day in her life thanks to his grandfather Theodore Fox. Theodore was a shrewd businessman who, after his first wife died, married a much younger woman. Several years later, Theodore died, and to his young widow’s surprise, Theodore made sure that his 4.7 million dollar estate went to his beloved daughter Eugenia.

  After losing her father, Eugenia thought no man could possibly love her as much as he did. Her father was her provider, her daddy, her best friend. All of that changed when Eugenia met Brant Weston the third. Eugenia thought Brant was everything she could have wanted in a husband, he was handsome, intelligent and he seemed to think that Eugenia hung the moon. That was until Eugenia realized that Brant had a thing for beautiful women, and more beautiful men.

  Eugenia got rid of Brant, but not before he squandered a large portion of her inheritance on bad business ventures, worse investments and of course, his whores.

  To almost everyone in their little community, it would seem that the Foxes were a wealthy family, in fact, most thought that the Foxes were one of the wealthiest families in their community. No one knew that Eugenia went as far as 30 miles, just to go grocery shopping, so none of their neighbors would know that she was coupon shopping, trying to make their monthly stipend stretch. No one would have guessed that she went to high end thrift stores in New York or New Jersey to purchase designer clothes. In all reality, the Fox family estate had enough money to support Eugenia for maybe another ten years if she was careful with her finances. After that there would be no more money.

  But now things were different. Trent was living the good life. He would not be caught dead in a suit that was less than $1000, ate caviar whenever he wanted to, and would not let a glass of wine touch his lips unless it came from a bottle that cost no less than $150.

  Trent had worked too hard to get where he was to let a stupid mistake mess everything up for him. He would do whatever it took to keep that from happening.

  “You don’t understand Tatiana; money is not going to buy that ring from her. It’s going to be all about the principle with her.”

  “Yeah, right. Did you see that outfit she was wearing? And that hair?Really? She’d take the money. No doubt about it.”

  Trent continued to shake his head as she spoke.

  She narrowed her eyes, saying, “What?” and then folded her arms. “Don’t do that to me.”

  “Do what?”

  “Shake your head as if I don’t have a clue as to what I’m talking about. You have no idea if she would.”

  “Yes, I do. To Tatiana, nothing is about the money; it’s never about the money. She likes her job at the travel agency, she doesn’t care that she doesn’t earn a butt load of money, she’s an agent, because she’s happy doing it. She doesn’t have the desire to be rich or famous or anything grandiose. She’s happy with her simple life, with her simple job and maybe one day being a simple wife and mother, with three kids and a dumb dog. Buying her isn’t going to work.

  For a moment, Maya stared at him, as if what he was saying was the most absurd thing she’d ever heard, and then, sighing, she said. “Then convince her that giving you the ring is…”

  “Is in what? Her best interest or mine?”

  “Yes.”

  “Baby.” Closing his eyes, he scratched his brow in frustration. “Tatiana is still upset that I left her. She probably wouldn’t spit on me if I was on fire. There is no way that she’d just give me that ring to help me out. I have to get in her good graces first.”

  “Then tell the men who are after you that she has possession of the ring, and let them handle it.”

  Trent had thought about that. He was so close to telling them that Tatiana had that damn ring and be done with it. To spin everything so it seemed as if she knew where the ring had come from, and wanted to keep it anyway.

  Then Trent pictured Tatiana with her bright guileless eyes, telling them that she had no idea where the ring came from, that Trent had proposed to her one day, presenting her with the antique ring.

  And of course they would believe her. It was Tatiana. She was the girl who, when she realized the cashier at McDonalds had given her too much change, had held it in her glove box for almost two weeks. And then on her return visit, she told them that she was given too much change and wanted to return it, because she couldn’t bear to think that she was the cause of someone being docked the extra money.

  With Trent’s luck, one, if not all of the goons would fall completely in love with Tatiana after hearing her story of how, after giving her what she’d thought was the perfect engagement ring, that Trent had up and left her, not bothering to telling her that he’d decided he didn’t want to marry her, until after Trent had packed up his belongings and moved from North Carolina to New York.

  Then he could expect at least four apes to be waiting at his apartment when he returned home from work late one evening. They’d rip his arms and legs off and proceed to beat him to death with his own limbs.

  The thought of that happening just made Trent’s balls want to crawl inside his body and hide.

  “So, you can’t go to her and explain that it’s crucial that she give the ring back.” Maya asked watching Trent’s reaction closely.

  Maya wanted to know what the mystery was behind this ring and why he couldn’t tell Tatiana he wanted the ring back. It was absurd, and this really made her suspicious.

  “You don’t understand. As soon, as I show too much interest in the ring, she’s going to get suspicious. Then she’s going to have someone look at it, and when she finds out that it’s not a piece of junk she’ll wonder where I got that kind of cash from, or worse start investigating the ring’s origin.”

  “So? Let her. Let her know who the ring belongs to. Let her give it back to them.”

  She didn’t care whether Tatiana knew who the ring belonged to, all she wanted was for him to get the ring but not spend much time with her. Why would he want to spend time with her if he was only interested in the ring? She did not like how Trent was handling this ring thing.

  “No, I can’t do that.” Hesitating, he ran his hands down his face.

  The hesitation wasn’t long, but it was just enough that Maya noticed it, and that small hesitation made Maya wonder what was really going on. Did Trent have unresolved feelings for Tatiana? And why did they care if Tatiana investigated that damn ring and found out who it belonged to? Maybe she needed to find out who it belonged to, so she could return it. Then this whole farce could be over with, and they could go back to the Bronx.

  “Do you have feelings for her?” she asked angrily.

  “Hell no, why would you say that? You know the reason why we are here.”

  “Then tell her you want the ring and get this thing over with. Our lives depend on it”

  “It’s not that easy as you think.”

  Maya could not believe she’d let Trent talk her into changing the venue of their wedding from Th
e Carlton, in the Bronx, to a tacky little hick town country club.

  Maya tried to convince him that they need only to go to North Carolina, meet Tatiana and get the ring from her and be back in the Bronx in no time. Even if they spent the three weeks in North Carolina that Trent thought he needed to get that ring from Tatiana, it was still sufficient time for them to be home for the pre-wedding, party, showers, rehearsals, and last minute fitting.

  Maybe he still had feelings for her, and that’s why he chose this crappy town.

  Trent had told Maya how he had purchased a ring from his friend Tiger, paying him $200. How Tatiana had seen the ring and had seemed to fall in love with it, and her being his girlfriend, he’d naturally given it to her. He’d purchased the ring to help Tiger out of a jam and didn’t know where Tiger had gotten the ring from until Big Earl and his hit squad had shown up at Spencer Enterprise and barged into Trent’s office demanding that he return the ring. If he didn’t, they would first make everyone Trent cared about pay, and then they would make him pay with his life.

  “The fact still remains. I need to get her to trust me, and then I can get her to give me the ring, or I can get into her house and take it. And, the only way to do that is for me to spend some time alone with her.”

  “How can she trust you if you left her? I’m a woman and we don’t trust our exes.”

  “I have to earn her trust, one way or the other.”

  “So you want to get together with her alone and earn her trust, how are you gonna do this?”

  “Trust me on this, nothing will happen between us.”

  Maya snorted, thinking to herself, this man must think I’m all kinds of stupid. “Time alone with her, where you’re calling her honey, or baby? Trent, get real!”

  “Now babes, don’t be like that.”

  “Be like what? No woman wants to walk up and hear her man calling some other woman baby.”

  “Babe, I’m doing this for… for us.”

  “Us, How are you doing this for us?”

  “We want the ring and that is why I’m doing this.”

  She knew this was crap.

  “Because we’re a team”

  She sighed, relenting a little. “Trent, I know, but still. Why can’t we spend time with her as a couple? Why can’t we get together with her and her new man and go out as couples?”

  “Maya, there is no new man.”

  “How do you know?”

  “I just know.”

  “How can you be so sure?”

  “I just am.”

  “So what you’re basically telling me is that you want me to be okay with you going out with a woman who has made up a fictitious ‘fiancé’,” she made air quotes when saying the last word. “To make you jealous.” Placing her hands on her hips she then said. “Do you really think that’s going to make me want to allow you to be alone with her?”

  She wanted to be present when he told her about the ring. She didn’t believe this crap he was feeding her. She wanted to be involved and thought the idea of being her friend would be ideal.

  “Babes, do you honestly believe that she’d want to befriend you? If there were a boyfriend or fiancé, which I highly doubt, do you think that he’d want to have dinner with us?” He shook his head. “Sweetheart, I left Tatiana for you, she’s not stupid, or desperate. She’s not going to be your friend.”

  “I think she might. She’s a simple podunk country girl. I can offer her a glimpse of what it’s like to live the life of glitz and glamour.”

  “Tatiana doesn’t care about that, trust me. And if she did, you’d have to get past that evil ass barracuda she calls a friend. I think there is more of a chance of you doing your spring wardrobe shopping at Wal-mart, than her trusting you. But if it so happens that you could possibly get her to trust you, after a while, she may even consider you an acquaintance but not a friend. And that definitely won’t happen with that bitch Julia around.”

  “What is it with you and the friend? What did she do to you to make you hate her so much?”

  “She’s a bitch, that’s what. She’s just a nasty, nosy bitch!”

  She wanted to believe him but knew there was more things she didn’t know about and he never felt comfortable telling her. This was getting harder than she thought and she didn’t believe she let him talk her into it.

  Maya smirked, saying. “Okay.” She watched as Trent’s eyes seemed to pop from their sockets. “I still don’t see why you don’t just ask Tatiana to give you the ring. It’s not like she…” She was saying and then she paused, and turned to see what held Trent’s attention.

  On the opposite side of the street, parked in front of the library, was a black SUV Lincoln Navigator. Two well dressed, enormous men of Italian descent stepped from the vehicle. Looking both ways before crossing the street, they buttoned their blazers as if they practiced the move to synchronize it perfectly as they headed towards the alley.

  They had dark shades on and it was hard to know who they were. They could tell that these men were highly trained and it was pointless to do something foolish like running. How did they find out where they were?

  Maya started to realize that this thing was more serious than she thought. The people who were involved in this thing were more powerful than she thought. They were followed, or someone sold them out. She was scared.

  Maya gasped in surprise at seeing them headed towards them. When she turned around, all she saw was Trent’s back as he high tailed it down the alley in the opposite direction.

  Everything happened within a split second. There was no one to help and she didn’t know who those people were.

  Chapter 5

  Tatiana parked and got out of her car. She was elegant and sexy at the same time. She didn’t want Clyde to get the impression that she was interested in him. She headed up to the reception desk. She was happy he defended her from Trent and he will never bother her again now that she had a fake billionaire fiancé.

  “Mr. Clyde Fox, please,” she said.

  The receptionist called the waiter serving them and asked him to lead her to the table.

  Clyde smiled as Tatiana walked toward his table. Upon first glance, she appeared to be sexy and divine. The color of her cheeks, the light bone structure and the way she walked led to the conclusion the she was fierce and sassy. She was nothing like the models he saw on television or in magazines; her curves were just right on her. Her glossy, kinky hair and everything about her screamed sex appeal except her eyes, which were nervous. She seemed unaware of the stir she caused in the restaurant.

  “Have a seat. I appreciate you coming.” He pulled out a chair opposite his for her to sit. She nodded and sat down. She wore a dress that showed her lean legs. A single strand of pearls encircled her neck. Her hair was neatly tied in a bun, revealing her long sexy neck.

  “You look beautiful,” he said.

  “Thank you.” She noticed he was staring at her over the wine glass, his hand held the glass with the stem shooting up between his fingers.

  “I’ll have a glass of wine.” She told the waiter who stood next to her.

  “Do you like this hotel?” he asked curiously. “I knew you’d like it.”

  “Yes I do like it.” She tried to hide her fears.

  Tatiana shrugged her shoulder letting the straps of her dress fall off her shoulder. She lifted her legs under the table. Her eyes jumped in surprise as her legs knocked his. She felt uncomfortable and she was afraid he could tell. She tried to keep her composure.

  She licked the corner of her mouth which made him horny. He could feel her and he wanted her so badly.

  “Our food isn’t ready and I need to freshen up.” She stood up and headed to the bathroom. He knew she felt uncomfortable; he followed her six feet from behind. She felt his eyes staring her ass. She pushed the door open and started to reapply her makeup. He walked in from behind and grabbed her breasts gently.

  “What the hell do you think you are doing?” she spun around. She cou
ld feel his chest pressing her breasts. She felt uneasy and good at the same time.

  “Can I have a little privacy please; someone can walk in on us.” she struggled to speak. He put his finger on her lips. “Shh, I won’t hurt you” he said. She was trembling from fear and pleasure.

  “I don’t care what your answer will be but I like what I see.” He said.

  “Let me go, I’m not one of your flings.”

  “You are not one of them. You are different and I can’t even put my fingers on it.” She felt nice when he said those words to her. She wanted to make him hers but she didn’t want to go against her principles. She tried to resist but he was more charming than she thought. She realized why he was a ladies’ man. He smelled her cologne from her neck down. She felt weak and ready to give in. She finally forgot they were in a public place.

  Her breathing got heavy and he could tell she wanted him as much as he wanted her. She wondered why he made her feel the way she did. He moved slowly upward to her neck then planted a smooth and soft kiss on her mouth. She looked him in the eye and stopped.

  “I need to go.” She tried to leave but he held her by the arm.

  “I won’t do anything you don’t like, just let me feel you. I really like you.”

  “I can’t—” she tried to speak but stopped as he touched her waist. His patience was too much. She didn’t know whether to hug him or kick him out. She tried to control herself but the heat between them was too much. She wished she would have sipped the wine to get confidence. He kissed her on the lips again. Her eyes opened a slit; she could see the dark part of his iris.

  “Kiss me again.” She couldn’t believe she said that. “I would like for you to kiss me and do other things.” She continued. She pretended to be a pro.

  Her touches were like of a woman who had pleased many men and knew how to do it. The knowledge excited him.

  She pulled him away. She tried to breathe but he was so close to her.

  “Is there something wrong?” Clyde asked.