The Essential Jagged Ivory (Jagged Ivory Boxed Set)

by Lashell Collins

  “And you are on a date,” Jeff smiled, looking at Brooke.

  Otis laughed slightly. “Yes, I am. This is Brooke McKenna,” he smiled. “Brooke, this is my friend Jeff Fremont.”

  “Hello there,” the actor smiled as he shook her hand.

  “Hello.”

  He narrowed his eyes as he stared at her for a moment. “I’m sorry, have we met before?”

  Brooke’s eyes grew wide once more. “I don’t believe so,” she said softly.

  “Hmm,” he frowned. “Are you sure? You look very familiar to me.”

  She smiled nervously at him, suddenly realizing where he probably saw her before. “That’s funny. So do you,” she replied lightly, and he and Otis both laughed. They all knew she had seen his face a million times on the big screen.

  “Man, go find your own date. Don’t come over here trying to push up on mine,” Otis joked, and Jeff’s laughter grew.

  “Well, you’re lucky I’ve gotta get going or I’d give you a run for your money,” he replied. Then he turned back to Brooke. “It was nice meeting you. Or … seeing you again. Whichever,” he said, smiling curiously at her. Then he turned and slapped Otis on the shoulder. “Keep your head up, man. It’s good to see you’re not in hiding over the bullshit.”

  “Bullshit is exactly what it is,” Otis replied with a shrug of his shoulders as they shook hands once again.

  When the actor had gone, Otis turned his attention back to her and smiled as she took an anxious sip of her champagne.

  “So, where were we? You were saying that you’re a student?” he asked, and she frowned at him.

  “A student?”

  “When we were talking about the crash earlier, you said that you were rushing to work and had been late for class or something,” he said.

  “Oh. Um … I’m a teacher,” she said quietly as the waiter set their appetizer of wild mushroom raviolis on the table.

  “Really?” Otis asked, surprised by this information. “What do you teach?”

  “I’m a dance teacher. I teach ballet at the De Luz Studio on Wilshire,” she answered.

  He wasn’t sure why that response intrigued him, but it did, and he smiled. “You teach ballet? That is not what I expected to hear.”

  “Why not?”

  “I don’t know,” Otis replied, still smiling as he took a bite of ravioli. “I guess it just doesn’t mesh with the tough exterior you keep showing me. But then … I’m sure there are softer sides to you that you’re hiding from me.”

  Brooke studied him as she chewed and thought about his words. “Well, you’re something of a contradiction yourself, you know? When I said I found you puzzling I meant it.”

  “How am I a contradiction?” Otis asked, and she shrugged slightly.

  “I can’t figure you out at all,” she answered. “The news is making you out to be a world-class sleaze bag, but yet … you helped me out the other day … sort of, when you talked the cop out of citing me for the accident.”

  “So, you think that makes me a nice guy?” he smiled.

  “I don’t know what that makes you because I don’t know why you did it,” she answered. “I think we both know you didn’t do it out of the kindness of your heart. If you had, you wouldn’t have tacked a bribe onto it.”

  “A bribe?” he smiled.

  “A bribe. You bribed me for this date.”

  “That’s a harsh word,” he chuckled.

  “I don’t know any other word for it,” Brooke said, rolling her eyes at him. Then she studied him some more. “I Googled you last night, you know?”

  Otis laughed out loud, and she stared at him pointedly. “I’m sorry,” he said. “I don’t mean to make fun of you. I just find it amusing that you took the time. I think I’m flattered, actually. So, what’d you find?”

  She smirked at him. “More contradictions,” she answered, as the waiter cleared away their appetizer and placed their entrees in front of them.

  “Thank you,” Otis said, addressing the waiter. Then he turned back to Brooke and smiled. “So tell me about these contradictions,” he said, taking up his knife and fork and cutting into his pan seared venison medallions.

  Brooke hesitated a moment before she picked up her own fork. “Well, you have this whole ‘bad boy rocker’ thing going on complete with tattoos and bad behavior. But at the same time there are all these reports of Jagged Ivory doing charity events for sick children and the local homeless shelters around Los Angeles. And you show up at my house in a suit and tie.”

  “What did you expect me to wear?” he asked with a small laugh.

  “I don’t know,” she shrugged, feeling a little ridiculous. “Some sort of rock and roll t-shirt and a pair of ripped jeans,” she offered, remembering how hot he’d looked in all those videos she watched.

  Otis laughed again. Then he grew serious as he said, “You look pretty good tonight yourself. Actually, you look beautiful.”

  Brooke dropped her eyes, avoiding his appraising gaze and taking a small bite of her risotto. Why did his approval make her flush? “Thank you,” she said softly. “Uh, but it’s not just the clothes or even the bad boy image,” she continued. “It’s the music itself. The fact that Jagged Ivory is a rock band and not an R&B group. I mean, I admit that I wasn’t really aware of Jagged Ivory before the crash, although I realize now that I had heard a few of your songs before that. Only because Shelly is a fan and she plays your stuff at home.”

  Otis smiled. “Well, at least one of the McKenna sisters appreciates us,” he said, taking another bite of his venison.

  Brooke ignored his comment as she pushed forward. “Well, when you were yelling at me in the middle of the street the other day I had you pegged for a rapper.”

  Otis sat his fork down as he smiled at her. “Okay, first of all … I am truly sorry that I yelled at you. I had no right to do that, and I apologize for it. I hope I didn’t frighten you. But secondly … that’s a bit stereotypical, don’t you think? Assuming I was a rapper because my skin is a little brown and I had an attitude that day?”

  She raised an eyebrow at him. “Isn’t that why you were surprised that I teach ballet and not hip-hop?”

  Otis stared at her for a moment in shock, but he couldn’t completely deny her accusation. “Touché,” he smiled as he watched her take another bite of her risotto. “So, since you brought up the subject … what is your racial make-up, Brooke McKenna? Where did you get those pretty blue eyes from?”

  Brooke flushed once more at his compliment. “From the same place you got those pretty green ones, I imagine,” she said quietly as she looked away for a moment. “Our mother is African American. Our dad is white.”

  Otis smiled as he slowly nodded his head. “Noah and I are the opposite. Our dad is black. Mom’s white.”

  “So then you know what it’s like being an oddity,” she replied, taking a sip of water.

  “Oddity or novelty?” Otis replied. “I was never quite sure which it was. Or which was worse.”

  “True,” she smiled. “It does seem like some people are sort of fascinated with us, doesn’t it?”

  Otis shrugged his shoulders as he chewed. “I think some people just really want to know what our experience has been, you know? Being both races, but not really either. Only they’re too afraid or embarrassed to come right out and ask what it’s like.”

  Brooke nodded her head as she swallowed another bite. “And then there’s the family confusion. Some members on both sides still aren’t really sure what to do with Michelle and me. It just seems so silly that there’s still racism in this day and age.”

  “Seriously,” Otis agreed as he swallowed another mouthful. “Noah and I had it fairly easy in that regard, I guess. I mean, I know my grandparents on my mom’s side were less than thrilled when she brought my dad home. The stories they tell about that are a trip,” he said. “But they came around though, you know? Once my brother and I were born … they wanted to be part of our lives. We spent just as muc
h time growing up with my mom’s family as we did my dad’s. Which is funny, ‘cause for the longest time, my dad wasn’t really welcomed in their home, even though Noah and I were.”

  “That must have been hard on your mom,” Brooke said.

  “Yeah,” he answered, loving the fact that they had found some common ground to bond over.

  “Your parents are still together?” she asked.

  “Yep. Still together, still all over each other like teenagers,” he smiled. “What about yours?”

  “No. Not since Shelly and I were fairly young. My dad couldn’t take the pressure from his family. It was them or us. He chose wrong,” she said softly.

  “I’m sorry,” Otis frowned.

  Brooke shrugged. “At least he kept up the child support payments. And he helped Shelly with nursing school.”

  “Sounds like he didn’t step out of your lives completely,” Otis offered.

  “He might as well have,” Brooke said, eager to change the subject. “So … tell me the truth, Otis. Why did you bring me here?”

  “What do you mean?” he asked, frowning at her again.

  “I mean why are we here? Why did you orchestrate this little ‘date’? You seemed to take offense to the word 'bribe,' but you can’t deny that you bribed me to get me here, and I just want to know why.”

  Otis smiled at her. “Honestly?”

  She mutely nodded her head.

  “When I met you the other day, I thought you were beautiful. And I wanted to get to know you.”

  “Bullshit,” she replied simply, looking him in the eye.

  Otis’ eyebrows shot up in surprise. She was not going to make this easy for him at all, was she? He smiled at her again as he wondered how he was going to crack that tough exterior of hers.

  “Why did you help me with the cop after the crash? I destroyed your very expensive car, so why would you want to help me at all?”

  “Because I honestly wanted to go out with you,” he repeated, looking her in the eye. “But I didn’t think you would agree to a date if I just asked you outright since you were so angry at me. Even though you were the one who caused the crash in the first place!”

  “Oh. And you don’t think I had reason to be angry at you, is that it?” she asked, wide-eyed.

  “Well, no. I don’t,” he stated.

  “Are you kidding me? I apologized to you the minute you got out of your car, but all you could do was lay into me! You screamed at me and accused me of texting. Then you threw that ridiculously obscene price tag in my face like some rich, arrogant snob!”

  Her voice was slightly raised and full of indignation as she reproached him, and Otis couldn’t help but smile at her. He loved the fiery glint in her eyes when she was riled up.

  “Why are you smiling at me?” she asked angrily. She hated that smug grin, and she wanted to just knock it, and the dimples, off his handsome face.

  “I like it when you’re feisty, sweet thing,” he said, letting his eyes play over her body, and she rolled her eyes at him. “It’s kinda hot.”

  “You’re a pig,” she said, trying to calm down. Why did he make her so angry?

  “Whoa,” he smiled. “I said feisty, not rude.”

  “And don’t you ever call me ‘sweet thing’ again, you got it?” Brooke said as she glared at him. Then she ran her hand across her forehead, forcing herself to take a few deep breaths.

  “Would anyone care for dessert this evening?” the waiter asked as he cleared away their plates.

  Otis smiled at her. She really looked as if she wanted to reach across the table and slap him, and he found that strangely arousing. “I’m game if you are.”

  Brooke rolled her eyes at him, shaking her head. Why had she agreed to go out with this man? He gave her whiplash trying to figure out if he was as bad as the gossip rags were saying, or if he was wrongfully accused. And so far, he had offered her no explanation for the accusations. Of course, she hadn’t asked about it either. But would a guilty man in his situation have asked her on a date, knowing what the public was saying about him?

  She agreed to dessert, although for the life of her she had no idea why. This was certainly one of the most surreal dates she had ever been on. How many people crash into someone’s car and get taken on a date to a fancy restaurant for it? And as they shared an apple tart over awkward small talk about her job, Brooke couldn’t help but wonder why he had really bribed her for this date. He said he had simply found her attractive and wanted to get to know her. It sounded like a crock of shit to her. But she knew from experience that men were turned on by the strangest things sometimes, and she suspected that Otis Ivory’s real intention was just to see if he could get in her pants. Like this was some sort of game to him.

  They finished their dessert and got up to leave, and Otis’ bodyguard met them at the door.

  “Is he with you?” Brooke asked with a raised eyebrow.

  “Always,” he responded with a smile as he opened the door for her and followed her out. And as they stood waiting for the valet to bring both cars, they were suddenly besieged by a paparazzo with a very large video camera.

  “Hey, Otis! Good to see you,” the man said, addressing him as if they were old friends.

  Brooke could feel Otis tense up beside her. He said nothing as he looked the man in his face and then sighed, turning his attention back to the valet.

  “Are you on a date, Otis?” the man asked.

  “Just dinner with a friend,” Otis responded, placing his arm around Brooke’s waist protectively, and still not giving the cameraman his full attention. And Brooke was so intrigued by the exchange that she didn’t have time to protest.

  “Yeah? You want to talk to us about the sex tape at all?” the man asked.

  “No, I don’t,” Otis replied flatly.

  “Have you watched it?” the man asked, and Brooke wasn’t certain if he was addressing Otis or her, but she couldn’t believe the man’s gall.

  Neither of them bothered to answer the question, and Otis rolled his eyes, shaking his head slightly, and telling himself to keep calm. Physically attacking this man would only make the situation worse. He knew that.

  “No? Anything you want to say to Katherine Hall right now, or to the fans?” the man asked, clearly trying to provoke him in some way.

  “Nope,” Otis answered as his car finally arrived.

  “That’s a great car, Otis,” the man said.

  “I know,” Otis replied curtly as he ushered Brooke over to it and helped her in. Without another word, he climbed behind the wheel and took off.

  Brooke stared at him for a few moments as they got underway. He hadn’t said a word since they had gotten into the car, and she could tell that he was still tense about the run-in with the paparazzi. It made her wonder again what the real truth was. Had he forced himself on that underage girl like they were saying? Had he made the sex tape or did she? And how had it come to light anyway? Maybe she should go home and Google the scandal to get her facts straight. At any rate, he seemed preoccupied now. Worried. Not at all like the conceited jerk she had fought with at dinner, and she almost felt a little sorry for him.

  Otis concentrated on the road as he drove, trying to let the whole thing run off his back. He hated that this was happening. He hated that people were thinking of him as a pervert or a sexual predator. It was true that he and the guys had never paid much attention to age when it came to sex on the road. Hell, most of the rockers he knew didn’t. Groupies came in all shapes, colors and ages, and most of them wanted you to think that they were either younger or older than they actually were. He knew that was no excuse for the mess he was in right now, but it was the way the game was played. He would be more careful about it in the future.

  He shook his head slightly as he tried again to just let it go. And he frowned as he realized that this was the first time he had obsessed over this issue all day long. From the time he got out of bed this morning, he had been so preoccupied with thinking about Broo
ke and this date and Noah’s challenge to make a connection with her that he hadn’t had time to obsess over the scandal at all.

  He looked over at her as he wondered about that. “I’m sorry,” he said quietly.

  “What for?” Brooke asked.

  “For shutting down,” he answered, glancing at her for a moment. “I shouldn’t let all that shit get to me, but it’s kind of hard not to. But that’s no excuse,” he smiled. “I don’t want my troubles to ruin our night.”

  She said nothing as she returned his smile, still wondering about the details of his “troubles.” But what exactly did he mean about not ruining their night? She wasn’t sure what date he had just been on, but to her the night was already pretty much a bust.

  He pulled into her driveway as his bodyguard pulled to the curb in the SUV behind them. And when they got out of the car and began walking to her door, Otis suddenly felt a little nervous. Brooke McKenna was a difficult girl to read. Usually by the end of a date, the ladies were hanging all over him, and going to bed alone was never even an option. But this was different, and not just because Noah had issued some sort of challenge. There was something about this girl that captivated him and sparked his imagination. But so far, she seemed to be impervious to his charms. As if she were invincible. It had been a long time since Otis had actually had to pursue a woman. An even longer time since he’d met a woman he actually wanted to pursue. When they reached her door, he decided to go for broke.

  “Thank you for indulging me,” he smiled, placing his hands into the pockets of his suit pants. “I know you were less than thrilled about going out with me tonight. But I hope it wasn’t too unbearable for you.”

  “Well, I’m back in one piece, so …”

  “Mmm. And I hope I delivered exactly what I promised I would,” he continued. “Nice meal, elegant restaurant?”