Brittany sat down at one of the chairs near the window, giving her feet a break. The Cafe had wooden floors and she should be wearing Sketchers instead of pretty sandals to work. Like her two sensible sisters.
“But the invites have already gone out.”
“I’ll make up a flyer with the revised plan for Jamie and Raul to give to their friends. We can ask for volunteer drivers and let them know the children will be supervised at the research center, and it’s best if they drop and go.”
“You’re right, of course. It would be awfully crowded with all the parents there.” Anna stood up, and went to the small fridge behind the counter. “Want some water or an iced tea?”
“Sure. I’ll take one of those light Arnold Palmers.”
Anna handed her one, and took a diet soda for herself. She fanned her face. “I’m so glad you’re here to help with these decisions, dear. I was getting quite agitated over this whole bus business. Makes me thing we should start a service ourselves.”
Brittany laughed. “Right. Just what we need. More work.”
“Yes, I suppose we have enough for now.” Anna put the soda to her forehead and rolled it around. “The air conditioner stopped working this afternoon. I put a call in. Someone should be here later this afternoon. Morning at the latest.”
“No wonder it’s so warm in here. But you had the fan. Thank heavens for that.”
“Yes, thanks for small mercies.” She took a sip from her soda then put the can down on a coaster. “Okay, back to the party.” Anna glanced at her notes. “After lunch, we could take the party to the pool. I’ll make a pitcher of margaritas. Doesn’t that sound nice?”
Brittany couldn’t help but smile. “Sounds great, Mom.” She got up and took her mom’s shoulders, pointing her toward the door. “Take the rest of the day off. I can handle things here.” She sat at the desk. “I may have to run up to Miami in the morning. Just for a few hours. Getting together with some of the girls.”
Her mother’s smile faded. “You’re not thinking of leaving us, are you?”
“Not yet, Mom.” She rotated her shoulders, relieving a little of her own stress. “But I haven’t touched base in awhile and I don’t want to lose my contacts in the business. It’ll only be a few hours.”
“Okay. I do hope you’re happy here.” Anna looked directly into Brittany’s face, searching for answers. “I wish Chase hadn’t left.”
“So do I.” She shrugged, pretending it didn’t bother her as much as it did. “But his family came first, the way it should.”
Anna’s eyes brightened. “I like the sound of that.” She patted her hair. “Maybe I’ll go to the salon and treat myself to a cut and blow dry, and a pedicure too.”
“You do that. Enjoy your day. And I’ll see you later for happy hour.”
“I might have my own in town.” She tossed her a smile. “You can handle it today, can’t you? After all, I’ll be covering your ass tomorrow.”
“Of course,” Brittany said. “Have fun.”
“I always do.” Anna sashayed out of the office and Brittany marveled at how well her mother bounced back from all the disappointments in her life. She’d lived through more heartache than most people could bear, and yet her spirit remained unbroken.
And she was her mother’s daughter. More like her than any of her siblings. Brittany would go to Miami with her head held high, dignity intact. She might have left in disgrace, but she would come back in triumph.
CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX
Funny what a difference a few weeks could make. Brittany was driving the same Miata sports car, top down, the wind in her face, returning to Miami instead of fleeing. She was different too. Stronger, more sure of herself. No longer pregnant. No longer wondering how she could have been so gullible and naive, and taken in by such a low-life scumbag. Hell—she’d seen what he was, but had chosen to ignore it and look the other way.
The man was a criminal and getting his just desserts. Not only had he pushed her to use recreational drugs, he’d also provided the other girls anything they’d wanted. The ones who didn’t party usually didn’t stay long, the ones who played did. Had he made them so desperate for that next high they’d ended up hooking for him?
As she passed the road signs on the way out of the Keys, she was grateful for the monotony since she had a lot on her mind.
If she agreed to go into business with a few of her dancer friends, she wanted to be confident they were clean and intended to stay that way. Otherwise, no deal. Matter-of-fact, she’d had a night to sleep on it, and she had some ideas of her own.
Instead of buying an expensive piece of property and forking out hundreds of thousands of dollars, they could have a start-up online business providing performers for various events. If the girls didn’t want to go that way, she might try it herself. The only thing she’d need was a website, business cards and reliable dancers—maybe studio rental for practices.
Brittany waved to the Key Largo sign, knowing Miami was just fifteen minutes away.
She was meeting Claire and Janine, but they hadn’t been able to get anyone else to join them on such short notice. They were having lunch at Cipriani at Brickell Point and afterwards Claire wanted to show them a few places.
Brittany valet parked and entered the restaurant, discreetly checking her reflection in the mirror by the front door. It had been fun to put on her city clothes and she especially liked the blue linen sheath and expensive matching blue heels. Her hair was piled up on top of her hair in a chic roll, her make-up light but expertly applied. The maître d’ escorted her to the table where her friends were already seated.
They jumped up when they saw her, and all three of them kissed and hugged.
“Claire, you look gorgeous as ever.” Her friend came from Jamaica and had beautiful ebony skin, huge sparkling eyes and cheekbones carved like granite.
“And look at you!” Claire answered with a wide grin. “All tanned and rested. You look good, Brittany. Happy too.”
“I am. Happy to see both of you.” She took Janine’s hand. “How’s it going? You still with that good-looking boyfriend of yours?”
Janine nodded. “You bet.” A leggy blonde from Georgia, Janine’s southern accent was deeper than Chase’s. She came from a big family, two brothers and three sisters—the youngest was a Victoria Secret model.
All three women attracted a lot of attention, seated with a panoramic view of Biscayne Bay. A table to see and be seen.
“So what are we drinking?” Brit asked. “Wine or martinis?”
“We just ordered a bottle of Cakebread,” Janine said. “But if you’d like something else, just let the waiter know.”
“Are you kidding me? I love that wine.” She glanced around at the familiar surroundings, the breathtaking view of the bay. It felt good to be in Miami, Brittany decided.
While they waited for the pricey wine to arrive, the girls demanded to know what had happened to make her quit and run off to the Keys. She gave them a quick summary, not holding anything back, but making it clear that sympathy was not needed. She was in a better place than she had been when she’d left.
They sipped on their delicious crisp wine and Claire told her how the police had come and closed the place down. “A few of the girls got busted for narcotics, but they were let off pretty lightly, all things considered. The cops weren’t really interested in them—they wanted to nail Jose and they did. Shelly and Freda told the cops that he had pushed the drugs on them before they were hired. I never realized he was such an asshole before.”
“I didn’t know he was married, either,” Brittany admitted, ashamed that she’d been blinded by him for so long. “Or a pimp. Do you know who the girls were?”
They nodded and whispered a couple of names.
“That is so sad. I feel sorry for them.” Brittany didn’t want to discuss her ex-lover any longer, or ever think of him again.
“How about you?” Claire asked. “What have you been doing for the past month?”
“Well…” She gave them a big smile and leaned forward to say, “I haven’t exactly been lonely in Paradise Cove. I met this guy, a hot shot advertising exec from New York, who’s staying for a month to write a play.” She felt a little guilty talking about their relationship, now that it might be over. But she didn’t want either Claire or Janine to think she was a loser, and her friendship with Chase was open-ended.
“Cool.” Janine glanced at Brit’s small designer bag. “You have any pictures of this hot guy of yours?”
“Nope. No pictures, just a lot of good images in my head.” She told them about dancing on the beach, and how he’d kicked ass at the bar.
“Delightful,” Janine drawled. “He sounds like a winner.”
“Yes, well, at the moment he had to fly back home to Charleston. Family emergency.” She remembered how their day had been cut short. The romantic lunch, the goofy conversation. She put her hand to her heart. “His brother-in-law was in a terrible car accident and might be crippled. They aren’t sure if he’ll ever walk again.”
“Oh, that’s awful.” Claire touched her hand. Her ebony skin made Brittany’s olive coloring seem pale in comparison. Her voice was deep and smooth, like a rich liquor. “Maybe you should go out there and comfort him for a while. Until we get this business venture up and running.”
“I don’t think so.” She turned her wine glass. “It would be an intrusion. I don’t even know his family. Besides, our relationship hasn’t actually been defined. We’re just close friends at the moment.”
Brittany shifted toward Janine, eager to switch the conversation away from herself. “So, Janine tell me about Bradley. That’s his name, isn’t it?” About six months ago, Janine had tumbled off the stage and broken her ankle, but met the young doctor in ER and fallen hard.
“He’s perfectly adorable,” she said with a twinkle in her bright blue eyes. “Can’t spoil me enough.”
“And you, Claire? Are you seeing anyone?” She’d had a painful split from her Jamaican boyfriend earlier that year. He’d come to Miami asking her to come home, and when she refused he had called it quits. Told her not to worry, he had someone waiting in the wings.
“Nope. Not interested either. Especially now with all this.” Claire pulled out a folder from her oversized bag and laid it on the table. “Here’s what we’ll be looking at today.”
The conversation turned to business as they skimmed photos of places to be considered and knocked around some numbers. One was currently a jazz bar, on sale for a good price. Another was an old movie house, and the third a reception hall. All would require extensive interior renovations, but were well located with plenty of parking.
Brittany was fascinated by it all. Seeing the photos of the potential building they might one day own made the idea seem so real. Not some whimsical dream by a group of attractive but dimwitted women, but a business venture that they could sink their teeth in and do something meaningful with their lives. For the first time, she actually started to believe it was possible.
They put the file away when the waiter arrived with their lunch. Brittany had a tasty Dover Sole with sautéed spinach while the other two had salads. Janine had the lobster, and Claire a Tuna Tartare. Because they were women who watched their diet, they split a slice of Key Lime pie three ways.
Once every bite was devoured they asked for the bill.
“I want to be on the road before dark,” Brittany said, excited to get moving. She wanted to see all the properties today, if they had the time.
The jazz bar was downtown, not far from where they were, so they hopped into Claire’s car and drove the short distance. From the outside, the building appeared badly run down. Bricks were missing, the sidewalk in front was cracked. Windows were boarded up.
“I don’t know, sugar,” Janine said.
“Wait until you see inside,” Claire argued. “It’s got a bunch of nooks and crannies—great character.”
They went in and Brittany kept her opinion to herself, but found it dark and gloomy—the air stale, smelling faintly of smoke that she feared might never get out of the walls, even with a fresh coat of paint.
The old movie house interested her, but the cost seemed unreasonably high, and the third site reminded her of a senior center, where people would gather for a game of cards or a potluck dinner. Still, she was practical enough to know they didn’t have the money to buy anything grand. Starting small was the smart thing to do.
She hid her discouragement behind a bright smile. “I’m so excited to be a part of this, but let’s keep our eyes and ears open a little longer and see if something else pops up. I’m just concerned about the cost of renovating these properties and enticing other talented dancers to jump on board.”
Claire looked crestfallen, but Janine nodded in agreement. “I have a good friend who’s a realtor; I’ll get her looking first thing tomorrow.”
“Let’s keep this amongst ourselves for now,” Claire said as she drove them back to their cars. “This is just the beginning, so don’t lose hope.”
Brittany knew it was too early to get discouraged. They had only started the search and something wonderful might fall into their laps. “I think we had a great day, all things considered. And it was so good seeing you both again.”
They parted ways at Cipriani’s and Brittany handed her chit to the valet. When her car arrived, her scattered thoughts allowed doubt to surface. How could they ever afford a project as big as this?
It was a long drive back to Paradise Cove.
She called Chase and told him about the meeting, putting a more positive spin on the venture than she actually felt. The money worried her. She didn’t have any free and clear and to borrow against her share of the resort was far too risky.
“Sounds like a terrific idea,” Chase said enthusiastically. “I knew that Paradise Cove couldn’t keep a girl like you satisfied for long.”
For some reason the words stung. Perhaps it was the mood she was in. Restless and unsettled, she’d been caught up in the idea of being a co-owner of a new repertory theater—the bright lights outside welcoming people in—the glamour and excitement of bringing their theater alive with song and dance. There was no reason to be apprehensive, and yet the feeling persisted.
“I’m not sure if I should get involved.” She told him honestly. “It’s a lot of money, money that I don’t have. I’d hate to put the resort up as collateral, or to ask my sisters for my share. I’m between a rock and a hard place,” she said with a wistful sigh.
He laughed softly. “I’m sorry. I wish I could be with you right now. Take you to bed, where I would hold and kiss you until you realize that everything will be all right.”
“But how can it be?” she cried. “You’re not with me. Not only is your family in chaos, but you need to write a play to knock that producer dead.” She was talking into a speaker phone and turned the volume up. “I’m afraid to jump on this. It’s a huge undertaking which I would have very little control over.”
“I understand,” he said in a soothing way. “We both have plenty of things to worry about, and yet, what is the point? It won’t help at all. We just need to sit back and see what happens.”
She fought back a tear. “Well, I suppose that’s true. The few days of bliss that we had together were a short retreat from real life. Now, we’re back to dealing with crap.”
Chase was silent for a few moments and she wondered if they’d lost their connection. Then he said, “David has regained feeling in his toes. He can move them now.”
“That’s wonderful news!” She wiggled in her seat, wishing she could give Chase a hug. “Does that mean he’ll get complete mobility back?”
“Too soon to say, but it sure does give us hope.”
Hope. She could use some too. “Oh, I am so glad. Chase, I do miss you. Think you can come down here next weekend for that birthday celebration?” She made her tone seductive. “We could have one of our own.”
“Not with my two n
ieces along, we couldn’t.” His voice deepened. “I can picture you swimming with those dolphins, wearing a teenie-weenie bikini, and I get hard thinking about it. If I could I’d be there in a second.”
“Well, keep that thought in the forefront of your mind.” She laughed. “I like the idea of you being hard for me.”
“As if it could be any other way.”
Her insides fluttered, and she wanted him desperately. Somehow, this man that she’d known for such a short time had wormed his way into her heart. She liked to think it wouldn’t matter to her if he simply walked away, but she knew it wasn’t true. She wanted him in her life. He was the only thing that made sense.
“Okay.” She made herself sound upbeat, not clinging or needy. A man liked a woman with confidence, and she had always faked it well.
Very few knew that inside she was still that little girl looking to be loved—fiercely wanting to hold on to that person, not to let him slip away. Fathers died. Men left. Was that to be her fate? “I won’t press you, but just think about it.”
“Of course. I have one more piece of good news.”
“What’s that?”
“I’ve had plenty of time to write when the girls are at school, and I finished the script. Mailed it today. Not sure when I’ll hear back, but at least that’s one thing off my mind. And I’ve started another script.”
“Well, aren’t you something? Your muse must definitely be back.” She was excited for him, but did this mean he’d return to New York, and not to her? She swallowed a sudden lump in her throat. “What is this one about?”
“It’s just in the planning stages. Too soon to talk about it.”
“Oh, I hate when you do that. You tease me with something, and then won’t tell me.” Her hands gripped the steering wheel as she tried to focus on the road instead of envisioning his dimpled smile. She wanted him in the here and now, touching her, teasing her, wanting her. Not rushing off into the future without her.
He cleared his throat. “I love surprising you. And you always like my surprises.”
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