Beyond the Velvet Rope

by Tiffany Ashley

  He was pissed off with Thandie for leaving, annoyed with his staff for obviously taking her side, and disgusted with himself for caring one way or the other. He was surprised more than anything. Through the haze of rage he was feeling, pure and unadulterated shock reigned supreme. It left him speechless. He might have called her, if he actually had something to say. He could not believe Thandie had left the way she had. She hadn’t even given him a chance to explain himself.

  Her sudden departure had blindsided him, and one thing Elliot hated above all things was to be caught unaware. He prided himself on being prepared, being two steps ahead of everyone. But Thandie had pulled a fast one on him. He hadn’t seen this coming. He told himself this was the true reason he was in a funk. Thandie had outmaneuvered him. He hadn’t thought it was possible for anyone to do that. Was he was losing his touch? On one hand, he had to give her credit. On the other, he was angry as hell that she’d slipped through his fingers.

  Pushing the front door closed behind him, Elliot took in the silence of his home. It was the very silence he’d sought out. However, now that he’d found it, he discovered it was not as highly desired as he’d once thought.

  Tossing his keys aside, he moved toward his bedroom. A shower was much needed—

  “Elliot?” a female voice called out.

  He froze in place. It was not Thandie’s voice he’d heard, but the one person who had had complete and utter control over him. He closed his eyes, and prayed for patience.

  “Elliot.” It was not that she had said his name, it was how she said it.

  “Sí, mamá?”

  Lucinda glided into the room, drying her hands on her apron. “You’re home early.”

  “Difficult day at the club.”

  She studied him in a way that only a mother could. He could never hide anything from her. She could read him like a book.

  “I made your favorite,” she said. “Come, have a bite.”

  Even if he wasn’t in the mood to eat, Elliot had never turned down his mother’s food. Especially if she’d prepared his favorite dish.

  As expected, he followed her into the kitchen. The aroma of freshly baked dessert filled the air causing Elliot’s mouth to water.

  Lucinda patted a barstool, indicating she wanted him to have a seat. As he slid onto the stool, he watched his mother maneuver around his kitchen with far more grace than he ever could. She was poetry in motion, while she prepared a plate for him.

  By the time she finally placed bowl in front of him containing a generous portion of warm peach cobbler and an equally large scoop of vanilla ice cream, Elliot’s stomach was growling.

  Without preamble, he dug into the dessert, eating nearly half before he realized it. Or even noticed that his mother was leaning against the countertop, studying him.

  “Good?” she asked.

  “Perfect,” he confirmed.

  Lucinda nodded her head, before casually asking, “Where’s Thandie?”

  Elliot stiffened and then said, “Gone.”

  She raised her brows. “Gone?”

  “Gone.”

  “What do you mean by gone?”

  “She went back home.”

  “To New York?” Lucinda said in surprise. “What happened?”

  “She found out about Warren.”

  “I see.”

  “And Laurent,” he added sheepishly.

  “Hmm.”

  Elliot looked up from his near empty dish. “What does that mean?”

  Lucinda gave a noncommittal shrug. “Well, what are you going to do?”

  “Who says I’m going to do anything?”

  “Because you’re my son and I know you better than you know yourself.”

  Elliot rolled his shoulders back uncomfortably, committing to nothing.

  Sweeping up his now empty dish and placing it in the sink, Lucinda began untying her apron.

  “Where are you going?” he asked slightly alarmed.

  She grinned. “I have a date.”

  “With whom?”

  “That’s none of your business.” Tossing the apron on the counter, she held out her hand to him. “Walk me to my car.”

  Coming to his feet, Elliot took his mother’s hand in his own. Pulling it to his lips, he kissed her palm. “You deserve to be happy.”

  She smiled softly. “So do you, Elliot.”

  Tucking her hand into his into the crook of his arm, the two walked side by side into the warm night air.

  Just before tucking his mother into her car, Lucinda stayed his motion.

  “Mi hijo?”

  “Si madre.” He turned to face her. He knew that she would not speak until she was confident she had his undivided attention.

  “Don’t be a complete idiot,” she said simply. “If you miss Thandie, tell her so. Even a fool can see you care for her.”

  “It’s not that simple,” Elliot said with a sigh. “Besides, we’re way beyond words.”

  Lucinda brushed dark curls away from his face and kissed his forehead. “You’re never beyond words.”

  Chapter Twenty-Nine

  Thandie checked the time. It hadn’t improved much since she’d looked at it five minutes ago. Frustrated, she stared at her computer screen and tried to remember what she’d been working on. For the past few hours, she and the girls had been quietly working on assignments.

  Since their return to the city a few days before, business had been booming. Their involvement with Club Babylon had had the desired effect, leaving Thandie with the daunting task of tackling her endless emails and responding to proposal requests. It was time consuming, but a necessary evil.

  There were several small but high profile events happening throughout the city that appeared to be quite promising. There was even a job offer that would allow her to work abroad.

  The assignment would take her to Ibiza, a small island off the coast of Valencia, renowned for its club scene. Thandie had spoken with the account rep twice already about the opportunity. The client, a Mr. Dominic Armenta, wanted her to host a birthday party for him. The assignment was projected to last no more than three weeks.

  According to the rep, Mr. Armenta was some sort of real estate tycoon. It was as vague an explanation as one could get. But Thandie didn’t really care. She was intrigued by what the opportunity offered. Aside from generous billable hours, the project allowed her a chance to get away. The idea of escaping New York, and leaving her life behind was tempting. She could bury herself in her work and forget about Elliot. At least, she could try.

  Thandie checked the time again. Same as before. Twirling a mechanical pencil between her fingers, she absentmindedly wrote the words Dominic Armenta on a bright pink Post-it and stared at it.

  On a whim, Thandie typed the name into Google. A single picture of a well-dressed, silver-haired man, with a cavalier smile greeted her. A lovely, older woman stood at his side. Judging the wedding rings, and the gentle way the couple embraced one another, this must be his wife. Thandie was relieved to know Armenta was married. And old. No temptation there, she thought. No distractions.

  She read his bio. It was a smattering of choppy, but direct facts; birthdate, marital status, one son and country of residence. It wasn’t much, but more than enough to convince Thandie he wasn’t another gorgeous, difficult club owner.

  Goodness knows she’d had her fill of that variety.

  Thandie clicked out of the search engine and returned to staring at her emails. She had a lot to do. There was plenty of new work to keep her busy, but not near enough to improve her attitude. Since her return to New York, she’d been cranky and quick to upset. As a result, the girls had been walking on eggshells around her, trying their best to stay out of her way and avoid eye contact.

  Adding to the tension, Len and Raja were being rather cool toward each other. How long had that been going on, Thandie wondered. She’d been so occupied wallowing in her own misery, she hadn’t noticed the friction between the girls.

  Finally, Am
anda had had enough. She threw her hands up and shouted, “What is going on with you guys? Why is everyone in such a snit?”

  Len and Raja traded dirty looks and Thandie pretended to be invisible. When it became obvious no one intended to answer her, Amanda planted her hands on her hips. “Well?” she demanded. “I’m waiting.”

  It was all the motivation Len needed. With a huff, she thrust an accusing finger at Raja and said, “Raja slept with Romero behind my back.”

  Thandie’s head snapped and, against her better judgement, she echoed, “Romero?”

  Raja jerked back as if Len had slapped her. “Ah! If I’d known ahead of time you’d already slept with him, I might not have done it.”

  “That’s no excuse, Raja,” Len fired back.

  “Actually, it is,” she retorted.

  “Romero?” Thandie parroted again. “But—when?”

  “On the drive back from Key West,” Raja said at the same time.

  “On the drive back?” Thandie said slowly.

  Len made a coughing sound that sounded unmistakably like “slut.”

  “Key West?” Amanda said, looking dumbfounded. “But wait, I thought you were in Miami.”

  “We took a road trip to Key West,” Raja supplied with a tired sigh.

  “Keep up, Amanda,” Len snapped.

  Thandie found it hard to believe both her assistants had been involved with Romero. She’d been under the impression they loathed him.

  “Who is Romero?” Amanda asked, clearly confused.

  Len released a very loud sigh. “He’s Elliot’s assistant.”

  “Who is Elliot?”

  “Elliot Richards,” Raja said, releasing an equally dramatic exhale. “Seriously, Amanda, what planet have you been on?”

  “Planet New York,” Amanda snapped. “Now who is Elliot?”

  “The owner of Club Babylon,” Raja answered.

  “And the most gorgeous man I’ve ever laid eyes on,” Len breathed.

  “And he was totally smitten with Thandie,” Raja added.

  Amanda’s brows shot up so high, they disappeared into her bangs. “Our Thandie?”

  Thandie could feel three pairs of eyes turn in her direction. In response, she became intensely interested in whatever was on her computer monitor. In unison, the girls leaned back in their seats, folded their arms across their chests and waited expectantly.

  “It’s your turn, boss,” Raja announced.

  “Excuse me?” Thandie asked, still avoiding eye contact.

  Len smirked. “We fessed up about what was ailing us. Now it’s your turn.”

  “Don’t you girls have work to do?” Thandie asked.

  “No,” they chorused.

  “That figures,” Thandie grumbled.

  “You’ve been in a pissy mood for days,” Len declared, “and we’ve put up with it long enough.”

  “We deserve an explanation,” Raja said in a matter-of-fact tone.

  “They have a point,” Amanda concurred.

  Thandie shook her head. “I have no idea what you’re talking about.”

  “We think you should talk to him.”

  “Talk to who?”

  “Elliot Richards,” Len and Raja said at the same time.

  Thandie shook her head viciously. “I’m not talking to him.”

  “Why not?” Amanda asked.

  “No one said you had to be nice,” Raja suggested. “Call him up and scream at him, if you must. Just—” she sighed heavily “—get it off your chest.”

  “Has he called you?” Amanda asked.

  “No,” Thandie admitted quietly. Not even once, she thought.

  That had been yet another crushing blow to her pride. She had purposely left Miami without speaking to him, but she’d secretly hoped he would try to contact her. At least to apologize. So far, no luck. Aside from her bonus check, Thandie hadn’t heard a word from Elliot.

  One person who had called her numerous times was Warren Radcliffe. He left a message on her answering machine at least once a day. Apologies poured from him like an unchecked faucet. He took responsibility for nearly everything, even things that had never been under his control, such as Elliot. Although he’d never mentioned Elliot by name, Warren expressed his remorse for not telling her the whole story of how he came to be in Miami and the “events” that had led to her hasty departure.

  No matter how he pleaded, Thandie hadn’t returned any of his calls. She simply wanted to forget Miami entirely.

  Thandie sighed. “I appreciate what you girls are trying to do but—”

  “We’re not stupid, you know,” Len said.

  “And we’re not blind either,” Raja added.

  “It’s quite obvious whats going on,” Len pressed.

  “Girls,” Thandie said in a warning voice.

  Amanda looked around the room, in bewilderment. “Is somebody going to tell me what we’re talking about?”

  “Thandie’s in love with Elliot,” Raja said in answer.

  “And she might as well stop trying to hide it,” Len reasoned, “because everybody already knows.”

  Their words were quietly spoken, but they might as well have been shouted over a bullhorn. Thandie stiffened, preparing to deny their accusations, but what was the point? She was tired of being in denial, and even more tired of trying to hide it.

  As if sensing her surrender, Len faced Thandie and asked, “Why do you think the female staff has backed off making advances toward him? Everybody at Babylon adores you, and they didn’t want to see you get hurt. You obviously care about him, so do us all a favor, and call him up and tell him so.”

  Raja’s almond eyes glowed with interest. “What’s the harm, Thandie? Anyone can see he’s crazy about you. The way he looks at you is sizzling hot.”

  “It’s not that simple,” Thandie said. “Nothing about Elliot is simple. Elliot and I are done.”

  “Thandie and Elliot were a couple?” Amanda asked, beginning to catch on.

  Raja inclined her head and whispered quite loudly, “Thandie dumped him.”

  “We were never together,” Thandie defended.

  “It certainly didn’t look that way,” Len mused.

  “Yeah, well looks can be deceiving,” Thandie said with a snort.

  “So you just ran away?” Amanda asked.

  “I didn’t run away,” Thandie snapped. “I just...moved on.”

  “Before you got hurt,” Raja finished.

  Thandie wanted to scream at them, but emotion got the better of her. She took a deep breath. “We’ve already crossed that bridge.” She turned away before they could see her eyes sheen with tears.

  Apparently, she hadn’t moved quickly enough. Len’s mouth formed a small O, and Raja looked shamefaced. Thandie hated herself for being so pathetic, but she couldn’t help it. The mention of Elliot had that effect on her. Clearing her throat, she awkwardly forced a tight smile on her face. “Don’t worry about me. I’ll be fine. I just need—”

  The buzzer rang. The four women looked at each other with blank expressions. When enough confused shoulder-shrugging was shared, Thandie padded barefoot to the front door of her apartment and hit the intercom.

  “Can I help you?”

  There was a muffled sound before an unfamiliar voice said, “I’m here to deliver a package to...” he paused and shuffling commenced “...uh...Thandie Shaw?”

  “You came to the right place,” she said before buzzing him in. “Number 510.”

  When the messenger finally arrived at her door, Thandie signed a slip of paper, and was handed a single envelope in return.

  She ripped it open, and inside was a certified check. No note had accompanied the check, and none was needed. She knew exactly what the check was for, and more importantly, where it had come from. She studied the information on the check. “E.R. Entertainments, LLC.” It was her final paycheck for the Babylon project.

  Thandie hadn’t planned on receiving anything from Elliot. She’d mentally prepared he
rself to be shorted the amount owed to her, and because she was determined to sever all ties with him, she’d made no plans to insist he pay her for the hours she’d put in.

  Looking down at the sizable check, she realized this was the final chapter of her time in Miami.

  The check symbolized the end to a short but emotional journey. Even the signature on the check spoke volumes. She recognized Elliot’s precise signature. The familiar scrawl was heartbreaking. Thandie would have preferred a computer generated signature instead. Because knowing that at some point in time Elliot had held this very slip of paper, made the act of touching the check far more intimate than she would have preferred.

  For an instant, Thandie wondered if this was yet another intricate twist in his mind games? Was this his way of showing her he had accepted her departure and had moved on with his life? Of course it was, she thought. Elliot was probably sitting in his office at this very moment, laughing at her, marveling at how easily he’d strung her along and how quickly he could replace her.

  Instead of getting sentimental, Thandie got mad. How dare he write her off so easily? Did he think this check would make things square between them? Hell no. With jerky movements, she stuffed the check back into the envelope. If Elliot thought he was doing her a favor, he was delusional. And if he thought she would refuse the money, he had another think coming. She planned to cash the damned thing first thing in the morning.

  But first, she had a phone call to make.

  Crossing the room, she snatched up her cell phone and retreated up the steps to her private quarters. Her presence would not be missed, nor would her conversation be overheard. The girls were still arguing amongst themselves. Heedless of the time difference, she punched in a number and she waited for the call to connect. She was so upset, her hands were shaking. A curt voice answered on the second ring. Without preamble, Thandie got to the point.

  “This is Thandie Shaw,” she said into the phone. “Please tell Mr. Armenta I’m very interested in the position.”

  * * *

  Elliot debated the wisdom of his decision. This was the last place in the world he wanted to be, but he was here nonetheless. He had to be here. It was as if his path had been destined to lead him here.