Admission of Love

by Niobia Bryant

  Once done with her laps, Chloe pulled her sleek dripping wet body out of the pool and stepped into one of the mini-showers located in the corner of the rooms to rinse off the chlorine. She pulled on one of the thick terry cloth robes lining the walls on silver hooks, slipping it on as she left the room through the door to the left to cross the circular hallway to her master suite.

  Chloe was momentarily blinded by the white-on-white decor as the sun glared though the vertical blinds of her windows. Crossing the plush white carpet, she entered her bathroom. It was nearly half the size of the entire spacious master bedroom. Here the white decor continued with silver accessories, like the makeup table and the étagère in the corner.

  She removed her robe and the skimpy white bikini she wore, throwing them into the white wicker clothes hamper next to the octagon-shaped individual shower stall. Under the hot jet spray she showered, making sure to get all the chlorine from her skin and hair, before leaving the cubicle to wrap herself in a plush white bath towel. She contemplated sitting in her personal home sauna in the comer, but decided against it, instead leaving the bathroom to pad barefoot into her bedroom. Vigorously she wiped her damp hair with another towel. From beneath the material she caught sight of her king-sized bed sitting in the middle of a white circular platform in the center of the room.

  Chloe wished Devon was lying there waiting for her but he wasn’t. They hadn’t shared any real time alone since they argued that night about Alicia, and after such a romantic, unbelievably sensuous time at the pond. She still shivered with desire when she thought of the precious moments they shared that day.

  Neither of them seemed to want to be the first to approach the other, for that was a sign of weakness. But she missed him so, and to see him as he helped her move in, and not speak to him or touch him or kiss him had been pure torture. Several times their eyes had met and held before one would look away, no words spoken between them. That had really bothered her, so she tried not to think of him.

  Chloe walked over to one of her two walk-in closets. Anika, to her eternal credit, had supervised the shipping of the rest of her clothing from the New York apartment. It really boosted her wardrobe and she had endless selections to choose from.

  It had rained last night but the sun was now shining brightly, so she wanted to dress comfortably because she had a lot of running around to do for the day. Chloe chose a cotton Nike dress with short sleeves and a rounded collar with matching sneakers. After lotioning her body with Pleasure, she pulled on her black cotton sports bra and thong before slipping on the dress and sneakers.

  After pulling her wet wavy hair into a scrunchee, she threw her personal items and wallet into her duffel sack. Chloe glanced down at her watch. It was quarter to ten in the morning. Sighing, she retraced her steps to the front door, pausing to activate the alarm system she had installed on the house, before leaving and locking the door.

  Within minutes she was seated behind the wheel of her SUV, grimacing at the mud on her sneakers before she pulled out of the yard. On impulse, once she caught sight of the large white house, Chloe turned the large vehicle onto the driveway next to Devon’s blue truck.

  “Well, hello stranger,” Nana Lil called from the porch as she walked out of the house.

  Chloe hopped down to the ground with a smile. “Stranger? Deshawn just dropped you down to the house yesterday, Nana Lil.”

  Lil winked. “I know. You sure look pretty. Where ya headed?”

  “Grocery shopping. You all are still coming to dinner tonight?”

  “Yes,” she said hesitantly, her expression pained. “You sure you won’t be needing help?”

  Chloe laughed. “No ma’am. Do you need anything from the store?”

  “No. Don’t think so.”

  Just then Devon walked out onto the porch. He didn’t appear to be surprised to see her, so Chloe knew that he knew she was outside. “Hello, Devon” slipped so easily from her mouth that she hated herself for it.

  His eyes were obsidian pools as he stared at her. “So you’re speaking to me again.” He nodded. “Hello, Chloe.”

  Lil looked from one to the other before walking back into the house without another word.

  Chloe shifted nervously under his scrutiny. She missed him and she wanted him back in her life. No, it hadn’t been in her earlier plan to need him, but she did. Funny, as she looked at him, with his handsome self, she couldn’t quite remember why they had even been mad at each other for a brief moment. Coughing nervously, she asked, “You will come tonight for dinner?”

  He said nothing, instead jiggling the keys in his hand as he descended the stairs to walk over to where she stood wringing her hands nervously. “And you’re supposed to be cookin’ this dinner?” he asked, his deep voice playfully mocking.

  She stiffened in indignation and raised a finely arched brow. “Yes I am. I can cook, you know.”

  “This I’ll have to see.” He leaned down to touch her mouth with a feather-light kiss before hopping in his truck to reverse out of the yard.

  Chloe battled herself, forcing her body not to turn and watch him drive off. Her lips still quivered from his kiss and her nipples had hardened into two tight buds beneath her dress. Literally she shook it off before she climbed into her SUV with a sexually frustrated groan.

  She drove to town, pulling into the small parking lot of the Piggly Wiggly grocery store. Once she parked, Chloe grabbed a shopping cart that had been abandoned in the spot next to hers.

  Chloe went up and down each aisle placing whatever item she wanted in the cart. Occasionally she waved and smiled at people she knew from Holtsville. She came to the aisle with the paper products: magazines, paperback books, stationery and greeting cards. On impulse she slowed the cart in front of the section holding the many magazines. Leaving the cart, her eyes scanned the rows until they lit on the glossy and colorful magazine covers she had once graced: Elle, Vogue, Mirabella, Ebony, Essence, Glamour and Mademoiselle.

  Lia Montague, Chloe’s once biggest competitor, smiled from the coveted Vogue cover. She had to admit that it was a good photo of the woman’s pale Swedish beauty. Liv had already informed her months ago on how Lia’s popularity had soared among the industry upon Chloe’s retirement.

  The woman was also nominated for the award Chloe was up for. She’ll probably win, Chloe thought as she studied the cover picture, now holding the thick glossy magazine in her hand. To her it almost looked as if the smile on Lia’s face was one of triumph, as if saying “I’m going to finally beat you.”

  Placing the magazine back where she got it, she moved on, first grabbing the recent issue of Essence to read later. She finished her shopping, her cart now completely filled with groceries. Moving into the shortest line, she brought the cart to a stop and opened the magazine to browse while she waited.

  Soon she was in her SUV, her groceries stored safely in back, headed homeward down Highway 17. Chloe couldn’t wait for the chance to finally prove to everyone that she could throw down in the kitchen, and she also wanted to show off her hand at interior decorating in her dream house. It would take careful planning to make sure everything would be fixed around the same time, but Chloe knew she could pull it off.

  As she passed their house, she noticed that Devon’s truck was not parked there, and Alicia’s compact was in its place.

  Not stopping, Chloe steered the vehicle up the road to her house. Before turning in the driveway she pulled on the other side of the road on the right and hopped out of the vehicle to retrieve her mail out of the plain white mailbox. She carried the bundle of envelopes along with her copies of the New York Times and USA Today, not even bothering to glance through them as she got back in the SUV

  “I really do need to call some landscapers,” she said aloud to herself as she surveyed the land surrounding the house. It looked three times as bad with the torrential rain last night turning everything to slick mud.

  Parking on the left side of the house by the large sliding glass door off
the kitchen, she deactivated the alarm by the keypad before she entered the house. Chloe began to unload her packages from the vehicle to the kitchen’s smooth, black-tiled counters.

  She truly loved how the skylight in the center of the room allowed the sun’s rays to beam into the kitchen. At night the star’s twinkled just as brightly. As she unpacked the groceries and put them away in the appropriate storage areas, Chloe threw her stack of mail and newspapers onto the glass and wrought-iron table that matched her cabinets.

  The cabinets.

  Chloe smiled because it was a constant reminder of Devon and the first kiss they shared in this very same spacious room. That kiss had been just a sample of the chemistry they created whenever they were together. Whether arguing or making sweet love, the sparks always seemed to fly.

  Leaving the kitchen through the arched entrance on the other side of the massive room, Chloe turned down the hall and headed back to her suite. Quickly she made her bed and changed into an oversized gray T-shirt and black leggings, leaving her feet bare before walking back out to the kitchen. Using the remote, she turned on the black, nineteen-inch television in the comer on a swivel wall mount. After settling on one of those television magazine programs, she had just taken a seat on one of the stools at the black marble island to start peeling potatoes when the phone began to ring. Reaching behind her Chloe picked up the cordless phone from its base on the counter.

  “Hello.”

  “Hey Chloe.”

  A wave of pleasure went through her at the sound of Devon’s voice. Maybe he’s ready to really apologize. “Hello Devon.”

  He laughed. “Sorry, baby girl, this is the other twin, the cute one with the dimple in the left cheek, not the right.”

  So is that how Nana Lil knows them apart?

  Chloe laughed, even though she was bitterly disappointed. “What can I help you with, Deshawn?”

  “Just wanted to know if I could bring a friend with me tonight.”

  A brief mental image of the voluptuous girl flashed in her mind. “Sure you can. You do mean Poochie right?”

  Deshawn laughed, the sound so familiar to Chloe because of its likeness to Devon’s laugh. “Maybe,” he said vaguely.

  “Whatever, Shawnie,” she said with a smile. “I’ll see you both at six o’clock, okay?”

  “All right ... oh, and Chloe?”

  “Yes?”

  “Do I need to bring Alka Seltzer?”

  She disconnected the line, cutting off his laughter.

  ∞

  Devon could not take his eyes off of her as she guided the small group of five on a tour of the house. His breath was taken away, as if seeing her for the very first time. Her hair was pinned up with a riot of curls, a few strands slipping loose to caress her cheek and the nape of her slender, graceful neck. The blue-beaded, three-strand choker she wore emphasized her delicate collarbone and soft, rounded shoulders above the midnight blue strapless dress she wore with all over floral embroidered lace overlay. Her curvaceous frame gave the A-line dress new definition as it hugged her, stopping just above her knee with a scalloped edge to showcase her long shapely legs and delicate ankles in the strappy matching sandals she wore.

  She was stunning.

  Reluctantly, he drew his attention away from her as he realized how intently he had been staring at her. For the first time he looked around at his surroundings. So far he had to admit that she had done an excellent job of decorating the uniquely structured house. None of the haughtiness he had originally believed he would see was evident. Everything was clean, unique, uncluttered, but yes, expensive and elegant.

  It was in the game room that he was truly impressed as an avid sports fan. The walls were, as he knew, painted a deep rich navy, and large autographed sports jerseys were on white backdrops in silver frames. The football, basketball and baseball jerseys had to be worth a small fortune, with big-time athletes like Michael Jordan, Randall Cunningham, O.J. Simpson, Isaiah Thomas, Magic Johnson, and Ken Griffey Jr. A large seventy-inch projection screen television took up most of the space on one wall, surrounded by a cream leather sectional with navy and bright yellow pillows. Two pool tables were in the middle of the room underneath aluminum bell hanging lamps. Arcade games, a dart board and a state-of-the-art entertainment center including a retractable movie screen also were to be found and enjoyed.

  Cyrus planted himself on the sectional and turned on the television. Deshawn challenged Devon to a game of pool, and Poochie fawned over Chloe’s collection of celebrity snapshots alongside another wall. Lil went bustling after their hostess, who went to check on dinner.

  Chloe was shaking with bad nerves. Not because of the dinner but because she had felt Devon’s eyes on her since he arrived. And God, he looked so fine is his lightweight linen suit. Her thoughts were so filled with Devon that she didn’t even see Nana Lil behind her until she had already reached the kitchen.

  “Need any help, baby?”

  She looked up from the pot she was stirring. The aromatic scent of all the delicacies she prepared was in the air. Chloe nearly toppled over in her stilettos as she moved quickly around the island to block Nana Lil from getting any closer to her pots. “No thank you. I’ll call when it’s time to eat.”

  She grabbed her shoulders and steered the older woman back toward the hall. “Well ain’t nothing smelling burnt,” Lil said in lieu of a compliment.

  Once she was sure Nana Lil had walked back to where the rest of her guests were, Chloe began to carry the serving bowls into the oval-shaped dining room through the archway connecting the two rooms. She had chosen a cranberry and cream decor, picking up the mahogany in the tile of the foyer and hall. The contemporary dining room set consisted of a long rectangular beveled glass tabletop with two creamy marble pedestal bases, large enough to seat eight comfortably. The alternating cranberry and cream Parsons chairs of jacquard fabric gave the room a real elegant and contemporary feel without having her guests feel uncomfortable.

  Soon the table was laden with all the dishes she prepared, and Chloe looked at the results with pride. Even her table setting with gold utensils and a beautiful floral centerpiece was wonderful. Using the intercom system installed in every room of the house, Chloe called everyone to dinner.

  The sound of their voices echoed down the hall as they began to walk into the dining room. They all took seats and Chloe was vindicated by the gasp of shock and amazement that she saw on their faces.

  ∞

  “Good bread, good meat, good Lord, let’s eat,” Cyrus said as he eyed the spread of food hungrily.

  Well, well, well, Nana Lil thought as she inhaled the tantalizing aroma of the food. I hope it’s all as good as it looks.

  Deshawn’s stomach grumbled noisily in hunger as the delectable aromas clouded his senses. Damn, little Chloe sure did out—

  He lost his train of thought as Poochie began to massage his inner thigh.

  Devon was too shocked to think or say anything. He looked over to where Chloe stood. She gazed at him with a look that sought approval, still looking so beautiful after cooking such a big dinner, as she nervously bit off the lipstick from her full bottom lip. Well, Devon felt a piece of that old heart of his fall in love.

  ∞

  Baked macaroni and cheese perfectly browned and creamy with four cheeses in it. Crispy and golden fried chicken seasoned to perfection. Candied yams. Swedish meatballs. Smothered pork chops. Shrimp gumbo. Collard greens. Homemade biscuits and cornbread. Peach cobbler and sweet potato pie. Mouth-watering.

  Every last bit of it was delicious!

  Chloe smiled at the sound of people enjoying good food. Lips smacked, forks scraped on plates, and serving spoons hit the sides of bowls for second and third helpings. She had warmed under their endless compliments.

  “I told you I could cook, Nana Lil,” she mused. “My mother taught me. I knew how to make most of these dishes before I was twelve.”

  Chloe glanced at Devon, who sat to her immediate left. He was ea
gerly sopping up the spicy shrimp gumbo with a soft buttery biscuit. When he looked up at her, his handsome face became sheepish. She said nothing, only raising one arched brow at him as if to say, I can't cook, huh?

  “Sure there aren’t some catering tins hidden in the garbage, Chloe?” Deshawn called from down at the other end of the table where he sat.

  “Go ahead and look.” She waved her hand toward the entrance to the kitchen.

  “No need, no need,” he acquiesced with a wink, earning him a hard pinch from Poochie.

  Devon reached for her hand and held it inside of his warm grasp on top of the table. Chloe was surprised and moved by the simple gesture. It was the first outward sign of affection that Devon had made toward her in front of his family.

  “Dinner was delicious, baby.” He leaned over and kissed her full on the mouth.

  Chloe’s soft gasp of surprise was mingled with the other reactions:

  Nana Lil sighed with pleasure.

  Cyrus choked on the cobbler he was chewing heartily on.

  Poochie snapped her fingers with a decisive, “You go girl.”

  Deshawn whispered, “Well I’ll be damned.”

  Chloe looked into Devon’s eyes and saw something in the depths that took her breath away. She knew then that their relationship had just moved to a new level.

  Memories of Calvin’s betrayal lurked and because of it, quite frankly she didn’t know how she felt being on the next plateau.

  ∞

  Chloe and Devon stood arm in arm on the lit porch as Deshawn pulled off in Poochie’s car with Nana Lil and Cyrus in the back seat. After the car disappeared from their view, he leaned down and kissed the back of her neck. He had wanted to do that all night.