Thad’s heart lurched fearfully. “What do you mean?”
Darnell could hear the apprehension in his voice. She knew that her next words wouldn’t reassure him. She removed her hand from his. Rising, she grabbed her robe from the chair next to the bed and slipped into it. Then she turned to face Thad.
“Lance has been a part of my life since I was twenty-two years old. Like I told you, I love him.” She watched Thad flinch at her words and steel himself for more. Sitting back down on the bed, she cupped his chin and looked into his eyes, “But, I am in love with you.”
Darnell paused to let the impact of her words sink in before continuing. “So far, I’ve been lucky enough not to have the press involved in this, but that may not last long. So, as soon as Lance is well enough, he’ll be recovering at a place that his parents rented. I don’t know where we’re going yet…”
“Where we’re going?”
“I’m going with them.”
“You’re what?” Thad tried to remain calm.
She hurried on. “We’ll be in seclusion for a while. I’ll try and contact you…”
“Why are you going?” Fighting his conflicting emotions, Thad sprang from the bed. He wanted to sound understanding, but couldn’t quite manage it. His voice rose in barely controlled anger. “His parents will be with him. Why do you need to be there?”
“It won’t be for long, no more than a month.”
“A month!” He looked stunned. “Are you kidding?”
Darnell began pacing the room. “Lance will get plenty of rest while we’re there, and I have a benefit concert here in the city next month. I’ve got to choose my music, get my band together,” Darnell babbled on nervously.
“You haven’t answered my question, Darnell.” Thad’s tone was cold, no nonsense. He would no longer be put off by her avoidance. “Why do you need to be there?”
She sighed in resignation. “Because I have to be, Thad.”
“You have to be? And I’m supposed to believe that? You have to die and you may have to pay taxes, but you don’t have to go into seclusion with Lance. That’s your choice, Darnell.”
“You’re right. I’m going because I want to go. I want to make sure that he’s all right. He and I have been through a lot together, and I won’t abandon him when he needs me the most. I love Lance’s parents, and they love me. They think Lance and I are a couple…that we’re headed for a future together. The truth is going to be hard on them when they find out that we won’t.”
“So you’re going to tell him about us while you’re in seclusion with him.” It was a statement, not a question.
“If I get the opportunity, and depending on how his health develops.”
“If you get the opportunity,” Thad scoffed. He stilled Darnell’s pacing figure and turned her to face him. “The truth of the matter is that Lance may never be well again, Doe, and God knows he’ll never be well enough not to be hurt by what you have to say to him about us. Yet I sense that there’s something else behind your hesitation in telling him. There’s something you don’t want to share with me. So why can’t you trust me with the truth?”
Darnell closed her eyes, wishing that she hadn’t made a promise years ago that had brought her to this moment. She had never planned on falling in love with anyone. In her heart of hearts, she had never thought that it would happen. Unrealistically, she had thought that love was something she could control. Now, here stood the man she loved demanding answers that she was not free to give. She opened her eyes, but remained silent.
Thad could see both her conflict and her resolve. He couldn’t help her with either. “I’m a patient man, Doe, but how long am I supposed to wait? And what exactly is it that I’m waiting for? I love you, I need you and I want you to be with me. What could be more important than that?”
His words heightened Darnell’s conflict and her feelings of guilt. “I’m only staying there a month, and I will tell Lance about us.”
Thad pushed. “And when will you tell him? Week one? Week four?”
Darnell resisted, pulling away from him. “I don’t know, and I can’t deal with this right now.”
Thad stood with his hands clenched tightly at his sides. “And you think that I can? You don’t know how it feels, Darnell, knowing that the woman I love will be in seclusion with another man.”
She faced him squarely. “The same way Lance will feel when I tell him that I made love with you.”
Thad took a step back, his face clouded in confusion. “Why? Why should it matter to him if the two of you aren’t in love? If he’s your best friend, he should be happy that you’ve found someone.”
Darnell shook her head slowly, clearly in distress. “Oh, Thad, there are things I just can’t share with you. All I can ask is that you trust me. The man is sick, and I want him to get well. If my presence can help make that happen, then I’ll be there.”
It was Thad who felt guilty now. He hated the feeling as much as he hated feeling jealous. He didn’t like being helpless in the face of love. This woman possessed him. She owned him, totally. Reaching out, he brought her to him.
“I can’t stand the thought of losing you, baby. I just can’t.” He kissed her with the ferocity of a drowning man.
Darnell melted in his arms as she responded with the same aching need. They broke the kiss, and she whispered, “You won’t lose me. I promise that you won’t.”
Reluctantly, Thad pulled away from her, still wrestling with uncertainty. He wasn’t used to feeling helpless. He was used to being in control. So he took that control back and did the one thing that he knew that he shouldn’t do with a woman like Darnell.
“I expect you to tell Lance about us as soon as you get where you’re going.”
Darnell drew back from him. An ultimatum? Was he giving her an ultimatum? Her jaws clenched. He should know better than to challenge a challenger. “Or what, Thad?” Time stood still as she waited for his response.
Thad inhaled deeply. “Or why continue this relationship?”
* * *
Thad stepped out into the crisp night air of San Francisco with a heavy heart. He knew that he had made a mistake with Darnell by issuing an ultimatum. What had he been thinking? He knew women well enough to have handled the situation differently, but he had let his heart rule his head.
Turning the collar up on his jacket, he headed around the corner toward the garage in which he had parked his car. With head down and feet dragging, all he could think of was Darnell. He walked unaware of his surrounding as he passed the alley located only yards from the garage, so the sudden jolt to his body caught him unaware. Surprised by the attack, his resistance was minimal at first as he was dragged into the dark alley with a chokehold. The assailant was slightly shorter than he was, but stockier and strong. Gagging, Thad grabbed his assailant’s arm with both hands in an unsuccessful attempt to loosen his grip. He was pulled even farther into the darkness. He fought for air with every step. His mind raced with the realization that if he didn’t do something quickly he would die. He choked and sputtered as he tried to tell his attacker that he could have his money, the gold watch he was wearing, the diamond in his ear, but speech was impossible. Yet he was determined not to go down in a filthy alley being robbed by some mugger. There had to be something that he could do before he lost consciousness.
Suddenly, Thad stopped struggling and went limp. The movement surprised his assailant, who was thrown off balance by his victim’s full weight. He stumbled. Simultaneously, a shout came from the street adjoining the alley.
“Hey! What’s going on?”
Startled by the shout and the sudden weight of a very large man, the assailant loosened his grip. Thad came to life and pushed away from his captor as he gasped for air, bracing against the wall for support. He could hear the sound of footsteps and shouts for the fleeing assailant to halt. Dazed, Thad dropped to his knees, taking deep breaths to inhale precious oxygen as he thanked God for allowing him to live another day.
Realizing who he was, the officers cordoned off the alley to help maintain his privacy. Thad was thankful for that but refused to go to the hospital. Despite a sore neck, he had no other injuries. The only thing damaged was his pride. He informed the officers that he couldn’t identify the mugger, that nothing had been taken in the attempted robbery and that he would rather the entire incident be forgotten. He didn’t want, nor did he need, the publicity. The officers said that they would have to make a report anyway, but assured him that everything would be handled with discretion.
They attracted little attention as the policemen escorted Thad to his car in the garage. The officers got autographs before Thad drove home to Tiburon, grateful to have escaped his ordeal with only a bruised neck.
Later that evening, as he lay in his bed unable to sleep, the reality of what had happened really hit him. He could have died. This could have been his last day on earth. His last thoughts as he struggled for his life had been of Darnell. The very thought of not seeing her again had been unbearable. Tonight’s incident had proven to him that tomorrow was not promised to anyone. He didn’t plan on spending another day without the woman that he loved beside him. Forget the ultimatum. Whatever it took, they would work their problems out. He would not allow Lance, stubborn pride, or anything else to come between them.
It was two in the morning when he dialed her cell phone. She didn’t answer. No surprise, she was probably asleep. He would call back tomorrow. Thank God there would be a tomorrow.
CHAPTER 23
Only hours after Thad left her condo, Darnell received a call from Lance’s parents. Somehow, the media had discovered that he was hospitalized and he was being released that night. Hurrying back to be with him, she joined his parents and the nurse who would be attending him in a clandestine escape through abandoned tunnels to a waiting ambulance. By the time the media began to inundate the hospital for information, they were gone.
A plane whisked the party of five to Santa Barbara, where the Austins had leased a house from a family friend. It was a large Victorian located on a secluded ranch. An unmarked road led to the property that consisted of lush fruit trees and a private lake. The nearest neighbor was miles away. It was the perfect place for Lance to recuperate and for Darnell to think.
As she stepped out onto the veranda a week later, she looked out at the placid scene before her and wished that she felt as peaceful as her surroundings looked. But at least Lance was resting well. She glanced over at him as he lay sleeping on a chaise lounge. He had been reading a letter when he dozed off. It now lay abandoned on his chest.
Lance seemed to be improving each day. His appetite had returned, and he was starting to gain weight. He had lost the gaunt look that had plagued him in the hospital. She smiled down at his sleeping form. Even in illness, he was still one of the best looking men around.
Because of his light brown complexion, wavy dark hair, sharp nose, and thin lips, Lance was often mistaken as being the product of an interracial union, but he wasn’t. He was the product of generations of intermarriage between light skinned African-Americans. When he had approached Darnell with romantic interest, she had been suspicious of his motives. She had a dark brown complexion and assumed that he would only be interested in women with straight, flowing hair and with skin like his. She had been proven wrong. Lance showed his love and concern for her in many ways.
As the relationship between them blossomed, she had discovered a brilliant mind behind his model good looks. Obsessed with following in his parents’ footsteps, he ate, slept, and breathed medicine. If nothing else, their obsessions with their careers made the two of them compatible. They had become inseparable. And then, the automobile accident had occurred. Like the illness that he was now fighting, it nearly took his life.
Lance had recovered from his injuries a changed man. He became moody and reclusive. The closeness that they shared began to erode until he shared a secret with Darnell that would alter both their lives. His sharing proved cathartic. They patched up their relationship and remained the best of friends, always there supporting each other, always aware that their careers were first. Everything else was secondary.
Darnell sighed. What a waste. They had let so much of life pass them by. Neither of them could ever recapture those years. Since he’d fallen desperately ill with hepatitis, she had prayed daily that his life would be spared so that he could live a rich, fulfilled future. He was a good man and didn’t deserve anything less.
As for her, she wasn’t certain whether her future would include Thad. After issuing his ultimatum, he had left her condo in a huff. He had given her no choice. Either she told Lance about their relationship or it was over.
As she recalled that night, Darnell fought back the tears. He had left their future together up to her.
* * *
At one time, the glittering nightlife that came with the Hollywood scene was mother’s milk to Thad. He was a master in social settings, a natural magnet, and this evening’s event was no exception. Ray had invited Thad to accompany him to the opening night reception of an art exhibit at the Los Angeles Museum of Art. He had accepted the invitation, but he regretted it the minute he stepped into the museum. His presence had caused a stir, but the glitz and the glamour were lost on him. It no longer had any appeal. He moved through the crowded reception on mechanical legs, seeking escape from the attention he was receiving from women of all ages.
He tried to be gracious, but he was tired of smiling, tired of small talk, tired of pretending. He needed a break. Heading toward the restroom, he made a slight detour, slipping through a pair of patio doors, discarding the many telephone numbers that had been slipped into his pocket as he did so. Out of sight, he leaned against the patio rail, gazed out onto the peaceful grounds, and breathed a sigh of relief.
From a discreet vantage point, Regine Lexy had watched Thad all evening as he maneuvered through his crowd of admirers. Her eyes had followed his every move right up to the moment that he walked in the direction of the men’s room and disappeared. He hadn’t noticed her presence in the crowded room during the evening, and she had kept it that way, until now.
Moving through the gallery, she followed his path. The Museum of Art was like her second home. She had taken art lessons there and worked there as a tour guide. She knew every nook and cranny. So, when he did not reappear from the bathroom, she went looking for him in the secret places that she knew existed.
On the patio, Thad leaned against the railing, lost in thoughts about Darnell. He knew issuing an ultimatum had been foolish. He hadn’t heard from her in over a week, not since the night that he left her at the condo.
All he had gained from that debacle was a mugging and deep regret. He wished that he had never made such a misguided move. Then perhaps they would still be in contact. He missed her terribly.
Closing his eyes, he visualized Darnell. A low moan escaped his lips as he fought his body’s escalating need.
“Out here turning yourself on?”
Startled, Thad turned to see Regine standing behind him. A smile was poised on her moist lips.
“Where did you come from?” He didn’t try to disguise his annoyance.
Regine moved to stand beside him. Leaning against the rail, she turned to face him. Thad’s eyes swept her appreciatively. She was ravishing in a floor-length gown of pale blue. Its low-cut neckline and fitted waist emphasized her sculptured physique. He couldn’t deny that Regine was a beautiful woman, but she was also a pariah. Thad’s eyes slipped back to her face and narrowed as he remembered her part in keeping Darnell and him apart.
“Listen, I want you to know that I don’t appreciate you coming to my house uninvited. As for your answering my telephone,
you’ll never get a chance to pull that little stunt again because you’ll never grace my doorstep again as long as I’m alive. Donald remembers your coming over and when. So don’t try to lie and say you didn’t do it.”
Regine couldn’t help noting the controlled rage in his voice, but she hadn’t missed his moment of male appraisal, either. She chose to ignore the former and address the latter. Leaning in closer to him, she gave him a clearer view of her bosom. “I came here from Sausalito for the opening. The artist is a friend of mine. What brings you here?”
“You heard what I said, Regine, so don’t play games with me.” Wearily, he ran a hand through his hair. He didn’t need this. How did she find him, anyway?
“Yes, I heard you, and I’m sorry. I was in the neighborhood and you had been there when I called. How did I know that you wouldn’t be home? When I answered the phone, I thought I was doing you a favor. Donald had stepped out, nobody was there…” Her voice would melt ice. Thad’s look could freeze it. She tried another tactic.
“By the way, how is Darnell Cameron?” It was obvious that she had told him about the phone call. How effective had it been? “I remember she was with you at my gallery the day you bought the Bearden, but I didn’t know that the two of you were close friends.”
Thad looked at her steadily but remained silent.
“I read in the newspaper that her boyfriend is sick. The rumor is that they’ll be getting married soon since he faces such an uncertain future.” Was there really something between them? She watched him closely.
Thad kept every emotion but anger in check. He wasn’t going to give Regine the satisfaction of a reaction. “Those rags are always marrying somebody off. As I recall, they even had us walking down the aisle at one time, and that was after our first date.”
“Yes, I remember.” Regine tried not to sound wistful about what might have been. “But I didn’t read it in one of those rags. I read it in the Times. They’re usually pretty accurate.”
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