“Oh Lord!” Kimone clapped a hand to her forehead. “That’s tonight?” The last thing she wanted to do tonight was dress up and go socialize with complete strangers. She wanted to go somewhere and cry herself to sleep and probably drink some cheap wine but cheap wine would not be available in the house she now lived in. For the first time since she had moved, she found herself missing her tiny apartment.
“I asked Amy to call you and remind you,” Peter was eyeing her closely.
“She did earlier today but it slipped my mind. Do I really have to go?”
“That’s the only thing I asked you for Kimone.” His voice had gone cool and with a moment of despair she realized that today was the day for upsetting people.
“Okay fine,” she told him impatiently. “I’ll go home and get dolled up like a freaking mannequin and smile and pretend that I am having a good time.” She said ungraciously, wanting to lash out at someone; anyone.
“Thank you.” He told her formally and without another word he left the store.
Kimone locked the door as soon as he left; burying her face into her hands; her body shaking in despair. How had things gotten so bad? After being so good? She reached for her phone and called the one person she was sure would not be upset with her no matter what.
“Mom, I think I messed up.” She said as soon as her mother answered the phone.
“Baby girl, what’s wrong?”
Kimone told her of the argument she’d had with Dawn and what she said and how she made Peter angry with her because she had expressed how reluctant she was about going to the dinner tonight.
“Hon, I told you that Dawn was going through something and you have to put yourself in her shoes. She is seeing you succeed where she has failed: twice. And to see things going so well for you; it’s not easy on her.”
“But if it was the other way around I would be so happy for her!” Kimone cried, not understanding in the least.
“You were always able to shake off anything that did not sit right with you and that’s what makes you unique. It also makes you self absorbed honey not in a bad way but you usually do not see what is going on with another person; you kind of live in your own little world.”
Hearing her mother say the same thing Dawn had told her, albeit more gently, had Kimone thinking. Did she disregard other people’s feelings?
“I wasn’t aware I was so selfish,” she said a little frostily.
“You are definitely not selfish,” Kimberley said softly. “Never think that. Don’t take it personal honey, it’s not about you. Just give Dawn a day or two to cool off before approaching her and please listen to her without saying anything; the girl is obviously hurting and feeling alone. As for that husband of yours; he is right; he asks for so little and baby girl he loves you very much.”
“He does not-“ she started to say and then she stopped; remembering that no one knew about the terms of the relationship except her and Peter.
“He couldn’t take his eyes off you all through the ceremony,” she continued as if she had not heard anything she said. “It brought back memories of when your father used to look at me as if I was the only one around. You have the real thing honey, don’t take it for granted.”
*****
Kimone applied her make-up carefully; her expression thoughtful. All the way home she had been thinking about what her mother had said; Peter loved her? She knew he was attracted to her; immensely. But she was as well or was it more than that. She thought back to all the times he had made love to her which was every night and in the mornings. How he held her close to him when they were finished as if he did not want to let her go. She also remember him staring at her and when she looked at him he would glance away.
The signs had all been there for her to see and she had been so involved in her precious store that she had not realized it.
Her dress was a black and white diagonal stripes with uneven hem. It was stunning in its simplicity and molded her entire body like a second skin. She had opted not to wear any underwear because there was no room for it. Peter had gotten ready before her as usual in a pin striped dark blue suit that made him looked even more handsome, if that was possible. She had started looking at him differently ever since she came home an hour ago with barely enough time to get ready. He had been very polite but distant and Kimone had not bothered to say anything to him.
“You look beautiful,” his soft voice said behind her. “I am going to be the envy of every man at the dinner.” He came further inside the room and opened a small red velvet box revealing a luminescent pearl necklace that had a slight tinge of pink. Kimone stared at it; her breath caught at the sheer beauty of the piece of jewelry that she was sure would keep someone in food and clothing for a number of years. She forced herself not to think about the monetary value but at the thought behind it. “I know you don’t like this sort of thing but I am asking you to humor me for once.” He took the necklace from the box and without a word she turned around, lifting the heavy curls from her neck so that he could pin the clasp. She had wrapped her hair to the side but with the necklace he had just given her she realized that she would have to change the style to put her hair up in a chignon.
“It’s beautiful,” she told him softly, resting her hands against his chest. “And I am going to be the envy of every woman there.”
*****
Kimone actually enjoyed herself. The dinner was held at the newly renovated Italian restaurant downtown and she was surprised to find out that Peter’s company had shares in it. There were about two hundred people at the dinner party and Kimone realized she had met some of them at the wedding. Peter pointed out some people he was in transaction with and told her about the community center he wanted to build to provide some sort of recreation for the Asian community. With a sense of admiration and pride she discovered that her husband was not only a smart business man but one who had a big heart.
“That’s a really lovely necklace you are wearing my dear,” a woman wearing a bright emerald gown with diamonds blazing at her throat and ears said to her. Peter was in discussion with an elderly gentleman sitting on his left whom she understood was the owner of a chain of hotels. The woman was a stunning blonde and had come with a middle aged man at another table.
“Thank you,” Kimone said politely, one hand going unconsciously to the iridescent pearl around her neck. She had changed her hairstyle and pinned the heavy curls on top of her head with several tendrils falling to her cheeks and the back of her neck.
“A present from your husband?” she persisted.
“Yes.”
“I must seem like a regular nosey parker don’t I?” she asked with a tinkling laugh. “My name is Sandra Graham, and I am married to that old geezer at the other table.” She indicated the man who was having a heavy discussion with another man at his table.
“Kimone Bail-I mean Makeida,” she corrected hastily, still not used to her married name.
“That’s all right hon, I still use my maiden name.” Sandra said with a laugh, holding out her hand to shake the younger girl’s. “I married in haste and for money and am now repenting in leisure.” She said wryly.
Kimone looked at the girl curiously and realized that she liked the girl’s frank attitude. “It can’t be all that bad.”
“It’s worse.” Sandra leaned forward as if revealing a well kept secret. “I was a model for many years and spent the money I made on everything money could buy with no thought for the future and before I knew it, I was as broke as the proverbial church mouse. So I accepted the first offer I received and ran with it.” She sighed and lifted her left hand; the ring finger blazing with a very large diamond and patted her already perfect coiffure. “He is not such a bad guy when you look past the ex-wives and children and the fact that he snores loud enough to wake a cemetery but I am not in love with him and neither is he with me and that was the biggest mistake I have ever made.”
“So why are you still with him?”
Sandra l
aughed; the tinkling laugh tinged with irony. “I have gotten too used to the good life honey and I am afraid I cannot do without the trappings of wealth. But you are lucky. That husband of yours seems to worship the ground you walk on; I have only seen you two together since you came in but I know complete love when I see it. I envy you.”
She had been hearing it too many times now to ignore it. Peter loves her. She had entered into the marriage as a matter of convenience but she wondered if he had initially. He was the one who had suggested marriage to her and he had not given her a clear cut reason as to why he had wanted to marry her.
She turned her head slightly to look at her husband who was nodding and smiling at something the man had said to him and for a brief moment his eyes caught hers briefly and the look spoke volumes. Her lips parted slightly as she stared at him and she felt the pull of the powerful attraction between them. It was as if they were the only two people inside the crowded room.
It was Sandra’s light touch on her arms that broke the spell. “Honey save that for when you guys get home,” the girl said with a laugh.
“How long have you been married?”
“Too long,” Sandra said with a wry shake of her head. Their meal had arrived and they dug into it with gusto. “Ten years and I have learned to live with Alec and grit my teeth in the bedroom. I cannot have an affair because I signed a pre-nup and if I am found with another man, I stand to lose everything.”
Kimone put down her cutlery and stared at the other woman in sympathy. “That’s an awful way to live,” She told the girl frankly. “I would prefer to live without a loaf of bread in my closet before I live like that.”
“I did poverty before honey and I am not going down that road again.” Sandra said firmly, her eyes straying a little bit to her husband who was digging into the meal as if it were his last. He was not so bad to look at; except for the floridness of his face and his paunch. “I figured that I have done ten years of it, surely I can go another several years.” With a fatalistic shrug she turned back to Kimone. “Enough about my life now tell me how on earth you landed such a totally eligible man.”
Kimone laughed and told her that they had actually met in a coffee shop but she left out the part about the marriage of convenience and by the end of the evening she and Sandra were fast friends.
Chapter 9
Kimone heard from Sandra on Monday. She had given her number at the dinner and had promised to keep in touch. They had left the restaurant at eleven and had been too exhausted to make love but Peter had woken her up early Saturday morning with his hands and mouth on her body.
It was early afternoon and the store had been extremely busy since they opened the doors at eight a.m.
“Hi Kimone, it’s Sandra from dinner,” the woman said as soon as she answered the phone.
“Hi Sandra, of course I remember you!” Kimone indicated for Samantha to take over for her; she had been having a tea party with the children and one little girl was in the middle of pouring tea. “How are you?” she stood up and walked towards her small office, closing the door behind her.
“I am doing okay girl just thought I would give you a call.” There was a little pause and then she continued. “Can we meet for lunch?”
“Of course,” Kimone answered without hesitation. “When do you want to meet?”
“How about tomorrow at noon? Is that okay with you?”
“Of course,” Kimone frantically made some readjustments inside her head. She was supposed to go to an antique show tomorrow and she had wanted to make some minor adjustments to the office.
“Great,” Sandra’s voice sounded relieved. “Let’s meet at ‘Café Du Jour’ you know where it is?”
“Yes, I will be there.”
She made plans to see Dawn after closing, whether she wanted to see her or not but when she had called her friend; the girl had been so subdued and apologetic and had told her that she was coming around to the store.
*****
“I have been such a brainless idiot,” Dawn said quietly as soon as she walked in. It was a little after seven. Kimone had called Peter and told him she was going to be late as she was going to be with Dawn and he had told her he had a late meeting anyway. The weather was beautiful with a hint of spring in the air.
“Yes, you have,” Kimone agreed with her, a smile playing around her full lips. The girl looked totally beat up and not the Dawn she was used to seeing. She locked the door behind her friend and took a seat on the sofa she had recently acquired, patting the space beside her. “You said some pretty nasty things to me the other day but I understand you are going through a lot.”
Dawn looked at her and to Kimone’s horror she burst into tears.
“Honey,” Kimone pulled her towards her, her arms going around the girl’s heaving shoulders. She waited until the tears were spent and reached for a tissue in the box on the table.
“Thanks,” Dawn patted her face dry and pulled away slightly. “He cried when I told him I could not be with him anymore.” She stared into space as if reliving the awful experience. “We were at my apartment after the wedding and he was talking about setting a date for our wedding when I blurted it out. I could not stand another minute of pretending that I was in love with him and pretending that I was enjoying his lovemaking. I had to tell him and he cried. I felt like the lowest form of lowlife because that was what had happened to me before and I did it to someone else.”
“Oh honey, I really thought you were in love with him,” Kimone reached over and clasped her hands; hands that were twisting together nervously.
“I thought I was too until I saw the way Peter looked at you at the wedding and even before that and when you guys were on the dance floor; the way you looked at each other. I realize that Gregory and I did not have that. I was so afraid of ending up alone that I let myself think I was in love and he was the one. I don’t want to be with someone because I am afraid of ending up alone. I want to be with someone because I am so in love that I can’t bear to be away from that person. I want what you have with Peter.”
“I have a confession to make.” Kimone told her quietly; sitting back against the cushion and looking at Dawn. The girl’s face was tear streaked and she looked so forlorn that Kimone felt her heart moved for her. “It was not like that at first. We got married for different reasons but the first time we made love it was as if something happened. Now I have discovered that he is someone I want in my life until death do us part and all that; I have fallen in love with him,” she paused, the revelation bursting inside her heart. It was the first she had ever said it out loud and with a sudden rush of elation she felt it. She loved him. She loved him so completely that she wanted to run from the store and tell him right away. “You will find something like that Dawn and whatever it is you are going through, please remember that I am here for you.”
Dawn nodded solemnly. “I tried calling Gregory but he is not returning my calls. I want to tell him how sorry I am.”
“Oh honey, I don’t think that’s such a good idea.” Kimone told her. It broke her heart to see her friend so broken up. “How about I take you to lunch sometime this week.” She had wanted to say tomorrow but she remembered that she was having lunch with Sandra and she was sure the girl wanted to tell her something personal.
“I would love that, and since you have become the wife of a billionaire, I am going to choose the most expensive restaurant in town,” Dawn made a pathetic attempt at teasing.
“I would expect no less,” Kimone told her solemnly, reaching over to pull the forlorn friend into her arms.
*****
She planned it carefully. She had closed the store a little after Dawn had left and had called Amy to find out where Peter was and was told that he was at a meeting at the office. She went to the house to find that Annabelle had left a dish of fried chicken and shrimp fried rice in the oven and a lemon meringue pie for dessert. The woman was a whiz in the house and whatever Peter was paying her, she deserved more.
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She set the scene. She had found several candles in the kitchen cupboard and lit several in the bathroom and rest in the bedroom. After which she drew a scented bath and soaked in it for several minutes before going into the bedroom to cream her skin with an expensive cream she had bought just a few days ago. Then she slipped on a black silk negligee and nothing else; she was determined to make him know how much she loved him and get him to admit that he loved her too. She had finished setting the table and was berating herself for not buying a bottle of wine when she heard the key turned inside the lock.
For the first time since she knew him, she felt herself shaking a little with nerves. She had turned off all the lights and only the glow of the candles lit the room.
“Kimone?” his voice sounded just inside the doorway.
“In the dining room and leave the lights off,” she called out to him. He made his way uncertainly towards her. He had taken off his jacket and loosened his tie and placed his briefcase on the table beside the door.
“What’s going on?”
“Just thought I would play the part of a wife for the first time,” she came over to him and just stood there in front of him. He smelled the whiff of something exotic coming from her.
“What brought this on?” he asked her teasingly, not touching her.
“I made a discovery today,” she took the initiative and wrapped her arms around his neck; the movement pulling apart the thin material and revealing the curves of her breasts. His breath caught inside his throat as he felt her nakedness against him. He’d had a rough day at the office. A major deal had fallen through and he had to let go two of his staff because of insider trading and all he had wanted to do was to just take a shower and pull Kimone into his arms and fall asleep.
“What discovery?” his arms went around her small waist.
Love In Arms_BWWM Romance Page 22
