“That’s what I thought, too,” Adrianna said with a humorless chuckle. “So imagine my surprise when the interviewer told me I had to cook my signature truffle macaroni and cheese in my new red Dior suit.”
“You cooked mac-and-cheese in couture?”
Adrianna laughed. “I sure did. I wanted to prove that I could do anything that Dante could do. But what was even more surprising was when I ended the taping, Dante was waiting for me. We went out for cocktails and before I knew it…”
“One thing led to another,” Madison finished. “So, what now? Are you guys going to pick up where you left off?”
Adrianna shook her head. “Like it would be that easy. In the cold light of day, we both realized it was a mistake, a lapse in judgment and that we should both go our separate ways.”
“Girlfriend, if you could see the look on your face. You two are far from over.”
“You and I both know we have to be.” Adrianna sipped on her cappuccino. “If Dante ever knew the real reason I married Phillip and hightailed it out of town, he’d never forgive me.”
“The miscarriage was hard on you, wasn’t it?”
Adrianna sighed. “You have no idea, Madison. There I was, forced into a marriage with a man I didn’t love to appease my father and to avoid being penniless only to lose the one thing I wanted most in the world, Dante’s child.”
“You sound like you blame yourself.”
“Honestly? Sometimes, I do,” Adrianna replied. “I know the doctor said these things happen with first-time mothers, but with the stress I was under? Who knows what harm I did? Maybe God was punishing me.”
“You’re being too hard on yourself, Adrianna. You did the best you could for your baby at the time. And I might not be the most religious person, but I doubt God punishes people that way.”
Adrianna hung her head low. “Does it really matter? Can you imagine what Dante would think of me if he knew? I had every intention of keeping his child from him, a man who grew up with no parents. He would be crushed.”
“So you’re just going to act like you don’t have any feelings for the man? Push them down?”
“Yes, I have to.”
“Well, my dear, that might have been easier if you hadn’t slept with the man.” Madison laughed derisively.
Adrianna sucked in a deep breath. “Tell me something I don’t know.”
“Thank you for agreeing to come over,” Sage said when Dante arrived to Ian’s penthouse for dinner on Saturday night. She was doing her best to make things right for Dante. He deserved this hosting gig. It was his time to shine and she was going to do everything in her power to make it happen—even if that meant twisting her man’s arm.
“Sage, I told you to not get involved in this,” Dante said when she closed the door.
“You do know who you’re talking to?” Sage asked. “When have you known me to ever drop something I feel strongly about?”
Dante thought about it for a moment and chuckled. “Never.” Sometimes Sage could be like a dog with a bone; she never gave up, especially when it came to their family.
“All right, then.” Sage looped her arm through his as they walked through the foyer. “Come in and let’s convince Ian he’s making the biggest mistake of his life if he hires that two-timer.”
They found Ian in the living room at the bar fixing himself a drink. “Can I get you something, Dante?” Ian asked as he poured himself a glass of Scotch.
“Rum and Coke please,” Dante replied, plopping down on the Italian leather sofa.
“I’ll have a vodka and tonic,” Sage offered without being asked and sat next to Dante.
“Oh, that’s your serious drink. I know I’m in trouble now.” Ian laughed from behind the bar as he prepared the beverages.
“Not as long as you do what I want.” Sage smiled back at her boyfriend.
“As much as I’d love to appease you, my pet—” Ian walked toward her with a decanter in hand “—this is business.”
“Thank you.” Sage accepted the proffered cocktail. “And you’ve never mixed business with pleasure before?” As she recalled, that’s exactly how their relationship had begun.
“Do you guys need me to leave?” Dante asked, looking back and forth between the two of them. “Because I could swear this was about me.”
“And you’re correct, Dante,” Ian replied, taking a seat opposite him in the arm chair. “You did a fabulous job during your taping. You have presence and a real charisma on-screen.”
“See, I told you.” Sage hit Dante’s knee.
“But we saw something in Adrianna Wright, too,” Ian added. “She may not be as polished as you, but then again you’ve been in the kitchen for years.”
Dante sighed. “I see.” Though he really didn’t. Despite the feelings he may or may not have for Adrianna, he was a realist. Adrianna had admittedly tanked, but he’d knocked it out of the ballpark. So why would Ian choose to go with a cooking novice?
“So let me understand this correctly. You’re giving the hosting job to Adrianna?” Sage was livid.
“No, I’m not,” Ian replied. “I’m giving the job to Dante and Adrianna.”
Dante was puzzled and his mouth became tight and grim. “I don’t understand, Ian.”
“I’d like you both to host the show.”
“Excuse me?” Dante couldn’t believe his ears. “I don’t think so.” He didn’t want to share the spotlight and least of all with Adrianna.
“My staff and I think it’s a brilliant idea. It would be almost like the chef teaching the newbie cooking, though not necessarily as Adrianna did go to culinary school.”
“Absolutely not!” Sage stood up. “No way. How could you even think of such an insane idea? After everything I told you.”
Dante’s head popped up and he glared up at Sage. “Exactly what did you tell him, Sage?” He rose from the sofa. He didn’t need his little sister to fight his battles. He was a grown man, for God’s sake. “Sometimes you just don’t know when to quit.” Dante headed for the doorway.
“Dante, wait!” Sage ran after him. She caught him in the foyer. “Listen, I’m sorry, okay? I didn’t go into detail with Ian about your past with Adrianna. I just told him that this woman hurt you and to make his decision carefully.”
Dante’s brow rose. “Are you sure about that?”
Sage crossed her heart. “I promise.”
“Fine, but that doesn’t change anything. He wants me to host a show with a woman who, although I’m attracted to, I’m not sure I like very much and sure as hell don’t trust with my future.”
“What can I do?” Sage asked.
Dante was about to answer, but Ian had joined them in the hallway. “Nothing,” Ian answered. “But what Dante can do is meet me and Todd for lunch to discuss it further. What do you say?”
“I won’t change my mind, Ian.” Dante was firm in his decision to keep a wide berth from Adrianna for his own sanity.
“I promise if you attend I will make it worth your while.”
“And will Adrianna be attending this meeting?”
Ian nodded. “Naturally.”
Dante mulled it over in his head. Despite his distaste for working with Adrianna, who knew when the next opportunity to host his own television show would come up? “Fine. I’ll hear you out.”
“Good.” Ian offered his hand. Reluctantly, Dante shook it. “My assistant Jeffrey will call you and set it up.”
“See ya, kid.” Dante kissed the top of Sage’s forehead and gave her a quick hug before leaving.
Once he’d made it inside the town car outside, Dante wanted to scream. Adrianna had previously departed from his life without a word and now somehow she was creeping back into every aspect of it, from personal to professional. With great difficulty, he’d exorcised her once from his heart, but he wasn’t so certain he could do it again. Not if he had to deal with her every day.
Chapter 5
Adrianna was excited when she got the call on
Monday from Lawrence Enterprises; they wanted to see her again the following day. She’d thought she’d completely blown her taping last week and that she was out of the running for the hosting gig, but if the call was any indication she wasn’t out yet.
Did this mean that Dante was out of the running?
True to his word, Adrianna hadn’t heard from Dante since they’d slept together and it had been nearly a week. Although she’d admitted that it wasn’t a wise idea at the time, it was hard not to think about him. She still had feelings for Dante, feelings that had bubbled up to the surface when she’d seen him again after nearly a decade, feelings that hadn’t gone away since the night she’d spent in his arms. Often during the week as she’d helped feed her father or assisted him with his physical therapy so his bones didn’t atrophy, her mind would wander to Dante.
What was he doing? How was he feeling? Was he thinking about her as much as she was about him? She guessed she would never know the answer to that question because Dante said he never wanted to have anything to do with her. Had she truly sunk so low in his eyes that he couldn’t bear to look at her?
She walked into Le Cirque on Fifty-Eighth Street dressed sensibly in a designer pantsuit with Michael Kors pumps and feeling confident that she was once again in control—until she saw Dante sitting with Ian Lawrence and Todd Allen.
Dante watched as Adrianna approached the table with a look of utter shock. Clearly, she hadn’t been informed to expect him at the meeting, but at least he’d known she was coming. Dante almost felt sorry for her, but then he remembered why he’d agreed to attend this lunch. Ian and Todd wanted to discuss the idea of he and Adrianna cohosting a show. A gig he wasn’t all that crazy about, especially if it put him in close proximity to Adrianna day in and day out.
The men rose when Adrianna made it to the table, but it was Dante that held out her chair for her.
“Thank you.” Adrianna gave him a questioning look over her shoulder. “Gentlemen.” She nodded to all once she was seated.
The waiter immediately came over and filled Adrianna’s water glass. “Would you care for anything to drink, miss?”
“Iced tea would be great, thanks,” Adrianna replied. She turned to the men at the table. “Now would someone care to tell me why we’re all here?”
“Of course,” Todd replied. “We called you here today, Adrianna, because Ian and I have a great idea for the show.”
“Really?” Adrianna perked up. “I’m all ears.”
“We’d like you and Dante to host the show together.”
“Have you lost your mind?” Adrianna blurted out.
Ian chuckled. “Actually no, I haven’t.” Knowing their history together, he wasn’t fazed by Adrianna’s response. He’d expected as much since he was catching her off guard with his offer. “We’ve given this some thought and after reviewing both your tape segments, we think you’d both be an excellent addition to the WTTG family.”
“I appreciate the sentiment, Ian, but this isn’t going to work.” Adrianna rose from the table.
Dante stood up as well. He had a few minutes prior to discuss the show before Adrianna arrived, but having her so close was already starting to play with his emotions. “I’m actually going to have to agree with Adrianna on this one, Ian. I know you mean well, but…”
Before they could both walk away, Ian blurted out, “I am prepared to offer you both one million dollars each to tape half a season which approximates to about a dozen episodes. Should they take off, we would renegotiate your salary at that time.”
“Are you serious?” Dante was shocked.
The outrageous sum caused Adrianna to sit down immediately. “Did you just say one million dollars?” Adrianna couldn’t believe her ears—that was more than she made in a year at Foodies.
“That’s right.” Ian watched Adrianna do the math in her head. “That equates to almost one hundred thousand per episode.”
“Ian, that’s insane,” Todd spoke up. “We’ve never even offered our news anchors that kind of deal.”
“Well, that’s how much I believe in the two of them.” Ian pointed to Dante and Adrianna. “I believe you both have what it takes to really put WTTG on the map which is why you must both accept the offer.”
“And if we don’t?” Dante asked, folding his arms across his chest. He didn’t like to be bullied. Least of all by someone he considered a friend.
“Then the deal is off the table,” Ian answered. “You have forty-eight hours to decide.”
“Are you seriously giving us a deadline?” Dante was amazed by Ian’s audacity.
“Yes,” Ian replied, standing up and rebuttoning his suit jacket. “I take this matter very seriously and if you’re not ready for the challenge, then I will go to the next people on my list. Either way, it’s up to you. Have lunch on me and consider the option. Todd—” he looked to his head of production “—are you coming?” He didn’t wait for a response and headed for the exit.
From the look of bewilderment on Todd’s face, he clearly thought they would be having lunch at the establishment, but that wasn’t the case. “Ian must really believe in you to offer such a deal,” Todd offered on his way out. “If I were you I would consider it very carefully before turning it down.”
The two left, leaving Adrianna and Dante alone, much to Dante’s chagrin.
“So now what do we do?” Adrianna asked, returning to her seat and reaching for her glass of iced tea. She took a generous sip while she recovered from the shock she’d just received.
“Nothing has changed, Adrianna,” Dante responded quietly. “I meant what I said the other morning.” She’d put him through enough and he had no desire to walk down that path again. What if she ran away again once they’d started because things got too difficult? No, he was making the right decision and would avoid making a deal with the devil.
“You hate me so much that you’re willing to walk away from your dream?” Adrianna glared at Dante across the table as she tried to find the man she’d once loved, but his eyes were cloudy and she couldn’t read him. “And to make me lose mine?” Adrianna really wanted this and Dante was standing in her way. “Wow! You must really want to get back at me and now’s your chance, huh? I hurt you, so now you hurt me?”
“Don’t act so self-righteous, Adrianna,” Dante returned. “You act as if I don’t have the right to be angry with you, as if you don’t deserve my contempt.”
“You’re right. Maybe I do deserve it, but never in a million years would I think that the Dante I once knew would behave this way.” Adrianna stood up abruptly, causing her chair to crash to the floor. She didn’t care that several people were looking at her because she was livid with Dante. She grabbed her purse and prepared to leave. “I hope you choke on your revenge,” she tossed over her shoulder before storming out of the restaurant.
“Great!” Dante slammed his fists against the table.
“So, Ian wants you to host a gig with Adrianna?” Malik asked once he’d arrived to Dante’s after a frantic call was placed to him that afternoon. The restaurant was closed as the staff prepared for dinner.
“I could strangle that bastard,” Dante replied, pacing the floor. “When Ian initially suggested that I host this show, he acted as if it was set in stone, as if I had it in the bag. Next thing I know, I’m being ‘interviewed’ by the head of production and there are other candidates? What the heck is that?”
“I agree, man,” Malik replied. “He should have told you that you weren’t the only act in town, but at least this opportunity would get your foot in the door.”
“With Adrianna?” Dante shouted. “Can you imagine having to see one of your exes every day at work? Not to mention one that you just had sex with? It would be awkward as hell.”
Malik sighed. “No, I can’t imagine that would be any fun.”
“Oh, and did I mention that Ian offered us both one million dollars for the gig?”
“A million dollars?” Malik was stunned by the outrageo
us sum.
“Yes, but we must both agree to the deal or no dough.”
“That’s a heck of a lot of money, Dante. Would you really turn down this opportunity and that kind of money because of Adrianna?”
“Honestly, I don’t know what I’m going to do,” Dante responded. “I feel like I’m between a rock and a hard place. Anywhere I turn it’s difficult. Do I let go of my dream and wait for the next gig because of who is attached to the show? Or do I pursue it, even though it means dealing with the woman that tore my heart in two?”
“I wish I had the answer for you, Dante,” Malik replied, “but there is no easy solution here. Only you can decide what you’re willing to live with.”
“Where have you been going these days?” Adrianna’s father asked that evening as they watched an old black-and-white movie in his bedroom. He was resting in his four poster bed while she sat in a nearby chair. “Nigel tells me you’re not always home.”
“I had to take care of some things,” Adrianna answered, not offering any further information. It was no business of his where and with whom she was.
“Getting back to your old ways, I see,” he mumbled underneath his breath.
Adrianna turned to face him. “What is that supposed to mean, Daddy?” She had hoped that they could have a peaceful evening together, but apparently that was not going to be the case.
“I remember you being this secretive when you were nineteen and do you recall the result of your actions back then?”
“Well, I’m not nineteen anymore, Father,” Adrianna returned perhaps a little too harshly.
“No, you’re not, which is why you must be careful not to fall back into old patterns.”
“If you mean hooking up with Dante Moore you needn’t worry, Father, because he wants nothing more to do with me thanks to you.”
“So you have seen him since you’ve been back?” he inquired.
“Yes, I have.”
“And you blame me for your estrangement?”
Two to Tango (Harlequin Kimani Romance) Page 6
