Scarlett Love (The Scarletts

by Brenda Barrett

  "I was wondering why you never called after the jazz concert. I thought we had a good time."

  "We did. It was nice to catch up with our lives and talk without the animosity of the past clouding issues." Amoy nodded, opening her file folder with the documents she would need for their business meeting.

  "But I thought that reconnection could lead to something else." Jay frowned. "We are both at a point in our lives where it would be good to get together now. We are both established in our careers. We have both passed through bad relationships. We were good together when we were good together."

  Amoy nodded. "That's true but life moves on."

  "Or it goes in circles. You can't be serious about this guy." Jay shook his head. "And I am pretty sure he is not serious about you, apart from the obvious. He is a golddigger. I have to save you from yourself, Amoy; I still care about you enough to know that you are not thinking straight."

  Amoy rolled her eyes. "I am thinking straight. Let's address the business at hand." Though that kiss had her a tad bit wobbly in her knees and other parts of her anatomy were on high alert. She had more chemistry with Slater than she had ever had with anybody.

  "Okay," Jay winked at her, "but I am going to cure you of this fascination with that guy. You cannot in all consideration not know that I am a better option. With a little TLC what we had before can come firing back like it did when we were in college."

  Amoy smiled. "Jay, please don't waste your time. The thought is tempting but..."

  "Don't say it yet." Jay nodded. "We'll see...maybe we can start as dates at next Saturday night’s law review banquet."

  "Nah, wasn't planning to go."

  "Because you don't have a date?" Jay raised an eyebrow.

  "Because it is boring! I went to one once when I was married to Shawn. Good Lord, you guys are overbearing." Amoy smirked. "And I do have a date. I have Slater."

  "You would carry that guy to our prestigious dinner?" Jay looked alarmed. "You would throw him into the lion's den like that?"

  "It wouldn't be a lion's den. And didn't the Lord save Daniel from the lions?"

  Jay looked at her slyly. "If you carry that guy to the party, I will take it as a sign that you are very serious about him and that I should leave you alone."

  Amoy grinned. "Well, okay. If you see me there with Slater, I don't want to hear a peep out of you about our past relationship or anything about the present and rekindling anything."

  Jay grinned. "Fine. But I have a feeling that I'll not see you there. So game on."

  Chapter Fourteen

  Amoy was woken up in the morning by a loud knock on her front door. She padded to the door and looked through the keyhole. Zack and a grinning Terri were in jogging outfits and had their faces pressed up close to the key hole. Amoy looked at the clock in the hallway and opened the door reluctantly.

  "Seriously, you two. It is six-thirty in the morning." She blinked at them. "Why?"

  "Because I want my cat." Zack ruffled her bed-hair and then grabbed her in a hug. "I can't say I missed you these past couple of weeks because I was having too much fun."

  Terri hugged her next. "Yes, we sure did have fun."

  Amoy grinned. "And I am extremely happy for you two." She yawned wide. "Want a cup of tea?"

  "What do you have?" Zack asked.

  "Apple, orange, lemon—the works." Amoy grinned. "My boyfriend knows I like tea and bought me a large variety pack yesterday."

  "Boyfriend?" Zack shook his head. "When I left here you were single and morose."

  "And now I am with someone." Amoy headed for the kitchen and put on some water.

  "Let me guess," Terri grinned, "Slater?"

  "Slater, who is Slater?" Zack asked.

  "The delicious delivery guy." Terri sat down on a barstool. "Amoy's future baby daddy."

  Amoy giggled.

  Zack shook his head. "Well, I hope this guy is legit."

  "He is." Amoy shrugged. "I carried him to Sunday brunch."

  Zack raised an eyebrow. "And how did that go?"

  "Mommy liked him; they got on like a house on fire. They have a mutual love for Noah Ess books. And Dad barely got a word in edgewise after they got started. So he and I were relegated to captive audience as our mother monopolized my date."

  "Amazing," Zack murmured. "Well, I look forward to meeting him."

  Terri held up her hand. "Isn't this the guy who wrote you a letter and you surmised that he couldn't read and you wanted him at your class at the church?"

  "Audio books," Amoy said, pouring out the hot water on the tea bags. "And he is learning. Last night we were on the phone and we were discussing the difference between ph and f sounds."

  "Fascinating stuff," Zack muttered. "Morph!" he called loudly and the cat came barreling down the stairs, jumping on and rubbing Zack in ecstasy.

  "Shameless." Amoy looked at the two of them in disgust. "He spent nearly a month with me and all I got was icy disdain."

  Zack chuckled, rubbing behind Morph's ears, while he closed his eyes in ecstasy. "When you love somebody, you just love them, and Morph loves me."

  Terri grinned. "You two should get a room."

  Morph started purring loudly.

  "I know how that feels," Amoy murmured.

  Terri cleared her throat." What have you been up to, sister-in-law?"

  "Nothing...yet." Amoy grinned.

  "I am taking back the Scarlett account today," Zack said, straightening up from Morph.

  "Fine." Amoy nodded. "It would be nice to lighten my work load from yours and Carmen's stuff."

  "So what's happening while I've been away?" Zack asked. "Update me."

  "Nothing much. Your detective came up with a creative way to find Kane Scarlett. He found a woman who knew him from when he was a little boy. He got a sketch artist to do a sketch as described by the very colorful Ms. Pearlita, and then he'll have one of his friends use aging software to approximate what he may look like now. The sketch is in the files. He brought me a copy. But that aging thing won't be done for another two months."

  "So long?" Zack groaned.

  "His friend isn't in Jamaica and apparently, accurate-enough software is not yet on the market."

  "What about the King Express lead?" Zack frowned. "I thought John said he was sure that he worked there?"

  "Your John is a bit, er..." Amoy tapped her chin.

  "Over exuberant, inaccurate. I know," Zack sighed. "Most of John's detective work is touch and go. He hears things, theorizes and then jumps to conclusions but he has a lurid network of people on the ground.

  "That's why I still keep him around. I am hopeful about this facial recognition thing though. It is solid detective work. And maybe we can do the same for Peter Scarlett. Age his last known sketch and then put it out there. Offer a reward for anyone who has seen him."

  "Cool," Terri nodded, "that could work."

  "Yup," Amoy said. "I grudgingly acknowledge that John Sauce has a little sense."

  Zack nodded. "So, no word on the other missing Scarletts? What about the guy who is working as a librarian?"

  Amoy shook her head. "I don't know. I told John to do whatever he wants to next."

  "That librarian guy can't be hard to find; he should be contacted."

  "Well, you have the file now." Amoy shrugged. "Do what thou wilt, Sir Zachary."

  "I will. I am getting impatient though." Zack took a sip of his tea and then stood up. "I have to get Morph home and then I'll head into the office early."

  "And I am going to Yuri's house. Marla has this spa idea, with products and what-not, that I am interested in going into with her."

  Amoy smiled. "We should do dinner one night. I'll cook, if I remember how to."

  Zack made a face. "Invite your guy and let's make it a date."

  "Sure." Amoy grinned. "Thursday's good?"

  "Fine by me." Terri nodded.

  "I'll let you know at the office." Zack stood up and stretched. "Where'd you put Morph's carrier bag?"<
br />
  "In the laundry room." Amoy cupped the mug close to her. "Bye Morph."

  The cat actually turned around and said a long, drawn out meow.

  *****

  Slater was just in the process of lowering himself into the bath full of hot water when he heard a knock on his door. He sighed. His muscles had taken a beating today, after helping the guys remove some very heavy boxes from a container delivered to their office. He should start weightlifting again. Tony had invited him more than once to join him and his friends at his home gym. He groaned as he lifted himself from the tub. He would definitely join him now.

  He padded all the way to the front door, making the floor very wet in the process. He saw Alexandra through the keyhole. He hadn't seen her in weeks, not since the jazz on the lawn event. Mrs. Perry had said that she had reconciled with her parents.

  He opened the door a crack. "Alex, this is not a good time."

  "No worries." Alex pushed her mouth through the door. "I just stopped by to talk to Granny, tell her thanks for putting up with me, and I had to give you a shout out too. You were the one who made me get up out of my doldrums."

  "You are welcome," Slater grinned.

  "And," Alex held up a CD, "Granny said to give you this."

  "Can you leave it on the chair at the deck? I am half naked and dripping over the floor."

  Alex grinned. "Ooh, come and get it then, Slater. Give me some eye candy this evening."

  "No," Slater hissed through the door.

  "Its refreshing to see a guy so shy."

  "I am not shy," Slater growled. "Just leave the CD!"

  Alex grinned. "By the way, got a job, a small part in a film. My agent said that they might cut it anyway. But at least it's a job."

  "Yes, it is. Bye Alex. My hot water is getting cold."

  "Ah, I'll leave you to it then; seems like you have company too. There is a vehicle coming up in the yard. "

  Slater craned his neck to see who it could be. He was quite surprised to see that it was Amoy.

  "I'll just give her the CD," Alexandra said through the door.

  "Yes, please. Tell her the door is open."

  "K," Alex murmured. "She is frowning at me fiercely. "

  "Ah," Slater groaned, "tell her you are just a friend."

  "And that I am hot but harmless," Alex giggled.

  Slater could forget his bath; he would have to take a shower instead, which he did in record time. When he got out of the bathroom, freshly bathed and in clean clothes, he saw Amoy sitting in the living room eating take-away food and listening to his Noah Ess CD.

  "I started without you," Amoy said, waving at the food. "I had the sort of day where I could not stop for lunch. My client is being sued for serving contaminated food, and they were the ones who had lunch catered."

  Slater sat beside her and grinned. "Sounds like you think your client is guilty."

  "I am not sure." Amoy shrugged. "But to be on the safe side, I ate nothing."

  Slater changed the topic "And you started my CD without me. I hope Alex explained why she was at the door."

  "We can always restart the CD." Amoy grinned at him. "I had no idea that mild mallah chicken could be so hot. I bit into one and next thing I know, my ears are ringing. My tongue and my ears are just re-adjusting again.

  "And Alex explained nothing. Said you were hot and decent and if I broke your heart or corrupted you, she would hunt me down and do me unspeakable bodily harm that she wasn't in the frame of mind to think up yet."

  "Sounds like Alex." Slater shared out his food, including the hot mallah chicken, and started eating.

  He did restart the CD. It was Hopeless Love, a very sad-sounding tale by Noah Ess. The story was about a lawyer and her client who was on death row. Slater was beginning to think the author was on the verge of some crisis in his life. His earlier books were romantic and fun but his latest books were dark, hopeless tales of unreachable, unattainable, unrequited love.

  It almost made him want to cry in some places.

  After clearing up the dirty dishes and snuggling in with Amoy to hear more of the tale, Amoy whispered to him, "I am so happy you are not on death row."

  "Me too." Slater grinned back. "I have a thing about avoiding crimes and those things."

  Amoy giggled. "But Boyd wasn't guilty. His uncle framed him."

  "Oh yes he was; he killed his brother in a fit of passion and is trying to get the uncle to take the fall."

  "Fit of passion?" Amoy giggled again, her back undulating in spasms against his chest. "You are talking like Noah Ess."

  Slater turned down the CD.

  "Wait, I wanna hear more," Amoy said sulkily. "How am I going to know what happened?"

  "I'll tell you," Slater whispered at the back of her ear.

  Amoy turned around to face him. "I have a dinner with my brother and sister-in-law this Thursday, want to come?"

  "No," Slater shook his head, "but if you want me to, I'll come."

  Amoy smiled. "I am cooking."

  "Can you cook?" Slater raised his eyebrow mockingly. "For someone who grew up with a personal chef..."

  "Ha, I wish." Amoy laughed. "No personal chef but we had a housekeeper and she could really cook. When I was about twelve or so, my mother thought that Zack and I should spend some evenings in the kitchen with Annie. Needless to say, none of her skills rubbed off on me. I am barely average; my brother, on the other hand, can do stuff. And you?"

  "I can cook. Nothing fancy," Slater said. "I had to learn to or face starving."

  Amoy nodded. "How long have you worked at King Express?"

  "Two years." Slater raised an eyebrow, "why?"

  "Do you know a Kane Scarlett? He must have worked there recently or sometime in the past."

  "No," Slater shook his head, "never heard that name. But King Express has offices in Montego Bay and Ocho Rios, so..."

  "Oh," Amoy nodded, "never thought of that."

  "Who is he, one of your clients?"

  "Yes." Amoy nodded. "Trying to find him."

  "You'll find him." Slater squeezed her to him. "You can do anything."

  "Can I convince you to go to a lawyer function, with a lot of suits and shop talk?"

  "The Lawyer Review?" Slater eased away from her slightly. "It's boring, at least that's what I heard a few lawyers saying when I went last year."

  "You went last year?" Amoy opened her eyes wide.

  "Live band." Slater grinned. "Mrs. Perry's son, Tony's uncle, is a lawyer and got him the gig."

  "So will you come as a guest with me this year?"

  "Okay." Slater sighed. "I hope you know it's a sacrifice. A huge sacrifice for a non-lawyer, a delivery guy, to show up at your little shindig."

  "I know." Amoy smiled at him. "And thank you."

  She hugged him tight around the neck. "Tell me again why you don't have a surname. I am going to need them to put something other than Slater on my invitation."

  Slater groaned. "I guess I do have one. My foster parents were Wilson. I used that throughout high school."

  "What was your mother's name?" Amoy asked, "Maybe you can use that instead."

  "My mother had many names," Slater grinned. "When she died she was Sara Black. I remember overhearing her telling one of her friends that she couldn't afford to be arrested with her real name, so she had a street name. I grew up thinking her name was Sara Black. Maybe it was, maybe it wasn't."

  "Well, Wilson it is then!" Amoy declared. "I didn't mean to bring up dark memories. Let's listen to more Noah Ess."

  Slater grinned and turned on the player again.

  Chapter Fifteen

  "You got flowers!" Lydia indicated a bouquet of blood red roses sitting on the reception desk.

  "Well," Amoy grinned, "these are gorgeous!"

  "I'd say." Lydia grinned. "So who is J.B.? Are you playing around on the delivery guy? Ms. Gardener, I don't know what to say about this latest twist in your soap opera."

  Amoy grimaced, losing the joy in
the flowers instantly. "Meh, he is...none of your business."

  She snatched the flowers up, found the tag and read it.

  From the 'best' man. J.B. She grabbed off the tag and headed for her father's office. His secretary, Constance, widened her eyes when she saw her approaching.

  "It's not Father's Day," Constance said, looking from the flowers to her.

  "Every day is Father's Day." Amoy knocked on her father's door and entered at his gruff, "Come in."

  She plunked the flowers on his desk. "For you, Daddy dearest."

  Douglas chuckled. "My, my, I do love roses."

  "I am happy,” Amoy smiled at him sweetly. “Consider this a sweetening up of your sour mood when you hear that I am stepping back from Carmen's case. Opposing counsel is interested in me personally and has forewarned me that he will be pursuing me for a relationship."

  "Again?" Douglas raised an eyebrow. "I thought you and Jaylon were over, done with, never to be resurrected because of his pompous attitude, etcetera, etcetera..."

  "How do you manage with such total recall? I said those things a long, long time ago." Amoy shook her head. "Yes, we are over, and now I am just warning you that I am not going to be working with him on this case."

  "He would make a fine son-in-law, unlike the last one," Douglas said wistfully. "He is bright, smart, handsome, Harvard Law degree, Rhodes scholar...loves cricket…we could go to matches together, take the grandkids."

  Amoy pointed at him. "You are incorrigible."

  "Ah, come on." Douglas straightened up in his chair. "You might have your mom fooled with this new guy, what's his name? But we all know that you are dating him to make a point."

  "What?" Amoy folded her arms. "What point?"

  "You have your grandmother breathing down my neck, urging me to make you partner because you are doing volunteer work and seem to enjoy doing it, and you're the patron saint of illiteracy."

  "The volunteer thing worked?" Amoy sat down stiffly in the chair across her father. "She really is fighting on my behalf?"