Libby, who hadn’t left the room while the couple finished their conversation, waved her hands in front of Taylor’s face. “Hello. Earth to Tay.”
Taylor swatted at Libby’s hand and laughed.
Libby took a seat in one of the chairs in front of Taylor’s desk. “What’s up, girl? Who was that? The cheater?”
Taylor frowned. “I know how you feel about Ari but he is my husband. It’s been a year since I found out about this woman and their child. I’m still trying to deal with all of this. Keeping Ari from finding out that I know about it is hard. You don’t know how many times I just wanted to tell him I know and ask for an explanation. But I just can’t approach him with this yet.” She ran her hand through her hair, pulling one of the curls and releasing it to let it coil back into shape. “I miss him. He’s never at home, thanks to this new airline company he works for. It’s just so hard right now.” She looked across the desk.
Libby’s face told her that she regretted what she had said. “I’m sorry, Tay. I guess it never crossed my mind how difficult this must be for you. Let’s drop this subject for now.” She rubbed her hands together like she had something she couldn’t wait to tell. “This letter,” just came in the mail today,” she said, handing the envelope to Taylor.
Taylor leaned back in her swivel chair. In a flash, her memory rewound to the anonymous envelope that had changed her life forever. She shook the thought out of her mind. “What is it?” she asked, reaching for the envelope.
Libby smiled. “It’s your invitation to this year’s Magazine Conference for Young Entrepreneurs.”
“Oh no, Libby. I’m not going to that conference,” Taylor said, handing the envelope back.
“Why not?”
Taylor rolled her eyes heavenward. “I don’t do well at that type of social gathering. I don’t know anyone in the magazine world. We just got our company up and running. They’re going to be asking me questions for which I don’t have the answers.”
“Oh, jeez, Tay, you are over-thinking this whole thing. It could be great exposure for the company. We can get Dynasty Magazine recognized by people across the world.” She spread her hands in a huge arc as she made her point. “There are going to be all types of people there, from journalists to reporters to other young CEOs.”
As the CEO of Dynasty Magazine, Taylor knew she would have to be the spokesman for the company. She just hadn’t thought that she’d have to step up to the plate this soon. She put Libby on the spot. “Why can’t you go?”
Libby didn’t cave in. “The person whose name is on the invitation is the only one who can attend.”
In their twenty-seven years, Taylor had prayed that one day they would be able to self-start their own magazine company. Now their prayers were answered. Libby was the chief financial officer. Pam was the director of advertising, and Toni, at twenty-five, was the editor-in-chief for the magazine. Taylor knew the company needed the exposure to boost sales.
“Alright, alright. I’ll go.” She turned to the computer and pulled up her Outlook calendar. “When is it?”
“It’s … um … just give me a sec …” Libby removed the gold embossed paper from the envelope. “It’s tomorrow night at 7:00 p.m.”
Taylor’s face dropped. “No way, not that soon. I’m going to be a nervous wreck.”
“You’ll be fine. Just talk about our mission and how much we want to help report true and accurate information about the community.”
“Easy for you to say!”
“Oh, you will be great, Tay.”
Taylor blinked hard, eyes itchy and red because her contacts were dry. She reached in her desk drawer for her small bottle of rewetting solution, held her head back, and squirted two drops in each eye. “You’re right,” she said, head still tilted. “I can do this. They had better watch out for Dynasty Magazine.”
Libby stuck her fist out, and Taylor pounded it once with her own. They walked out of Taylor’s office, ready to tackle their weekly meeting.
* * *
Adrianne stood before Ari, twisting from side to side. They were together often when he was out of town. This was the only way to see his daughter and keep his secret from Taylor and all their families and friends.
“Daddy, come on. I’m ready now.” She stuck out her itty bitty bottom lip.
“Hey, baby doll,” he said, picking her up. “Do you need to use the bathroom? Daddy was on a very important phone call.”
At 8:00 a.m., she had looked sound asleep, so he had snuck into the bathroom and phoned Taylor. Five minutes into the conversation, his pint-sized angel had walked in on him. He coughed to drown out her tiny voice and prayed that Taylor hadn’t heard her. Luckily, the faint sound of the “Happy Feet” DVD that was still running in the other room had coaxed Adrianne away long enough for him to wrap up his call with Taylor. Ari had started the DVD before he retreated to the bathroom to entertain Adrianne in case she woke up.
“No, Daddy. I want you to come and play with me.” Ari kissed her chubby cheek and put her down. Her light-up sneakers flashed wildly as she hopped on one foot and then the other. “I need you to play Barbie doll house with me.”
“Okay, pumpkin. In a minute.”
Crinkling her miniature nose, she protested, “No Daddy, now.”
Ari looked at his child and blew her a kiss. She squealed in delight. It still electrified him every time he looked in her face and saw his own hazel eyes and mocha skin. The curly hair was definitely her mother’s.
“Let’s eat breakfast first then we can play.” Adrianne hopped over to the small cart in the corner of the room on one foot and lifted the silver top exposing the blueberry pancakes. “Yes.” She shouted. Room service had delivered the mouthwatering breakfast right before Ari had tiptoed out of the room to call Taylor. After, breakfast Ari took Adrianne into the bathroom to wash the syrup off her hands and mouth. “Can we play now daddy?” She asked looking up at Ari smiling brightly revealing all her white teeth.
“Sure, baby. Which doll is daddy playing with today?”
Adrianne tapped her tiny index finger on her lips. “Ummm … you are going to be Tara.” She ran off into the living area as Ari followed behind her. Fatherhood was greater than Ari could ever have imagined. He loved playing with his daughter. Her imagination intrigued him. Ever the one to take the lead, Adrianne orchestrated their play. “Okay,” she said, “let’s get Tara in the house so she can start dinner.”
Friction built up on Ari’s pant legs and they clung to his socks as he scuffed on his knees across the carpet to grab the blonde-headed doll off the floor, then crawled over to the little doll house on the table.
“Okay, Daddy, I’m going to give the baby a bath.” Adrianne started washing the smaller Barbie doll with an imaginary wash cloth.
Ari heard nails tapping at the door.
Adrianne was already running to the door. “Who is it?” she asked, standing on tiptoes as if there were any possibility of her getting eye-level with the peephole.
“It’s your mother, sweetie,” replied the voice in the hall.
Adrianne reached up and grabbed the knob with both hands, trying to twist it open. Ari walked over to help her.
Ari’s trips usually lasted anywhere from a couple days to a week. The only drawback with bringing his daughter with him was that Maci insisted on coming along. “That’s too long to be away from my daughter,” she said. She and Adrianne never flew with Ari, and he always booked Maci a separate room across the hall or next door. He figured if he kept Maci happy, she would keep her mouth closed and his life could remain drama free.
Adrianne jumped into her mother’s arms as soon as Ari opened the door. “Hey Momma, Daddy and I were playing Barbie doll house, and he let me put on my sparkly shoes and eat blueberry pancakes, bacon, and eggs.” She didn’t come up for air until she had spit out the last word. She pumped her small fist in the air.
“That’s good, baby.” Maci kissed Adrianne and put her down. She ran back to her play
area, curls bouncing around her shoulders.
Maci walked to the couch. “Good morning, Ari.”
He looked up at Maci’s see-through top, her black bra showing. A short mini skirt completed the ensemble. Maci was a beautiful woman, half Italian and half black, petite, and he was still sexually attracted to her. But he knew he had to stop sleeping with her because it was sending the wrong message.
He tore his eyes away and said flippantly, “Good afternoon, Maci.”
She looked over at the clock on the nightstand. “Oh my, I slept until noon? Why didn’t you come and wake me up so I could eat breakfast with you guys?”
Ari stood, put an index finger to his lip, and pointed to the other side of the room. He didn’t want his daughter to hear their conversation. Maci followed him. They stood at the foot of the bed.
Facing Maci, Ari massaged the back of his neck before speaking. “Look, Maci,” he said under his breath, “you know Adrianne is here in San Francisco with me so I can spend time with her. I only agreed to let you come along because you insisted. But whatever I do with her, it will be just her and me. I don’t want you to eat with us. I don’t want you to play with us. I’m tired of telling you this every time we go out of town.”
Lips pierced together in unconcealed disapproval, Maci took a step back. “Ari, you don’t have to talk to me like I’m an idiot.” She glanced back to be sure Adrianne wasn’t privy to what was being said. “I know these trips are for you and Adrianne to spend time together. I also know the only reason you take her on your work trips is because you don’t want your wife, Taylor,” to know you have a child.” She didn’t hide the contempt in her voice when she talked about Taylor.
Ari’s jaw dropped. “How the hell did you know about my wife?”
He had never told Maci that he was married but she knew and even knew his wife’s name. He had sold her short, naïvely thinking that she wouldn’t soon guess why he only spent time with them out of town.
Maci sat down on the king-sized bed, letting her skirt rise to her mid-thigh. “Ari, everyone who lives in Chicago knows Mayor Briggs and his family. I’ve seen Taylor at town hall press conferences with her father. I found out that she was engaged to you when I saw a picture of the happy couple in the papers. I believe The Red Eye carried the biggest article.”
“Well, since you know so much, Maci, then let me be honest. Yes, you are right. My wife doesn’t know about Adrianne and I plan to keep it that way.”
Maci merely smirked.
“Daddy, you like this dress on Barbie?” Adrianne asked from her spot at the table.
“Hold it up. Let daddy see.”
She held out her palm and paraded Barbie across it to model her dress.
“Oh yeah, I like that one.”
Maci tapped his chest to get his attention. “See, here’s the part I don’t get. I don’t know why you want to keep our daughter a secret. Why can’t you tell your wife about us?”
“What do you mean tell her about us?”
“Adrianne and I are a package deal.” She looked at Ari smugly, as if she had him just where she wanted him. “If you tell her about Adrianne, then naturally she’ll want to know about her mother.”
Ari had thought about telling Taylor about Adrianne numerous times, but he never thought he would have to tell her about Maci and how they met. He was tired of sneaking around to see his daughter. He wanted Adrianne to be able to come to his home and eat a family dinner with him and Taylor. He wanted his daughter to know his wife as her stepmother. Damn, this situation is fucked up.
In a low growl, he said to Maci, “I’ll tell Taylor when I get ready.”
Maci scowled at him.
He put some distance between them, walking toward the window. Ari scanned the scenery, counting the cars on the trolleys going up and down the hill. Damn if he was going to let Maci think she had the upper hand. He refused to be bullied and blackmailed.
“I guess it’s good that you know about her,” he said as he went back to where Maci sat. Leaning down so that their faces were mere inches apart, he told her, “this will also be your last trip with me and my daughter. I don’t need you here to chaperon us.” The voice was whisper soft, but the tone was hard and final.
Maci reared back on her elbows. After giving him a dismissive stare, she got up. Absorbed with her dolls, Adrianne didn’t pay much attention when Maci said she was going back to her room. Maci kissed the tot on the top of her head and stepped into the hallway and across to her room.
Chapter 5
Once inside, Maci leaned her back up against the closed door. She couldn’t believe Ari was giving out commands.
Spotting a nail kit and a bottle of hot pink polish she left on the vanity, she sat down to give herself a manicure. A fresh coat of polish over the old chipped paint job would look crappy so she began by saturating a cotton ball with nail polish remover. As she methodically rubbed every trace of color off each nail, she recalled her first encounter with Ari.
* * *
She had picked up on the fact that he had a girlfriend when she first met him at the bar in Miami. Her suspicions were confirmed by his desperate reaction after he thought he had gotten her pregnant. She saw the guilt and shame in his face as soon as he jumped up.
It seemed like she always fell for the men who were unavailable. Frankly, she was tired of men using her as a sex tool to get their rocks off. They came to her to do the things their wives or girlfriends wouldn’t do. That was about to end. She had had sex with her share of guys but she had never had anyone who could change so many positions and stay hard as long like Ari. There was something different about him. She wanted him after their first night together. She knew she was in love, and she would do whatever it took to make Ari love her.
Six weeks later, she realized she had missed her period. A positive result from a home pregnancy test prompted her to make an appointment with her ob-gyn, who confirmed that she was pregnant.
“I don’t understand,” Maci had voiced. “I take my pill like clockwork.” The doctor explained that with her new prescription of birth control pills, she was taking a milder dosage and her body hadn’t yet adjusted.
Maci was overwhelmed with joy and excitement. She wanted to tell Ari right away but he had refused to give her any contact information. She had vaguely recalled that he told her the name of the school he attended. With no other options, she wrote a letter and sent it to the school, in hopes that it would get to him. She didn’t mention the pregnancy; just that he needed to come and see her because she had important news to discuss with him.
Two weeks after she’d sent that letter, he showed up at her door.
“Can I come in?”
Standing in the doorway with her mouth wide open, Maci said nervously, “Oh, yes, come in.” She hadn’t expected that his arrival would rattle her that way. Ari strolled into the room and took a seat on her flowered couch. She surveyed her small apartment, suddenly feeling self-conscious about it. The wallpaper was peeling and the carpet, which was bald in a couple of spots, needed to be taken up. Her furniture looked as if it came from the thrift store.
She sat across from Ari and crossed her legs, her daisy dukes riding up as she did so. “Do you want some tea?”
“No, thank you.”
She hoped Ari was still attracted to her. She had a mind to reach over and find out.
“So Maci, what was so important that you asked me to come and see you? I racked my brain about this for two weeks but I’m here now, so let’s get this over.”
“Well, I don’t know any other way to say this. I’m pregnant.”
“By who?” Ari shot back.
Maci gave him a look of disappointment and shook her head. “Oh wow. Ari, do you even have to ask?”
“Yes, I do, because you told me you were on the pill.”
She told him what the doctor had said about the lower dosage of hormone in her pills. The next thing out of his mouth was, “Are you going to keep it?”
Without hesitation, Maci replied, “Yes.”
Ari’s temper started to rise. “That’s stupid. You can barely afford to take care of yourself, let alone a child. Wanting to keep a child with a man who doesn’t even love you or want to be with you is pathetic.”
“I don’t give a damn if you love me or want me; I’m not getting rid of my baby just because you’re not ready to be a father. You need to get over it and be a man.”
Something in Ari must have snapped because before Maci knew it, he was standing right in front of her chair. He grabbed her by the throat and pulled her to her feet. She tried to pry his hands from her neck. The blank stare in his eyes let her know that what she told him had hit a nerve. He was right up on her.
She could feel the rush of warm air each time he exhaled, and it excited her so much that she stopped clawing at him and stretched her head forward to get close enough to lick his bottom lip.
Ari immediately moved his head back, still holding her neck.
She did it once more. This time he did not resist her animal attraction. He let go of her neck and ripped open her button-down shirt. Her breasts spilled forward and he took them in his hands and squeezed.
Maci pulled down his jeans and boxers and let them fall down to his ankles. His dick stuck straight out.
Ari pushed Maci’s head down and she took him into her mouth. About to explode, he pulled her up and pushed her down on the recliner. The flimsy shorts and panties she wore came off with ease. He put one of her legs up on each arm rest.
Pure lust was in his eyes as he looked at her, wide open and ready to receive him. He placed one hand on the back of the chair, and leaned his body in to enter her, then rocked back and forth. Squeaks from the springs in the old chair were the only sounds louder than Maci’s squeals. She tried to take her legs off the arm rest but Ari held them there and went deeper inside her. He pounded her over and over again until her mouth fell open and her head fell back. Ari stuck his tongue in her mouth and she sucked on it. Maci’s body was trembling all over. This man was showing her no mercy and she loved every bit of it.
His Betrayal Her Lies Page 4
