“That’s ridiculous,” Jaleen said, growing more annoyed the more he thought about it.
“I know. But at the time I was enjoying my time with Winter and Autumn so much that I didn’t want Sonia to ruin it. And I’d just gotten a chance to get to know Summer. So I agreed to pay her.”
“I understand why you did it. But a woman like that will never be satisfied. Take it from someone who has a father just like her.” Jaleen supposed that’s why he’d known the caller had to be Sonia after Danni had told him her true identity. He’d seen those same Sonia qualities reflected in his own father.
“You’re right, she’s never satisfied. I already pay her every month and now she wants payments every third week. I did some digging around and I found out they just canceled her Vegas show. She went from doing shows five days a week to three, down to two, until they finally canceled it altogether. So I assume that’s why her calls have gotten more frantic.”
He cracked his neck, trying to ease the knot he felt developing.
“Are you okay?” she asked in a soft voice.
Was he okay? He wasn’t sure. “I don’t like you being blackmailed by Sonia. There has to be something we can do.”
“Jay, as much as it touches my heart that you want to help me, I’m not dragging you into my mess. You’ll be happy to know that I’ve already stopped paying Sonia, which is why she’s been harassing me or manipulating her friends into calling me. But I finally know how to solve the problem.”
“How?”
“By doing exactly what I should have done in the first place,” Danni said as if she had the weight of one thousand camels on her back. “Winter and Autumn asked Summer and I if we could meet about our upcoming plans to ensure the Chicago and Miami stores are aligned tomorrow. I can’t wait any longer, or worse, let Sonia spill the beans. Tomorrow I finally tell Winter, Autumn and Summer the truth.”
Chapter 15
“Danni, if you walk any slower, you’ll be walking backward.”
“I can’t help it,” she said as she glanced at Jaleen. “I just told you all this information last night and now, less than twenty-fours later, I’m telling Winter, Autumn and Summer. What am I thinking?”
Jaleen stopped walking and gently grabbed both of her arms. “You don’t have to do this today if you don’t want to. You can wait until you’re ready. I know you’re worried about Sonia getting to your sisters before you do, but we can try to figure out another way to hold off Sonia.”
Danni smiled. “You called them my sisters.”
“That’s because they are and no matter how nervous you are to tell them or how afraid you are of how they will handle the news, it won’t change the fact that the four of you are sisters.”
She was already feeling more confident, which meant the pep talk was working.
Oh, no, the partnership. “And don’t worry about the partnership. You may have withheld this information from them, but it won’t take away from the fact that you would be the best partner they could ever have. You love Bare Sophistication just as much as they do.”
It was true. She lived and breathed Bare Sophistication. She believed in their vision just as much as they did. “How did you know I was worried about that?”
“When will you learn, Danni Allison,” Jaleen said, placing a quick kiss on her lips, “I notice everything about you. I figured there had to be a reason you were putting off the partnership for so long when it seemed like a dream come true for you.”
She was still reeling about how well Jaleen knew her when they walked into Bare Sophistication. Everyone else was already there.
“Fellas,” Ajay said with a whistle, “let’s head down the street so you can check out one of the sports bars I just purchased.”
“I’m only a text or phone call away if you need me,” Jaleen whispered in her ear. “You’ll do great. Just speak from the heart.” Their kiss was brief, but just what she needed.
“Okay, ladies,” Winter said, “let’s go to my studio to get this show on the road before the store opens.”
Danni had taken the walk down the hall to Winter’s studio numerous times, but this was the first time she felt like she was taking the walk of doom. How am I going to get through this? In hindsight, the idea had seemed a lot easier to execute last night when she’d been talking to Jaleen.
“Okay, so first things first,” Winter said, clasping her hands together. “How cute were Jaleen and Danni yesterday evening?”
Danni laughed. “How is that the first order of business?”
“Um, maybe because you were having a massive panic attack and none of us could calm you down,” Summer said. “Then, lo and behold, Jaleen appears out of thin air and basically forces us all to back away from you so that he can take charge and, lucky you, his was the only voice you actually heard.”
She thought about how Jaleen had arrived at the party at just the right time. “I have to admit, besides the fact that I was having one of the worst panic attacks I’ve had in weeks, having Jaleen come to my rescue and be the sole person to calm me down is a moment I won’t forget anytime soon.”
“Why have you been having so many panic attacks?” Autumn asked. “All jokes aside, you scared the crap out of us yesterday.”
“Oh, you know...” Danni said with a shrug. “Just the normal stressful stuff.”
“When did your panic attacks start?” Autumn frowned in observation. “The other day, I read that about six million Americans over the age of eighteen suffer from panic attacks and about three percent of that group has an actual panic disorder.”
“Autumn, I can assure you that I do not have a panic disorder.”
Autumn looked unconvinced. “I’ll do some research on the percentage of those with the disorder that go undiagnosed.”
“Okay, Queen of Stats,” Summer said, rolling her eyes, “can we go back to the part about Danni saying that the moment she had with Jaleen was one she’d never forget before you realize she has any other disorders?”
As the women laughed, Danni looked from one to the other, wishing she could bottle up this moment just like she would the one with Jaleen.
“On a more serious note...” Summer said, looking solely at Danni. “I’ve even noticed at the store that you’ve been under a lot of stress. This isn’t the first time I’ve seen you have a panic attack, but this was by far the worst I’ve seen. I don’t know why, but I have this feeling in my gut that something is wrong with you and I can’t quite place what it is.”
Summer glanced at Autumn and Winter before looking back at Danni. “We’ve also realized that, for some reason, you haven’t signed the paperwork needed to solidify our partnership. Our feelings won’t be hurt if it’s something you no longer want, but we can’t help but feel like there’s more to it than that.”
She must have looked like a deer caught in headlights because Winter came to sit next to her and grabbed her hand. “Danni, whatever it is, you can tell us.” Winter was the nurturing one. The one to go to if you needed a hug or just wanted someone to listen to you.
“We can sense that something’s wrong. The hardest part is opening up.” That was Autumn. The one who always had a solution to your problem. If she didn’t know how to help you, she’d find someone who did.
“We’ve got your back,” Summer said with a smile. “Always.”
It was Summer that caused Danni’s eyes to water. She felt close to all three women, but she’d forged a bond with Summer that she hoped couldn’t be broken. She didn’t know if it was because they were so close in age or because they shared so many of the same interests and now saw each other almost every day. Summer was the one Danni knew she could call to not talk her out of a fight but to fight right beside her. They were all one of a kind and it broke her heart that what she had to tell them meant she may lose them forever.
“All of you are right. There has been something huge weighing heavily on my heart for a while now.” She looked at each of the women. “I know you said that you’ll always have my back and that I can tell you anything, but what I’m about to tell you puts me in jeopardy of losing you ladies forever.”
“That could never happen,” Summer said as her eyes began to water.
How many times had one started crying that in turn made the other start crying? More times than Danni could count.
“You’re going to hate me for this.”
“We could never hate you,” Winter said.
Danni took a deep breath. “Winter and Autumn, do you remember the day I arrived here to interview for the manager position?”
“Of course,” Autumn said as Winter nodded her head in agreement.
“Well, I didn’t come here by accident...” She stopped talking when she heard a loud bang on the window.
“Who the heck is banging on the window like that?” Summer said as she stood from her seat. The banging continued, growing louder and more frantic.
“Let’s see who it is,” Winter said, with the rest of them following behind her.
“Oh, my God,” Winter said when she turned the corner. “What the hell is she doing here?”
Danni vaguely heard Summer and Autumn say something to Winter, but she couldn’t speak or add to the conversation. The cat literally had her tongue, or in this case, staring at Sonia Dupree in the flesh had cut off her ability to speak.
* * *
“Why do you keep looking at your phone?” Taheim asked.
“No reason.”
“Really? Because it looks to me like you’re expecting Danni to text or call you or something.”
Jaleen glanced at Taheim. “Why do you care if I’m looking at my phone?”
“Somebody’s in a foul mood today,” Ajay said. “What’s wrong with you, man?”
“Nothing wrong with me. I was just wondering why Taheim won’t mind his own business.”
Jaleen was acting like he was on edge, but he didn’t care. Ever since he’d left Danni, he’d been wondering how her conversation was going with her sisters. It wasn’t even his information to tell, yet he felt almost as nervous as Danni about the conversations he’d have to have after she spoke with her sisters, as well.
He smiled. I’m talking as if we are a couple.
They may not be married, but Jaleen had strong feelings for Danni and, in all the ways that counted, he did feel like they were a couple.
“I know what it is,” Aiden said, breaking his thoughts. “You’ve fallen in love with Danni, haven’t you?”
Taheim’s eyes flew to Jaleen’s. His accusatory stare left nothing to question. He hadn’t talked to Danni yet and Taheim knew it. Taheim’s phone vibrated, breaking the stare-down between them.
“You’ve got to be kidding me,” Taheim said, reading his text. “Sonia Dupree just showed up at the shop.”
“She did?” Jaleen asked. “What did she say? What’s going on?”
Ajay gave him a confused look. “Do you even know who Sonia is?”
“Of course I do,” he said, looking at the guys. “It’s Winter, Autumn and Summer’s mom. Did Winter say any more in the text?”
The men were ignoring him. Probably because they assumed he was the only one who was unaware of the type of person Sonia was.
“We’d better get to the shop,” Aiden said. “I don’t need that woman insulting my wife, nor do I want any of them there alone with her.”
Jaleen followed the men to the boutique, anxious to stand by Danni’s side. When they arrived, Sonia was standing outside the shop and the ladies were watching her from the inside.
At first, Jaleen couldn’t find Danni. Then he noticed her in the corner of the shop, hiding behind a fixture to try to remain unseen. He took one look at Danni and knew she hadn’t been able to tell her sisters the truth, which meant this situation was about to get a whole lot worse.
* * *
Seeing Jaleen outside the boutique’s door was bittersweet. Winter, Autumn and Summer had agreed not to let Sonia in until the men had arrived. Only then would they see what she wanted before sending her on her way.
For obvious reasons, Danni hadn’t gotten a vote. Now it felt like the entire situation was a ticking time bomb waiting to explode.
“We can open the door now,” Winter said. “The men are here, so I doubt she’ll try anything too crazy.”
I wouldn’t be too sure about that.
Watching Winter unlock the door and Sonia burst through with unnecessary force was like one of those bad overdramatic shows that always liked to show scenes in slow motion.
“It’s about damn time you opened up that door for me,” Sonia said loudly.
Danni felt movement at her side and turned to face Jaleen. She couldn’t be sure, but she didn’t think Sonia had noticed she was in the room yet.
“I came bearing some really juicy news. News that I know you’ll want to hear.” Sonia waved her arms as if she were still doing her Vegas stage show. “But you see, I don’t just give away shit for free. So if you want to know what I have to share, you better be willing to pay top dollar.”
“Why would we ever give you anything?” Autumn said. “You don’t mean anything to us and I’m sure that news is as useless as you are.”
“My, my, Autumn. Your mouth has gotten a lot fouler than I remember. Trust me, you’ll want to know this information.” Sonia walked around in a circle, her already too short dress rising even higher as she did. Sonia may be dressed entirely too provocatively, but she still had her looks. Too bad her interior didn’t match her exterior.
“You see, I happen to have information regarding someone you work with,” Sonia continued. “Someone who you’ve treated better over the years than your own mother.”
Oh, no, she’s talking about me. A quick look at Jaleen proved he was thinking the same thing.
“Someone who has been withholding the truth from you and pretending to be someone they’re not. Someone who you may or may not be related to.”
“As of right now, it only seems like you’re talking about yourself,” Summer said.
“Oh, but I’m not, Summer. The person I’m talking about could never be me.”
Thank God for that.
Jaleen nudged her. “Maybe you should say something before she does,” he whispered.
“How?” she whispered back.
Jaleen held her gaze. “Just say what’s in your heart, like we practiced.”
“The person I’m talking about has spent the last few years tricking all three of you into believing she is something that she isn’t.” Sonia’s voice got even louder. “You see, I never pretend to be anything I’m not. What you see is what you get. But this devious woman? Well, she’s the type you need to watch out for. The type who’ll pretend to be someone she isn’t just to get ahead. And you—” Sonia pointed at Winter, Autumn and Summer, her laugh spiteful. “You fools fell right into her trap.”
Sonia took two steps closer to Winter.
Taheim went to step in but Winter put her hand out to stop him. Danni knew what she was doing. She was trying to hold her ground, refusing to back down to Sonia.
“But don’t worry,” Sonia said, her voice dropping even lower as she reached for Winter’s face. “Mama’s here to make it all better.”
I can’t stand this woman. Danni was fuming so much she hadn’t noticed she’d completely stepped out of her hiding spot.
“Don’t you dare touch me
,” Winter said, grabbing Sonia by the wrist. “Ever.”
Sonia laughed as she turned to look over her shoulder. It took Danni a few seconds to realize she was looking at her.
“So now you want to come out and play,” Sonia said, yanking her wrist out of Winter’s hand. “I saw you hiding in the back. Do you want to take over from here or should I just keep going?” Sonia waved an arm toward Winter, Autumn and Summer who were each shooting Danni looks of confusion.
Just say it, Danni. Before Sonia goes any further.
Danni walked toward them. “No matter what happens today, please know that I really do love each of you and I am so sorry for everything I’ve done.”
“Oh, please,” Sonia muttered under her breath.
“What are you talking about?” Summer asked in concern.
Spit it out, Danni. Spit it out now.
“I’m your half sister,” she finally said. “Which means... Sonia is my birth mother.” There, I said it.
She should feel a big source of relief now that she’d finally said the words out loud to the people she’d feared would learn the truth. Unfortunately, judging by the looks of shock, anger and disbelief written on their faces, she had a feeling her relief would be short-lived.
Chapter 16
Autumn was the first to speak. “How long have you known?”
Danni took a deep breath. “Five years ago. Right before my father passed away, he told me the truth. When I saw the opening for the store manager position at Bare Sophistication, I came here hoping I would get the chance to meet you ladies. I’d gone my entire life believing that my mom was my actual birth mother, only to realize that she wasn’t. I was too curious to pass up the opportunity to connect with blood relatives, so I hopped on a plane and uprooted my life to Chicago.”
“So you came here knowing this information?” Winter asked, tears brimming her eyes. “Why didn’t you say anything?”
Nights of Fantasy Page 15
