Gia thought a moment. She refused to ask, but even considering the possibility that Keith might also be there gave her a sudden thrill. She might see him again. “I’d love to go, if it’s okay with Prudence, of course.”
“I’m sure it is. Let me call her, then call you right back.”
“Okay, thanks, Val.” Gia pressed to disconnect and just sat looking at her view. Hey, Keith, she thought, I’m ready.
A few minutes later her cell phone rang again. It was Val. Gia picked up. “Hey.”
“I just spoke with Prudence. It’s no problem. She’s gonna pick me up and then we’ll stop by and get you. Is an hour too soon?”
“No, not at all. Thanks, I really need this.”
“No problem, it’ll be fun. We’ll see you in about an hour.”
Gia didn’t waste any time. She locked the balcony door and, having already taken a shower an hour earlier, hurried to her closet to find something to wear. She dressed, pulled her hair back in a bun and then finished getting herself together. Forty-eight minutes later her doorbell rang. She opened it to see Val and Prudence smiling. “Hey,” they said in unison.
“Hi, Val. Hi, Prudence,” Gia said, hugging and welcoming them into her home. “Thank you so much for letting me tag along today. Come on in, I just have to grab my purse.”
“You’re perfectly welcome. It’s gonna be so much fun,” Prudence said. “Have you ever been to a Knights game before?”
“Yes, years ago, before my parents divorced.”
“It’s so much better and the skyboxes are awesome,” Val said.
“I’m really looking forward to it.”
“Gia, your home is beautiful and the view of the bridge and the river is breathtaking. I’ve never been in this building before. I’ve only seen the view from the opposite side facing the city. My brother used to live right across the street in the building facing this one.”
“Really, your brother...”
“Yeah, my brother, Keith,” Prudence said as Val smiled. “So, when are you two going to hook up for real?” Prudence added.
Gia’s jaw dropped. “I don’t know what you’re talking about,” she said, then looked at Val and frowned.
“Hey, don’t look at me. I wasn’t the one on the dance floor at the benefit falling in love. That was you and Keith.”
“We weren’t falling in love. And, Prudence, Keith and I are just business associates.”
Prudence smiled. “Well, personally, I think you two would make a great couple. You look good together. And he needs someone in his life that’s not all about law and politics. He deserves to be happy and so do you.”
“Okay, I’m ready to go.” Gia grabbed her purse and they headed out. Prudence drove to the stadium as the three talked about everything from fashion, to music, to celebrities, to foreign policy. When they got to the security gate, Prudence showed her ID and was pointed to an open parking space. They got out and headed up to the skybox.
* * *
It was one thing after another for Keith. First the almost fire at City Hall; then one of his clients was facing a flood of bad press and major ethics sanctions because of a tabloid article naming him as the father of his assistant’s three-year-old child. The fact that the allegations were true and he’d tried to cover it up didn’t help. Then, of course, Lester Jameson had received a major endorsement and seemed to be riding a wave of renewed popularity.
So the last week had been filled with cancelled appointments, constant travel, meetings and the initiation of full damage control on all fronts. All that forced Keith to refocus on what was supposed to be the most important thing in his life—his work. But the problem was all he could think about was Gia. And it made him realize that there was more to his life than work.
But now with most of the fires put out, he took the rare opportunity to sit back and relax with his brothers. It was Sunday afternoon and their brother-in-law was leading the Philadelphia Knights to another victory. The game was tied and Speed had been taking a brutal punishment for the last three quarters plus overtime. But the team’s renewed rally was strong and the Knights, led by Michael Speed Hunter, had marched down the field on sheer strength and determination.
Keith handed each of his brothers another nonalcoholic beer, then sat down in front of the huge flat-screen television attached to the wall in his game room. Screened and glassed, heated and cooled, this room was finished and designed for four-season use. This was his sanctuary and his new home away from the craziness of Philly, D.C. and New York. Few came unless specifically invited. They cheered after another near-impossible first-down completion.
The regulation game had already been played. They were now in the last few minutes of overtime. The first to score would win and it was more than obvious that both teams were looking for a victory. “Man, this game is killing me,” Drew said as he got up and walked over to the buffet table. It was loaded with every imaginable game-time snack. He grabbed a couple of fried chicken wings and some collard greens and potato salad.
“Yo, bro, bring me back a couple more chicken wings,” Jeremy said before taking the last bite of his cheesesteak.
“You want anything, Keith?” Drew asked.
“Nah, I’m good,” Keith said, sipping his beer.
Drew walked back over, gave Jeremy a small plate of wings, then took his seat between his two brothers. “I don’t know, man. It looks like they just might be able to pull this one off.”
Jeremy chuckled. “Hell yeah, Speed is serious about winning this game. Look at him scrambling behind the line. Hey, remind me again why we didn’t go to this game?”
“You were supposed to get the tickets and you blew it.”
“Oh, yeah, that,” Jeremy said, laughing, “my bad.”
“I don’t know how he does it—football games, practice, national endorsements campaigns and chairman of his nonprofit children’s organization, plus a baby on the way in a few months,” Keith said.
“Don’t forget dealing with Prudence,” Drew said. The brothers chuckled. “Seriously, I think she’s losing her mind lately. Last week she was trying to hook me up with a model friend she knows in London. I couldn’t believe it. She was trying to set me up on a blind date.”
“So what happened?” Keith asked.
Drew shook his head, looking more annoyed than he intended. “My date canceled on me at the last minute,” he said stiffly. “I gotta admit I was a bit annoyed, but then she texted me and it’s all good.”
Jeremy and Keith chuckled. “So, who is this model?”
“Her name’s Angel Periz.”
“I’ve seen her. She’s gorgeous, man.”
“Yeah, she is. I saw pictures,” Drew said, sounding a little disappointed. “Anyway, I texted her and we’ve been going back and forth for a while. She’s got a wicked sense of humor.”
“Sounds like you like her,” Keith said.
Drew shrugged noncommittally. “She’s funny and smart. I didn’t expect that. Anyway, we’re gonna hang out the next time she’s in the States.”
“Prudence playing matchmaker... You know she got that from Mamma Lou,” Jeremy said, shaking
his head.
“Yeah, but at least Mamma Lou’s back on Crescent Island. We’re safe until the next time she comes to town.”
“So, who was Mamma Lou trying to match?”
“Gia Duncan and Rick Renault,” Keith said.
“Now that’s a tough match. Can you see those two together?”
“I don’t know, they might work,” Drew said.
“No, they wouldn’t,” Keith said in a tone that made both his brothers look at him. “I’m just saying, he doesn’t want marriage, we all know that. And she’s—”
“Whoa, whoa, check it out,” Jeremy said as Speed ran down the sidelines being cha
sed by three huge linebackers. They laughed and cheered as Speed stepped out of bounds. The game clock stopped. The stadium cameras focused on him a few seconds, then cut away to pan the crowd and then focus on the owner’s box.
“Man, seriously, when are you gonna get the rest of this place finished?” Jeremy asked. “This could really be a nice place to chill out. Besides, you know I’m not gonna feel like driving back to the city after. If you had more than one bedroom, I could crash here.”
“What do you mean? It is done,” Keith protested.
Drew laughed. “Dude, a bedroom, a bathroom and a game room isn’t what I call done.”
“That’s all I need for right now, although I’m seriously thinking about getting the kitchen designed in the very near future. I’m getting a little tired of ordering out every time I come here.”
“Hey, nothing wrong with ordering out,” Jeremy said.
“Jeremy, you need to learn how to cook. You can’t order out the rest of your life. Besides—”
“Hey, check it out, there’s Mom and Dad in the owner’s box,” Drew said, interrupting.
Keith focused back on the screen. He knew his parents were going to the game. It was a planned press op, and of course they looked exactly as planned.
“Yo, yo, yo, isn’t that your lady, Keith?” Jeremy said, pointing to the television screen.
“Yep, that’s Gia Duncan sitting with Prudence and Mom. Who would have guessed?” Drew added.
Keith looked closer to see Gia and his mom with their heads together laughing about something. The sportscasters didn’t identify her since the time-out ended and the game began again. “What’s she doing there?” he muttered. “And for the record, she’s not my lady,” Keith also clarified. Drew and Jeremy glanced at each other and smiled knowingly. Keith witnessed the open interaction. “All right, if you’ve got something to say, say it.”
“You know you want her, man. Why don’t you just go for it?” Drew said. Keith looked threatening. “I’m just saying.”
“Dude, the two of you out on the dance floor at the benefit the other week nearly set the whole floor on fire.”
“I have no idea what you’re talking about,” Keith said innocently.
His brothers laughed. “The way you were looking at her and the way she was looking at you and then that slow-groove dance. I had no idea you had moves like that. Seriously, you had women standing on the sides staring with drool coming out of their mouths.”
“Now I know I have no idea what you’re talking about.”
“Please, don’t act like you don’t know. Everybody could see that either something was already going on between you or something was about to start.”
“It was a dance, that’s it. Gia Duncan and I are business professionals. That’s all. There’s no way we can explore anything else.”
“Why not, because of the election?” Jeremy asked.
“That and other factors,” he said.
“Man, since when have you let general convention dictate your life? If you want to be with her, tell her.”
Keith looked at his brothers and shook his head.
“Ah, come on, man, it’s all good. Gia’s a nice woman. She’s intelligent, gorgeous and her body is perfect. Seriously, I like her and if you don’t step up, I just might.”
Keith’s eyes instantly narrowed. His brothers laughed again. “See, see, that right there. She got you, man. She got you.”
“Yeah, she’s got me. But right now she doesn’t want me.”
“Come again?”
“We were moving too fast. She wants to take it slow. That was a week ago.”
Jeremy and Drew shook their heads. “And now?” they said.
“And now I’m gonna let her have her time. It’s strange, one day I was enjoying my life and the next I can’t imagine my life without her.” Drew and Jeremy nodded slowly. “You know what, three weeks ago we were worried about Mamma Lou and now look at us.”
Jeremy turned back to the television. “Hey, the game’s over,” he said. Drew and Keith turned to the screen. The game had just ended with the Knights victorious. They watched the replay and highlights and then talked, joked and stayed another hour, helping Keith clean up before heading back to the city. Keith decided to stay until the morning.
Chapter 17
Gia got out of the car after hugging and thanking Val and Prudence for an awesome day. She was still smiling from the last play ending the game. The Knights were on the three-yard line and Speed, knowing he’d take the brunt of the assault with a quarterback sneak, passed the ball and then dived over the unstoppable defensive line as another player ran the football in to score. No one saw it coming. Everyone cheered until the very end. “Thanks so much, I had a blast.”
“Anytime. We’ll talk to you later,” Val said.
“Gia,” Prudence called. Gia turned and walked back to the car. “Here, take this. It’s Keith’s address at his new place. You should stop by and see him. He’s there now.”
Gia looked at the piece of paper in her hand. “Prudence, really, this isn’t necessary. I don’t need it.”
“We all need somebody sometimes. Just in case. Don’t be afraid to go get what you want,” she said, then waved as she drove away.
Gia watched them drive off. She shook her head and stuffed the paper in her pocket, then went up to her condo. It was still early and even though she was tired, she was also energized because of the excitement of the day. She freshened up, grabbed a glass of wine and went outside to her balcony and sat down.
She thought about what Prudence had said. We all need somebody sometimes. Keith. Being with his parents and his sister all day made her wonder about him. Although no one had mentioned his name, he was right there in her thoughts. She looked around at the surrounding building, wondering which one was his since Prudence hadn’t been specific. Then she remembered the piece of paper Prudence had given her. She had said that he was there now. She wondered what he was doing. Gia pulled it out of her jeans pocket and read the address. It was in Chestnut Hill. She didn’t know exactly where it was, but she knew the area well.
She went back inside. The solitude of loneliness was all around her. This was her life and it was going to be until she changed it. She started thinking again about what Prudence had said. Don’t be afraid to go get what you want. Prudence was right and Gia decided to do just that. She grabbed her purse and walked out with one destination in mind. She programmed his address into her GPS and drove listening to the audible directions and the sound of her heart pounding. The closer she got, the faster she drove.
When the GPS announced that she had arrived, she looked up to see a gated stone entranceway. She turned and drove up the driveway to a large three-story stone farmhouse that looked as if it were part of a History Channel remake. It was old, stately and majestic and as far from the twenty-first century as light is from dark. But it was also really beautiful. She looked around. The only vehicle parked out front was a pickup truck. She rechecked the address on the paper and the GPS. This was it.
She got out and walked up to the front door. She was excited and scared and had no idea what she was doing. Just an hour earlier she was at home; now she was standing at Keith’s front door. She rang the bell and a few seconds later the door opened. Keith stood in the open doorway obviously stunned to see her.
“Gia,” he said quietly.
“Hi,” she said, trying not to sound as nervous as she was.
“What are you doing here? How did you...”
“Your sister is very persuasive.”
“Prudence, yes, she is. Come on in,” he said, stepping aside.
She walked in, hearing the echo of her heels clicking on the polished marble flooring. She looked around. The foyer was huge and completely bare, no furniture and nothing on the walls.
Keith closed the door and she turned to him. He looked too good for words. Losing her battle with her desires, she took three steps and wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him.
This was it—what she’d been wanting for the last week. This was what was missing in her life and this was what she needed now and forever. The kiss instantly swept them away in passion. He wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her close. Her lips parted and his tongue delved into her mouth. It was the sweetest sensation. Nothing could match this.
She’d been starving and his kiss was the taste of nirvana. Her heart thundered and every nerve ending in her body tingled with the thrill of being in his arms again. She heard a loving moan and realized it came from her. She turned her head. The kiss deepened beyond erotic foreplay as he switched their positions and pressed her against the door, trapping her with his hard body.
He grabbed hold of her butt and picked her up. She wrapped her legs around his body and felt the steel-like hardness of his penis press between her legs. The deep heaviness of his guttural groan told her everything she needed to know. He wanted her as much as she wanted him. Then, from a distance, the sound of joyous laughter resounded. She stopped and looked at him, then pushed to step down, putting distance between them.
Breathlessly, he looked at her, questioning. “What, what?” he said, obviously not having had his fill
of her.
“Someone’s here. You have company,” she said anxiously. It had never occurred to her that he wouldn’t be alone. Suddenly, the thought of another woman coming out and seeing them together ran through her mind. She moved away from him, keeping a more respectable distance. “I’m sorry, I should have called.” She reached around him for the doorknob.
He covered her hand to stop her. “Gia, don’t go. I need—”
“I shouldn’t have come. I don’t know what I was thinking.”
“Keith, man, we’re gonna get out of here,” Drew said as he walked toward the foyer area. A second later he stopped.
Jeremy was right behind him. “Yeah, we’re leaving you with the rest of the cleanup. Oh,” he said, stopping right behind Drew.
Forever Love (Arabesque) Page 17
