Ted looked for Victoria in the crowded lobby. “Good morning. Sorry to keep you waiting,” he apologized as he approached. Immediately, he sensed that something was wrong.
“No problem,” she said in a low voice. “Let’s get moving.”
As the driver sped them through the maze of morning traffic, Victoria gave Ted the quick and dirty version of her conversation with Parker. “I was ready to trust him, to finally give in to him . . . physically. I’ve been such a fool.”
Ted hated the way he felt at this moment. He didn’t want to see Victoria hurt in any way, and he’d do anything to make her happy. But he was elated that Parker had fucked up, just as he knew he would be. First with Sheila, and now with this. “V, I’m sorry. It sounds like you two have a lot to discuss, but it’s not a situation you can resolve while you’re here in New York. Try to focus on what you can control and the day ahead.”
“You’re right, there’s nothing I can do about things until I get back home.”
“I’ll strike a deal with you. If I show you a good time over the next two days, do you promise to cheer up and try not to think about the situation?”
She nodded her head. “I’ll try.”
After their morning meeting, Victoria and Ted lunched at Tavern on the Green. She enjoyed a salad of fresh shitake mushrooms and mixed field greens, while Ted polished off the last of his ginger salmon. They were about to order dessert when Victoria looked up and saw Mason Brightwood headed in her direction. Ted continued to talk but instinctively followed Victoria’s eyes, which were focused on the tall man approaching their table.
“My, isn’t this a pleasant surprise,” Mason said, full of smiles.
Victoria stood to greet him. Ted couldn’t help but notice that when the man hugged her, he held her a little too close for comfort. He was about to stand and introduce himself to the stranger, but Victoria moved in front of him, gently placing her hand on his shoulder, motioning for him to stay in his seat and out of sight. What is she doing? he wondered.
Both men tried to get a better look at each other, but Victoria stood in between them. Ted fought to maintain a calm outward appearance, but he wanted to know who this man was that Victoria obviously didn’t want him to meet. Whatever his identity, Ted knew that he was someone she didn’t like. Her body language told him that from her stiffly arched back to her tightly crossed arms.
“Are you enjoying your lunch?” Mason asked, focusing his attention away from Ted and back to Victoria.
“Yes . . . I am.”
“You look very lovely today.”
“Thank you.” You bastard!
An awkward silence passed between them before Mason spoke up. “I’m meeting a client here for lunch,” he offered, explaining his presence and expecting Victoria to do the same.
Instead, Victoria grabbed his hand and shook it quickly. “I hope you and your client have a good lunch,” she said. That was his cue to keep moving.
Mason gave her a sly grin. “I guess I’ll see you at the game.”
“I’m sure you will.”
He walked away, but not before turning around to give her one final look.
“Who was that?” Ted asked, trying to sound casual, even though his curiosity was burning a hole in his head.
“That was Mason Brightwood . . . Parker’s brother.”
At that moment, Ted knew there would be trouble.
Spoon-Feed Him. . .
It was late Saturday morning as Victoria left the airport and headed down Interstate 400. She’d enjoyed the last two days in the Big Apple, and Ted had done as he’d promised—shown her a good time. After their meetings they’d visited museums and shopped at some of Fifth Avenue’s finest stores. But now that she was back home she knew she’d have to deal with Parker. They hadn’t spoken since their argument. But she needed to talk to her touchstone first, to get advice, so she dialed Tyler on her cell. “What’re you doing?” she asked.
“Chillin’. You back in town?”
“Yeah, I just passed Phipps Plaza, so I’m about five minutes away. Can I come over?”
“The door will be open.”
Victoria sat on the soft upholstered sofa she’d helped Tyler pick out several years ago, and sipped hot cocoa. It was cold outside and the hot drink felt good going down. “Is this instant?” she asked.
“Swiss Miss, baby. And don’t say a word. Not everybody can make shit from scratch.”
“I wasn’t going to say anything. Instant is fine,” she lied.
“Juliet told me about Parker’s brother.”
Tyler barely liked Parker, and after hearing about Mason, he thought Victoria should stay clear of the Brightwood boys altogether.
“Can you believe that bastard? He’s my man’s brother, and he was trying to make a move on me.”
“You gonna tell Parker?”
“I don’t know. Juliet said I shouldn’t. What do you think?”
Tyler rubbed his chin, as if studying the situation. “Even though the shit was foul, I don’t think you should say anything, at least not now. But don’t act like you like that mothafucker either, and the minute he tries to make a serious move, bust his ass.”
“I saw him again on Thursday, when Ted and I were having lunch. I know he wanted to know who Ted was, but I didn’t introduce them, and I’ll bet money that he called Parker as soon as he sat down at his table . . . Only I’m sure he left out the part about pressing his dick up against me when he gave me a hug.”
“You lyin’?”
“I wish.”
“That’s truly fucked up.”
“Tell me about it.”
“So . . . he saw you havin’ lunch with Prince Charming, huh?”
“Yeah.”
“Juliet told me about the limo. He’s smooth.”
Victoria shook her head. “It was a town car, and it was no big deal.”
“Oh, don’t try to front. You know he wants you. And don’t give me that bullshit about him bein’ gay.”
“I don’t think he’s gay . . . anymore,” Victoria conceded.
Tyler peered at her with suspicion. “Did something happen between you two while you were in New York?”
“I just saw him in a different light, that’s all.”
“A different light? What happened?”
“Nothing . . . let’s drop it, please.”
Tyler shrugged his shoulders. He’d known his best friend long enough to know when to back off. “Okay, we’ll come back to that subject later.”
“Thank you,” Victoria said with relief.
“So how’re things with you and the dashing doctor? I know somethin’s up. Otherwise you would’ve hightailed it over to his place as soon as you hit town, instead of sittin’ on my couch drinkin’ instant cocoa that I know you don’t like. So whassup?”
Victoria told him about Parker’s deception with the Africa Project, although she neglected to tell him about the Sheila incident. She had to spoonfeed him information a little at a time, especially since she had a strong feeling that he didn’t like Parker. She remembered the way Tyler had acted when she invited him to join them for dinner one night. She wanted the two men in her life to meet, but she didn’t want Parker to know that she was putting him through a litmus test, so she invited Debbie and Rob as cover.
She made a simple meal of chicken parmesan, spinach lasagna, and garlic bread, Tyler’s favorites. But almost right away she noticed how his eyes darted over Parker with disapproval, how his lip curled slightly when Parker made jokes that she found hilarious, and how he’d asked Parker questions, then listened to his responses with a placid expression.
“I don’t know what to do,” Victoria said. “I love him, but I just don’t know if I can trust him.”
“Well, this is what you do know,” Tyler began. “It’s almost certain that he’s known for some time that there was a very good possibility he’d be going to Africa for six months. He knew it the first day he met you. He knew it while you’ve been spe
nding practically every day together. And he damn sure knew it when he sat his ass down at your dinner table and took second helpings of my spinach lasagna at your inspection dinner.”
“Tyler, I need advice, not sarcasm.”
“Just talk to the brothah. Put it on the line and tell him exactly how you feel.” Tyler looked Victoria in the eyes and reached for her hand. “But whatever you do, don’t avoid him, or not talk to him. Don’t run away. Get things out in the open so you’ll know what you’re dealin’ with.”
Unilateral . . .
When Victoria turned into her driveway she saw Parker sitting in his SUV, parked in front of her house. She drove around to the car pad in the back, and when she got out Ms. Swanson appeared, walking up to the fence line. “Your gentleman friend has been parked out front for over an hour. Is everything all right?” her nosy neighbor asked.
“Thanks for letting me know, Ms. Swanson. Everything’s fine.” Victoria knew that the old lady had been watching the comings and goings of Parker’s vehicle since they’d started dating.
Victoria walked into her house and headed straight to the front door. Her heart raced when she opened it and Parker was standing there—looking good. He was holding a box of Godiva chocolates, knowing they were her favorites. “These are for you,” he said, handing Victoria the gold foil box. As soon as she closed the door, Parker drew her into his arms and kissed her. She hated that she didn’t have the willpower to resist.
“Baby, I missed you,” he said.
“I missed you too, but we really need to talk.” She took the chocolates to the kitchen and ushered him back to the den, putting distance between them on the couch so she could think clearly.
“Baby, I’m sorry about this whole mix up.”
Victoria looked at him squarely. “This isn’t a mix up. This is a lack of communication and a total disregard for my feelings, our relationship, and the trust we were starting to build.”
“Victoria, I love you and I would never do anything to intentionally jeopardize our relationship,” he pleaded.
“Clearly that’s not true. You knowingly kept something very important from me, and that jeopardizes everything.”
Parker shook his head. “Listen, I’ll be honest. The reason I didn’t tell you about the Africa Project from the beginning was because you had this huge wall up when we first met. And even though you said you were ready for a relationship, you were very guarded. I knew that if I told you I was leaving so soon, you wouldn’t have given me a chance,” he confessed.
“So you thought about your own feelings, about how you wanted me, but not about how your deception would affect me.”
“It wasn’t deception,” Parker defended.
“You’re used to getting what you want, when you want it, but you can’t manipulate others to your advantage.”
“I wasn’t trying to manipulate you . . . ”
“What country are you going to anyway?” Victoria interrupted.
Parker let out a deep breath. “Kenya. We’ll be set up in a nomadic village about four hours outside Nairobi. But, baby, I wasn’t trying to manipulate you, honestly.”
Victoria shook her head, trying to control her emotions that were vacillating from sadness, to anger, to forgiveness. “Well, what are we going to do . . . about us?”
“Continue to let our relationship grow,” Parker said, reaching over to hold Victoria’s hand. He held it tight, showing his sincerity.
“If you want me in your life, you have to include me in the decisions you make. A relationship between two people shouldn’t be unilateral, it’s no way to build trust or respect. I’ve been through that before and I won’t put up with it again.”
Parker kissed her to make her quiet. All he wanted to hear was that she wouldn’t give up on their relationship.
He brought her luggage in while she freshened up and then went through a week’s worth of mail. Before they knew it, the afternoon had slipped into evening. They ordered pizza and opened a bottle of wine for dinner.
“I tried to call you several times. Did you turn off your phone?” Parker asked, taking a bite of his veggie slice.
“You know I did. I was avoiding you like you avoided me.”
“Fair enough,” he said, clearing his throat. “Mason told me that he saw you at Tavern on the Green.”
Victoria had been anticipating this line of questioning. “Yeah, I love that place. The view of the park is spectacular.”
Parker knew what she was doing, so he let the pause linger until he couldn’t take it any longer. Seeing that she wasn’t going to cooperate he plunged ahead. “Mason said you were having lunch with some guy. Who was he?”
“Why, are you jealous?”
“Should I be?”
Victoria laughed, but Parker didn’t. “Relax, it was just Ted.”
“Ted who?”
“Ted Thornton, silly.”
“But Mason said you were having lunch with some white guy?”
“Yeah, that was Ted.”
“Ted’s white?” Parker sat up straight, letting his pizza fall to his plate.
“Yes,” Victoria said with surprise. And for the first time, she realized that just as in her conversations with her mother, she’d never mentioned Ted’s race when she talked about him. She assumed that Parker would know that Ted was white for the same reasons she thought her mother would. But the truth was that Parker had very little interest in professions or business happenings outside of medicine—including her own budding business.
Parker was speechless. All this time he’d assumed that Ted was black. The fact that he was white suddenly changed his perception of the man and his assessment of Victoria’s relationship with him. “I thought he was a brother.”
“Well, he’s not,” Victoria said in a “let’s drop it” tone.
Parker didn’t want to have another argument so he backed off.
They slept in Victoria’s bed that night. Parker held her close, wanting to make love, but thankful for the chance to lie next to her, especially after narrowly escaping a breakup. They’d gotten over a major hurdle tonight. He was confident that she loved him just as much as he loved her. But her relationship with Ted disturbed him. From the beginning, he had a bad feeling about Ted Thornton. And now, his spider senses tingled even more. Mason had told him that when he ran into Victoria, it definitely seemed that she and her lunch companion were more than just casual acquaintances. Now, Parker was very interested in meeting Ted. His opportunity would come next month at the ViaTech Christmas party—a party he planned on attending, come hell or high water.
Chapter Fifteen
That’s Where You Come In...
It was Sunday afternoon, and Victoria was lounging around the house, glad to be home from her week in New York. She and Parker were back on track. They’d made up last night, and after a large breakfast she’d prepared this morning, he headed back home.
She decided to call Denise to catch up on the office happenings since she’d been gone, but she wasn’t prepared for what she heard. Denise told a story that left Victoria’s mouth hanging open. “Patricia was fired? I can’t believe it!” Victoria said.
“Yes, girlfriend. When the heifer came in on Friday morning, Bob Hoffman told her to pack her shit and hit it!”
“I wonder what finally got her fired?”
“I don’t know. It’s all very hush hush.”
“What do you mean, hush hush?”
“All they’re saying is that her services were no longer needed.”
“Jen is your girl. Did you ask her what happened?”
“Sure did, but for the first time since I’ve known her, she wouldn’t give me the scoop. I asked her a few questions and you would’ve thought I was trying to investigate the Kennedy assassination. Her lips were tight.”
“Interesting.”
“Yeah, I thought so too. So I figured that whatever got Patricia fired must’ve happened while she was in New York, and that’s where you come in. Wh
at happened up there?”
Victoria’s head was spinning. “I knew something happened between the two of them. I knew it!”
“Details, details, please!”
Victoria told Denise about the car incident between Patricia and Ted.
“Damn, Ted fired Patricia over you,” Denise said.
“What makes you say that?”
“What else could it be? The man told you that she said something that pissed him off, and you know it was probably something about you because she talks shit about you every chance she gets. That’s what got her ass fired.”
“I don’t think Ted would fire her over something as trivial as bad-mouthing me.”
“Girlfriend, you’re truly in denial. Stop making excuses, it’s really not cute anymore.”
“I resent that,” Victoria quipped.
“Look, he’s getting a divorce and you’ll be leaving the company soon. There won’t be any roadblocks, so just go ahead and admit that you two have a thing for each other. Is it because he’s . . . ”
“My boss,” Victoria cut her off. “And besides, there’s something very important you forgot about . . . my boyfriend.”
Denise wanted to roll her eyes so badly her lashes hurt. She’d met Parker two weeks after he and Victoria had started dating. He’d come by the office one morning, surprising her with flowers. Denise thought he was one of the best looking men she’d seen other than on the pages of her Ebony Man Calendar. But when he requested coffee, it pissed her off. Not only didn’t he wait to be asked if he wanted a cup, he told her to get him one. He’d treated her like domestic help, and his arrogance and superior air made her want to spit in the freshly brewed French roast before handing it to him.
Even though he apologized, and only because Victoria had gone off on him the moment Denise left the room, the damage had already been done. He’d torn his drawers as far as Denise was concerned, and no forced apology could mend that hole.
“I know you have Mr. Wonderful, but let’s pretend he doesn’t exist. What then? What would be your excuse?” Denise probed.
“I’m in love with a good man who loves me back. Ted isn’t in the running.”
Unexpected Interruptions Page 22
