Undone by Deceit

by Falon Gold

  Beside him was Nevaeh Lomax, a dark-skinned, gray-eyed, Amazonian mixologist who has worked her ass off for her independence after an extremely bad breakup. Behind her, Foreign Torres, an exotic beauty, Philippine born but California bred, with silky-black hair making her pale skin seem lighter under her chef’s hat; she was also Tommy’s protégé. She was going through the death of a loved one, her father who didn’t often show that he loved her back, which was also probably the reason for them congregating behind the check-out counter. Tommy was undoubtedly discussing the change in his employee’s work schedule, the topic he saved for when there was a lull in customers’ demands and the kitchen was caught up on orders.

  I could tell the minute Foreign and Nevaeh noticed Chance: Nevaeh eyebrows shot up to her hairline then she craned her long, slender neck to get a better look. Foreign’s slanted, milk-chocolate eyes behind thick eyelashes widened in my direction. I was definitely going to have to explain his appearance to the closest friends I had in Arrow.

  “Domestic, is your rude ass even listening to me?” Tommy cracked, then glimpsed behind him while starting in on Foreign, who he renamed Domestic for the hell of it… and because Tommy’s Cuisine was his business where he did whatever the hell he wanted to. His words, not mine.

  “I’m listening, Mr. Tommy,” Foreign chirped back as we approached. “Jerry has two days off. He’ll fill in for me who has to work six days next week to make up the hours I’ll miss attending my father’s funeral. I’ll be replacing Jerry on Wednesday, who has to accompany his mother to the hospital for her surgery. Nevaeh will cover his second day off on Thursday to get that day off she’s been trying to get for a week now. Hi, Mahogany and baby daddy. Your orders are ready.”

  No longer did I think I had to explain Chance. Someone already had.

  “And you’re being nosy too, Domestic,” Tommy informed dryly. “It’s amazing how only women can listen and be nosy at the same time.”

  When I stood before them, I spoke, “Hey, Foreign, Nevaeh, and Tommy.”

  Tommy swiveled completely around. “Mahogany, you know damn well I’ve changed their names. You would do well to call them whatever I do, or we’re gonna have some problems in here. How’s my baby girl doing?”

  Giggling at my crabby but harmless boss who thought of himself as a comedian, I replied, “She’s most likely the same as when you asked about her thirty minutes ago, Tommy, but I’ll give you an update anyway. Majestic was sleeping when I left. After we get the food, we’re going back to the hospital.”

  Then, I thumbed over my shoulder at Chance hovering behind me like security. “This is Chance Middleton. Chance meet Tommy Owens, the best boss in Colorado… if you can stand his jokes that’ll be at your expense. Nevaeh… I mean Heaven spelled backwards is on Tommy’s right and that’s Foreign, no, Tommy calls her Domestic now.”

  “I can take his jokes, Mahogany.” Chance’s hand shot out past me then hung in the air, waiting for everyone behind the counter to take it. “Nice to meet you all.”

  The only thing he can’t take was being deceived. Everyone but Tommy shook his hand. My boss preferred to give Chance an accessing look instead. I was pretty sure from Tommy’s probing glare that he didn’t like what he saw in Chance. Of course, he wouldn’t like him when I had prejudiced Tommy against Chance years ago. That wasn’t what I’d intended to do when I was applying for my job here, but it was still one more black mark against me in Chance’s book.

  “Before I shake your hand, how about you join me in my office for a short chat, Mr. Middleton?” Tommy suggested.

  Chance’s hand disappeared. “It’s Chance, and after you.”

  As they walked away toward the swinging door at the end of the counter, Foreign sighed. “Oh boy. Mr. Tommy’s not going to be nice to your baby daddy, Mahogany.”

  “That’s what I’m afraid of.”

  Nevaeh, on sensible black shoes, whirled to Foreign. “Who is Tommy nice to?”

  Foreign closed one eye, thinking deeply. “That would be nobody if you’re talking about the general definition of the word ‘nice’.”

  I concurred and hoped Chance was ready to catch pure hell from Tommy in his office on the second floor.

  Chapter Eight

  ~Chance~

  It rankled a lot that I was about to defend myself to a virtual stranger, but I detested his opinion of me and didn’t need the extra drama, sideways glances or saliva in my food when I came to town to visit my family. Visit my family, three words that should never be put together when one member was your child. But visiting was my fucking future and I was going to have to deal with it along with Mahogany’s boss who had been filling in my spot as the man in Majestic’s life. I hated that too.

  Tommy slipped into a cream-painted hallway with just a dark wood staircase. We ascended the steps quickly, turning left on the second floor with an exit door at the end of it, then passed two closed doors before he turned the knob on a third one. The second he flipped the light switch inside the room, I noticed the playpen beside his desk with paperwork scattered over every inch that his electronics hadn’t sequestered for themselves. In one of two soft cushioned chairs, I sat down, normally waiting to be invited to sit, but I wanted to get to the point of this ‘short chat.’ That was exactly what it would be if my luck was running good. His behind hadn’t even made an impression in his office chair before I kicked off the conversation.

  “Listen, I could see the close relationship between you and Mahogany when she was on the phone with you earlier. Since you mean enough to her to open up to you about our past, your opinion means a lot to me, so—”

  “And you don’t like people thinking the worst of you without them at least getting all three sides of the story first,” he interrupted with a little hostility in his voice.

  I decided to look over his attitude that he had every right to once he was dragged into my mess with Mahogany. “That’s right, Tommy, but there’s only two sides here.”

  He flopped back in his seat. “No, there’s three: your side, her side, and the truth.”

  Immediately, I understood what he was trying to get across. “Our perceptions color and distort what happens, giving us our own versions of the story.”

  He nodded. “Right. She believes you abandoned her before you even knew why she needed you. You think she lied to you by omission by not telling you she was pregnant before she left. If you’re in here willing to explain your side, you can’t be all bad. But the truth of the matter is both of you were too pigheaded to open up to the other when it mattered the most. I can see you’re stubborn from that thick ass forehead you got, Chance, but I know your girl who you’re still in love with by the way is a mule because she ignores me when I tell her to be at work. She comes when she wants to. Leaves when she wants to. If that’s not the definition of a mule…”

  Tommy trailed off and pointed at his chest. “You know I have to see about Majestic sometimes because I have no choice if I want my business to stay running in an orderly fashion, which it is not. You can just look at my desk and tell that, and I’m sorry about my attitude that’s probably only to get worse because I get a little aggressive and scatterbrained when my desk is messy because my accountant, prep cook, and fake secretary can’t come to work. All of this paperwork distracts the hell out of me when I’m in here, but I’m too stubborn to deal with it. Now, where was I? Oh, you both made up your minds about kids, you long before her, I assume, since you’re older, but you both stuck to your guns when shit happened that no one planned for. Majestic is paying the price by not having everyone that should be in her life and that is what’s pissing me off about the situation. What also makes me mad is that Majestic runs all over me along with her mother. I blame you for that.”

  Why am I not surprised I’m being held accountable and suspect Tommy isn’t as pissed as he liked to portray?

  “I’m not the blame for Majestic running over you, Tommy.” Not completely anyway.

  If I had been in Mahogany
’s life during Majestic’s birth, Mahogany and I would’ve made a proper family for Majestic. The love was there before she was born. Hell, it still was there on my end. I can’t say the same for Mahogany because truth be told, I had abandoned her before I knew she needed me because I didn’t know she did. I would’ve been there for her and Majestic if I had known, so Mahogany abandoned me first, believing I couldn’t be the man she and my firstborn needed. I wasn’t given a chance to be that and that hurts the most. Pain was leaking from my damn ears because of Mahogany.

  “Listen, Tommy—”

  He held his hands up, cutting me off again. “Sorry, I don’t have time to listen, Chance, just talk… oh and ask a question. I don’t need your side of the story, just what are you going to do for Mahogany and Majestic now because I gotta tell you they’re heavy ass burdens to me and my business needs its fake ass secretary to have less burdens, so I can deal with my other burden, my fiancée. Kat would take over Mahogany’s positions if I needed her to, but she doesn’t want to. I don’t want her to either. Mahogany can’t take care of Majestic without her job. I want my fiancée in my bed, not at my desk. The edges of it hurt my legs. Don’t ask me what that means, I might just tell you. My main problem is, eventually, Kat’s gonna want a paycheck for all she does around here and that’s too much of a good thing when she’s already entitled to half of whatever I have. In other words, I need some help with your family so mine doesn’t get greedy.”

  I can’t help chuckling at the man. He wanted to make it seem like he was in dire straits and dying to be relieved of the weight I should’ve been carrying since the beginning, but he mostly wanted the best for my family.

  “I’m going to take my burdens off your hand, Tommy. First by moving them to a bigger place. I nearly took my own head off in Mahogany’s apartment. Next, I’ll find suitable day care for Majestic… which will probably be me for a while. Right now, I’m not as trusting with her health in others’ hands as I should be, not even in her doctor’s care.”

  “It’s good to know you love Majestic already. That attests to the good man you are, even if Mahogany may feel differently. So, here’s your warning concerning Majestic: she’s already spoiled and too cute to say no to, but she just mainly wants food.”

  I snickered. “Yeah, I’ve learned those lessons the hard way.”

  Then he frowned. “What about the mixed feelings rolling off you for Mahogany? Trust me, I was intimate friends with those emotions for a long time. Still can recognize them in someone else, and I know when a man can’t decide whether he wants to be near the woman who’s causing him pain or keep his distance from her, so he does both. You’re going to tear both of you apart if you keep straddling the fence. Love her or leave her alone, Chance.”

  My humor vaporized. We were supposed to be changing his mind about considering me a deadbeat, not working on making up my mind about how I feel about Mahogany. That’s probably not possible. I scratched my head, considering my next answer.

  “Honestly, I’m dealing with the mixed feelings the best I can. I’m still pissed with her.”

  He cocked his head to the side. “I suspect she’s still pissed with you too.”

  His statement took me aback. I hadn’t occurred to me that Mahogany may be feeling hurt because I wasn’t able to give her the answer she needed when she tried to tell me about the baby. My feelings on the subject was my main concern, as was my own needs three years ago: to not be a killer. I had been selfish when I wouldn’t make room for the unexpected turns life took instead of following my schedule and my demands. Because of that, I lost… no, Mahogany took away the best things that could’ve happened to me, which just served to make me even angrier with her. And myself. I should’ve found her and made her open up to me.

  I should’ve opened up to her. Tommy was right. I was just as wrong as Mahogany was when I held back my reason for choosing to be childless, but I didn’t know if I could ever get over her decisions that brought us to the slippery slope where Majestic was skating downhill with no brakes because of her present and future health problems. Although I won’t ever regret Majestic, I still had to face the same facts that brought me to my decision to not have kids: I could lose them one day. What parent could prepare to be bury their children? That was the one thing I couldn’t face, prepare for, maybe not even survive. Mahogany made sure that I was about to find out what I really was made of when I never wanted to know.

  “Tommy, I’ll make you this promise. I’ll be good to both of them to the best of my abilities, but there is no future for me and Mahogany, and I won’t play with her emotions.” I couldn’t trust her to trust me and that was the heart of the matter.

  He stood, extending his hand to me with a huge smile on his face. “My man, that’s all I needed to hear. Nice to meet you too.”

  I don’t know what I expected when I got here, maybe a dressing down from Tommy for being absent in Majestic and Mahogany’s life, even his harsh judgement, but never him accepting my word and having a handle on what truly conspired between Mahogany and I before we split. On top of that, he was understanding and generous. I understood why he meant so much to Mahogany. I, myself, liked him, and took his hand in mine as I stood up. He pumped it twice in a strong grip then reversed from his desk to knock invisible wrinkles out of his chef’s coat.

  “Alright, Chance. Let’s go. My staff is in every position, but the one they were hired for and I don’t trust them there either. I’m going to give you my number in case Mahogany and Majestic need anything and you’re out of town. Mahogany won’t ask for anything but time off. You’re welcomed to send me a text if you can’t get here fast enough to give them what they need.”

  Somehow, he knew I didn’t trust Mahogany as far as I could see her with my eyes closed, and I’d bet he had experience in that area as well.

  I trailed him out of the office, while logging his number into my phone. Downstairs, he pushed the door open quietly. When we stepped onto the main floor, Mahogany was gripping the thick, muscular arm of a man my size, height, and race, as she doubled over with laughter and palmed the marble top that held a hefty bagged-up order and a drink tray with two extremely large Styrofoam cups beside her and him. Foreign and Nevaeh had vanished to parts unknown in the restaurant. I hated the guy that Mahogany seemed so familiar with instantly. Hated everything at this point, inky black jealousy was eating me. She hasn’t laughed like that for me in years and I wanted her to, only for me.

  Well shit, Chance! Possessive much? In my defense, it was hard not to be possessive when Mahogany had so much of me wrapped up in strings that refused to come undone. My stupid heart wasn’t backing off but moving full steam ahead towards her even while I was confused about my own feelings for her and torn up inside because of that. This guy wasn’t ugly or old and I wanted her for myself, so he was competition. Since she was mine no longer, I had a feeling I was going to see every man under eighty-five as a competitor.

  Why the hell am I feeling this way when I want to hate her too? I asked myself, as if questioning my own emotions would make the undesirable ones go away. They didn’t.

  The man stared down at her bent head, smiling, not noticing Tommy and me yet. “How many names do you think Mr. Tommy has called your baby daddy by now, Mahogany?” Then he glanced up, seeing me, which wiped the smile some women would find appealing right off his face.

  “I don’t know, Jerry,” she responded breathlessly, still unaware of me and her boss in the vicinity behind her. “Thirty? Forty? I do know Chance is memorizing each one for a later date to return the favor. His memory is as long as an elephant’s and his grudges span lifetimes.”

  And I had one hell of a bone to pick with her.

  “I didn’t call him any names, Jerry,” Tommy answered as I stopped right behind Mahogany.

  She popped upright suddenly, then leapt back from me and Jerry as if the gates to hell were opening up in the floor beneath us.

  He threw up both hands. “I’m on break, Mr. Tommy.”


  Tommy propped one elbow on the countertop before crossing his feet. “I figured as much, Jerry. Why else would you be out here talking to Mahogany?”

  “We’re friends?” Jerry offered.

  “Are you asking me or telling me?” Tommy inquired dryly.

  Jerry side-eyed Mahogany, who was waiting for his response too. “Telling, Mr. Tommy.”

  Mahogany, wide-eyed and surrounded by us, crisscrossed her arms in front of her, unknowingly pushing her breasts up for better viewing. “Hey, you guys good now?”

  I simply stared at her chest, barely able to peel my eyes away just like in the car. Those nipples were mine and I still hadn’t tasted them yet. Her full, blush-colored lips. Mine. Smooth, blemish-free skin. Also mine. Not anyone else’s, and Jerry had better get out of touching range like right now.

  “We’re fine, Mahogany,” Tommy took the liberty to reply. “Jerry Toller, meet Chance Middleton, and I advise you to back up, Jerry. Chance is feeling all kinds of territorial right now.”

  Jerry sidestepped with a ‘I didn’t do anything, but I’m going to move anyway’ look on his face. I cut my eyes at Tommy next to me. How the hell did he… never mind, I knew how he knew what I was feeling: he had to have walked in my shoes before with Kat. Mahogany wore the same dumbfounded expression as Jerry, which she laid on me, totally hoping I’d be the one to give her an idea of what Tommy was talking about. I grinned evilly instead. She frowned, so clueless it was ridiculous. It should be a crime how much I enjoyed her confusion, but I’d been the same way once upon a time concerning her. Now, it was her turn to feel the burn.

  “I… ah,” Jerry stammered. “I think I’ll go back to work now.”

  “Sounds like a plan, Jerry,” Tommy endorsed. “Let’s let these folks get back to their baby girl.”

  “Kiss Majestic for me, Mahogany,” the giant, in too pale skin and blonde crewcut, requested before slightly limping away.

  “I will, Jerry,” she conceded with a nervous tremor in her voice.