by Iris Bolling
“More than you know, Daddy.” Nicole kissed her father on his cheek.
Avery gave his daughter a side-ways glance. He had never seen her blush so. “Yeah, well, you’re welcome to dinner anyway.”
“Pay Daddy no mind.” Nicole took Xavier by the hand. “This is my brother, James and his wife Ashley.”
“Hello, James, Ashley, it’s good to see you again.”
“Hello Xavier.” James shook his hand. “Please tell the Lassiters hello from us.”
“I’d be happy to.”
“This beautiful creature is…”
“Lil Tay, I’m a fan.”
“Taylor, and I’m a bigger fan now that I’ve seen you in person.”
“Hey, pop star, back off this one.” Nicole walked between the two pulling Xavier along laughing.
“You’ve already met Vernon,” Nicole said as she whisked by him and stopped at her twin brother. “This is my other half, Nick. Nick, meet Xavier.” She watched as the two assessed each other. For her, this was the test. Not her father or her mother. Nick was the test Xavier had to pass. In so many ways Xavier reminded her of her brother. They were both very intelligent. However, neither of them flaunted it. They did what came naturally, never taking their place at the mic to talk about their accomplishments. Nicole loved her brother so much there were times she felt as if she could not breathe without him in her life. Xavier was quickly surpassing that benchmark.
“I’ve heard a lot about you, Nick.”
“Same here, Xavier,” Nick shook his hand. “We should make it a point to get to know each other.”
“I agree.”
Gwen held on to her husband’s arm as they watched Nicole parade Xavier around the family. “Look at her,” Gwen said to her husband. “She is beaming.”
“Davenport’s smile isn’t too dull either, my dear.” Avery patted his wife’s hand. “I have a feeling this is going to be an interesting night.”
Nicole’s smile could have lit the entire room as she introduced Xavier to her family. “Let’s have a seat until dinner is ready.” The couple sat on the sofa. Xavier placed his arm around Nicole’s shoulders as she crossed her legs and snuggled next to him.
Gwen and Avery glanced at each other, observing the unusual behavior of their daughter. “Tell us about yourself, Davenport.”
“Not much to tell. My brother and I have a development company in Richmond. We build communities for low income families.”
“The homes are beautiful,” Ashley stated. “We attended the ground breaking ceremony for Davenport Estates.”
“Very impressive,” James added. “Just about every home site was sold at that event.”
“Davenport Estates.” Avery thought for a moment. “Was it selected as the best designed community a few years ago?”
“Yes, sir. It was,” Xavier replied.
“You should see the plans Xavier is designing for a community center in a low income area of Richmond. It looks like a country club we would pay thousands to be a member of,” Nicole boasted.
Xavier smiled down at her. “We want to ensure the families who have to use the center know their children are in a well maintained, safe environment.”
“That’s not all, Poppa. You should see what he designed for the London project.”
“The London project? What happened to Allen and Allen?”
“They tabled the project since I refused to declare my sexual preference publicly.”
“When did this happen?” Avery sat up.
“Thursday at the board meeting,” Nicole explained. “If they want to jeopardize a billion dollar deal, let them. I have a perfect design ready to present to the partners in London. And-” she smiled at Xavier, “-we have a design for a project state side as well. I want to get your take on it before we present it to the board.”
“I would think so,” Vernon stated. “Nothing against you, Davenport, but we can’t have a project of this magnitude riding on your talent as a good lay.”
“Vernon,” Gwen exclaimed.
“Mother, that’s about all we have to go on at this point.”
“How did he know I was a good lay?” Xavier asked Nicole with a grin.
“I don't know.” Nicole looked. “Vernon?”
Nick and James laughed.
“At least you have your lawsuit against Trish won,” Taylor said.
“How so?” Nicole asked.
“You just spent the weekend with a man,” Vernon declared as he took a drink.
“It will come up in court.”
“Is that why you slept with him Nicole?” Constance asked.
“Dinner is ready, Mr. Brooks.” The cook said from the doorway.
“Thank goodness,” Gwen said as they stood.
“We have an interesting family, Mr. Davenport,” Avery stated. “We would like to be graceful hosts. However, every now and then we slip.” He gave Constance a stern look as they walked by.
“I’m sure there will be many questions before the evening ends, Mr. Brooks. I welcome them.” Xavier winked at Nicole as they followed the family into the dining room, walking hand in hand.
Once seated, and grace was said, Vernon took over the conversation.
“Tell us about your relationship with Trish Hargrove.” Vernon sat back with a smirk.
James and Ashley glanced at each other and began laughing. Years ago it was Ashley who was in the hot seat being interrogated by Vernon.
“I fail to see the humor in my inquiry.” Vernon raised an eyebrow.
“You would,” James laughed. “Haven’t you learned, once a Brooks decides who is going to be in their life, your tactics are not going to change their minds.”
“Honey.” Ashley touched James’ arm. “I want to hear Xavier put Vernon in his place. Hush.” She pointed her fork. “Go ahead, Xavier, give it to him.”
Xavier held Vernon’s glare. “My personal life is shared on a need to know basis. As Nicole’s brother, you may need to know about her life. As for me, I have no intentions of sleeping with you, therefore I see no need to share my sex life with you.”
“Hmmm.” Nick nodded his head. “A point for X-man over here. What you got, Vernon?” He grinned at his oldest brother.
“It’s what do you have, Vernon,” Gwen corrected.
“No, Mother. This is a street fight. It’s what you got.”
“Street or not,” Avery chimed in. “You don’t have to answer those types of questions unless I ask them.” Avery sat up. “The Hargrove girl is the least of my concerns. Although I pray you have no plans to sleep with Vernon. We’ve had enough of that in this family.” Several occupants of the table choked on that statement.
Even Vernon ducked his head to laugh. “Am I the only person who takes new members to this family seriously?”
Gwen patted his hand. “No, darling, we all care. We just don’t ask asinine questions like you. I have one daughter.” Gwen looked at Xavier. “What I need to know is, what are your intentions. Before you answer I want to qualify my question. This is the first time Nicole has ever brought anyone to this table. It is clear to us you have captured her interest in a short period of time. You don’t have to answer my question at this moment. At some point, I expect an answer.”
“Mrs. Brooks.” Xavier put his fork down. “At some point tonight I would like to speak with you and Mr. Brooks on that very topic.”
“We’re all family.” Nick grinned. “You can talk to all of us now.”
Vernon’s cell phone chimed.
Nick laughed. “Saved by the bell.”
“Vernon, you know we don’t take calls at the dinner table.”
Vernon was looking at the message he’d received. “I have to take this, excuse me.”
“As you were saying, X-man.” Nick nodded with a bit of teasing in his grin.
Xavier had to grin, he knew the game Nick was playing. “Why do you call me X-man?”
Nick thought for a moment, then shrugged his shoulder. “I have no id
ea, it seemed to fit.”
Xavier nodded acknowledging the reason. “My plan is to get your parents’ permission to see Nicole. If they agree, in a reasonable amount of time, I plan to ask for her hand in marriage. If they don’t agree, I’m going to give them six months to get over it and then marry her anyway. If she’ll have me.” He grinned looking at Nick. “Which she already has.”
Avery and Gwen shared a glance with each other. “Well, now,” Avery replied. “I’ll have to see what you have to say before I give you my only daughter.”
“Oh, Poppa,” Taylor laughed. “You might as well give your blessing here and now. The heat between these two is so hot they are sizzling over here.”
Nicole touched Xavier’s arm with her finger. “Ouch, hot, sizzling.” She laughed as he kissed the tip of her nose.
Vernon returned to the table, attitude apparent. “Connie, Taylor, I need to speak with you in private.”
“We’re in the middle of dinner,” Gwen stated. “Surely it can wait.”
“No, Mother, it can’t. Constance, Taylor.” Vernon walked towards the stairs.
Taylor glanced at her grandfather. He nodded. “Go ahead. It’ll be all right.” He patted his granddaughter’s hand.
“What did you tell your father?” Constance snapped at Taylor.
“I did not tell him anything, Mother. Maybe it’s time one of us did.” Taylor turned following her father.
“Constance,” Avery called as she began to walk away. “Don’t fight him on this.”
“I have no idea what you are talking about, Avery.”
“You will.”
Constance held his glare then turned and walked away.
“What’s the problem Pop?” James asked.
“Vernon will have to share that with you.” Avery replied then looked down the table at his daughter. She was in love. It was evident in the glances the two shared, the way they touched and finished each other’s sentences. They were oblivious to everything else going on in the room. He looked up at his wife and saw her smiling at the couple as they chatted away.
While one couple was reveling in their new relationship, another couple upstairs was coming to the end of one. “I want to know exactly what happened with Nail,” Vernon demanded.
“It was nothing more than a misunderstanding,” Constance replied as she gave Taylor a warning glare.
“I’m asking Taylor.”
“Taylor.” Constance held her daughter’s gaze. “Tell your father it was nothing.”
This was what Taylor was trying to avoid. She did not want to tell her father about Nail or that her mother did nothing when she told her what happened. Their marriage was fragile. She did not want to be the cause of the divide growing.
“Taylor, nothing you say will change things between your mother and me.” Vernon could see the indecision in his daughter’s eyes. “I want to know what that man did to you.”
“Vernon, you are making it sound like he raped her or something. It wasn’t anything like that.”
The lethal, cool voice combined with the ice cold stare from Vernon chilled the room. “I will have your body dissembled and distributed across the Potomac River if you speak one more time.”
“Do you see how your father is, Taylor? He just threatened me, did you hear that?”
“Daddy, please,” Taylor cried out, torn between her mother and her father. “It wasn’t bad, not really.”
Vernon gathered his daughter in his arms. Kissed her temple. “It’s all right, baby.” He held her tight. “Did he touch you?”
“Yes.”
“Taylor,” Constance called out in warning.
“Mother, please, stop.” Taylor broke away from her father. “I can’t keep doing this with you and Daddy. I love both of you. But what Nail did was wrong. It was wrong and I think somewhere deep down you know it was to.” She wiped a tear from her cheek. “Daddy, we were on set doing a love scene. I was dressed in a sexy outfit. He got carried away and began fingering me during the scene. I tried to get up, but they were still filming and his body was heavy. He knew what he was doing. He kept saying ‘the camera is on, baby girl, we got to make it look real.’ Even when the director said cut, he kept doing it.” She looked at her father, ashamed. “I tried to get up Daddy, I did. I didn’t want him doing that. I don’t even like him like that. I told mother” Taylor wiped a tear away. “She said it was no big deal. Things like that happen when a man gets excited. Like I didn’t have the sense to know when a man has crossed the line.”
It took every ounce of his will to keep his expression soft, not murderous like he was feeling on the inside. He walked over to his daughter, and allowed her to cry on his shoulder. As he held and comforted her, his deadly glare landed and held on Constance. “Don’t ever take my daughter around that man again.” He didn’t say anything more as Constance stood, then walked into the bedroom.
Hours later, Avery was in bed with this wife in his arms. The day had indeed been eventful. “We’re going to be giving her away one day soon.”
Gwen smiled against his chest. “I like him. He’s good for her.”
“Well, the real test is going to come when the media gets wind of their relationship. Constance’s question is going to come up again, you better believe that.”
“Don’t mention her right now. I’m so angry I could shoot her myself.”
“It’s hard enough trying to keep Vernon from killing her, don’t you add to the mix.”
“How could she stand by and allow that man to violate her daughter in that way? How could she? I have a mind to show her how a real mother would act.”
“She’s going to have enough on her hands dealing with Vernon.” Avery sighed. “As for our daughter, you know I have to have the man investigated.”
Gwen sat up. “You will do no such thing, Avery Brooks. You let those children be and I mean that. If there is something out there on him, let Nicole find out on her own.”
“It’s my job to protect her. But I have to say, he is an impressive young man. Did you see the details in that design for the London project? Hell, if Nicole decides to go with the plan he just saved a billion dollar project.”
Gwen settled back into her husband’s arms. “Hell, next the blogger will say Nicole is with him for his designs.”
Chapter 16
Richmond, VA
Monday
The morning began with him making love to Nicole then saying good bye as she flew to New York. Once at the office he made remarkable progress on the designs for the recreation center. Now that the funding was in place, he could design the center he wanted for that community. He held several meetings with clients and was in the process of returning calls when Diamond stepped into his office.
“Okay.” She sat in the chair in front of his desk and crossed her legs. “I don’t want to be nosy or anything, but….”
Xavier grinned. “Yes, we had a great time. And yes, you should get used to seeing Nicole around.”
Diamond pulled her cell phone from her pocket. “Did you hear that?”
“You owe me twenty dollars,” Ann’s voice boasted through the speakers. “I told you she was the one.”
“Yeah, yeah. I owe you.” Diamond smiled. “This is worth it. You should see the look of contentment on your son’s face right now.”
“You and my mother took bets on me?”
“Yes, along with your brother and that Reese boy,” Ann laughed. “I’m hanging up now.” Diamond disconnected the call. “Well, Mr. Davenport. What do you have to say for yourself?”
In the past, when Diamond asked that question, Xavier usually had to explain why a particular girl wasn’t worth his time. This time he had no problem expressing his thoughts. “I could make love to the woman twenty-four hours a day and it would not be enough. It will never be enough.”
“Awe, Xavier, I’m so happy for you. I could feel the heat between the two of you. So what are you going to do about Trish?”
“She knows whe
re she stands.”
“There’s knowing and accepting,” Diamond warned. “By the way, did you check out the latest blog on Nicole?”
“No, what now?”
“Oh nothing special, just something about her sexual preference being declared over the weekend.” Diamond stood. “You may not enjoy the picture as much as the female public.”
Against his better judgment, Xavier pulled up the blog once Diamond left.
Rumor Has It
Rumor Has It Nicole Davenport’s sexual preference is no longer in question. Check it out, ladies. Xavier Davenport has a body to match those good looks. I give ten points on position, but a full twenty on form.
The one thing Xavier had never been ashamed of was his body. However, it angered him to know that he had been photographed during a private moment. He stepped out of the office to ask their staff attorney a few questions concerning steps he could take to ensure their privacy.
Upon his return to his office he paused in the doorway. “May I help you with something?”
“Mr. Davenport. It appears our businesses have crossed paths. I’ve come to see if we could reach a compromise.”
Xavier turned slowly to the man sitting in his office, behind his desk. “There are several chairs on this side of the desk.”
Cannon nodded. “I thought I’d see what this seat felt like. I may be in it one day.”
Xavier walked over to the man, stood before him and looked down. Xavier shrugged his shoulders. “Vacate the chair.”
Canon hesitated, then slowly stood and walked around the desk.
Xavier stood behind his desk. “What can I do for you, Mr…?”
“Cannon, just Cannon.”
“Cannon,” Xavier said as he sat in his chair.
“There’s been what I’m certain was an unintentional interference in my business dealings. I’m a generous business man, therefore, I’m here to give you an opportunity to correct your error.”
“Mr. Cannon, I rarely make errors. Is there a problem with a property or something?”
“Or something,” Cannon acknowledged as he sat forward. “You and your brother have a nice business here. What would happen if business stopped coming your way? For example those bids you have in with the city, to design and build the sports complex, is worth what, a few million?” He sat back then crossed his legs. “What do you think would happen if that disappeared?”
