by Rhonda Bowen
“How much do you think this is gonna cost him?” Max asked.
Khai snorted. “You mean other than the election?”
“I sure hope it was worth it for us.”
“It was. Enough for you to buy your wife a real diamond this Christmas.” Khai said. He rolled onto his side and grabbed his vibrating phone. “Shoot.”
Max looked up from the screen. “What’s up?”
“A package just came to the house in New York.” Khai wrinkled his nose. “I forgot it was coming in today.”
“Can’t you just have your neighbor pick it up for you?”
Khai frowned. “No. They’re away for the winter. I do know someone though.”
He attached his cordless headset and moved back into position before dialing the familiar number. She answered after one ring.
“Hey, stranger.”
“Stranger?” Khai smiled. “Does that mean you miss me?”
“Don’t flatter yourself,” Portia said dryly. “I just happen to have more leftovers than usual this week.”
“Hmm, Brady not a big eater?” Khai asked.
“Be careful, Khai,” Portia warned. “They say jealousy stunts your growth.”
“Good thing I’m done growing,” Khai said. “Listen, I need a favor.”
“Why don’t you ask Asha?”
“I see it’s a good thing you’re done growing also,” Khai said dryly. “You gonna help me or what?”
“Depends on what the favor is.”
“I need you to be at my house to receive a package. I’m still in LA and won’t be back for a while.”
“You do know I work right?”
“If you can get there this afternoon between four and six I’ll tell them to drop it off then.” Khai said.
“Again, you do know I work right?”
“You’re a COO. You set your own hours.”
“Is that how you run your business, sir?”
“PJ...”
“Okay fine.” She sighed. “But how exactly am I supposed to get into your house?”
“Call me when you get there and I’ll unlock it for you.”
“Oooh, you have one of those smart houses, don’t you?” she said.
“Yes,” he answered. “Which means, that whatever you do while you’re there, I can see.”
“Then I should probably warn you, I am going to be digging through your cabinets and engaging in general nosiness.”
He laughed. “I wouldn’t expect anything less.”
She paused. “Is that why you’re asking me instead of Asha? You don’t care what I see?”
This girl was more perceptive than he gave her credit for.
“Be there by four, and call me when you arrive.”
“Okay. Talk to you later, Khai.”
He ended the call and turned to see Max looking at him, a small smile on his face.
“What?”
Max paused from typing. “Who’s PJ?”
Khai returned his eye to the viewer on the scope. “A friend from New York.”
“A female friend?”
Khai adjusted the lens, which hadn’t needed adjusting. “Yes.”
“A female friend that you are letting into your house, while you aren’t there?”
“I trust her.”
Max snorted. “Wow. That’s new.”
“She’s different,” Khai said. “She’s all spiritual and stuff. Got the whole strong moral compass thing going on. She won’t do anything I would have to worry about.”
Max just grinned. “Are you getting all spiritual and stuff on me?”
Khai scoffed. “No.”
Although with Kristoffe, Mandy and Portia in his head, he was thinking about that whole side of life a lot more recently. And it was making him uncomfortable. Portia had asked him once if he believed there was a God. He tried to avoid answering that question, because if he acknowledged there was a God, then he would have to acknowledge what that meant for him. It would mean everything that happened in life wasn’t just random. It wasn’t just the actions of one person on another. It was the actions God let one person do to another. And then he would have to ask himself why? Why would God allow him to be falsely accused and sent to prison, while the man who did it, lived his life in luxury? Remembering there was a God forced him to acknowledge everything happened for a reason. And he wasn’t ready to accept that yet.
And this was the problem when you had all these spiritual people in your life leading you into spiritual encounters. They made you start asking yourself questions you would rather not have answers to.
He was still trying not think about this when Portia called him later.
“Khai, you do know that 7-up is not a food group, right?”
Khai attached his headset and went back to working with Portia in his ear. “I see you’ve been exploring my refrigerator.”
“Not much to explore,” Portia said. “And by the way, I just threw out the green cheese and the yogurt that expired four months ago…and why are you whispering?”
Khai angled his tablet so the camera could capture the Mayor and his early dinner guest, who were sitting two tables behind Khai. “Just trying not to disturb the people having dinner around me.”
“Please tell me you’re not in a fast food joint.”
“Nope. I’m actually at a hotel restaurant.”
She sighed. “Only marginally better. Those places use enough sodium to kill you.”
Khai smiled. “Don’t worry, PJ. You won’t get rid of me that easily.”
“Well, if the re-used oil at Mickey D’s hasn’t killed you yet, I am pretty sure nothing will. When are you coming home?”
“Trying to track me?”
“Trying to figure out whether it’s even worth stocking up groceries.”
“Why fill the fridge when I can just come to your house and eat?” Khai snapped a few pictures then activated the audio microphone he had put in the Mayor’s centerpiece “Or is Brady going to have a problem with that?”
“Gosh, even your cereal is expired. How can you have expired cereal? Isn’t it usually good for like a year?”
He paused. “PJ, are you avoiding talking about Brady?”
“There’s nothing to talk about.”
Khai leaned back. “What do you mean there’s nothing to talk about?”
He heard her sigh. “Brady and I are taking a break.”
From across the restaurant, Max raised an eyebrow as Khai fist-pumped the air.
“What happened?” He had to make an effort to keep his tone even.
“Nothing. We just decided to take a break.”
“Do you want me to go punch him in the face or something?”
“That won’t be necessary. It was a mutual agreement.”
“Is that just what women say when they want to save face?”
“Actually guys are the ones usually trying to save face,” Portia said. “But I’ll tell you, you bringing a Portia-barbie to my Christmas party probably didn’t help things.”
Khai winced. So she had noticed.
“Yes, I noticed that Asha and I share a resemblance,” Portia said as if hearing his thoughts. “So did Milo and Malcolm and Derek.”
“Guess it was pretty unanimous then.”
“Pretty much.”
A long silence stretched between them. When Portia sighed, Khai felt his body tense.
“Khai...”
“PJ, don’t say it...”
“I think we need to take a break.”
She’d said it. Khai gritted his teeth. “We’re just friends.”
“Yes, but our friendship which can never be more than a friendship is bordering on inappropriate. Furthermore, it’s affecting my dating relationships.”
“So I have to suffer because Brady’s insecure?”
“Really, Khai? You’re at my house more than he is.”
“So?”
“You sound like a five year old right now.”
“Fine, but I want
visitation rights and food privileges.”
“When are you coming home, Khai?”
He loved the way she kept using the word home. It made him think of coming home to her, which was what going back to New York had started to feel like in the past few months.
“Maybe Sunday. Kristoffe’s coming with me. He has some meeting in the city.”
“Okay. I’ll stock your fridge up. Think of it as a parting gift.”
Khai snorted. “Great, so I get the break-up headaches of a relationship without any of the fun make-up—”
“Goodbye, Khai!”
He grinned as he heard the beep of the ended call. He would miss teasing her. He would miss showing up at her place, pretending to be there for food. He would miss her. He frowned. This taking-a-break thing was definitely going to suck.
Chapter 17
“You must be the only California kid I know happy to leave the sunshine for the snow.”
Khai grinned at his brother, or rather at the part of him that he could see. Half of his face was covered in a thick scarf leaving only his eyes and a suggestion of a nose.
“So does that mean you won’t be going skiing with me?”
His brother snorted. Khai opened the door of the vehicle and stepped into calf deep snow. During his week away, winter had swept into New York, blanketing the city in white. And while he hated shoveling, he had to admit that he did love the snow. There was something about it, the whiteness, the way it covered everything. It almost seemed to offer a fresh start. And who couldn’t use a fresh start every now and then?
He looked over at Kristoffe who was still tucked into the front seat with the door closed. Even with just his eyes showing, Khai could tell his brother was not amused. Khai hid a chuckle as the older man finally braved a step out of the car.
“Good thing you brought those boots,” Khai said.
“Better thing that I’m only here for two days,” Kristoffe mumbled back through the scarf. His brother was about to say something else, until he took another step and went right down. This time Khai couldn’t hold back the cackle that erupted from him.
“Khai!”
Khai doubled over. “I’m sorry. It’s just...you went down like a submarine. Oh man, I wish Mandy could have seen that one.”
“Aren’t you gonna help me?”
“You’re seriously asking me, your loser little brother for help?” Khai folded his arms and waited. “Can you just say that again? I don’t think I’ve ever heard...”
A hard ball of cold on the back of his neck cut Khai off mid-stream.
“What the—”
He turned to find the source but another, much larger snowball hit his neck with such force, he stumbled forward. He whipped around, looking for the source. Obviously it wasn’t his brother who was still on the ground, now laughing at Khai. But who else was…
Whack.
Another one connected with his left arm. As he turned, a fourth snowball hit him square in the chest.
“Portia!”
“Aww, what’s wrong you, big baby? You can dish it out but you can’t take it?”
He still couldn’t see her, but judging from the sound of her voice and the source of the previous snowballs, she had to be somewhere on the other side of the garage. He waited a moment and sure enough, seconds later, a tiny head popped out from the side of the garage, followed by another snowball headed straight toward him. He easily dodged it and made a dash for her. But it was challenging in almost knee-high snow. He ended up stumbling a bit.
She laughed out loud as she came out of her hiding spot, pelting him with snowballs.
“You’re laughing at me?”
“Ha! You were just laughing at your poor defenseless brother while he lay in the snow.” She pelted another snowball at him. “Turnabout is fair play, right?”
She raised her hand to send another but he managed to hit her square on the cheek with one of his own. She squealed in shock. He took that opportunity to get on his feet to pursue her again. This time they were both slow, trying to move through the slush.
“Wait till I get you, Portia Jasmine Wynters. You’re gonna wish you’d never picked a snowball fight with this guy.”
He was about to make good on his threat when two snowballs slapped him from behind. He turned and caught another in his chest.
“Kristoffe?” He grabbed his chest dramatically. “Betrayed? By my own blood?”
His brother laughed and pelted him with another.
“Ha!” Portia moved to slosh away from him. “Guess you’re on your…agh!”
He laughed as his tug on the back of her coat sent her flailing into the snow.
“Kristoffe! Save yourself!” Portia yelled with a laugh as Khai held tighter to her jacket.
“Say uncle!”
“No!” Portia screamed, still trying to pelt snow at Khai even as he grabbed her leg and pulled her further into the powder with him.
“Say it!”
She laughed as he stuffed more snow into the neck of her jacket. When he pulled off her boot, she screamed.
“Uncle! Uncle!”
He laughed and stumbled to his feet, helping her up. Then, before she could get her boot on, he heaved her light frame fireman style over his shoulder and carried her towards the house.
“Khai No-last-name, put me down right now!”
He waited until he was inside the foyer of his home to honor her request. She slid down his solid frame. Her feet landed gently on the floor. His arms remained intact around her. Portia breathed heavily and so did Khai. Maybe it was because of their exertion in the snow. Khai didn’t think it was that though.
Her eyes sparkled like dark canary diamonds as they connected with his. It would be over soon, this break in her regularly scheduled denial of their mutual attraction. But in this moment, she was all his, with every emotion showing on her face. And all that emotion was making it really hard for him to honor their little friendship pact.
She was right. They needed to take a break.
Because if they didn’t, sooner or later, they would cross over that line of friendship and it would be great for a while, but then it wouldn’t. Because somehow, she would feel she wasn’t honoring God and she would be disappointed in herself. And he never wanted to see her like that. Never wanted to be the reason she felt that way. He may not be ready to walk the walk she was walking, but he admired her more than she knew for the strength with which she held to her faith. Which was why he was fighting to honor her request to keep their relationship platonic.
The feel of her warm body against his, the light scent of vanilla wafting from her skin, the warmth of her panting breaths against his chin, it was all driving him insane. His eyes fell to her mouth, even as her lips parted slightly. He could almost taste them. And he wanted to. Just one more time...
He gritted his teeth and moved her away slowly. That was all it took for her to snap back into focus. She stared at him a long moment, longing flickering in and out of her eyes. Then she hit him on the arm with her boot.
“I can’t believe you just pulled me into the snow!”
He took another step back, closing the door behind them before he shrugged out of his coat. “You started it.”
She shot him one of her dirty looks, which they both knew had no effect on him at all. The program was back on schedule.
“You should have helped your brother up. You know he’s not used to this weather.”
Kristoffe’s voice boomed from somewhere deep inside the house. “I totally agree.”
“Seriously?” Khai raised an eyebrow at Portia as she hung her jacket in the closet. “You haven’t even met my brother yet and he gets your sympathy?”
She took Khai’s jacket from his hands, put it on a hanger and hung it in the closet. “Well, he had to put up with you for thirty-one years. I think that deserves some sympathy.”
He shook his head as he followed her down the hall into the kitchen dining area where he found his brother rummaging
through the fridge.
“Sorry if there isn’t much in there,” Portia slipped into a chair by the dining table. “It was practically bare when I got here.”
Kristoffe’s head popped up from behind the door. “Are you kidding? I have never seen so much food in here ever. I don’t even know where to start.”
“Maybe with this roast in the oven. Holy cow, PJ, did you roast a whole cow?” Khai pulled the tray out of the oven and set it on the top of the stove.
“Of course not,” Portia scoffed. “A whole cow would never fit in your oven, and even if it did it wouldn’t roast through properly.”
“Well seeing that I have never actually used this oven, I’m gonna have to just take your word for it.” Khai tugged at a corner piece of the meat, and marveled as it came off easily. He groaned as the flavors of the succulent meat lit his taste buds. “PJ, babe, tell me what I gotta do to get you to reconsider this break?”
“You could start by not talking with food in your mouth.” Portia wrinkled her nose. “Eww!”
“We tried to teach him,” Kristoffe moved his brother out of the way and cut slices off the roast. “But there is only so much a person can do, you know?”
“Oh, I know.”
“I’m Kristoffe, this loser’s older brother.” He wiped his hands on a dishtowel before reaching over the counter. “I’m guessing you’re Portia?”
Portia shook his hand and smiled. “Guilty as charged.”
“Nice to meet the woman who put an extra layer on this one.” Kristoffe slapped his brother’s cheek playfully even as Khai batted his hand away. “Lord knows Mandy and I were worried about him. He lives at Jack in the Box, you know?”
Portia laughed. “Oh, does he? It’s McDonalds when he’s here.”
Kristoffe glanced at his brother. “Going back to old favorites, little brother?”
“Ha ha, laugh it up, you two.” Khai didn’t look up from the fridge where he was opening several containers to see what other magical delights Portia had provided. “Where’s the sympathy for a poor, kitchen challenged man?”
“There is no sympathy.”
“None at all.”
Khai closed the fridge door and opened a Tupperware container full of potato salad, sharing a healthy portion onto his plate. “Thanks guys. I’m really feeling the love.”
