His Secret Desire (Atlanta Nights)

by Linda Verji

  Apparently last night hadn’t been lesson enough for that buster because today morning he’d called her. She didn’t pick it up. Why would she? They were done. But apparently Tay’s pit of stupid was bottomless; he’d called the gym a few hours ago to ask if Olivia was there.

  Honestly, the man needed some serious help.

  “No, it’s not Tay.” Morning laughed. “But you’ve got a visitor at the reception.”

  “Okay, coming.” After finishing with her students, Olivia tossed her towel over her shoulder, grabbed her water-bottle and headed towards the reception. The moment she saw who was waiting for her, she came to a sharp stop.

  Marcel?

  There he was, seated on the long wicker couch and reading a magazine. In the gray suit and powder purple shirt, he looked much different from the half-naked man who’d driven her home last night but no less eye-catching.

  As if he could sense her eyes on him he glanced up. Immediate awareness spiked through her when their gazes locked. There was something about the way that Marcel looked at her that always awoke her senses. Those dark eyes watched her with unwavering intensity, raking her from toe to head. From her sneakered feet, leggings, sports-bra and back to her eyes, his gaze seared.

  Caught in his gaze, Olivia felt like a mouse in a cat’s trap. She had the unexplainable urge to fold her arms over breasts lest her nipples indicate their pleasure at the bristling touch of his eyes.

  Then he smiled.

  The impish upward curve of his mouth hit her as it always did, like a powerful punch to the gut. And she reacted as she always did – by rolling her eyes and sneering. She strode towards him with a confidence she didn’t quite feel. He lounged back in his seat, his arm spread across it back as he watched her move.

  Stopping a foot from the coffee table, she demanded, “What are you doing here?”

  “Hello to you too, Livy.” The smile on his face was as haughty as his next words. “Is that any way to greet your Good Samaritan.”

  Good Samaritan, my foot. She tossed her water-bottle between her palms and narrowed her eyes. “What do you want?”

  He looked at the water-bottle and raised his brow. “You better not throw that thing at me.”

  She tossed the half-filled bottle into the air threateningly. “What’d you want?”

  Shaking his head, he reached into his pocket and extracted her car keys. An unholy grin split his face before he said, “Catch.”

  He tossed the keys.

  How was she supposed to catch with the bottle in her hands? The keys cluttered to her feet with a taunting jingle. She looked at the keys then shot Marcel a glare so sharp if it were a weapon he’d be spiked to the wall behind him. “You’re a piece of work.”

  His grin widened.

  This. This is why they couldn’t get along. When he did things like this what was she supposed to do? Only the thought that they were at her workplace kept her from pitching the bottle at his big head.

  “Nkt.” Clicking her tongue against the roof of her mouth, she bent to pick her car keys. She stood up and turned, ready to storm away but he stopped her.

  “We’re not done, Livy,” he drawled.

  She turned back to find him waving a paper at her. This time he lifted from the couch and strutted towards her. Sitting he was intimidating enough, but standing up he was a threat.

  He was too big, too confident, too handsome.

  It took everything in Olivia not to take a step back, and to keep skewering him with her barbed glare.

  He brandished the paper. “Your bill.”

  “My what?” Olivia offered the paper a disdainful look but didn’t touch it. All she saw was rows of words and figures.

  “Your bill.” Marcel held it out. When she still didn’t take it, he folded it carefully then before she could react, moved forward and tucked it into the space between her sports-bra and cleavage.

  “Hey,” she protested loudly as she hopped back but it was too late because he’d achieved his agenda.

  Smirking, he mocked, “Like I said, your bill.”

  Marcel had to be the luckiest S.O.B on earth because at that very moment three ladies from Olivia’s class passed through the reception. If it wasn’t for them she would’ve poked his eyes out with her car keys.

  “Bye, Liv,” the ladies chorused.

  Pasting a smile on her face, Olivia turned to them. “Bye. See you Thursday, right?”

  “Right!” They threw curious and appreciative glances Marcel’s way but none came closer. Olivia watched them go before slowly turning back to Marcel.

  When she faced him, her anger was no less lethal, just leashed. Throwing him a dark glare, she set the bottle on the coffee table’s glass top, then reached into her bra for the folded paper.

  As expected, the ‘bill’ was as stupid as its writer. Headlining it were the words ‘U. O. Me’. After the title was a long list of the most ridiculous things she’d ever read.

  1) Pig – He picked up flies at your place.

  2) Emotional damage – I spent the whole night worried about Pig

  3) Fuel – I had to fill up your little toy this morning cause you’re too cheap to fill up the tank yourself

  4) Embarrassment fee – A grown man shouldn’t have to drive around in that green toy of yours. Point of Interest: where did you buy it? Toys R Us?

  5) Repairs – my Lexus. My Lexus. My Lexus.

  There was a dollar figure attached to each item with the total coming to $5,437.50.

  Olivia’s eyes widened with each word she read. Wow! This dude. She gaped at Marcel. “Are you serious?”

  “As a heart attack.” His lips twitched with humor as he announced, “I take checks, cash and credit cards.”

  “Are you serious?”

  “Yes.” He raised his brow and gave her a cool laugh. “Did you think I’d let you get away with the stunts you pulled? You’re lucky I haven’t filed a police report on your vandalistic ass. The next time you decide to have a temper tantrum don’t have it on my time.”

  His words stung because at surface value they were true. But surface value didn’t even begin to scratch how humiliated, angry and hurt she felt. He and Tay deserved everything she’d done to them and more.

  Staring at him, Olivia closed her fist around the paper and squeezed. When the ‘bill’ was balled up, she tossed it at him. It bounced on his muscular chest and fell to the floor.

  Marcel’s face darkened. “Pick it up, Olivia.”

  She didn’t respond but her answer was in her stiffened posture and the stubborn set of her lips as she held his gaze. Make me.

  “We’ll see.” He let out a humorless laugh and bent to pick the balled up ‘bill’.

  She didn’t know what he planned to do but if he tucked that thing back into her cleavage, he’d lose a limb or two. Five thousand and whatever dollars was the least she deserved for the nonsense he’d put her through this five months. All the arrogant retorts, the name calling, the humiliation…

  “Did you know?” she asked.

  From his bent position, he lifted his gaze to her. “Know what?”

  “That Tay was married?” She wanted to hear it from his own lips; irrefutable proof that he was as much a bastard as she thought. She needed to confirm that last night’s soothing, gentlemanly Marcel had been a fluke and not the norm.

  Instead of responding, he sighed and straightened to his full height. That hesitation accompanied by the flicker of remorse in his dark eyes was answer enough.

  A fresh bout of hurt crashed through Olivia. She didn’t understand why she was so hurt. Heck! She didn’t even like the guy so his proving to be a prick, like Tay, should have been a ‘whatever’ moment. But there was no denying that she was hurt. Hating to show him how much, Olivia turned on her heels intent on leaving.

  He grabbed her arm. “Livy-”

  “Don’t touch me.” She yanked her arm out of his hold as she spun to face him, anger vibrating in her stiffened body and eyes. “You’re a cowa
rd, Marcel. You watched him play me for five whole months and you couldn’t even tell me? You’re a coward.”

  “Don’t call me a coward.” He scowled at her.

  “Coward,” she taunted.

  “This is rich.” Marcel barked out a laugh. “You have the balls to call me a coward when you didn’t even have the guts to break up with your man before you got with Tay.”

  Olivia froze. “Excuse me.”

  “You heard me, Little Miss Self-Righteous.” His lips twisted around the sarcasm. “So you didn’t know Tay was married - wa, wa, wa. But you’re just as bad as he is. You have a man too, but that sure as hell didn’t stop you from jumping into Tay’s bed at the first opportunity.”

  “I have a man?” she repeated carefully. “What are you talking about?”

  “Lex.” Marcel snorted. His smug smile made its reappearance as his eyes raked over her in obvious contempt. “Or did you think I didn’t know about him?”

  “As in Alexander Knight? Lex?” Her car keys jangled as she folded her arms over her chest and gave Marcel a pointed look. “My best-friend? My very gay best-friend?”

  It took a while for that to sink in. But when it did the smug look on Marcel’s face dropped like an anchor in the deep sea. Marcel furrowed his brow in confusion. “Lex isn’t your man?”

  “Lex has never been my man,” Olivia clarified as she twirled keys. “Next time you accuse someone of being a cheating scumbag get some proof.”

  By the startled look in his eyes, it was obvious the truth about her relationship with Lex was a surprise to him. He ran his hand over his low-fade haircut, mortification written all over his face, but didn’t say anything.

  “A sorry would be nice,” she prompted.

  He creased his brow in confusion. “What?”

  She pointed out, “You should apologize for what you did.”

  “For what I did?” His lips thinned. “I didn’t do anything I shouldn’t have. Tay is my friend, not you, and you can’t blame me for not snitching on him.”

  Really! That was his excuse. Loyalty. Olivia’s lips parted as she prepared to rip him a new one. Then she changed her mind. Why bother? She was done with all of them anyway. Why waste spit chastising Marcel? The sooner she could get them all out of her life, the sooner she could move on.

  When she spoke her voice was resigned. “Wait for me here.”

  Leaving him standing by the coffee table, she marched to the reception counter. Morning who’d been behind counter all this time watching their interaction in rapt attention leaned closer to ask, “Are you okay?”

  “Yeah!” Olivia shrugged. “Hand me my purse.”

  The svelte Latina bent to pull out a huge red purse from below the counter. Handing it to Olivia she asked, “So who’s he?”

  “Someone from my past,” Olivia offered distractedly as she pulled out a check book and quickly scribbled on it. Check written, she tore it from its book before handing the purse back to Morning. “Thanks.”

  Marcel was right where she’d left him.

  “Here’s your check.” She met his gaze as she waved the paper at him. “Five thousand, five hundred.”

  “Livy-”

  “Take it,” she insisted. When he didn’t, she folded the check in two, moved closer and fit it into his jacket pocket. Patting his pocket, she smiled up at him. “There. There’s your money. I hope you choke on it.”

  His face was an expressionless mask as he looked down at her and for her moment her own smile wavered. But then she straightened her shoulders and turned. She started to leave but whirled back to face him for a last shot. “Marcel, it’s not about loyalty. It’s about basic humanity. You don’t watch someone getting hurt like that and keep quiet.”

  Marcel watched Olivia storm away with a mixture of shame and remorse. Her parting words stung at his conscience, pricked at it with spot on accuracy and deflated it of any excuses. He’d come by to return her car and check up on her with the ridiculous bill as a convenient cover lest he be accused of caring. He certainly didn’t expect to be hit with so many truths.

  Damn you, Tay!

  Tay had to know that Lex was gay. Yet he’d let Marcel and Sebastien believe that Lex was Olivia’s man. Why? It was a pointless lie. The only thing it’d accomplished was make them think that she was promiscuous if not downright dirty. Lies, lies, lies… Tay’s lies kept falling like rotten apples. Marcel was tired of getting smacked on the head with them.

  However, as much as he wanted to blame Tay for everything that’d happened with Olivia, he knew that he was partly to blame. He and Tay had been friends long enough that he knew Tay wasn’t the most truthful guy out there. He shouldn’t have judged Olivia by Tay’s words or his own misconceptions.

  The way he’d treated her these last five months was deplorable and out of character for him. He had no excuse other than that there was something about her that had him on edge. Watching her falling for Tay was like having thorns stuck into his nail beds. Nevertheless, he shouldn’t have treated her like that.

  Marcel thought of following her to apologize but nixed the idea immediately. He had a feeling that Olivia wasn’t in the mood for him right now. He’d find a way to talk to her later.

  Since his car was in the shop and he doubted Olivia would be up to giving him a ride back to the office, he called a cab. While he waited, he settled back in the couch and played games on his phone. He was deeply engrossed in a game when he heard a familiar voice say, “Hi, Morning.”

  Marcel’s gaze snapped upwards. Shock of shocks! Passing by the counter was Tay’s wife. The sprite-like redhead looked quite sportive in the green workout jacket, black leggings and black sneakers. It was obvious she was here to work out.

  “Hi, Nikki,” Morning greeted. “Ready to start your first session?”

  “Yeah.” Nikki offered the receptionist a beaming smile. “I hope they won’t drive me too hard.”

  “Don’t worry they won’t.” Morning rose to point somewhere down the hallway. “Olivia and Pete are in there. One of them will help you.”

  “Thanks.” Nikki marched away unaware of Marcel’s presence.

  Marcel clenched his jaw, watching her disappear into the annals of the gym with both surprise and suspicion. What was she doing at the gym where Olivia worked?

  Coincidence or planned?

  This was not good. Especially not for Olivia.

  Tay had branded Nikki the most duplicitous woman since Eve. Her sins ranged from trapping him into marriage to trying to saddle him with a baby that he was sure was some other man’s. Marcel wasn’t sure how much of that was true. Regardless, her presence sent prickles of alarm through him as well as the automatic need to protect Olivia.

  He couldn’t leave her to Nikki’s mercy.

  He rose from his seat and trod to the reception counter. When Morning looked up, he asked, “How much is the monthly fee?”

  CHAPTER 9

  “You’re coming off as very zoophobic,” an actor on stage announced.

  “What?” a second actor exclaimed. “I’m zoophobic because I don’t want to kiss you?”

  “Exactly! That’s exactly what zoophobic means,” Actor One insisted.

  The audience roared with laughter, the raucous sounds of their amusement bouncing off the walls of the amphitheater. The only person who wasn’t amused was Olivia. She was too busy glaring at the message on her phone.

  We can’t avoid each other forever!

  Oh, yes they could! Honestly, Tay either daft or straight up suicidal. This was the seventh message the man had sent her today. Seventh. What he was playing at? Any sane person would’ve taken the food poisoning and the smashed car as a very loud hint that it was time to keep it moving. But Tay? Oh No.

  Give me a chance to explain.

  It looks bad but I promise it’s not what you think it is

  Please honey, can we talk. Call me when you get the time. We need to talk

  His attempts to contact her were ruining what was suppo
sed to be a very nice Wednesday evening watching a good play. Olivia tossed the phone back into her purse and turned back to the comedy on stage. A second later her phone pinged, indicating the arrival of another message.

  The man seated next to her shot her an annoyed glare. Offering him an apologetic shrug, Olivia extracted her phone from the purse and, without even checking what the message said, switched it to silent mode.

  For the next forty five minutes, her life was free of Tay and his nonsense. The moment the play ended, she strolled backstage where actors, the crew and their guests milled.

  “I see you, Dr. Knight,” Olivia teased as she embraced Lex, “with your little play.”

  “Did you like it?” His expression was uncharacteristically nervous. He was wearing what she called his college uniform; a tweed coat with patches on the arm, a shirt open at the collar and khaki slacks.

  “I loved it,” she gushed. “It was amazing and your kids were awesome. Didn’t you see me clapping like a mad woman on the front row?”

  “I did.” Lex beamed. “But I assumed you were having another one of your seizures.”

  “Oh wow, Dr. Knight!” she shook her head in mock disappointment. “I’m trying to be supportive and you’re coming out shooting bullets. Hmm. The shame. I even wore my funeral dress for you, and this is how you thank me?”

  Lex eyed the snug, black, knee-length dress and her sky-high stilettos with disbelief. “You go to funerals like that? Are you trying to kill the deceased again?”

  “You’re a hater.” She ran her hands over the soft fabric, smoothing it over her hips as she pouted. “And it has sleeves like you wanted.”

  “Yes bu-” Lex’s words died on his lips as he looked past her. “Look sharp, Mrs. Knight. Head of Mathematics Department coming our way.”

  “Ready.” Olivia turned towards their visitor, her brightest smile in place.

  “Wonderful play, Dr. Knight.” The Math HOD, an aging man dressed almost identical to Lex, pumped Lex’s hand with aplomb. “Wonderful, wonderful. A real feast for the senses.”

  Lex grin was more subdued as he accepted the congratulations. “Thank you, Professor.”