“Well, it’s not about a baby at all, so no, that won’t work.” Holding the warm cup in my hands, I wondered what I could possibly do, short of going to all the women at our station and organizing a protest.
Lila stood up and went to grab the coffee pot to refill our cups. She’d finished hers. Mine was half full, and she topped it off. “And for some reason, you don’t want to let me in on all the details. Hmm. Is this about a man who works here?”
Her question had my hackles rising for fear of being found out. Even if Nina and I were friends, I didn’t want anyone to know our secret. “No.”
She gave me a sideways glance that was more than a little bit knowing. “Okay. Well, let me say this.” She took her seat once again, crossing her long legs and swinging the top one as she pondered my situation. “You’ve been nothing but cheerful and optimistic since I first met you, Lila. You’ve had a genuine smile on your face every day. So, you must’ve been happy with this man.”
“Yes, he made me the happiest I’ve ever been,” I agreed.
“Happiness isn’t exactly easy to find. If you want my advice, it would be to talk to this guy and work together to get whatever it is you both wanted in the first place.” She nodded at me then took a drink of the coffee.
“I don’t think that’s going to happen.” I rested my elbows on the desk and put my head in my hands. Things were truly hopeless, and I knew that beyond a shadow of a doubt. “I don’t know how to make things the way they need to be so he and I can have what we want.”
We looked at one another as that sank into both our minds. Things sometimes just couldn’t be fixed, and that was that.
Chapter Thirty
Duke
A week went by and Lila didn’t change the shade of her nail polish. That might not be something a dude would normally notice, but I did. I did because it was Lila, and because that was something she was normally meticulous about. And that told me that she might not be having such an easy time with our breakup.
And I certainly wasn’t having any easy time over losing her.
I could barely eat, hadn’t slept for shit, and never stopped thinking about her. The time had come to fix this situation and get my girl back. However that had to happen.
Lila had left the station after our morning newscast. I watched her walk out the glass doors. Later I saw Nina and asked why Lila had left so early, and she told me that Lila was feeling sick and had even asked the afternoon weather person to take over for her on the nightly news. It was Friday, so she’d have all weekend to get better.
But I knew better, because I’d been with Lila just that morning doing the show with her. She wasn’t sick; she was just upset.
I’d been giving her the cold shoulder. I didn’t know what else to do. It hurt too much to even look at her, knowing I couldn’t have her anymore.
With the knowledge that I was hurting her and myself, I made a decision. One that might just cost me my job. But at that point, I didn’t care anymore. I only cared about Lila and me, and getting back together.
So I marched into Artimus’s office. His new assistant was there, trying to learn the ropes. Artimus was quick to introduce us. “Hey there, Duke. This is my new assistant, Julia Bengal.”
The young woman was striking, with long dark hair and big brown eyes. I thought to myself that Artimus might have a hard time keeping his eyes off this woman. “Nice to meet you, Julia.” I shook her hand.
“You too, Duke. You’re part of the morning anchor team, and you do the sports on the evening news, right? I’ve seen you. You’re great. A real natural. WOLF is lucky to have found you.” She smiled at me then turned away. “If you guys will excuse me, I have to snoop around and find out where everything is so I can actually start helping the boss.”
“Take a seat, Duke,” Artimus said as he gestured to the chair on the other side of his large desk. “What has you dropping by today?”
“Love.” There, I’d said it. My heart was pounding, but I’d put it out there.
“Love?” he asked with raised brows. “So you’ve met someone?”
“I have,” I said, then placed my palms on top of his desk as I sat up. “Okay, let me just get the rest out there for you. Lila and I are in love.”
Artimus rubbed his temples, looking more than displeased with my news. “Shit.”
“No, it’s not bad. Don’t say that. It’s good.” I thought about the current state of our relationship and added, “Or at least it was. It was great actually. Up until she and I broke up.”
His demeanor perked up. “Oh! So, you’ve broken up. Okay then. Things will be fine. You’ll meet someone else. And I won’t have to fire you both. This is good. Much better.”
I shook my head. “No, Artimus, this is not good. This is anything but much better. This is awful. This is as close to hell as I’ve ever come. And believe me, I’ve come very close several times in my life. This is a train wreck is what this it. We’ve got to come up with a solution, you and I. I need her in my life. I can’t stand not being with her. And I know it’s killing her too.”
“She’s okay,” he said as he waved me off. “I haven’t noticed her performance lacking at all.”
“Because she’s a professional, Artimus. Have you even noticed her fingernails?” I asked him.
“Um, no.” He looked puzzled. “What the hell does that even mean, Duke?”
“She paints them to match her outfit. Every single day that woman puts on a new shade of nail polish, and she hasn’t changed her polish in a week. Not at all since I broke up with her.” I smacked the table with my hand. “That means she’s depressed. Upset. And it’s all over our breakup, which I didn’t even want to do but felt I had to if I wanted to remain sane.”
“And employed,” he reminded me.
“Yeah, that too.” I got up and started to pace. Not stomp around, the way Lila had said when we were last together. No, I was staying in complete control. “Artimus, there has to be something we can do to be together out in the open and keep our jobs too.”
His dark brows knitted together while he thought it over, then he raised one finger as his expression went to one of excitement. “You could quit.”
I was shocked. I’d really thought true love would win out. “I’d rather not.”
Julia stepped in. “If I may be so bold, I’d like to say that losing Duke right now would be a terrible mistake. Just saying, boss.” She went back to looking through everything.
I had to make him understand things. “Artimus, there are legitimate couples who work together. I didn’t sexually harass her.”
He smiled at me. “Good to hear. Now stop messing with her altogether, and we’ll be okay.”
“Do you hear yourself?” I had to ask.
“Yes.” Artimus looked at his new assistant for a moment as she picked something off a shelf, before looking back at me. “I suppose I couldn’t do anything if you two were, let’s say, married?”
Married?
Not long after our little meeting, I was on my way to Lila’s place. I had great news for her and knew she’d want to hear it right from my mouth instead of over the phone.
I knocked and called out, “Lila, it’s me, Duke.”
The springs on the bed creaked, telling me she’d been lying on it. Probably crying her pretty blue eyes out. She opened the door, and I looked into her red-rimmed eyes. “Duke, what are you doing here?”
“Delivering news that I hope you’ll be as excited to hear as I am to tell you. Can I come in?” I asked, as she hadn’t stepped back at all, but stood there blocking my entrance.
She looked at me for a moment before answering. “If you do, then nothing can happen, okay? I just can’t take it if I have to lose you again.”
“You won’t lose me again,” I assured her.
She stepped back, looking a bit confused. “What does that mean?”
“You’ll find out in a second.” I closed the door behind us then took each of her arms, holding her back so
I could look at her as I delivered the best news ever. “We can see each other out in the open now. And since we can do that, I want this out in the open too. I love you. There, now you know that. And I want you to move in with me. There’s that too.”
She shook her head as if in disbelief. “And how’s this happening?”
She’d missed the best part it seemed, so I had to ask, “Did you hear what I said?”
She nodded. “Yeah, we can be together out in the open.”
That wasn’t enough for me, so I added, “And what else did I say?”
She narrowed her eyes, looking off to one side as if trying to recall everything. “I’m not real sure. You were talking kind of fast, and I thought I heard …”
Taking her by the chin to make her look at me, I went on, “I said that I love you, Lila Banks.”
A smile moved over her lips as she nodded. “Yeah, I heard you. I just wanted to hear you say it again.”
I couldn’t wait any longer and pulled her close, wrapping my arms around her. “You little tease.”
She had something to say too. “I love you too. But what do you mean we can be out in the open now? What happened??”
“I had to quit my job,” I admitted.
She looked horrified. “No!”
I nodded. “Yes. But as I was walking out of Artimus’ office, he stopped me. He told me if I’d go that far for someone, he knew I must really be in love. So, he offered us his congratulations and told me to keep it clean while we’re at any WOLF event or in the building. Other than that, we’re free to do what we want. And I want to do you, right now.”
“We’re really free to see each other, Duke? I can’t believe it! You did it!” She threw her arms around my neck and kissed me.
Holding her felt so right. Everything was going to be okay.
Our mouths parted, and we gazed into each other’s eyes. Always curious, Lila asked, “And what about the other employees?”
“Artimus said he’ll make adjustments to the rules. He and his new assistant think they can come up with something that’s fair, yet still keeps everyone feeling safe.” I kissed her again. Her lips felt so soft against mine, so right.
All I could think about was feeling her skin against mine again. Moving my hands under her dress, I lifted it up, taking it off her. She moaned as our kiss grew in intensity. She helped me get undressed too, and before we knew it we were in her bed, the springs squeaking with each move we made. And we made a lot of them.
The sex was frantic, frenzied as we pulled at each other, wanting it all back the way it had been. Only it was even better this time, now that we wouldn’t have to hide anything—from each other or the world.
Our bodies came together like a bolt of lightning shot right through us, connecting us in its electric current. Our heavy breathing filled the room as we lay there, holding each other so tightly.
We stayed connected as we gained control of our breaths. I kissed her on the top of the head. “I love you, Lila.”
She purred, “I love you, Duke. Did you mean it when you said you want me to move in with you?”
“I certainly did. And please don’t come up with some excuse why you can’t. I really want you in my arms every night, baby.” I kissed her sweet lips to entice her into giving me the answer I wanted to hear.
She smiled when I let her lips go. “Will kisses like that be a part of our daily routine if I do move in with you?”
“Mandatory,” I let her know. “As will nightly cuddling. And don’t forget morning showers. Those will start our days off much better than coffee ever could. I won’t disappoint you, Lila. I promise. Plus, I’ll be able to cook for you if come live with me. That’s a plus. We’ll save on eating out.”
“I have one stipulation, Duke.” Her eyes were glistening as she made her demand.
“And what is that?” I asked, as I knew no matter what it was I would definitely give it to her.
“I get to pay half the bills. All of them, Duke. And I’m serious. I’ve got to pay my way, or I’ll never move in with you.” She looked serious.
“That wasn’t my intention, Lila,” I let her know. “I can pay the bills, baby.”
“Yeah, I know you can. But if we are going to cohabitate then I want to do my part. And I can already see that you have a maid that comes in to clean up. I know you don’t keep that place so sparkling and well-kept all by yourself. So, let me pay my half of everything. I’m not asking, by the way. I’m telling you it has to be that way.” She smiled, knowing damn well I wasn’t going to tell her no.
“Anything you want, baby, you’ve got it.” I kissed her again to seal our new deal.
Life was about to get so much better, and we were more than happy to have found our happily ever after.
The End.
Dirty News Extended Epilogue
Lila
“It’s been a whole year since Duke and I started seeing each other, Nina. Can you believe that?” I was shocked how quickly the time had passed.
“Is today some kind of an anniversary for you guys?” She pulled her shades down to look over them at me as we sat outside a little bistro near the news station. The weather was nice and warm, so we were trying to soak up a bit of Vitamin D as we ate lunch.
“Today is the anniversary of our first kiss. It was in a cab, and it was what started it all for us. All it took was one kiss to let us know we had something we had to explore further.” I had to stop and sigh as I recalled that fateful kiss. The heat I’d felt back then radiated once more throughout my body. I had to wave my hand in front of my face to help me cool back down. “That was one hot kiss, I tell you what. Just the memory can still get me all hot and bothered.”
Nina laughed as she put her half-eaten turkey on rye back on the plate. “Well, you’ll have to take that up with Duke after work. No hanky-panky at work you know.”
“I know, Nina. Not to worry. Duke and I are just so glad we get to have a relationship; we’d never do anything to get ourselves fired. Not so much as a held hand or a single kiss has been done while at work.” I took a bite of my BLT, savoring the smoky taste of the bacon.
The sound of a deep male voice came from behind me, “I thought I’d find you here, Lila.”
I turned around to find Duke coming up behind me. “You guessed right. It’s such a nice day; we had to eat outdoors. And just what are you looking for me for?”
“I’m here to steal you away. I’ve already gotten us both off for the rest of the day; others will take over our later newscasts. You and I are free! I’m taking you home to change, and then I’m taking you out for a nice dinner.” He took a seat at the table with us. “So, don’t get too full on lunch, baby.”
“And what prompted all of this?” I asked him as I used the napkin to wipe my mouth. I guess I’d be taking the rest of my meal home, so I wouldn’t spoil my appetite for later.
He leaned in and kissed the tip of my nose. “Don’t you remember what today is, baby?”
He hadn’t said a word this morning about it being the anniversary of our first kiss. I hadn’t either. I wanted to see if he remembered, and it seemed he had.
I smiled as I answered him, “Would this be the date, one year ago today, that we had our first kiss, Duke?”
His fingers trailed along my jaw as he gazed into my eyes. “It would be that date. And I’m going to make our first anniversary a special one. One I hope you’ll never forget.”
Now I was getting excited. “Wow. So, where are you taking me?”
“It’s a surprise. Tonight will be full of them,” he promised.
And he wasn’t kidding either. When we got home, I found that he’d had a little black dress and heels delivered to the apartment. After one steamy hot shower together, we got ready to go to dinner.
Duke had made reservations at Le Bernardin, thoroughly surprising me. I loved seafood, and this prestigious restaurant put a French spin on each masterpiece the chef prepared. To top it all off, we had a private dining a
rea just for us.
“This is one gorgeous place, Duke. I can’t believe you’ve brought me here. This meal is going to cost you a small fortune.” I couldn’t quit looking around at all the grandeur. It captivated me.
“It’s all going to be worth it,” he said. Duke paused as he took my hand in his, holding it on the tabletop, “I hope.”
I looked at our clasped hands on the white linen tablecloth. “You hope?”
He nodded but didn’t say anything else. He was being so tight-lipped, and it had me wondering what he was up to. I knew he’d been wanting to find a house and get out of the apartment; maybe that’s what he had up his sleeve. Perhaps he wanted to surprise me with a new home?
Whatever his surprise was, I was being patient about hearing about it. The delicious food helped. Served beautifully, I had the crab legs accompanied by a wonderful soup. Duke had the salmon with caviar. Both meals were decadent and bursting with flavor.
For dessert, Duke had ordered a candied apple to share. “Care to cut it into two pieces, Lila?” he asked as he handed me a knife.
“Sure, I can do that.” I took the knife and split the apple down the middle. Strangely, it had a hollow spot right in the middle—and something fell out of the apple.
I gulped as I saw the big diamond solitaire glistening on the little plate. My heart began to pound. Then Duke picked the ring up. “Well, would you look at this? How’d that get in there?” He took a towelette to clean it before getting down on one knee.
I turned in my seat, my hands covering my mouth as I tried hard not to cry. But it was so unexpected that I was having difficulty with that task. I blinked back my tears because I wanted to see his face ask me a question I had not anticipated.
Dirty News (Dirty Network Book 1) Page 18
