by Joy King
"Just to see if you would answer, although I figured you would."
"Oh, so now you trying to play games. I don't advise you to play games with me. But anyway, the real reason I picked up is because I'm starving and you don't have any food in this damn place. Plus I don't have a number on you so I couldn't call to let you know to bring me something back to eat."
"I know that's why I called."
Chantal rolled her eyes thinking to herself that Ian was a piece of work. She was realizing that he was a different kind of trouble that she might not be used to handling. "I see you got tricks with you. So are you going to take my order or what?"
"Actually I was going to tell you that if you look in the drawer next to the phone in the kitchen you will see a black pad. Call the number on the first page and tell them what you want to eat and they'll deliver it to you."
"Is there a menu so I can pick what I want?"
"They'll cook whatever and bring it to you. There's an inhouse chef on the premises."
"Damn, that's hot."
"I thought so too. It's one of the reasons I bought the place, little perks like that."
"So when you coming back?" Chantal wanted to know because she was starting to miss him already.
"In a couple of hours."
"Damn, how long is your practice?"
"Practice is over. I just got some things I have to do first before I come back."
"Have you forgotten that I don't have any clothes to put on? I need to go home."
"So you don't want to wait for me?"
"It's not that, I do. But I want to take a shower and get clean, but then to put on clothes I was dancing a storm up in last night would be disgusting."
"I'll tell you what. When you call that number after you order something to eat, tell them to connect you with the personal shopper in the building. Give the lady your size and what you want to wear. She'll come up and give you a selection of stuff to choose from. So when I get back you can be cleaned and dressed, although I prefer you naked."
"Yo, this place is off the chain. A personal shopper. You really know how to make a lady feel at home."
"Well, don't go overboard with the spending, alright?"
"I got you. I'll be waiting for your arrival." When Chantal got off the phone with Ian she immediately called Shari.
"Hello," Shari answered in her cheerful singing voice.
"What's good, honey?"
"Chantal, I've been waiting for yo ass to call me. Your cell phone keep going straight to voice mail."
"My battery died."
"Oh, since you still haven't gotten back home I'm assuming you still lounging over at Ian's place."
"And you know it."
"Well, bitch, spill the 411. You know I've been dying to talk to your scandalous ass."
"Where do I start?"
"With the dick down, that would be nice."
"Yes indeed, it was nice. Girl, you know I haven't fucked in forever. His sex game is official. I was loving it. I was backed up, but honey, I released all my stress. Girl, he wore a condom and I still came three times."
"I knew his fine ass was gonna be the truth."
"No doubt. I can't wait for him to come back so he can put it on me once again."
"Girl, so you chilling up in his crib? How is it?"
"He got a fly ass penthouse. It gotta be the spot he brings his sideline hoes to because it don't look like nobody even be up in here. This place is so official, you call this number and they'll cook anything you want to eat. Since I don't have a change of clothes, Ian also said I could call the personal shopper and pick out something to wear. He definitely got some class with him."
"Chantal, you've lucked up with this one. You better play your cards right."
"Who you telling? I need a replacement for that sorry ass Andre. But I can't front. I'm afraid to get too comfortable because how do you think he's going to react when I tell him who I am?"
"Well then don't tell him yet."
"But I rather he finds out from me first then have someone else fill him in, or worse, he sees my face on the news or in the papers. He would probably kick me right out his front door. I have to tell him now so I can put my own spin on it."
"If anybody's good at putting a spin on something it's you. So I'm confident you'll find a way to stick around for a little while longer."
"Little! If I have my way I'll be around for a lot longer," Chantal stressed the words "a lot".
"I'm not going to keep you. I'm actually about to get dressed because Jalen is taking me out to lunch after he leaves practice."
"He's a cutie. Hopefully things will work out and we'll be double dating in the near future."
"Works for me. If you don't come home again tonight we'll chat tomorrow and keep each other updated about what's going on...later," Shari said hanging up the phone.
After Chantal placed her food order and spoke to the personal shopper, she jumped in the shower and let the hot water cleanse her body. She hadn't felt so alive in so long. She knew it was too soon to be sure, but for the first time she felt optimistic that another man could finally burn out the torch she'd been carrying for Andre for all these years. There was something about Ian that was magnetic. He had charm, confidence and he was also a challenge. She could tell that Ian somewhat liked her, but he gave no indication of how much, which was a turn on. Chantal decided Ian would be her man and that was all she wrote.
Tyler woke up bright and early to prepare for her first day on set. She really wasn't an exercise fanatic but decided a long j og along the beach would rejuvenate her. After drinking the entire bottle of champagne yesterday on an empty stomach she felt groggy and her mind or body still wasn't right when she woke up. So after having a power shake she hit the beach. The cool morning breeze hitting Tyler's face made her feel alive. The peacefulness of it all gave her an opportunity to reflect over a lot of things.
The first person that came to mind was her son, Christian whom she missed terribly. She hadn't seen him since his father, Brian brought him to the hospital after the accident.
Tyler felt that with all the media scrutiny and at that time not completely healing it would be best if Christian stayed with his dad for a while. Although she had to beg Brian just to bring Christian to LA since he still detested her so much, seeing his angelic face was exactly what she needed. Now she was about to start filming a movie, and it seemed that the time still wasn't right for Christian to come live with her. Tyler decided one of the first things she would do when she saw William was let him know she needed to schedule two weeks during shooting so she could go to New Jersey and be with her son.
T -Roc was thrilled the day had finally arrived when they would begin filming. He was determined to become a major player in Hollywood and this film was the vehicle to get him started. As T-Roc got dressed he visualized stepping on stage after winning his Oscar, the crowd in awe of his speech and giving him a standing ovation, all the while Tyler is sitting in the audience, cheering her husband on. "The perfect couple they would be indeed," T-Roc said out loud, as he looked at himself in the mirror.
"Good morning," Chrissie said as she walked into William's office.
"Good morning to you too. I'm surprised to see you here."
"I know today is Tyler's first day back to work and I was going to head over to the set with you, if you don't mind."
"Of course not. I think it'll be great for you to be there. Tyler needs as much support as possible."
"I feel the same way. She's putting on a good front that everything is fine, but I know Tyler and she's a lot more stressed than she's letting on."
"And being with that lowlife thug Andre isn't of any help. I don't understand what she sees in that man."
"William, I agree that Andre is no good for Tyler, but she loves him. Trying to come between them will only alienate her. We have to try and be supportive of their relationship, or at least pretend to be."
William looked up at Chrissie for the first
time and gave her a smile. Pretend was the key word that he liked. He would pretend to support Tyler's relationship with Andre and at the same time plot to guarantee the end of it.
"Well, let's get out of here. We have a movie to shoot," William said as he grabbed his belongings and they headed out the door.
For the second day in a row, Chantal once again woke up next to Ian and she was in ecstasy. Out of all the men she ever slept with none of them had a body quite as flawless as Ian Addison. His caramel complexion reflected beautifully off the deep cream silk sheets. Chantal spooned herself close to his chest so she could feel his smooth skin. As she snuggled next to him she couldn't figure out for the life of her how Tyler could've ever let him go-or maybe he let her go-Chantal finally decided.
"Damn, I need to getup!" Chantal heard Ian say right when she was about to fall back to sleep in his arms.
"Can't you lay here just a couple hours longer?" she asked seductively.
"Afraid not. I'm leaving today."
"Where are you going?" Chantal asked with a panicked sound in her voice. She caught herself and realized she needed to slow down. She didn't want Ian to think she was already sprung.
"I have a couple of away games, first Indiana then Charlotte."
"Oh." Chantal put her head down and it was obvious she wasn't pleased that Ian had to go.
"Don't look so sad, I'll be back."
As if Chantal had no self-control she asked, "Well can I come with you?" There was awkward silence between them for a moment. Chantal knew she had no business making such a request. If Ian wanted her to come he would've asked, but she couldn't help herself. It had been so long since she had any sort of intimacy with a man and she was more drawn to Ian than she had originally anticipated.
"Chantal, listen."
"No, forget it. I don't know what I was thinking. I have a million things to do anyway. Running behind you at some games isn't exactly productive." As she mumbled on, for the first time Ian saw a slight trace of vulnerability in a woman he originally deemed as completely shallow.
"Let me explain something to you."
"You don't have to explain anything." Chantal felt she'd crossed the line and was embarrassed.
"I want to," he said reassuringly. "I'm not sure if you know this, but I'm married-actually separated. My divorce is almost finalized but my agent, coach, the higher ups, attorney, just everybody wants me to somewhat keep a low profile until my divorce is a done deal. Which means traveling with me and going to the games isn't possible right now."
"I understand."
"Are you sure?"
"Yes, you don't need anything to make you look bad in the media or to make your soon to be ex-wife more upset than I'm sure she already is."
"Pretty much."
"If you don't mind me asking, what happened between the two of you that led to the separation?"
"Honestly, I'm not in love with her, never was. Unlike most men in the league who aren't in love with their wives but decide to stay, I bounced."
"If you weren't in love with her, why did you marry her in the first place?"
"When you reach a certain status in the league they put so much pressure on you to settle down and get married. They want you to have this ideal life for endorsement deals and all that other bullshit. When my girl got pregnant I figured fuck it, I'll go head and marry her. She wasn't going to stop me from doing what I wanted to do so I thought it wouldn't be that bad. But the only thing worse than having a woman nag you is having one you're not in love with nag you. I couldn't take it no more. It got to the point that I dreaded going home after games and listening to her trying to boss me in my own house. My father always told me, if you not running your house then you need to get out of it, so that's what I did."
"So how is she taking it?"
"On the real, she's sick about it. She figured she'd be living the life of a NBA superstar's wife forever. But with the pre nup she signed, that's out of the question. She's not a bad chick and honestly it's not her fault I'm not in love with her. Since women are harder to get rid of than herpes, I figured I throw her something extra in the settlement so we can end this on a decent note. She is the mother of my child so I'll have to deal with her for a very long time."
Chantal wasn't sure if the burning sensation in her chest was from the repulsion she had for what Ian just admitted or because his blatant honesty was making her even more attracted to him. She had to admit to herself that when a woman finds a great catch like an Ian Addison or Andre Jackson they don't want to let them go. They're willing to walk through fire to hold on. I mean, what woman doesn't want to lay back and luxuriate and have her every materialistic need met? But for Ian to throw it up in her face and to acknowledge it as fact felt like a stinging slap.
"I hope everything works out the way that you want it to."
The iciness in Chantal's voice was transparent. Ian knew that something he said offended her but he didn't care. She asked for the truth and he gave it to her. "So will I see you when I get back?"
"I'm not sure if you'll want to."
Ian eyed her quizzically not understanding why she'd made such a statement. "What the hell does that mean?"
Chantal figured since Ian revealed what was going on in his personal life, she should do the same. Eventually he would find out about her past and Chantal decided to get it out in the open now so she could try to forget about Ian Addison if he decided to kick her to the curb after her revelation. "Since we're being honest, I have a few secrets I need to confide to you."
When Tyler arrived on set she was greeted by her best friend and publicist, Chrissie. She had to admit she was pleasantly surprised to see her. Tyler had bubbles in her stomach due to her nervousness, and having Chrissie there for support was exactly what she needed.
"Tyler, you look great!" Chrissie beamed.
"Thanks, I had a wonderful morning. I jogged along the beach and I feel incredible. It's amazing what fresh air and exercise can do for the mind and body. I think I might make it a permanent ritual in my life."
"Well, you already know that I believe exercising is essential for productivity so I think that's a great idea."
"I knew you would. But seriously, it really did help me to get my mind focused. Speaking of focusing, I have to speak to William. There is something I need to discuss with him."
"Here I am," William said as he walked up behind Chrissie and Tyler.
Tyler had been so caught up in telling the story of her new found love for jogging she hadn't noticed William talking to a gentleman just a few feet away. "Hi," she said, giving William a hug.
"Tyler, you look beautiful." And she did. Tyler had her jet black wavy hair going back in a long French braid. Her skin had a radiant glow to it and the clear gloss highlighted her full seductive lips.
"Thank you, Mr. Donovan," she said playfully.
"Before we get to what you need to discuss with me, once again congratulations on your movie, `Angel' opening number one at the box office. I'm so proud of you. You're on your way to being a superstar."
"You're so sweet, and thank you for all the flowers you had delivered this morning. When I got back from jogging I thought I stepped in a flower shop instead of my living room."
"You deserved it," William said, feeling proud of his protege. "So what do you need to discuss?"
"Within the next month I want to go to New Jersey and spend a couple of weeks with Christian. I miss him so much."
"Say no more. That's no problem. We actually have to film in New York for a month."
"Really? I had no idea. That's wonderful!"
"Yeah, so we can sit down sometime this week and I'll let you know the exact date we're leaving so you can do whatever scheduling preparation you'll need."
"You're the best. Thanks so much."
"Anything for you." William gave Tyler a kiss on the cheek. "Chrissie, show Tyler to her trailer. We'll all meet back out here in about twenty minutes. See you soon."
"Has T-Roc got
ten here yet?" Tyler asked as she and Chrissie walked towards her trailer.
"Yeah, I saw him briefly about fifteen minutes ago. He was talking to William before he went to his trailer. Are you uneasy about working with him?"
"A little bit. But I'm sure once I get my feet wet it'll be business as usual."
"Chrissie, can I speak to you for a second?" William's assistant yelled out from a distance."
"What is it now?" Chrissie sighed to Tyler under her breath.
"Go ahead, I'll be fine. I need to go in my trailer and unwind for a minute anyway. I'll see you shortly."
"Okay, darling."
Chrissie walked off in the direction of William's assistant and Tyler headed up the stairs towards her trailer. When Tyler opened the door all anyone heard was the ear piercing noise from her screams.
"What the hell is going on?" William shouted as he came out of the back room.
Even over the music T-Roc had blasting in his trailer he heard the gut wrenching cries. He hurried out of his trailer anxious to see where the screams were coming from. When he came outside, from a short distance he saw Tyler standing in front of her door with a horrified look on her face. Everyone was calling her name as they ran to her aid but it was as if she was frozen with fear.
T-Roc reached Tyler at the same time as William and the inside of her trailer looked like a bad rendition of a "Saw" horror flick. There were dozens of bouquets of dead black roses, and what looked to be blood splattered over her walls, and on the mirror was written, You Will Die, Bitch. In the corner there was a bucket of mutilated rats, and they realized where the blood came from. Tyler was shaking uncontrollably, and while William was calling security and clearing the area, T-Roc held Tyler and she practically melted in his arms.
"Who could've done this?" was all Tyler kept saying over and over again as her voice shivered.
"I don't know, but we will find out and I promise they'll pay," T-Roc said as he stroked her hair. T-Roc was finally able to calm her down and escorted her to his trailer while security waited for the police to come.
