Christmas with the Billionaire ; A Tiara for Christmas

by Niobia Bryant

  There, he puttered around with his blowtorch and a few scraps of metal, same as he had a year prior. Before long he’d constructed three small tiaras. If memory served him correctly, Alisha had a few more costume stones in her jewelry box.

  Head covered with protective gear, Dario didn’t hear or notice the door open until Darren banged on the table. A few red sparks flew through the air, dying before they hit the ground. Darren put his hands in the air.

  “Whoa,” he exclaimed. “You look like you want to hurt someone.”

  Not just someone. One person in particular. “What are you doing here, Darren?”

  “The last I checked, Dominic put all of our names on the mortgage.”

  Cool air had followed Darren into the garage. The clock over the double doors indicated Dario had been preoccupied for a couple of hours. Almost time to get Kimber. Dario set the blowtorch down.

  “My bad. What’s up?” He softened his tone. He and his twin were similar in looks, with the same light coloring and build. In elementary school people had sworn they were identical, but the older they got, the more easily people could tell them apart.

  “Nothing, really,” said Darren, rolling up the sleeves of his cream-colored sweater. “I thought we could get in the ring but with the way you’re looking right now, I don’t think that’s a good idea. What’s bugging you?”

  “I don’t feel like talking about it. Let’s get in the ring,” Dario said, taking off his black welding helmet. The protective gear was that of an alien head with a demonic smiling mouth. He cradled the protective gear under his arm.

  “Hell no!” Darren laughed. “Not with the mood you are in.”

  “I’m not in a mood.”

  “We’re twins. I can sense your irritation,” explained Darren. “Maybe we should save that energy you’re working with for the Boxing Around the Christmas Ring competition. Parker Ward won last year. Says he plans on winning the Santa Belt this year.”

  With the aggression he felt at that moment, Dario was sure he could take the gold-buckled belt right now. “I wish him the best of luck.”

  “I saw the Spider out front.” Darren changed the subject, probably because he knew Dario would jump in the ring with him without hesitation. “How’s it running?”

  “Check out the horsepower,” Dario replied. “Want to go for a ride?”

  Darren held two fingers up. “Two things I won’t do with you when you’re angry—get in the ring and drive. Not unless you tell me what’s going on with you.”

  Just then Dario’s phone buzzed. Eager to see Kimber again, he grabbed the cell from the back pocket of his jeans and read the message.

  “Whoa,” Darren shouted. “What’s Kimber doing now?”

  “Who says this has anything to do with her?”

  Chuckling, Darren shook his head. “Again, we shared a womb, remember?”

  Dario’s response was to flip him off and then laugh. “Bastard.”

  “And again,” said Darren, “we’re twins, so you’re calling yourself one too. Now, what’s up?”

  “C’mon and take a ride with me. I need to meet Kimber at The Cupcakery. I’ll explain what’s up on the way.” Dario held two fingers in the air. “Scout’s honor I’ll drive safe.”

  After Dario cleaned up his mess and placed the half-completed crowns under a tarp, they sped into town, parking at Crowne’s Garage, the one spot downtown where locals could get an oil change or a tune-up without driving for an hour. Dario shared everything that had been going on—from the airport until that morning.

  Inside The Cupcakery, Darren tried to order two double chocolate vegan cupcakes for them. Dario corrected it and ordered a regular one for himself.

  “That’s cruel man,” Darren said. “You’re not going to eat the same as me?”

  “I’ve been working out,” Dario declared. “I knew Christmas Chaos was coming while you waited for a second helping at every meal,” he chided him. They found a silver booth with hot pink seats over in the corner and waited for their coffee. He thought about how he might need something a little stronger if he saw Kimber walk through the doors with Vin. Vin, he thought, wanting to snarl.

  “Let me get this straight,” Darren said, wiping the low-fat icing off his cupcake with the pad of his thumb. “Kimber suggested that the two of you hook up while she’s here and you turned her down?”

  “I didn’t flat out turn her down,” Dario explained, biting off half his cupcake.

  “You said ‘we’ll see.’ Every kid knows when you ask a parent and they say that, it means no.”

  “I’m not a kid.” What it meant to Dario was that he hadn’t planned on jumping into bed with Kimber that morning just because she was horny. “I am trying to show her how I’ve matured.”

  “By training for Christmas Chaos and keeping her in the dark about the tiaras you’ve made?” Darren pulled at the top part of his now icing-free cupcake. “You could make a fortune in Dubai from your hobby. Alisha told me.”

  Dario cringed. The tiaras weren’t for sale and Alisha knew it. “Our little sister has quite the imagination, don’t you think?”

  “I think you’re a hypocrite to get mad at Kimber for moving on when you are the one turning her away,” said Darren. “I see why you’re all pent up. Yep, maybe you should stay abstinent until Christmas.”

  It was still early December. Christmas seemed too far away. Dario shoved the rest of his dessert into his mouth to make space for the coffee coming up. Tiffani, the owner’s daughter as well as one of Alisha’s close friends, bumped her hip against Dario’s frame.

  “Good to have you back,” Tiffani said. “We should get together while Alisha’s away.”

  “For what?” Dario asked. Darren kicked him under the table.

  “Excuse him, Tiffani,” said Darren. “He was raised in a barn.”

  Tiffani gave them both a wink before setting the mugs of steaming hot coffee in front of them. “I’ll tell your sister I saw y’all. She worries.”

  “We’re fine,” Dario grunted.

  The brass bell over the front door jingled. Like everyone else in the bakery, Dario glanced up at the next guest. His heart slammed into his rib cage at the sight of Kimber. He didn’t think he’d ever get tired of holding his breath when she walked into a room.

  “You got it bad,” Darren whispered. “I feel sorry for you.”

  “Why?” Dario took his eyes off Kimber for a moment. He welcomed the distraction, fearing she’d walk in with Doctor Vin. “I didn’t say a word, Darren.”

  “You don’t have to say a thing. All the ladies in town are going to take one look at you and your pitiful puppy-dog eyes over Kimber and there goes your reputation as a lady’s man.”

  The group of girls following Kimber inside began squealing at the display case of cupcakes. Dario’s body relaxed against the cushions of the booth. So Vin had stayed away. Good.

  “One day you’re going to understand there’s more to life than sleeping around with women,” Dario said to his brother.

  An ashen color came over Darren’s face. “Says the man who’s dated all the single teachers in town.”

  Instead of being proud of the notches on his bedpost, Dario shook his head in shame, thinking of all the time he’d wasted chasing other women when he could have spent more time with Kimber. “One day, big brother,” Dario said, making light of the fact that he was four minutes younger, “you’re going to fall in love.”

  Dario made eye contact with Kimber. Her bright smile and wave warmed his soul. He gave her a head nod.

  “Oh sure, treat her like one of the boys if you’re so in love,” Darren said in a mocking tone that caught Dario’s attention.

  “I’m not. I told you, I want her to take me seriously this time around.”

  Another jingle of the door drew Dario’s attention. Vin. Dario crumpled the
wrapper in his hand. Vin broke through the line and headed straight to the register. Whatever he said to Tiffani now made the rest of Kimber’s tiara squad giggle. Some of the girls went back to the display to choose a few more cupcakes. So the man wanted to buy a round of cupcakes for everyone. Whatever. Vin leaned down and whispered something into Kimber’s ear. Not like he could hear, but Dario straightened up. A few moments later Kimber headed over to the booth in the corner. To him.

  Dario rose to greet her. “How’d the rest of the afternoon go?”

  “Fantastic. The boys came over and wanted to make sashes for themselves too. You should have stayed. You could have had one for yourself.”

  Darren snickered and stood up. “That I’d pay to see,” he said, hugging Kimber. “How’ve you been, baby girl?”

  “Great.”

  “Glad to see you back home.” Darren hugged her once more. “Lookin’ prettier than ever.”

  Kimber rolled her eyes. “Don’t think that Crowne charm is going to work on me, Darren. Remember, I know you.”

  Laughing, Dario punched his brother lightly in the arm. “Right.”

  “Whatever,” said Darren. “So, what brings you over to our table when you’re in here with a bunch of single—”

  “What’s going on with you?” Dario asked, “You need a ride out of here?”

  “Yeah,” Kimber said tossing a glance over her shoulder. “About that. Vin’s asked if I want to have dinner with him this evening.”

  Darren peered over the rim of his coffee mug, his eyes bouncing rapidly between them.

  “Sounds great.”

  “Great?” Kimber asked, her mouth dropping open in disbelief.

  “Yeah,” said Dario, “depending on where you go. Bring me back a doggie bag?”

  Kimber cocked a brow up at him. “You’re sure?”

  “Kimber, you’re the one who said you wanted to just be friends and that you didn’t want to settle down, especially not here in Southwood. I say go for it. He’s a doctor too.” Dario gave her arm a little nudge while deep down inside he wanted to rip Vin’s face off.

  “Well,” she gulped. “If you say so.”

  Did she think telling him about a date would make him show all his cards? Nope, the old Dario would have torn through the crowd and shoved Vin’s face into the cupcake display. The new responsible Dario, however, was going to let Kimber go on this date and find out on her own what a fraud the good doctor was.

  “Like I said,” Dario repeated, “bring me back a doggie bag.”

  Kimber backed away from Dario, her pouty pink mouth twisted with skepticism. “Alright then. I’ll catch a ride from one of the girls. See you later, Darren.”

  Dario sat back down in the booth. His heart raced. He clenched his fists in anger. Darren watched with enthusiasm. In his twisted way, he egged Dario on. “That’s right, just suppress those feelings. Let it all out at Christmas Chaos.”

  Chapter 5

  “I still can’t believe I’m sitting across from you at Duvernay’s,” said Vin.

  Kimber crossed her legs under the table and tugged the stretchy black bodycon dress down her thighs. Vin had come a long way. When Kimber had gone to school with him he’d had an affection for comic book superhero T-shirts paired with corduroy pants. Now the man wore tailored suits. Her mind wandered to seeing Dario at the airport earlier this week. Whatever. You don’t need to be thinking about Dario right now, Kimber scolded herself. She tried to focus on the man seated across from her but his puppy-dog eyes made her uncomfortable.

  When they’d arrived at Duvernay’s, one of Southwood’s swankier restaurants, Kimber wasn’t sure they’d be able to get a table. But she didn’t want to embarrass Vin by throwing around her connection. Henri Duvernay was a cousin of Lexi’s, and with no children of his own, he looked fondly upon Kimber and Philly as his extended family. The throng did not deter Vin, though. He strode through the waiting crowd and whispered to the hostess, and just like that, they were seated.

  Kimber smiled at him over her glass of chardonnay. She’d made it clear this afternoon at The Cupcakery that she wasn’t interested in seeing anyone seriously right now. Vin had said he understood and just wanted to catch up on old times with her. She had no idea why she’d built it up as more when she’d bailed on helping Dario that night. Yes, she had. She’d wanted a reaction from him, expected him to get upset. Not be ask for a doggie bag. Dario hadn’t been the slightest bit perturbed, probably because half the women in town were falling all over themselves to get next to him. Kimber focused on her date.

  “Remember the first time we came here?” Kimber asked.

  “I had never been here before,” said Vin. “It was great, but then again, I always had a blast. Being with your family was fun. Your uncles are great.”

  Before her parents passed away, they’d always wanted to project themselves as the perfect family. They went to church, participated in social functions and even joined the Southwood Golf Club, though they never golfed. They did everything all-American families did except have company over. Not that Kimber ever wanted friends over. She’d never known when her maternal grandparents would say something to or about her dad and set him off in one of his moods. When they’d passed away and her uncles moved in, things changed.

  “They were something,” Kimber laughed, setting her glass back down on the white linen tablecloth. Marriage had settled them down. Yet another reason to not tie herself to one person. It made her boring.

  “I’m glad you agreed to go out with me this evening,” said Vin.

  “Of course,” Kimber replied. “We’re old friends.”

  A half smile forced a dimple in Vin’s left cheek. “Ah, yeah. Besides finding out what you’ve been up to all these years, I am interested in this pageant you’re doing for the town.”

  “Lexi’s brainchild,” Kimber clarified.

  A fond smile now followed a faraway dreamy look on Vin’s face, a common look for most men when thinking about Lexi. “Have you guys already selected a venue?”

  “We’re holding it at the theater on the town square. Why? What’s up?”

  “After seeing how the children at the hospital responded to your visit, I thought it would be a great idea to have it there. I could get some of the donors to reimburse your fee at the theater. If you held it in our theater, our children could come, as well as people from the neighboring communities who otherwise might not want to make the trek to the Southwood. We’d be a neutral zone.”

  The other communities—Samaritan, Black Wolf Creek and Peachville—all participated in a school rivalry. Kimber understood the hesitance in traveling here. The doctor made valid points. “I think that’s a terrific idea, Vin. Thanks.”

  Proud, Vin sat back and folded his hands in front of him at the table. “This is awesome. We’ll take care of the stage setup.”

  “You know my uncle Nate will want to be in on that.”

  “It is refreshing to know your family still supports each other,” said Vin.

  “They’re alright,” she said with a giggle, “Are your parents still here?” Kimber recalled Vin’s mother not being much of a fan of hers when Kimber had chosen her then-boyfriend over Vin. Her lips twisted to the side at the thought of Philip, star football player at Southwood. Years ago Kimber had wanted to stand out from the pack by wearing a dress she had no business wearing. Her breasts and ass hadn’t been nearly developed enough and she was barely sixteen at the time. All for that boy.

  “Folks are fine,” Vin said with a slow nod of his head. He went on to tell her about his concerns over making sure they could take care of themselves. “They sold their house and downgraded to a condo over in Peachville.”

  Kimber returned the nod. “My grandparents did the same thing. It sounds like the latest trend is to move into these senior dorms.”

  “I’m glad I’m able to continue t
o be here.”

  “You said you were in the emergency room,” Kimber recalled. “Do you prefer working there? Is that your specialty?”

  “No.” Vin shook his head. “I’m not sure if you’re aware, but Southwood is experiencing an outbreak of the chicken pox.”

  “I know,” said Kimber. “Philly has them and it sucks because I wanted to spend time with her before I left.”

  “Back to flying across the country and interviewing beauty queens?”

  Kimber beamed. “Are you following my blog posts?”

  “I try to catch them here and there between my rounds at the hospital and visits with my folks.”

  “I’m so proud of you, Vin,” said Kimber, “but it is going to take me time to get used to calling you that.”

  Vin flashed a grin, reminding her of the boy she used to know. “The moment I left for Hampton University, I knew I needed to reinvent myself a bit. I got rid of the box cut, got contact lenses, gained twenty pounds in muscle and let my roommate’s girlfriend style me. She’s the one who told me to drop the Mar. It was hard to get the folks here to stop calling me Marvin, seeing as how everyone from Southwood knew me growing up.”

  “Now you’re a regular Cinder-fella.” Kimber gave him a wink.

  “With my very own princess too,” said Vin. His hand moved across the table.

  It hadn’t been so long since her last official date that Kimber couldn’t pick up on the cues of a man about to make his move. The turn of the conversation was about to get more sentimental than she wanted. Kimber reached for her glass again to avoid Vin’s attempt to touch her hand.

  With a half smile, Vin shook his head. “Don’t tell me you’re still eluding relationships.”

  “What?” Kimber’s voice went up an octave.

  “I was about to touch your hand, in a friendly manner of course, and you pulled away. It’s a move you’ve done since we were teenagers.” Vin reached for his cup of coffee.