Forever Love (Arabesque) (6 page)

“Okay. How did that other thing work out this evening?”

Keith smiled. His thoughts instantly went to Gia. Seeing her smile and hearing her laugh as he had joked about them creatively eating dinner together made him chuckle now. “I’m not sure yet.”

“Did you meet with her?”

“Yeah, we met. I told her I’d set up something more formal in the next few days.”

“It sounds tricky. Good luck on that.”

Keith’s second line beeped. He checked the caller ID. It was his mother. “Yeah, I have a feeling I’m gonna need it. I’ll talk to you later.” He clicked over. “Hello, Mother, how are you?”

“Hello, darling, I’m completely rushed. Question—how crazy busy are you after Friday’s press conference? I know your father doesn’t have anything planned for you. What does your schedule look like?”

Keith frowned. He had a feeling he knew exactly where she was going with this, but right now he didn’t have much of a choice. “I can probably shake some time loose.”

“Great, I need a favor,” she said.

“Sure, what do you need?”

“Mamma Lou changed her plans. She’s coming into town sooner than expected. I need you to pick her up at the train station.” Keith paused, going silent. “Keith, are you still there?”

He cleared his throat. “Yeah, I’m here. Um, sure, send me the details and I’ll be there.”

“Good, thank you, sweetie. I’d hate to have to send a car to pick her up. You have a good night. I’ll forward you the information in the morning.”

“Good night.” He disconnected just as his meal arrived. He looked at the succulent meal in front of him and frowned. It looked delicious, but suddenly he wasn’t as hungry as he thought he was. He dug in, though. The food was delicious and once he started eating, his appetite returned.

Chapter 6

G
ladys stopped by his table fifteen minutes later. “Keith, I was asked to give this to you by a young lady waiting for a takeout order. You know I’d never do this ordinarily, but she said you knew each other.” She handed him a folded piece of paper.

“Really?” he said, taking the paper and unfolding it. He read the message and chuckled.
“I assure you I’m not following or stalking you. But imagine my surprise at seeing you eating at my favorite takeout diner.”
He looked up and turned around and saw Gia sitting at the counter behind him. He nodded. She nodded.

“Now, if she is lying and she’s some kind of crazy stalker lunatic, I’ll have Twister kick her little butt out of here.”

“That won’t be necessary,” Keith said, pulling out a pen. He began writing on the same piece of paper.

“She looks a’ight, real cute, but you know that don’t mean nothing nowadays. She might be outta her ever-loving mind.”

He wrote
“join me”
on the note, refolded it and then handed it back. “Gladys, would you please take this to the young lady and see if there’s a reply.”

“Sure,” she said, looking puzzled, then walked away.

Keith smiled. This was certainly something he hadn’t anticipated. He dug his fork into his collard greens and put them in his mouth. The tart-sweet-spicy-succulent taste had just enough pizzazz to excite his taste buds. Gladys was right. Twister had really outdone himself. After that he ate the potato salad and sliced some grilled chicken. Just as he wiped his mouth and was sipping his water, Gladys returned. She slid the piece of paper to him. He picked it up and read it. It continued the conversation.

“Sorry. Can’t. I believe this was your suggestion. 2 cars. 2 tables. No direct contact.”

He wrote his answer.
“I changed my mind. I want direct contact.”
He underlined the word
direct,
then folded the paper and placed it where Gladys had put it. Lois came by a few seconds later, picked it up and kept going. He continued eating. She returned minutes later and placed the folded paper in the same spot.

He opened and read it, then laughed out loud.
“Careful what you ask for—you might just get it.”

He wrote
“I hope so. I like living dangerously. Join me.”

After a while the note passing had become a ballet of sorts with either Gladys or Lois picking up and/or delivering.

“But what fun would that be?”

“Agreed. Your favorite takeout? I’ve never seen you here before.”

“I’ve seen you.”

“Really? When?”

“A few times, late at night. Same booth—working or on the phone.”

“You should have come over.”

“Not my style.”

“I guess I have to pay better attention.”

“I guess so. We’re running these ladies ragged.”

“Trust me. They’re having as much fun as we are.”

“Still.”

“Fine, then join me or I’ll join you. We can make this work.”

Gladys returned with the note.
“Are you sure?”

He nodded and wrote a one-word reply.
“Yes.”
He placed the note in the spot. Gladys took it, then returned the note a few seconds later. Keith looked up at her, questioning.

“She’s gone,” Gladys said. “She asked me to give this to you after she left.”

Keith turned around to see the empty counter space, then glanced around, seeing only a few people in the diner. Gia was no longer there. He looked out the window. Her car was pulling off. He looked at the note and saw the last message she’d sent him.
“As much as I may be tempted, I can’t do this. Maybe another time.”

“Yes, definitely,” he said aloud as he tucked the note in his jacket pocket.

“Can I get you anything else?” Gladys asked, tearing his check off her pad.

“No, I’m done,” Keith said. “Thanks, Gladys, and please thank Lois, as well.” He wiped his mouth needlessly, paid the check and then placed two one-hundred-dollar bills for Gladys’s and Lois’s tip on the table where the notes had been.

He left the diner, driving in silence. For the first time in a long while he didn’t want to go back to the office. But he went anyway. He opened the door and headed to his desk. Kate had left two overnight express packages and a note from Megan. Neither needed his attention this evening. He sat, opened his laptop and pulled up the file he’d been working on. Two hours later he stopped. His mind was no longer in this. He saved his file, closed the laptop and got up to leave. As soon as he turned the office lights off, his phone rang.

* * *

Gia dragged her finger across the tiny inset pad, highlighting everything she’d just written. Seeing the massive section made her cringe. In the last hour and a half she had rewritten, edited and corrected this passage fifteen times. She shook her head, bit at her lower lip and then pressed the delete key. In the blink of an eye, everything vanished.

She sighed heavily and shook her head again. She’d just wasted almost two hours writing what sounded more like country and western lyrics than a serious business proposal requesting financial and political support. She closed her laptop and then set it aside. It was useless. She wasn’t getting anything done this evening. She was too distracted.

At first she told herself it was her grandmother’s health, but she knew her grandmother would be fine in time. Then she convinced herself that it was the OCC. But she knew that wasn’t true. She knew exactly what was distracting her, or rather
who
was distracting her—Keith Washington.

As if to clear her thoughts, she stood up, walked to the window and looked out. Living on the top floor in a high-rise condominium right off Delaware Avenue on Penn’s Landing afforded her a spectacular view. To the left were the glittering shining lights of the Ben Franklin Bridge. She looked across the Delaware River to the sparkling lights of Camden, New Jersey. At night the dazzling landscape was breathtaking. She couldn’t imagine living anywhere else.

Right now this was what money afforded her—the lavishness of her home. She was born into the lifestyle, and that would never change. Her family’s wealth dated back five generations. It had started in the back of her great-great grandmother’s laundry. The simple card games grew into the hottest nightspot in the early 1920s. By the time prohibition became law, the Duncan family added loan-sharking and bootlegging. Just like many of the megawealthy families now, the Duncans’ history began steeped in the underbelly of crime, illegal speakeasies and back-alley liquor dens. They realized early that there was money to be made, and they made a lot of it.

They took advantage of weaknesses. If customers couldn’t pay their debts, they signed over their homes. Soon the Duncans owned property all over the city. By the time the prohibition laws had been repealed, her family was mind-staggeringly rich.

Today the Duncans were a respected family in the City of Brotherly Love. They were law-abiding, mostly, and had prominence and power as the city’s premier real estate developers. Her grandfather was a legend, and her father was living up to it by creating his own legacy. But that’s where it ended.

When she turned her back on it all, they were shocked and blamed her nonconformist mother for corrupting her family responsibilities. Her father was furious. Her grandmother collapsed and her grandfather was enraged. He disowned her on the spot. But she refused to change her mind. She just hoped they would learn to accept her life as she wanted to live it.

Gia closed the drapes and turned around, knowing it was never going to be that easy. She walked back to the desk and looked down at her laptop. There was no way she was going to try to work. She grabbed her purse and pulled out a business card. She read it—Keith Washington, Attorney at Law. She grabbed her cell phone and went into her bedroom.

She climbed into bed and rested her head back against the pillows and looked around her spacious bedroom. Stylishly decorated and accented with just the right number of antiques, it was an interior designer’s dream. From the outside, her life looked nearly perfect. She had a job she enjoyed, family and friends she loved, but still she knew there was something missing. But she didn’t have time to think about all that right now.

She needed to get rid of this distraction so that she could focus on work again. She glanced at the bedside clock. It was late—perfect. She grabbed the phone and business card from the nightstand and started dialing. Calling and leaving him a message at his office was a great idea. That way she didn’t have to actually talk to him. She nodded. It was the coward’s way out, but that was okay. She didn’t mind being a coward right now.

She knew there was no way he’d be in the office this late at night. She smiled, knowing exactly what she was going to say on his voice mail. The phone rang twice, then stopped. Someone answered, “Yes.”

Gia froze. “Hello,” he said. “All right, I know you’re there. You might as well answer since I have caller ID and already know the phone number calling.”

She knew he was bluffing. There was no way her phone showed anything other than two words, “private caller,” as a display. “Hello,” she said timidly, “Keith?”

“Yes, Gia?” he said cautiously.

“Yes,” she said, “what are you doing there this late? You’re not supposed to be in the office,” she said accusingly.

“I’m answering the phone. But I believe the question is, why are you calling me this late?”

“Sorry, you took me off guard. I didn’t expect you to be there.”

“But yet you called. Who did you expect would answer?” he asked.

“Actually, I expected to just leave a voice message.”

“Sounds like the coward’s way out,” he joked.

“I prefer to think it was being efficient. Leaving a message tonight is one less thing I have to do tomorrow,” she responded.

His deep throaty chuckle seeped through her quickly. She knew he didn’t really believe her, but she also knew that it didn’t really matter. “Well, Ms. Duncan, now that you have me, what can I do for you?”

She took a deep breath. “I wanted to call and thank you for tonight. It was very considerate of you to be concerned about me. But I need you to know that this doesn’t negate anything between the OCC and the mayor’s office.”

“Of course it doesn’t,” he said, knowing the OCC’s endorsement was all but his.

“The OCC is still going to hold the mayor accountable for his actions, or in some cases inaction.”

“The mayor stands by his record,” Keith insisted. She didn’t reply. There was a moment of silence, and then he continued softly. “You know, you’re not nearly as cynical as you pretend to be.”

“You don’t know that. I just might be,” she declared.

“True, but I doubt it.”

“And you’re not as charming as you think you are,” she said.

“Of course I am. At least you think I am.”

She laughed. “You are shameful and you really don’t know me.”

“You’d be surprised what I know.”

“I told you earlier not to underestimate me, Keith. I suggest you take me at my word. I will do my job.”

“Of that I’d expect nothing less, since I will, too.”

“Good,” she said, “then we understand each other.”

“Yes, we do.” There was another slight pause. “I’m beginning to like this between us. I look forward to our next meeting. Perhaps there is hope for us after all.”

“Good night, Mr. Washington.”

“Good night, Ms. Duncan.”

Gia ended the call and just sat there in her bed holding the phone in her hand. She had no idea what to make of what had just happened. After a while she reached over and placed her phone on its charging pad, then turned the light out and lay back, closing her eyes. She shook her head and smiled. The man was arrogant, exasperating, incorrigible and too damn sexy for her own good. And he was right about one thing—she did find him charming. Her last thoughts before drifting off to sleep were of Keith Washington, and images of her day appeared.

She was back at the community center surrounded by the town hall audience again. Like before, Keith was right behind her. But this time he was much closer. She could feel the singeing heat of his hot breath on her neck as he spoke. She couldn’t hear what he was saying, but whatever it was she was nodding in agreement. Then she felt his large hands come up around her waist and pull her possessively back, closer to his body. She inched forward, but he held her tightly, soothing her body to relax with his words.

She looked around cautiously, but no one paid them any attention. His mouth came closer as he whispered to her again. She nodded. Then he kissed her earlobe and went lower with tiny nibbles down to her neck. Her heart pounded for more. He pressed her back closer, sealing their connection. Her legs shook and her hands trembled. Someone would see them and she’d be humiliated. But he felt too good and she couldn’t stop this even if she wanted to. He slowly released the buttons on her silk shirt, exposing her bra to the room.

She opened her eyes, startled, but everyone still faced forward. He released the front clasp. The full heaviness of her breasts parted the lace material. His hands came up to caress and cup her breasts. She gasped as he fondled and rolled each nipple between his finger and thumb. The tender nipples hardened to cut diamonds.

His mouth came down to her neck again. She rolled her head back, gasping for whatever air was still left in the room. She heard her own throaty moan as her body’s moisture flowed between her legs. She turned her head to the side. The kiss came in a burst of light, exploding in her mouth. It deepened steadily beyond anything she had ever felt. The intensity shot down her body to buckle her knees and curl her toes. Ravenous kisses, lustful licking and sensual suckling rocked her to the core. She shivered with surging excitement as her body melted against his.

His hands continued touching, caressing and torturing her body. She felt his hard erection press against her back. The steel of his penis excited her. “This is a dream. This is a dream. This is a dream,” she murmured, repeating over and over again, knowing that whatever she did and however she did it wasn’t real and because of that she could make him do whatever she wanted.