Raging Blue (2 page)

Chapter 3

Mia

The doorbell chimed, reminding Mia Reynolds that she was expecting company. She rose from her scented bath water, not bothering to towel off, and planted a trail of moist footprints down the carpeted stairs and across the hardwood floors to the front door. Her body was wet and flower petals clung to her skin.

“Coming,” she crooned while reaching for the doorknob.

“Hmmm!” Trent Harvey moaned at the sight of her glistening nakedness.

Trent stepped in to the spacious living room with its creamy white walls, sleek white furniture and zebra print accents. Her landlord and best friend, Blue, chose the crisp set up.

Trent lifted her into his muscular arms. “And you smell good, too,” he said, caressing her back.

Mia wrapped her bare legs around him, nestled her face into his beefy neck, and took a long whiff. He always smelled magnificent. Then Mia slid down his taut body, slowing near his groin. When her feet touched down, she took him in one hand, and with the other hand, motioned her finger in a “come hither” gesture. Trent followed like an obedient puppy.

He’s going to be perfect,
Mia thought as she led him up to the master bath.

“Your body is so beautiful,”
he said in his deep Southern drawl.

He looked up at her nude portrait hanging in the bathroom and smiled.

This man doesn’t own a single ounce of body fat
. She watched him disrobe as she examined the crevices of his toned physique. Trent was as black as night, with skin as supple as butter. He came fully equipped with an athletic build, a handsome baby face, and plump, inviting lips. He was also the youngest, least experienced of her suitors—and freshly married. His inexperience was just what Mia liked about him. He’d been in the NFL for only a few years, but it was the fact that he had just gotten married and was new to Atlanta that made him appealing to her.

Trent was
a country boy from Mississippi. His sultry voice seemed to be swathed in a syrupy slur. When he entered a room, all eyes were on him. That’s how Mia had noticed him, but she'd laid low until the right time. She knew one day she’d have him, but the timing and setup had to be perfect. Mia seduced him from afar with sexy smiles, her killer gait, and flirtatious gazes. To lay her foundation, she had done just enough to invite his curiosity until it was time to make her move, and Trent had fallen right into her provocative clutches.

When they reached the bath, Mia stepped in the large Jacuzzi tub and invited him in with a hand gesture and sly smile. Trent stepped in one leg at a time, sinking into the sweet-smelling, foamy water. Once he was completely submerged, Mia positioned herself between his thick, firm legs. She felt his main muscle against her back. Trent dipped his hands underwater and caressed her wet skin. A soft moan caught in Mia’s throat. The sounds Mia emitted gave Trent license to go further.

“You like that, baby?” Trent teased, dipping his fingers into her center. “I can’t get enough of you,” he whispered into her ear between nibbles.

Mia arched her back and rolled her hips. She felt
Trent’s swollen member grow even more rigid, jabbing her from behind. He toyed with her center until she swelled and purred like a kitten.

“Stand up,” he said,
and lifted her from behind. Trent stood, pressing his chest against her back. He reached around her and tweaked her nipples then gently guided her forward. Mia obliged placing her hands on the edge of the tub offering Trent greater access to her heated center. Mia winced as he slid his expansive manhood into her from behind. This was the best kind of pain.

Mia wanted to scream, but gnawed her bottom lip instead. Her eyes rolled back into her head. Groans resonated from her core and escaped without her permission. A flicker of heat rose in her belly, and she couldn’t hold back anymore. Her knees grew weak and gave out, forcing Trent to support her fully.
Muscle spasms erupted randomly along her legs. Mia shook her head from side to side, clamped her teeth, and screamed before collapsing into his arms.

Their excursion began in the bathroom, journeyed through the master bedroom, and ended on the back deck. Trent, looking sated, licked his lips and smiled at Mia. The coolness of the night caressed her skin, causing her nipples to harden again. Still naked, Mia sat on Trent’s bare lap and kissed him. She wanted to tell him how amazing he was as a lover, but instead, she held her tongue.

“What if I told you I was pregnant?” Mia asked in a near whisper.

Trent’s content smile crumbled. Unable to tell where his thoughts were taking him, she remained quiet, allowing the silence to absorb the moment.

“I’m married,” Trent said with a look of confusion, as if he was confessing this news to her for the first time.

“I know that. I didn’t ask you about your marriage,” Mia stated calmly. She wanted to calculate his response by his facial expression, but all she could read was uncertainty. This wasn't the reaction she wanted to see. She wasn't interested in wrecking his home. As far as she was concerned, his wife never had to know about the baby. All he had to do was set her and the baby up financially, and she would be fine.

Trent looked perplexed. He opened his mouth several times though no words came out. "I thought you were on the pill or . . . something," he finally said. "How far along are you?"

“I’m not completely sure, but I think I’m around two months. When I go to my doctor’s appointment, I’ll find out for sure.”
She paused to gauge his reaction. However, his face hadn’t changed. “I was on the pill, but you know that stuff isn’t guaranteed.”

“But I always wear protection,
” he said, looking down at the shriveled plastic lying beside the chair. “It can’t be me.” His brows creased.

Mia stood, removing herself from his lap. She followed his gaze to her belly and turned her back to him.

“Trent, the first time we had sex, everything happened so fast that I don’t think we used protection, remember?” she huffed. “Do you think I want this? I’m not trying to break up your
happy
home,” she said, curling her fingers to make air quotes when she stressed the word ‘happy.’ “These things happen. So what are we going to do?”

Trent stood
and stared at Mia while pacing the deck. “I can’t believe this. I just got married,” he said, appearing deflated.

Mia watched him from the corner of her eyes.

“I’ll go to the doctor with you. How soon can we get a DNA test?” he asked.

Mia walked back into the house, retrieved his clothes, and threw them at him. In silence, Trent dressed quickly, shaking his head a time or two.

Even though she’d stashed nearly a half million dollars in her accounts over the years, she needed more to secure her financial future for the long haul. A baby was the key—at least for the next eighteen years. She would have to find someone else to take the fall because the real father would have to remain a secret.

Once Mia was alone, the depth of her situation settled on her chest like dead weight.
Still wearing her robe, she hadn’t bothered to get dressed after throwing Trent out. She’d been pacing for the better part of an hour. Her plan wasn’t coming together like she intended.
One of these men is going to accept my baby,
she thought to herself. Someone easygoing, who wouldn’t question the possibility that it belonged to him or push her for too many details.

Mia picked up the phone to call Kendrick King. She held it in her hand, but never dialed the number.
Even though she was a petite woman, his wife, Peyton, was a force––a true match for Mia’s antics. She couldn’t stand Peyton, and getting Kendrick to accept the baby would mean she’d have to deal with Peyton head on. Plopping down on the couch, Mia tossed the phone to the side, squeezed her eyes shut, and huffed. Her grumble filled the room.

The real father of her unborn child could never be revealed. There would be too much fallout even though he had the right credentials, an athlete with a lucrative
contract who could set her up for life.

The thought popped into Mia’s mind like a flash of light. She wouldn’t focus on the current possibilities. She would try to find someone new. Timing was the only issue. Men weren’t well versed on women’s bodies, so she could always fudge the due dates or find a plausible explanation to make the right candidate believe the baby legitimately came early.

Chapter 4

Blue

The low rumble of
Jay’s snoring stole into Blue’s subconscious and nudged her awake. Her eyes fluttered a few times before eventually catching the light. She blinked away the brightness of the room and woke in a haze. Her chest felt heavy, as if she was being held down by weights. Blue squeezed her eyes, then opened them and looked around the room. The clock told her it was past two in the morning. Jay lay next to her with his arm across her chest. The strong scent of whiskey and stale breath sifted into the air with each snore.

Her mind flooded with flashes of the scene that had led to her current position, laid out on her back. She tasted the remnants of blood on the inside of her lip, and rubbed her temple to soothe the slight pounding. Then she lifted Jay’s heavy arm from across her chest and peeled her body off of the floor. The beauty of her cocktail dress was soiled with salty tear stains and hard wrinkles. Dull aches
prodded her upper body.

Jay mumbled and rolled over on the floor as if he were in the comfort of their California king-size bed. She stepped over his sleeping body and padded through the penthouse into the master bath. Horrified by her reflection, she forced down the massive lump clogging her throat. The normal brightness of her blue eyes was doused by the surrounding redness.
Puffy eyelids overlapped, deepening the crease in her lids. She gently ran her hand across her swollen cheek. The crimson bruise shone easily despite her rich pecan skin. Dried blood crusted her bruised upper lip. She shook her head and turned away as fresh tears added new wet splotches to her dress. She searched the vanity for a hairband and stuffed the long, natural curls of her unruly mane into a ruthless ponytail. With her hair out of the way, the swelling became more pronounced. She shook her head. She would have never imagined their relationship disintegrating this way.

Blue continued to cry as she quietly crept around the penthouse, stuffing clothes and toiletries into an overnight bag. She’d already started
mourning the death of their marriage.

* * *

Jay,

I’ll be back in a few days and I want you out! You need help and I hope you find it.

Good luck,

Blue

Blue taped the note to the mirror in the guest bath. She fingered the tape for a few moments, closed her eyes, and sucked in a deep breath as she pushed back more tears. She knew Jay wouldn’t let things go easily. He owned the rights to the last word, and when he was wrong, he deemed himself justified. The heaviness in her breath was for the battle that would ensue since she was the one walking out on him.

Once the stirring
in his stomach erupted, she was sure he’d be incapable of making it to the master bath. And after emptying his insides in the sink or the toilet bowl in the guest bathroom, he’d wash his face and stare at his pitiful reflection in the mirror like he always did when he'd had too much to drink.

Jay was
still in a stupor when she tiptoed past him, heading for the door. When she reached the lobby, Tony, the building concierge, offered to help her, but she refused. Blue hastened out of the building with Tony trotting behind her.

“Let me get you a taxi, Mrs. Holiday!” Upon getting a clear view of her face, he stopped walking. “Ma’am, are you all right?” he asked, with accusing, angry brows slashing away his good humor.

“I’m fine, Tony. Please, just get me a taxi. Quick!”

“Surely,” Tony replied, and blew his whistle.

Within seconds, a taxi pulled up to the curb. Tony took her bag and gently placed it in the trunk. Almost as an afterthought, Blue reached in her purse to give him a tip, but Tony gently rested his hand on hers and nodded.

“It’s all right, Mrs. Holiday. Feel better,” he said, then closed the door for her.

“Where to?” the driver asked in a rich West African accent.

Blue didn’t answer.

“Miss, where would you like to go?” he asked again.

Blue paused, pondering an answer. Her mother would blow things way out of proportion, she wasn’t ready to tell her brother what had happened, and she didn’t have many friends.

“Ma’am, please. Where am I taking you?” the driver said, trying hard to mask his annoyance with her.

“Upper East Side. No! Take me to 124
th
Street and Frederick Douglas Boulevard. Take me there!” Blue said, hoping her cousin, Francois, was home.

She
dialed Francois’ number, but never heard her say hello upon answering. Instead, in the background, she could hear Fran’s giddy laugh and the deep rumble of a man’s voice. She disconnected the call.

“Forget it. Take me to this address,” Blue said, handing the driver a card.

Minutes later, they pulled up to a building on the Upper East Side alongside Central Park. Blue collected her belongings and tipped the driver. For a few seconds, she stood motionless on the sidewalk with her carryall at her feet. She wasn’t sure if it was the right place to be. However, it was where she knew she could feel a semblance of comfort. She touched her cheek, the reminder of why she was here.

The taxi
pulled away, canceling out the potential of her getting back in the car and going elsewhere. Blue stood outside the luxurious, mid-century building for a long while before finally making the call. She hated having to bug him, but she was already here. Despite the lateness of the hour, he didn’t sound like he’d woken from a deep sleep.

“Hi…uh…are you alone? May I come in?”

Blue dragged her bags off of the elevator and directly into her friend’s lavish penthouse overlooking Central Park. She was awash in trepidation. Concern was etched on Gavin’s face, which made her remember the past twelve hours as tears streamed down her face. She’d almost forgotten she was crying. The tears felt so normal.

Gavin started to reach for her bags, but stopped suddenly. He stared at her bruised cheek and swollen eye. Blue let the bags slide from her hands and shoulders, hitting the floor with a loud thump, jolting Gavin from his examination.

“He did this to you?” he asked, gently touching her bloated cheek.

Gavin turned her face from side to side with a gentle touch to her chin. His face was tight.

Blue felt naked as he assessed the physical damage. Her body began to tremble under the weight of her emotions. As her silent tears grew into audible cries, Gavin cautiously wrapped his long arms around her.

Moments passed before Blue calmed herself and then stepped out of Gavin’s embrace. She suddenly felt uncomfortable in his arms. She didn’t want to end up there, but needed to be around someone who understood her and Jay. Gavin had always been around to pick up the pieces when things went awry.

Gavin was tall, but not as hefty as the average basketball player. He possessed a fit medium frame, but not ripped and taut like an athlete. Not physically good enough to make the draft, but intelligent enough to be a sought-after agent and manager. He was nice-looking, but not gorgeous. Jay was over the edge in every aspect of life. Gavin was…average.

“He went too far this time,” Gavin said to Blue’s back as she walked towards the balcony. “I can’t believe this,” he continued while pacing back and forth.

“Do you have any tea?” Blue asked casually.

Without responding
, he went to the kitchen and put the kettle on. She walked back to the balcony.

Gavin stepped behind her as she peered out over the darkness blanketing Central Park. "What are you going to do?"

“He was asleep when I left. I wrote a note telling him that I would be back in a few days, and expecting him gone.”

“Where are you going to stay?”

She let out an exaggerated sigh and shrugged. “I called Fran, but she was entertaining. So, I don’t know.” She paused. “I probably shouldn’t have come here,” she said, wringing her hands.

“If you need to stay here, you can,” Gavin said after a while.

Blue knew Gavin’s offer would require him to give up more than space in his beautiful home. It would possibly cross the line in his loyalty to his best friend.

“I’m going to stay at a hotel. Thanks for the offer, though.”

“It’s not a problem.”

“I’ll be fine.” She tried to make her voice sound light. “Maybe I can just rest for a little while. Then I’ll go and get a room for the night.”

“Okay, but just know the offer still stands.”

“Thank you.”

“Well, you know as soon as he gets up, I’m going to get a call.”

“I know,” she said, rubbing the back of her neck while squeezing her eyes shut.

“Maybe you should try to get some rest.”

“I’ll be fine,” Blue replied with all the cheer she could gather. “Thank you. Thanks for looking out for me, as always,” she said, giving him a big friendly hug. Instead of letting go, she laid her head against his broad chest. “Friends like you don’t come easy.”

Blue cried and sniffled softly into Gavin’s chest. When the kettle screeched, she pulled herself from his embrace, and he headed toward the kitchen. He took his time preparing her tea, then carried the steaming cup out the balcony.

As Gavin turned to leave, the telephone rang. Blue swung her head in his direction. With her eyes, she pleaded with Gavin to keep her visit a secret in case it was Jay on the other end of the phone. She'd
expected Jay would lay in his stupor for the better part of the night, giving her time to be long gone before the sunlight hit and he noticed she was gone. Assuming he wouldn’t remember much anyway, she rolled her eyes at the thought of him trying to put together all the pieces of his drunken outburst.

“Hello,” Gavin said into the receiver, attempting to sound as normal as possible. “Jay…okay…calm down…okay…relax, man. Where are you?” he asked Jay while his eyes locked with Blue’s.

Gavin’s eyes widened and Blue took a step closer with bated breath when Gavin repeated Jay’s response to his question aloud. "You're in the lobby...of
my
building? Right now?"

Without a second thought, Blue grabbed her bags and trudged several flights down the hollow stairwell. The loud clank of her heels reverberated off the cement walls. When
she reached the first level, she peered past the door into the lobby for any sign of Jay. Then she hurried past the doorman and through the gold-trimmed glass doors. Once outside, she hailed her own cab. She moved with such haste that the doorman didn’t have a chance to open the door for her when the taxi rolled up.

As she
climbed into the car, she turned back to the building and locked eyes with Jay as he peered out of the glass-enclosed elevator. His eyes narrowed and then sparked with realization before he exited the elevator and came running toward her.

Blue slammed the door, flung her bag across the seat, and yelled at the taxi driver, “Go! Hurry! Go now!”

“Where to, miss?” the driver asked.

Within arm’s length of the car, Jay reached for the door.

“Drive, dammit!” Blue screamed. “Drive!”

The taxi driver caught sight of Jay’s lanky, commanding frame and panicked. He threw the car into “drive” and sped off. Blue’s heart felt like it would pound right through her chest. She hopelessly tried to catch her breath.

“Where do you want me to take you, miss?” the driver asked nervously once they were a few blocks away.

Blue hadn’t given her destination much thought. She wiped her hand down her face and sucked in a deep breath. As her
hand pressed her bruised cheek, she winced from the pain. She definitely couldn’t go to her family members’ house with her face looking the way it did.

“What hotel is close by?” she asked.

“There are quite a few. There’s a very nice boutique hotel right along Central Park called The Pierre,” the driver suggested.

“Take me there!”

The driver stepped on the gas and made his way toward the exquisite Pierre, a Taj Hotel, while Blue rested back against the seat. Thoughts of the night’s events flapped through her mind. Everything about the past few hours blazed through her head so quickly that she thought she actually saw flashes of light. Looking back, she noticed another taxi weaving in and out of traffic behind them.

The car gained on them until it was dangerously close to the rear of her taxi. Blue’s driver rolled down his window and began waving rude gestures at the reckless taxi riding closely on his tail. Blue could see Jay in the front passenger seat, directing the driver. Her heart rate increased. There was no getting away. She had to face him or risk him following her all night.

Blue’s cell phone sprung to life, playing a jazz tune. The LCD lit up the back of the car. The display told her it was Gavin.

“Gavin!” was all she managed to say.

“Where are you?” he asked.

“I’m on Madison and Seventy-something,” she responded, trying to make out the passing street sign. “He’s following us in a taxi.”

Blue’s driver cursed as he cut through the dark misty calm of the city streets. Sweat spread across his forehead and glistened under the passing lights.

“Stop the car!” Blue yelled to the driver.