Beyond the Velvet Rope (42 page)

Sliding off the barstool, Thandie glided up the steps, closing the distance between them. When she was no more than a foot away from where he stood, she whipped her hand back and slapped him hard across the face. The sound vibrated the air. “That’s for not telling me about your wife!” she shouted at him. Thandie was gratified to hear a silence surround her. She had a crowd. Perfect.

Whipping her head around, she saw a stunned and scared looking Michelle back up, as if fearful her wrath would ricochet off Elliot and land on him. Thandie snarled at him for good measure, before turning around to storm off. She expected Elliot’s shock to allow her enough time to exit the building. So what if he fired her? She no longer wanted nor needed his money. Hell, he could take a picture of the well-deserved slap she’d just given him and accept that as her resignation. Elliot Richards was the scum of the earth. If it were up to her, she hoped to never see his lying face again.

Thandie’s determined ban on Elliot lasted a few more steps. She’d mistaken how quickly he’d recover. Within seconds, she felt his presence behind her just before an iron grip encircled her upper arm and all but dragged her into his office. He threw her up against the wall, ignoring the scandalized look from the guests seconds before Michelle closed his office door.

He spoke in a hard, even tone. “Next time you decide to make a scene, make sure you have the facts right. Laurent is my ex-wife.”

“Why didn’t you tell me—”

“And next time you think of slapping me, remember one thing.” His eyes went cold. “I believe in self-defense.”

In answer to his threat, Thandie lifted her hand to slap him again. Anticipating her action, he caught her hand and twisted her arm behind her back, causing her to whimper in pain.

“Get control of yourself, Thandie, or else I’ll make this very embarrassing for you.”

“Let go of me!”

Amazingly, he did. Thandie scowled at him as she clutched her wrist to her chest, rubbing the tenderness out.

With his jaw tight, he raked angry fingers through his hair. “Did I hurt you?” he asked in a low voice.

“Fuck off,” she hissed.

Leaning one hand against the wall, he sighed heavily. “About Laurent—”

“You mean your wife,” she snapped.

“She’s is my ex-wife,” he corrected. “Things between us are complicated.”

“Yeah, I bet.”

His faced darkened at her sarcasm. “We’ve been divorced for six years now.”

“And you two are still sleeping with each other.”

“It’s not what you think.”

“Why didn’t you tell me about her earlier?”

“I didn’t want you to—” He caught himself, pressed his lips into a thin line, and then tried again. “Laurent is inconsequential. She has nothing to do with us.”

“She doesn’t? You just sleep with her on occasion.”

“Thandie—”

“How dare you react the way you did about Rex, when you’re still involved with your ex!”

“We’re not involved.”

“No? So you think her showing up at your house to sunbath in the nude is normal? I saw her kiss you, Elliot!”

“She only did that to get a rise out of you,” he snapped. “If you hadn’t run off, I would have explained that to you.”

“And the fact that she comes to the club all the time, is that normal too?” she retorted with a glare. “I don’t know many divorced couples who behave like you two.”

Elliot sighed. “My relationship with Laurent is complicated. I don’t expect you to understand it.”

“I told you I wouldn’t share you.”

“You aren’t.”

“Why don’t I believe you? Why should I
ever
believe you?” Thandie pushed past him, and headed for the door.

“Where are you going?” he called after her.

“Why should you care?”

He moved ahead of her, blocking her exit. “I asked you a question.”

She looked up at him with angry eyes. “Get out of my way.”

“Tell me.”

“I’m going to Warren’s.”

Elliot’s handsome face twisted into an ugly smirk. “I’m sure he would be happy to help you.”

“At least he’s a gentleman,” she threw back.

“Oh, he is? And you’re basing that off what?”

Thandie gawked at him, confused as to why Elliot was always so quick to dislike a man who practically idolized him. “Warren is a complete gentleman in every sense of the word,” she argued. “Unlike you, he would never allow a woman to be harmed. He’s sweet and thoughtful, two qualities you have no concept of—”

“Thandie,” he snapped, “you don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“And you do?” she challenged. “You don’t know Warren half as well as I do.”

“Just how well do you know him?”

She jutted her chin up stubbornly. “I’ve known him for years. Believe me, I know a lot more about him than you. And you could stand to take a few lessons from him.”

Elliot’s face went stiff with anger. “The day I take lessons from Warren Radcliffe will be the day hell freezes over.”

His words had been spoken with such menace that Thandie wondered what they were really talking about. How had the subject of Warren slipped into their argument? Surely discussing him couldn’t be the reason for such disdain. What was Elliot getting at? What was really behind his scorn?

Once again, Elliot was confusing her with mysteries. Well, she was tired of it. Tired of him. Tired of Miami. Tired of this project. Having had enough, she stepped around him and threw back the door.

Pausing in the threshold, she said, “Just to be clear, we’re done.”

Chapter Twenty-Seven

T
he next day, when Thandie pried open her eyes, she was momentarily confused. Then she remembered the evening before and, most importantly, she recalled she was once again at Warren’s home.

She blinked at the bedside clock and was surprised to see it was a quarter ’til noon. Amazingly, she’d been asleep for over twelve hours.

Rolling onto her back, she covered her eyes with her hand. More images from the previous day came hurling at her like blunt daggers. Mira and her Grinch-like smile. The picture of Elliot and Laurent. The sting of her hand after slapping Elliot. Anga standing in her robe when she’d arrived at Warren’s after fleeing Babylon.

With a sigh, Thandie checked her phone. She’d turned it off last night after she’d received the umpteenth call from Len and Raja. Her call log was filled with more calls from her assistants and quite literally a roll call for the entire Babylon staff. The only person whose number did not appear was Elliot’s. No big surprise there.

Easing out of bed, Thandie grabbed her store purchases and went into the bathroom to wash up. Half an hour later, she wandered into the kitchen. Warren was seated at the breakfast bar, reading his newspaper. He flipped down an edge of paper when he heard her enter. A kind smile beamed from beneath his reading glasses.

“Anga cooked,” he said. “She made plenty. Help yourself.”

Although Thandie had no appetite, she piled a biscuit and a strip of bacon onto a small saucer and carried it to the table. For several minutes, she picked at the food while Warren pretended to be reading his paper. Watching him, Thandie was reminded of Elliot’s animosity toward Warren. His reaction to her suggestion he take lessons from his business partner was unnecessarily chilling. She was certain the edge she’d heard in his voice was caused more from the heat of their argument than Warren, but still she worried about her friend. She wandered if Warren suspected Elliot thought so little of him?

“Are you ready to talk about it?”

Warren’s quiet voice cut into Thandie’s thoughts. She blinked, only to realize Warren had caught her staring at him. Looking down at the half-eaten biscuit, she shook her head. “No comment.”

“I’m a good listener, you know? If you want this to stay between us, it will.”

“Thanks, Warren, but I’m not up for sharing.”

His eyes lifted with warmth. “Fair enough,” he said. Reaching into his pocket, he fished out a key and slid it to her. “You’ll need this.”

“What is it?”

“A key to the house,” he explained. “One of the copies I made for you and the girls when you first arrived in Miami.” He cleared his throat uncomfortably, and said, “May I ask what you plan for today?”

“I have some work to do.”

Warren nodded his head, as if this was the answer he expected. “You’re welcome to do whatever you need to here.”

“Thanks, Warren.” She hesitated before adding. “For everything.”

He patted her hand reassuringly, and then turned his attention to his paper. His pale eyes squinted as he focused through his glasses. She wondered if he needed a stronger prescription. When she was tired of pretending to eat, she cleared away her plate, kissed Warren on the top of his white head and went to her room to retrieve her items. When she returned to the kitchen, she announced she was going out.

It was a beautiful day in Miami. The sun shown bright and the sky was cloudless. The drive back to Elliot’s home was a peaceful one, but tension grew inside her as she neared Star Island. She knew before she parked in the driveway Elliot was not there. His Range Rover was missing. A good sign. She relaxed a little.

Entering the house, she went directly to her room. It was just as she’d left it, cluttered with clothes and papers. Stripping off the dress she’d been wearing since last night, she took a long hot shower before going through her things and packing her essentials.

Pulling on a pair of jeans, a tank top and sandals, she went downstairs to collect her laptop from the dining room. This too was exactly as she remembered it. She wasn’t sure, but she’d almost expected the house to be in some sort of disarray.

Just as she was packing her computer into its traveling case, her phone started vibrating. Her heart jumped into her throat. Was it him? Nervously, she checked the display. It was Adam. She gave a sigh of relief, before answering the phone.

“I’ve been trying to reach you for hours,” he said.

“Sorry about that,” she said. “I needed a little space. Is everything all right?”

“Everything is fine. I was worried. We all were.”

“There’s really no need,” she said in a voice far more confident than she felt.

The silence that followed her words told Thandie she had yet to convince him. Finally, he asked, “What are you doing today?”

“Working on the last productions.”

“Can you meet me for an early dinner?” When she hesitated, he said, “Come on, Thandie. We don’t have to talk about anything you don’t want to. I just want to make sure you’re as fine as you say you are.”

“But I have work to do,” she said reluctantly.

“Great,” he said a little too brightly. “We can talk about it. Bounce a few ideas around. It’ll be a working meal.”

Thandie pinched the bridge of her nose. “Okay, Adam. You’ve twisted my arm. But I’m warning you, I’m expensing the meal.”

He laughed. “You won’t hear me complaining. How about Peppers? It’s a nice restaurant on—”

“I’ve been there,” she cut in, remembering the first time she’d had dinner there with Elliot on her second night in town. “I can meet you there around four o’clock.”

“Sounds good to me. See you then.”

After hanging up, Thandie went to work gathering her items. She debated having the girls pack their things and move back to Warren’s home. Or should she get a hotel room for the three of them? They had a little over two weeks left in Miami as it was. Would it be worth it to pay the expense of a hotel? Was it too much to ask Warren to take them in again? Was it safe to keep them at Elliot’s home? In spite of her instinct to keep the girls close to her, she had to admit Elliot had been an exceptional host to them. This was partly due to the fact that he was rarely there. However, Thandie’s protective nature kicked in, and after five minutes of thought, she decided the girls would move back to Warren’s with her.

* * *

Remembering Peppers catered to a crowd, Thandie called ahead to ensure she and Adam got a table. She arrived ten minutes early. Walking inside the restaurant, Thandie got a strong sense of déjà vu. For it to be so early, the place had a nice-size crowd.

“Right this way, Miss Shaw.” Lifting two leather-bound menus, the hostess guided Thandie across the dining hall, up a short flight of steps and toward the private booths. When she arrived at the very booth she and Elliot had shared, Thandie thought she couldn’t sit there. Then she shook off the sensation.

Adam arrived a few minutes later and sat down with her.

Thandie flipped open her menu and began reviewing their choices.

Their orders were taken quickly and their food was to die for. Adam kept the mood high-spirited with light conversation. The closest they came to mentioning Elliot was touching on the upcoming events she and the girls would be hosting. Dinner wasn’t the carefree affair she’d hoped for, but it was nice all the same.

Just as they were about to leave, a call came through on Thandie’s phone. Recognizing it as Pitbull’s agent, she waved Adam farewell, settled back into the booth and took the call. The conversation was brief but informative. By the time she hung up, she was desperate to get to her laptop to update her notes.

Sliding out of the booth, Thandie stood and headed for the restaurant’s entrance. She paused when she felt a hand touch her arm.

“Thandie.”

She turned to meet the dark eyes of Laurent Richards. Thandie stiffened and took a defensive step back. Laurent flushed at her overt recoil.

“Can we talk?” Laurent asked.

“I don’t think so.” Thandie slipped her arm out of Laurent’s reach and was about to turn away.

“Please.” Laurent said quietly. “We really should talk.” When Thandie hesitated, she added, “I promise to be brief.”

Thandie could see no malice in the woman’s lovely dark eyes. It took a lot of the wind out of her sails. Grudgingly, Thandie followed Laurent to a secluded table along the back wall. Taking a seat, Thandie noticed from this position Laurent would have had a good view point of the table Thandie had just been seated at.

Noticing Thandie’s observation, Laurent said, “Yes, I watching you.”

“Why?”

“I needed to talk to you.”

“Again, why?” Thandie pressed.

Laurent did not seem offended by her curt tone. She smiled pleasantly and said, “I figured you might have unanswered questions.”

“And you were going to voluntarily give me these answers?” Thandie asked skeptically.

“I know this might sound strange coming from me, but I have no intention of deceiving you.”

In spite of the sincerity Thandie heard in the woman’s voice, she was unconvinced. There was a long list of reasons for Laurent to mislead her. Chiefly amongst them was Elliot.

“I’m sure you’ve seen the pictures of Elliot and me in
Look
.” It was a statement, not a question. “I realize it may be hard to understand what those pictures convey.” Laurent’s fingers played with a thin gold chain looped around her neck. “Elliot met with me at my request. I made him an offer. He declined.”

“No offense, Laurent, but I really don’t care.”

Laurent grinned knowingly. “I wish I could believe you.”

“That’s your problem. Not mine.”

“I’ve seen the way you look at him, Thandie. Elliot means a hell of a lot more to you than you’re willing to admit.”

Thandie crossed her arms tightly around her. “As far as I’m concerned you can have Elliot. He’s all yours.”

She laughed softly to herself. “It’s not exactly that simple. I wish it were, but it’s not. As I’m sure you’ve discovered, nothing involving Elliot is ever simple.”

Thandie shifted her weight in her chair, showing her discomfort with the direction of the conversation. “I have some things to attend to today. Can you please get to the point of why you wanted to speak with me?”

Laurent leaned back in her seat and studied Thandie, her gaze taking in every detail of Thandie’s being. “I didn’t think much of you when I first laid eyes on you,” she said bluntly. “You’re not exactly Elliot’s type.” She shrugged. “So you never got on my radar, until it was too late.” Laurent gave a wistful smile at these words. “I’ll admit, I was not happy about it. Elliot was vague as always, and that only infuriated me. You infuriated me.”

“I didn’t even know who you were until yesterday,” Thandie said coolly. “I hardly see how I earned any of your animosity.”

“Isn’t it obvious?” she asked with a bemused smile. “I envy you.”

Thandie’s astonishment at these words could not be more evident. “Why would you envy me?”

Laurent leaned forward, looked her straight in the eyes, and said, “Because you have something I want.”

Laurent was beautiful, perfect in every way. From what Thandie could tell, she was well financed, and seemed to have an unlimited amount of class. “What could I possibly have that you want?”

“Elliot.”

“Elliot?”

“I envy you because you have him.”

“You’re mistaken,” she laughed. “I don’t have Elliot. I never did.” When Laurent did little more than stare at her, Thandie nodded her head. “It’s true. Elliot does not belong to me, nor I to him.”

“Thandie, I think you would be surprised how wrong you are.”

“Did Elliot send you here?”

“No,” Laurent said with a shake her head. “He would never send me to talk to you. In fact, he forbade me from talking to you. He would be furious to know I disobeyed him.”

“Disobey?”

Laurent blushed. “Elliot is a very proud man, Thandie. I thought you would have known that by now.” She tapped a manicured finger on the tabletop. “I’m sure you’re wondering why Elliot and I divorced.”

“Honestly, Laurent, I don’t care what happened between you and Elliot. I don’t want to have anything to do with your relationship.”

“I cheated on him.”

Her confession was so bluntly stated, Thandie stared at her. She couldn’t help but wonder why any woman in her right mind would be unfaithful to Elliot. Physically, he was perfect. Thandie had never been as strongly attracted to any other man in her life. However, the emotional complexities had worn her down. Had he always been like that? Or was it a reaction to a bad marriage? And why was Laurent telling her this?

“I met him in college. We had a few classes together. Even back then, he was quite popular with the girls. But he was very focused on his studies. He made excellent grades without really trying. I was on top of the moon when we started dating. I think I fell in love with him instantly. We were together for a year, and then I got pregnant. He asked me to marry him. I knew it wasn’t what he wanted, but he was determined to do the right thing.” Her fingers began to play with the necklace chain again. “I lost the baby six weeks later. And then I realized I was in a marriage Elliot never wanted to be in. I ignored it for a while. I was happy. I was Mrs. Richards. Even back then, that name carried some weight. I mean, you’ve seen him. He’s absolutely gorgeous. He was good to me, but I knew he wasn’t happy. Men like Elliot need to be free. They die a slow death when captured. He wouldn’t say it, of course. He played his role perfectly. He provided for me, he was kind, and protective. But I could tell his heart wasn’t in it. A woman knows when a man is in love with her. It’s in the way he looks at her. The way the whole world goes still when she walks into the room.” She leveled her gaze on Thandie. “I loved him very much. So much so, that I was willing to let him go.”

“So you cheated on him?” Thandie heard herself asking in disbelief.

“I gave him a way out.”

“Why didn’t you just ask for a divorce? Why go through the dramatics of having an affair?”

Laurent shook her head. “Elliot would have never simply given me a divorce. He would have fought to make it work. He was determined not to make the same mistakes his father made. The only thing he could not forgive was infidelity. It was the only way to make him walk away from the marriage.”