Davenport Harbor (Six Degrees Book 3) (29 page)

“
Yeah. Just for dinner. That needs to be clear. JUST DINNER. I don
’
t want to fuck them. They need to be dressed like they are in one of your VIP rooms, skimpy, showing lots of skin.
”

“
What are you doing, John?
”
She asked, her voice cold.

“
Reminding myself of who I am,
”
I told her, and the line went quiet until she finally spoke again.

“
Will she be there?
”
She asked cautiously.

“
She
’
s my housekeeper, Belle, she
’
ll be serving dinner,
”
I told her. My voice was cold as my stomach rolled at the image of my kitten being anywhere close to them. I heard Belle
’
s gasp, which surprised me. Belle was not one to be easily shocked.

“
John.
”

“
Don
’
t. Can you get them there or not?
”

“
She
’
s been through a lot, John.
”

“
That is exactly why she shouldn
’
t pin her hopes and dreams on me, Belle. I
’
m not that kind of man.
”
The moment the words fell out of my mouth, the vision of those dreams came back. Little dark haired children, all of us sitting in the family room of the house, watching movies, finger print art decorating the walls better than a Picasso. I shook my head, stood, and headed over to the crystal bottles of amber liquid that were calling my name.

“
John.
”

“
Can you deliver that or not? If not, I
’
m sure I can find someone else who can.
”

“
I saw you around her,
”
she blurted, and something tightened in my stomach and I stared at the bottles in front of me like a lifesaver.

“
And?
”

“
And I know this time of year gets to you. I get it.
”
Her voice turned colder,
“
I get it because I get the same damn way around the end of September; I get it because I get that way whenever I watch the leaves turn to red hues in the fall. The way sometimes something so small as the sight of red hair or a pair of dark eyes can bring back so many memories. Ones that hurt from the inside out,
”
she admitted, and my hand curled around the top of the bottle.
“
I don
’
t know what demons you hide from, but I know they come out to play around the middle of May. I
’
ve seen it.
”
She laughed humorlessly.
“
I
’
ve known you for years, Davenport, do you think I got to where I am by NOT paying attention? Please
…
Just stop and think about this.
”

“
Nothing to think about, Belle,
”
I answered immediately and heard her sigh.

“
Fine. Just remember that there are some decisions we can
’
t take back. We both know about that.
”

“
Great. Thanks for the pep talk, mother hen, have them arrive at nine.
”

“
John," she called out before I ended the call and I stayed quiet, my mind running, my stomach rolling.
“
You can call me to cancel this at any time. I
’
ll cover the cost of it. I
’
d pay them. I
’
d be more than happy to pay them out of my own pocket if you cancel, just so that you don
’
t mess up whatever you have going on with her.
”
With that she ended the call. My hand left the bottle I
’
d been holding on to tightly, and I headed back to the couch and just sat.

Anne

Twelve days and the house was still empty. The phone rang and I answered it, smiling at a now wobbly walking Zoey, who was in the living room.

“
Davenport residence.
”

“
Anne?
”
Birdie
’
s voice made me smile.

“
Hey Birdie-bird,
”
I smiled as I picked up the dusting rag I
’
d just been using.

“
Mr. Davenport wanted me to call you. He needs dinner prepared for a party of four tonight. He said something nice, the works, and to please make dessert. Oh, and to make sure there were at least four bottles of champagne chilled.
”
Her voice was slightly hushed, and I got a cold chill. He was coming back.

“
Okay. I will.
”

“
And Anne?
”

“
Yeah?
”

“He umm… shoot…”

“What is it?” The way her voice sounded made me worry more than I already did.

“He asked if you could please use your uniform tonight. He needs you to serve his guests dinner.”

“Oh,” my stomach sank. I walked to the laundry room and looked at the black and white maid’s uniform that resembled that of a waitress in an old school diner. So it was clear. He’d run away. He didn’t want more. He wanted his housekeeper. “What time are his guests planning on being here?” I asked, not recognizing the dead tone in my voice.

“Nine. I can go help watch Zoey if you want,” Birdie kindly offered and I shook my head, biting my lip.

“
No.
”
My voice was slightly strangled.
“
She should be out by that time, and I
’
ll just have her fall asleep in her stroller. That way I don't have to wake her when we have to leave.
”

“
You sure? It wouldn
’
t be a bother
…”

“
I know. Thanks for the offer, but we should be okay.
”

“
You okay?
”

“
No choice but to be okay, Bird.
”
He didn
’
t want us. He
’
d played house and now he was done.

“
Okay
…
Anne?
”

“
Hmm?
”
I was distracted by my own sadness.

“
Just
…
Umm
…”

“
What is it, Birdie?
”

“
His guests
…
just don
’
t let them get to you. Don't let him get to you, okay? He
’
s in a worse mood than normal. He just came back yesterday
…”

“
He was in the office yesterday?
”

“
Yeah.
”
Her whispered confirmation was making me feel even more foolish.

“
Right.
”

***

By eight that evening, the dining table was set, and I was dressed in my uniform, my hair in a French braid, my feet in comfortable black shoes that my grandmother would have adored for herself. All the while, I tried to add steel to my spine.

Fifteen minutes later, John walked into the kitchen dressed in an impeccable suit that was probably worth more than I could ever think of making in a year. After twelve days of nothing from him, knowing he was going to have snobby guests and needed me in my uniform to remind me of my place in his world, I should hate him. Or at least not want to look at him, but I couldn’t help myself. The way he wore that suit! It made me think of a hundred different ways I would take it off of him, piece by piece. I
’
d take the chance and savor him this time. Not that that would ever happen again. The lines of our relationship had been more than blurred and he was clearing them up. It was better this way.

“
My guests are almost here. Did Bernadette speak to you?
”
His voice was cold as ice, his eyes didn’t even look at me, and it sparked the anger I
’
d been trying to hold off.

“
Yes, sir.
”
My voice was so damn meek it frustrated me.

“
Good,
”
he snapped, still not looking at me.

His solid body hardened, tension and a blast of coldness radiating off of him in a way that made me nervous. Had I done something that had made him mad? Before I could ask, he glared at me, his eyes cold and hard. So cold and hard that I couldn’t help but take a step back from the man I hardly recognized in front of me. This wasn't the same John Davenport I
’
d got to know these last few months. At least I was seeing his true colors before it was too late.

“
Make sure you take their coats.
”

“
Of course,
”
I responded, straightening my back, stopping myself from rolling my eyes at his jerky behavior.

The doorbell rang, and I straightened my uniform and walked to the door. Taking a deep breath, not knowing what to expect, I felt my stomach turn when I opened the door.

Anne

Three gorgeous, model like women were at the door, staring at me. Each one of them was decked out with full dramatic make-up and big hair.

“
Welcome,
”
I stuttered, stepping out of the way as they walked in. Each one was different yet the same.

One had dark-black, flowing hair and bright blue eyes, another was a blonde Barbie personified, and the last had beautiful, midnight-ebony skin and a small afro. All three women were extremely tall and thin. Each one had overly large breasts that couldn’t be real, and each one was beautiful in the way you knew they could easily be on a magazine cover.

“
May I take your coats?
”
I asked and they smiled, but it was the raven-haired beauty that looked down on me while the other two had kinder eyes.

They took their coats off, and I was surprised to see them dressed in lingerie, each in different colors. My stomach turned as I hung up their coats, it churned at what he was having me do. He was putting me in my place all right. He was making me serve his whores dinner, placing me below those who served him. God! Who was John Davenport, and whom the hell had I fallen in love with? There was no way these two men could be one and the same.

“
Johnny!
”
The raven-haired woman squealed in delight, and I glanced up as she rushed to him and put her arms around him, her fake breasts plastered to his front, and a surge of jealousy flew through me. I was an idiot. Missing him, worrying about him, when he was probably shacked up with these women the entire time he was gone. Jealousy turned to obvious feelings of inadequacy as I excused myself and walked back to the kitchen.

John

Watching her flee made me feel sick to my stomach.
What the fuck are you doing, Johnny boy?

“
Back off, Vikki,
”
I mumbled the moment Anne was no longer in the room. I led them to the dining room, the scent of their perfumes surrounding me, each one different and too strong and not the right scent because it wasn’t her scent. It made my head pound.

I looked at the three scantily clad, beautiful women sitting at my table, but my body had no reaction. Not one. I was an asshole. I should have called Belle and canceled. But like a complete shit I’d let tonight happen and had stayed quiet instead of stopping the events of the evening, like my heart had been yelling at me to do, but instead I watched as the evening unraveled in front of me.

I needed her to see that I was no one
’
s hero. I needed for her to look at me with disgust in her eyes instead of the way that she had before. I needed for her to hate me instead of love me the way that she did. I was no good for her or Zoey. I remembered the night of our first real date, remembered the way she
’
d looked at me as if I was some fucking knight in shining armor, and I remembered that, like an asshole, I
’
d let her. Like a true bastard, I
’
d fucking basked in the beauty of how she saw me. I had wanted to be that man for her.

But reality set in twelve nights ago. My armor was rusted and cracked, beyond flawed and no good for her or the little princess, and she needed to see that.

Vikki was being a bitch, making horribly rude comments about the help under her breath the entire night while Serena and Gretchen snickered and laughed. But even then, I could see how uncomfortable they were. They knew the play. They knew the truth about what tonight was. I was sure Belle had given them a heads up.

Every time my kitten came out with a new course, I saw the look in her eyes start to change when our stares met, saw the light start to dim, but I had to let it play out. She needed to see me for the complete asshole I was.

Finally, it was time for dessert, and my mouth watered as I watched Anne walk into the dining room with a silver tray that carried what looked to be four perfectly made chocolate lava cakes. Not able to take my eyes off the beautiful woman or the delicious desserts, I watched as she set them down carefully: one in front of Serena, then Gretchen, then she gracefully and silently placed one in front of Vikki, and as she turned, I watched in horror as Vikki, with a bitchy smirk on her face, placed her leg out. Her spiked heel was in the way as everything unfolded in front of me too quickly. I was unable to stop Anne from falling on her knees in front of me, and her hand landed dead center in the lava cake, her head slumping forward.

“
Ugh
”
Vikki yelled in horror,
“
You stupid, bitch! You ripped my stocking!
”
Vikki
’
s voice was like nails on a chalkboard.
“
How stupid can you fucking be?
”
She kept yelling, but I stopped paying attention to her words. I couldn’t take my eyes off of Anne and how she wasn’t moving.