Lies Lovers Tell (22 page)

Maya tried to keep her composure as chaos ensued around her. After Tangier had been carted off to jail, Sean had been upgraded to a larger suite, thirteen hundred square feet of pure luxury, free to him for the remainder of his stay. They’d said the free and upgraded accommodations were because of how much they valued him as a customer. Maya figured it was more that he didn’t sue the hotel and create a scandal. Whatever the reason, she and Sean had taken full advantage of the new abode, especially the king-sized, rope-embossed, four-poster bed. Maya figured she was over Tangier’s rude interruption somewhere between the third or fourth orgasm. Even so, Sean was still trying to convince her she was the only one. She believed him, but renewed her vow to not have sex with him. Not until she knew him better, and was felt absolutely confident of her place in his life.

From the Ritz, Maya had come home to a cell phone she’d unwittingly left behind. Trish had left a message: The case of whatever virus she had had again reared its ugly head. Tony was there, but Maya called and threatened bodily harm if Trish didn’t go see a doctor. She promised to do so after the car commercial shoot.

Maya arrived to work Monday morning tired and on edge. She hadn’t been able to reach Stretch all weekend, which was unusual. He knew that she worried about him and normally returned her calls promptly.

Now, to top it off, Ester just buzzed to let her know Vicki Brennan was on her way to Maya’s office. Maya was beginning to wonder if one hour outside of sleep could pass without her dealing in madness. She’d completed the work for Mrs. Brennan’s charity event; had dropped off the programs herself. Mrs. Brennan rarely came to B&A. Their one previous meeting, to discuss design options, had taken place at a nearby restaurant. Why in the “h” was Mrs. B coming to see her?

“Hello, Maya.” Vicki stepped inside, preceded and proceeded by a profusion of floral fragrance. Her dress was immaculate and not a hair in her upswept do was out of place. She closed the door and approached Maya’s desk with an outstretched, French-tip-manicured hand. “Good to see you again, dear. I wanted to thank you so much for inviting your friends to the event. And just in time as we’ve totally sold out. You were delightful last time. So glad you’re coming again.”

Delightful doing what?
Maya had barely said two words to Mrs. Brennan at last year’s gala. She’d picked at her salad, passed on the steak, made small talk with a table of shallow socialites, and taken an early cab home. But none of these thoughts accompanied her: “Thank you, Mrs. Brennan. Good to see you too.” An awkward moment passed as the two women stared at each other while absorbed in their own thoughts. Maya looked at the computer screen and the PowerPoint presentation that needed to be done like yesterday. The timing wasn’t exactly perfect for social calls.

“I’m sure you’re busy but there is something else I’d like to ask you.”

Maya resisted the desire to roll her eyes. There weren’t enough hours in the day to do what had been requested of her already. She tried not to show her chagrin.

“I’ll get right to the point. How well do you know Jade Laremy?”

Maya stopped in midclick. She would have been less shocked if Vicki had asked how well she knew Osama Bin Laden. “Not well,” she managed to eke out of compressed lungs.

“Do you have any idea how well she knows my husband?” Vicki queried as she calmly checked and rechecked her manicure.

“I’m sorry, Mrs. Brennan, but don’t you think that’s a question for your husband?”

“Do you think Zeke would come straight out and tell me he was having an affair?”

“I guess not.”

A kind smile accompanied Vicki’s harsh words. “All men are liars and all women are lie detectors. The longer we’re with a man the more astute our detectors become. I’ve been with Zeke for almost thirty years. I intend to be with him thirty more, unless death separates us. But that’s the only thing that will. I don’t think Jade is worth half Zeke’s fortune…do you?”

Maya looked at her pointedly. “I don’t think she’s worth a dime, Mrs. Brennan.”

A peal of laughter rang out from Mrs. Brennan. “You’re adorable, Maya. Zeke speaks highly of you too. Are you sure you don’t know anything of how well Zeke and she…work together?”

Maya fixed Vicki with the same pointed stare. “I don’t think there’s anything I know…that you don’t.”

“Hmm, well said. I have a feeling not much gets past you, Maya.” Vicki Brennan rose and once again stretched out her hand. “I’ll see you on Saturday, then.”

Maya couldn’t resist, especially since it was normal, expected even, that all of Zeke’s employees who could afford it, attend the benefit. “And Jade?”

“Oh, she’s more than welcome to come too. I’ve met more than one of Zeke’s temporary twats in our three decades together. It would do her good to attend such an upscale affair, if only to glimpse the lifestyle she’ll never live. Her days at B&A are numbered. Thanks for your time, Maya. We’ll see you Saturday.”

Vicki waltzed out but her floral garden remained. Maya opened her door to try and diffuse the pungent odor. Her phone rang as soon as she sat back down.

“Why was she here? Was she asking about Jade?” Ester’s excitement seeped through even her hushed tone.

“What’s going on?” Maya asked. “Hold on a minute.” She walked over and closed the door. “What did I miss last week?”

“You know Mr. Brennan went out of town, right?”

“Okay.”

“Everybody thinks that Jade went with him.”

“Whoa. How does everybody know?”

“Because one of Mrs. Brennan’s friends supposedly saw them together in New York! Well, she saw somebody, and the person she described sounds like Jade.”

“But how does the whole office know?”

“Yes, I will be sure he gets the message. Have a nice day.”

Somebody had walked up to Ester’s station. Maya didn’t even care that the conversation had been interrupted. From the looks of things, it wasn’t the only thing that would end abruptly. So would Jade’s career at B&A.

Rusty stuck his head in the door. “Will you have a minute later on today, Maya? Zeke wants us to talk about closing the other Santa Monica property you submitted.”

“Is this the same Zeke that has been frantically finishing the PowerPoint presentation for his trip to China next week? Sorry, Rusty. This is top priority, and I’m still playing catch-up with my regular work today.”

“Maybe we can make it a dinner meeting, then?”

Maya’s phone rang. “I can’t even think right now, Rusty. Can I check the schedule and call you later?” Without waiting for an answer, she picked up the phone. “Yes, Zeke, um, Mr. Brennan. Sure, be right there.”

“You call Mr. Brennan by his first name?” Rusty inquired.

“Only by accident,” Maya lied as she brushed past him. The office rumor mill was already running rampant with talk of Jade’s familiarity with the CEO. Maya didn’t want to get her name added to the mix.

“What was Vicki doing in your office?” Zeke barely gave Maya time to get in his office and close the door.

“She, um, asked if I was attending the charity event this Saturday.”

“That’s all?”

Maya didn’t know how to answer. So she said nothing.

“Maya, did Vicki ask you about Jade?”

“Look, Zeke, I don’t want to get in the middle of this.”

“Vicki’s stopping by your office put you in the middle. Now, answer my question.”

Maya’s mind was too filled with lies to handle another. “Yes, she asked about Jade.”

“What did you tell her?”

“That I didn’t know any more than she did.”

“That’s all you said?”

“That’s all she asked.”

Zeke visibly relaxed and offered Maya an apologetic smile. “Thank you, Maya. I’m sure you’ve heard the rumors.”

If you only knew.
Maya blocked the visual memory of her firsthand knowledge of said rumor: Jade’s mouth on Zeke’s “d.” She was glad when Zeke changed the subject.

“How’s the presentation coming?”

“Slow, with all the interruptions.”

“If you think you’d work better from home, you have my permission to take off and finish it there.”

“That would be great, Zeke.”

“No worries. My team looks out for my best interests and I look out for my team.”

Maya almost sprinted back to her desk, so ready was she to get out of the tension-filled office. Was this the same office she’d wanted so desperately to return to…the same job? It was the same building, with the same people, and the same projects. But it, like almost everything else in her life, had changed.

Maya entered her office and stopped short. Jade Laremy was staring out the window, her back to the door.

“Excuse me?”

“Oh, hi, Maya.”

“What are you doing in here?”

Jade slowly walked around Maya’s desk; Maya knew she’d been snooping. “I’m finished with my reports and came to see if you could use some help.”

“You could have called.”

“I just happened by your office.”

“No, you just happened
into
my office, and I don’t appreciate it. Let’s not even try and act like there’s a spirit of camaraderie here. If you have something to ask, ask it, something to say, spit it out. If not, I’ve got work to do, work I have
well
under control.” Maya sat at her desk and began rifling through papers, employing Zeke’s dismissal code.

“I like your office, Maya.”

Had this fool lost her mind? “Jade, I’m busy.”

“I think I’ll be getting a promotion soon. Then we’ll be equals.”

Maya’s exasperation showed on her face. “Jade, you and I will never be equals in this lifetime.”

“I guess you’re right, some people, people like you, will always have that underling quality.”

“People like me?” Maya half rose out of her chair before she knew it, and Jade had no idea the extent of the danger. If Maya became violent, Jade would get a beat-down meant for at least three people. She did not want to go there.

“I’m leaving,” Jade said flippantly. “But I came here hoping we could be friends, hoping we could work together. Mr. Brennan wants to give me more responsibility, help you lighten your workload. Things will go much easier if you don’t fight the natural progression of things.”

“Girl, if you don’t get out of my office there will be a fight all right. And progress won’t have nothing to do with it.”

Maya gathered the things she needed to finish her work, locked her office door, and went home. She stayed home the next day as well, but making sure she was in the office loop, asked Ester go through her in-box, separate her correspondence, and relay any time-sensitive or pertinent information she uncovered. She checked her e-mails from home and rescheduled the lunch appointment she’d set with Rusty.

She’d just finished the PowerPoint presentation when her phone rang. She hoped it was Malcolm. It was Sean.

“Hey, Sean.”

“How’s it going, baby? You sound stressed.”

“I am a bit, lots of work. What’s up?”

“I was hoping we could meet later, at the house in Playa. Zeke called me, well, he called Sam, and asked how you were doing as my assistant. I told him fine, and that we had a meeting later. You might want to mention that we talked, but I do want to meet you to go over a few things.”

Maya hung up from him and called Zeke.

“Zeke, I just remembered. I’m supposed to be working with Sam Walters this afternoon. Is it okay if I email this presentation to your Blackberry account later on, and make any recommended changes first thing in the morning?”

“That sounds fine, Maya. I take it you haven’t learned anything of significance about Sean Wynn. I’m sure you would have shared anything you found out.”

“No, and I’m not sure there’s anything Sam can tell me that your investigation hasn’t uncovered.”

“Then there’s no need to continue this assignment. Go ahead and meet with him today but after this, I’ll tell him I need you back in the office. If he still needs someone to help him, I’ll refer him to my friend’s temp agency.”

Maya raised her eyebrow at Zeke’s comment and couldn’t help but smile. If someone wanted to take her place, and give to Sean, as Sam, what she was providing, they’d better come to his home with more than a computer. They’d better come with unconditional trust, a healthy sexual appetite…and love.

Maya tried again to reach Stretch and again got voice mail. She tried not to panic anymore than she already was, or let her imagination run wild with grim scenarios of why her brother hadn’t called. Still, she wanted to make sure Stretch knew the extent of her anger and did so in the message she left on his answering service, which began with: “Malcolm, it’s Maya.” As was the case in the past, when she called him by his given name instead of Stretch, he’d know she meant business and hopefully return her call immediately.

Moments later she arrived at the home in Playa del Rey and used the key Sean had given her to go inside. After greeting Maya with a quick kiss and asking if she wanted anything to drink, which she declined, Sean got straight to the point.

“My contact in the hood told me to be careful at the charity event coming up this Saturday. Says something might go down there and people could get hurt. I don’t want to believe it, but I think somebody might actually try and take Zeke Brennan out.”

“Take him ou—you mean kill him?”

“Or incapacitate him to the point where B&A suffers.”

Maya was shocked. This was corporate America, the epitome of class and culture. People didn’t kill at this level…did they? “Do you think it’s Joseph Rosenthal?”

“I don’t know who or what, and neither did my contact. But he was sure enough to tell me about it, and this man doesn’t pass on information without being sure of his facts.”

An idea suddenly dawned on Maya. “Do you think this has anything to do with Money?”
And Tony
, Maya thought but didn’t voice aloud.
And Stretch
, but Maya refused the thought.

“I thought of that. Again, I don’t know. And it’s too close to the event to find out much. We just have to do what we can to protect your boss. He’s meeting me later tonight.”

“I thought I left this kind of stuff behind in south central,” Maya said to herself.

“At the end of the day, people are people no matter how high you climb. This is a turf war, baby. Instead of colors, it’s buildings, cash, and lots of it. Some might think that offing an executive is a small price to pay for a billion-dollar reward.”

“I’ve got to go.”

“You sure you don’t want to stay while I talk to Zeke?”

“No, I need to talk to someone myself.”

Sean stopped Maya with a firm hand on her arm. “Don’t tell anyone what I’ve told you.”

Maya left the room without answering. That way, she didn’t have to lie.

As soon as she got in her car, she reached for her cell phone. Stretch answered on the second ring.

“I was just getting ready to call you, My-My. I met a baby girl who whisked me away to Las Vegas—”

“You need to meet me at my house, Malcolm,” she said without greeting.

“I don’t know if I can do that, sis.”

“Did that sound like a question? I’ll be home in thirty minutes.”

She made it there in twenty. Malcolm was sitting in a brand-new Mustang, his loud hip-hop music entertaining half her quiet neighborhood, whether they wanted to “ride or die” or not.

He shut off the music and followed Maya’s car into the garage. “What it be, big sis?” he asked when she got out. “And why are you trying to act like we’re still twelve and you can tell me what to do?” He bopped her upside the head playfully, like he used to do when they were twelve.

“Stop it, boy, I’m not in the mood for playing.” Still, she pushed him back in a playful manner and headed into the house. Malcolm always did that, brought out her playful side. Even when the message was clear: Life was not a game.

“My, you’ve been tripping for about a month now. What, your boy ain’t handling his business?”

“Boy, what boy?” Maya hadn’t told Malcolm about Sean.

“You know you can’t do nothing I don’t find out about. I know you and some dude had dinner with Money.”

Maya’s eyes narrowed. “How do you know that?”

“I hears thangs.”

“Let me guess, from Tony?” It was the only person in common with whom Money could have shared their evening.

“Ah, girl, I can’t reveal my sources. But you need to watch out. Just because a person lives in a fancy house don’t mean they’re all on the up-and-up.”

“Just what do you know about him, Malcolm?”

“I know enough to say he’s not the type for you to get involved with. And who’s this dude you’re with?”

“His name is Sean, he’s a business associate interested in L.A. real estate. And we’re dating. Now, what do you know about Money Henderson?”

“Why did you ask, no, demand that I come over? Let’s talk about that.”

“We are talking about it.” Maya sighed, all out of lies and charades. This was her brother and she was not going to hide anything from him. She told him about Sean’s concerns for Zeke’s safety and that someone from the neighborhood might have been hired to harm her boss.

“Malcolm, if you have anything to do with this, get out now. Sean and Zeke are meeting as we speak, putting a plan together for Zeke’s safety on Saturday. If I know them, they’ll have undercover cops swarming the place, and hidden cameras capturing everything and everyone who goes in or out of the the Beverly Hilton that night.”

Malcolm turned from his sister, placed his hands on his hips, and looked out the window.

“Money is attending the event and asked for two extra tickets. Are they for you and Tony? Is Tony involved in this too?” Maya walked around so she could see her brother’s face. “Malcolm, I want you to swear on the memory of our mother that you will not come to the hotel that night and that you’ll talk to Tony and get him to back out too. I don’t care what Money or whoever told you, or how much they offered, it’s not worth the price you’ll pay for the murder of someone like Zeke Brennan. His lawyers will put you guys under the jail. You’ll get life without parole at best. If something really bad happens, it might be the death penalty.”

“Girl, you always were dramatic—”

“Malcolm, I’m serious.
Please
promise me you won’t go off and do something stupid. I don’t know what I’d do if anything happened…” Maya’s voice broke.

Malcolm walked quickly to the door. “I gotta go.” He’d stepped outside before she could stop him.

“Think about Mama, Malcolm,” Maya yelled after him. “And tell Tony!”

She shut the door, too exhausted to cry. Rarely had she played the Mama card, but desperate times called for desperate measures. She unconsciously fingered the locket around her neck. “Please, Mama,” she whispered even as she walked purposefully back to her computer. As much as she wanted to, this was no time to break down. Zeke’s downtown renovation presentation was due tomorrow, and he was leaving for China the day after his wife’s benefit. Maya decided to go over every detail one last time. That way, she’d stay too busy to worry.

“Like I said, I’m not sure all this is necessary, but I’ll go along with it.” Zeke glanced at his watch, ready to go meet Jade, who was waiting for him in a room upstairs.

“I appreciate it,” Sean said. “I’ll go over all this with your bodyguard when we meet tomorrow. Hopefully you’re right, and we’re all just overreacting. But better safe than sorry, right?”

“Better to know who’s behind this. It sure smells like Joe.” Zeke stood and laid a twenty on the table to cover their drinks. “He’s not beyond a strong-arm tactic or two.”

Sean stood as well and smiled. “He said the same thing about you.”

“Baby, why can’t you come with me? This is the first big-time industry party I’ve attended, and the first time I’ve asked you to come with me.” Trish knew she was whining but she didn’t care.

“I told you, Trish. I’ve got something to do Saturday night.”

“What’s so important that you can’t break it for a date with your woman? C’mon, Tony. This is the first time in two weeks I haven’t been sick. All that time cooped up in the house and I’m almost stir-crazy.” She walked over to where Tony combed his hair in the mirror, and slid her body suggestively behind his. “Don’t you want to get your groove on with me, get our party on?”

“After Saturday night, we’ll throw a big party, baby, we’ll throw a dozen parties if you want to.”

Tony had been talking like this all week, like he’d been to a psychic and knew he had the winning lotto ticket. Trish hadn’t forgotten about her bank robbery worries. Didn’t these types of crime usually happen on Saturday night?

“I tell you what. Why don’t I go with you to wherever you have to be, and then we can go to my party?”

“No.”

“Why not?”

“Look, Trish, stop sweating me on this. I said no!” Tony felt his temper rising and worked to calm down. He turned from the mirror and held Trish in his arms. “I can’t take you with me, baby, it’s a business meeting, confidential. But I tell you what. If it’s over early enough, I’ll call you, you can get dressed and we’ll go hobnob with Will and Jada.”

“It’s not that type of industry party, Tony,” Trish said. “We might see the woman from the Pinesol commercial, maybe a few D- or C-listers, but it’s highly unlikely we’ll bump into the A-list crowd.”

Tony kissed Trish tenderly. “The minute you walk into the room, the A-list crowd will be there.”

A rush of love for Tony surged through Trish’s heart. She kissed him, even as she reached for his belt buckle. She knew he was on his way to Money’s, and there was no time for a full lovemaking session. Still, she wanted to prolong the time before he left her. She bent on her knees and took in his manhood, trying to lavish a lifetime of passion on him in a matter of moments. His sustained shudder a short time later told her he’d felt the love.

Tony didn’t even try to rein in his temper. He knew all along he should have rolled solo. “Why you springing this on me now, dog? Everything’s set. This is no time to back out!”

“Look, man, they’re onto the game. You know Maya, man. She wouldn’t have come to me if she didn’t know something.”

“What could she know that affects what we’re doing? And who is they?”

Malcolm told Tony about Sean and what his contacts thought they knew.

“That’s bullshit, man.” Even as he discounted it verbally, Tony knew what Malcolm said could be legit. Who could have talked? Nobody knew about this but him, Money, and Stretch.

He looked at Maya’s brother. “Who’d you tell, man?”

“Man, I didn’t tell anybody. Who’d you tell?”

Tony didn’t answer, but remembered a conversation he’d had with his cousin in Long Beach, a conversation about where was the best place to stash two hundred g’s. He was too close to back out now. Their plan was foolproof. Two minutes tops and his whole life would change. He’d be able to have the life he always dreamed of, and give Trish everything she wanted. “Look, Stretch. Are you in or out?”

He stood, barely breathing, waiting for the answer.