Playing for Keeps (13 page)

***

"He says I know him," she told Julia that night over the phone.

"Of course you know him."

"From before. He said we met before, but I don't remember." She paused. "He did seem familiar when I first saw him, but I can't place him. I must have seen him on TV before. I don't understand why it's so important."

"Make it important. You have to remember. Look up his background, look at old photos something will trigger a memory."

Stacy spent the next two days in total misery. She did an online search but only found superficial information about Chance. Where he'd been born, what his real name was before he changed it, but even that information didn't ignite any memories. She didn't see him in any of her photos and all her old diaries were filled with Marshall. She decided to go to a downtown bar to drown her sorrows. Stacy sat alone in a booth looking at the other patrons with envy, imagining them having better lives than she had. She'd failed even before she'd begun.

But she couldn't accept the option of failure. She wanted Chance in her film. Why couldn't she remember him? Had she really blocked out so much of her past that she'd forgotten a wonderful person like him? Stacy sighed and glanced up in time to see a portly white man coming from the direction of the men's room, zipping up his trousers. A beautiful black woman soon followed, adjusting her skirt. Stacy paused when she recognized her: Laurice. Their eyes met and Stacy called her over with a silent gesture of her hand. For a moment Stacy thought she'd ignore her, but Laurice got a drink then joined her at the table.

"Long time no see," Stacy said.

"Hmm."

She noticed the bruise on queen's jaw. "What's that?"

"A love tap," she said taking a sip of her drink. "What do you want?"

"I just wanted to say hi and tell you that the story you wrote for the last class was amazing. I never got a chance to tell you."

Laurice took another sip. "Hmm."

Stacy waited, half expecting queen to get up and leave, but when she didn't she decided to drop the pretense. "So what's up with the men's room?"

"It's my express special," she said with a smile. "Although that guy took a long time to get going," she said making a crude gesture with her hand.

"You're toying with going back inside."

Laurice shrugged, clearly unconcerned. "It's what I do. I'm a free agent now. I don't have nobody telling me what to do."

"Don't you want more?"

Laurice sniffed and looked at Stacy as if she were a naive child. "We all want more, that doesn't mean we'll get it."

"True, but you're playing a dangerous game."

She shrugged.

"You're a beautiful woman."

"Doesn't matter when you're as dark as me."

Stacy pierced her with an icy glare. "Don't pull that skin color crap with me, that's not why you're here doing this. You've got too much pride and an inner will to make me believe that. I've seen women who hate themselves and you're not one of them."

Laurice smiled, flashing beautiful white teeth. "Man, I can't put nothing over on you."

"No, so give me another answer."

"I told you. I like being in business for myself."

"You could choose another business."

"With what? I don't got the connections or the education. And I'm too old for anyone to believe in me."

"You're never too old to turn your life around." Stacy finished her drink then carefully set it down. "We both ended up at the detention center due to bad choices. You've got so much more to offer the world and--"

"I don't need a lecture."

"How about a job?" Stacy said keeping her gaze on the glass in front of her.

"A job?"

Stacy took a deep breath then lifted her gaze. "I could use a housekeeper."

Laurice swore. Her lip curled with disgust. "You think I want to be cleaning toilets for minimum wage?"

"No, I don't. If you want to stay on the streets, that's your business, but I'd rather clean toilets than service men on them. You can have a different life. Instant gratification is a double-edged sword. One makes you believe today is all that matters and the other, that you'll always have tomorrow."

Laurice folded her arms, but still didn't leave. "Why are you being nice to me?" she finally asked.

Because you remind me of myself.
That realization shocked Stacy because in truth they had little in common, but somehow she felt as if she'd found a soul sister. The Black Stockings Society had given her another chance and she wanted to offer that same opportunity to someone else. "Because I could use your help."

Laurice shook her head. "That's how bleeding hearts like you get into trouble. I could rob you blind."

"But you won't."

"Don't pretend that you know me."

"I'm not. If you want to end up in jail again, fine. I just think you're smarter than that."

"You got a big house?"

"No, but I do have a dog."

Laurice swore again.

"But you won't have to worry about where you sleep, what you eat or who calls you."

"I'm a businesswoman and you want to turn me into a cleaning woman?"

"That's one way of looking at it. Or you can take your business know-how and use it in another industry. Freelancing and running your own business are two different things. As a freelancer you're at the whim of whoever hires you. When you run your own business the stakes change. Trust me, as a woman who knows. I can teach you a lot of things, but you have to be humble enough to start at the bottom." Stacy gripped her hand into a fist and met Laurice's steady gaze. "I was touched by an older cousin once, in a way I wish I could erase from my mind. The violating betrayal sliced through me like a machete and it took me years to build my self-esteem back." Stacy shook her head. "Sometimes I feel as if I'm still working on it. A female cousin of mine laughed at me when I got married. She was bold and free and slept with whichever man she wanted to, saying she'd never let one man have control over her body again like an Uncle did one summer with her."

Tears shined in Laurice's eyes, but she didn't move, her composure never wavered.

"But I didn't see her really in control of anything, just running from her pain. Or pretending that it wasn't there." Stacy scribbled down her contact information, not sure Laurice would want it. "Here's my address. You'd be my house manager. I have someone who comes once a week to clean, a dog sitter, when Houdini, that's my dog, isn't in daycare and I'm not home, and you'd supervise their schedules and have other tasks you'd be in charge of. Call when you're ready," she said then left, surprised she'd been able to keep her voice steady and her eyes dry. She hadn't spoken about what her cousin had done to anyone, but somehow she sensed it was a story Laurice needed to hear.

An hour later, Stacy sat on her couch, staring at the TV certain she'd lost her mind. What was she doing hiring Laurice when she didn't even know if the project would get off the ground? She should be focusing on who Chance Jamison was. Where she'd met him, and why her knowing him mattered so much. Instead she'd gotten sidetracked. She'd let her heart, instead of her head, rule her. Just as she'd hated the thought of Houdini not having a home, she hated the thought of Laurice living her life on her back or on her knees. It didn't matter, besides, Laurice probably wouldn't call.

The phone rang. Stacy absently picked it up. It was probably Julia wondering if she'd finally remembered Chance or not.

"I'm in the lobby," Laurice said. "They're giving me grief."

Stacy jumped up from the couch and vouched for Laurice with security so they'd allow her access to the elevators.

"That was fast," Stacy said opening the door.

Laurice looked around and gave a low whistle. "And I thought
I
made money."

Stacy sniffed. "And this is a downgrade."

"Someone could downgrade me to this any day." Laurice said touching the soft leather couch. "Where's my room?"

Stacy gave her a quick tour of her condo then let her settle in her private suite. After she fed Houdini, who took a while to settle down after meeting the new houseguest, Stacy went back to her research. She had one night left.

"What's all this?" Laurice asked looking at Stacy's papers and notes strewn on the dining room table.

"I'm meeting with an actor tomorrow, for lunch and have to convince him of something."

"Let me help you," Laurice said walking away. “Where’s your bedroom again?” Laurice walked into Stacy’s bedroom. She opened Stacy’s closet and swore. "You're right. You know what you're doing. One day I want a closet like this."

Stacy only smiled, knowing that her wardrobe hadn't looked like that before the Black Stockings Society and Rania entered her life.

Laurice pulled out a dress. "You should wear this tomorrow."

"For lunch? Isn't that for a party?"

"You want him to do something, right?"

"Yes, but--"

"Men think with their eyes. If you want something, you have to tell him what it is. You know what you want him to think about? You. You want him so focused on you that he'll agree to whatever you say."

Stacy hated the thought of disappointing Chance. "I don't think he's that kind of man."

"Is he straight?"

"Yes."

"Are you his type?"

"Does it matter?"

Laurice grinned. "You like him."

"Yes," she said feeling defensive. "And I really need him for a role, that's all."

Laurice shook the dress. "Then let this dress persuade him while your mouth gets him to sign the deal."

***

"Do you know what your problem is?" Tyson asked Chance. They'd just finished a round of tennis at the private athletics' club they both belonged to.

Chance grinned. "Go on and tell me."

"You expect too much. I mean the role is yours. Why won't you just take it?"

He'd been asking himself that same question for the last two days. Why was he taking such a big gamble? What if she didn't remember, was he really willing to walk away? Did it really matter if she remembered him or not? He wanted her to remember the vibrant, bright Stacy she used to be when she didn't worry about people like Marshall or Julia. But who was he to tell her who she needed to be? Her lack of memory had bruised his ego and her past actions had hurt his pride. But was he really willing to sabotage an entire project? There were other people whose livelihood was tied up to this. And giving a desperate woman an ultimatum was not the kind of man he wanted to be. "I will."

"What?"

"Don't tell anyone yet until I've spoken to Stacy, but I'm taking the role."

"So she meets your terms."

No.
"Yes."

"Whoa, you had everyone worried there for a minute. Did you see the doctor?"

"Yea, there's nothing to worry about." His doctor had given him another prescription that made him feel drowsy and he didn't plan on continuing. He was doing better practicing some mind and breathing exercises. He stopped a smile, wondering what Stacy would do if he had an attack with her. Maybe she'd remember then, considering he'd had his first attack with her and she'd stopped him from feeling as if he were dying. That was the key to everything. He wanted her to be impressed by what he'd become, instead she made him feel small. Forgettable. However, that wasn't her fault or his. It just was. She'd chosen to marry a man like Marshall. He'd made his choices too, some he regretted. Now, he'd start fresh with her and this time he'd make sure she never forgot him.

***

Never let an ex-hooker dress you for a business meeting.
Stacy tugged at the hem of her dress and shifted in her seat, resisting the urge to check her watch for the sixth time. She sat in the restaurant waiting for Chance feeling as conspicuous as red polka dots at a black and white tie event. She hadn't had so many men take notice of her in a long time and while it was flattering, it was also unnerving. She just needed one man to notice her black dress, stockings and heels. She needed him to forgive her for not remembering him, but Laurice had more confidence in Stacy's feminine wiles than she did. When she saw him coming towards her table she took a deep breath and prayed her plan would work.

Stacy crossed her legs and lazily ran her hand up and down her thigh. "Hi."

Chance's gaze dipped to her thigh, his expression giving nothing away before returning his look to her face. "Hi," he said taking a seat.

She uncrossed then crossed her legs again. "I'm really glad you're giving me this opportunity."

He covered her hand and his eyes bore into hers, a sexy grin touched the corner of his mouth. "You don't remember, do you?"

"What?" Stacy said her voice cracking with panic.

"You wouldn't have gone through all this trouble if you had."

"But--"

He shook his head, his smile tender. "Forget about trying to remember me. I don't care if you do or don't."

"The day hasn't ended yet."

"No, but I'm ready to put us both out of our misery," he said with a note of regret.

He was going to turn her down. She couldn't lose him, not a second time. She'd already lost him as a man she couldn't lose the actor as well. She seized his hand and held it between hers. "I'm sorry," she said louder than she planned, but not caring. She had to take the risk and let him know the truth. "I apologize for what I said about actors. I'm sorry about even mentioning just wanting to be friends. And I'm sorry that I don't remember you and know I should because you're an amazing actor and an amazing man." She shook her head at his look of surprise. "But I'm not trying to flatter you just so you'll take this role, even though you're perfect for it," she said, surprised by her own sincerity. All of a sudden the role didn't matter as much as it had. As she held his hand, cradled in hers, she didn't just notice how large it was, the length of his fingers, but near his wrist she felt his pulse and realized how important he'd become to her. "This role will do wonders for you career."

Chance shook his head. "Stacy, don't."