Authors: Mi'Chelle Dodson
Pretty Packages (36 page)
“I stopped being on your payroll the second you told your bodyguard to assault an innocent man,” the photographer said, still snapping away. “I’m probably going to get no less than four figures for each picture.”
At those words, Fabian took off at a run toward the limo, leaving his bodyguard behind.
“Boo!”
Kentucky
roared as the cowardly man fled past him.
Terrified that something else was going to come behind that “Boo,” Fabian stopped looking where he was going, stumbled over a crack in the sidewalk, and fell face-first on the pavement.
Giada winced as Fabian’s nose and two front teeth made contact with the concrete. His nose instantly began to swell, and one of those teeth actually broke in half diagonally.
Kentucky
burst out laughing. Mercedes leaped out of Giada’s arms and went to bite the man about his ankles while the photographer caught it all on film.
By this time, the police had been called by a neighbor. Ambulances came, too.
The statements everyone made all agreed except for two. Fabian claimed to have been attacked.
Champ was still talking gibberish as he slowly regained consciousness in the ambulance. The photographer’s roll of film would confirm who really attacked whom that day.
* * * *
While
Kentucky
was still speaking to the police officer who took their statements, he paused in the conversation to instruct Giada to go inside and pack an overnight bag for the two of them. “The media is gonna have a field day with this story. I don’t want either of us to have to deal with people calling the house and ringing the doorbell all evening.” His intent was to take her to the Delfinos’ since his stepmother’s house would probably be the most likely place reporters would go next.
“I think that’s a good idea, Mrs. Jones,” the police officer agreed. “That photographer fellow has barely taken a break from his cell phone since we got here.”
Giada smiled at that reference to her married name. “Two overnight bags coming up.” Then she gave
Kentucky
a succulent kiss and a heated look of promise before going to do as he asked.
“Call Mama, and tell her and Malik to get packed, too. I’m keeping us all out of the spotlight tonight,”
Kentucky
said to her departing frame.
“Whatever you say, baby.” Giada smiled back over one shoulder before turning to sway away.
“Sir, I hope I’m not stepping too far out of line here, but I would really love to know how an everyday-looking guy like yourself took a woman from a rich pretty boy like Fabian,” the cinnamon-skinned officer asked, being an everyday-looking man himself.
Kentucky
chuckled. “Let’s just say that I learned early on to give a woman all of what she needs and some of what she wants.”
“What do women need?”
“Love, respect, security.”
Kentucky
lowered his voice. “And a man that can make her scream with pleasure in the bedroom.”
The police officer grinned. “You think that’s how Jermaine Dupri snagged Janet Jackson?”
Kentucky
grinned back. “Maybe. I wouldn’t be surprised.”
“Thanks for all the advice, man.” The officer’s voice lowered. “And between me and you, I don’t think Pretty Boy over there is going to be able to pin much of anything on you. Whenever you have this many witnesses all saying the same thing, plus supporting film, it’s usually a pretty open-and-shut case.”
“I know, which is why I made sure
not
to lay a hand on him.”
Kentucky
winked, showing that he also had enough brains to make his everyday package that much more extraordinary. “By the way, Officer, would you like to come to our formal wedding on Christmas Eve?”
“Will there be any single females there?” the officer asked.
“Lots of them,”
Kentucky
replied, reminded of his wife’s long guest list. “Probably even some looking for their own everyday-looking guy.”
“I’m there.” The officer grinned eagerly. “By the way, you can call me Sean.”
Epilogue
Kentucky
and Giada’s wedding went off without a hitch. His wedding present to her was a silver Mercedes Benz, which was the exact color she wanted. Her wedding present to him was the keys to the yacht she’d rented for their honeymoon cruise and a letter from her doctor stating that she was clear to start on their family.
Matchmaking Hannah paired Velicity and Sean together at the wedding. They got married within the year. As of this date, their marriage is still going strong, and so is Hannah and Malik’s, who is now a full
U.S.
citizen.
Kentucky
’s boarding school is still up and running well. So is Giada’s specialty gift business, which she went into full-time in lieu of working in another law firm upon their relocation to
Georgia
.
Being able to stay off her feet and work at her own pace was extremely necessary during Giada’s first pregnancy, which produced an eleven-pound baby boy they affectionately named Kenny Hardy Jones. The other three children were smaller in size, but none under eight pounds. None of the deliveries were overly taxing to Giada’s body, which was a great relief to everyone.
Giada did eventually finish law school. Yet instead of operating a full-time legal practice, she became a consultant for law firms and clients that needed someone with a critical eye for contractual loopholes.
No assault charges were ever filed against
Kentucky
, just as Sean predicted. Champ the bodyguard didn’t file any. Nor did Fabian.
Speaking of Fabian, he semiretired from the music business in shame. His record sales plunged when pictures of the incident at Giada’s apartment hit every media outlet, including the Internet.
The cell phone taping of the incident by a neighbor was most damaging of all since it allowed viewers to see
and
hear Fabian’s cowardice. As a result, the singer could barely find work performing jingles for radio ads.
Bartley found new clients to represent. Now he specializes in gay and lesbian celebrities.
Lloyd the PI came forward and gave
Kentucky
information about Fabian’s connection to Jamie. That data was never used, but filed away in case it ever had to be used.
Finally,
The Love of Kentucky
went on to become one of the nation’s bestsellers. It provided even more financial stability for the boarding school, which is continuing to flourish.
In that book,
Kentucky
shared the true story about how he made it out of the war-torn zones of
Africa
and back to the woman he loved. By now everyone knew that
Kentucky
’s love was none other than Giada, whom he is still having his happily-ever-after with to this day.
The End
Letter to Readers
I wrote
Pretty Packages
during a highly emotional two-week period in my life. It was the Christmas season, and I was upset with a close relative about something, which I truly can’t remember exactly what it was now, and just needed a release. I needed a positive outlet to just pour out all the emotions I was feeling at the time. Thus all the highly emotional scenes in
Pretty Packages
. Thus all the heated arguments . . . and heated other stuff.
*chuckle*
Although the story line evolved on its own, with very little plotting on my end, a clear message emerged therein. That message: Find out what’s
really
important in life.
In Giada’s case, she had to learn that looks and material things weren’t all they were cracked up to be in the grand scheme of things. That the love of a good man was more important. That giving was more important than receiving.
Did you see those messages? I hope so.
In conclusion, I pray that the single ladies who read
Pretty Packages
start looking at the ordinary men around them in a different light after this story. That they don’t pass up or pass by their
Kentuckys
like Giada almost did.
Be blessed forever.
Suprina Frazier/Mi’Chelle Dodson
About the Author
A firm believer in happy-ever-afters, Mi’Chelle Dodson takes great pleasure in creating such happy endings via the enthralling and unforgettable stories she writes. Since all of her books are threaded throughout with golden nuggets of wisdom, readers are often able to take those nuggets and apply them to their real lives. That equals a win/win situation for everyone!
In Mi’Chelle’s real life, she is known as Suprina Frazier, friend to many and mother of two. Always thrilled to hear from readers, she can be contacted at:
http://suprinafrazier.webs.com/
.
