After Dark (5 page)

She went into the pharmacy, picked up his prescriptions and headed back. As soon as she returned and was assured that he was comfortable she was getting out of there and going back to work.

“Make sure you take them as prescribed,” she said, handing him the bag.

“I will.” His eyes ran over her, but she refused to meet his gaze.

“Ellie…I want to thank you again.”

“Don't worry about it,” she said. She wanted to leave.

“Are you involved with someone?”

She was so stunned by his question, it took her a moment to respond.

“Yes.”

He nodded and lowered his head. “I see. Well, I hope you're happy—that he makes you happy.”

“I'd better go. I really need to get back to work.” She headed for the door.

“I'll, uh, let you know what I decide to do, if that's okay.”

Her chest constricted as she was brought crashing back to reality. “Yes, of course. I want to know.”

“Okay.” He opened the door for her. “Drive safely.”

She looked at him for a moment, maybe a moment too long then quickly hurried away.

Once within the safety of her car, she released the breath she'd been holding. She gripped the wheel, and realized her hands were shaking. This was the first time she and Matt had been face-to-face in months. It was disconcerting to say the least, notwithstanding the circumstances.

Elizabeth reached inside her purse for her phone. She wanted to call Barbara and let her know she was on her way. When she took out her phone, she saw that she had a message waiting. It must have come through while she was at the hospital and had turned off her phone.

She scrolled through to Messages and recognized Ron's number. Her heart thumped uncomfortably against her chest. According to the time, he'd called more than four hours earlier. There was also a message from Barbara that had come in moments after Ron's. Elizabeth called Barbara back, first.

“Hey, where are you? How is Matt?”

“He's home. Doing okay. All things considered.”

“And you?”

“I don't really know. We'll talk when I get there. I'm on my way.”

“Ron called here looking for you shortly after you left.”

“I see a message on my phone from him. What did he say? Did he tell you why he called?”

“Just that he wanted you to call him. He sounded a little stressed.”

“Yeah. Okay. Thanks.”

“Are you going to call him?”

“I'll call him when I get back to work. Did he ask where I was?”

“Kind of, but before he waited for me to say anything, he said he would call you on your cell. I was relieved. To tell you the truth, I didn't know what to tell him.”

“I'll be there in about fifteen minutes.” She disconnected the call and pulled off from the curb. She should have called Ron and told him where she was going and why. Why hadn't she? It was the same questions she knew Ron was going to ask. What was she going to tell him? And why hadn't she reminded Matt that they were no longer husband and wife?

R
on tried repeatedly to reach his supplier in Philly but kept getting a recording that the number was out of service. There had to be a mistake, but he didn't have any more time to spend on it. What concerned him more was that he had yet to hear from Elizabeth.

“Hey, Ron,” one of his workers called out. “Need you to take a look at this flooring.”

“Be right there.”

They were working on a five-story brown-stone that had been left in disrepair for so long it had been deemed unsafe by Housing Preservation and Development. But the community churches had come together to save it. He wasn't getting paid what he normally would for a job this size, but it was worth it. Had the churches not stepped in he was sure the money men would have then torn it down and put up some co-op, so expensive that no one in the community could afford to live there.

He carefully trotted up the stairs that had just been refinished. Water damage had destroyed so much of the original wood that rehab was taking much longer than usual. The specialty of his business was restoration. His workers took painstaking efforts to find the right replacement materials for every facet of the job to bring the brownstones back to their former glory.

“What's up, Mac?”

“I wanted you to take a look at the supply of wood we received for the floors. It's not what we asked for. Pretty good replica, but it ain't the real thing.”

Ron bent down and ran his hand over the wood then compared the supply to some of the old wood that was pulled up. Mac was right. He ran his hand across his face. “What about the rest of the shipment?”

“Everything else looks fine. It's just this batch.”

Ron stood. “Okay, for the time being, just leave this part of the job. I'll check into what happened.”

“No problem. It's the last thing that needs to be done on this floor, anyway.”

Ron looked around. The stained glass was in the windows, the shutters hung, the floor-to-ceiling mantle place had been stripped and redone and the moldings were completed. “Good job,” he said.

“The electrical guys will rehang the chandelier tomorrow.”

Ron nodded. “I'll get back to you about the floor.” He walked away and ran into Ali on his way down the stairs. “We had a problem,” he said. “Actually, we still have one.”

“What's up?”

Ron explained about the floor and his inability to get in contact with the supplier.

“What are you thinking?”

“I'm trying not to. Just hoping that it's a major coincidence that the G-men came to see us to talk about the supplier and now, suddenly, I can't get him on the phone. Not to mention that he didn't ship what we paid for.”

“Any luck getting in touch with Ellie?”

“No. Not yet.”

“Must be a busy day,” Ali said.

“Yeah,” Ron replied absently, “it must be.”

 

Elizabeth arrived at the spa close to six. Barbara was putting on her jacket.

“Hey, girl. I need to get out of here. Wil is expecting me. Carmen is covering until closing.”

“Okay. Thanks for today.”

“Sure. You okay?”

“I think so.” She hesitated. “No, not really. But I'll work it out.”

Barbara checked the overhead clock. She'd promised to meet Wil and his son, Chauncey, for dinner. She wanted to run home and change, first.

“Listen, if you want to talk…”

Elizabeth waved her off. “No, no. You go ahead. You have plans and I've infringed on your day enough as it is.”

“Hey, if a friend can't infringe, then who can?” She smiled warmly at Elizabeth.

“I'll be okay. Leave and go see your man, girl.”

Barbara grinned. “If you're sure. I can always call him and tell him I'm running late.”

“We'll talk tomorrow. That will give me some time to get my head straight.”

Barbara blew out a sigh. “Okay.” She kissed Ellie's cheek. “Whatever it is, it will be fine.”

“I know,” she said, but she wasn't too sure about that.

“See you tomorrow.”

“Have a good time and tell Wil hello for me.”

Elizabeth put her things beneath the desk and took a quick inventory of the space. Busy as usual, but it would wind down soon enough. She plopped down in the chair, suddenly exhausted. She knew she needed to call Ron. Putting it off wasn't going to help, and she certainly didn't want to wait to have him call her again.

She reached for the phone just as two men she'd never seen before came through the doors. She put the phone down. They approached looking a little too stiff around the collar for her tastes.

“Hello, may I help you?”

“Nice place,” said the first man, the taller of the two.

“Thank you.”

“How long have you been in business?”

“Just under a year. Would you be interested in membership or would you like a tour?”

The second man leaned on the counter and faced her. “Actually, we'd like some information.”

“Sure.” She reached for a brochure.

“No. Not that kind of information.” The first man took out a photo from the breast pocket of his suit and showed it to her.

Her breath caught for a moment. It was a picture of Ron.

“Do you know this man?”

“Why?”

The man who'd produced the photo went back into his pocket and produced his identification. Agent Brian Jennings, FBI.

Elizabeth felt light-headed. She swallowed. “I don't understand.”

“It's quite simple, actually. Do you know this man?”

“Uh, yes. Why?”

“We're looking into his activities, and this place is one of them.”

“I don't understand.”

“According to our information, he was the contractor on the renovation project for this establishment. Is that correct?”

Her pulse was pounding so loud in her ears that she barely heard him.

“Yes.”

“Do you have records of his work for you?”

“What kinds of records?”

“Bills of lading, invoices, things like that,” the Agent said.

“I suppose so. But I'm not the owner,” she said quickly, stalling for time. “The owner just left. I'm sure she'd know where everything is,” Elizabeth said, and forced a smile.

Agent Jennings gave her a long look that made her very uncomfortable. “I see,” he finally said. “Maybe we should come back when the owner is here. Do you know when that will be?”

“Tomorrow afternoon.”

“And the owner's name is?”

“Uh, Barbara Allen.”

“Thank you for all your help, Ms…”

“Lewis.”

He smiled and the duo walked out.

Elizabeth lowered herself to the seat. Her knees were shaking. The FBI. What could they possibly want with Ron? Or the spa? Now, she really did have reason to call him.

Jennings and Collins stood outside the building.

“She's lying,” Collins said. “According to the article in the paper about the place, Ms. Lewis is one of
Pause for Men'
s four owners.”

“Yeah.” Jennings frowned. “Wonder what else she's lying about.” Maybe this investigation wasn't going to be a waste of time, after all.

O
n the quick trip home and then the short ride to Wil's apartment, Barbara couldn't shake the uneasy feeling that something was wrong.

She and Elizabeth had been friends for years. They'd grown closer than most sisters and out of their close-knit group, they were the two that connected best with each other. Ellie was her best friend and she knew that the other woman was going through something and that the “something” was more significant than she was letting on. Maybe she should have stayed and talked to Ellie.

Barbara pulled onto Wil's street and slowed down to look for a parking space. If it wasn't too late when she got home, maybe she would give Ellie a call, to let her know that she was there for her and ready to help.

Barbara parked her brand-new cinnamontoned Lexus sedan. It was a big present to herself for her fiftieth birthday. Every time she slid onto the plush leather seating and eased her chair back, she was in drivers' heaven. She'd finally turned in her ten-year-old Volvo. As much as she'd loved that car, she wanted something new to go with her new life, her new look and her new man.

There were still days that she thought she was dreaming when she realized just how happy she was with Wil and how fate had stepped in and brought them back together after so many years. It wasn't often that you got a second chance in life, and she intended to make the most of it.

Barbara parked the car and walked across the street to Wil's building. She started to ring the bell, but remembered that he'd given her a key a week earlier. She felt a little funny about it, but Wil insisted that his house was hers and she could drop by anytime. She supposed, at some point, she would reciprocate.

She stuck the key in the front door, then took the elevator up to the third floor. She approached his door just as it was pulled open.

“Hey, Ms. Barbara.”

Wil's son, Chauncey, leaned down and planted a kiss on her cheek.

“Heading out?” she asked, pleased as always to see Wil's handsome son.

“Yeah, I have a game tonight. Well, not a real game. Practice.” He grinned, flashing deep dimples.

“I thought you were going to join us tonight.”

“Yeah, maybe another time. Coach told us this afternoon that we have to be there. Big game on Saturday.”

“Have a good practice.”

“I will,” he said, loping off. “Dad's in the living room,” he called out.

Barbara shook her head in amazement as she watched him. She'd swear on a stack of Bibles that the boy had grown another two inches since the last time she saw him.

She stepped inside and shut the door. “Wil!” She put her purse and light jacket down on the hall table and walked in.

Wil stuck his head around the corner. A big grin of welcome was plastered on his face. Barbara's heart skipped a beat. God, how she loved that man.

“Hey, sugah,” he said, and rose to greet her. He came right up to her. “Beautiful, just like I pictured you.” He lowered his head and took her mouth in a slow, sizzling kiss. His right arm snaked around her waist and pulled her close.

Barbara melted in her arms as easily now as she did the very first time. She pressed closer, needing his warmth, the feeling of total security when she was in his arms and felt his growing erection pressing against her stomach. For a man well into his fifties, Wil Hutchinson had the stamina and virility of a man half his age. He never ceased to amaze and thrill her.

“Hmm,” he murmured, slowing easing back. “Good to see you.”

She grinned like a schoolgirl and ducked her head. “You, too.”

He draped his arm around her shoulder. “Looks like we have the place to ourselves for the evening,” he said, leading her into the living room. “Chauncey won't be back for a couple of hours.”

She looked up at him. “Are you thinking what I'm thinking?” she asked in a teasing tone.

“Absolutely.”

He took her hand, bypassed the living room and took her to his room and shut the door.

Each and every time Wil made love to her, it was like the first time. Her heart raced, her skin grew hot and her knees got weak. When he touched her, she'd get light-headed, as if she'd had too much to drink and she felt as if she was melting from the inside out.

Wil's eyes slow danced over her. He reached out and cupped her cheek in his large palm, and she nestled against it.

“Did I tell you today how much I love you?” he murmured, his voice thick, vibrating right to her center.

“Why don't you tell me now?”

“I love you, Barbara Allen. More than I could ever imagine.” He kissed her lightly, once, twice, before letting his tongue stroke her lips then slip inside her eager mouth.

Barbara moaned softly and moved closer. Wil's strong hands roamed along the curve of her spine. She reached for his belt buckle and unfastened it, undid the button and slid the zipper down.

“Why don't I help you out of
your
things?” he said with a wicked grin on his face.

“I was wondering what you were waiting for,” she teased.

Wil reached for the hem of her top and pulled it up and over her head then tossed it on a chair. His gaze grew warm as he looked at her. She felt it all the way down in her soul. He unsnapped her bra with the expertise that came with age and experience. It fell to the floor at their feet. His thumbs brushed across her nipples and her entire body trembled.

Barbara pushed his pants down, letting them bundle at his feet. He stepped out of them. She grabbed his T-shirt and pulled it over his head.

Wil stared into her eyes while he eased down and raised her skirt up above her hips. He hooked his fingers around the elastic of her panties and pulled them off, never taking his eyes off her face. Her breathing escalated. The blood pounded in her head.

Wil lowered himself until he was on his knees in front of her. He pressed his face to her center and inhaled the sweetness of her essence. Her thighs began to tremble. He held her firmly in his hands as he tenderly tasted her.

“Ooh,” she moaned, gripping his shoulders to keep from falling.

He teased and played, darted and danced until he knew she was weak, wet and ready.

Barbara's head was spinning. She didn't even realize that Wil had carried her to the bed. Her skirt was still hiked up around her waist and it was a major turn on. She almost felt like a horny teen in the backseat of her daddy's Coupe deVille.

“My woman,” Wil said, his voice thick with desire. He braced his weight above her.

She raised up to kiss his mouth while spreading her thighs to invite him in. When she felt him push against her, she wanted to scream in anticipation. But nothing could compare to the bliss of feeling him slowly fill her, inch by inch until there wasn't even air between them.

For several moments, neither of them moved, both relishing the joy of their union. Then, as if a silent cue had been struck, they moved against each other slow and deliberate savoring the push and pull.

Barbara arched her hips higher, the better to feel all of him. Wil buried his head in the hollow of her neck, placing tiny teasing kisses there.

“I love you,” she whispered in his ear.

“I know,” he whispered back, and took her higher.

Like a salsa dance, the beat picked up, the pace increased with their desire. The room grew hotter. The sounds of their blended moans intensified.

Barbara's body tingled all over. It started at the balls of her feet and shimmied up her legs. Her thighs spread wider, her knees drew higher.

Wil felt her grip him from the inside and he nearly lost his mind. Barbara's cries of joy filled his ears, entered his soul and rushed out in a powerful gush to fill her with all the love he felt in his heart.

He reared against her, over and over. She yelled out his name as the power of her climax left her trembling and as weak as newborn baby.

Wil collapsed against her, and she held him, stroking his head and sighing contentedly.

` “It can't get better than this,” he said, his voice thick.

Barbara giggled. “We say that every time.”

Wil leaned up so he could look at her. “Yeah, we do, don't we?”

They laughed and held each other.

Barbara emerged from the bathroom after freshening up. She returned to the bedroom to find Wil still stretched out with his hands tucked behind his head, looking very pleased with himself.

“Not bad for an old man,” he said, grinning.

Barbara chuckled and came to sit next to him. “There's nothing old about you.” She reached for her panties and slipped them back on then found her bra and shirt and continued getting dressed. “You better put something on. I'd hate for Chauncey to come home and find you naked. No telling what he might think.”

“He'll think that his old man's still got it going on.”

Barbara tossed a pillow at him. “You're terrible.” She adjusted her clothing. “And besides, I'm starved.”

“Yeah, me, too,” he said, finally sitting up. “Want to go out and grab something to eat?”

“Sure. It's a beautiful night. I love spring evenings,” she said.

“Sounds like a plan. We can find something up on Amsterdam or Morningside.”

They walked up the hill, hand in hand to a new Caribbean restaurant.

“I've heard good things about this place,” Barbara said once they were seated.

“At this point, and as hungry as I am, so long as it is hot, I'm good.”

They placed their orders and waited.

“We got some bad news today,” Barbara said as she sipped her glass of water with a twist of lemon.

Wil frowned with concern. “What?”

“Matt, Ellie's ex-husband…”

“Yeah?”

“He has prostate cancer.”

Wil's expression pinched. “Wow, sorry to hear that. How's Ellie taking it? I mean, I know they are not together or anything, but…”

“I think she's pretty shook up. He had the biopsy done today and he called wanting her to be there.”

“Did she go?”

Barbara nodded, yes.

“Hmm. Unfortunately, it's a disease that kills a lot of black men.”

“I know,” she said, her voice filled with sadness. “Have you been tested?”

“Yep. Once a year. So far, so good.” He crossed his fingers. “Hopefully, they caught it in enough time to treat it.”

“So do I.” She waited a beat. “But there was something else…”

Their food arrived. She waited until the waitress left them.

“I don't know, maybe I shouldn't say anything but…”

“You can tell me anything, you know that. So what is it? Are you sick?”

“No, nothing like that.” She'd had her own scare a few months back when she'd found a lump. Fortunately, it was benign but she'd been extra vigilant ever since. “Well, it's about Ellie. You know, she and Ron are really involved. He's asked her to marry him and everything.”

“Right.”

“Well, when she went to the hospital to be with Matt, she didn't tell Ron that she was going. He'd called the spa looking for her. Thank goodness I didn't have to tell him where she was. But, well…I guess what's troubling me is I'm wondering why she didn't tell him.”

His brows rose and fell. “It is kinda touchy. Exes are always a threat in the ‘new' person's mind. There's always the thought that they might get back together. Especially, two people who were married and have kids together. There's always that connection. It can be a bit intimidating, at times. Maybe she didn't know how Ron was going to react.”

Barbara shrugged slightly. “I guess. I suppose, I'm just feeling that, if you're going to be in a relationship with someone and you want it to work, you have to be honest with each other and just deal with the issues on the table. I couldn't force her to tell him, but I'd hoped she would do the right thing.”

“It may be the right thing to you. Unfortunately, everyone doesn't look at things the same way.”

“That's true.” She sighed, then speared a piece of stewed chicken with her fork and slowly lifted it to her mouth. “We don't have that problem, do we?”

“What problem?”

“Keeping things from each other.”

For a moment, he looked like he'd been caught stealing. He swallowed his mouthful of seasoned rice. He reached for his glass of water and took a long drink before answering. He put the glass down.

“Actually, there is something I wanted to talk to you about,” he said.

Her heartbeat kicked up a notch. “What is it?”

“I've been thinking of retiring.”

Relief rushed through her. “Oh. Is that all? You scared me for a moment.”

He took a breath. “That's not really all of it.”