Raging Blue (11 page)

Chapter
21

Gavin

Jay stormed into the penthouse and walked straight to the guestroom without acknowledging Gavin’s presence. Obscenities littered the air as he stomped around ranting about his encounter with Blue.

Gavin decided to give Jay a few minutes to vent until he heard things hitting the walls. That’s when he flung the remote on the couch and darted toward the room Jay temporarily occupied.

“What’s going on, man?”
Gavin asked, swinging the bedroom door open.

Inside the room, Jay was washed down in frustration, pacing and taking aimless shots at the air. Gavin took a chance and stepped into the room. At first, Jay didn’t notice he was there.

“Jay...Jay!” Gavin had to call his name louder the second time.

Jay stopped. He turned to Gavin heaving.

“What’s wrong with you, man?”

Jay shook his head and continued pacing.

“People live under me,” Gavin said, bringing attention to Jay’s thunderous stomping. “What’s wrong with you?” he asked again.

“I just came from my apartment.” Jay stood still again and put his hand on his hip.

“And?” Gavin asked.

“Blue said there’s no chance of us getting back together.” Jay started pacing again, looked at Gavin’s face, and stopped. “If it wasn’t for Mia, I know she would take me back. What the hell am I supposed to do now? I have no job—no money!” Jay grunted hard.

Gavin raised his brows, wondering if Jay really understood the extent of his actions. Then his eyebrows creased in question.

“What does Mia have to do with this?”

Jay sighed. “She’s pregnant,” he said and dropped his head.

“So what does that have to do with…no…don’t tell me.” Realization hit Gavin like a medicine ball to the abdomen, and his eyes grew wide. “Don’t tell me it’s yours!”

Jay turned away from Gavin’s astounded gaze. “Possibly.” He waved Gavin off.

“What don’t you understand?” Gavin asked.

“I guess it’s over then.” Jay threw his hands up.

“Yes! Accept it.”

Just then, Gavin’s phone rang; it was Blue. Leaving Jay to himself, Gavin walked into his bedroom and answered.

“Hey, what’s up? Are you all right?”

“No,” Blue said, her voice soggy. “That bastard just left here!”

“I know,” Gavin said.

Blue sucked her teeth and sniffled. “I’m sorry about standing you up the other day for lunch. I just wasn’t feeling up to it.”

“No need to explain. I understand,” he told her.

“You are the only person I can talk to.”

“I know….” Gavin almost said her name aloud.

After a long pause, Blue asked, “Can I come over?”

Gavin looked toward Jay’s room. “I was on my way out. I’ll stop by there. Is that okay?”

“That’s fine. Thank you,” Blue replied.

Gavin looked in on Jay, who was still seated on the edge of the bed with his head buried in his hands.

“I’ll see you in a minute,” he said to Blue and hung up.

Gavin walked back to the room and asked Jay, “When are you leaving?”

“Soon,” Jay responded, then got up and closed the door blocking the space between them.

Gavin pushed the door back open. Normally, he would have cared about the fact that Jay was upset, but Jay’s behavior lately had made him extremely difficult to deal with. The only thing Gavin cared about right now was getting Jay out of his life for good.

Jay also had a tendency to destroy things when angry. Gavin had no intentions of leaving him in the house alone while he went to check on Blue. Wherever Jay had been for the past few days, Gavin figured he could go back there.

When Gavin reopened the door, Jay glared at him. Gavin wasn’t moved by his fury and pushed the door open more to show him. Jay huffed.

“What!” Jay said, throwing his hands up. “Can’t a man get a minute to himself?”

“I need you to find a place to go for the night,” Gavin said, ignoring Jay’s comment.

“Are you kidding? Can’t you take that chick out instead of bringing her here?” Jay looked at Gavin in disbelief and then shook his head.

“I’m going to act like you didn’t say that! I don’t know where you’ve been for the past few days, but perhaps you can chill there for just one more night.”

Gavin wouldn’t confirm or deny whether he was asking Jay to leave because of a date. He just wanted Jay out, and the reason behind it wasn’t any of his business.

Jay stared at him for a few seconds longer before relenting. “Damn! Just give me a few minutes,” he said, then began stuffing more clothes into the bag he had just emptied on the bed.

Gavin closed the door, finally giving Jay his privacy, and went to handle his next order of business. He dialed Lisa, who picked up right away.

“Hey there!” Lisa purred into the phone.

“Are you going to be ready for me later this evening?” he asked.

“Hmmm. I’m ready for you now!” she said.

Gavin could hear the sultry coating in her voice.

“That sounds good to me. I’ll come straight to you when I get back from Queens,” he replied.

“Queens?” Lisa said, surprised.

“Yeah. I need to take something to my dad. I won’t be long. Just be ready for me, okay?” Gavin lied, buying himself time to meet up with Blue first.

Chapter 22

Mia

Mia stuffed three more saltine crackers into her mouth and pushed the dry clump down with bottled water. Another wave of dizziness washed over her as she lifted herself from the bed. The light of day had begun to give way to the amber glow of the evening sun. Mia couldn’t believe she’d spent the entire day lying around battling nausea. After a deep breath, she trudged about slowly to prepare for a night out with Princeton Manning. After three cancellations, she had to make tonight work, nauseous or not. It was only fair since it was Princeton’s money that paid for her new place. She could have paid for the condo on her own, but why spend her money when she could spend someone else’s instead?

Mia stepped over the unpacked boxes she’d been meaning to go through the past few days. The room looked like a Lego City made of cardboard. Boxes were stacked two and three high, leaning against sterile beige walls. The only visible part of the floor was a narrow path that led from the bed to the bath. The master bedroom in Blue’s townhouse was much larger, and Mia longed for the extra space. Sliding boxes out of her way with the side of her leg, she created a new path to the colossal walk-in closet and thumbed through her clothes, the only items she’d taken the time to unpack.

When Mia finally made it to the shower, she stood motionless, allowing the hot stream to knead away the kinks she'd acquired from lying around all day. She held her belly. At nearly five months, she still only had a small pouch. She caressed her belly and wondered if she was really ready for motherhood.

“Snap out of it, girl,” Mia said to herself as she dried her body and dressed with a sense of determination.

The doorbell rang just as she zipped the side of her dress. Finally feeling refreshed, Mia dabbed on a light scent of fragrance and headed for the door.

Princeton’s eyes roamed her body from head to toe. He licked his lips.

“Spin around,” he said, leading her with his hand.

Mia obliged. Her chest was swollen with pride as she spun like a ballerina on the tips of her stilettos. The ivory strapless number effectively hid her stomach and caressed her curves in all the right places, but her usual high heels were getting to be too much for her. Lately—with resistance—she'd began opting for lower ones.

“Damn!” Princeton approved, wetting his lips again before sliding them into a lustful lopsided smile.

“Is that all you can say?” Mia teased. Princeton simply arched his brows and Mia laughed. “Have a seat. I’ll be back down in a minute. I need to add my finishing touches.”

“You look fine to me.” Princeton leaned in to kiss Mia, but she pulled back.

“Not yet,” she said, placing her index finger against his mouth. “You don’t look half bad yourself,” she added, taking note of his tailor-made suit.

“Hurry up. I can’t wait to get you out tonight. You look fine as hell. Plus, I have some things I want to talk to you about,” Princeton said.

***

The pair dined at an upscale steakhouse in the heart of downtown Atlanta. Mia was surprised to find a fancy restaurant she hadn’t known about and wondered how Princeton knew of the place. The mature, distinguished-looking waiters kept the daily specials and the orders in their heads. Prices weren’t listed on the menus. Mia was both impressed and disappointed because she couldn’t confirm whether or not she ordered the most expensive thing. It took a slight measure of enjoyment out of spending Princeton’s money. She finally decided on the lobster and filet mignon combination, assuming it would be one of the most expensive dishes on the menu. She seductively whispered her drink request into the waiter’s ear, giving the impression she was asking for an interesting cocktail, when she was actually ordering a cranberry and orange juice, with a hint of tonic and topped with a slice of lime. She winked at Princeton when she was done, and the glow of anticipation made his eyes sparkle like moonlight.

After placing their orders, Princeton took Mia by both hands and looked into her eyes. He smiled and she smiled back, hoping he wasn’t going to tell her that he was in love. She sure didn’t love him.

“I want to take care of you,” Princeton said without breaking his gaze.

“Oh, that’s sweet! But I think you know I can take care of myself.”

Mia liked the sound of what Princeton was saying. It always meant perks—more money, gifts, and surprises. She would have to enjoy it while she could, because once the wives got wind of the excessive spending, the cash flow always came to a screeching halt.

“Of course, you can. You’ve got spunk. More than I’ve seen in a long time. That’s why I’m so attracted to you,” Princeton said, rubbing his thumbs across the back of her hands.

“Oh…well, thanks,” she said, letting her vanity show.

“How do you like the new place?” he asked.

Mia’s smug smile fell away. She pulled her hand back and fingered the rim of her juice mix the waiter had just set on the table.

“It’s fine,” she said and took a sip. She’d already thanked him in several ways and wondered why he had to keep asking.

“Good. I knew you’d like it,” he said.

Mia snickered. His arrogance matched hers. Most of her suitors had monstrous egos, but Princeton’s was especially colossal. His record-breaking, million-dollar plus contract probably had a lot to do with it.

“I can make life really good for you,” he continued.

“Oh yeah?” Mia said sarcastically, then raised a brow and took another sip.

“I want to set you up. I’ll give you a few days to think about it, but here’s what I propose.” Princeton paused. “The place will be yours. I’ll pay for it outright if you like it enough and put your name on it. Whatever you need, I can provide––money, cars, clothes, anything. But, there are conditions.” Princeton raised a brow along with his snifter and sipped his cognac.

Mia sat back in her chair fighting the urge to suck her teeth. “What are these conditions?” she asked, straightening her back.

“Make yourself available to me whenever I’m in town.” Princeton smiled. “No male visitors in the house, especially athletes. In fact, I don’t want you dating any athletes at all.”

Mia’s brows knit closely. His offer sounded like all the others, even the proposed ban on dating other athletes. They all wanted to believe they were the only ones.
She continued to half listen to the rest of the demands that she didn’t plan to honor. It wasn’t until he made his last statement that he seized her attention.

“And most of all, no babies. I don’t do children,” he said, shaking his head adamantly.

Mia emptied her glass.

Chapter
23

Blue

“Thanks for coming by. I promise I won’t bother you much more,” Blue said as she opened the door for Gavin. Following his eyes, Blue nudged him in. “Pay no mind to the place. It’s not as tidy as it usually is. I haven’t been around enough to let the housekeeper in,” she ended with a chuckle.

“No, that’s not it. It just seems different in here. Feels empty.” Gavin shrugged.

“Oh. All of Jay’s stuff is gone or packed up in the guestroom.”
She gestured for Gavin to sit. “Want a drink?”

“Yeah! So what’s up?” he asked to her back as she walked toward the open kitchen to retrieve two glasses.

Blue filled two snifters halfway with Louis Royer X.O. and handed one to Gavin. He sniffed the expensive cognac and held his eyes closed for a moment, savoring the fine aroma. Blue plopped down beside him, purposefully breaking his concentration, and took a big gulp.

“Hey, take it easy. You’re supposed to sip this nice and easy,” he said.

Blue rolled her eyes at Gavin playfully.

“You’re lucky I didn’t pour this down the sink. It’s Jay’s favorite.” She took another big gulp and set the glass down, meeting the table with a loud clank. She flinched, sinking her head into her shoulders, and then lifted her glass slightly to make sure nothing had cracked.

Gavin shook his head, took a sophisticated sip, and placed his glass on the table before turning to Blue.

“Are you okay now?” he asked.

“Somewhat,” she said quietly.

Blue looked around the room. She wanted to control her emotions, but still hadn’t mastered them. Blue lifted her face to the ceiling and tried to blink away tears. Resigning on her will, she dropped her head and let them fall.

“What makes him think we can work this out?” She brought the glass back to her lips, held it there for a moment, then sat it back down more cautiously than the time before. “There’s been too much damage.” Blue picked up the glass again, wiped her tears with the back of her hand, and sipped. “It still hurts, but now I’m angrier. I want to make them pay.”

“Blue…” Gavin’s tone carried pity. “Don’t worry about getting them back. That’s not your style. Just focus on moving on.”

“Please,” Blue snorted. “Both of them deserve a little payback. They’ve earned it.”

Gavin squeezed her shoulder. Blue felt like she was sinking. She grew tired of dancing with her tangled emotions. Finally, her vulnerability lost ground to her fury. Gavin was the only person who had witnessed her raw. In his presence, she felt free enough to give in to whatever emotion took precedence at the time. Gavin held her closer as she cried in his arms. She wasn’t crying wounded tears. These stung with frustration.

“You know what?” she asked, while wiping her wet face and looking up at Gavin. “I keep asking myself, what did I do wrong?”

“You didn’t do anything wrong. Stop trying to take the blame,” he said.

“I know that now, which is why I’m so mad. I didn’t bring this on myself.”

Blue gulped down her last sip of cognac and poured another glass. Each burn from the amber liquid sliding down her throat made her burden feel a little lighter. She sat back and smiled.

“That’s why I need to do things differently. I want both of them to think twice before they mess over someone else like this.” Blue chuckled. “You know what he said to me before he walked out today?”

“What?” Gavin asked.

“He wants the house in Atlanta,” Blue said dryly. “We haven’t even discussed divorce, and he’s already dividing up our stuff.’ She shook her head. “He had the audacity to tell me that he wants everything he’s entitled to as a husband. Then that bastard looked me in the eye and tried to intimidate me.” Blue hesitated, going over the words in her head before she said them to Gavin. “He told me, ‘You don’t want this fight’, but I’m ready.”

Two more glasses of cognac dulled her senses and emotions, but ignited small sparks in areas that had gone untouched for weeks now. Gavin hadn’t said much, and Blue found herself wondering what he was thinking. She turned to study his face. She found him to be undeniably good looking, but he didn’t possess Jay’s fire.

Even though he was unruly, Jay had always been popular. Being attractive got him lots of attention, and his edge made him desirable. Gavin was the sidekick. Despite his good looks, Jay had always overshadowed him.

Lightly touching his chin with her forefinger, Blue turned Gavin’s face toward hers and studied him, taking notice of his creamy brown complexion, the slight angling of his eyes, and the keenness of his nose, the sharpness of the lines framing his hairline, his neatly carved mustache, and the fullness of his lips. She ignored his inquisitive brows and continued her examination in silence. Why hadn’t she noticed him first?

Despite his good looks and professional success, no woman had been able to pin him down. The mystery intrigued her.

Gavin held her gaze as she continued to take him in. At first, Blue had wanted to sleep with Gavin to upset Jay, but now she felt something stronger and wondered if sleeping with him to get back at Jay would be enough. She knew it would make Jay mad simply because of his ferocious possessiveness. Whether they were together or not, he wouldn’t want anyone else to have her—especially his best friend.

Blue leaned forward and kissed Gavin’s lips softly. When she pulled back, his eyes were closed. She leaned in again and parted his lips with her tongue. At first, Gavin showed no resistance, but then he suddenly pulled away. Refusing to let him go, Blue held him by the back of his head until he relented. Passion found its way into their embrace, causing both his tension and reservations to diminish enough to continue their kiss. Time passed before they finished off their zealous exchange with a light peck. In all the years she had been with Jay, he had never kissed her with the kind of passion she just felt with Gavin.

Blue opened her eyes and found his closed. She wanted to experience that passion again, but resisted the urge. It was foreign to her, and she wanted to make sure it was real. Gavin finally opened his eyes and just stared at her.

“I’m sorry,” she said, just to pacify him.

Gavin put his finger to her lips. “Don’t apologize. I’ve always wanted to do that.”

His admission caught Blue by surprise.

“I’ve got to go,” Gavin said, but failed to move.

“Don’t!” Blue wished she could have hid the desperation in her voice. Her intentions weren’t completely pure, but the unadulterated lust she felt set fire to her core.

Gavin lifted himself from the couch and lugged his legs toward the door as if they were made of lead. Blue could tell he didn’t want to go. She felt like her insides were swaying in a billowy blaze. She didn’t want him to leave either, but wasn’t sure if she was ready to lure him into her folds. She had specific plans for him when the time was right. Yet, she needed to douse the fire they'd just sparked. His kiss lingered on her lips. She touched the spot with her finger as she watched him trudge to the door.

He put his hands on the knob and looked back at Blue. She swallowed hard, locked into his gaze. She couldn’t tame her desires, but she was willing to let him go if he could. She really wanted it to be right. And she wanted him now.

I’ll let you make this decision.

Gavin loitered at the door until it appeared he was able to contain his will. In one swift movement, he opened and walked through the door like he was throwing himself out. When the door slammed, Blue realized she hadn’t been breathing.