Deadly In Stilettos (12 page)

             
Greg grabbed his briefcase and headed home. His flight was in a few hours, and he still needed to pack. Maybe while he was on leave, he would track down Ms. Bradshaw and pay her a friendly visit. Thinking better of it, he decided to just leave it alone. A woman that sounded like an angel over the phone was sure to be a she-devil in person. There was just something about her voice that made him want to get to know her better though. Against his better judgment, Greg knew that he would soon met Deminis Bradshaw, and get to know her on a more personal level.

Chapter 8

             
THE MANDRAKE was crowded, as usual. As Demi got out of her cab and walked toward the entrance, she saw a few familiar faces, heard a few whispers. She smiled, knowing her plan was working already. When word reached Enry, as it probably was at that moment, he would be paranoid…even scared shitless. The mere thought of that gave her reason to smile.

Demi walked straight inside the Mandrake without any problems. The host knew her personally. They
kept in touch from time to time, so he allowed her to enter without asking any questions. She owed him for that, and since he loved designer clothing, she would pay him back generously. Bags of clothes were already waiting at his apartment for him. She could not wait to hear from him tomorrow. “Hey, Bernard,” Demi said as she gave air kisses to each side of his face. Bernard smiled, enjoying the looks coming their way. He adored the woman in front of him, and vowed to become a Diva just like her.

All eyes were on
Demi when she walked to the bar. Her outfit might have had something to do with that. The sophisticated black pantsuit fit her perfectly. The limited edition Steve Madden five-inch stilettos in red, black and beige patent leather gave her the extra boost of confidence she needed to walk into the same room as Enry Williams. She caught several of the women in the restaurant staring covetously at her shoes.

Demi ordered cranberry juice from the bar. She wanted to keep all her faculties and a level head, so alcohol was off the menu tonight. A few nice-looking men tried to rap to
her, but she wasn’t interested in any romantic escapades while in town on business. What happened in Paris, stayed in Paris! She politely declined their advances, though she accepted several business cards. Not that she would ever call any of them, but she smiled as she put the cards inside her Steve Madden black clutch. ‘You just never know,
’
she said to herself.

A familiar voice sounded behind her. Demi turned to see her friend Tabitha Winlock. Tabi, as Demi called her, looked amazing. She especially lov
ed the purple gladiator Jimmy Choo stilettos Tabi wore. Demi owned a pair too. Those had cost her nothing, given as a gift to her from one of her contacts from work. Being in the fashion industry had amazing perks.

Demi and Tabi hugged and air-kissed, turn
ing a few heads. They admired each other, twirling around before bursting into laughter. It had been months since they’d seen each other, although they spoke every week on the phone. Tabi was one of her New York contacts, and she was Tabi’s in Las Vegas. They made a great team. The two friends hugged each other again, rocking from side to side.

Earlier that day, Demi phoned Tabi to invite her out to dinner. Hearing that they would be dining at the Mandrake, Tabi jumped at the opportunity. She had lived in N
ew York for years and had only eaten at the Mandrake twice, both times with Demi. She didn’t feel the need to wait for hours for a table, and then sit doing the same for food, all the while being sized up by the likes of people who didn’t grow up wiping their own asses. No, she spent her money on much better luxuries. Besides, acceptance wasn’t anything she needed. She had something more powerful than that, self-worth. Knowing who you are and how others treat you, was worth more to her than anything else, and so far, everyone in the city knew the name Tabitha Winlock.

“Girl, you look absolutely stunning,” Demi said to her friend. “I did not know I had competition here tonight.”

Tabitha Winlock was a beautiful hazel-eyed woman with killer legs. Her smile lit up any room when she walked into it. Demi had been immediately drawn to Tabi when they first met at a fashion event. In fact, Tabitha was the one who introduced her to Enry. Even after the breakup, though, she and Tabitha remained friends.

After they were
shown to their table, Demi and Tabi caught up on lost times. They talked about politics, entertainment, the stock-market, and, most importantly, fashion. Just as Demi expected, Enry walked up to their table, greeting Tabi first before even looking in her direction. His pretty brown eyes showed his surprise as he did a double take, and then he flashed his pearly whites. He was still a very handsome man.

“Deminis Bradshaw. It has certainly been a long time, girl. I didn’t know you were back in New York.”

The slight lift of his chin told her he wasn’t at all pleased to see her in his city again, especially since he hadn’t been the first one to know. Glancing at her friend, Demi saw Tabi was fighting the urge to grin at Enry’s discomfort. Demi didn’t dare give him the satisfaction of seeing her uncomfortable, and she put on her million-dollar smile.

Enry loosened up a bit, seeing that she was unfazed by his appearance and attitude. Damn, he still loved that woman. He would have to try to keep from making a fool
of himself in front of her and everyone else watching them. He knew he was to blame for ruining her reputation, and for that he was truly sorry. If he had just done things her way, they would be happily married with kid right now. He would get to make love to her each night instead of now only dreaming about it. But, he was forced to fulfill his lustful needs with different women, none of whom could please him for more than a few months. No matter how hard he looked, Enry couldn’t find a woman who held a candle to Demi. She was simply in a league of her own.

“What are you doing here in the Big Apple?” he asked her.

Ignoring Enry’s question, Demi focused her attention on the beautiful blonde sitting at Enry’s table near the rear of the restaurant. The blonde’s eyes locked with hers, and Demi smiled, lifting her glass. The blonde smiled back, lifting her own glass in return. That was a sign that she was not worried about Demi being a threat to her relationship. Demi knew the true character of the man standing at her table, and was almost positive the blonde did too.

Enry was still waiting for Demi to acknowledge his presence. Turning slowly, she looked up at him with a look so endearing, Enry swiftly loosened his tie, as if he was having trouble breathing. Tabi
took a sip from her drink as if to keep from laughing. Demi couldn’t blame her. Despite being a man of power who got everything he wanted, right now Enry Williams looked like a little boy who was told he couldn’t have dessert.

Demi ordered another cranbe
rry juice while Tabi and Enry conversed. She had no interest in joining the conversation. In fact, it was part of her plan. She knew that before she got back to her hotel suite, she would have an invitation to lunch tomorrow from Enry’s date. By the look on his face, he was regretting being there with a date. Before he stood there all night, Demi reminded him that he wasn’t alone. “You may want to join your date. She looks like the type a man shouldn’t piss off, Enry.”

He snapped back to reality. All three
of them glanced toward his table and the blonde woman sitting there alone. She did look pissed, yet unthreatened by his behavior. Enry turned his attention back to Demi.

Demi wasn’t in the mood to deal with drama, and if Enry continued to gawk at her, she
would surely throw the hell up. The nerve of some men, she thought. Enry still only cared of himself. She signaled for the waiter and ordered a bottle of expensive champagne for the blonde, who still set all alone. Enry got the hint and said his good-byes.

Demi’s back was to their table, so Tabitha kept her informed on what was happening. The blonde was having a few choice words with Enry, but he kept looking back at Demi.

“Girl, you still have him drooling. What did you do to that man?” Tabitha was being her usual outspoken self. Demi was enjoying their time together, until she saw another familiar face from her past, this time someone she truly despised.

Linda DeLacey was both rich and successful. She came from a family of old money, which meant she did
not have to work or worry about how to pay her bills for as long as she lived. Hell, her great grand-children and their children wouldn’t have to worry about money either. Linda started out like a mother figure to Demi, but later betrayed her by going after Enry, even though she was old enough to be his mother. The fact that Demi told Linda so much about her and Enry’s relationship had a lot to do with it. That was a great lesson learned. Never tell another woman about the relationship you have with your man, especially sexually. ‘Scandalous Bitch,’ Demi thought.

Every time Demi was away on business, Linda sank her claws deeper into Enry. As a lawyer, Enry was great at m
anipulation himself, but clueless to the fact when it involved a beautiful woman, and pussy as a guaranteed promise. One night he was out with Linda discussing a potential client, when she slipped something in his drink. Thank goodness Demi arrived at his apartment just as Linda was undressing him.

From that day forward, Linda DeLacey tried
with all her power to ruin both Demi and Enry. No one bought into her charade, especially her story of Enry making a pass at her. Linda swore it was all true, but nonetheless moved away from New York to France when she couldn’t go anywhere without people whispering and staring. Now, she was married to a much younger man, who, Tabi had told Demi, was using Linda for her money and contacts to get his business up and running. The word was that when he was able to leave, he would drain her dry.

Linda walked
over to their table and stopped in from of Demi. They smiled at each other, but not with the kindness of old friends. It was a smile of pure disgust, of enemies. Demi would never trust Linda again. As Linda would soon know all too well, she was the last person and only woman on Demi’s list, and was about to meet her final chapter. After the women stared at each other, Linda walked back to her dinner companion. Demi noticed a slight falter in her step, as if their staring contest had unnerved her.

Demi and
Tabi ordered dessert and coffee. The double chocolate molten lava cake was sinful. They shared the rich, delicious dessert, savoring each bite, laughing like schoolgirls. Both women helped fill the void of loneliness they both possessed. They enjoyed themselves that night, because tomorrow was another day, and who knew what tomorrow would bring.

After they promised to get together again before Demi left, Tabitha hailed a cab and went home. Demi walked the seven blocks to the Plaza, enjoying the cool, crisp
night’s air. It also gave her a chance to clear her head. Thoughts of Makei still consumed her, though they mingled now with thoughts of Enry, Linda, and her father.

Why was she thinking of her father? He never loved her, so why was she grieving for him?
He deserved just what he’d got.

Finally arriving back at the hotel, Demi went to her suite and poured a glass of merlot, hoping to relax. Just as she had expected, she received an invitation to lunch from Enry’s dinner date. They had a lot to discuss. Demi
knew exactly what she would do. The information she’d garner from the other woman would be crucial to her plan. The blonde would be her link to Enry’s schedule while she was in the city. It would make her visit easier, and allow her agenda to go smoothly. At this rate, she would be back in Las Vegas sooner rather than later. Although she loved and enjoyed New York, Demi missed being home. She missed Las Vegas. It was her escape to a better life.

After finishing her drink, she took a long bubble bath. Her m
uscles ached from all the traveling and she needed to unwind. The wine helped her relax, along with the bath. Just before she went to sleep, Demi received a call on the hotel phone. To her surprise, it was Enry. He was calling to say he wanted to see her again before she left town. Demi had known he would call, but not so soon. Maybe he would make this easy for her after all. They agreed to have dinner the next night at the Oak Room, the restaurant at the Plaza.