Inner Circle (33 page)

As she slowly eased her truck out of the Forum parking lot, Eve couldn’t help but think how ironically apropos the location had been. She and Jackie had sparred like verbal gladiators, and while her mission had been accomplished, somehow she didn’t feel quite so victorious after all.

29

“. . . and
I told his monkey ass that if he insisted on playing with fire, his ass was eventually going to get burned. But did he listen?” Brandon rattled on. “Hell, no! Instead, he went ahead and fucked ole girl without a condom. And
bam!
Chile, her coochie burned him so bad his dick is still smoking.”

Eve found herself laughing at Brandon’s morning dose of daily gossip. Since the Leopards had advanced to the National Bowl Championship game, Eve had been working a lot from home, allowing Brandon the opportunity to come over to her house and dish his dirt to her face-to-face rather than having to do it over the phone.

“I’ve told you about getting in other people’s business, Brandon. You better be careful before you talk yourself into some serious trouble. The partners at the firm don’t play that meddling nonsense,” Eve warned, handing Brandon a stack of finished files.

“I don’t go looking for this shit, Mrs. Eve; they bring this bull crap to me. Besides, I have no desire to go and work for one of those stiff-ass partners. I’m perfectly content working for you,” Brandon stated.

“I just want you to have options, Brandon. What are you going to do when I’m no longer with the agency?”

“Oh my goodness! Oh my Laaaaawd! Mrs. Eve,
please
tell me you’re not thinking of leaving the agency. If you leave, I’ma die.” Brandon faked hyperventilating. “I just bought a new condo, and I’m still paying off my damn student loans. And don’t even get me started on what I owe on my Neiman’s card.” Now Brandon started fanning himself.

“Where else am I gonna find a job where I only work thirty hours a week and make over eighty thousand dollars a year?”

“You make over eighty thousand dollars a year—working for me?” Eve quizzed.

Brandon pretended to faint backward on the couch. “Oh, Lawd!”

“Stop being dramatic,” Eve demanded. “I’m not leaving tomorrow. I’m just saying.”

“What are you saying? Are you saying you’re planning on leaving me? When? Why?” he whined.

Eve shook her head, rose from the couch, and walked into the kitchen. She grabbed a bottle of water from the refrigerator, opened it, and took a swig.

“Well, I wasn’t going to say anything until we actually officially starting trying, however, I guess now is as good a time as any.” Eve took another sip of her water, then continued. “Chase and I have decided to start a family.”

“Awwwwwwww, Mrs. Eve!” Brandon squealed. “Oh, girl, that’s wonderful! And it’s about time too. Hell, I’m surprised you and Chase waited this long to have some babies. Fine as Chase is, I’d be like a freakin’ garden. And honey, he could spread his seed
wherever
he wanted.”

“All right, now!” Eve said playfully. “Don’t be fanaticizing about my man’s seed,” she laughed. “But seriously, I would never leave you high and dry. I’d make sure you were straight before I’d ever even consider resigning.”

“Whew! Thank you, Miss Girl, ‘cause you already know . . .” he said, pretending to wipe his forehead.

Eve positioned herself on the couch and flipped on the TV.

“What are you doing?” Brandon quizzed. “We’ve still got ten files to finish, and I was hoping to get out of here in time to get myself a quick mani and pedi.”

“Boy,” Eve said playfully, “I’ll make sure you get out of here in time, but Jackie’s exclusive interview with Carmen Garza is about to come on. I promised her I’d be watching,” she said, flipping through the channels until she landed on KTEL.

“I forgot Jackie was your home girl,” Brandon said sitting down next to Eve. “I’ve always wondered how she managed to get all those juicy exclusives. Girl, I heard people have been promising their firstborn child in an effort to get an interview with that Tresses model since she was attacked.”

“What can I say? Jackie has a way with women,” Eve grinned.

“Well, chile, whatever she’s doing, she needs to keep it up. Hell, Jackie’s the only reason I even bother to watch the news.” Brandon focused his attention on the seventy-two inch television screen that nearly covered the wall in Eve’s den. “Oh, girl, there she is . . . turn it up!” Brandon shouted.

“We interrupt this program to bring you a KTEL special report with Jackie O’Conner . . .”

“Good evening, I’m Jackie O’Conner, and today, I’m bringing you an exclusive interview with supermodel and Tresses spokeswoman Carmen Garza. If you recall, KTEL was first to break the story of Ms. Garza’s savage attack a few months back, and since then, there has been an ongoing investigation and search to find her attacker. Ms. Garza was not only brutally beaten, but her legendary locks were cut off during the attack, leaving her bald and in jeopardy of losing her multimillion-dollar endorsement deal. This bizarre story received both national and international attention and left the world in wonder as to who could have
possibly done something so heinous to the young model. While there was a great deal of speculation surrounding the attack, several sources suggested Ms. Garza’s assault could have been motivated by revenge. There has been a slew of reports linking Ms. Garza romantically to several Hollywood A-listers, including Bradley Cooper, Idris Elba, George Clooney, A-Rod, and most recently, Los Angeles soccer sensation Drew Peteers.”

“Whaaaaat? Girl, did you know Carmen was banging Drew Peteers?” Brandon asked rolling his neck. “Between him and David Beckham, ooooooh, chile, I’d like to be the piece of meat at the center of that soccer sandwich.”

“Shhhhhhh!” Eve ordered.

“Oh no, you
didn’t,
” Brandon said rolling his eyes. “You better be glad I want to hear this.”

“It’s been speculated that the married soccer star’s wife, Callie Peteers has been questioned by the police in conjunction with the attack. It’s been alleged that upon finding out about her husband’s affair, Mrs. Peteers took matters into her own hands and attacked Carmen as a way of sending her a message about messing with her man.”

“I told you!” Brandon shouted out. “I knew that little hussy had pissed off someone’s wife. But Mrs. Callie shut a bitch down . . . I see you, boo-boo! I-See-You!”

Eve could hardly contain herself. She looked over at Brandon who was waving his hand in the air but didn’t say a word. She didn’t want to encourage him.

“Now, my fans know that I pride myself on reporting the good, the bad, and the ugly, and as a fellow athlete’s wife,
I understand the frustrations of media speculation and the strain that it can cause on a marriage, which is why I took it upon myself to reach out to Ms. Garza so she could set the record straight once and for all.”

Carmen appeared on screen sporting a fierce Halle Berry-inspired hairstyle and wearing a chic mustard-colored wrap atop a black, long sleeve fitted shirt. Her faux leather pants fit like a glove as she sat casually in the chocolate-colored gold-studded chair opposite of Jackie. It was obvious that Carmen had seen a plastic surgeon post-attack because her face was not only scar-free but also foundationally flawless with the perfect amount of rich purple and gold hues accenting her eyes and cheeks.

“Daaaaaaaaamn! Even after a beat down and a buzz cut that bitch still looks good,” Brandon praised Carmen’s new look. “Hell, I thought she looked hot with long hair, but I don’t know . . . she’s rocking the hell out of that short hair.”

“Ms. Garza’s alleged relationship with Drew Peteers hit the wire by storm, and today, she’s here to discuss the details of her involvement with Mr. Peteers. Let me be the first to say that I’ve already spoken to Ms. Garza, and the information she’s about to reveal may come as a shock. In her first live interview ever, we welcome Ms. Garza to our KTEL studios. Ms. Garza . . .”

Eve watched as Jackie stood up to greet Carmen. She noticed that their chemistry was awkward yet familiar.

“I can’t stand it!” Brandon exclaimed. “I wonder what she has to say.”

“Shhhhh!” Eve stated again.

“Okay, Mrs. Eve, shush me again, here!” Brandon said matter-of-factly.

Eve laughed giving Brandon a sympathetic wink. “You know I’m just playing with you,” she teased. “But seriously, I need you keep the commentary to a minimum.”

“Shhhhh!” Brandon fired back playfully.

Carmen’s smile was subtle as she turned to Jackie.

“Thank you for coming, Ms. Garza,” Jackie greeted.

“Thank you having me,” Carmen said politely.

“Let’s just dive right in, shall we? Now, during the pre-interview, you made a startling revelation to me regarding your relationship with soccer sensation Drew Peteers. Explain to our viewers the nature of that relationship.”

“I met Drew Peteers during a photo shoot. Drew had just signed on to be the face of the Tresses for Men Hair Care line, and as the company’s official spokesperson, it was my job to welcome him to the company and kind of show him the ropes. Throughout the course of us working together, I grew very fond of Mr. Peteers and assumed the feeling was mutual. But I was wrong,” Callie admitted.

“So just for clarity, are you saying you made advances toward Mr. Peteers that weren’t returned?”

“I’m saying that I allowed myself to read more into something than I should have. I did initiate a sexual relationship with Drew; however, he respectfully declined my offer. However, rather than accept his decision, I took it upon myself to pursue him more aggressively.”

“Is it safe to say you became obsessed with Mr. Peteers?” Jackie pressed.

“Yes,” Carmen replied shamefully.

“Oh hell, no!” Brandon interrupted. “It never fails. The pretty ones are always the crazies. Look at Halle Berry, Jennifer Lopez, and Denise Richards. All beautiful, and I hear all cuckoo for Cocoa Puffs crazy.”

“For years, I’ve struggled with an addictive personality. I started taking antidepressants when I was fifteen shortly after my father died and formed a habit that I couldn’t break. I began mixing medications to numb the pain I was feeling, and before I knew it, I was hooked.”

“Did your addiction to pain medication play a part in your attack?”

“It did. I’ve hidden my addiction for years now. I’ve been embarrassed to admit that I have a problem.”

“Tell us about the night of your attack,” Jackie asked sympathetically.

“I forced myself on Drew. Repeatedly he refused me and went home to be with his wife and his kids. I spun out of control, took a handful of pills, shaved my head, and attempted to drive. Apparently, I . . . ummm . . . hit a pole, and when I came to, I realized what I had done, so I panicked and made up the story about being attacked.”

“We’ve obtained photos taken of you leaving the OC Body Repair Shop and after speaking to the shop’s owner, he does confirm your story. Why the cover-up?”

Jackie and Carmen studied the photo of Carmen leaving the auto body shop.

“Fear,” Carmen acknowledged.

“So you were never attacked?”

“No,” Carmen admitted as if she’d been coached to perfection.

“And the affair between you and Drew Peteers never happened?”

“That is correct,” she replied.

“So what happens to you now?”

“I’ve accepted a plea deal with the district attorney’s office as it relates to me falsifying information on a police report. Instead of jail time, I’ve agreed to enter into a drug
rehabilitation center, and upon completion, I’ll serve six months of probation.”

“What about the Peteers family? I know Drew’s wife Callie Peteers was questioned by the police as it relates to your attack. What do you have to say to them?”

“Addiction is a tragic, tragic problem. I pray that the Peteers family can find it in their hearts to forgive me for any pain that my actions may have caused their family.”

Eve smiled. “Perfect,” she stated aloud as she listened to Carmen’s apology to Callie.

“Any final words?” Jackie summarized.

“I like to thank all of my fans for their support. I’d especially like to thank the entire staff at Tresses Hair Care for continuing to support me while I get help for my disease.”

“You mean this bitch gets to keep her damn job?” Brandon shouted at the TV.

“On behalf of KTEL, I’d like to thank you for coming here today and having the courage to tell the truth about what happened. Our thoughts and prayers will be with you while you enter rehab on your journey to become healthy and whole.” Jackie turned from Carmen and looked directly into the camera.

“Thank you for watching, America. This is Jackie O’Conner with another KTEL exclusive.”

“Whew, chile! I wasn’t ready for all that! Your girl Jackie is amazing.”

“She’s something,” Eve agreed with a grin, wondering how Jackie managed to pull this entire interview off. When she informed Eve that she would handle the situation with Carmen, she never expected
this. Even with the threat of personal exposure, Jackie didn’t budge. She simply looked Eve in the eye and stood her ground. As much as Eve hated to admit it, Jackie was right; the two of them were more alike than she’d thought. Like Jackie, Eve would do whatever was necessary to protect the things and people she loved. As twisted as it may have seemed, the ladies made a deal. Today’s interview with Carmen proved the lengths that Jackie would go to do her part, and Eve knew that the expectation for her to hold up her end of the bargain would now be greater than ever.