Thanks a Million (11 page)
* * * *
Dana thought about confronting them, but he was more disappointed than angry, so he slipped out of Michelle’s suite as quietly as he’d entered it. Taking the long thirty story trip down the elevator, Dana was devastated. In one day, he’d lost the three women in his life to others.
As he stepped into the lobby from the elevator, his mood brightened as he remembered he’d also gained almost three million dollars. In addition a two million dollar a year job awaited his acceptance in Macau, so how bad could it be.
Without thinking, he headed back to the Diamond Head Lounge. Though her empty glass still adorned the bar, Trudy didn’t. She must have gotten a call from the bell captain or picked someone up. He took a seat and ordered a drink from Fred. He felt her hand on his shoulder as she took her seat before she spoke, “I was hoping you’d come back and keep me company.”
He looked at her and smiled as Fred set his Cutty on the rocks down. “You didn’t leave?” Signing the slip, he said, “Another for Trudy.”
Fred nodded and retrieved her empty glass.
“Only to the lady’s room.”
“Good. I was hoping you’d still be here.”
“Yeah, it seems to be a slow night.” Fred brought her daiquiri and she took a sip through the straw.
“Would you mind if I asked a personal question?”
“Probably, but we’re friends, so go ahead.”
“How did you—“
She finished for him, “become a prostitute? Right?”
He nodded. “Something like that. You seem so articulate and educated.”
“Being a working girl, got me through college. It was supposed to be temporary, but when I got my degree from University of Nevada, there were no jobs to be had, so I went back to school at Cal and got a masters in business. Again there weren’t any jobs and the money doing what I do is damned good, so I’m sorta stuck.” She elbowed his arm. “You know with it being slow, this is a perfect time for me. Are you still looking to celebrate?”
Dana flashed a devilish smile. “I am. Is it true what they say about black women?”
“I dunno, what have you heard?”
“That once you’ve had sex with a black woman, you’re spoiled for sex with anyone else.”
She tittered. “Never having sex with a black woman, I wouldn’t know about that, but I have had plenty of sex with white, black and brown men and you will be the most gorgeous man ever to implant their cock in me.”
Dana laughed, stood and offered Trudy his arm. She took it and they headed toward the lounge entrance.
As they waited at the elevator bank, Dana leaned down and nuzzled his lips against her neck just below her ear. “You know I plan to celebrate for a week. Are you game?”
She snickered. “Ah so you’re after a long term commitment.”
Dana wrinkled his nose as he thought about that? “Maybe I am. Have you ever thought about visiting the Orient?”
The End
Other books by Dee Dawning, you may like.
Chapter One -
Dumped
“Good afternoon, Hollywood Cosmetic Treatment Center, The Stars Best Secret.”
“Hi Bernine. This is Lila. Is my hubby there?”
“Hello, Mrs. Patterson. He’s not here. He left for lunch about noon, like he always does.”
“Really? That’s odd. I’m here waiting for him at the country club. We were supposed to meet here for lunch forty-five minutes ago, but he called me a half hour ago and…”
Whoa! You better watch what you say to the receptionist
.
“Oh well, I’m sure he’ll be along shortly. Thank’s Bernine.”
“You’re welcome.”
If he left an hour ago, why’d he call and tell me he’d be a half hour late, because his appointments ran over.
Hmm. Something fishy is going on here.
“Waiter?”
The handsome, young waiter came over with a smile. “Yes ma’am. Are you ready to order?”
“Not yet. Would you take this wine? I think I’d like something stronger. Bring me a naked lady.”
He smiled and saluted. “Yes ma’am. One naked lady coming up for the pretty lady.”
I smiled as he walked away. Nice ass, too.
Lila!
Sorry.
I didn’t know whether to be worried or mad when Lamar failed to show. After waiting an hour and a half at the country club, I gave up and headed home in my Cadillac Escalade. When I got home, my day went from lousy to
ghastly
. Lamar was standing outside with our friend and lawyer Daniel, directing movers as they loaded furniture, boxes and clothes—
my clothes—
into a moving van.
He’d kept me waiting for almost two hours while he did God knows what and I was pissed! I revved the engine and drove the car, up over the curb across the sidewalk onto the lawn, screeching to a halt a couple yards from my husband and Daniel.
I should’a ran the ‘son of a bitch’ over, but I didn’t know that yet. Daniel saw me coming out of the side of his eye and leapt a couple feet vertically and horizontally, however, Lamar, apparently unperturbed, ignored me and acted as if I wasn’t there. I jumped out of the car, slammed the door and stormed up to Lamar, screeching, “What the fuck is going on?”
“Hi Lila,” Daniel said.
My husband turned to Daniel and growled, “Do it!”
An, aw-shucks, embarrassed look formed on Daniel’s face as he turned to face me. He reached inside his coat pocket and pulled out some papers. “Lila, you and Lamar are both friends of mine, but as Lamar’s attorney, I have to do this.”
I frowned and glared strangely at him. “Do what?”
His hand held the papers out to me. “Serve this divorce petition to you.”
* * * *
Lila crumpled to the ground like a marionette, whose strings had been severed. I glanced at Lamar. “I told you.” I knelt down beside her. “You’re the doctor. Aren’t you going to do something?”
He raised his arms out and collapsed them back against his sides. “She fainted.”
I pressed my fingers and thumb to the inside and outside of her wrist. Thank God she had a pulse. I gazed up at Lamar.
“Well?” he asked.
“She has a pulse.”
“She’ll be all right.”
I pursed my lips to the side of my face. “No thanks to you.”
“Since you’re so concerned for her wellbeing, keep an eye on her, will you? I have to go.”
I nodded. “What you did was cruel, humiliating and unnecessary. I could have had her come into my office and explained everything.”
“I wanted her to know the break was irrevocable. It’s done and I gotta go. Caviar is expecting me.”
I watched as he turned and walked to his shiny white Hummer. It was obvious Lamar’s newfound fame as cosmetic surgery to the stars had gone to his head. This was not the same man who was my friend in college.
* * * *
To my surprise I woke up on the living room divan while Daniel held a cold, wet compress to my head. “Are you all right?”
I forced my eyes to focus on Dan’s smiling face. “I’m too stunned to know.”
He scratched his head. “Lila, you are my friend and I want you to know that serving you with a divorce petition was the worse thing I could think of. Unfortunately, Lamar is my client. I had to give you that petition. It was my job.”
“Don’t remind me,” I snarled as I felt my face gnarl, “Where
is
the snake.”
“He went to see his girlfriend.”
I jerked upright. “Girlfriend? Is that what this is about? He torpedoes my life, I faint and he marches off to see a girlfriend.”
I recognized empathy in his eyes. “Apparently.”
My nostrils flared in reaction to my emotive state. “I busted ass for five years to put that snake through medical school and this is how he repays me.” I shook my head. “I guess I really never knew him.”
“He’s changed. Success has made his head swell. I know this is tough, but you’re better off without him. The three of us go clear back to college, but I always knew you were the nicer person.”
“Thanks Dan.” I hugged him, but felt dizzy, so I lay back against the armrest. “I’ll bet you’d never do anything as seedy as that?”
Dan’s baby blue eyes looked conflicted, he opened his mouth like he wanted to say something, but didn’t.
I pursed my lips. “Humph, I should have married you.”
Dan’s eyes widened. He fidgeted and once again acted as if he would speak, but he remained silent.
My voice sounded whiny as I bemoaned my situation, “What am I going to do? I have no money, no job, no place to live.”
Dan’s hand softly stroked my forehead. “You have your old condo.”
“It’s rented, out.”
“Not anymore. Lamar wouldn’t renew the lease and kicked the tenants out. That’s where your things are being delivered.”
I raised my hands and flared my fingers to emphasize what I was about to impart, “That’s fine, but I still have no job, or money.”
“You’ll get money too. Don’t worry.”
“When? How much?”
“I’ll explain it all to you. Tell me. Not that you could have kept working at the medical office now, but how come you stopped working there?”
I rolled my eyes. “That was Lamar’s idea. He decided, about six months ago, since the practice was doing so well, I should stay at home and join charities. That it looked bad to have the wife working there as if we were barely maki…” I paused while an epiphany took shape in my mind. “Hey! You don’t suppose he wanted me out of there so his philandering ass could fool around with impunity, do you?”
Dan shrugged. “I wouldn’t doubt it. He met his girlfriend three months ago.
“What an asshole. And since I stay home now I was planning on trying to have a baby.”
“Thank your stars, you didn’t.”
I shook my head. “Getting pregnant would have been a project. We were down to having sex once every two or three weeks. How come you’re here, anyway? Won’t your asshole client get mad at you for comforting the enemy?”
“He asked me to make sure you were all right. Besides I wanted to. You always have been one of my favorite people.”
“Aw, that’s sweet.” I sat up and embraced him and when I did, my pulse sped up. I always liked Dan’s looks—dreamy light blue eyes, long handsome face and long sandy brown hair with sun bleached highlights. He even asked me out when we first met. I wanted to do it, but it seemed so risqué back then, going out with a white man, and in the end, I chickened out. Not that there’s anything wrong with dating people of other races. It’s more of a matter of expectations. An overweight, guy might ogle a hot looking slender chick, but he knows it’s not likely they would ever get together, so he doesn’t bother. Besides, nine years ago when I first met Dan, mixed couples weren’t nearly as prevalent as today.
What are you talking about? He just handed you a divorce petition. He’s your future ex-husband’s smarmy lawyer. He’s the friggen enemy.
No, he’s not. He’s Daniel, my friend. True he introduced me to asshole, but I asked him to. “What now?”
“I’d like to talk to you.”
“We’re talking now.”
He glanced around. “In a more comfortable setting. Why don’t we go the condo? You could tell the movers where you want everything and then we could talk.”
“All right. Do you remember where it is?”
“Ah-huh. Karen and I used to hang…” Dan blanched. “I’ll meet you there.”
When I got there, the three movers were leaving. They’d set the furniture in acceptable locations. But a dozen or so boxes needed to be unpacked and my clothes were thrown in a heap on the queen sized bed. I hung the clothes up in the closet, set the rest of my clothes in the dresser and began to unpack boxes. It was hard to swallow, but while I settled in to the home Lamar and I had lived in for five years after marrying, he was off to see his girlfriend—most likely fucking like bunnies. There had to have been signs.
How did I miss them?
Dan showed up to help and we finished by five-thirty. I was tired, but on edge. Dan said he was hungry and offered to buy me dinner. After what happened to me that day, food was the last thing I thought of, but I did feel like having a drink or two or five or ten.
