Chapter 19
Deena was emotionally exhausted by the time she finished telling Tamika the entire story, leaving out a few parts for good measure. She usually told Tamika every last detail of her dates, but something about her time with Jake seemed too special to reduce to gossip. Or the sting of losing him was just too fresh. She had a hard time pinpointing the reasons.
Long before seven that night, Deena crawled into bed, much too tired to keep her eyes open. Tamika had stayed by her side while she fell to sleep, and when Deena woke up, Tamika was curled up on the chaise lounge in the corner, sound asleep.
Well-rested and too antsy to stay home all day, Deena decided to go to work Monday morning instead of using the money Jake had stashed in her bag to take the day off. She promised herself that she would take Tuesday off.
Tuesday came and went, and by Friday, she’d worked the entire week. She knew she was doing it to fill her time so she wouldn’t sit home and wallow in her misery, but she wasn’t about to admit it.
It’s good to have extra money as a cushion, she told herself. She paid off her insurance for the year, paid all her bills ahead two months, then put the remaining thousand dollars into her savings account. Jake had meant to give her a day off so she could breathe, but this way was much better for Deena.
Tamika didn’t bring Jake up again after that first night. She knew Deena, and she knew when her friend needed some time to deal with her feelings. But the steady stream of customers coming out of the woodworks wanted to know what she’d done all weekend while she was in hiding, and Deena was grateful to Tamika for redirecting their attentions elsewhere.
Her last customer of the week was walking out of the salon Friday when Tamika sat down in one of the chairs, clearly exhausted.
“What a week,” she said.
“It was. You’ve been on your feet all day. Why don’t you go home, and I’ll finish sweeping up?”
“You don’t have to do that.”
“I want to. You took care of me; let me take care of you. I’ll see you tomorrow.”
“Are you going out tonight?”
Deena laughed, the sound bubbling up and out of her mouth before she knew it was coming.
“After what happened last week, I think I’ll pass.”
“Have you heard from Jake?”
Deena turned solemn.
“No, but I didn’t expect to. He has a lot going on. Taking down a corrupt politician and a hitwoman who evaded the FBI for two decades takes a lot of work. The trial could drag on for years.”
“But she’s not making bail, right?”
“No. They had it on the news Tuesday night. Pat Barkman and Carter Oakfield are both being held without bail. The judge has already told their lawyers not to waste their time appealing.”
“I’m sure Mrs. Oakfield is beside herself.”
“She’s playing the part, from what I’ve seen. I have a feeling that she’s putting on a brave face for the cameras and quietly divorcing him in the meantime.”
“Do you blame her?”
“Not one bit. The devastation on her face was real when they waltzed into the church and removed him in handcuffs.”
“I guess it’s good that they had a special guest that day or he would have already been to his office and he would have known to run.”
“It all worked out just the way it was supposed to.”
Except for one thing, Deena thought, then pushed that thought aside. She was bitter, but her heart hurt a little bit less every day. She wasn’t going to wallow in her anger and let it ruin her weekend. She had plans, and for once, they had nothing to do with partying. It was going to be a long time before she felt safe going out at night again.
Deena smiled at Tamika, knowing that her friend had noticed her falling silent. Deena had been doing it a lot as she worked through things and continued to work, but she was starting to feel more like herself, and she knew that this time next week, everything that had happened would be a distant memory.
“Go home, Tamika. I’ll lock up and see you tomorrow sometime.”
“Alright,” Tamika said, hugging Deena then scurrying out of the salon before Deena changed her mind about cleaning up alone.
Tamika hated cleaning up, but she was too good of a friend to leave Deena doing it alone most days.
She finished sweeping up, then used the electric mop on the floor. She spent almost an hour on it, carefully cleaning every inch of the floor until it gleamed, in no hurry to go back to her empty apartment. With nothing to wake up for in the morning, she wasn’t as excited for the weekend as she would usually be.
The bell chimed over the door, and she hurriedly put away the electric mop as she called out over her shoulder.
“We’re closed. You can call for an appointment on Monday.”
“I didn’t think I needed an appointment.”
Deena froze, the smooth, familiar voice caressing her from across the room. She turned, every emotion imaginable running through her all at once.
Jake stood in the doorway, his tender smile taking her breath away. He was just as handsome as she remembered, and her heart skipped a beat. She knew he was really there, but seeing him in the doorway with the late afternoon sun casting golden light across his face made everything seem surreal.
He stayed in the doorway, watching her and waiting. She wanted to run into his arms, to fling herself at him and hold him and never let go, but she had no idea why he was there. Had he changed his mind about the car? Or was he there for some other reason?
“Say something, Deena. Please,” he said when she stood there without speaking.
“Why are you here?” she asked, afraid to get her hopes up.
His smile widened.
“That’s my girl,” he said. “Straight to the point and no frills. I’m here because I made a promise, and I never go back on my word.”
“You can have the car back if you need it,” she blurted out, secretly hoping he would turn her down.
She loved that car, and driving anything else after experiencing it would be a tragedy.
“I don’t need the car,” he said. “I told you, it was a gift. I was hoping you would take some time off too, but I see that your work ethic is just as strong as you are.”
“I decided to get ahead instead of taking time off.”
“I’m not surprised.”
“So, if you’re not here about the car, what are you here about?”
“Do you remember what I said while we were in the hotel?”
I remember every moment, she thought, but she shook her head instead.
“I told you I would take you on a real date, and I’m here to do just that.”
“I’m not dressed for dinner.”
“I’m not taking you for dinner.”
Her heart fluttered. Was he serious?
“I don’t know if I can leave for that long.”
“I’ll give you double what you would have made.”
“I’m not about that.”
“Deena, I want to show you the world you deserve. You’ve worked hard for everything you have; let me spoil you. It’s only a week.”
She closed her eyes, trying to convince herself that it was a bad idea. She had responsibilities and a life to lead. She couldn’t be living a fairytale, even if it was only for a week.
“You know what? Screw it. Yes. Let’s do it.” She opened her eyes. “I’ll go with you.”
“Perfect. Let’s get packed up, and we’ll leave right away.”
She looked at the clock.
“Do you think we can book a flight and make it in time? Maybe we should leave in the morning?”
“Just trust me. Go home and pack and get ready for a nice dinner, and I’ll pick you up in an hour.”
“An hour? I’m not going to be packed by then.”
“What do you need to pack?”
“Clothes, toiletries, you know, my things.”
“Skip the clothes,” he said, and her stomach clenched.
She remembered what he’d said about clothes.
“I’m packing clothes,” she said defiantly.
He shrugged.
“You do what you want. I’ll see you in an hour.”
He leaned over and kissed her cheek, then left almost as quickly as he’d appeared. She looked at the clock, then hurried to lock up and get home. The clock was already ticking, and she had a lot to do.
She knocked on Tamika’s window when she got home, waiting impatiently for her friend to come to the door.
“What’s up?” Tamika asked.
“I’m going out of town for a week, and I need help.”
“Are you in danger?” Tamika asked, looking panicked.
“What? No. Jake came to the salon, and he’s taking me on that real date he promised.”
“For a week?”
“That’s the plan.”
“That’s one hell of a date.”
“I have an hour to get ready, and I need your help.”
“I’m on it. What do you need?”
“I need you to pack for me, and I was wondering if I can borrow your dress.”
“The dress?”
“Yep.”
Tamika’s eyes widened, and she smiled.
“You can have it,” she laughed. “I have a feeling I’m not going to want it back when you’re done with it.”
“Shut your mouth,” Deena laughed. “I’m going to hop in the shower. I’ll leave the door unlocked.”
“I’ll be up in a hot minute,” Tamika said, all but singing as she went down the hall to get the dress.
Deena was in the shower and out in record time, but when she looked at the clock, she was down to her last fifteen minutes. Walking around her room in a towel, she checked out the clothes Tamika had packed. A generous mix of Deena’s clothes and some of Tamika’s, she would have a different swimsuit to wear each day, and a dinner outfit for each night. She hoped it was enough, but Jake hadn’t been very forthcoming with information on what they would be doing and what she needed to bring.
She half believed that he really was going to confiscate her clothes, and she wasn’t even mad about it.
Tamika helped her into the slinky dress with a slit that went up to her thigh on each side. It was a warm, deep red with wide straps and a plunging neckline.
“You’re going to have to skip the bra,” Tamika said. “Do you have any panties in black or red?”
“Doesn’t matter.”
“What?”
“I’m not planning on wearing any.”
Tamika sucked in a breath, then shook her head.
“You’re playing with fire,” she said.
“You’re right,” Deena laughed. “But I can’t think of a man I’d rather go down in flames with. I’ve dreamt of a vacation on a tropical island with a billionaire. I’m not about to let this opportunity pass me by.”
A knock sounded at the door, and both women jumped, then looked at each other. Tamika hugged Deena close, then held her at arm’s length and smiled.
“I know you’re going to be fine, but be careful.”
“I will.”
“I’ll see you when you get back.”
Deena opened the door, surprised to see a smartly dressed man she didn’t recognize standing there.
“I’m here for Ms. Deena Harris,” the man said. “Mister Berrington is waiting at the car.”
Deena turned and looked at Tamika, who gave her a thumbs-up in encouragement.
“That’s me,” she said.
The man took her bag, and Deena followed him out of the apartment and into the parking lot.
A stretch limo waited for her, and Jake stood by the back door with it held open. When he saw her, his lips parted in surprise. She knew then that she’d picked the right dress for the occasion.
“You look stunning,” he said, helping her into the limo while the driver loaded her bag. “I’m also impressed to see that you only packed one bag.”
“I wasn’t sure about the bottle sizes on my toiletries.”
“It doesn’t matter.”
“Really? What about security?”
“Also, not an issue.”
“Must be nice.”
“You have no idea, but you will.”
His hand was on her thigh, his eyes on her. He leaned in and captured her mouth with his. The kiss was short and sweet, and her heart fluttered long after his lips had left hers. She was nervous and excited all at once.
“Where are we going for dinner?”
“The airport,” he said, laughing when she looked at him in shock.
“Is there a whole world in plain sight that I just don’t know about?”
“Something like that,” he laughed. “Don’t worry, I’m going to show you my world, and I’m going to rock yours while I’m at it.”