The Southern Nights Series Read online

  I drop my head in my hands at a loss.

  My phone rings in my pocket, again. It’s been doing that a lot. It’s Kam. I’ve ignored every call. Pulling the phone out, I hand it to my mother. “Can you flush this down the toilet?” She straightens, taking the phone robotically. She ignores the call and then stands. “I have a much better idea.” I watch as she walks in and then out of the bathroom, before shutting the door. “I didn’t flush it, but I did hide it,” she informs me as she opens the mini fridge and pulls out a bottle of champagne and a small container of orange juice. “Mimosas make everything better.” She pops the champagne cork. The mouth of the bottle smokes a bit. My mother mixes two drinks, both heavy on the bubbly, then plops down beside me. I take the glass more than willingly.

  For the next several hours, we binge watch bad TV, eat all the bad things, and polish off two more bottles of champagne.

  I’m still completely miserable, but being with my mom somehow makes the pain bearable.

  “Mom,” I mutter against her shoulder.

  “Mmm?”

  “Thanks.”

  She kisses my head. “It’s what I’m here for.”

  “I sort of wish you were here all the time.” I know I shouldn’t have said that, but it’s the truth. Spending these last few weeks with my mom, basically having her on demand, has made me realize how much I love having her in my life.

  “What if I was?” she fishes. I raise my head off her shoulder.

  “What if you were, what?”

  “I was going to talk to you at breakfast, but then the world ended, so I thought it would be better discussed at a later time.”

  “What would be?” I push.

  “Me, staying in New York permanently.”

  “Really? No more traveling?” I perk up.

  “Very little. The company wants to stand up a new international office in midtown. They want to bring the clientele here, to the US, and have asked me repeatedly to run it. I’ve always said no, but being here with you, helping you plan your wedding, seeing how much I’ve missed.” She shrugs. “I was thinking maybe it’s time to hang up my suitcase for a while.”

  My eyes water for the umpteenth time today. “I think I would love that.”

  Is it possible to lose someone you love and gain someone you love all in one day? I’m not sure how much more my heart can take. Right now, it’s being held together with duct tape.

  “I don’t know what to do about Kam,” I confess. “I have to go home, but I don’t want to see him.” I’ve been fretting about this all day. “My presentation is tomorrow. I need clothes.” Luckily my portfolio is in the office. “I can’t show up in jeans.” I know if I go home, World War III will break out, and I just can’t afford to be emotionally shipwrecked right now. I need to keep it together, at least until after the presentation. My relationship can fall to shit after that. Not that I want it to.

  At all.

  Kam and I worked so hard to build this life, I don’t understand why he would just throw it all away.

  The thought of him with another woman makes my stomach hurt. It’s exactly the same feeling I got when I saw him come out of the storage closet with Darcy in high school. He was innocent then, maybe he’s innocent now? Maybe there’s a logical explanation? Maybe I’ve lost half my damn mind? He has a hickey. The evidence is there. I can’t stop myself from wondering how many other women he’s been with, and I can’t get Monique’s voice out of my head. “Everything is all wonderful in the beginning.” Her French accent drips with disdain. “You have kids, a beautiful home, the American dream, so you say. Then you find out it’s all a ruse. A scam, because your wonderful husband has been cheating on you the whole time. You are the fool and everyone knew it but you.”

  “Well, you know the great thing about having a power CEO for a mother?” My mom gets up off the couch and drags me with her. All the way into the bedroom. “Her wardrobe.” She opens her closet. It’s stuffed with all kinds of amazing clothes. She grabs a hanger and pulls out a suit. “This is my favorite. Always brings me luck, and it looks just about your size.” She smiles as she holds up the black Versace jumpsuit to my body.

  “In this outfit, you can run the world.” The corporate shark circles and flails.

  “I don’t feel like I could run around the block right now.”

  “You will. You’re my daughter. All you know is how to survive. I couldn’t be prouder of the woman you’ve become. I wish I could take more credit for it.”

  “I give you plenty of credit.” I hug her. “Even though you weren’t there, you always knew what to say.”

  “I’m glad I did one thing right.” Hearing my mom divulge insecurities is somewhat odd. She barely ever shows weakness, but ever since she came back into town, she’s been different. More maternal, softer, approachable. I like this side of her. I like that she can be strong and soft all at the same time. It’s exactly how I want to be.

  “Do you know what would make you the best mom in the world?”

  “No, what?”

  “If you’d let me have chocolate cake for dinner.”

  She sighs dramatically. “Just this once. And I know the perfect place to order from.”

  Kam blew up my phone all night. And all morning. I can’t talk to him right now. I’m too nervous to think about anything but this meeting, and the slightest distraction will no doubt throw me off my game. I want to impress my bosses, not dissolve into an emotional mess because I had a fight with my fiancé. I want to be able to block it all out and get shit done.

  Sitting at a rectangular table by the front window in a trendy little restaurant in midtown I nervously present my idea to Tom and Joe, the owners of the company, and my bosses. They’re a gay power couple who have a sharp eye for design and forward way of thinking when it comes to business. It’s part of the reason I wanted to work for them so badly. Their buildings and décor spoke to me on so many levels. They inspired me while studying at college, and when I applied for an internship, I never in a million years thought I would get it. But I did.

  Tom and Joe sit causally across from me in designer suits sipping espresso as I show them the AutoCAD design for the entryway and lobby.

  “I know the building has a very conservative feel, but I think if we incorporated a water feature and cascading florals, it will complement the high-end aspect and add a welcoming feel.”

  I show them the placement of the three-story water wall and bright climbing florals that will grow naturally on each side. The building has an abundance of natural light, so the water will sparkle and the plants will thrive.

  Tom and Joe both nod their heads as I speak, but their attention is distracted. They keep looking over my shoulder. It’s nerve-wracking as hell. It feels like my attempts are failing. I want to panic, but I don’t. I just keep going, hoping I say something that will spark their interest. That doesn’t look like it’s happening, though.

  Tom puts his cup down, and it clanks on the small saucer. “Is that Martel Lewis, Rodney Pines, and Landon Knobs signing autographs outside?” He asks, perplexed. I whip my head around to find a small crowd gathering outside the restaurant as all three of them sign autographs. What in the hell?

  When Landon spots me spying, he slides over to the glass and taps on it, beckoning me outside. I’m sure I turn white. The biggest business meeting of my short career and it’s being crashed by three of Kam’s teammates. If he put them up to this, I swear . . .

  I turn back to my bosses and smile uncomfortably. I decide to ignore the spectacle outside. I’ll deal with it later, but it turns out, pretending it’s not there is easier said than done.

  There’s another tap on the window, and then a muted “Laney! We need to talk to you.”

  That embarrassed smile is plastered to my face. This is a fucking nightmare.

  “Maybe you should see what they want, Laney,” Tom suggests. I glance back; the crowd is getting bigger and my frustration is growing just as fast.

  “
Maybe I should. I am terribly sorry, I’ll just be a minute.” I hope.

  I speed walk through the restaurant in the four-inch heels my mom let me borrow. I wonder if anything like this has ever happened at one of her business meetings? Probably not.

  I burst out the front door into the chilly February morning, grateful the jumpsuit came with a matching blazer.

  “What in the hell are the three of you doing here?” There is a fake smile on my face and real pissed off tone in my voice.

  “Laney, we need to talk to you,” Telly informs me.

  “Right now? While I’m with my bosses?” All four of us look through the window. Tom and Joe are watching our every move. Rodney smiles and waves, and they both return the gesture. I want to scream.

  “Look, we really needed to talk to you.” Telly puts his arm around me and starts walking down the street.

  “Hey, guys! We’ll finish autographs in just a sec, but we need to talk to this pretty lady first!” Rodney voices from behind me. A police officer approaches just as we make it to the corner. “Officer, a little help, please,” Telly requests. “We’re not trying to cause a traffic jam, but we do need to have an important conversation in private.” The officer nods with understanding, and I hear him announce something to the following crowd as the four of us duck into a hotel lobby. Inside, there are several different hallways leading to street exits. They seem to know exactly where they’re going because they steer me down one that is tucked away and empty.

  “Been here before?” I ask briskly.

  “Couple times. You can book by the hour.” Rodney provides way too much information.

  Someone, please, save me.

  “What do you guys want?” I cut right to the chase. “Did Kam send you?” Because I’m gonna kill him.

  “No, he didn’t send us, but he did tell us what happened. And we want to set the record straight,” Telly explains.

  “There’s nothing to set straight. Kam cheated on me. It’s all over social media. At your bachelor party.” I shoot laser beams at him.

  “That’s just it. He didn’t,” Telly immediately shoots back, as if I’d believe him.

  “Of course, you’re going to say that. You’re his boys. You would do anything for him,” I argue adamantly.

  “That’s exactly right,” Rodney jumps in, realizing just how self-incriminating that statement was. “What I mean is, yes, we would do anything for him, and that’s why we’re here. Not to cover anything up. To uncover the truth.” He is very proud of his backpedaling.

  “What the hell are you talking about?” My patience is running thin. I’m stressed, I’m tired, and I’m heartbroken. I just want to go back to my mom’s and drown myself in a gallon of ice cream. The last thing I need are these jokers making my life more complicated.

  “Kam didn’t cheat. Yes, we went to a strip club Saturday night, and yes, some of the guys went home with a girl.”

  “Or two girls,” Landon adds.

  Dear Lord.

  Telly fires a death stare at Landon before he continues. “Regardless of how many girls the other guys went home with, Kam had zero interest in any of them. He sat in the corner all night just sipping on beer. No lap dances, no nothing.”

  I cross my arms and glare at Telly. Does he think I am a complete idiot? “Telly, there is a hickey the size of a black hole on Kam’s neck. Do you honestly expect me to believe that bullshit story?”

  “Yes!” all three of them answer, andI lean back warily.

  “We expect you to believe it, because it’s the truth. Kam doesn’t know we’re here, and he’d probably kill us if he found out, but we wanted to tell you in person that it’s all Landon’s fault.” Rodney throws Landon right under the bus.

  “Hey, if you didn’t ride my ass during golf, I wouldn’t have gotten so pissed off and almost decapitated Kam. So, if it’s anyone’s fault, it’s yours.”

  “‘Scuse me? Did you just say you almost decapitated my fiancé?”

  “Yes!” Telly throws up his hands animatedly. “This is what we are trying to tell you. That hickey on Kam’s neck you think came from a stripper really came from a sixty-mile-an-hour golf ball.”

  I have heard it all. I stare Telly down. “How long did it take the three of you to come up with that lame story?”

  “It’s not a story.” Rodney pulls out his phone. “Look, I have a timeline.” He starts scrolling through pictures. “Here’s one on the plane. No hickey. And here is us at dinner Friday night, no hickey. And here is us in the hotel room early Saturday morning before golf.” That picture is a close-up of Kam lying on the bed, his neck clearly visible, and also someone’s naked ass cheeks.

  “I never need to see that picture again.” I close my eyes. What is it about athletes and their free-range nakedness?

  “Okay, and here we are on hole one and, look, then again on hole four right after Landon tried to decapitate Kam.”

  Kam is sitting on the back of a golf cart with a perturbed look on his face and a handful of ice to his neck. The next picture is the real evidence. A shot of Kam’s bruised neck. The exact place the incriminating hickey is.

  “Look.” Rodney enlarges the picture. “You can even see the golf ball divots in his skin.”

  “Oh, shit.” My stomach drops as I inspect the image.

  “Laney, Kam would never, ever cheat on you. There are a lot of dogs in the league, but Kam is not one of them. He is disgustingly crazy about you. I can’t tell you how many times the guys talk about some honey, bragging about how gorgeous she is, and Kam always says no one is as beautiful as his Lemon. No one is as funny, or sexy, or smart, or strong, or . . .”

  “Okay, I got it,” I cut Rodney off. “I’m perfect.”

  “Kam definitely thinks so.” Telly puts his hands on my shoulders. “Chris and I have gone through the exact same thing. The media likes to stir the pot. You can’t believe everything they report.”

  “Most of what they report.” Rodney snorts.

  “I usually don’t. I trust Kam. But when I saw physical evidence I sort of lost it.”

  “We understand. We know how it rolls.” Telly smiles. His dark eyes are as warm as his sentiment. “This life isn’t easy, and when you find a solid person to be with, you don’t fuck it up.”

  “Speaking from experience?”

  “You know it.” The large diamond studs in his ears wink at me under the fluorescent lights.

  “I guess I should call him back, huh?”

  “I would go see in him in person. He’s torn up,” Telly advises. Shit.

  “He’s that bad?” I bite my lip.

  “Oh, yeah,” he breathes out. “’Bout as bad as a catastrophic disaster.”

  After profusely apologizing to my bosses, I made amends for the botched breakfast by letting them finish the meal with Landon, Telly, and Rodney. Tom and Joe were loving life when I left. Sometimes knowing people in high places can really help you save face.

  I rush up the front stairs to our condo and barrel inside just to run smack dab into Kam in the foyer. We literally collide. He grabs me just before I fall flat on my ass and an awkward moment passes.

  “Laney!”

  “Hi.” I look up at him as I dangle in his arms. He pulls me into a hug and buries his face in my neck. I dissolve. All the pain and anguish and hurt melts away as Kam holds me tight.

  “I didn’t know if you were coming back,” he mumbles against my skin.

  “I wasn’t going to, but you have some really, really loyal teammates and friends.” Kam separates us just enough so he can look into my eyes. His are glassy and bloodshot and rimmed with dark circles. I don’t think he slept a wink last night. I provide an answer to his questioning expression. “Telly, Landon, and Rodney crashed my business breakfast this morning.” Horror mars his handsome face.

  “They did what?”

  “Don’t freak out. I handled that for both of us.” I place my hands on his hard chest. “They showed up, made a spectacle in front of the res
taurant, accidentally of course, then demanded I hear them out. So, I did.”

  “They told you what happened? On the golf course?”

  “Yes, and at dinner, and the strip club. I saw plenty of pictures.” I roll my eyes.

  “So, you know I didn’t cheat. Laney, I would never do that. It’s not who I am. I love you. I’ve loved you since the moment you sat down next to me in chemistry class senior year. This may sound crazy, but after that class, I knew you were the girl I was going to marry.”

  “It does sound crazy, but I know it’s true. I’m sorry I freaked out. I was feeling so much pressure with the presentation and the wedding and you being so depressed, I think I just sort of snapped. I should have heard you out. I’m sorry.” I lift up onto my toes to kiss him. He accepts my lips willingly, kissing me like a desperate man, suffocating from a lack of oxygen.

  “Don’t be sorry, just never leave me again,” he proclaims between kisses. “You’re mine, Laney, and I’m yours. Don’t ever doubt that. No one will ever be you, and nothing or nobody will ever come between us. You’re my foundation, and I need you. I love you.”

  “I need you, too.”

  “What about love me?”

  “That goes without saying. I gave you my heart when I was eighteen, and I never got it back.”

  “That’s because it’s mine. All mine.”

  “You know what else is yours?”

  “What?” he answers in a hoarse whisper. The sound travels down my spine like an electric current.

  I pull off my jacket and the blazer underneath, showing off the formfitting black jumper. Kam’s eyes widen and his lips part. He scans the halter top, dragging his eyes over my bare shoulders, my modest cleavage from the plunging neckline, the pinched waist, loose material over my legs and the strappy four inch heels that are to die for.

  “Where?” He clears his throat. “Where did you get that outfit from?”

  “You like?”

  He nods vigorously.

  “My mom has an awesome wardrobe.”

  “Fuck yeah, she does,” Kam agrees as he slides his hands around my waist and then down to my bottom. “I missed this ass, and these lips, and those eyes, and that smile.” He nips at me.