Couldn't Ask for More, page 17
He nodded. “Yes. And every piece will be made to her exacting standards, I can assure you.”
Verna clapped her hands together. “There you have it, folks. Talk about a match made in heaven. Alexis, hold that ring up for us to see.”
Blushing, Alexis did as she was asked, turning her cushion-cut sparkler toward the appropriate camera.
“You heard it here first on Morning Buzz. We’ll check back with these two over the coming months, because I want an invite to the wedding!” She turned to them, shook their hands again. “Thank you for coming on to the show today.”
“No problem.”
“Thanks for having us.” Bryan tipped an imaginary hat in her direction.
Verna turned back to the camera. “We’re headed to a break. But don’t go away, because when we return, alternative R&B star Miguel will be performing and talking about his latest album. We’ll be right back with more Morning Buzz.”
“And clear!” A voice from behind one of the cameras shouted out, letting them know they were no longer live.
* * *
At the hotel that afternoon, Bryan sat on the terrace of their room with a cup of coffee.
When he’d returned to the hotel from the television studio, Alexis had gone out to lunch with her mentor. After returning from the meal, she’d declared herself exhausted and fallen into bed. He’d come outside in part to keep from disturbing her nap. She’d been asleep before he could close the terrace door. Thinking of her lying there, a few feet away from him, made him wonder if she was still tired from their night of lovemaking and this morning’s encore. He couldn’t remember ever having a woman affect him that way; something about her made him insatiable.
He took a deep breath and redirected his thoughts, lest he go in there and awaken her for another round. The weather was temperate, and he found the thick cacophony of city noise fascinating. Downtown Raleigh was a busy place, especially during rush hour or when popular shows and concerts played at the Performing Arts Center. But even on its busiest day, the City of Oaks couldn’t hold a candle to the activity level of a typical Tuesday in the Big Apple.
I can see why this place is so popular with tourists. But I couldn’t live here. Too much going on.
The buzzing of his phone against his hip caught his attention. He set the cup down on the table, pondering whether to answer the call. It had been ringing all day, ever since the segment of Morning Buzz had aired, and he knew why. He envied Alexis, whose current peaceful sleep was due in part to her decision to turn off the ringer on her phone.
Sighing, he pulled the phone from his pocket and looked at the screen. Sliding his finger across it, he placed it to his ear. “Hey, Pop.”
“Don’t you ‘Hey, Pop’ me, boy! What the hell is this I hear about you getting married to Alexis Devers?”
“So you saw us on TV this morning, I’m guessing.”
“No, I didn’t. Don’t be such a smart-ass. Wes told me about it.”
He rolled his eyes. Once again, Wes had come through to make his life more difficult. “We’re engaged, Pop. I thought you’d be happy that I’m finally settling down.”
“Damn it, Bryan. You know I want to you to marry and raise me some grandsons. But you also have enough sense to know how this looks. You close a business deal with her and, five minutes later, announce to the world that you’re getting married? Without even a word to your family first?”
Bryan sighed, touched his fingertips to his temple. “Pop, you’ve got to chill. Everything is going to be fine. We’ll talk more about this when I get back home.”
“Bryan, I—”
Rather than listen to his father’s tirade, he interjected a quick “I love you, Pop” before disconnecting the call. He looked at the time displayed on the screen of the phone. It was just past one, and though they’d opted for late checkout, it was getting close to the time they’d have to vacate the room.
Before he could pocket the phone, it went off again. This time it was a text alert. Reading the screen, he frowned. The all caps message was from Maxwell.
I SAW THE INTERVIEW. WHAT THE HELL?
As Bryan watched the screen, more messages came through, each as “loud” as the first one.
DUDE, I CAN’T BELIEVE THIS.
I SHOULD HAVE SOCKED YOU THAT DAY AT THE STEP SHOW.
YOU HAVEN’T KNOWN HER LONG ENOUGH TO BE IN LOVE.
He chuckled at that one. A few weeks ago, he would have thought the same thing. Spending time with Alexis, however, had changed his views on a lot of things.
IF YOU ARE TOYING WITH MY BABY SISTER, EXPECT AN ASS WHUPPING, BRO.
Shaking his head, he stuck the phone back in his pocket. First, his dad had yelled in his ear, and now, his best friend was doing it by text message. He’d expected to catch a little crap for the stunt he and Alexis had pulled, but he’d at least thought it would wait until they returned to North Carolina.
He settled back in the chair, retrieving his cup and taking a sip of the dark brew. He supposed his father’s worry was just a sign of his concern. After all, Oscar had spent the last several years mourning the loss of his soul mate and took the institution of marriage very seriously. Bryan didn’t necessarily share his father’s views, but he did think there was something serious happening between him and Alexis. What had started out as a clever ruse had now turned into something else entirely, something far more complicated.
I love her, don’t I?
The silent question echoed in his mind, and deep inside, he knew the answer. Deep down, he knew she’d taken over his heart, leaving him no way to resist her. After what they’d shared last night, he wasn’t sure he wanted to resist anymore.
He was pretty sure she’d want to know how he felt. He felt far less sure that she shared his feelings. Yes, she’d admitted to their growing attraction and to enjoying spending time with him. She’d also been the one to initiate last night’s epic lovemaking session. But none of that meant anything if she didn’t come out and say that she was in love with him. If he told her how he felt and she didn’t feel the same way, both his heart and his pride would be crushed like an anthill annihilated by a steamroller.
He blew out a breath. This is a fine mess.
The sound of the terrace door opening made him turn his head.
She stood just inside the doorway, stifling a yawn. Before she’d lain down, she’d taken off her pantsuit and put on a simple white tee and a pair of jogging pants. Dressed in the comfy outfit, her makeup-free face still showing remnants of sleep, she looked ravishing.
Their eyes connected, and she smiled. “Has your phone been blowing up?”
He nodded. “Pop thinks I’ve gone crazy, and your brother threatened to whip my ass.”
A musical laugh left her lips, complete with a little snort. “Now you see why I turned mine off.”
He shrugged.
“Did either of them scare you off? Because now that we’ve gone public, we’re in this thing for the long haul.”
He looked directly into her eyes. “Nope. There isn’t a damn thing on earth that’s going to keep me away from you at this point.” He watched her standing there, with her hands resting on her shapely hips, and decided she was the most beautiful woman he’d ever seen. Just looking at her made his body temperature rise.
“This may sound really naughty, but we have to be out of the room pretty soon.”
He stood, entered her space, and draped his arms loosely around her waist. “And let me guess. You want to put our remaining time to good use.”
She winked.
Not needing any further encouragement, he followed her inside and slid the terrace door shut behind them.
Chapter 16
That night, Alexis stepped out of the shower in her condo and toweled off. Putting on a pair of panties and an oversized tee bearing the face of Dorothy Dandridge as Carmen, she padded barefoot toward her bed.
The last two days in New York with Bryan had been eventful, to say the least. Now that they’d slept together, she knew he was in her system. The feelings she’d been having ever since she ran into him at the step show that day had been growing. It seemed they’d finally reached their full bloom, because she was falling for him. For real.
Still, she was a big girl. She’d made this arrangement with Bryan; she’d decided the parameters and gone into it with her eyes wide open. This was about business first and foremost, so whatever feelings she’d developed for Bryan would have to be set aside. Krystal Kouture One was her first fashion line, and everything she did for the rest of her career would be affected by its success or failure. After the hard work she, Sydney, and their team had put in, she wouldn’t ruin things for them by letting emotions distract her from the goal.
Just as she lay down, a knock sounded at her door. Confusion knit her brow as she wondered who would be paying her a visit this late on a Tuesday night. It was almost ten, and she was ready to catch up on the sleep she’d missed the previous night when Bryan had…kept her up.
It has to be Max. Who else would the doorman let up this time of night?
When she reached the door, she asked in an abundance of caution, “Who is it?”
“Lex, it’s me. Let me in.”
Recognizing her brother’s voice, she opened the door.
He barged right in, his face twisted into a frown. “I’ve been trying to call you all day. Why didn’t you answer?”
“I turned off my ringer.”
His eyes bulged. “Why the hell would you do that?”
She gestured to him. “Look at how you’re acting, Max. This is precisely why I would do that. I wasn’t in the mood to hear you lecturing me then, and I’m not in the mood now, either.”
“You’re my baby sister, and I’m trying to protect you.”
She edged around him to close the door. “What you’re trying to do is wake up all my neighbors. Jeez. Lower your voice.”
“Oh, I’m sorry I’m too loud for you. I tend to get upset when I see someone I love making a terrible mistake.”
She couldn’t help rolling her eyes. “Seriously, Max. Chill.”
“I can’t.” His eyes softened as he placed his palms on her forearms. “I already failed to protect Kelsey from getting hurt. I can’t fail with you, too.”
She sighed. “Max, this isn’t the same thing. It isn’t even close.”
“Maybe you’re not in actual physical danger like Kelsey. But your heart is in danger, Lex.”
She frowned, moving over to the couch to sit down. As much as she wanted to crawl into bed, she sensed her brother had no intention of leaving anytime soon. “What are you talking about?”
He joined her on the couch. “Don’t you know what kind of reputation he has?”
She shook her head. It wasn’t something they’d discussed when they were building their backstory, and up until now, she hadn’t given it much thought. “No, so why don’t you enlighten me?”
“Listen. You know I love Bryan like a brother. But he’s a playboy. He’s never been in a relationship with a woman that lasted longer than a few months.”
She cringed. Why didn’t I ask him more questions about his past relationships? Despite how she felt, she refused to let Maxwell see it. She raised and lowered her shoulders in a halfhearted shrug.
“In college, when he played ball, he was with a different cheerleader every month. He has more notches on his bedpost than you have hairs on your head.”
“What’s your point?” She kept her tone and her expression flat.
He pursed his lips. “Lex, don’t even try it. You really think he can commit to you, when he’s never committed to anyone or anything before in his entire life? Y’all have been sneaking around for, what, a few weeks? And you think he’s ready to get married, just like that?”
“Max, you’ve got this all wrong. I’m not expecting anything from Bryan, except for him to honor the deal we made.”
Maxwell’s brow hitched. “Deal? What deal?”
She sat back, sinking into the cushions to brace herself against his oncoming reaction. “I don’t want you to tell anybody this, but we’re not really engaged. We’re just doing it as a PR stunt until my line gets off the ground.”
He appeared confused. “What?”
She gave him a brief rundown of the story Sydney had shared with the reporter and the plan she and Bryan had cooked up to corroborate it.
“Lex, this has got to be the dumbest thing you’ve ever done.”
She folded her arms over her chest. “Well, it’s a good thing I didn’t ask your opinion. No matter what you think, what’s done is done. We’ve announced our engagement, so it’s out there.” She hated the way he sometimes came down on her, sounding more like her father than her brother. She didn’t care whether he agreed with her choices, because she was a grown woman. That didn’t mean she’d let him sit here and insult her intelligence.
“Fine. Go ahead and keep the foolery going if you want. But I have a question. What are you going to do when this ruse is over?”
She looked away from him, squirming a bit under his assessing stare. “We’ll announce our amicable separation, and then we’ll each go on with our separate lives.”
He laughed, but the sound lacked humor. “It’s cute that you think it will be that easy. You’re not cut out for this kind of thing, Lex. Mark my words. Your feelings will get involved, and you will end up getting hurt. But you won’t be able to say I didn’t warn you.”
She opened her mouth to respond, but a yawn came out instead. She stifled it with her hand. “I appreciate the warning, but I’m a big girl, Max. I can handle myself.”
He rose from the couch, started toward the door. “If you say so.”
“I do. Now go home and let me get some sleep.”
He shook his head as he swung open the front door. “Good night, Lex.”
“Night, Maxie.”
With a final, sidelong glance, he left, closing the door behind him.
Stifling another yawn, she locked up and returned to her room. Climbing into bed, she lay in the dark for a few long moments with Maxwell’s words echoing in her mind.
Your feelings will get involved.
You will end up getting hurt.
Little did he know, her feelings were already involved. But at this point, she didn’t think there was much she could do about it.
* * *
Bryan entered the main hall of Stonecrest High School Wednesday morning and headed straight to the main office. There, the principal greeted him and, after a brief chat, referred him to the receptionist for a visitor’s pass. With the sticker proclaiming him as “Mr. James” stuck to the lapel of his black sport jacket, he got directions to Peter’s classroom and turned his steps that way.
While walking the quiet halls, his mind flashed back to his own days in high school. The pranks, the silliness, the all-nighters spent studying for chemistry and Spanish exams. He didn’t really miss any of that, but what he did miss was the carefree way life had been back then. Back then, he’d had no clue what awaited him in the adulthood he’d been so eager to reach. A small sigh escaped him as he rounded a corner, then found the classroom.
The door stood open, but someone was speaking. He assumed the man in front of the class was either the teacher or one of the other speakers. Not wanting to interrupt, he stood back, waiting for the person to finish.
The man wrapped up his remarks in the next few minutes, then glanced toward the door. Seeing Bryan there, he gestured him inside.
Bryan walked into the classroom, extending his hand. “Hi. I’m Bryan James, Royal Textiles.”
“Welcome to Stonecrest, Mr. James. I’m Alvin Myers, and this is my business and economics class.” Mr. Myers gave him a hearty handshake.
“Thanks. Glad I could come.” Bryan turned his gaze on the class. There were twenty-three teenagers of all different races seated at the metal-and-laminate desks. A quick assessment told him there were fourteen girls and nine boys, each displaying varying levels of disinterest. He gave them a smile, wondering if any of them would even be listening to his talk.
Two rows back from the front, his eyes landed on Peter, who gave him a sheepish grin.
Looking out on the group of students, sitting where he once sat, he took a deep breath. “Good morning. My name is Bryan James, and I’m the chief marketing officer of Royal Textiles. I’m the third generation of my family to be an executive in the company, which manufactures clothing and leather goods.”
Silence met his words. One student in the front yawned. Two or three of them up front looked semi-interested, so Bryan continued.
“I understand what it’s like to be a kid and have some old guy come in and talk at you. So I’m not going to do that. I’ve told you who I am and what I do, and now the discussion falls to you. Ask me questions. Make comments. Because if I just stand up here and talk, half of you will fall asleep, and the other half won’t learn anything.”
A few chuckles came from the students, and Mr. Myers looked amused as well.
A smiling Bryan clapped his hands together. “Okay, then. What do you all want to know?”
A young girl, wearing her blond hair in a ponytail and sitting near the back, raised her hand.
Bryan pointed to her. “Go ahead…”
“Amy. I just wanted to ask, what does a chief marketing officer do, exactly?”
“Great question. My job is to be the lead salesperson for the company. I secure accounts with design houses for Royal to produce their clothes, give final approval of our brochures and marketing materials, do interviews and press for the company, that kind of thing. Does that answer your question?”
Amy nodded.
Another hand shot up. “Do you get to travel?”
Bryan chuckled. “It’s more like I have to travel. When I’m trying to lock down an account, a lot of times that means flying to New York or LA or Paris to meet with the designer and their staff. I rack up plenty of frequent flyer miles.”
