A Game of Secrets, page 13
“Sure did. An Ace original.”
For Val’s benefit, the town had turned out en masse. A guest list reading like a who’s who of high society were all there to show their support. The entire Eddington clan was in the building and had purchased half a dozen tables for special clients and company execs.
Jake continued to scan the crowd. “Where’s Sasha?”
“She’s around here somewhere.”
“How’s she holding up?”
“Her family didn’t come. That has to sting. She’s putting on a brave face but her heart is breaking. It’s got to be. Thanks in part to her efforts, the earlier portion of the drive was an incredible success. The whole town is buzzing about the great time had at today’s events. The workshops were phenomenal and continue tomorrow. I spoke briefly with Mrs. Baldwin, who has already asked Sasha if she’d help again next year.”
“I’m glad to hear today went well but wish her family had shown up to support her.”
“Me too. She did an awesome job and should be very proud of her work. I’m sure she’ll fill you in on all the details, but she was also surprised by receiving a huge honor today. The mayor issued a proclamation and gave her a key to the city. Probably Val’s doing but from what I saw, well deserved. The recognition probably uplifted her spirits too. She was glad for our presence, but I can only imagine what it would have meant had her own family been here. For them to treat her this badly for living life on her terms is mind-boggling. It doesn’t make sense.”
“What doesn’t?” Cayden and Avery joined them in the crowded lobby next to the ballroom.
“Sasha’s family,” Jake replied. “They completely missed the drive and bought a table for the benefit but refused to come. Her ex’s family had purchased a table too.”
“Are there guests to fill them?” Avery asked. “If not, I can make a call and have that handled ASAP.”
“Thanks, Avery,” Reign replied. “But Mrs. Baldwin’s sorority sisters reached out to a few organizations. Those young ladies you see at the two tables by the wall are the super-excited recipients of the DC ditchers.”
“DC ditchers!” Avery chuckled. “That’s hilarious.”
“Ah, there’s Trenton by the bar. I’m going to head over for a glass of wine.”
“I think I’ll join you.”
Avery left with Reign. Cayden turned to Jake. “You think your girl is going to be okay?”
She wasn’t his girl, technically, but Jake didn’t correct him. In fact, he quite liked the sound of it.
“Sasha’s a strong woman. In time, I think she’ll be better than ever.”
“When is she heading back to DC?”
“I don’t think she’s planned out that far.”
“Avery would love it if she stayed here.”
Jake nodded. “I’m sure Mrs. Baldwin would too.”
“If she decides to extend her visit and needs a place, let me know. Remember, Mom’s condo is empty. She’s welcome to stay there for as long as she needs.”
“Doesn’t she have it listed as an Airbnb?”
“It can be unlisted.”
“Thanks, man. I’ll let her know.”
Cayden’s eyes shifted to over Jake’s shoulder. “Speaking of...”
Jake turned around. His heart melted. Sasha looked like an angel. Her sparkly white off-the-shoulder number stood out in the crowd. For him, she could have worn jeans and had the same effect. Her hair was swept in an updo, with tendrils dangling around her neck and shoulders, exposing creamy skin that his fingers ached to touch. The angel brought out the devil in him.
He helped close the distance between them, then pulled her into a warm embrace.
“Jake,” she whispered. “Let’s cool it with the PDA.”
“Why? Your family isn’t here.”
A look of hurt registered. He immediately regretted the remark.
“Sorry, Sasha. That was thoughtless of me to say.”
“It’s the truth, unfortunately.” She took a second to compose herself. Her chin lifted slightly. “A few of Val’s soror friends are here from Baltimore, DC’s neighbor. I’m sure everything that happens here will get relayed back home. I don’t want the Grand Canyon sized chasm between my family and me to grow any wider.”
“It’s your family’s loss. You look absolutely incredible.”
Her eyes sparkled as she smiled. “Thank you.”
“I hear congratulations are in order. Our mayor doesn’t hand out proclamations to just anyone.”
Sasha’s face flushed. She beamed with pride. “I was shocked, but seriously, it made me happy. I worked very hard to take the benefit to another level. That my effort was recognized meant everything.”
“May this be the first of many accolades.”
“We’ll see.”
“Are you still on the clock?”
“Technically, no. On Point is handling this last, celebratory portion of the benefit. Willow and several assistants. Val, myself and the rest of the committee are free to party.”
“In that case, let’s grab a flute of champagne to toast your success.”
Halfway through Sasha’s glass of champagne, Val pulled her away from Jake to introduce her to some of Val’s special guests. Jake barely spoke to her all evening. Every time he looked up, someone new was garnering her attention. Several eligible bachelors were among them, much to Jake’s chagrin. Along with his family, several good friends and clients were in attendance. Jake tried to have a good time. The only person he wanted to be with was in the same ballroom but for all the difficulty in trying to spend a private moment with Sasha, she may as well have been on Mars. Finally, around midnight, as the gala wound down, Jake saw her sitting and texting at a nearby table. He leaped at the opportunity for a few minutes of having her to himself.
“You’re a popular lady,” he said, sitting down not right beside her but with a chair in between. He hadn’t forgotten what she said about Val’s Baltimore friends. He didn’t want to do anything to jeopardize his business plans or Sasha reuniting with her family.
“I feel like I have names and organization titles coming out of my ears.”
“If you’re rattled, it doesn’t show.”
“Showing discomfort isn’t allowed.”
“Never let them see you sweat?”
“Darling,” Sasha teased, adopting her mother’s posture and tone. “We don’t sweat, we perspire, and then only in the privacy of our boudoir.”
Jake’s laugh was contagious. Soon a nearly delirious Sasha was in an all-out guffaw.
“Let me guess,” he said, after settling down. “Your mother?”
“Mrs. Pamela Renee Johnson McDowell, the first and only.”
“I’d say I can’t wait to meet her but...”
“You don’t want to lie? I understand. I love my mother. She is simply the product of her mother, whose family hails from the highest echelons of Harlem society. Grandmother’s haughtiness makes Mom’s antics look like a street chick. Carrying on the traditions of society were drilled into her, as she’s tried to do with my brothers and me. She hadn’t counted on getting a rebel.”
“You probably hadn’t counted on being one.”
“Definitely not.” Sasha used dainty, freshly manicured fingers to hide a yawn.
“You’re exhausted.”
“I am.”
“Any chance I can talk you into letting me take you home, maybe stopping for a spiced coffee before you turn in?”
“Not tonight, Jake. I’ve been up almost twenty-four hours and there’s four hours of workshops tomorrow. Once those are over, I’ll be able to relax and get some real sleep.”
“What about Monday? Let me take you to lunch. There are still a few matters I want to talk with you about.”
“That sounds doable, but I probably should check with Val. Some of her guests are staying in town a few extra days. She may include me in their plans.”
“When are you going back to DC?”
The shift in Sasha’s mood was subtle, but there. “I don’t know.”
“So long as we get a chance to talk before you leave.”
“Text me the address for where you’d like to meet on Monday. If I can’t make it, I’ll let you know.”
Jake wanted another hug but when he rose to leave the table, he settled for a quick squeeze of her shoulder. He looked around and, not seeing his family, decided to call it a night. It proved to be a long one. He tossed and turned, his body on fire. He wanted to be with Sasha, which meant trouble with Lincoln and opposition from her family. Problems neither of them needed. With all that was on the line—his reputation, a potentially uberlucrative consulting business venture not yet off the ground and Sasha healing the family rift her breakup had caused—was their mutual attraction, their conspicuous desire to be together really worth the risk?
Seventeen
Val had plans for Monday. As a thank-you to the committee who’d worked tirelessly even before Sasha arrived, she’d chartered a luxury bus to drive them from Chicago to the Pleasant Prairie Premium Outlets in nearby Wisconsin, with Coach, Michael Kors, J.Crew and the like offering steep savings on their brands. On the ride up the ladies were treated to gourmet boxed lunches from one of Val’s favorite Indian eateries, bottles of sparkling wine or nonalcoholic juices, and serenaded by a mix of old-school and contemporary pop, hip-hop and R & B. It was a break Sasha hadn’t known she’d needed.
For most of her life Sasha moved independently, usually having no more than one or two close friends. She’d never experienced the type of sisterhood felt with Avery and Reign, or that Val and the committee provided, most of whom had worked with Val since the toy, clothing and food drive’s inception. All of whom she’d known for years. There were grandmothers, mothers, some daughters of friends. Each woman boasting a lively personality while sharing opinions, judgments and problems. They spoke openly and candidly. They laughed and gossiped about celebrities and politicians and lives outside their own. Sasha didn’t share what was going on in her life, but she listened as the women dissected and diagnosed each other’s issues. She soaked up the love.
Into the day filled with sunshine and smiles, sat only one big ugly cloud. Sasha still hadn’t heard from her family. Even though she hadn’t contacted her close friend Val, Pamela had eyes and ears in all parts of society. Sasha knew her mother had heard all about the success of the drive, and about Sasha receiving an award and city proclamation. That she hadn’t called cut deeply. That the family was still holding on to the version of Sasha’s life they thought best for her poured unnecessary grief over what should have been a shining moment.
Later that night, Sasha and Val sat covered with fluffy throws drinking chamomile tea.
“I spoke with your mother.”
This news was shocking. Sasha put down her teacup. “I didn’t think she’d called you.”
“She didn’t. I called her. As your godmother I felt it my duty to let her know how I felt about your mistreatment, how very proud everyone here is of the work you did and what an amazing opportunity they missed to see their daughter shine.”
A flood of gratitude filled Sasha’s heart. “You said all that?”
“I sure did, and a few other things that I won’t share. I’ve known Pamela since we were eleven and thirteen years old. I know about parts of her life that others don’t. I remember her when she was your age and reminded her of situations and feelings she seems to have forgotten. She can intimidate others, but not me.”
“How did she respond?”
“Defensive, but she listened. Deep down, she knows I’m right. I told her she needed to speak with you, immediately, and listen without judgment to what’s in your heart.”
“Do you think she will?”
“Only time will tell. Meanwhile, you’re welcome to stay here as long as you want. You’ve reached out several times only to be rejected. For what it’s worth, when it comes to your family, I think the next move should be on them.”
Val’s pep talk helped Sasha not mope around but instead put her energy into shaping a future that didn’t revolve around her family and was not in DC. Upon Ivy’s recommendation she spoke with a holistic therapist. The session lasted two hours. Sasha spoke honestly about her feelings of inadequacy, high family expectations and the trauma of being bullied while living thousands of miles from home. She talked about Lincoln and Jake and the fallout from desiring one over the other. The therapist listened attentively, taking notes and rarely interrupting. At the end of their session, the therapist made productive suggestions, including purchasing a journal to not only daily write down her feelings, but also devise a plan for creating the type of life she wanted. Doing so was very freeing. Only days later, Sasha had made several crucial, life-changing decisions. She would write letters to her mother, father and brothers, final olive branches to her family before she took Val’s advice and let the next move be theirs. For now, she would stay in Illinois. Val had offered her home indefinitely, but Sasha decided to look for a condo with a short-term lease. She would not try and hold on to her past life. In two months, her father would be hosting an annual presidential campaign fund-raiser. Not being there would hurt. She would miss the buzz and preparations for an event that had always been looked forward to and enjoyed as a family. Her dad’s presidential pledge parties, as informally named, were always grand celebrations with A-list stars. From the venue to the food to the entertainment to the guests—everything was top-shelf and first-class—one of the times Sasha appreciated the perks of being an ambassador’s daughter. For the first time since returning from Switzerland, she might not be there. She wouldn’t call her family and grovel for one of the outlandishly expensive, six-figure tickets, one that with her newly independent financial status she could hardly afford. Instead she’d decided on using that weekend to return to the city and clear out the condo her parents owned, effectively transferring her life from DC to Chicago. She would also call Ruthanne and request a lunch date. Sasha thought highly of Lincoln’s mom and felt she deserved a face-to-face conversation. Finally, Sasha would allow herself to be vulnerable and share her heart with Jake. She couldn’t say it was love yet, but whatever she was feeling for him ran deeper and felt stronger than at any other time with any other man. She not only desired him physically, she loved his company. His wit. His style. His swag. She wanted to be around him, and she wanted to let him know.
By the end of the following week, she’d written and sent off the letters. While she was nervous about the outcome, a weight had been lifted. She’d informed them of her decision to remain in Chicago, and that she would be spending the upcoming holidays with Val and her daughter Valencia, who’d return stateside just before Christmas and be in town for three weeks. Jake had been busy, traveling and working on business for both himself and Eddington Enterprise. During this time, they rarely spoke by phone but exchanged texts often. That they stayed connected was enough for Sasha. Jake was more reserved. She sensed there was still a river of unanswered questions between them. She wanted to get to know Jake much better and hoped he felt the same way.
Christmas was different, but lovely. The ache of missing her family was somewhat eased by a video chat that morning, even with the emotional chill still felt in the air. The Trotters were in Barbados, TJ reminded, providing information Sasha didn’t need. The McDowells had decided on a quiet affair, the immediate family sans girlfriends. Later, her parents were dining with four other couples. Her brothers planned to meet up with dates. The words weren’t spoken but their group wasn’t complete. She was missed. They pointed the camera toward a stack of presents. “For when you come back,” Brandon said.
At Val’s house in Point du Sable, it was just the ladies. It had been years, easily a decade, since she’d seen Valencia but for all the seriousness of her profession, the doctor was funny, equally knowledgeable on world events and celebrity gossip, and told great stories. They bonded over food that they all made together—omelets and spicy Bloody Marys for their late morning meal and an Italian-inspired dinner after presents were opened. All day she thought of Jake. While they’d texted Christmas greetings that morning, she was disappointed he hadn’t called. She told herself it was probably because of being busy with family. Once dinner was over, however, she was done waiting. She declined an invitation to join Val and Valencia on a trip to the movies. Once the house was quiet, she called Jake.
“Merry Christmas, Mr. Eddington!” Sasha worked to sound lighter than her heart felt.
“Same to you, Ms. McDowell. How was your day?”
She gave a condensed version of the day’s activities. “Val and Valencia just left for the movies,” she finished.
“Probably the same new release half of my family is seeing. At the last minute I decided to join them but the theater’s sold out.”
“How was your Christmas, Jake?”
“Very lively. The addition of little ones to the holidays brings back the wonder we all remembered as children. Plus, Mom collects strays and invites them all to dinner. She makes it her business to have no one spend their Christmas alone.”
“What are you doing now?”
“Heading out for drinks with friends. You?”
“Not sure yet,” she answered casually, as her heart hit her stomach with a thud. Only now she realized a part of her had hoped they’d get together. Instead he was meeting friends, likely of the female variety. It was his right. He’d told her he didn’t think they would work out. That their feelings were right but the timing was wrong. For an emotion that defied logic the facts didn’t matter. Sasha was falling for a man who’d moved on.
“Plans for New Year’s too?” She probably didn’t want to know the answer but couldn’t help herself.
“Always a lot of options in a big city,” was his noncommittal reply.
