One Toe Out (A Complicated Love Story) Page 5

  “Boy, you sure love cars,” she exclaimed, when she stepped out of the Bentley. She noticed that the garage floor looked clean enough to eat off. She strolled over to her car and patted it.

  J.T. noticed and grinned, he had done the same thing when he had bought his first expensive car after he had signed his first ten million dollar contract. He didn’t believe that the car was his either.

  “Come on in.” He guided her into the house and she let out another surprised scream, he simply smiled. “I had Aleesha pick up a couple things for you to wear. But if you like we can go shopping tomorrow and buy you a wardrobe.” He stopped in the kitchen and dropped his keys on the island.

  “Yeah, shopping would be nice,” she answered absent-mindedly. She didn’t know much about kitchens, but something told her that everything in here was top-of-the-line. “Everything is so shiny, I love your stainless steel appliances.” She ran her hand over the island. “What’s this?”

  “Granite. And all the cupboards are maple. Take your time and look around. Ernesto, the cook must be out on an errand, otherwise he would be here.” He sat on one of the stools. “Do you like to cook?” he asked, he hardly knew anything about her.

  Simone shrugged. “I don’t know. Mom always cooked at home and Joe always cooked at the diner, so I never had to.” She opened a door, which turned out to be the pantry; it was better stocked than a corner store grocery. She closed it and walked over to her husband. “Maybe I can take cooking classes, that would be fun.”

  “That’ll be cool, or if you don’t want to go out. Ask Ernesto, he’s a trained chef, he graduated from the Sorbonne in France.”

  “Wow!”

  “Hey, can you get me a soda?”

  Simone rolled her eyes. “Now you sound like a husband,” she joked. She sauntered over to the fridge and pulled it open. “What kind?” Ten different flavors were lined up on a rack.

  “Surprise me.”

  “Will do.” She grabbed one then was about to toss it to him then changed her mind, she didn’t want to risk him hurting his hand. She walked it over to him instead. “So you mentioned something about a shopping trip tomorrow,” she said just as J.T. swallowed his drink and he almost choked. Simone raced behind him and patted him on the back.

  “Whew! Thanks, that was funny,” he said, recovering. “I didn’t think you heard me.”

  “I kinda didn’t. I was so focused on this beautiful kitchen. So we’re going shopping?”

  “Yeah, and you don’t have to hold my hand, we don’t have to kiss, it won’t be a publicity stunt, it’ll just be me taking a friend out shopping.”

  Simone grinned. “That sounds wonderful. So…you think of me as a friend?” she asked shyly.

  “I sure do.” J.T. took another sip of his drink. “Come on let’s finish the tour.” He began walking and Simone followed him out the kitchen. Simone’s eyes were wide with awe as J.T. gave her the tour. “So tell me about your childhood.”

  “It was hard on so many different levels. In elementary school and all the way up to high school, most of the kids hated me because I was so light and I had long hair. The girls hated me, they used to chase me home and beat me up and they constantly threatened to cut off my hair. I never understood how people can hate you for something you have no control over, it wasn’t like I asked God for all this, I was born this way.”

  J.T. chuckled. “I think I can relate to that but go on.” He guided her through the living and dining rooms, and a small sitting area.

  Simone strolled beside him while they made their way downstairs. “The funny thing was they loved Lawrence, he was just as light, but he has hazel eyes, and he always kept his hair short and wavy, so all the girls wanted him because they wanted the pretty babies and the guys thought he was cool.” She shook her head at the memory. “And since my dad was either in prison or MIA my mom held it down, she did a fantastic job. There were times when we didn’t have electricity or we didn’t have enough food to eat, so she didn’t eat and just gave the food to my brother and myself.” Suddenly overwhelmed with emotions, she stopped walking and leaned against the wall, and began crying.

  J.T. stood by and let her cry it out. After a couple of minutes, she composed herself. “That’s why I bought her that house and I’m gonna buy her a car. She sacrificed to make sure that Lawrence and I didn’t go without, she deserves everything I’m giving her and more.” She sniffled softly.

  J.T. walked behind the bar and looked for some tissue. He handed her a handful.

  “Thanks.” Simone dabbed at her eyes and nose. “This is awesome. I’m sorry, I can’t think of a better word. This is a fully stocked bar.” She stepped behind the bar and tossed the soiled tissues in the garbage. She touched a hand pump. “I thought about being a bartender once.”

  “You can always practice here,” he said kindly.

  “Yeah and I can watch TV while doing it. What the hell?” She nodded at his media room.

  J.T. had the nerve to look ashamed. “Yeah, it’s a bit of an overkill.”

  Simone wasn’t good with gauging TV sizes, but she guessed the main screen to be seventy inches and the two next to it to be forty.

  “Sometimes if I have the guys over to watch a basketball game or something, I like to have three different shows on.”

  “Yeah, just a bit of an overkill, but I love it!”

  “Thanks. You know that this is your home too, so don’t feel shy about walking around and exploring for yourself or feel funny about using anything. I don’t want you to feel like a guest.”

  Simone beamed at him and touched his arm lightly. “Thanks J.T.”

  J.T. draped an arm over her shoulder and they continued their walk. “So did you ever go to college?”

  “I did. I got an Associate’s Degree in Business Administration. I never had the urge to go any further.” She grinned up at him, she liked having his arm around her shoulders, it was almost paternal, but certainly brotherly. “I found waitressing to be easy and the hours were flexible. And the tips were decent, I wasn’t going to get rich working there, but I enjoyed it.”

  “Ah, but you did get rich,” J.T. said somewhat jokingly.

  “Yes I did. Wow! Look at that.”

  They had stopped at a fully equipped gym. “I work out here during the off season, and just through those doors is a sauna and a pool.”

  They backtracked until they stopped at a door Simone hadn’t noticed. J.T. pushed a button.

  “An elevator? This house has an elevator?” she asked when the door slid open and they stepped inside.

  “Yep, we’re on our way to the third floor. You can walk it if you like. But I’m tired.” Moments later the door swung open and they stepped into the hall. “Come on, let me show you my suite first.” He nodded to a guest room as they passed it. “Here we are.” He dramatically swung open the door and Simone couldn’t hold back her gasp. The master suite, was bigger than her mom’s ranch house. A huge bed, bigger than a king size bed held a prominent spot, and to the right was a sitting area, with a full size sofa, a huge HDTV, and fireplace. He proudly showed her his walk-in closet and his bathroom that was filled with marble, travertine and gold accented fixtures.

  “Very beautiful.”

  “I personally designed my suite. This is where I unwind. This is where I get to be me, truly me,” he said and fixed her with a gaze she couldn’t interpret. “Come on let me show you your suite.”

  Simone followed her husband to the opposite end of the hall. “Won’t your staff talk when they realize that we aren’t sleeping together?”

  “No. I told them that you’re a very light sleeper and need to sleep by yourself.”

  They stopped in front of a door. “But won’t they be suspicious when we never sleep together? Or the sheets aren’t mussed or stained?”

  J.T. ignored her questions, then pushed open the door. “And here’s your suite. We combined two bedrooms to make this, it’s not quite as big as mine, but I think you’ll still like it
.” She had the same sitting area, albeit a tad smaller, but she had the same supersize HDTV, couch and fireplace. The bed was humongous.

  “OMG!”

  He pointed to his left. “Check out your closet.”

  Simone opened up the door. Everything was cherry wood and custom built. There were hundreds of little spaces for her shoes. She pulled open a little drawer.

  “That’s for your girly things,” J.T. said. “And these are for your sweaters and blouses.” He pulled open several bigger drawers. “And these racks are for your dresses, suits, pants and just things you don’t want to fold.”

  “Wow!”

  “And when we go shopping tomorrow we’ll do a good job at getting this filled. And the last stop is your bathroom.”

  They walked over the plush carpeting and into the bathroom, her eyes watered. “I can’t wait for Mom to see this.” It was just as beautiful as J.T.’s, she had all the marble and travertine, but the finishings were more subdued. “Just beautiful.”

  “Come one let’s sit down.” They walked over to the sitting area and settled on the couch. Simone looked expectantly at him. “I wanted to talk about our sleeping arrangements. There won’t be a problem during football season, because I’m rarely home. And you’re right I didn’t think it all through.”

  “If you don’t mind, I can sleep a couple nights a week in your bed, it’s big enough, so I don’t think we’d even touch. And we probably only have to do it until you start practice then I’ll sleep by myself.”

  “But when I do come home, you’ll have to sleep in my bed, will that be okay?”

  “As long as you don’t try anything,” she teased.

  “Trust me, I won’t.”

  Later that evening J.T. and Simone were in his office sitting in front of his laptop, which he had powered up before she had come into the room.

  Simone took a sip of her drink. “This is so good, Ernesto is so talented. What is this?”

  J.T. grabbed the glass from her and tasted it. He smacked his lips. “It’s a Dark and Stormy.”

  “Oh, okay, it’s delicious!” She took the glass away from him and continued drinking.

  “Are you ready?”

  “It can’t be that bad.”

  “I just want you to be prepared. People talk real reckless when they’re behind their computer.”

  “I get it.” Simone took another sip of her drink. “Okay, I’m ready.”

  J.T. went to CMZ.com. “Sit down!” he demanded and Simone did so.

  J.T. peered over at her. “This is just the beginning. You ready?” J.T. noticed her shoulders rigid with tension, he reached down and grabbed them, then moved her tight skin under his hands, manipulating it, she peeked back at him with a grin.

  They were silent while Simone read the comments written under their photos. She finally spoke. “Why are people so mean? Why did they say all those hateful things about me? Look at this.” She continued reading. “Couldn’t he find somebody prettier to marry? Her dress looks like something she had her grandmother make. She needs to lose fifteen pounds. It’s a good thing that they had a Vegas wedding, ‘cause you know it ain’t gonna last long.”

  “I’ve seen worse. People feel so comfortable and safe spewing their opinions from their living rooms. And you got to remember that the comments are fueled by jealously. Why else would they say those things? They don’t personally know us.”

  Simone tugged at her clothes. “Do I really need to lose fifteen pounds?”

  “Not at all. You’re a very beautiful, sexy lady.”

  She smiled at him, the garbage from the Internet quickly forgotten. “Thanks, it’s too bad you’re gay, otherwise I’d jump your bones.”

  J.T. returned her smile. “If I was into ladies, I’d be all over you too.”

  Simone stood outside J.T.’s bedroom door. They had agreed that they sleep together tonight. Since he was out practically every night of their honeymoon, they didn’t share a bed in Turks & Caicos so this would be a first. Simone took a deep breath then knocked on the door.

  “Come on in!” J.T. called.

  Simone cautiously opened the door then stood on the threshold. J.T. was sitting on his bed, bare chested, wearing a pair of creamy white silk pajama bottoms with a bowl of trail mix within arm’s reach, watching TV. Dozens of elegant looking lit candles were placed throughout the master suite, giving off a romantic glow, the lights were turned down low and an opened bottle of wine was on a tray next to the bed.

  “Are you ready for me?”

  He waved her in.

  She strolled into the room and groaned when she saw what he was watching. “Not you too, it seems like every guy I know loves this movie. Lawrence can quote it.” She settled on the bed on the opposite side of the bowl.

  “Scarface is a classic, besides it almost over. Have something to drink.”

  “Nu uh, I’ve had too much to drink already. I’ll just have some of this.” She grabbed a handful of trail mix and tossed it in her mouth. This is nice. She peeked over at J.T., he was focused on the movie as though he hadn’t seen it before, but by the way he quoted the scenes verbatim she knew that wasn’t the case. He is so fine; the man has muscles for days. Suddenly a pang of regret shot through her. She thought about Kirk and wished that he was sitting next to her. The huge bed, layered with dozens of pillows, the soft lighting, with the candles burning and the wine was the perfect combination for a sensual evening with a lover. She looked again at her gay husband and wondered what the hell she had done. Subsequently, she studied her surroundings. I made the right decision; she decided and nestled into the pillows.

  “Have you, you know ever been with a lady?” Simone asked. T.J. had taken out the movie disk and turned the TV to ESPN, it droned lightly in the background.

  “Yeah. Prom night. It was the thing to do. I had been dating Felicia the head cheerleader for about three months. And I was way overdue for getting it in. Anyway, I got the prerequisite motel room, and got drunk out of my mind. Between fantasizing about George Michael and being drunk I was able to fumble my way through. We continued seeing each other until we both left for college.”

  “You ever see her or talk to her?” Simone asked, thirsting to know everything about her husband.

  “During our freshman and sophomore years we kept in touch and visited each other during breaks, but that’s it. She’s a big time entertainment lawyer in L.A., single and no kids.”

  “Why didn’t you ask her?”

  J.T. chuckled. “Naw,” he drawled. “Felicia would’ve wanted to run the show.”

  “Oh.” As soon as she understood what he meant her eyes widened. “And I’m a pushover, a big time pussy, someone that you can tell what to do?” she raged, her face reddening.

  “No, calm down,” he said slowly grasping for his words, all the alcohol he had drunk was beginning to affect him, it loosened his tongue. “You’re easy to get along with and I sensed that after talking with you at the diner. And the more I get to know you the more confident I am that I made the right decision. We make a great team. Don’t you think?” He gave her a lopsided grin.

  “We do,” she agreed. “So where did you go to college?”

  “Duke. I got a football scholarship and the rest was history,” he replied sleepily.

  She grabbed a handful of trail mix, then nonchalantly asked, “So that’s where you met Kirk?” She averted her gaze and tossed the nuts in her mouth.

  “Yeah we were frat brothers, then he went on to Harvard.”

  She dug a little deeper. “I bet you two have stories to tell.”

  The wine had lowered J.T.’s defenses, he burrowed deeper into the pillows. “Believe it or not Kirk, was a geek, women were chasing him down, but he had blinders on, he was focused on getting his degree then going on for his master’s, but it paid off, my man is worth millions,” J.T. said proudly and Simone smiled. “But as soon as he got his first million, the dog was let loose and he had a lady in every city, I think he still does,
” J.T. slurred, his eyes were closing.

  “Good night big boy.” She walked around the master suite and blew out all the candles then turned out the lights. She debated whether to wake J.T. up so that he could get under the covers, she decided against it. He’ll wake up if he gets too cold.

  Simone pulled back the covers on her side of the bed and slid in. “Ah, this is heaven,” she whispered before drifting off to sleep.

  Chapter 9

  Simone jogged down the stairs, she was on her way to the indoor pool, but wanted to stop by the kitchen to get a quick snack. During her free time she had wandered around the mansion, familiarizing herself with it. All the staff was wonderful, she had met Mrs. Robinson, the housekeeper and Ernesto the chef, they all welcomed her with open arms. If they suspected that hers and J.T.’s marriage was a fraud, they didn’t let on.

  She skidded to a stop when she saw Kirk sitting at the island with a plate in front of him, he had a sandwich, a pasta salad with chips on the side. He was thumbing through a magazine. She was in the middle of debating whether to just leave and come back later after exercising or to join him for a bite to eat, when he looked up.

  “Hey, come join me.”

  She remembered J.T.’s threat. “Um no. I thought I was hungry but now I’m not,” she said then turned to go.

  “Come on Simone, come eat with me. I hate sitting here by myself.”

  Simone went over to the refrigerator and pulled out a banana and a packet of trail mix. Kirk watched as she pulled a dish from the cabinet, peeled the banana then placed the banana in the microwave.

  His blue eyes widened with amusement. “What are you doing?”

  The microwave dinged, she pulled open the door and got her warmed fruit. “I hate cold fruit,” she replied nonchalantly before picking up fork and butter knife.

  “That’s weird,” he teased.

  Simone sat across from him. “Not really have you seen that TV show where people eat all that strange stuff like, toilet tissue, dirt, nails, detergent. Now that shit is weird.”