Until the End of Time (28 page)

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Authors: Melanie Schuster

BOOK: Until the End of Time
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She hadn’t told anyone that she and Andrew were getting married; there was plenty of time for that. And for the most part, everyone seemed to assume that it was a
fait accompli.
The same alchemy that had let everyone know that she and Andrew were meant for each other had shown that they were in it for life. No one would be at all surprised when they announced their engagement, she thought happily. It was just the next logical step, like putting up the Christmas tree the day after Thanksgiving. And that was exactly what they did.
The next day, Clay and Donnie went off with Bennie and Renee to get the perfect Christmas tree, and braved the pandemonium of the holiday weekend to get Christmas decorations. It was Clay and Bennie’s first Christmas, after all, and they were establishing traditions that would last their lifetimes and be passed on to their children. Renee got a little teary when she thought of the enormity of what they were doing, but she didn’t speak of it, she just couldn’t. She just hugged Bennie really hard when they when into the kitchen to make lunch for everyone after the shopping expedition. And Bennie seemed to understand what Renee was trying to convey.
“
You know what, kiddo? I have a feeling that this time next year it’ll be you who’s decorating your house for the first time in your married life. But that’s all I am saying on the subject,” she said with a big smile.
Renee didn’t even bother to look coy; she just smiled in return. She and Bennie made lunch while the men set up the enormous Christmas tree. After eating, they all took pitched in to decorate the tree, at first. One by one the men deserted to the family room to watch football. Clay was the only one who stayed until the project was finished, and that was mainly to keep Bennie off the ladder. He was terrified that his fearless wife would do unsuitably dangerous something to injure herself or their baby. Renee was struck afresh with the love and devotion the newlyweds shared, and said as much to Bennie.
“
Honey, I’ve never seen a man so crazy about a woman before in my life! Clay truly adores you, you know that?”
Bennie smiled dreamily and looked over at her handsome husband who was putting ornaments on the uppermost branches of the tree. “Yes, he does. And I adore him in return. But you’ve never seen a man as crazy in love as Clay because you don’t see my brother look at you when you are unaware of it. Trust me, Ne-ne, Andrew is completely, truly-madly-deeply in love with you, too.”
This time Renee tried to look coy, but failed. Her face wreathed in smiles, she beamed, “Yeah. Ain’t love grand?”
***
Renee was quite ready to head back to Detroit the next day, but Bennie prevailed on her to stay. There was some huge dinner dance that held some kind of significance to The Deveraux Group and it was sure to be a splashy, gala event.
“
One of the sororities sponsors it every year as a means of raising scholarship money. The Deveraux Group is a big contributor every year. In fact, they’re receiving some kind of recognition for it this evening. So please stay, won’t you? I promise you I’ll have you on thefirst thing smoking out of here on Sunday morning. Swear,” she vowed, holding up the fingers of her right hand like the Girl Scout she’d been so long ago. Renee sighed and capitulated. Martha and Big Benny were all for this evening, as was Donnie, so she didn’t want to be the lone voice of dissent. And it gave the BFFs a chance to shop, since Renee hadn’t brought anything that dressy with her.
Bennie had of course offered Renee full run of her closet, but Renee demurred, wanting to get something new that would boggle Andrew at a later date. Then she told Bennie about the wedding reception and the Incident of the Pink Dress. “Did I ever tell you that I borrowed your dress? The one you had made for Clay?” she began.
On their way to the mall she regaled Bennie with the story of how she had knocked Andrew’s socks off and put Ms. Dana-Safari-Barbie Pierson firmly in her place with one fell swoop. “I tell you, that dress has
powers
, girl. We just have to use them for good and not evil.”
While she wasn’t looking for anything as risqué as the pink dress, Renee nevertheless came up with a frock that meant business. She found a hot little Herve Leger in pewter with gray pearl beading that fit her like a glove. In the manner that the designer was known for, the dress made her luscious figure look downright scandalous without revealing a thing. It had a relatively modest surplice neckline and a rather chaste knee-length hem, but everything in between was incendiary. Renee actually felt as good as she looked, because the party was much more fun than she had imagined. The shimmering ballroom held the
crème de la crème
of Atlanta and parts beyond; there was an amazing cross section of society at the gala. From the luminaries of show business, to the academic elite, from the athletes, to the doctors and the shining stars of the business world everyone who was anyone was there. Including, to Renee’s delight, their old friend Ceylon, whose presence Bennie had kept secret. Ceylon was actually one of the headliners of the program, there, as she delicately put it, to ‘separate people from their money for a good cause’.
“
Renee, girl, that dress is amazing,” Ceylon commented after effusive hugs and kisses. “I would ask to borrow it but my fanny would look like two bulldogs fighting under a blanket in something that formfitting,” she sighed as she ran her daintily manicured hand across her generous derriere. Renee looked sideways at Ceylon before answering. Who was Ceylon kidding? Every inch of her was drop-dead gorgeous whether she was a size six or sixteen. She was wearing a midnight-navy Marc Bouwer than made her bronze skin absolutely sparkle.
Renee chuckled, “Well don’t look now, hon, but there are six men staring at that rear end like it was made of candy, so don’t go there, okay?”
Ceylon didn’t miss a beat as she replied, “If one of the six is that gorgeous Martin Deveraux, he can have a bite. If not, they’ll get over it.” As she spoke her eyes lit up; across the room was Martin Deveraux in the flesh. This was a truly rare occurrence in the social annals of Atlanta. For once Martin had shaken the dust off his tuxedo and joined the living. Murmuring something to Renee, Ceylon made a subtle but determined beeline to Martin.
Laughing to herself, Renee went back to The Deveraux Group table that Clay had purchased for the tidy sum of $10,000, which didn’t include the $500 per plate dinner or the generous donation that he was making later. The after dinner speeches that preceded the dancing were about to start. Renee was busy greeting various people she knew; she even saw a few of her personal clients from Urban Oasis. Between socializing and telling Bennie about Martin and Ceylon, her attention was captured so she didn’t see Donnie approaching the table from behind her. She did hear his voice, however.
“
Everyone, I want to introduce you to someone who’s going to be an integral part of Cochran Communications and The Deveraux Group. After we hammer out the details with Clay, some amazing things are going to start happening at both organizations,” Donnie said with an animated authority. Renee turned her head just in time to see the face of the person Donnie was introducing. “Everyone, I’d like for you to meet Donovan Bailey.”
Those were the last words Renee heard for some time.

 

 

 

 

Chapter Fifteen
Somehow Renee managed to get away from the table clutching her evening bag without causing a scene. There was so much handshaking and exchanging of names going on that she could make a mad dash for the ladies room without attracting undue attention. She wouldn’t have cared if someone had noticed her because she was so overcome with nausea that she had to get to a toilet immediately. Luckily, the room was deserted. Renee bolted for the first stall just in time for the wracking waves of sickness to overtake her. It was thousands of times worse than the flu; she was shaking all over, and cold sweat was pouring off her forehead.
When the painful heaving ceased, she rocked back on her heels and tried to stop trembling as she flushed the toilet. It was minutes before she was able to stand and when she did, she almost fell down again with the sudden onslaught of dizziness. All the while she tried vainly to compose herself, to think clearly.
It
was
him…it was that sick bastard. It
was
him at the airport; it was him all along. Oh my God, he’s here in the same place with me, with my friends…
Renee almost started heaving anew when the realization hit her that Donovan Bailey was in the same room with her dearly loved friends and family-to-be. It was as though she feared he would somehow taint them with his presence or…
oh my God—he might say something. He might remember me...he might tell…
Now Renee was seized with the need to flee the ballroom, to get as far away from the hotel as possible. She rinsed her mouth and used her paper towels to blot away the moisture on her face. Dispassionately she tidied her hair and placed an Altoid in her mouth. An eerie calm had taken over her; she was governed by one principle right then and that was her overwhelming need to get out of there without causing a disturbance. But how?
She left the ladies’ room and started towards the front of the huge hotel where the gala was being held. She was walking with the insouciance of someone who knows exactly where she is going when nothing could have been further from the truth. She would decide what to do when she got outside—there had to be a cab service or hotel limousine or something available. Renee was concentrating so assiduously on her escape that she didn’t hear Ceylon call her name. She stopped at the front doors, trying to remember if it was cold outside, if she had a coat, if she remembered Bennie’s address.
She jumped like a startled Burmese cat when Ceylon touched her arm. Ceylon looked alarmed. “What in the world is wrong with you? I’ve been trailing behind you calling your name like a crazy woman…Renee?
Renee
?” Ceylon felt the beginnings of panic stirring; it was obvious that Renee couldn’t hear a word she was saying.
“
Renee, angel, what happened? Oh never mind, I’m taking you home, okay? I’ll take you right back to Bennie’s and get you into bed,” she said soothingly. She led Renee to a nearby banquette and looked around for the concierge or a valet so that she could send for her limo. As luck would have it she saw Martin who was slipping out for a cigar, or just cutting out early. She called his name once and he responded immediately. He took one look at Renee’s ashen face and surmised that she was not well. Ceylon asked him to wait with Renee while she found her driver, but Martin brushed aside that suggestion.
“
I’ll get my car and have her home in a few minutes. Are you sure we shouldn’t go to the hospital?”
Hospital seemed to be a word Renee recognized and she recoiled. Ceylon put her arms around Renee and assured her that they were going right back to Bennie’s house. “I’ll fix you some tea and a hot bath and we will have you feeling better in no time flat,” she promised. As she uttered the words she hoped that she could make them a reality.
Ceylon was so concerned with Renee that she didn’t even register the fact that Martin, that reclusive and non-social Deveraux, was driving a silver Rolls Royce. She surely would have had some flirtatious remark to make had she been aware; as it was all she could think of was Renee, who had yet to utter a sound. Ceylon had enough presence of mind to call Bennie on Clay’s cell phone. For once Bennie was glad he had the odious thing in his pocket. Ceylon made Renee’s sudden collapse seem like a touch of flu or an allergic reaction, since she didn’t want to panic the expectant mother.
“
Oh honey, she’ll be fine. That big handsome Martin is driving us to your house and by the time you get there she will be just fine. But make some noise when you come in because Martin and I might be
busy
,” she added merrily. Realizing what she had just done, she turned to Martin with a sheepish look on her reddened face. “I was…trying to make light of it...I wasn’t, umm…” For once Ceylon was at a loss for words.
Surprisingly, Martin seemed to understand. He reached over and squeezed her hand, something that would have ordinarily had her heart pounding. This time, though, it was just sweet comfort. Her thoughts were completely centered on her friend in the back seat.
After a ride that was much shorter than it actually seemed, they were at Clay and Bennie’s house. Without consulting anyone, Martin swept Renee up into his arms and carried her up to the house, handing Ceylon his set of keys. She quickly opened the door and disarmed the burglar alarm according to his instructions. Martin took Renee up to the bedroom where she was staying and left her to Ceylon’s ministrations.
Ceylon got Renee out of the beautiful dress and into a robe, chatting to her in a low, comforting voice. “I’m going to go and make you a cup of tea with lots of honey and lemon in it, the way you like it. And probably a little shot of brandy, too. Brandy is good for just about everything, it’ll take the edge off. And when I come back upstairs, I am going to run a hot bubble bath for you, if you want one. You just lie down and rest, okay? I’ll be right back,” she assured her. Renee never responded.
When Ceylon went downstairs to the kitchen, she found that Martin had already started the teakettle and had taken out a variety of teas. “I have no idea what she’d like, so I thought you could pick one,” he said in his deep voice.

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