Paper Dolls Page 3

  **

  Raven arrived late to her office. Kevin concluded his meeting when he learned she was there. He entered her office and found her pacing on the phone. She raised a finger to ask him to wait. He nodded and took a seat on her office sofa. He’d rather watch her instead. He found Raven sensual in everything she did. His groin ached when his gaze lingered on the perfect upside down heart-shape of her ass, all the way up to her tiny waist in her white tailored pants. What man wouldn’t salivate with lust over the lovely swell of her large breasts under her red silk blouse? Her mocha skin under the Miami sun had a rich golden brown flawlessness. And her hair when tangled after a drive in her convertible, was thick with coiled curls that brushed an inch past her shoulders. The style complimented her round face, high cheekbones, and deep set brown eyes under long dark lashes. She glanced over at him and smiled. He smiled in return. He joined Paper Dolls for the money, celebrity, and her. In just a year they had made a powerful team, and he found himself constantly being offered jobs that could pull him away from the agency. Raven Katz was now the sole reason he stayed.

  “Thank you. I will make sure the Diamonds are ready. Oh, sorry, I have another call coming in. I’ll have one of my agents follow-up to confirm.” She went to end the call and accept the next. When she checked the caller ID her gut clenched. Black women didn’t pale but she imagined by the look of concern on Kevin’s face she had.

  “What is it?” Kevin asked.

  She put up her index finger again for him to hold off his questions. “Ah, uh, hello?”

  “Hi, love.” A deep authoritative voice spoke against her ear.

  “It’s not a good time, Alex,” she said. She bit down on her knuckle from saying more. Alexander’s voice on a day like today made her weak.

  “That’s fine, I just want to know what time I should pick you up?”

  “So you decided to call and ask me to dinner yourself?”

  “Of course, what time is good for you, love?”

  “I can’t. I have so much going on—”

  “Rae? I really need to see you. It’s been a year. A glass of wine and dinner, then you’re through with me. Please, sweetheart,” he said.

  When he asked her with such an imploring tone she had to consider his request. It was the kind of power he had over her. It was the reason why she preferred he stayed in Israel. “Okay, okay, where do you want to meet?” Raven mouthed an apology to Kevin. He gave her one of his understanding nods.

  “I’ll pick you up at eight,” he said.

  “Wait! Alexander? Alexander?” she gasped.

  The line clicked off.

  “That was our benefactor Alexander Katz?” Kevin asked.

  “Ex-husband, not benefactor. And yes, he’s back in town.” Raven said.

  “And you’re having dinner with him?” Kevin asked.

  “I really do want to meet with the Diamonds before their show at Nikki Beach’s tonight. Liza-Rayne is to perform first and then the Diamonds. It’s a big night for us. I’m sorry. I know we are struggling to keep Liza-Rayne at Starship Records. They’re the last label who will put up with her.”

  “Not the last. Your ex-husband’s record label could be convinced to sign her, if dinner goes well.” Kevin smiled.

  Raven pressed her palm to her forehead. “Don’t even go there. My dealings with Katz Records are over.” She checked her watch again. “How about I clear my schedule and we meet with the Black Diamonds early today?”

  “Nope! I got this. No worries.” Kevin pushed up from his seat and approached her.

  “You? I don’t want you working late by yourself. Pull Barry in and put him on the assignment. He hasn’t brought in any new clients in awhile.”

  “Barry’s a putz!” Kevin laughed.

  “You hired him!” Raven smiled.

  He shrugged.

  “Fine, I’ll throw Barry a bone. You have a good time tonight, sweetheart.”

  “Thanks.” She watched him leave. When the door closed Raven’s smile faded. Dinner tonight with Alexander had her torn between excitement and grief.

  Chapter Three

  Reunited

  It was time to panic. Alexander would arrive soon. Raven hurried around the room in desperate search of her missing shoe. She nearly tripped over the three pairs she had already thrown out of the closet. The ringing phone froze her mid-step. Alexander would have to call to be granted permission to her floor.

  She wasn’t ready. She hadn’t finished her hair. Oh, God why did I agree to this?

  “Hello?” she answered. She reached under the bed with the phone pressed between the side of her face and shoulder. “Hello?”

  “Raven, it’s Zee,” a meek voice responded.

  “Hi, sweetie.”

  “I’m sorry about earlier today. I really am,” Zephyr said.

  “Oh girl, I’m over it. I just wish I could find my damn shoe,” she sighed.

  “Shoe?” Zephyr asked.

  “I’m out of my mind,” Raven scratched her head. She sat and turned on the floor with her back pressed against the side of the bed. She threw the one shoe she was able to locate at the closet. “Why am I doing this?”

  “I’m confused? What’s going on?” Zephyr asked.

  “I told Alex I’d have dinner with him. I thought I could, but I can’t see him, it’s too hard,” Raven said.

  “Oh, I’m sorry. I know it must be.”

  “No. Actually you don’t know. No one knows. I still got the damn wedding ring in a jewelry box I can’t bring myself to open. I keep a few of his shirts in my closet, just to see his things mixed in with mine. Any man asks me out on a date, and the first thing that comes to mind is that I’m married. I pretend that I’m okay, that I don’t miss him, but I’m not. I can’t believe he did this to us. I loved him so damn much. What am I supposed to do with my heart now that it’s over?”

  “Rae, take a breath,” Zephyr said.

  “It’s been a year. Can you believe it? A year, and listen to me. That’s why I said it had to be a clean break. I just can’t take a night of his regrets and my accusations anymore. The apologies, the guilt, he ruined us and he acts like I’m the one keeping us apart.”

  “Aren’t you?” Zephyr reasoned.

  “Me? He destroyed us. Not me!”

  “If you stop the blame game and just listen to the man you might find a way to get past it,” Zee reasoned. “What’s the alternative? Being frozen in life like you are now. Unable to appreciate or trust another man? You need closure. You both do. That’s what I was trying to say at lunch.”

  “Maybe. I dunno. I keep wondering about him, though. I keep wondering if we didn’t lose our baby girl then maybe he wouldn’t have cheated.”

  “You’re human, Rae. Forget what Valentina says. Forget what I say. Listen to your heart. Move on.”

  Her line beeped. “Hold on,” Raven clicked over. “Yes?”

  “Ms. Katz, I have a Mr. Katz asking to be buzzed up to your floor,” the doorman said. She could hear the uncertainty in George’s voice. She had explicit instructions with the doorman to never buzz him up when they divorced. Raven chewed on her nail. Her gaze was trained on the closet but all she saw were his shirts hanging inside. She lied. She never really tried to separate the past from the present. That was the root of her problem. How could she not hold on to the memories of the time she and Alexander had, they were a perfect fit? Her hurt surfaced and the future felt as bleak as the past.

  “Ah, Ms. Katz? Ma’am? Are you there? Should I send him up?”

  “Oh, yes, okay. Yes, send him up,” Raven said.

  She clicked back over. “He’s here, Zee.”

  “Are you going to go through with it?” Zephyr asked.

  “I don’t have a choice. I have to go, bye,” Raven said.

  She got to her feet and went back to her closet. It was bigger than her first apartment, and still she couldn’t find anything. She scanned rows of shoes that were all lined up and color coordinated. Her gaze s
hifted to the unopened shoeboxes from her last shopping trip. Maria, her cleaning lady, hadn’t added them to the stock. When she reached for a shoebox on the very top shelf, she brought several down on her head. “Damn it!” she yelped. She knelt to pick them up one by one, and there she found her missing shoe. Exhaling a sigh of relief, she remembered how much he liked the pair. Wait. Why the hell would she wear what he liked? She corrected her choice. Instead she went with a simple pair of Mary-Jane pumps with the peep toe. Sticking one foot in she heard the door.

  “Damn it.”

  She hopped into the bathroom and looked at her hair. One side was curled and bouncing freely, the other side was limp.

  “Jeesh!” Raven grabbed the brush and worked on the curled side to flatten it like the other side. Why hadn’t she combed her hair first? Picking up the flat iron she ran it down her hair and the doorbell rang again. To keep him waiting would appear rude and purposeful. Raven combed her fingers through her hair and wobbled to the door. It was then she realized she only had on one shoe. “Oh good grief!” She turned back to the closet and retrieved her other shoe.

  “I’m coming!” she yelled.

  She put it on and tried to be as quick as she could as she walked out of the room, and then stopped herself. She fixed her dress and smoothed down her hair. She exhaled slowly and put a bit more confidence in her walk as she crossed the teakwood floor. Raven had sucked down one last deep breath and exhaled slowly. She opened the door.

  Alexander leaned in the frame. He looked nice in his dark suit, but overdressed for the casual style of Miamians. He had tanned beautifully in Israel. His skin was a deep rich olive brown. Six-foot two, with dark long lashed eyes, and a clean-shaven head he had the kind of sly smile that dazzled.

  “Hello, love,” Alexander said, and his accent wrapped warmly around the words.

  He revealed a long stem calla lily that he hid behind his back. It was her favorite flower. He remembered. And it was hard not to smile for him. Loving this man had changed her. She even went as far as to convert to Judaism for him. She did any and everything to be the perfect wife. And after she lost their child the perfect love and world they built together crumbled.

  “Thank you.” She accepted the flower and stepped back. He walked inside and closed the door. She saw him glance around the place his money bought in the divorce settlement. She had an excellent view of the ocean from her 35th floor suite.

  “Nice,” he said. He looked impressed.

  “Thanks. Do you want something to drink?” she asked. She followed him. He tossed her a curious look over his shoulder and then his gaze did another sweep of her. It was his slow perusal that felt inappropriately appropriate. And she had made sure that she looked nice. One of the things she loved about Miami was that she got to wear white all year round. Her summer dress made of silk had a red trim around the hem, and a lace red woven belt that cinched her tiny waist. It was backless and swayed around her thighs when her hips moved.

  “Flawless,” he said so low he must have been speaking to himself. She knew what he meant, and her cheeks and chest burned hot from the flattery. Raven was in trouble. This was no ordinary visit. In fact he acted like the past two years hadn’t happened. She felt the nervous excitement she carried when he first seduced her into his bed.

  She cleared her throat.

  “I need a minute. I mean. I’ll be ready for you in a minute. Ah, to go, you know. I’ll be right back.” She went toward her bedroom before he could stop her. Once inside she closed the door and her eyes. She was out of breath? One look at her ex-husband and she was out of breath. Putting her back to the door, she waited for her heart to stop racing. “Please, God. Pretty please keep me strong tonight. Please!”

  Raven found her phone next. She called Zephyr.

  “Hello?” Zephyr answered after the first ring.

  “Hey, it’s me,” Raven whispered.

  “Oh? Is he—”

  “Yes he’s here. I got a question. At Pacon’s you said you were in contact with him. Do you know why he wants to meet with me? He’s here and I’m all kinds of freaked out.”

  “He looks that good huh?” Zephyr laughed.

  “Just answer the question,” Raven laughed. She looked at the flower then tossed it over to the bed. “I’m serious. Girl, he walked in here all GQ and smelling good. Looking at me like he used to before he would fuck the hell out of me. I ought to put a pot of grits on the stove and throw it on his ass.”

  Zephyr roared with laughter. “Boy, Rae, you are so country sometimes.”

  Raven smiled. Zephyr always made her smile. “So what’s his deal? Why is he here?”

  “He called two weeks ago. He was asking if you were dating, and if you were okay, the usual. Then I asked about him. He said he was thinking of letting you go. That he had to see you one last time, Rae, to know that there was no hope.”

  Raven’s heart sank.

  “Is that what he said?”

  “He feels like it might be time for you both,” Zephyr said.

  “Why didn’t you tell me this?” she asked.

  “Girl? Every time I mention Alexander you shut down and walk out of the room. Look at how you reacted today. Besides I was hoping he would come, and you two would see what I see. That you belong together.”

  “Shoot!” Raven pinched the top nasal bone of her nose and closed her eyes. “He wants to move on huh? He’s got a girlfriend or something? Oh God this hurts. Is he thinking of starting a family with someone else? A baby?”

  “Rae, don’t go there… ”

  “My baby died and he cheated on me,” her voice croaked over the sob lodged in her throat.

  “It wasn’t that simple, Rae. You two were having some serious problems back then. Remember?”

  “He has a girlfriend. Sure he does. He had one when we were married, so of course he has one now. That’s fine, hey I can show him exactly how much I’ve moved on.”

  “Rae, don’t. Alexander loves you. Please hear him out. Please!”

  “Bye, Zee.”

  She dropped the phone and snatched up the flower. She broke the stem and threw it in the garbage pail near the nightstand. It was time to put the past in the past. That meant saying a final goodbye to her cheating ass husband, and starting anew. Her way. She went into the bathroom and finished curling her hair. She’d make him wait by cleaning up the mess she made in her closet. Hell he was early anyway.

  **

  Alexander walked around the condo. There wasn’t a trace of their lives together. Raven was picture obsessed when they were married. She’d taken many shots of them and developed the images herself. At every turn he’d see framed black and white candid shots of him in his glasses working, or sleeping.

  For their second anniversary, she had tasteful nudes done for him. It hurt him deeply when she requested he turn over the book of them in the divorce. He looked at them often during their separation, but honored her wishes and gave them back. If he wasn’t so broken over his betrayal he might have fought harder. It was one of his many regrets.

  November 2012 –

  The door was unlocked. How many times had he told her to keep the doors locked when he travelled away from home? They lived in an exclusive gated community, but still he worried. Alex closed the door and set the alarm. It didn’t chime or engage. He frowned. There must be another door open in his home. When he turned with the large long strap to his suitor bag draped over his shoulder he paused. The white marble floor was littered in pink rose petals. Alexander glanced up. The house was silent.

  “Raven?” he called out.

  No one answered.

  He shook his head, pleased. Maybe she was taking a swim. He loved to see her beautiful body as she calmly floated beneath the sun upon turquoise waves.

  Alex started through the foyer. He passed his sunken living room and large kitchen. The wind off of the lake behind their home blew in a sweet cool breeze. It was over 98 degrees in Miami, but his home had a way of tempering the humid
ity. He turned the corner to his outside terrace and paused.

  There she was. She lay naked on top of a white patio couch with pink petals sprinkled over her body. Raven turned to her side and he could see all of her. Alex dropped his luggage. Each day that passed in their marriage he loved her more. He didn’t question how it was possible, or if it would last. In his faith, a heavenly soul is half man and half woman. It’s a righteous and deep blessing to find your soul mate. Often in his past he had confused lust with love. In his world money, sex, and decadence was all part of business. But with Raven it was different. For her age she was wise, for her lack of experience she was a quick learner. And the first time he touched her, he learned her deepest secret. She was a virgin. From that day forward his pursuit of her was relentless. He put all of his charm, money, and influence to work. But it wasn’t until he let go of his pride did she open her heart to him. It was the best choice he ever made.

  “Welcome home, Alex,” she smiled.

  “It’s nice to come home to find my wife waiting for me,” he said and pushed his hands down in his trouser pockets.

  “Really? I finished a special project. I thought we could celebrate.”

  Alex removed his hands from his pockets. He shed his blazer. The privacy of the terrace was completed by tall palms that crowded his land, and blocked the entrance from his neighbors. The only way to see them was when arriving to his home across the lake.

  She watched him as he removed his tie, his shirt, his trousers, and his silk boxers. She teased him with a smile and lowered her gaze to his socks. Alex made sure to remove those next. Raven sat up. She folded her legs as if she were about to meditate. He paused. She reached behind her and removed a large book with a pink ribbon and bow. She presented it to him as if it were an offering.