Leo (Members From Money Season 2 #144)

Chapter 1

“Darling, you’re making me dizzy.”

“I do not know what in the hell I am supposed to do. She is insisting that I find a husband as if I can just pick one out of a hat.” Fisting her hands in her hair, Sherrian stopped short of just screaming.

The only thing that gave her pause was the fact that it would not solve anything. “You can always marry me!” Michael suggested helpfully as he watched her pace in a tight circle, the energy positively vibrating off her.

“Aunt Gloria already knows you are as gay as the day is long.” She flopped down on the silk sofa next him and rested her head on his shoulder.

She was exhausted. The pastry shop had been unusually busy today and she had been summoned to her aunt’s place. A phone call in the middle of the busy period with the woman telling her imperiously that her presence was needed.

“I expect you for supper, Sherrian and you know how I despise tardiness.”

So, she had to pass on everything to her partner, Ingrid, which included paperwork and some accounting and hightailed it an hour away to her aunt’s dusty old house. Just to be told in the middle of the unappetizing meal of barely cooked veal and raw vegetables that she had two weeks to find a husband.

“During that time, I will be going on a cruise. I am wrapping up my business and meeting with the lawyers. The money is there for you to take possession of, but you have to find a husband.”

She had looked over her glasses and tutted in disapproval at her niece’s appearance. Sherrian had not bothered to mention that she was coming straight from work. It would not have made a hell of a difference. The woman was impossible.

“I have two weeks,” she murmured mournfully.

“And after what happened two years ago, the last thing you need is a husband,” Michael commiserated with her. He was her best friend and who better to know that she had suffered tragically and had decided to put the brake on relationships.

She had even stopped dating, which he privately thought was a damn shame. Sherrian was a beautiful woman who deserved to have a man catering to her.

“Ingrid is retiring in a month. She wants me to buy her out and frankly, I do not relish someone else coming in. I have plans for the place.”

“Big ones?”

“Yes. I was thinking it does not have to be a real marriage, just something to satisfy the old bat. All that money, just gathering dust in the bank. There is so much I could do with it.” Shoving off the sofa, she started pacing again. Michael leaned back and watched in fascination as she made the rounds, her slender body vibrating with tension and energy.

Her thick dark brown hair was piled on top of her head, with tendrils escaping down her face and the back of her neck. She was wearing faded jeans and her pastry shop t-shirt and managed to look elegant and classy in what should have been a casual outfit.

Her face was small, with pointed chin, eyes large and a dark chocolate brown, very expressive eyes indeed. Her lips were wide and at the mouth, without a stitch of enhancement. In fact, she was not wearing any makeup at all. Her skin was a flawless caramel, her nose small with flaring nostrils.

She was petite, barely topping five feet, but her energy level made up for it. Charles was definitely gay but could admire the very lovely and appealing package. He had no doubt that she could have any number of men dying to put a ring on that long and elegant finger of hers.

But because of what had happened in the past, Sherrian was understandably cautious.

“What about Greg?”

She stopped her pacing to consider and then shook her head. “It has to be someone who knows I am not interested in an actual relationship. This would be for show. No sex, no touching or sharing the same bedroom.”

He snorted and had her narrowing her eyes at him.

“What?”

“Then you’re looking for either a gay man or one who’s over ninety.”

“Why?”

He gave her an incredulous stare. “Sweetie, take a look in the mirror. You might not take the time and effort to doll yourself up, but you are a gorgeous woman.

Any man you choose will absolutely want to touch and more.” He plucked their wine glasses off his cherry wood table and checked for moisture. Satisfied that it was still its glossy best, he headed towards his pristine kitchen.

“I am switching to tea, unless you plan on spending the night.”

“I am.” She followed him into the pristine black and white kitchen and sat around the counter. “It amazes me how you have all this beautiful space and barely use it.”

“That’s because I do a lot of travelling and I am not enamored with cooking the way you are.” He glanced at her as he searched for his special Japanese tea. She needed calm and the tea he had decided on would contribute to that. Hopefully. “No one is. You live in the kitchen.”

“I do.” She was feeling restless again, a constant condition as far as she was concerned. She had someone in mind. He was a friend, and she could be brazen enough to ask him to go with her in this scheme she was planning.

He could say no, but she had a feeling it would be mutually beneficial to both of them. And she was desperate enough to try. If he said no, then- God! She had no idea what she would do if he did. She really, really needed the money.

“Thanks.” She took the cup he handed to her and inhaled the citrus scent.

“Let’s talk about something else, something not designed to drive me crazy.” She sipped tea and stared at him over the rim of her cup. Michael Charles Montgomery was a highly successful and prestigious actor who came from a wealthy family.

He was the only son of Ellie Montgomery; the famous actress who had taken Broadway by storm several decades ago and who was now retired and living in Italy with her latest lover. A lover who was twenty years her junior. “How’s mommy, dearest?”

A smile touched her lips as he grimaced and sat down across from her. “Her lover made a pass at me the last time I went for a visit.”

Her eyebrows lifted, “So, you did what?”

“Made a pass right back.” He grinned at her, green eyes twinkling. She was the only one in his large circle of friends, he ever felt comfortable with and considered her his best friend. She was unsophisticated and honest to the point of being rude and he adored her.

She did not pretend to be anything other than who she was, and he admired that. She did not give a flying fig about society and was not ruled by their ridiculous standards. “He is a gorgeous man who is only with mother because of what she can give him. The poor thing is completely under her thumb.”

“Greed makes strange bedfellows.”

“And you, my darling one are completely and utterly cynical.”

“They are both using each other, obviously, so there is no need for sympathy. How is Jason?” She asked casually.

“We’re on a break.”

“For how long, this time?”

“It might be for good.” He placed the cup carefully into the delicate saucer and folded manicured hands in front of him. “Aren’t you going to say, ‘I told you so’?”

“That’s not my style,” she gave him a blank stare as she sipped her tea, which was beginning to warm her stomach. “But I did tell you, he is only after you for what you can do for him. Dump his opportunistic ass and move on.”

“Easy for you to say,” his expression was mournful, “I fancied myself in love with him.”

“He is an empty shell of a man and I saw that the minute you introduced him to me. All flash and no substance and very pretentious,” she shrugged. “You do not need that. If you wait patiently and stop picking up these losers, you are going to find someone worthy of you.”

“What if he’s exactly what I deserve?”

“That’s utter nonsense and you know it.”

“I don’t like living alone.” He looked around the luxurious place in which he had invested. He was wealthy and well set. But still, he was a thirty-year-old gay man with no one to call his own.

He traveled the world and could buy anything he wanted and did not hesitate to indulge himself. But he was lonely and was secretly happy that Sherrian had decided to spend the night.

“Living alone is fun and uncomplicated. I can walk around naked, cook with just an apron covering my nude body. I never have to pick up after anyone or put the damn toilet seat down. It is fricking liberating.”

He gave her a considering look.

“Why do I get the feeling you’re picturing me naked with just an apron on?”

He laughed softly and shook his head. “Precisely what I was imagining. Darling, you only came to this…,” he waved a hand vaguely. “This mind frame when that bastard did you wrong. We all need that special someone who is going to tune our pipes and settle in for the long haul. I want that and am not going to apologize for wanting it.”

She finished her tea and went to put her cup in the oversized sink. “I am over relationships. All I want to do is concentrate on building my pastry shop.”

“I could loan you the money, hell, I could give it to you.”

“No!” She shook her head firmly. “I already owe you quite a bit.

“What’s a sum of money between friends?” He asked airily.

“The answer is still no.”

*****

Dragging his fingers through his disheveled hair, he turned to look at the woman sprawled on the bed. A frown touched his brow as he realized not for the first time that things were cooling down between them.

He was going to cut loose, but did not relish the scene and the questions. He was putting on his boots when she stirred and turned around to face him.

“It’s late!” There was enough light from the moon seeping through the window for him to notice the pout on her rosy lips.

“Or early.” He nodded to the blinking light of the bedside clock which showed the time as being just 3.30 am. “I have a breakfast meeting and am flying to New York. I have to be prepared.”

“You always are. Darling, this is becoming tiresome. You never spend the entire night.”

“Again, it is morning.” He rose and slipped into his jacket. He did not have time for an argument. He had started seeing Janet two months ago and at first her beauty and vivid personality had intrigued him.

But that had quickly cooled. And he knew why. She was not a bad person, and he supposed if he were not hung up on someone else, he could really see them having a go at the relationship. But his passion had waned considerably.

“I am going to Mexico on a shoot for three days, We could make an outing of it and stay in the delightful villa of yours.”

He lifted thick coffee brown brows at her as he zipped up his pants. “No, we cannot. I have a company to run. But feel free to use the place. If you decide to, I will alert Manuel.”

She sat up, naked and flushed, her rose tinted nipples already hard. Her skin was white and pampered and the glorious red hair which was her trademark flowed over one breast and stopped at her tiny waist.

But other than a mild admiration for her beauty, he felt nothing else. “The fall fashion show will be right after I get back. Can I count on you being there?”

“We’ll see.” He patted his packets to make sure he was not leaving anything behind. “Take care.”

He was at the door of the bedroom when she rushed over and launched herself into his arms. “Please stay.”

An impatient look crossed his attractive face and reflected in his blue-green eyes.

“I have to go.” Putting her away from him, he opened the door and left without a backward glance.

Outside in the parking lot, he got into his vehicle and just sat there. It was too early for the other tenants to be up and about. The concierge had rushed to open the beveled glass doors for him. It was expected of course because he owned the building.

He was about to push the start button when his phone rang. He was going to ignore it when he decided to turn it over and looked at the LED. His brows lifted in shocked surprise and for a second, he could not move. Taking a deep breath, he pushed the green icon and hoped to God that he managed to sound normal.

“Hey.”

“Hey, yourself. You were the one who told me you are usually up at the crack of dawn. And shit, Leo, I need to talk to you. It is urgent or I would not be disturbing you at this time. Wait, are you with someone?”

He chuckled softly and knew why he had fallen for her in the first place. Sherrian Watson was in a league of her own.

“Not anymore.”

“That’s good.” There was a pause, and he waited. “I need to see you. I have this damn favor to ask, and it cannot be said over the fricking phone. Here I am up at this time of the morning and cannot settle. What is your day like?”

“I have a breakfast meeting at six and flying to New York right after. I should be back by tonight. Where can I find you?”

“I will be at the shop until around 9.00 pm. Bring your appetite and let me cook you something.”

“Sounds like a plan. You okay?”

“Kind of. I will fill you in when I see you. Later.” And just like that, she was gone. Leaning back, he closed his eyes and fought the shudders wracking his body. He had met her two years ago when she was engaged to another man.

She had been rushing in her usual fashion, from the pastry shop to go across the street to catch the bank and bumped into him. Instead of apologizing, the tiny bundle of electric energy had berated him for not watching where he was going.

He had just stood there like a buffoon watching in fascination at the sparks shooting from the chocolate brown eyes and did not say a word. Afterwards, she had marched off across the street and entered the bank.

But he had seen the logo on her shirt and knew she worked at the pastry place only a few feet away.

The next morning, he had presented himself there and sat in a corner booth, enjoying coffee and her delicious raspberry and cream pie.

He had then sat there and watched as she moved from one table to the other and then back around the kitchen. Her energy left him breathless, and he had fallen then and there. When she came over to his table, he had seen the ring on her finger and felt his heart sinking.

He had persevered and became her friend instead and hired her shop for when they had meetings at the corporate headquarters or even when they were having functions at the office, he would use her. He had thrown her so much business that she confessed that he had singlehandedly boosted the business.

When her fiancé was killed and he found out that the bastard was also cheating on her, he offered his shoulder as a friend, all the while wishing that he could be something more. When she made it plain that she was not in the running for a relationship, he had reluctantly backed down and waited for his opening.

Laughing shakily, he pushed the start button and hoped this was it.

*****

“It was pretty rough today.” Ingrid sat next to her and gave her a sympathetic look as she slipped off her tennis shoes and wriggled her toes.

“Mondays always are. I am not going to complain.” Sherrian leaned back and closed her eyes wearily. The shop was empty at this time of night, with the last customer leaving with a box cream puffs, freshly baked.

“Honey, I hate to bring this up.”

Sherrian turned to face the older woman and knew what was coming. “You want to know what my plans are.”

Ingrid nodded, a sheepish expression on her lined face. “Ben is making noises about leaving without me.

You know we plan to take a two-month long cruise before we both officially retire.” Ingrid was nearing her sixty-fifth birthday and her husband, who was a seasoned fire fighter, was just days away from his own retirement. The couple wanted to go on a cruise and settle on a farm in Texas.

Sherrian was grateful to the woman who had hired her straight out of culinary school and taught her so much. Ingrid had taken her on as a partner three years ago and over the last year had offered her the opportunity of owning the shop outright.

“As you should be,” she slid her feet back into her tennis shoes. She should be hearing from Leo soon and wanted to get ready. “I will have an answer for you by the end of the week.”

Ingrid stared at the vivacious beauty quizzically.

“That aunt of yours still giving you a hard time?”

“Aunt Gloria is set in her ways.”

“We could always work out a payment plan.”

Sherrian shook her head. “No. You put everything into the business, and I don’t want to be the one to hold things up for you.” Reaching over, she patted the worn hand. “I will figure something out.”

“Honey, don’t let her rope you into doing something you don’t want to do.”

“I will do anything to take over the business. Go home and stop worrying about me. I am a survivor.”

“I just have one more thing to say.”

“Go on.”

“That asshole Greg was an idiot.”

“I completely agree with you.” Sherrian told her with a laugh. “It is funny. When it happened, I was so broken that I could not function.

But now, looking back, I should have seen the signs. I blamed myself for being so wrapped up in growing the business.” She shook her head. “When he took the broken dates and the late nights I would spend here so easily, I figured I was the luckiest woman in the world.”

“And all the while he was screwing around with your best friend,” Ingrid sniffed. “I never liked that Jasmine person. She was always smiling and too nice.”

“She was my best friend since high school. I never got the chance to ask her why she did it. That pissed me off. Losing Greg was one thing, but I also lost the person I considered to be my best friend.

All those times they claimed they were working; they were actually screwing each other’s brains out.” Taking a breath, she rose. “Now, get out of here, before Ben starts blaming me for keeping his wife out at this time of night.”

“Don’t stay too late.” Ingrid rose as well and glanced around the cheerful space with the chairs stacked on the tables after the girls had finished cleaning. She had been in business for the past thirty years after working at a restaurant and deciding that it was time for her to branch out on her own.

“I am going to miss this place.” She reached out to clasp the girl’s hand. “But I could not wish for a better person to pass it on to. You have turned this place into a showpiece, one that is immensely popular with the uptown crowd. I know you have great plans as soon as I draw my ancient ass out of here.”

Sherrian hugged the woman and held on. “You’re not that old!” She tightened the hold on the woman and closed her eyes in appreciation. She owed a lot to this woman and would never forget what she did for her. Letting go, she stepped back. “I am getting mushy, and you know how I hate that.”

Ingrid patted her cheek fondly. “Our Chad would have made you a great husband.”

Sherrian burst out laughing, eyes dancing merrily. “I think of him of more like a brother and he feels the same. How is Gayle?”

“My daughter-in-law is about to give us our first granddaughter. She is a rock star. Let me get the hell out of here.”