Chapter 18
Temptation.
Cherish had been tempted, a little too tempted to let Haylee watch her get dressed. In the end she saved both of them from sexual frustration. As it was, time had slipped away during their make out—or perhaps it was a make up—session.
“You look beautiful.” Haylee breathed out the compliment, and Cherish’s cheeks blazed with the attention. She hoped the reapplied makeup hid at least some of it.
“Thank you.” Stepping purposefully toward the key table beside her front door, she picked up her clutch and snagged her iPad with Febe's speech. “Are you ready to leave?”
Haylee’s chic slacks and matching blazer, simple and flattering, weren’t exactly the gala attire Cherish would normally approve of. But Cherish had noticed Haylee’s odd wording in her response earlier. She wanted to dig deeper, but that could wait for now. Besides, Haylee looked gorgeous, no matter what she wore.
“Would you like to use one of my necklaces? I think I have one that would really complement your neckline.”
Haylee’s downcast face slowly turned back up, and the fire in her eyes almost made Cherish reconsider the importance of the gala. But no—she shook her head and smiled back, hoping her thoughts weren’t etched across her face. The gala was the only thing that mattered—at least for tonight.
“You look beautiful, and you don’t need the necklace. But I thought you might like one.” Cherish stepped close enough to cup Haylee’s cheek in her hand but made sure their bodies didn’t quite connect anywhere else. She may not be ready to sleep with Haylee just yet, but she couldn’t expect either of them to control those urges twice in one night.
“If you don’t mind, a necklace might be nice.” Haylee held onto Cherish’s upper arm, the connection between them so strong in that moment. Cherish didn’t want to walk away, but she knew she had to.
By the time they had the perfect necklace sitting at the V of Haylee’s cleavage, the car was there, and the driver stood against the hood, a cigarette already half-smoked. Cherish didn’t let go of Haylee’s hand as they walked outside toward it, her brow furrowing as she came closer to the driver.
“You’ll finish that right now, and put the divider up before we get in.” Cherish couldn’t believe the audacity of some people. If Febe got a whiff of the smoke, it could be the pressure on tonight’s hair trigger.
Cherish waited a moment before she opened the door for Haylee, not allowing the driver the opportunity to get the smell on either of them.
Haylee didn’t meet her eyes as she slid into the limo.
Cherish had seen this happen so many times. Haylee didn’t feel comfortable with Cherish giving orders, but it had never made her feel hot and tight in the chest before. Haylee did things to her that she couldn’t name, things she had only ever experienced in dreams of what she wanted from Febe. Not that Febe was that person, but how Cherish longed for her to be.
“I’m sorry,” Cherish muttered as she followed Haylee into the backseat, their thighs touching as the door was shut behind her.
“I’m not the one you should apologize to.” Haylee looked up and met Cherish’s eyes. The bolt of electricity that flooded Cherish made her breath hitch.
“You’re right.” Cherish nodded and took a deep breath. As the driver slid into the front seat, she shuffled a little in her seat, so she perched closer to the driver. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have snapped. My boss can’t stand the smell of smoke, and it’s a big night for her.”
“Not a problem, Miss. Would you like the partition raised?”
A yes danced on her tongue, but as she slid a sideways glance to see Haylee smiling at her, she relaxed her shoulders.
“No, it should be fine.” Cherish brushed imaginary lint from the seat of her dress. Pity, because she would love to have some more moments alone with Haylee. Then again, perhaps the potential of someone else seeing them would help keep Cherish’s hands from wandering.
“It’s a start,” Haylee whispered into Cherish’s ear.
“A start?” Cherish turned her head slightly, narrowing her eyes though humor couldn’t keep her lips from curling up slightly. “You wouldn’t be trying to change me now, would you, Ms. Coleman?”
“Oh no.” Haylee’s eyes widened, her mouth, that beautiful tempting mouth, gaped in a small O of surprise. Her hand, those long fingers that had danced perfectly over her, pressed against her chest. “I wouldn’t dream of trying to change a single thing about you, Ms. Barkley.”
Oh, the way Haylee dragged out her name. Cherish shuddered with pleasure.
“Very well.” Cherish quickly turned away, looking through the window as they drew closer to Febe's place. She smiled, allowing the glee of this strange evening to wash over her.
It had been such a hard week. Haylee had walked around the office as though she was on thin ice with Cherish, Febe, and the job itself. Cherish hadn’t realized Haylee had thought her job had been on the line. That truth had cut deeply and made Cherish aware of just how cruel she had been. Even more than she could have thought. She hadn’t met Cherish’s gaze, and Cherish hadn’t known how to break the tension, how to apologize, and reach for Haylee again.
“Did I mention how delicious you look tonight, Ms. Coleman?” Cherish smiled, though she imagined her eyes bulging like in those cartoon shows she had to watch because Stuart was older and was always in charge of the television.
“Maybe not in words.” Haylee’s wink made her eyes squint just a little as her cheeks burned a charming shade of pink beneath her sparse makeup.
“Well, you look delectable.” Cherish wasn’t sure what had come over her or who had possessed her. It was certainly someone a lot more friendly than her usual self. The car stopped, and Cherish reached for the handle.
“I’ll go get Ms. Aarts. I won’t be long.” Cherish popped open the door before the driver could get out.
“Ms. Aarts?” Haylee’s face scrunched. “I don’t think she’s there.”
Cherish stopped before closing the door, smiling at Haylee.
“Why wouldn’t she be?”
“Because she had me reserve two cars. One for you and one for her.”
Sadness washed over her. Cherish didn’t often let it reach in and squeeze her chest. She couldn’t allow it. Febe hadn’t wanted to ride with her? First the forgotten speech and now this? What was going on with her? Febe had been through so much, too much, and the pain and loss Cherish felt was hardly worth mentioning. Febe had suffered so much more.
Worry gnawed at Cherish. She thought Febe had been doing better this year. Had Cherish been so caught up with her own confused emotions that she had missed the signs? Stuart’s words rang through her mind again—the conversation that had fired her up only to keep her away most of the week.
Was she truly such a bad friend?
“Cherish?” Haylee’s voice startled her.
Cherish jerked with a start and folded her hands in front of her nervously.
“What’s wrong? Didn’t she tell you?”
Cherish frowned, remembering a text she’d barely read because her head had pounded so much that week that staring at a text for longer than a few seconds did her brain in. She grabbed her phone from her clutch and pulled open her texts with Febe, scrolling to earlier that week and the long text from Febe.
Febe: I need to go in earlier to help Allegra with a few last minute details for the gala. I’ll meet you and Haylee there. Don’t forget my speech.
For a moment, Cherish simply stared at the device. Something had gone wrong, something very bad, and this message would change everything. Her fingers trembled as she put the phone back into her clutch. Cherish blinked, looked up at Haylee.
At that moment, when the words finally made sense, Cherish wanted to scream and hit something.
“For fuck’s sake,” Cherish muttered and shook her head. “She did tell me. I must have forgotten.”
“Cherish.” Haylee covered Cherish’s hand with her own.
“What?” Cherish snapped.
“Hey.” Haylee looked a mix of hurt and pissed off. And damn it all if Cherish didn’t find it completely sexy. “Don’t take this out on me. Plus, this is a good thing. They must be getting along, and that means Febe definitely got there on time, and there’s no need to worry.”
Cherish turned to the driver, eyes closed as the weight of everything settled into her chest.
“Are you really that scared that she might not need you?” Haylee’s words were soft, a slight tremble to them. “Or are you scared that she might be happy?”
“You don’t understand.” Cherish dropped Haylee’s hand, and when she looked at Haylee, her shoulders were slightly forward, but her face was filled with fierceness.
“No, I don’t.” Haylee shrugged. “I don’t understand why any of this matters so much. But I know it matters to you, and I’m sorry that this makes it harder.”
Cherish met Haylee’s eyes for a moment before closing her own and leaning against the seat. It was now or never, and she needed to tell Haylee what was going on. “Febe was married.”
“I assumed as much since she has a grandkid, so I’m not sure why that’s such a big deal.”
She’d told Haylee she would share after the gala, but what difference did now or later make? Cherish bit her lip, needing to find the best way to share this.
“Okay.” Haylee shifted in her seat, their shoulders just brushing. “Continue.”
Cherish relaxed. This was Haylee, and despite their ups and downs, she did trust Haylee with this. It was time Haylee knew everything. “A few years ago now. Bernie was amazing.”
“Bernie?” Haylee’s eyes shone as she connected the dots. She really was insanely intelligent, and Cherish couldn’t believe it had taken her this long to realize just how incredible Haylee was.
“Yeah. Bernie was a friend to me, and she was the love of Febe’s life. She was so different—independent, strong willed, brilliant—but they worked so well. They fit and complemented each other like I’ve never seen in a couple before, or since. And I’ve never seen Febe so happy.” Relief washed through her. Cherish had kept this in for so long, and it was amazing to finally be able to share it with someone—someone who might also understand.
“You’ve known Febe for a long time.” It wasn’t a question, but Cherish couldn’t blame Haylee for wanting to know details.
“Yeah.” She smiled. “We grew up together.”
Haylee reached for Cherish’s hand and snagged it, sliding their fingers together in a tight, comfortably grasp. “You really need to give a girl a warning before you start dropping all these truth bombs.”
Cherish chuckled, and the sound faded into a silence that both wrapped around her and pulled at the pain within.
“Something happened, didn’t it?” Haylee’s words were so soft that if Cherish hadn’t already been hyperaware of the woman she might even have missed them.
“Yeah.” Cherish didn’t know how to say it or even where to start. For a moment, all of the years of holding back to help keep Febe’s head above the water washed over her and threatened to drown her on the spot.
“It’s okay. I don’t need to know.”
“But what if I want to tell you? What if I need to?” Cherish hadn’t meant to say that second question, but it was the real one she wanted answered. For so long she had lived as the barrier between this pain and the world, and it was exhausting. She wasn’t sure she wanted to do it anymore.
“Then I’m here to listen.” Haylee turned more fully to look Cherish in the eye.
“The Holbrook Foundation is named after Bernadette Holbrook. It was Bernie’s dream. A foundation that focuses on helping young mothers who don’t have the support they need. Single women who just want to raise their family and thrive.” Why was she so close to crying? Cherish held back as best as she could, fighting herself to finally let everything loose.
“She sounds amazing. I wish I had met her.”
“Yeah, that would have been nice.” With the hand not gripping to Haylee’s, Cherish wiped beneath her eyes the tears that had escaped.
“You liked Bernie.”
“I loved her. She was one of my best friends.”
“Even though…” Haylee’s head was bowed.
When Cherish looked over at her, wondering where Haylee’s words had disappeared, she saw the concern etched in the side of Haylee’s face.
“Even though what?” Cherish softened her voice as much as the emotions rolling inside of her allowed.
“Even though you have a crush on Febe? Or has that only happened since?”
“Oh.” Cherish laughed, surprising both of them if Haylee’s startled look was anything to go by. “I was jealous as hell, at least at the start. But…” Cherish took a deep breath and leaned heavier against the seat, “…once I saw them together, saw how she treated Febe, and got to know her, there was no way I couldn’t fall in love with the two of them together.”
“And what about now?”
“What do you mean?” Cherish’s mind was all ablaze with the emotions she wasn’t used to feeling, let alone expressing.
“Oh.” Haylee’s eyes were wide open, surprise and something else lingering that Cherish couldn’t identify. “Nothing. It’s okay.”
“I like you, Haylee.” Cherish gently pulled on Haylee’s hand so their bodies pressed up against one another.
“I like you, too.” Haylee’s face all but glowed with the blush that spread from her cheeks.
A cough from the front of the vehicle made Cherish jump.
“Sorry, Miss. I was just wondering, um…are you still needing my services this evening?”
“Oh, the gala.” Haylee looked stricken, and Cherish knew she should be concerned, but she couldn’t find the energy to focus on that right now.
“Yes, I suppose we should get there.” Cherish pushed up a little, sitting straighter while the weight of the emotions pressed on her, but despite that, she felt lighter than she had in years. “Hopefully, Febe hasn’t gone crazy again.”
“Now this is the story I’ve been waiting for.” Haylee winked, enraptured by what Cherish had withheld.
A settled feeling moved into Cherish’s chest, a warm comfort that she had missed for the last few years. She’d needed this, probably more than anyone—other than Stuart—could have expected. Damn her brother for always being right.
“I’ve got fifteen minutes to the gala to tell you, so you better listen up.”
Cherish wasn’t sure what had possessed her, but she wasn’t sure she hated this feeling of calm. As the car started to move, the heater warming Cherish’s chilled toes, she tried to figure out where the best place to start was.
Haylee didn’t even miss a beat. “So, what happened? Exactly?”