Chapter 5 #2
“I’m just glad her sons are with their fathers, who will take good care of them,” Straw said.
“Yeah. Maybe it all worked out for the best, at least for the kids. By the way, I meant to ask you how Paula was doing. I know you asked her to come as your plus-one, but she couldn’t make it.”
“Her mother was sick. Came down with a virus or something.”
“How is Mrs. Costner doing now?”
“A lot better. That’s the other reason I’m calling. I asked Paula to marry me last night, and she said yes.”
Cobra grinned. “Congratulations. It’s about time, don’t you think?”
“Yeah, man. It’s definitely time,” Straw agreed. “I’ve been given a second chance, and I don’t plan to mess this up.
Paula and Straw had dated in high school, but they’d gone their separate ways when they’d left for college.
They eventually married other people and later divorced.
Straw had moved back to Savannah ten years ago to become sheriff, and Paula returned two years ago, accepting the job of dean of the Business Department at Savannah State University.
Cobra had always liked Paula and thought Straw had made a mistake when he’d broken up with her at the end of their final year in high school.
He’d always hoped the two would get back together, but then they’d ended up marrying others.
However, when she returned to town, he’d had kept his fingers crossed.
“So, when is the wedding, Straw?”
“The last weekend in September. Will you be my best man?”
“Of course, I’ll be by your side. As I said, it’s about time.”
“Yes, it is. I should never have broken up with her all those years ago. I’m just glad we found our way back to each other.”
“I am too.”
“Of course, Mom is overjoyed. She always liked Paula. From the beginning, she thought Jasmine only married me because she thought I was headed to the NBA. When she divorced me, she proved Mom right.
“All that is behind you now. I can see you having a great future with Paula.”
“I can, too. We’ve even talked about having a family.”
Cobra grinned, envisioning a lot of little Straws running around.
“So, the way I see it, Cobra, there’s hope for you. It’s never too late to find the girl of your dreams.”
Cobra rolled his eyes. “Not looking for her. I like my life just the way it is. And I’m going to like it even more when I get beyond that damn year of celibacy. I need to get laid badly.”
“Don’t. Or you lose the bet.”
“Don’t worry. There’s not a woman alive who will make me lose that bet. Not a single one…”
At that moment, the memory of seeing Desiree on her knees, looking for her earring, flashed in his mind. He cursed under his breath when he felt his penis get hard at the thought.
“Alright, I’ll let you get back to work now, Cobra.”
“Thanks, Straw. And again, congratulations to you and Paula. Give her my love, will you?”
“Absolutely.”
Cobra leaned back in his chair after his call with Straw ended.
He’d honestly not thought Desiree Sharpe could dominate his thoughts the way she was doing.
Granted, he’d had a meeting scheduled this morning with Richard, but he hadn’t needed to seek her out afterwards.
He’d regretted that visit ever since. The nerve of her assuming he’d become friends with Richard just for what he could get out of it.
That meant she honestly didn’t know her grandfather well at all.
Richard wasn’t a man to be taken in by false flattery or persuasion.
He was too intelligent to allow that to happen.
Of course, her words also told Cobra exactly what she thought about his character.
Did he care? Not really. She didn’t know him, and he certainly didn’t know her.
And after this morning, he didn’t think he wanted to.
If she could question his motives, why couldn’t he question hers? Granddaughter or not.
Granted, she said she’d returned to the States because Richard had demanded it.
Knowing Richard, Cobra had no doubt of it.
However, if she was rebelling against being told what to do, how far would she go?
Would she deliberately defy authority? Drive the grandfather who loved her into having a heart attack?
There was no doubt Richard loved his granddaughter. Although he’d been annoyed at some of the things she had done over the years, Cobra could still hear a grandparent’s love in his voice whenever he spoke of her. He recognized it because he’d heard it in his own grandfather’s voice.
Richard and Desiree definitely had issues they needed to resolve, but it was up to them to rectify them—not Cobra.
However, he wasn’t about to sit by and watch her cause Richard undue stress.
That meant Cobra needed to find out as much about Desiree, and her game plan, as he could.
What had she been doing in Paris for the last three years?
Who had she spent time with? Was there a man in her life?
He quickly dismissed that thought. He didn’t care.
Picking up his cell phone, he called Landon Chestnut.
Landon picked up on the first ring. “Cobra. What can I do for you?”
“I need you to tell me everything you can find out about Allison Desiree Sharpe.”
“You want her investigated?”
“Yes.”
The phone got quiet, and then Landon said, “I shouldn’t ask, but why?”
“I don’t trust her.”
Landon chuckled. “You seemed pretty trusting of her while the two of you were dancing at Colton and Kelly’s wedding reception. And afterwards, you were holding onto her so tightly, it looked as if you didn’t want to let her go.”
“I wasn’t holding on that tight.”
“Okay, if you say so, but you were noticed. Even Monica mentioned it.”
“Your wife sees too much. Just do what I’m hiring you to do, will you?”
“That’s fine with me. I just hope what you’re doing doesn’t come back to bite you in the ass.” He paused, and Cobra could hear him flipping through some papers. “Okay, I’m working on a case that I should have wrapped up in a few weeks, and then I’ll be free to help you out.”
“That’s great. Thanks.”
And it was. Because he knew Landon would leave no stone unturned. In a few weeks, he’d know everything there was to know about Desiree Sharpe.
***
On her way back to her office, Desiree stopped by the ladies’ room. She loved how elegant the restrooms on the executive floor were designed, especially the way the stalls were divided into private compartments. Each one was completely enclosed with a full-height door.
She had just entered one of the compartments when she heard two women whispering as they entered after her. Obviously thinking that they were alone, their voices raised to a normal pitch. She ignored their conversation until she heard one woman mention Cobra’s name.
“Are you sure, Mary Anne?”
“Positive. It happened sometime last year, early November. My cousin, who lives in Savannah and works at the courthouse, gave me the scoop.”
Scoop? Desiree decided to listen to what the women were saying, especially if Cobra was involved in some scandal.
The woman continued, “Cobra Masters took a woman he met in a bar home with him, and she tried to trap him by putting a drug in his drink and punching holes in the condoms he’d intended to use. He caught her doing it, had her arrested, and now she’s serving time.”
“It’s a good thing he caught her. Can you imagine what would have happened if he hadn’t?” the other woman replied.
“His life would have been ruined. I understand he was so upset by it that he’s vowed to go a full year without sex.”
“Cobra Masters? The king of one-night stands, isn’t sleeping around? You’ve got to be kidding. I have trouble believing that’s actually possible. There are going to be a lot of unhappy women around here, if that’s the case. I’ve heard he’s incredible in the bedroom. Are you sure?”
“According to my cousin, whose brother is a good friend of Cortez’s, the three brothers even made a bet that he could last a year without sex. And supposedly, he’s winning the bet so far, and only has a few more months to go.”
“Personally, I don’t think he’ll last,” one woman said, chuckling.
“Me neither,” the other one replied.
The two women finally left the ladies’ room without using it.
It was only then that Desiree came out. As she stood at the sink to wash her hands, she thought about what she had overheard.
It was a good thing the woman who had tried to trick Cobra had gotten caught.
What kind of woman thought of something like that?
She was also interested that neither woman thought he would last a year of celibacy. From the sounds of it, he had a reputation for being the king of one-night stands. Well, what he did or what he didn’t do was no concern of hers.
However, his relationship with her grandfather was. And if getting to know him better was the only way to put her doubts to rest about his motives, she’d would try to get along with him, even if it killed her. And it might.