Chapter 6 Who Can I Run To? #3
She looked him over one last time, making a memory since she didn’t expect to ever see him again.
Marching over to the door, she let herself out onto Remi’s porch and sighed with her head raised to the sky.
Alonzo helped her with her bags once she reached his car, and as she was pulling away, she spotted Remi’s truck speeding up the block in her rearview.
She didn’t ask Alonzo to stop as he maneuvered into traffic toward the nearest interstate.
Six weeks later…
“I would like everyone to welcome Giselle, and her investment with Maynard Holdings. Together we will be adding to the brand, bringing you Knox Interior Designs. Giselle will be heading this up. I’m just here to make sure it’s a success.
” Alonzo raised his flute inside the crowded venue, and all his attendees cheered, clapped, and whistled proudly.
At his side, Giselle commanded the room in her vintage Vera Wang black sequined off the shoulder dress.
Her long, deep brown hair was pulled into a high braided bun and two tendrils hung in front, crowning the dark glam beat on her face.
City lights flickered behind them from the balcony of their ballroom while expensive bottles of champagne flowed.
Glasses clinked together, and the flicker of cameras flashing in their direction distracted her.
This world, Alonzo’s world, which once felt like hers, was swallowing her whole. There was always some event draining her social battery. Lately, it was hard to even get out of bed because she was so tired. It wasn’t because she was restless anymore; sleep hadn’t been an issue in weeks.
At first, everything was so glamourous and fun. She convinced herself this was where she was supposed to be, photographed leaving restaurants or the latest hot party circuit, so she could be all up and down the social feeds. It was exhausting, and that emptiness she’d been running from crept in.
“Do you have anything you want to say, baby?” Alonzo stepped in beside her, resting his hand on the back of her neck. It was a gesture he often did, like he wanted to be able to give her an encouraging squeeze when she spoke.
Plastering a large grin on her face, Giselle searched the many faces in front of her.
“Um, sure.” She rested a hand against her stomach and took a breath.
“I’d like to thank everyone for being here.
It’s such an honor, and I am extremely grateful to Alonzo and his vision and for taking me under his wing.
I look forward to launching a soft opening soon, so you all can get a feel for the brand and what’s to come.
” Giselle swung her glass in front of her, and the crowd cheered again.
Tipping the glass to her mauve tinted lips, she took a demure sip, and Alonzo pulled her aside by the elbow. The volume of the music decreased as they escaped into the humid summer night on the balcony.
“You got these muhfuckas eating out of the palm of your hand.” His arm slipped around her waist, and he peered down into her sparkling eyes.
“Well, I’m just following your lead.” She grinned, draping an arm across his shoulders and melting in his arms.
She hadn’t intended to go this route with him, but Alonzo was charming and persistent if nothing else.
Everything with him was easy with curated chaos that she sometimes enjoyed.
He’d been spoiling her with expensive gifts, she was living in his house, and he was using that same soft, smooth tone she recalled her father giving when he was negotiating or wanting to get his way. Oddly, it was a comfort.
“I thought we both might be able to use a pick me up.”
He went into the inner pocket of his jacket and removed the vial of coke he’d been carrying.
Giselle’s eyes lit up before reaching for the little tube. It had a small spoon attached to the lid, so all she had to do was dip and scoop before she brought it to her nose and inhaled.
“Ahhh!” Laughing, she threw her head back.
The tingling sensation traveled through her nostrils and to her throat while the drug made its way through her bloodstream.
Now, she felt like she could do anything as she pulled away and spread her arms before twirling in a circle.
Lately, when she was high, it seemed to be the only time she could function and not want to fall apart.
Alonzo indulged as well before offering her more.
“You keep that. There’s more where it came from. Let’s go grab a drink.” He grabbed her hand and laced their fingers together.
Strolling over to the double French doors, he pulled Giselle inside behind him.
Teddy Swims’ “She Got It” spun on the speakers, and the dancefloor filled up with people swaying and two stepping to the beat.
Between the alcohol and cocaine, Giselle was on a cloud and didn’t want to come down.
When she was up there, it was easy to forget her woes.
There was no pain. She lived in the moment and didn’t care what came after it.
“Giselle!” Her girl, Esther, who everyone knew as Esti, waved her over to the table where she and Travis sat with her parents.
“You have been a hard woman to keep tabs on tonight.”
“Just networking.” Giselle took in her surroundings.
“Well, there’s an after party across the street at the hotel. I was wondering if you wanted to join us,” Esti offered.
“I’ll check with Alonzo—”
“No, dear. This is for the twenty-five to thirty crowd. Leave the middle-aged man at home,” Esti taunted.
“Now, I get that you’re going through some things, and while Alonzo is attractive…
he’s also… old.” She wrinkled her nose. “Too old for you. I mean, he worked with your dad. Doesn’t that make you cringe? ”
“Alonzo is my partner, Esti. If you can’t accept that, I don’t know what the hell to tell you. He’s pretty cool, too, so I wouldn’t be so quick to judge. I think I’ll take a raincheck on that offer. Y’all have fun, though.”
“Pssh, now she’s broke and desperate. That’s all she had to say,” Esti leaned in and attempted to whisper to Travis.
Pausing in stride, Giselle caught every word. Quickly pivoting on her heel, she marched right back over, startling Esti with her reappearance.
“Last time I checked, you didn’t have a man, a career, or anything of substance.
You can’t decide what you want to do from one day to the next, but I hear you don’t mind spreading your legs to any man with a large trust fund.
Must be taking after your gold-digging ass mother.
” Giselle cut her eyes across the table at the woman, leaving her appalled and reaching for her pearls.
“G, that’s cold.” Travis shook his head.
“Oh, she must got her hand in your pocket now, huh?” Giselle mocked before laughing madly. “Pre-nup, Travis. Don’t be stupid.”
“You know,” Esti popped her neck with attitude and stood to go toe to toe with Giselle. “You were already a bitch before your parents died. I guess losing them didn’t humble you, did it?”
Smack! Giselle had no control over the reflexive slap she delivered against Esti’s cheek in that moment.
The sound echoed through the room, gaining a few gasps as the guests chattered low amongst each other.
A hot glare struck Esti’s eyes when she faced her again, and as she was about to lunge, Alonzo swooped in.
“Not the time or place.” He placed an arm around Giselle and nudged her away from the scene she was guaranteed to make. “Come on. This is about you tonight. Your endeavors and your success. Don’t let her ruin this.”
One thing that she’d been grateful to Alonzo for was the fact that he allowed her the freedom to be her, and he was able to give her an escape.
The last few weeks had been a series of social events, late night pool parties where they got so drunk they woke up barely remembering a thing.
Life was going by in a blur, leaving her unable to latch on to moments.
It was all flitting before something else took place to distract her.
She loved that she had something to throw herself into with Knox Designs.
Designing and recreating spaces was something she’d enjoyed doing since she was a little girl.
Her mother told her back then she had an eye for transforming things, and it gave Giselle a sense of purpose.
Alonzo was able to help her with her dream, and she felt like she had no choice but to be with him, given everything he’d done for her in such a short time.
The man had kept his word, and that was rare to come across nowadays, so she held on to it.
The age difference didn’t matter to her.
He didn’t act like he was approaching forty, and damn sure didn’t look it.
There were women so envious they were ready to slide in her spot, and all he had to do was snap his fingers to make it happen.
With the party starting to die down, Giselle lingered at the bar, finishing off a bottle of champagne.
She was more than a little tipsy when her phone buzzed inside her beaded black clutch, and she fished it out to see who was calling so late.
Her auntie Remi’s name flashed across the screen, and her heart sank into her stomach.
She’d been avoiding her calls for weeks, but that didn’t stop her from leaving a message every single time.
At first, she was angry, but as time went on, she seemed more concerned than anything.
Giselle heard it in her warm voice, but she couldn’t bring herself to answer.
She’d disappointed Remi, and she didn’t want to deal with that.
Tipping the glass to her lips, she silenced the call and swallowed the last of the champagne. When she stood, a pair of sturdy arms slid around her waist, and she recognized the faint Tom Ford cologne. Alonzo pressed his lips against her ear, and his warm breath tickled her there.
“You ready to go?”
“More than ready,” she purred, facing him and falling into a sloppy kiss.
“I’d say tonight was a success,” he said, redirecting her to the exit where other guests were starting to pile out.
“More than that. I think our future looks very bright. So… thank you.”
“You can thank me all night.” He traced kisses along her neck before crushing his lips against hers once again.
He smelled like alcohol and cigar smoke as he fed her his tongue.
The two of them reached the curb outside the building, and the valet brought him his Porsche right on time.
Alonzo opened the passenger door for her and almost slipped off the curb.
Giselle observed that he was more intoxicated than she thought.
“How about you let me drive?” she suggested, snuggling up to him and wrapping her arms around his waist.
“Oh yeah?” Alonzo cuffed her ass and took his bottom lip between his teeth sexily as he fell against the side of the car.
“Yeah. You’ve had a lot more to drink than me.” She pecked his lips and helped him into the passenger seat.
When she rounded the front of the car, she had to use the hood to hold herself up until she reached the driver’s door. She settled in the warm leather once she was inside and glanced his way. Alonzo was captivated, studying her with glossed over eyes and a lopsided grin.
“What are you looking at?”
“The finest woman in the world,” Alonzo slurred.
“Pssh. You’re drunk.”
“Drunk in love.” Alonzo replied cornily.
“Lay off the coke, baby.” She reached out and playfully smacked his cheek and puckered her lips at him.
“Marry me, Giselle.” Alonzo grabbed her hand, his eyes locked on her face.
“Yeah, you’ve exceeded the limit tonight, Mr. Maynard.” She cackled.
“I’m serious.” He sat forward unsteadily. “You would make the perfect wife. You’re fine, ambitious, and everything I need. You make me better, baby.”
She saw the sincerity in his eyes, along with need.
Sometimes Alonzo was like a little boy. He was damn sure putty in her hands, and she hadn’t even flexed any kind of real power with him.
She was glad she had something to throw herself into.
Part of her missed Southwick, or maybe what could have been there with her family.
The only person who hadn’t reached out to her was Gem.
Guilt sometimes plagued her when she thought about it.
Her father, although was the cause for this current rift, he wouldn’t want Giselle to turn her back on her blood.
“Let’s get home.” Giselle pulled her hand away from Alonzo and prepared to pull off as a slow pattern of rain hit the windshield.
“You don’t want to marry me?” Alonzo queried, thick brows furrowing together as Giselle checked her mirrors before whipping into traffic.
“I don’t want to talk about this when we’re both intoxicated. It’s been a good night, Alonzo.”
“And I’m trying to give us a good life, Giselle. The fuck you think I’m doing all this for?” He sat up in his seat and glared ahead. “You think this shit is a game? After everything I’ve done, I deserve to get what I want.”
“You’re tripping.” Giselle shook her head and focused on the road.
She hadn’t even realized she was going over the speed limit, and the rain had picked up. The wipers on the windshield were doing their best to keep up with the downpour.
“Nah, I ain’t tripping. I’m the only thing you have left in this world. Nobody cares about you.”
Unsure if he was trying to be mean or just stating the obvious, it left her feeling a way as her hands tightened on the wheel. She’d seen a whole new side to Alonzo tonight. One that was ruthless and callous, all in the blink of an eye.
“And you do? I’m not just some little trophy you can tote around in front of all your middle aged friends? You really want to sit there and tell me you give a damn about me aside from making you look good?” Giselle swung her head angrily in his direction, and he gradually did the same.
“I only want what’s best for you, Giselle.”
“Yeah,” she scoffed. “Everyone says that, and what it really means is what they think is best for me.”
Nearing their exit, Giselle switched lanes and got off, whipping Alonzo’s car like she was auditioning for NASCAR.
She didn’t see the other car when she turned.
There was a flicker of headlights, and she could swear she heard someone scream before the sound of twisted metal assaulted her ears.
Her head hit the steering wheel, and the world went silent except for the ticking of the hazard lights and a faint siren in the distance.
She stirred briefly. At least she thought she did.
Blinking through blood and the feel of glass in her face as the paramedics spoke frantically around her, she wondered if this was it.