Tell Me Something Good (40 page)

“You’re right. I played a game, yours. Guess
what? You lose.”

Lyrissa left the office and met Eddie coming
down the hallway. They strode into the conference room together.
Julie and Carlton babbled at the same time. They threw accusations
and insults at Noel. Noel slammed a fist on the table so hard it
wobbled. They stopped talking, eyes wide with shock.

“You told me what I needed to know. Now all I
have to do is have Tyson track the foreign accounts, the changed
ledger entries, and the phony contracts.”

Julie was the first to recover. She turned on
Lyrissa. “I should have known. You’ve been listening to that slut
again.”

Lyrissa smiled at Julie. “Eddie, you can turn
off the speaker phone now.”

Eddie went over to a side table and took the
phone from behind a large plant. She picked it up and pressed a
button. Julie and Carlton watched with horrified expressions.

“We also know you framed Lyrissa. We’ll prove
that, too.” Noel put an arm around Lyrissa’s waist.

Carlton looked around frantically. “I tried
to talk to her, Noel. When I found out what she was up to—” “What
the hell—” Julie swung her hand at his head and Carlton ducked. He
scrambled from his chair as she shouted a stream of profanity at
him.

“Such language from a young woman of your
breeding!” Lyrissa clapped a hand to her face.

“You! I ought to break your neck!” Julie took
a step to-ward her.

Lyrissa squinted at her. “Do it and I’ll
plant my Liz Claiborne pumps up your blueblood behind!”

Two burly security officers strode into the
room. “What’s the problem, Mr. St Denis?” one of them asked.

Noel grabbed Carlton and shoved him out into
the hall. “Escort these two out of the building. Eddie will box up
any personal belongings from your offices and send them by
messenger.”

“I’m going to call Grandmother,” Carlton
yelled. “Good. She’s expecting an explanation,” Noel retorted.
“I’ll pay you back for this, you bitch!” Julie pointed a

finger at Lyrissa. She stomped past the
guards. “Get away from me, you overgrown monkeys!” One of the
guards followed her.

Carlton’s defiant posture crumbled. “Look,
Noel, we’re family. You can’t seriously throw me out of here in
front of everyone. I’ll be humiliated. The employees will spread it
all over town, and—”

“Get out while I can still control myself,
Carlton.” Noel glowered at him until Carlton backed away.

They watched him leave with the other
security guard close on his heels. Eddie shook her head in wonder.
Noel let out a long, slow breath.

“Wish I had all this on videotape!” Eddie
said.

Lyrissa rubbed Noel’s arms until he relaxed.
“It’s over, baby,” she said softly.

“No, it’s just starting. Talk about a family
scandal...”

“We’ll get through it. You and me, remember?”
Lyrissa put her arms around his waist.

“Me and you,” he replied with a tender
smile.

“Now I’m going to get out of your way and let
you handle business.” Lyrissa kissed him on the cheek. Before she
could move, he held her tight.

“Give me more of that, lady.” Noel kissed her
hard for a moment. “Much better. The day won’t be quite so
un-pleasant. I’ll see you later?”

Lyrissa smiled up at him. “You bet.”

A month later they walked arm in arm on the
beach on the island of St. Lucia. Noel wore a relaxed expression
for the first time in weeks. He was dressed in ocean blue swim
trunks with a white racing strip down the sides, a white t- shirt,
and sandals, and his buttery brown skin glistened in the sunshine.
Lyrissa wore a lime green swimsuit covered by a matching big shirt.
She swung a straw tote in her free hand. A trio of women hungrily
stared at Noel’s body as though Lyrissa was invisible.

“Hi, ladies!” She waved at them gaily. The
women giggled and hurried on. “You’re attracting a crowd, mister,”
Lyrissa teased.

“I think they might be here for the beach,
babe,” he said with a grin.

“They weren’t staring at the water. But I
can’t blame them. You’re the catch of the day.” Lyrissa sighed.

“So are you, pretty lady.” Noel patted her
fanny. “I haven’t noticed anything else but you. Did I mention that
running away to a tropical island was a great idea?” “About a dozen
times, but who’s counting?” She laughed. “And it was your idea. You
told me so once when we were talking about your family.”

Noel winced. “Yeah. My family. Grandmother
took it hard, you know.”

“Carlton got off easy, though. All he’s lost
so far is his cushy job. You were generous to find him even a minor
job in one of your other businesses,” Lyrissa said.

“He’s family. Why make his wife and kids
suffer?” Noel kicked a bit of sand. “He can’t do much damage
managing those duplex apartments.”

“What’s the latest on Julie?” Lyrissa
squinted despite the sunglasses she wore.

“Those guys she hired got greedy and tried to
sell one of the small sculptures. Her lawyer is working on a plea
agreement.” Noel shook his head slowly. “She really went over the
edge this time.”

“I feel sorry for Julie. I do,” Lyrissa
protested when Noel looked at her skeptically. “She’s been a
pampered princess all her life. Prison could scar her for
life.”

“Julie is tough as nails. Don’t let that
weepy act she’s been putting on for the television cameras fool
you. She’ll get probation. Her lawyer is expensive for a
reason.”

“I don’t know. She looked pretty pitiful,
and—”

Noel kissed her and cut off her words. “It’s
all about us for the next seven days,” he murmured.

Lyrissa smiled at him lovingly. “Agreed.”

They walked on for another few minutes. The
bright blue sky stretched out above the water. Gentle waves rolled
up. They took off their sandals and let the water wash over their
feet as they strolled along.

“Mama Grace cried when I brought her the
painting. Thanks, baby. I know what it cost you.” Lyrissa didn’t
mean money. Some in his family might never forgive him. His
grandmother agreed only after their lawyer explained she had little
choice given the evidence.

“Besides being the right thing to do, I would
give you the world if it made you happy.” Noel squeezed her
hand.

“You know people are going to say I slept
with you to get my hands on ‘Sunday Stroll on the Faubourg Tremé,’
” she said after a while.

“Hmm, you know, I think you’re right.” Noel
looked down at her through his dark sunglasses. An impish smile
tugged his full mouth up. “That’s a valuable painting, too. You’ve
got a huge debt with high interest, lady.”

Lyrissa pulled him around until they were
face to face. She kissed him for a long, sweet time. “Yeah, but the
terms are very reasonable.”

Mix knowledge of voodoo, Louisiana politics
and forensic social work with the dedication to write fiction while
working each day as a clinical social worker, and you get a
snapshot of author Lynn Emery. Lynn has been a contributing
consultant to the magazine Today’s Black Woman

for three articles about contemporary
relationships between black men and women. For more information
visit:

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