never fully rid of them, are you? We don’t forget the scars left behind. Goodbye, Raquel.”
“Goodbye, Quest.”
He opened the door and left. She closed the door behind him and released a rush of breath she hadn’t been aware she’d been holding.
Chapter Four
“So tell me all about Quest Newman.”
Whitney was on Raquel’s Bluetooth as she moved around the kitchen preparing brownies for Ms. Albright’s bridge party that night. “Not much to tell. He was in a way better mood than the last time, and of course he still looked like eye candy. Not that I’d expected his looks to change or anything. But sometimes an improvement in attitude can also improve your looks.”
“I know what you mean. So he’s willing to share the cost of Smookie’s expenses? He didn’t ask for proof or anything, like DNA?” Whitney asked, chuckling.
“Nope. And I have to admit I enjoyed his visit.”
“What woman wouldn’t? Not only is the man gorgeous, but he’s well-off. I followed his career when he played for the Broncos and even later when he was traded to the Colts. He got two Super Bowl rings before getting hurt.”
Raquel slid the tray into the oven. “There’s something he said before leaving that gave me pause, though.”
“What?”
“I mentioned Smookie had been a gift from Jordan and that he’d gotten killed in a car accident. He said something about, although time healed all wounds, there would always be a scar.”
“Umm, I can understand him saying that,” Whitney said softly.
Raquel lifted a brow. “Why?”
“You’re not into football, so you probably don’t remember the scandal.”
“What scandal?” Raquel asked, leaning back against the counter. She glanced over at Smookie, who was entertaining herself with a stuffed toy Raquel had surprised her with yesterday.
“He walked in on his girlfriend making out with one of his teammates.”
“Wow, that sucks!”
“I know. That was two years ago. Now I hear that, although he dates, he won’t let another woman get close. I read in the papers last weekend that his twin brother got married.”
“He has a twin?” Raquel asked, surprised. There was definitely a lot about Quest Newman that she didn’t know.
“Yes, not identical though.”
Raquel nodded. She couldn’t imagine there being two men with Quest Newman’s looks out there. “Well, I don’t expect to see or hear from him again for a while. He’s agreed to be fair with Smookie’s expenses, and that’s all I wanted. It’s not that I couldn’t pay for them, but it’s the principle of the thing. Males, even dogs, need to own up to their responsibilities.”
“You’re thinking about what an ass Derrick was.”
“Umm, I guess I am.” Her ex-boyfriend had been always been considerate…at least, he had in the beginning. But then when she began making money as a phone actress, he hadn’t felt the need to do practically anything…including work. He thought it would be okay to live off her income and do whatever the hell he wanted…which was to play golf all day. He’d gotten to the place where he hadn’t wanted to take out the trash.
She figured he had been shocked as hell when he’d come home one day from a golf game to find she had packed his things and had them waiting for him on the doorstep, with the locks to her doors changed. She had pretty much decided that her relationship with him had been a year of her life wasted.
“Any calls scheduled for tonight?” Whitney asked, reclaiming her attention.
“No, I need time to study.” She had decided to pursue an MBA from the University of Alabama in Birmingham. Although school didn’t start until the fall, she’d chosen to get a head start by taking a few summer classes.
After her phone call with Whitney ended, Raquel pretty much settled down for the evening with a quantitative analysis book, but she couldn’t help but replay in her mind Quest’s visit. Her condo was rather spacious, yet he had almost appeared
“Goodbye, Quest.”
He opened the door and left. She closed the door behind him and released a rush of breath she hadn’t been aware she’d been holding.
Chapter Four
“So tell me all about Quest Newman.”
Whitney was on Raquel’s Bluetooth as she moved around the kitchen preparing brownies for Ms. Albright’s bridge party that night. “Not much to tell. He was in a way better mood than the last time, and of course he still looked like eye candy. Not that I’d expected his looks to change or anything. But sometimes an improvement in attitude can also improve your looks.”
“I know what you mean. So he’s willing to share the cost of Smookie’s expenses? He didn’t ask for proof or anything, like DNA?” Whitney asked, chuckling.
“Nope. And I have to admit I enjoyed his visit.”
“What woman wouldn’t? Not only is the man gorgeous, but he’s well-off. I followed his career when he played for the Broncos and even later when he was traded to the Colts. He got two Super Bowl rings before getting hurt.”
Raquel slid the tray into the oven. “There’s something he said before leaving that gave me pause, though.”
“What?”
“I mentioned Smookie had been a gift from Jordan and that he’d gotten killed in a car accident. He said something about, although time healed all wounds, there would always be a scar.”
“Umm, I can understand him saying that,” Whitney said softly.
Raquel lifted a brow. “Why?”
“You’re not into football, so you probably don’t remember the scandal.”
“What scandal?” Raquel asked, leaning back against the counter. She glanced over at Smookie, who was entertaining herself with a stuffed toy Raquel had surprised her with yesterday.
“He walked in on his girlfriend making out with one of his teammates.”
“Wow, that sucks!”
“I know. That was two years ago. Now I hear that, although he dates, he won’t let another woman get close. I read in the papers last weekend that his twin brother got married.”
“He has a twin?” Raquel asked, surprised. There was definitely a lot about Quest Newman that she didn’t know.
“Yes, not identical though.”
Raquel nodded. She couldn’t imagine there being two men with Quest Newman’s looks out there. “Well, I don’t expect to see or hear from him again for a while. He’s agreed to be fair with Smookie’s expenses, and that’s all I wanted. It’s not that I couldn’t pay for them, but it’s the principle of the thing. Males, even dogs, need to own up to their responsibilities.”
“You’re thinking about what an ass Derrick was.”
“Umm, I guess I am.” Her ex-boyfriend had been always been considerate…at least, he had in the beginning. But then when she began making money as a phone actress, he hadn’t felt the need to do practically anything…including work. He thought it would be okay to live off her income and do whatever the hell he wanted…which was to play golf all day. He’d gotten to the place where he hadn’t wanted to take out the trash.
She figured he had been shocked as hell when he’d come home one day from a golf game to find she had packed his things and had them waiting for him on the doorstep, with the locks to her doors changed. She had pretty much decided that her relationship with him had been a year of her life wasted.
“Any calls scheduled for tonight?” Whitney asked, reclaiming her attention.
“No, I need time to study.” She had decided to pursue an MBA from the University of Alabama in Birmingham. Although school didn’t start until the fall, she’d chosen to get a head start by taking a few summer classes.
After her phone call with Whitney ended, Raquel pretty much settled down for the evening with a quantitative analysis book, but she couldn’t help but replay in her mind Quest’s visit. Her condo was rather spacious, yet he had almost appeared
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