THE VIXEN

Chapter Nine

'Five more minutes,' Vixen was thinking, as she ran on the treadmill listening to Solider by Destiny's Child. Five more minutes and then I have to get a shower, get changed and get to Rose Hall. She was so proud she had been able to get Rose Hall for her fashion show. Having it at Rose Hall was like having it at Madison Square Garden.

Vixen started to run a little harder for two more minutes. She had already been on this treadmill running for two hours. She was so proud of the weight she had lost in the last three weeks. She was down to a size twelve and she felt so much healthier. Now to just maintain, she knew she was not supposed to be a size six, that was not her. She looked like a bobble-head that size. Beep-beep, beep-beep .. time's up. Vixen stopped the treadmill and jumped down. She grabbed her work out bag and towel and started toward the locker room wiping the sweat off her face as she went. Just then she heard her phone vibrate in her bag. She stopped and dug the phone out.

"Good luck today. I miss you," was all it said. Realizing that it was from Daniel, she deleted the message, put her phone back in her bag and kept walking. It had been three weeks since Daniel had come to her office and kissed the life out of her. Three weeks since she had cried herself to sleep for three nights straight.

He had not reached out to her and she damn sure wasn't going to reach out to him. So to get that text today of all days was, well, it was disconcerting. Vixen put her bag in her locker and grabbed her towel and soap and walked toward the showers. 'I am not going to let Daniel Howard ruin this day for me,' she thought as she stepped into the shower. She had to get moving.

Daniel pulled into the driveway of his brother's home in his royal blue Bentley Continental GT Coupe. As he opened his door to step out of the car in his coal black Emporio Armani tuxedo, with a white silk shirt with a mandarin collar (Daniel hated bow ties) he reached into the inside jacket to grab his phone. He was hoping he would see a response from his text he had sent to her almost five hours earlier. Still nothing, he had hoped but not really expected her to respond. He jogged lightly up the steps to his brother's house and opened the door, knocking at the same time.

"Hello, Hello," he said loud enough to make sure they could hear him.

"In the library," his brother Randy said. Daniel opened the door to the library to find Randy, Nick, Gavin and Sal. All of them decked out in tuxedos looking very dapper this evening.

"Fellas, Fellas. Looking good," Daniel said as he went to each one of his friends, greeting them.

"Is Sam ready?" he said to his brother greeting him last.

"When have you known Sam to be ready for anything on time?" Randy said to his brother laughing under his breath.

"I saw the legion of followers going up stairs to help her get ready as I arrived," Nick said from the corner sitting in one of the black wing back chairs that was near the book covered walls.

"I just do not want to be late for this fashion show," Daniel said, nervously rubbing his hands together.

"It's not scheduled to start for another two hours," Randy said, handing him a sniffer full of Brandy. "Here have a drink and relax. We will be there on time. I will make sure of it."

Daniel took the drink. Saying, "Thanks," he walked toward the fireplace and leaned against the mantle.

"So are we really going to a fashion show to see a bunch of fat chick's parade around in their underwear?" Sal said. You could hear the audible sighs in the room and everyone shook their heads at Sal's statement.

"Sal, I'm telling you, if you say anything disrespectful to Vixen or disrespect the family in any way at this event, I am gonna kick your ass myself tonight," Gavin said, going to stand directly in front of Sal with his hand within each other.