C.A.K.E novel Chapter 11

Though Eli asked her to stay put, he's so glad she ignored him.

Arden glides past Melinda and Armando, and into Eli's eager embrace. She's let her hair down, and her Nikes have been swapped for a pair of black flats.

With her back to the enemy, she surveys her husband. She puts her arms around his torso and whispers to him.

"Are you okay?"

Elliott cradles her chin in one hand and slips his other into her hair. Her wrinkled brow and the tears clouding her almond eyes, remind him of the reason he loves her.

He smiles at Arden. "I am perfect."

Then he bends his head and kisses his wife. He closes his eyes and slips his tongue between her lips. She follows his lead and folds her arms around his neck. They both relax into the space that belongs to them alone, a home that exists in their every kiss. Somewhere safe.

Elliott rests his forehead against hers, and she notices the singed spot on his shirt. Arden's jaw tightens, and she asks again if he's all right. He nods and pulls her against his chest.

Melinda clears her throat behind them.

Elliott watches Arden roll her eyes, before turning to face Mel and Armando. A pageant grin worthy of the crown replaces the disgust that turned down her lips just seconds earlier.

"Melinda." Arden gives her the same stale greeting as Elliott did.

"Arden, so nice to see you," Melinda says, eyeballing her.

"Mm-hmm. Is this the boyfriend?" Ardi asks, glancing at Armando.

"Fiancé."

"Semantics, Melinda." Arden shrugs.

"Armando." He offers his hand to her.

Arden stares at his outstretched palm. She gives him a quick wave of her hand, before folding her arms across her middle.

He grins. "Another fiery one, I see."

Arden shifts her focus back to Melinda. "Why are you here?"

"You kidnapped my kids."

"I did no such thing. They left of their own volition."

"I find that very hard to believe."

"Believe what you will, Melinda. Neither Elliott nor I knew they were coming back to Birmingham."

"Fine. We can all pretend you didn't lure them back here." She pauses to glare at Arden. "I'm taking them home."

"They are home," Elliott says.

"Their home is with me."

"Not tonight, it isn't. It's late. They're staying here," Arden asserts.

"Don't you think that's a decision they have to make for themselves?"

Ardi nods. "You're absolutely right. Let's go upstairs and you can ask them yourself."

Arden and Elliott apologize to Edward for Melinda's outlandish behavior and ask him to have management send them a bill for the damages.

They also ask him to make sure that after tonight she is not allowed inside the building under any circumstances ever again.

"Shall we?" Eli leads the way to the elevator and they all step inside the small space.

None of them are too thrilled about sharing the close quarters, even for this short duration. All except one, that is. Armando leers at Arden. Elliott notices the other man's eyes on her. He switches places with her, eyeballing the model.

Melinda nudges Armando's arm. "Like what you see?"

"You know I appreciate beauty in any form." He smiles at Arden, who groans.

"Yes, she's very pretty. But you might want to check under the hood first. Sometimes that new Ferrari turns out to be a lemon ... Right, Fin?" She raises her eyebrow at Elliott.

"Don't start, Melinda," he warns.

She sets her sights on her real prey. "Still barren, Arden?"

"For the last time ..." Elliott's response is cut short by Arden's hand on his arm.

"Yeah, not much has changed with me." Ardi tilts her head and smiles at Melinda. "But I see you've managed to become even more of a bitch."

"You still think that's an insult. That's cute."

"I didn't think it would be fair to point out that dime store dye job, and those crow's feet." Arden sighs at Melinda's bottle-blonde locks. "I was raised to respect my elders."

"At least the sound of my broken biological clock doesn't keep me awake at night."

Arden laughs. "Oh, I'm sure yours stopped ticking twenty years ago."

"Maybe. But I'm not the one still sporting scars from twenty years ago." She gestures to Arden's cheek. "You know there are procedures for that now. There's no need to walk around looking like a patchwork quilt."

"I don't see why not." Ardi shrugs. "You're allowed to look like the crypt keeper in front of millions of people every week."

Melinda is silent a moment, pretending to be too engrossed in her freshly manicured nails.

"Speaking of my show, you would be perfect for a segment we're doing next month. It's called When Genetics Goes Wrong." She looks Arden over from head to toe and sighs. "Guess, some people just never get past that ugly duckling phase."

Arden bites the inside of her cheek. Then she kind of chuckles and glances down at her feet, before making eye contact with Melinda again.

"I used to think you were just an insecure, fame whore." Ardi smirks. "But now I see that was a compliment."

Mel glares back at Arden. "I'd rather be a fame whore than a motherless one any day."

The air in the elevator is set ablaze, sucking all of the oxygen out of the cramped space.

"All right, that's enough. Give it a rest, Melinda." Eli takes Arden's trembling hand.

Melinda raises her palms. "Wasn't me."

Elliott gives Arden's hand a gentle squeeze, and she does the same. She's okay.

Finally, they reach their floor and walk down the long hallway that leads into the penthouse.

Melinda takes a moment to study the artwork on the walls. A portrait of Arden, Elliott, and the twins is of particular interest to her all of a sudden.

"I let you two live in relative peace with my children." She's all but snarling at the photo. "Bet everyone around here thinks ya'll are a regular Brady Bunch."

"Who gives a fuck what people think. We're a family." Elliott takes a breath, keeping himself from saying more.

"I do care about my kids." Melinda's expression softens. It almost seems genuine. Almost.

"There aren't any cameras or press here, Melinda," Elliott smirks. “Do me a favor, and drop the bullshit."

"What are you talking about?" Mel asks.

"Give your other face a rest. I'm sure it gets enough airtime on your show."

"Well, which is it, Fin?" She turns to him. "Do you want me to behave, or not?"

"I want you to be a slightly better version of yourself. One who doesn't exact pleasure from crawling underneath other people's skin and defecating on their internal organs. One who isn't such a spiteful bitch."

"You're out of line, asshole. You can't talk to her like that." Armando makes a half-hearted attempt at defending his woman.

"Do you really wanna go there with me again?" Elliott charges up to him. "I can't even understand why you're doing so much talking."

"Why not, Finley?" Melinda asks. "Your little mouthpiece has had plenty to say tonight."

She narrows her eyes at Arden.

"Everybody just take it down a notch. Fighting with each other all night isn't going to solve anything." Arden steps into the middle of the fray and urges Eli away from Mel's glorified escort.

In less than three hours, she needs to be at the bakery. So it's time for everyone to put the bullshit to bed.

"Pardon me little Miss Muffet. But I'm not in the mood to hold hands and sing an old negro spiritual."

"Let's get one thing straight, father time." Arden addresses her. "None of your passive-aggressive shit in front of the kids. Whatever animosity there is between us, stays between us. Got it?"

Melinda gasps and places a hand over her chest.

"Really, Arden. You're so confrontational. Try to keep that ghetto girl attitude in check. This isn't the hood."

Melinda struts past Arden toward the door of the apartment.

Elliott takes his wife's hand again. She squeezes it, much harder this time. They share a quick look, before following the other two.

Once inside the apartment, Elliott deposits Armando on the sofa and Arden heads up to the twins' bedrooms. Melinda calls after her before she can make it up the first step.

"I'd like to talk to my kids alone if you don't mind."

Arden pauses with her left foot on the stairs, resting her weight on her right. She hangs her head and sighs. Then she throws up her hands and ushers Mel ahead of her.

"It's your world, Melinda."

"Glad you can see that." She glares at Arden like she's the hired help, making sure to bump into her elbow as she passes.

Arden's hand reaches toward Melinda's over-processed locks, as she starts up after her. Elliott catches her arm, hugging her body close to his.

"Don't do it," he whispers.

"But I really want to," she whines, like a bratty kid in the middle of a toy store.

"I know." He glances up the stairs. "And I wouldn't blame you. But you are not cut out for prison."

"I'll adapt," she says, still staring after Melinda's shadow.

"But you know how I feel about conjugal visits." Elliott kisses her cheek, and they share a laugh. She faces him and drapes her arms around his neck. "I need more than a few minutes with you."

"What is it that you need more than a few minutes to do?"

"It's not really something I can put into words." He settles his hands at her waist and shrugs. "I'm more of a performance artist."

"Uh-huh ... When can I see the master at work?"

"As soon as these people get out of our house." He grabs her ass, then lifts her onto a nearby side table. "But I might be persuaded to give you a little preview. All I need to hear is that magic word."

She wraps her legs around his back and pulls him closer by the waistband of his jeans. "Now."

"Nope, try again."

She undoes a couple of buttons on his shirt. "Right now."

He grins, wagging a finger at her. "You are a delinquent."

"You have no idea." She laughs, and a mischievous smile lights up her face.

Arden tilts her head, and Elliott meets her lips halfway. They're lost in each other again when Elliott gets the feeling they have an audience.

He pulls away from her kiss and turns to find Armando has joined them in the hallway. His lithe build is leaned against the wall, staring at Arden like she's the newest installment on the Cinemax after-dark lineup.

"Do you mind?" Eli steps in front of his wife, blocking the other man's view.

Armando chuckles and removes another cigarette from the slender silver case hidden in his breast pocket. He regards Elliott through his thick lashes, as he lights up his imported west-coast weed.

"I do hate to interrupt your little United Nations makeout session. But may I use your bathroom?"

"You can shit in the street like any dog."

Arden rests her head against Elliott's shoulder. She can't help but giggle.

"Eli." She nudges him.

Elliott glances back at her, and she shakes her head.

"Down the hall, last door on the right."

Armando struts past them in the direction of the bathroom.

"Armando," Arden calls as he passes. He stops and turns on his heels. "You can't smoke in my house."

"Forgive me, beautiful. Won't happen again." He smiles and disappears down the hallway.

"Bastard," Elliott mutters.

Arden gently rubs his back. "If I can't kill Melinda, you can't be an asshole to the underwear model."

"That's not the ..." He turns to her. "How do you know he's an underwear model?"

"I've seen a few of his ads." Eli smirks at her, and she shrugs. "I read the occasional magazine. Sue me."

"First Casper. Now Armando. I'm starting to feel threatened."

There's a slight flush in her cheeks. She takes a shallow breath and takes his hands on hers.

"You have nothing to worry about. They're not my type."

"Then what is your type?"

Arden closes her eyes for a second.

"Hmm ... Smart. A genius intellect, actually. Devilishly handsome with a hint of boyish charm." She smiles at him. "Irresistible blue eyes."

"I might know someone like that."

"Have him call me sometime." She sighs. "Until then, guess I'll settle for you."

"Good ... Since I'm just a placeholder, that means I don't have to be a gentleman."

Eli pulls her forward and kisses her. He slips a hand into her shirt, manhandling her delicate curves. Arden whimpers but doesn't object.

"Think you two can tear yourselves away from each other for a moment?"

Melinda is perched at the bottom of the stairs, staring daggers at them both.

Eli helps Ardi from the table. They wait for Melinda to continue with their arms crossed over their chests.

Mel leans against the banister, clasping and unclasping her hands. Then she looks Arden dead in the eyes.

"They ... don't want to leave," Melinda utters each word through gritted teeth. Like every syllable is another knife tearing into her.

"Melinda, I'm sorry you came all the way down here. I should have called you."

"It was my fault. I should have said something the second they showed up here," Arden says, a look of pity on her face.

"Save it. The teamwork thing is just ... nauseating." She plays with a thread on the sleeve of her dress. "They can stay here until Thursday, and then we're leaving first thing Friday morning."

"Melinda ..." Arden starts to object, but Eli touches her arm.

"That's more than fair, Melinda." He nods at her, glancing over at Arden. She shakes her head and looks away.

"I know." Melinda struts past Elliott and Arden, and makes her way to the living room. She stands in the middle of the expansive room, looking around with her hands on her hips. "What did you two do with Armando?"

"Nothing yet," Eli says.

"He's in the bathroom, Melinda." Arden nods her head down the hallway.

Melinda wanders off in search of her convenient fiance, leaving Ardi and Eli alone in the darkened room.

Elliott reaches for Arden's hand. But she wraps her arms around herself and glares at him. A bit uneasy, he laughs and reaches for her again. She backs away from his touch.

Melinda emerges with a more relaxed Armando at her side before Elliott can ask what's going on with her. Ardi and Eli do the polite thing and show them out.

In the hallway, Armando gives Arden one more lingering look, before stepping onto the elevator with Mel. She flips him the bird. He pouts his lips at her, as the steel doors put an end to that sideshow.

"Thank God, that's over." Elliott sighs and tries once again to hug his wife.

She takes a couple of quick steps to her left, and sails past him back into the apartment. Elliott follows, with the confusion of a first-time parent putting together a piece of baby furniture riddling his face.

He calls her name, but she doesn't answer. She continues up to Rowan and Teagan's bedrooms. Somehow, Elliott knows it might be best not to follow her upstairs. She's already expressed a desire to throw someone down those same stairs tonight.

Eli waits for her to appear at the foot of the staircase. A few minutes later, she jogs down the stairs again and into the living room.

"Ardi." He matches her steps into the room.

Arden switches on a nearby floor lamp and asks Elliott to face her. She asks him to follow her finger, and repeat a quick phrase back to her.

He does as she asks, with an amused smile.

Then she walks over to a bookshelf, picks up a vase, and tosses it at him.

"What are you doing?" he exclaims, barely saving it from a shattered fate.

"Just wondering, if Melinda's hand being shoved up your ass has affected any of your other faculties.”