pure, brown skin bride | Suds 3

pure, Suds 3 | Episode 10

{Last time on Suds, Lique accepted that Terrance was moving on with his life. Meanwhile, Terrance seemed to have a change of heart while watching Lei and Darien's super sweet dance.

Then Lique walked in on his fiancé, Jeanette, getting hot and heavy with an unknown man. But we know that Mr. Unknown was really Garrett Avers. And Lique just let Terrance in on his fiancé's dirty little secret.

Time to hop in. Ready, Set... Suds!!}

~

The warm air hugged SHANTEL as she unbuttoned the structured blazer of her dress suit and slid it off her bare shoulders.

After escaping the claustrophobic event, she padded across the lush landscape reminding herself that Sylus was irrelevant. The engagement party was her personal gold mine. And she made four solid connections that would easily double her income.

Sylus invaded her mind for the hundredth time. She cursed a string of ugly sentiments at herself and threw her jacket on the grass.

Then she groaned, picked up the blazer with pinched fingers, and turned the soiled garment inside out.

"Great. Now, I have to carry this dirty thing around," she grumbled.

The side door busted open and a laughing man filed out, rubbing his lips.

Shantel combed french manicured nails through her hair and hung the jacket over her arm.

The sudden movement made Garrett Avers stop short. Then he saw her, and his smile widened.
"The lovely Shantel Frazier, I presume."

Shantel crossed her arms, assessing the well dressed man. His fresh tapered haircut met his dark caramel skin. Her gaze travelled to his mouth, smeared in Passion Fruit pink lipstick.

She smirked. "Forgive me, but I don't believe we've met."

He extended a hand. "Garrett Avers.
I had the pleasure of meeting your mother just yesterday." He grinned. "I was hoping I'd see you at one of these functions."

Shantel ignored his waiting hand and pulled a tissue from her clutch. Then she stepped closer to Garrett and locked eyes with the man.

"You've seen me," she said, gently wiping around his lips with the tissue. "Now what?"

Intrigued, Garrett reached for her cheek.

Her sharp glare cut him.
"Look but don't touch."
Garrett grinned, holding his hands up in the air. "I don't see how that's fair."

She stepped back, and turned the tissue around for him to see the pink lipstick.

His smile waned.

Shantel stuffed the tissue in his hand. "I've never been good at sharing. And I don't plan to start now."

She walked back into the side door of the mansion without looking back.

Garrett followed her with his eyes. Then he licked his lips and wiped away the last of the lipstick.

An intrigued smile slinked across his face.

"Shantel Frazier," he mused, liking her more than he thought possible. "Let the chase begin."

~

Seconds strained by.
LIQUE cut her eyes from Jeanette to Terrance. "Why aren't you saying anything?"

He dragged a hand down his stressed face, then grabbed Lique's hand. "I'll take you home."

Jeanette balked. "You can't leave. This is our engagement party."
"I'll come back."