If You Make a Deal With a Shadow...

Chapter 56

"I got your legs spread all over the bed, hands clenched in the sheets. Hair wild as hell. I know the only thing on your mind is sexin' me. Girl, I can feel your temperature rising. You should feel my nature too. Come on, it's gonna' be a bumpy ride. Girl, let's do what we came to do. Girl, when we make love all night..."

- Makin' Good Love by Avant

**********

"Payton, can I please get that Gucci heart pendant necklace?" Aubrey whined before grabbing his arm to drag him into the Gucci store.

He smiled at her in amusement. "If it's over 200 then you aren't getting it," he teased. He already knew what necklace she was talking about because she had been talking about it forever.

She ignored him as she walked over to the jewelry section of the store, dragging him along. She spotted the necklace in under five seconds and picked it up carefully. "It's only 15 dollars more than 200," Aubrey whispered, smiling hard at him.

Payton laughed before shaking his head. "Baby, I'd buy you the world if I could," he kissed her forehead. "Of course you can get the necklace."

A saleswoman came over to them. "Hi, how is the lovely couple today?" a smile blessed her beautiful face. "Is there anything I can help you with?"

"Yes, we'll just be getting this necklace. Thank you," Payton spoke as they both followed the woman to the counter. He gave the woman his card after she scanned the necklace and they waited to be handed the receipt.

"Thank you, Pay," Aubrey shyly spoke when they walked out the store.

He smiled. "Of course, now you want to get those shoes that just came too out or no?" they walked into Foot Locker. "Because I'm getting them," his eyes lit up like a kid in the candy store as he gazed across all the shoes.

"Which ones..." her eyes followed his and she fell in love just like he did. "Oh. Em. Gee. Those?" she wondered as she walked closer.

"Can I get a size six and half and a thirteen in the Fire Red 3's please?" he said and a Footlocker salesman walked over.

Payton bought Junior the same shoes and of course all matching fits to go with their Jordan's. With smiles on their faces they walked out of the mall hand-in-hand. Cyrus parked the car outside the mall as the two walked outside. "I asked Payton to get you some, but he says he's never seen you out of a suit," Aubrey giggled.

Cyrus looked at her through the mirror and smiled. "I couldn't even accept it, Mrs. Wilson," he winked.

Once Cyrus closes the garage and turns off the car Aubrey climbs out first so that she can run to show Emmanuel her necklace. After Austin died she grew closer to him and he soon became her best friend. Then Ana died and the first month afterwards they were nearly inseparable. They would always go out and try new restaurants together, since they were both into culinary. Sometimes it would be good and other times they would have to turn into Gordon Ramsay demons because of how horrible the food would be.

She walked into the kitchen and looked around. He would usually be in the kitchen until after dinner. Payton thought he should have let him go after Aubrey became his head personal chef, but Aubrey insisted he be left alone to be her wingman. Besides, him and Payton were longtime friends anyway.

"Where's Emmanuel?" Aubrey asked one of the other chefs who were on duty. There were only two other ones.

They both looked at each other. Kara, the small Taiwanese woman, spoke up first. Kara was from Taiwan and April was from Hong Kong. "Um, Mr. Hampton fire him," her English was broken, but Aubrey understood loud and clear.