Her Billion Dollar Man

“Debra Brooks I take it?” he asked her, holding out a hand for her to take.

“Derek Mitchell I take it?” her tone was amused as she took his hand in hers. She saw a glimmer of amusement on his face.

“I have heard quite a bit about you, I think you have made quite an impression on Tyler.” He said letting go of her hand.

“I hope it is a positive one.” She told him sincerely. He was quite unnerving and she wanted to move away from him.

“I think he is in love with you,” this time the amusement was apparent. “I can’t say I blame him,” he continued softly, looking at her lips and she felt a tremor go through her. Thankfully she was saved from answering as William Jackson came over with a grin on his tough attractive face.

“Hey bro, long time no see,” he said grasping the younger and slighter man’s hand in his. “Have you become too famous for the likes of us?”

Debra took the opportunity to escape and went back into the kitchen to help with getting the food together. The center was considered to be rich troubled boys’ haven but it was quite effective and values and morals taught there were priceless. Debra had deliberately chosen to live and work uptown because she wanted to shed her past and make a clean start and downtown brought back too many bad memories.

When she got back out to the main area she saw that Derek was still there talking to the group of boys thronged around him except his brother who was in a corner bouncing a ball off the floor.  Debra went over to sit by him and handed him a sandwich and a glass of milk. She knew he was jealous of his brother because of the way he talked about him. She could understand a little about that because his brother was a powerful force.

“Want to talk?” she asked him softly.

“I think he likes you,” Tyler told her moodily.

“Who?”

“My brother, who else?” Tyler said impatiently, picking at the corn beef sandwich.

Debra laughed in genuine amusement unaware of the attention she had drawn to herself. “I am certainly not his type Tyler so I doubt that’s true.” She sobered up. “Remember what I told you before?”

“That I am the most handsome guy you have ever seen?” he ventured with a sly grin.

“Nice try,” Debra said dryly, grinning in spite of herself. “You are who you are and you should never wish to be someone else, not even your brother,” her eyes went to where he was and caught him watching her. Their eyes met and held for a fraction and then she looked away. “You are going to find something that you are good at and not just to impress anyone else but because you love what you do.”

“I love to rap,” he said with a shrug. “But he is not giving me a chance to prove myself.”

“Maybe because he wants to make sure you get something in here first,” she knocked on his head and had him grinning. “Okay now that I have lightened the mood I think it’s time you go and introduce yourself to Kyle. I think he needs a friend.”

*****

He watched as she talked and laughed with his brother and the whiteness of her teeth against the lipstick she was wearing. He had heard Tyler talking about her and what she had said to him and how she looked. He had not told her any of that but he had caught him on the phone with a friend of his and his curiosity had been whetted. Suddenly his brother who had been so resistant to the idea of going to the center was now eager to go, especially on Wednesdays and Sundays and he wanted to find out who this Debra was. He had expected to see someone much older and not as attractive but the girl was stunning! For the first time in a very long time he felt his feelings stirring. He had not been going out with anyone for the past six months and the press had been salivating at the mouth wondering if he had a love interest and he was hiding her somewhere.

He had not intended to stay long but he found that he could not leave; he wanted to stay awhile and watch her. William had told him that she was only volunteering but she was very good with the boys and he could see why; she was like a magnet, with not only her looks but her personality as well. He wanted another chance to talk to her but she was always surrounded by boys. In here she was more popular than he was because after the initial excitement of greeting him when he just came in, they had gone back to her.

He was planning on staying longer when his phone rang and he realized that it was his agent. “What’s up?” he asked, his eyes still on her as she sat there talking to the teenagers.

“You are booked to appear on the ‘Today’s show’ to perform for Friday morning and they are going to want to know when the next album is coming out. When exactly is that Derek?” Angie asked him trying not to be impatient. She had been his agent since the beginning and he had a lot to thank her for and he made sure he did. They had been good for each other because of his success as an artist, she had more talents clamoring for her to represent him but she had always told him he was her number one.

“I am working on it Angie, that’s all they need to know.” He said briefly.

“Okay, you are the boss.” She told him.

He hung up from her and realized that Debra had disappeared. He waited around for a little bit and then he left, very disappointed.

*****

When Tyler got home later that night he saw his brother in his work office and knew he was probably penning something that was going to make him even more money than he already had. He knew he should be grateful but he could not help but feel resentful at his brother’s success. He hated how the children fawned over him because he bore the same last name. He knew they were not really into him because of him but because he happened to be brother to the successful Derek Mitchell, artist extraordinaire, Tyler thought with a curl to his lips as he dumped the backpack on the floor in the foyer, knowing that the housekeeper Maude was going to give him hell about it but he did not care. He started to walk past his brother’s office and go to his room when he called out to him.

“Hey! You okay?” Derek looked up from where he was trying out a tune on his piano.

“I am,” Tyler told him coolly. He wished he was close to his brother like other brothers were but they were ages apart and he was much too busy to pay him much attention. He missed his parents so much that he was finding it difficult to relate to him.

“Why don’t you have a seat and tell me what you think of this,” he gestured for him to take a seat on one of the comfortable sofas in the room which he did reluctantly. He poised his fingers over the keys and started playing a soft melody and after a time he closed his eyes and started humming softly. Tyler watched him and had a feeling that he was no longer aware of his presence. He was very good; he thought grudgingly and wished he could be as good as he was someday.

“What do you think?” he asked suddenly, opening his eyes.

“It’s good and you knew it so why ask?” Tyler stood up and left the room leaving Derek staring after him with narrowed eyes. What the hell was his problem?