by Kane, M. J.
All true except for the last part.
I leaned forward, rested my elbows on the desk, and rubbed my eyes. “I’m sorry, Kaity, that’s not what I meant. What I’m saying is, learn from my mistakes. Yes, I slept with Javan for fun and got caught up. He asked me to marry him and I didn’t think about what his true intentions were. I fell in love with the idea of getting married and didn’t realize the lies he told until it was too late. My point is this: know what you’re getting into. Luke appears to be a decent guy. If you love him, and you’re sure he loves you then…by all means, move in with the guy.” I waited until she faced me again. “But as your friend, one that’s been hurt too many times to count, I want you to be sure.”
Kaitlyn stared at me for a moment before her defiance dissipated. I could tell something I said hit the mark.
“I’m sorry, Yaz, I shouldn’t have come at ‘ya that way. It’s just… this feels right. I want him, and he wants me back. I think it’s what’s best.”
I nodded but didn’t agree with her. It was her life. I shared my opinion, but in the end, the decision would be hers. Besides, I didn’t have a leg to stand on in the ‘I told you so’ department.
“What are ‘ya gonna do?” Worry was in her voice.
I shrugged. “I’ll figure something out; I always do. How soon are you going to move?”
“If everything works, next weekend,” she beamed. “We decided to move into a new place instead of where he is now. We turned in our application for an apartment a few days ago and should know something tomorrow.” She dug around in her pocket and produced a piece of paper. “Don’t worry about my half of the bills. I’ll still cover them. In fact, here is half of this month’s expenses. I’ll have the rest next week when I get paid.”
I accepted the check and slid it into my desk drawer. “Do you need any help moving?”
“No, I think we’ll be able to handle it. He’s already enlisted his brother, so we should be good.” She turned to leave the office but stopped in the doorway. “It’s gonna feel weird not being here, 'ya know?”
“Tell me about it,” I murmured and watched her practically skip out of the room.
I closed my eyes. Life could get complicated when you least expected it. I spied the calendar on my desk. I had two weeks to find new living arrangements, pack, and move.
And finish my business plan. And continue to market my services. And train Brandon. And continue to manage the hotel.
My cell phone chirped, alerting me to a new text message. I groaned. Ebony wanted to confirm our meeting to finalize plans for her wedding and reception dinner. So, add on the wedding planning, final dress fitting, and caterers…
Was it possible for me to get a break? A moment to be happy in my own life instead of having every waking moment tied up with someone else’s happiness?
I typed a reply and hit send.
Apparently not. I would forever be the best friend, the go-to-girl of everyone around me. There was no one for me to rely on because my family and friends relied on me.
In need of delaying another onset of depression, I headed for my bath supplies and a candle. Tonight, I needed Calgon to take me away.
Seriously away.
Chapter 6
Being good at my job was not always a good thing.
After my promotion from technician to assistant manager at Sal-U-Tek two months ago, I received more money and better benefits. Today, I’d been offered the title of General Manager at a new location to open in a few weeks. The drawback: it would take me thirty miles away from home. I didn’t mind the drive; I liked spending time alone. The problem was being an hour away from my mom if she needed me.
I told Dan, the store’s corporate manager, I needed twenty-four hours to make a decision. Times like this made me wish my family did not live thousands of miles away. For once, it would be nice to have someone help shoulder the care of my mother. Unfortunately, all of my family lived in Maryland, and we were in California.
That was something my parents didn’t think about when they made the move.
As a result, my mom was my support system, and I was hers. I hadn’t seen members of my family in years. Not even on holidays. If my mother were able to scrape together enough money, we would fly out to visit when I was younger. As I got older, ticket prices increased. My father’s death didn’t exactly leave us in a good position. Mom had to find a second job to make ends meet. Fortunately, it had been just the two of us.
It wasn’t that my mother was an invalid, by any means. I was over protective. You had two parents; I’d already lost one and come perilously close to losing the other.
I was grateful the breast cancer had gone into remission. That had been a hard year.
It cost my mother her health, hair, and eventually her job.
If it wasn’t for the fact she’d purchased life insurance and a health plan through her job, which took care of the majority of her medical bills, I don’t know what we would have done. My father’s insurance policy paid off the mortgage when he died. That was the only breathing room we had.
Never one to sit still, my mother supplemented her monthly income by taking sewing jobs or babysitting the kids in the neighborhood. Being around young children was the reason she constantly asked when I would bring her grandkids. She was intent on seeing the Givens bloodline continued.
One day it would be.
For now, I needed to decide what to do about this job.
The blaring horns of the cars surrounding me brought me out of deep thought. Evening traffic on Interstate 101 was a nightmare. That was something else to think about when deciding if I wanted to take the job. It was one thing to live fifteen minutes away from work where traffic was light, and another living an hour away and driving through this.
My cell phone rang. I lowered the volume of the mellow jazz music playing and read the caller ID. I didn’t recognize the number.
“Hello?”
“Hi, Zachariah. It’s Yasmine. How are you?”
My heart kicked up a notch at the sound of her voice. “I’m good. How are you?”
“Busy. It never seems like I have time to sit long enough to think,” she laughed lightly. “Are you busy?”
I glanced at the mobile parking lot surrounding me. “No. Not much to do when stuck on the 101.”
“That’s the one thing I hate about Cali, the traffic. Guess that means you’re a captive audience.”
I chuckled. “I guess so. What can I do for you? Having a problem with the computers again?” Part of me hoped she was, so I’d have an excuse to see her.
“Actually, no, you did an excellent job. I wrote a letter to your superiors telling them so.”
“Oh, thanks.” That was where the latest high score Dan mentioned had come from.
“This is a business call, but about my business. Normally I check back within a week to get a reading on my customers’ satisfaction of my services. I know it’s been three weeks, but my life turned upside down. In short, I ended up moving so it was crazy. Now I’m settled and getting back to the rhythm of work. How is your mom doing?”
So much for needing me. “She’s doing well. Thanks for asking. She still talks about you.”
I laughed internally. The reason my mother continued to talk about her was to ask when I was taking her on a date, not to talk about her service.
“Really? I like her. She’s a sweet and intelligent woman. I enjoyed spending time with her. I would like to schedule time to do a follow up appointment. It would only take twenty minutes or so to see if she has any questions or concerns. Can you ask her if it would be okay for me to come by sometime?”
Her words were like a light bulb going off in my head.
“I know she’d love it. Yasmine, can I ask you something?”
“Sure.”
I must be crazy. Yasmine wasn’t family, and she didn’t owe my mother or me anything. Asking her to add more to her seemingly busy schedule would be wrong. But what other choice did I have
? Besides, it wouldn’t be an everyday thing, just a matter of having her available in case of an emergency.
“I have a problem and could use some help. If there was anyone else for me to ask, I would. I know it’s unfair because I don’t know you that well and —”
“Zack, what do you need?”
I swallowed hard trying to figure out exactly how to word what I wanted to say.
“I’m not getting younger over here.”
I laughed. “Okay, I’ll spit it out. I’ve been offered the position of General Manager of a new store.”
“Congratulations!” Her genuine happiness came through the phone.
“Thanks. I think your report to corporate is what pushed it through,” I paused and listened to her laugh. Hmm, guess I could make her respond to me that way. “The problem is the new location is an hour away. I check on my mother every day, even though she doesn’t need me to. I was wondering if you’d be willing to be on call if she needed anything. We don’t have anyone nearby, and since you two got along so well I figured—”
“I’d love to.”
I blinked. “What did you say?”
There was that laugh again. “I said, yes, I’d love to help you. I enjoyed spending time with her. I know how it is to need someone to help you and not wanting to ask, believe me.”
I breathed a sigh of relief. “Thank you, Yasmine. You have no idea what this means to me.”
“You’re welcome.”
“I’ll get you the details of my work schedule as soon as I know it. I didn’t accept the job offer until I knew what to do about this situation. Now I can breathe easy.”
“Feels good, huh?” I heard the smile in her voice and imagined what she looked like. In my mind she was tucking a stand of hair behind her ear while those beautiful lips lifted in a smile and her eyes brightened.
“Yeah, it does.” I couldn’t remember the last time I was able to breathe when it came to my mother’s care.
Yasmine was an amazing woman. I didn’t know her, yet she’d gone beyond anything I expected when it came to my mother. Why hadn’t Melissa been that way? I could count on one hand the amount of times I’d asked her to help me and exactly how many times she’d agreed to help with minimal fuss.
Yasmine dispelled my preconceived notions. She was nothing like what I imagined. As the saying goes, appearances could be deceiving. I wondered what else lay beneath her beautiful exterior.
“I’d like to take you out sometime to thank you. Maybe we could meet for dinner.”
The line went silent.
“Are you asking me on a date, Zack?”
“No, no, not a date, I’m sorry. I’m not trying to use my mother to…that sounds awful. What I mean is I wanted to do something to thank you for agreeing to help me…us. It would be strictly platonic with no expectations. Damn, I’m sorry. I didn’t think to ask if you were in a relationship. I’m sure your boyfriend wouldn’t want you to be seen with another man.”
She laughed again, but this time there was nervousness in her voice. “I’m sorry. I wasn’t trying to shoot you down. No, there’s not a man in my life. You’re a nice guy, Zack, and I like you. I don’t want you to waste your time trying to hit on me because I’m not looking for a relationship. I don’t want to make things awkward between us.”
I’d say they were awkward already. “I understand. I’m not dating either. It’s complicated. Maybe we can swap war stories sometime.”
“Maybe.” She paused. “I’ll be swamped for the next week or two. Maybe we could do it in a few weeks.”
“Sure, no pressure here. Like I said, it’s my way to say thank you.”
“Okay. Well, I have to go. I have a ton of calls to make and little time to make them. Just let me know when you need me. This is my cell number so you can call or text night or day. If I happen to snap your head off when I answer, just ignore it, especially if you reach me in the morning.”
“Not a morning person, I remember.” It was my turn to laugh. “Thanks again, Yasmine.”
I stared at the phone when the line went dead. What just happened? Did a woman I didn’t know agree to help me care for my mother? Why? What did she get out of it? Nothing that I could see. My mother and I were going to be the ones getting the benefit of her time. I got my promotion; my mother would spend time with a young woman she apparently liked a lot.
The only problem I could foresee was Yasmine being put in the middle of my mother’s matchmaking attempts. Well, at least we’d already established neither of us was in the market for a relationship. I would make sure my mother understood so she wouldn’t pressure Yasmine into changing her mind.
I dialed my mother’s number to share the good news.
Of all the words spoken, the one thing that stayed on my mind was the fact this beautiful woman was single.
What could a man have done to a woman that amazing, that sexy, that…openhearted, to walk away from her?
Whoever he was, he had to be an idiot. If I was in the market and had a chance at being with her, I’d do my damndest to make her happy. There would never be a reason for her to wonder about my feelings.
The love of a woman like Yasmine Phillips had to be treated with the utmost care and respect. Her every need, physical, mental, and emotional, would be my number one priority.
It was a waste of time thinking about it. The line was drawn in the sand between us.
The only thing to do would be to enjoy her company. Nothing more, nothing less.
“Zachariah, how are you?” My mom’s voice disrupted my thoughts.
“I’m good. I’ve got some good news for you…”
Chapter 7
No matter how I planned my schedule, I was always late. What was the point?
I enjoyed spending time with Belinda Givens. Anything I needed to know about fashion and the stores in our area, she answered. She once worked in the fashion retail industry and had a lot of business contacts. Her recommendation could help me build and market my business.
Dreams. The name said it all. My ideal line of work coupled with fulfilling the dreams of my clients. It could work.
No, I would make this work.
In a few more weeks, my business plan would be completed and I would be ready to ask for financial backing. My parents had the money; I needed them to invest in me. Borrowing from them would be much easier than securing a loan from a bank.
One step at a time. Focus on my goal and be patient. The sooner my current projects were completed, the sooner I could focus on myself.
The dashboard clock read 6:30 P.M. when I arrived at Ebony’s house. Thirty minutes late…again. At least she’d understand.
“Hey, it’s about time. Kaity and I nearly finished eating the salsa and chips without you,” Ebony said after opening her front door.
As always, her home smelled wonderful. Roses, her favorite, were everywhere. Her fiancé kept a fresh bouquet handy at all times.
“Sorry. I set my purse and laptop bag next to the sofa and gave her and Kaitlyn a hug. “I miss you guys.”
Both of my friends returned the sentiment.
“Who knew we’d have to schedule time to see each other again?” Kaitlyn sat on the floor in front of the coffee table where chips and dip, drinks, and a bowl of chocolate sat. “How’s the business plan comin’? I’ve been ready to help, but you don’t seem to need me anymore.”
I sighed and sat on the floor beside her. “I’m behind. Between the computer issues at work, moving…” I watched her grimace in the corner of my eye.
“Sorry, that was my fault.”
I patted her knee. “Life happens; we adjust and move on. I appreciate your willingness to help me. I’ll let you know when things start picking up again.” I surveyed the spread of snacks and selected a few of the chocolate mini bars. “How are things with Luke? Having fun playing house?” A curious burst of laughter from Ebony drew my attention. I creased my eyebrows and looked back and forth between them. “Did I miss something?”
Kaitlyn shook her head. “The man is a pig. I spend more time cleanin’ up after him than I did behind my two brothers back home. I mean really, how hard is it to put the lid down on the toilet? I nearly fell in the other night.”
“See,” Ebony chimed in. “You have to train your man. Most men aren’t used to having a lady in the house. It took a few weeks with Brian, but he’s got it now.” She laughed. “At least I didn’t have to worry about the pig part. If anything, he’s neater than me.”
I smirked. “That’s one of the benefits of living alone. No need to worry about open toilets or picking up anyone else’s mess.” I thought about the disarray of my hotel room. Since moving, I’d banned housekeeping from entering my room. My personal life was off limits when it came to my employees.
Ebony glanced at her watch. “Brian called earlier and said he’s coming home on time tonight. He wants to go on a date, so…”
Both of my friends’ attention turned to me. I forced myself not to roll my eyes. For a moment, I wished I had a man anxious to spend time with me tonight.
Oh wait, I did have a man waiting on me at the hotel, well, two actually; Ben, and his hot twin, Jerry.
“Okay, let’s get started.” I pulled the laptop out of my bag. “We have two weeks left. It appears the big stuff is taken care of. Your family already has their plane tickets, right?”
“Yep, they’re all set,” Ebony replied, lounging on the sofa.
“Good. Their rooms at the Inn have been reserved. Are you sure you don’t want to spend the night in the honeymoon suite before taking off in the morning?”
“Hell no,” Ebony laughed while shaking her head. “I don’t want to spend my first night as Mrs. Young in bed wondering if my parents are next door and can hear us.”
Kaitlyn and I chuckled.
“Understood.” I opened the wedding file and reviewed my list of to-do notes. “Okay, the caterers have been set up, and flowers will be delivered on the morning of the wedding. That leaves decorations…what time do you ladies want to start?”
