When the waitress returned with their drinks, Honey took the opportunity to peer out the window. She loved Clayton in the evening. Bright lights everywhere, the prestigious community was like a city within itself. Everything was right at your fingertips: shopping, art, restaurants. It even had its own downtown.
“What’re you thinking about?” Darrius asked.
She turned to him, a smile on her lips and in her eyes. “Nothing. I was just lookin’ at how beautiful the city is at night.”
Sitting opposite her, Darrius studied her face a moment,then said, “I disagree. The scenery in here is better.”He gave her a devilish grin.
Honey pursed her lips playfully. “Don’t even go there.”
“My bad.” He threw his head back and chuckled. “You haven’t changed a bit. You still don’t believe in givin’ a brotha a chance.” Pausing briefly, he sobered up before continuing, “All jokes aside, how’s life been treating you?”
Honey fingered her water glass. “I haven’t any complaints.Business has been good.”
With his arms on the table, Darrius leaned closer. “What about your personal life?” he probed. “Anyone special?”
“Nope,” she answered. “And I prefer to keep it that way.”
“That’s understandable,” he agreed with a nod. “I’m recently divorced, with two little girls, Becky and Theresa. My pride-and-joys.” Reaching into his back pocket, he pulled out their photos, holding them out for her to see. They were the spitting image of their father, except for the large brown eyes Honey was sure they had inherited from their mother.
“They’re beautiful children.”
“Yes,” he agreed as he returned the wallet to his pocket, his voice proud. “They made it quite hard to leave ... but my ex-wife didn’t give me much of a choice.” His voice drifted; the divorce obviously wasn’t of his choosing. He cleared his throat. “But enough about me. When are you gonna slow down long enough to start a family?”
Honey lowered her lashes and shook her head. “I have plenty of time for that later.” A lump rose to her throat. Reaching for her frosty strawberry margarita, she leaned in and took a cautious sip from the straw. She wasn’t taking any chance of getting a brain freeze.
Darrius nodded. “Don’t rush it, believe me.” His expressionturned thoughtful as he paused. “It is a lot of hard work. Marriage can be rewarding, but also a lot of pain.”
Honey pinched her lips. Pain was something she was familiar with.
Darrius moved a hand to hers and gripped it gently. “I’m gonna be honest with you.” He stopped to sigh, looking her directly in the eye. “I’m not ready for anotherserious relationship. I’m still tryin’ to get over the last one.” His smile faltered at the reminder. “I hope I haven’t misled you in any way, but I’m only interestedin conversation and company.”
Honey heaved a silent sigh of relief. This one wasn’t going to be a problem. “That’s fine by me.”
He smiled, pleased with himself. “Good, I’m glad we got that out of the way.” Before removing his hand, he added with a wolf grin, “But if I change my mind, you’ll be the first to know.”
She was tempted to tell him not to even waste his time but thought better of it.
The waitress returned with a large sampler platter. When she departed with their dinner orders, Honey dropped a spicy wing in ranch dressing, then parted her lips and took a bite. “Ooh!” Eyes watering, she reached for her water and gulped until she could breathe again. “This shit is hot!”
Chuckling, Darrius appeared unaffected as he licked his fingertips. “The hotter the better.”
Honey decided to stay the hell away from the wings and helped herself to the fried zucchini. While enjoyingtheir appetizer, she and Darrius talked about the good old days and their old neighborhood.
“Do you remember Ms. Curtis?” Honey asked.
Twirling a straw around in his Long Island tea, Darriusanswered, “Sure. The old woman with the ’fro.”
She choked with laughter at the memory and nodded. Miss Curtis had been the principal of their junior high school. “Well, she married Ole’ Man Smith.”
“You’re shitting me?” he said. A retired Vietnam veteran, Ole’ Man Smith was once the neighborhood drunk.
Honey nodded. “Miss Curtis cleaned his funky ass up and made an honest man out of him. Mom says he’s a deacon at her church now.”
Darrius shook his head. “I can’t believe it.” He was still chuckling when something over her shoulder caught his attention. He cocked his head toward the entrance.“Isn’t that your boy over there?”
Honey shifted in her seat so she could see behind her, and what she saw made her drop her food. Steppinginto her line of vision was Jay. With a woman. Every muscle in Honey’s body tensed. Taking a deep breath, she tried to pretend she couldn’t care less, when in actuality she felt her heart turn over in her chest. She suddenly lost her appetite and pushed her plate away.
Jay was wearing a pair of tan pleated slacks and a rust-orange turtleneck that skimmed his chiseled chest. The outfit looked specially made for his tall physique. He had replaced a gold loop earring with a half-carat diamond stud, and gold chains were draped around his neck and wrist. He’d visited a barber recently; his wavy hair and beard were both neatly trimmed. Her heart thundered. Damn, Jay looked good.
And his chocolate ass knew it.
Moving as he was with a dignified grace, she could feel the power in his solid form. His arm draped around the woman’s petite waist, he steered her in their direction, and Honey could only stare at him.
“Honey, what a pleasant surprise,” Jay greeted her.
She glowered at the man in question, who flashed a blinding smile at her, and snorted under her breath, “Yeah, right.”
Her gaze held his, and he knew she was voicing the silent irritation he knew all too well. Jay smirked in return,ignoring her obvious displeasure, and said, “Honey, let me introduce you to Dr. Jocelyn Price.”
The woman greeted her with a warm smile and an extended hand. Honey didn’t miss the emphasis on “doctor.”Again, her eyes swung to the toasted almond–coloredwoman with freckles standing by his side. She was tall and willowy, and wore a slamming midnight-bluepantsuit. Draped over her arm was a winter-white wool coat. Her natural red hair was swept back in an elegantFrench braid, adding an air of sophistication. Eyes tawny, cheekbones high, she looked like something out of a glamour magazine. The bitch ain’t all that.
Jay rocked back on his heels in silent laughter, findingthe exchange amusing. His behavior infuriated Honey. Pasting on a fake grin, she managed a choked greeting. “Hello, Dr. Price.”
“Please, call me Jocelyn,” she said sweetly, her ringlesshand outstretched. Her long lashes fluttered as she spoke.
Leaning forward to shake her hand, Honey caught a whiff of her rich fragrance. Honey lowered her hand and gently dropped it to Darrius’s arm, and her eyes swung up to Jay. “The other day, I didn’t get a chance to introduce you two. I’d like both of you to meet Darrius.”
While Darrius and Jocelyn exchanged greetings, she watched closely for Jay’s reaction. As she waited, she flashed a brilliant smile at her companion and leaned closer to him. As she had hoped, Jay’s smile faded into a deadly expression, and jealousy flashed in his eyes before he could mask it with a smile. Paybacks are a mothafucka, she thought.
The men stared at each other before Jay initiated a courteous handshake.
“Would you care to join us?” Darrius offered politely.
As she swallowed her cry of protest, Honey’s gaze slid from Jay to Darrius and back, and she was greeted by Jay’s wide grin. Don’t even think about it, she warned with her eyes.
Now that the tables were turned, Jay was enjoying himself. Even though he had no intention of sharing a table with them, he paused a little longer, making Honey suffer. While he watched her increasing discomfort,a knowing smile crept over his face before he finally answered, “Maybe next time.”
“We
ll ...” Honey hesitated as though unsure what to say next. Couldn’t he tell she was uncomfortable?
But Jay didn’t appear concerned. Silence enveloped them. The next minute felt like a fuckin’ lifetime. The tension was thick. If she had a knife, she thought withouta hint of amusement, she could have sliced the shit. It was uncomfortable seeing Jay in the company of anotherwoman, and she wished he’d go take a seat at the table his waitress was preparing.
She finally got her wish.
Jay placed his hand at the small of Jocelyn’s back and, after making their excuses, moved with her to a table at the center of the room.
Their food arrived, and Honey picked up her knife and eagerly carved into her steak. Focusing on her food kept her from looking across the room. Normally she looked forward to a juicy steak, but tonight the meat had somehow lost its flavor.
Darrius didn’t seem to mind carrying the conversationwhile Honey, who was deep in thought, said very little. Though her attention was focused on her date, her thoughts and occasionally her eyes strayed to the man across the room.
After a while, Honey’s lips tightened with annoyance. This was no coincidence. Jay had purposely showed up to spy on her ass. She knew she wasn’t being full of herself. Jay was snooping. Only thing she didn’t know was how he found out where Darrius had planned to take her tonight.
What was even worse was that he’d brought along a date of his own. A beautiful date. Not that she cared. Who am I trying to fool? It pained her to admit it, but it bothered her to see him with someone else. Especially an attractive female. Out the corner of her eye, she assessed her, one female to another. I’m not hating. She took a deep breath and tried to release her rising frustrationwith a forceful, ragged, exhalation.
It shouldn’t matter, but it bothered her to know that Jay had moved the fuck on, and had no qualms about finding someone else. I guess he got sick of my bullshit.What infuriated her the most was that he was rubbingthe shit in her face.
“Honey?” she heard someone say.
“Huh?” she managed before her gaze shifted to Darrius,her breath coming out in a sigh.
He leaned toward her, lowering his voice. “You haven’t heard a word I said.”
“Yes ... Yes, I have.” But even as she spoke, she found it hard to keep from looking past his shoulders.
Darrius tilted his head to the side, blocking her view. “Then what did I say?” he asked, drawing her gaze again.
“You ... uh ...” She lowered her head, then looked at him beneath her lowered lashes. “I ... I guess I wasn’t listening,” she admitted.
Darrius didn’t appear offended. In fact, he seemed amused. “Is somethin’ wrong?”
“No, nothing at all,” she said, still distracted. Things were getting out of hand. Ever since Jay’s return, her life had been turned upside down.
Darrius bit back a smile. “I haven’t had your attentionsince your boy arrived.” He placed a palm over his heart. “I’m insulted.”
Honey eyed him doubtfully, even though his gentle face appeared trustworthy. “He’s not my boy. It’s just a coincidence,” she said, putting on a cool expression. “I was thinkin’ about somethin’.”
“Or some-one, maybe?” Darrius reached across the table and clasped her hand. “Is there somethin’ you’re not tellin’ me?” His eyes were warm with concern as he searched hers.
Lowering her gaze, she stared down at her plate. “Why would you say that?”
“Because you look as if you’ve lost your best friend,” he added with a chuckle that vibrated through her body.
She lifted her chin. “Whatever,” she mumbled. He didn’t know how close he was to the truth. She had lost a very good friend.
“In fact, you look the same way Jay did when he saw you and me together yesterday.” His gaze narrowed with curiosity, but she could tell he was teasing her. “Is there somethin’ goin’ on between the two of y’all? ’Cause I don’t want to step on another man’s toes.” A knowing smile touched his lips, causing her cheeks to warm.
She really wasn’t fooling anyone, and now she knew it. “No, there ain’t shit going on,” she said quietly. “I’m fine.”
“You sure?” he asked with such a charming smile she couldn’t resist smiling back.
“Really, I am.” It was fuckin’ ridiculous to be jealous.After all, she was the one who had put the brakes on their relationship. Jay had every right to be with someone else.
“Good.” Releasing her hand, Darrius leaned back against the chair, still unconvinced, but he decided to leave it alone.
Their waitress arrived with their dessert, ending furtherdiscussion.
Digging into a large slice of New York cheesecake, she asked herself what right she had to be mad. From the corner of her eye she caught Jay staring, his gaze burning into hers, and her appetite disappeared. She sighed with relief when Darrius finally signaled for the check.
Despite his best intentions, Jay found himself watchingHoney over the rim of his glass. Even from across the room, he couldn’t keep his eyes off the soft features of her face—nose delightfully small, lips gently full. The dim light made her eyes appear larger and more luminousthan ever. Her hair was shiny and fell into layers around her shoulders. Simply dressed, even covered up to her neck, she made his dick hard.
Jay pulled his eyes away and tried to focus on what Jocelyn was saying, but found himself comparing her features to Honey’s. He watched her perfect, sensual lips parted with surprise. Lips covered in the deep, penetrating red that he was fond of. Lips he had kissed. Lips he imagined wrapped around his dick. Jealousy brewed in him as he watched Darrius reach across the table and squeeze her hand. He wondered how well they knew each other.
It had been a bad idea to bring Jocelyn here. It was fuckin’ impossible to conduct business. While Jocelyn was just as beautiful as Chad had promised, she didn’t have shit on Honey. There was no doubt about it—Honey was special to him.
Jay was delighted to think that she just might be jealous. Showing up with Jocelyn, he had only wanted to give her something to think about, and felt confident that he’d done enough for one night. As stubborn as Honey was, she would never admit jealousy. He’d have to keep hammering the nails until he finally broke through that damn shell.
Seeing Jocelyn smile at him, his mind sprang back to the present. She was chairman of a pediatric charitableorganization, and for the past five minutes had been giving him her sales pitch, hoping his company would be a sponsor for an upcoming event.
He cleared his throat. “I’d love to be a sponsor. Maybe I can get a couple of my operatives to dress up like clowns and do face paintings or something.” He smiled. “Just give my secretary a call.”
“Wonderful,” she said, with bold eyes beaming and a kind smile that surely put her patients at ease.
Soon he was watching Honey and Darrius rise to leave. He took a long sip of his drink to quell the suddenemptiness, and decided it was time to get down to business.
“Let’s talk about your husband.”
Jocelyn gave him a thoughtful look before she began. “I was a second-year medical student when I met James in ninety-two. He swept me off my feet. He was a wonderful man. It never mattered to me that he was ten years my senior. Age was nothing but a number.James spent his life trying to make sure everyone around him was happy ... his patients as well as me. He was a strong believer in commitment, and put a lot of time into keeping the spark strong in our marriage.”
“Sounds like you were a lucky woman,” he said with sincerity.
She nodded. “I was.” Pain shadowed her eyes.
“What happened that night?”
She crossed her legs and rested her elbow on the table. “The last time I saw him was at breakfast that morning. Mama Price was turning seventy on Saturday, and there was no way James was missing his mother’s birthday.” Her lips compressed. “After work, he hit the highway for Des Moines. He made it as far as Boonville, and I guess he must have fallen asleep, because
that’s where his car flipped over and exploded. He was burned beyond recognition.”
Jay didn’t miss the deep emotion in her voice. “I’m sorry for your loss, Dr. Price.”
“So am I.” Her lips curved into a sad smile. “Please, call me Jocelyn.”
“Why didn’t you accompany your husband on that trip?”
She took a few seconds to chew on her bottom lip. “There was no love lost between my mother-in-law and me. She never thought I was good enough for him. She blamed me for his death. That didn’t come as a surprise. She even had me believing it for a while. I know I shouldn’t have let him drive that night after a late night at the clinic. But she knew better than I did that once James had his mind made up, there wasn’t a damn thing anybody could do about it.”
“When was the last time the two of you spoke?” he asked, tapping a forefinger against his chin. “Your mother-in-law, I mean.”
“Six months after the funeral, I called her. At first, she acted like she didn’t even know me. Then she told me in so many words never to call her damn house again.” She tensed, as if to fight off the rush of memories.
Then Jay asked the question he’d wanted to ask all night. “What makes you so sure that was your husband you saw that night?”
“I’m positive it was James.” She paused and raised her hands to cup her face. “I feel like I’m losing my mind. No one believes me, but I know my husband.” Her voice lowered to a mournful whisper. “I lived and slept with that man for almost ten years.”
Jay looked at her and, just as Chad had, he believed her. Something about her eyes proved her a sincere individual.“I’m sorry.”
When It Rains... Page 14
