by Tina Martin
“Is she expecting you?”
He couldn’t help the grin that came to his face. “No.”
“Let me see if she’s available. May I tell her who’s here?”
“No. I would like to surprise her.”
The woman immediately got on the phone, dialed Zoya’s extension and after telling her she had a visitor without offering any additional details, she hung up. “She’ll be here momentarily. In the meantime, would you like some coffee?”
“No, thank you,” he replied. He didn’t want anything at the moment but to see Zoya. And he got that when she walked up to the secretary saying, “You said someone was here to—”
Her words caught in her throat when she looked up to see Tennyson standing there holding flowers.”
She frowned.
“That’s certainly not the reaction I was expecting,” Tennyson told her.
“Tennyson, what are you doing here?”
“I came to see you, especially since you left Asheville without telling me.”
“But—”
“Take a lunch break so we can talk.”
Still frowning, she glanced at her watch and said, “I hadn’t planned on taking a lunch today.”
“Well, you could change your plans, unless you just want me to hang out here all day with you.”
She thought for a moment while eyeing his outfit – a tan suit with a yellow shirt and a plaid blue and white tie. Then her eyes landed on the flowers in his hand – a bouquet of pink tulips and cushion poms.
“Oh, these are for you,” Tennyson said handing the vase to her.
Zoya reached across the desk to accept the flowers. “They’re lovely. Thank you.”
“You’re welcome.”
“I’ll set these on my desk and then we can go.”
“Perfect,” he told her, then offered up a quick smile. When she came back, he opened the door for her, following her to the elevator stepping on after her. Once the doors closed, the tiny space captured all the tension between them. Or was it chemistry?
Yeah. Chemistry.
Zoya made it a point not to look at him but he made it a priority to take in all of her. He’d never seen her like this—in her element—dressed for work. She looked good in that black, knee-length skirt that showed off her legs and the red blouse that matched the color of her lips. And she wore her hair half up in a bun while the back half stayed free, hanging down her back. The heels she had on accentuated her legs and made her appear taller than she actually was. Just as he was tempted to grab her, press her up against one of the elevator walls and kiss all the lipstick off of her lips, the elevator stopped.
When the doors opened to the ground floor, Zoya said, “I’ll drive since you’re not familiar with the area. What are you in the mood for?”
“What was that?” he asked trying to keep in stride next to her.
“Chinese? Mexican? American?”
“Oh, you meant food,” he said, smiling wickedly.
She smiled. “What did you think I meant?”
“You don’t want to know.”
It wasn’t until they were inside the car that he suggested they eat whatever she wanted so she drove to the nearest restaurant in relation to the office – one that served American cuisine and after she ordered a grilled ham and cheese with fries and he a bacon burger with fries, he asked, “Why didn’t you tell me you were going home?”
“I didn’t know it was a requirement.”
“It’s not a requirement—just the courteous thing to do,” he said watching as her red lips wrapped around a straw as she drank water. “Tell me why.”
“I got a call that I needed to be back, but I was scheduled to leave that Sunday, anyway.”
“My question was, why didn’t you tell me?”
Zoya knew what he was asking, so she decided to be honest and come out with it. “Because I didn’t want to carry this over and make it into something that it’s not.”
Her answer shook him a little, but not enough to divert him from the reason he came here. “What do you think this is?” Tennyson asked.
Zoya sighed. She didn’t want to answer this question. She knew there was something between them. Something powerful, yet unexplainable, so how could she explain it? She’d be better off leaving it alone, and that’s what she was trying to do and then he showed up…
Tennyson took a sip of water while he waited for her to answer him. She diverted her focus instead, fiddling with a napkin.
“I can’t read your thoughts, Zoya.”
“Okay then. I’ll be as straightforward as I can.” She looked up at him, holding his vision and said, “I’m not ready for a relationship or a boyfriend and—”
“Then, why’d did you kiss me?” he asked her. “Why did you convince me to open up to you? I don’t open up to anyone, but I opened my heart just enough to let you in. You, and only you. Now, you’re suddenly not interested? I’m sorry, but that’s not acceptable, Zoya,” he said bluntly.
Their gazes dueled as the waitress lowered their plates onto the table. Neither acknowledged her presence. They just kept staring at each other. When the tension became unbearable, Zoya looked away noticing her food had arrived. Too bad she didn’t have an appetite.
“What do you mean it’s not acceptable?” she finally found the voice to ask.
“I know what your fears are, Zoya. I understand completely. I do. But what you need to understand about me is, I’m a good man. I’ll be loyal to you.”
“Tennyson—”
“I will never hurt you. I’ll be everything you want me to be but you have to—”
“Tennyson—”
“You have to give me a chance.” He took a bite of his sandwich.
“Why me?” she asked. “You must have tried this on someone else and it didn’t work so you figured you’d try it out on me—the unsuspecting out-of-town girl who doesn’t know the real Tennyson.”
He chuckled. “Nice try, but you know the real me.”
“No, I don’t. I don’t know anything about your past relationships.”
“Well, that’s easy to answer. There were none. Me and relationships didn’t get along very well.”
“Why not?”
“Simple. I wasn’t at a place in my life where I wanted that.”
“But you are now because I recall you telling me you love coming home to peace and quiet and you weren’t really interested in marriage or kids?”
“People change. I’ve changed. I know what I want now and you’re the woman I want to share my life with, Zoya. Don’t pretend you don’t feel the chemistry between us. That’s why you left without telling me—why you wouldn’t answer my phone calls. You’re afraid of what we could become, especially since we’ve already become so much in such a small window of time. I can’t give that up—not when I feel this strongly about you.”
Zoya stared down at her plate, remembering the conversation she had with her mother the day prior. Her mother was right. She had been living her life afraid of love because of her father’s bad example and from everything she knew about Tennyson, he was a good man. He wasn’t coming on too strongly or trying to be too aggressive. He had a prestigious career and had carved out a good life for himself. But could she trust him?
“Okay,” Zoya said loosening up a bit. “You live in Asheville. I’m here in Wilmington.”
He shrugged.
“You don’t foresee that as a problem?” she asked.
“Well, we’ll get married and you’ll move to Asheville.”
Zoya choked on water. She grabbed a napkin, held it over her mouth as she coughed and when she was able to speak again, she said, “You say that all casually like we’re getting married tomorrow.”
“I would like to.”
She narrowed her eyes waiting for his gotcha moment. It never came. “What?”
“What time do you get off work today?”
“Five-thirty.”
“Okay. We’ll pick up this discussion lat
er. For now, I want you to know that you are everything I ever wanted, Zoya, and I love you.”
“Tennyson—”
“You were there for me when my mother died and I’m grateful to have a woman like you to support me and have my back. Now, eat sweetheart before it’s time for you to head back to the office.”
Zoya drank more water and tried to wrap her mind around what was actually taking place. Tennyson wanted to marry her and by the look on his face, he wasn’t playing games. He was serious about it and he was definitely a catch, but she wasn’t sure about getting married so soon. What was the rush?
Chapter 23
They parted ways when Zoya had to return to the office. He wanted to kiss her, embrace her – something to calm the flames in his heart, but she still seemed confused by his presence like it hadn’t yet registered he was in her city. So, he didn’t bother trying to be affectionate.
Since he had the rest of the afternoon free, he decided to make another stop – one he desperately needed to make – a visit to her mother’s home. Unbeknownst to Zoya, he’d already called Florence and asked to speak with her face-to-face introducing, himself as Zoya’s boyfriend. Now, he was in her yard.
He couldn’t even ring the doorbell and Florence had already stepped outside with a tray containing a pitcher of tea and two glasses filled with ice.
“Hello, Ms.—”
“You can call me, Florence,” she said placing a tray on the wrought iron table on the front porch. “It’s such a beautiful day. I figured we could sit out here and enjoy the sunshine.”
“Yes, ma’am.”
Florence handed him a glass of tea. “Thank you.”
“You’re welcome.” She took a long sip then let out an exhale watching the wind fan through her tulips. “So—” she said, looking at Tennyson.
“Yes?” he asked. Already, he had a smile on his face.
“How does one fall in love in two weeks’ time?”
Tennyson looked puzzled. He hadn’t told her how he felt about Zoya so how would she know to ask a question such as that? “You know how I feel about your daughter?” he asked.
“Of course, I do. I knew there had to be an important reason why you wanted to see me. Besides Zoe told me you wanted to marry her. Was she right or were you just playing around?”
“She’s right. I wouldn’t play around like that. Florence, I fell in love with your daughter the moment I saw her.”
Florence shook her head. “That’s what her father used to say about me but he left out the fact that he’d fallen in love twice and probably told the other woman, his wife, the same thing. I didn’t know he was married at the time. I met this incredible man who was selling me promises of a better life—who said he would make all of my dreams come true. But the one thing I wanted he couldn’t give me, and that was his heart. How could he give me his heart when it belonged to someone else?”
“He couldn’t,” Tennyson answered.
“That’s right. But I loved him though. I was a fool in love. Now, I’m an example to my daughters of what not to be when it comes to finding love. A fool. That’s why my girls are single to this day—both of them. Well, that and their brothers’ threats of bodily injury to any man who wants to lay a claim to their sisters.”
Tennyson chuckled.
“But you seem to have passed the test, Tennyson, at least with Harding, that is.”
“I’m hoping to meet Mordecai soon.”
“You will,” Florence said. She took another sip of tea.
“I don’t know if Zoya mentioned this to you but my mother passed last week.”
“I’m sorry to hear that.”
“Thanks. My only solace is that she’s no longer in pain.” Tennyson sighed deeply. “I bring that up to let you know how your daughter was there for me. She sat down holding my hand for hours. She cooked for me, made sure I stayed hydrated—she didn’t have to do any of that, but she did. I had already developed an affinity for her but it deepened during that time. Made me realize that some people are supposed to come and go in life but some are supposed to stay. Forever. She is supposed to stay and I want you to know that I love Zoya and I want to marry your daughter, but only if I have your blessing.”
A misty-eyed Florence smiled then said, “Yes, Tennyson. You have my blessing.”
“Thank you,” he said.
“Thank you for bringing happiness into my daughter’s life.”
“Trust me when I say she’s brought an equal amount of happiness into mine.”
“When are you going to ask her?”
“Probably tonight. We had lunch earlier, and she’s still in shock that I’m here, so if I can get her to relax, she’ll get the ring.”
“What if she says no?”
“Then I won’t stop asking until she says yes.”
Chapter 24
Zoya parked and watched Tennyson emerge from his car, still looking as good as he was when she saw him earlier in the day. She had a feeling he’d be waiting for her to get home from work and sure enough, she saw his car as soon as she turned into the parking lot. He walked up to her apartment like he belonged there – like he’d been there before when he hadn’t.
“Good evening,” he said as she unlocked the door.
“Hey, Tennyson.”
“May I come in?”
“Sure,” she said stepping inside kicking off her shoes.
Tennyson came out of his suit jacket, closed the door then followed her into the kitchen where he wrapped his arms tight around her and squeezed. He inhaled a breath of her perfume while his chin rested on her head. “Ah, this is what I’ve been missing,” he told her. “I’ve been waiting all day to do this—to feel you in my arms. To hold you close to me and imagine you being mine forever.”
Zoya closed her eyes and for a moment, she imagined being his – imagined belonging to him and for that moment, she basked in the hope that came along with the love – with sharing her life with someone.
“Tennyson?”
“Yes?”
“Why do you like me?” She turned around to have this conversation with him face-to-face.
“Because I do. In a few weeks, you’ve shown me how a man can love a woman without apprehension. You’ve shown me how a woman supports a man with kindness and compassion. I’ll always be grateful to you for showing me those things and for being there for me when I pushed everyone else away. I will always love you for that.”
Zoya stared into his intense gaze, believing every word he uttered. She smiled and rose to her tiptoes to greet him with a kiss.
Finally, Tennyson thought. She never initiated a kiss before, only returned his kisses, but this time, she had. And he was welcoming it, indulging the tenderness of her lips and the delectable taste of her tongue. When their mouths separated, he said, “I want to marry you.”
“I’m aware of that,” she teased.
“But what do you want?” he asked her.
“I want to be happy with someone.”
He frowned. “Someone? You mean me, correct?”
“Yes, counselor. You.”
“Do you love me?”
“Yes, Tennyson. I love you.”
Tennyson lowered himself to his knees, opened a black, velvet box that housed a gold, two-carat diamond ring and asked, “Zoya Champion, will you marry me?”
“Yes!” she said excited, tears of happiness threatening her mascara.
Tennyson slid the ring on her finger and said, “Then I suggest you leave work early tomorrow so we can go and apply for a marriage license.” He stood up and sealed their engagement with a tongue-grabbing kiss.
When he released her, Zoya said, “Wait…we’re getting married at a courthouse?”
“No, but we do have to apply for a marriage license, though. We can get married wherever you would like.”
Her hands quivered with nervousness at how fast this was all happening.
“Don’t panic, Zoya. I’m not going anywhere. I’m going to help you th
rough every step of this process.”
“But, Tennyson I don’t know if we can pull this off. It’s all happening so fast and you haven’t met Mordecai or Amira. Or my mother!”
A grin touched his lips. “I had a nice conversation with your mother today.”
Zoya’s eyes grew big. “You did?”
“Yes.”
“Why?”
“To let her know how much I love you and to ask for her blessing.”
Zoya’s mouth dropped open in surprise.
Tennyson was tempted to use the opportunity to lose his tongue inside of it but resisted. She was already shocked enough as it was. “As for meeting Amira and Mordecai, I say we arrange to have dinner tomorrow night. Tonight, I want you all to myself,” he said, then took another kiss.
Chapter 25
While Zoya was at work, Tennyson got busy locating a wedding venue. He looked up caterers, DJs and found a nice store in downtown where he bought a tux. He grabbed lunch then around two he met Zoya at the courthouse where they filed for the marriage license.
“There’s no turning back now,” Tennyson said, signing the document after her.
Zoya was all giggles, excitement getting the best of her.
“I love you, Zoya.”
“I love you, too, Tennyson,” she said, a happy tear rolling down her face. “I can’t believe we just did that. Oh, my gosh! I have to call Harding.”
“Wait—before we alert the Asheville Champions, let’s get through dinner with your family tonight.”
“Okay. Right. Good idea. One step at a time.”
* * *
“We were last here to celebrate Zoe becoming a manager. Now, we’re celebrating the fact that sis got a man!” Amira said as she approached the table. She extended her hand to Tennyson and said, “Hi. I’m Amira.”
“It’s nice to meet you, Amira. I’m Tennyson.”
“It’s so good to meet you as well. Hey, Zoe,” Amira said, sitting next to Zoya.
“Hey,” Zoya responded.
“Girl, he’s fine. O-M-G,” Amira whispered in Zoya’s ear. “I ain’t mad at you.”
