The day after she met him, Noelle struggled to be on the side of prudence and chose to think that she would never see him again. It was the familiar battle between her Mr. Brain and Mrs. Heart.
Or perhaps, it was her lack of self-confidence. Men like Hunter Blackwell never strayed into her trajectory. They were like shooting stars that blazed in the horizon and then disappeared.
Her brain insisted… Don’t be silly. You’ll never see him again. Hunter’s declaration that he wanted to see you again was just a sophisticated way of making a graceful exit. Men do that all the time. He didn’t even ask for your number, the cynical brain of hers rationalized.
Her heart, though, was optimistic and more positive and kept her hope alive. He’ll be back, Noelle. You’ll see.
So, when Noelle recognized the familiar figure of Hunter Blackwell approaching the café entrance, she almost dropped a tray of salad that she was holding. She gave an audible gasp that immediately attracted Miranda’s attention.
Noelle handed the tray to Miranda and went rushing towards the back as if her butt was on fire. Mrs. Heart was doing a lively version of the flamenco inside her chest.
Noelle ran a comb through her hair and quickly dabbed powder on her nose. Then she nonchalantly strolled out once again. An onlooker would think all was well in her world, except for the heightened flush on her face. Surreptitiously, she scanned the café. Hunter was seated exactly where he was positioned the day before, facing the street and with his back towards her.
Noelle sat behind the cash register and pretended to be occupied as she studied the order slips from the morning sales. Miranda sauntered over, holding the menu in her hand.
“Did you take his order?” Noelle asked coolly.
"Sez he'd rather let you do the ordering for him," Miranda replied with a smirk. Then she mouthed, "OH MY GAWD! I almost peed my pants. That’s one heck of a man.”
Noelle controlled the impulse to giggle like a schoolgirl, but couldn’t help the silly grin that spread across her face. She took the menu card and mumbled incoherently under her breath, “Tell you about it later.”
She approached him with quaking legs. He acknowledged her presence by immediately scrambling off his seat and giving her a peck on the cheek.
“Hi,” she stammered, as unwarranted awkwardness suddenly assailed her entire being.
“Hello, Noelle,” he replied with sobriety, then grinned.
Noelle realized that all her worries about not seeing him again were for naught. He looked just as eager and excited to see her.
“Hey, Hunter. It’s good to see you again. What can I get you for lunch?”
“It’s such a beautiful day that I think I want to eat alfresco.”
Noelle was disappointed. They didn’t serve outside. That meant he wasn’t staying.
“I noticed there’s a park a few blocks away and I’m pretty sure I saw a Sabrett food truck there somewhere. Would you like to have a hotdog with me?”
Noelle’s heart soared.
“You and hotdogs? I never saw that coming. Seems like an unlikely pairing.”
“You’d be surprised. My tastes can be quite uncomplicated.”
Noelle’s heart soared again, PLUS it did a full somersault, too. I am uncomplicated.
“Well, can I steal you for a few minutes?” he persisted when she didn’t give a response.
“Yes, of course. I’d love to.”
Miranda gave a loaded smile when Noelle said that she was stepping out with Hunter.
She soon realized that walking beside him was tricky. Her limbs acquired a life of their own and it was like having more than one pair of feet. It was a challenge to appear like she did this every day, walking the streets of New York with such a gorgeous-looking man, that even a dog on a leash gave them a second glance as they passed it on a corner.
She was sixteen again and out on her first date.
Mr. Brain was left behind in the café, leaving Mrs. Heart to pilot Noelle’s body. But she wasn’t doing a very good job because Noelle suddenly stumbled over a jutting piece of pavement.
“Whoa.” Hunter exclaimed, pulling her back and holding her hand tightly in his.
Noelle felt the tingling sensation travel all the way from her fingertips to her elbow. Fortunately, she managed the rest of the trip without any other mishap. The food truck was there, just as Hunter said, and he stood in line with the rest of the early lunchtime crowd.
It was hard not to notice the side glances that women threw his way. But Hunter seemed oblivious. They went in search of a bench and found one under the shade of an elm tree.
Noelle noticed he really liked hotdogs, as he chomped on his sandwich heartily. She bit into hers and relished the delicious wieners. She’d had them before but never realized they tasted so good.
Maybe it’s the company.
“Anything new happened since I last saw you?” he asked, making conversation.
“Yeah. We now have a new president and a space probe landed in Mars,” she replied succinctly, then laughed, “Silly, I just saw you yesterday.”
“Was that just yesterday when we met? Felt like years to me. I couldn’t wait for this morning to come. I said to myself, Hunter, you need to see that girl again.”
Now he was just flirting with her. Noelle responded with a teasing smile.
“I’m glad you came. I wasn’t sure you would.”
“Why not?” He asked curiously.
“Because-because… I didn’t think you’d be interested to see me again. I mean…” Noelle stammered.
“What do you mean? Tell me.” Hunter persisted.
“We have nothing in common.” She replied simply.
“We both like hotdogs. That’s a start.”
Noelle laughed.
“I’d really like to get to know you more, Noelle.”
“Yeah. I think I’d like that too.”
“Good.”
“Good,” she echoed.
“Would you like to go out on a serious date with me then?”
“By serious, you mean, not a hotdog kind of date?” She lightly asked.
Hunter looked momentarily uncomfortable, and then decided to lay things out in the open.
“I need a date to the Governor’s Ball. It’s something that I have to attend to advance my political career. You being there with me would make things easier to bear. I find those affairs rather tedious, honestly. Would you like to go with me?”
Noelle wheezed in surprise. She knew all about that prestigious event. It always made the papers.
“You’re kidding, right?” she asked with hesitation. He had to be.
Hunter noticed the look of uncertainty and replied, “You don’t have to decide now. It’s still days away. I know I’m asking too much from you, but I hope you say yes.”
If only he knew that it wasn’t about asking too much from her. Noelle just didn’t know how she would navigate that strange and unfamiliar world.
But he did drop by constantly after the hotdog date and their growing familiarity followed a natural course. He never mentioned the Governor’s Ball, preferring not to pressure her in any way. The invitation did stay in Noelle’s mind though, and it bothered her that she wasn’t yet ready to commit.
Surprisingly, Miranda wasn't as comfortable around Hunter. Noelle confronted the girl, thinking something was wrong. Miranda replied that she was scared she would jump him if he made so much as eye contact with her because he was so sexy. They both had a good laugh over that one.
Noelle couldn’t be faulted for thinking that when heaven poured blessings, it was usually a deluge. Everything was going just right.
Then one morning, Miranda met her at the door with a worried look on her face.
“Some dude here to see you,” she said just above a whisper. “I refused, saying we’re not open yet. He insisted that it was okay. Says he’s family.”
Noelle walked over to a figure seated in a corner. He was reading a newspaper that covered his
face. He lowered it when she came near.
“Hello, Noelle,” the man greeted her.
She almost lost it.
“Diggs? What are you doing here? I thought you were…”
“In prison?” he finished. “I actually thought I’d rot in jail. Turns out I could be set free for good behavior. So I sucked it up and did everything to convince them retards that I was a changed man. I’m on parole and decided that I wanted to visit my favorite girl.”
Noelle felt her skin crawl. Seeing Diggs was the last thing she expected. She thought she was finally free of him when he was sent behind bars five years ago.
Diggs Romero was her ex-boyfriend and the father of Nikko. She met him when she was just out of high school and Diggs was a local thug who had an arrest record as long as his arm. He dealt mostly in petty crimes and swaggered about the neighborhood each time he was released. He often bragged that the penal system couldn’t keep him behind bars for good. He was far better than the system, he said.
To a naïve young girl barely out of school, Diggs represented a figure that inspired awe in young Noelle. He was somebody who could protect her from a dubious neighborhood. And when he started showering her with attention, Noelle was thrilled. Eventually, Diggs became her boyfriend, to her mom’s dismay.
The more her mom insisted that she break up with him, the more Noelle regarded Diggs as the love of her life. The rift between mother and daughter then widened and when Noelle could no longer take the constant battles, she decided to move in with Diggs.
But slowly, and then with an ever increasing awareness, Noelle realized his true nature. Diggs dealt with drugs. Noelle couldn’t keep count of the number of times some stranger would knock on the door of their apartment. An exchange would take place and then Diggs would splurge on alcohol, often staying in a drunken haze for days.
It was during one of his binges that Noelle nagged him to change his ways. The argument eventually became heated. Noelle threatened to leave him and return to her mom. Diggs retaliated by pushing her hard against a wall. She slipped and hit her head so hard that she lost consciousness. She woke up in the hospital with a slight concussion and it was there that she discovered that she was pregnant.
Noelle finally realized and accepted that Diggs was violent by nature. The concussion was only an omen of what was in the offing if she didn’t make the right decision then and there. She had a heart-to-heart talk with her mom who was only too willing to take her back. Noelle was determined from that time on not to have anything to do with Diggs Romero.
But her growing belly couldn’t be kept a secret from him. Diggs cajoled and made endless promises to mend his ways. Noelle was torn between giving him another chance, for the sake of their unborn child, and to live a safer life with her mother.
And then one day, shocking news broke out in the neighborhood. Diggs beat up a girl so badly that she landed in the hospital in critical condition. Her family took him to court. He was sentenced to life imprisonment for First Degree Attempted Manslaughter.
Noelle had no idea that Diggs was seeing another girl on the sly while trying to win back her affection. The news was all that she needed to come to a final decision. She never wanted to see him again. Destiny took control and spared her from a miserable life.
Until today.
“I think telling my assistant that you are family constitutes a violation of your parole," Noelle accused.
“But I AM family,” Diggs replied smoothly. “You had our child.”
“You stay away from my son,” Noelle warned, immediately regretting the outburst. She just told him what he wanted to know.
“He’s my son, too. I think my parole officer would be happy to hear that I want to take part in my son’s life.”
Noelle recognized the subtle innuendo. She wanted to puke in panic. Diggs was unpredictable. He could make trouble for her and Nikko.
Suddenly, Noelle remembered the Catch-22 situation with Immigration and her uncertain status. Fear gripped her heart. If things got out of control, Diggs could even end up having the custody of Nikko.
“What do you really want, Diggs?” Noelle asked weakly.
“You seem to be doin’ really well with this café and all. And able to hire a maid, too? I’m impressed. So I was thinking you wouldn’t mind sharing your wealth with me, seeing that I just got out of prison?”
Noelle immediately sensed his intention. He was blackmailing her. Rage coupled with fear engulfed her. If she didn’t put up, Diggs could cause trouble, right here and now.
"First of all, Miranda is not a maid. She is my assistant. Second," Noelle fumed, removing a five-hundred-dollar bill from her purse, "Don't think you can come barging into my store each time you need money, you piece of shit."
Diggs chuckled menacingly, tucking the money into his pocket.
“Oh, by the way, have you worked out your residency visa? I remember you mentioning that to me before.”
Noelle blanched. He knew too much about her.
“Yes. Actually, I just got word that my status has been approved,” she lied.
“Good for you,” Diggs sneered, as he stood to leave the premises.
Noelle watched him go with a sickening feeling. This wouldn’t be the last time she’d see him again. She was in trouble and she knew that now. And the admission was enough to thwart all the good things that had been happening in her life.
Chapter Six
Noelle had every right to be flabbergasted.
The last few weeks, she had traversed both ends of the pendulum where her emotions were concerned. Her stomach hurt each time she thought about Diggs and what his sudden appearance meant for her and Nikko. Then there was the uncertainty of her residency status and the possibility of losing everything she had worked hard for.
But the upside to her misery was her blooming friendship with Hunter Blackwell. While there was no intimation that he wanted to bring it to another level, Noelle admitted to herself that he was easy to be around. The only time that he ever displayed that he had a temper of his own was when he shared the struggle of what he was going through while trying to get an endorsement for his political ambition. It seemed like the council was giving him the dangling carrot on a stick treatment.
On the surface, he was the perfect gentleman. He treated her with the utmost respect, holding her hand and kissing her on the cheek each time he brought her back to the café.
Noelle thought he was playing it cool and didn’t want to scare her off. It actually pissed her off that he never attempted to kiss her. That was enough to put her in a bad mood.
Consequently, she was caught off-guard when he mentioned the Governors Ball again. She had almost forgotten about it.
"Please, Noelle. My secretary, Lisa, has been hounding me for days now. The ball is next Friday. Say yes and put me out of my misery. Please!" He entreated with those expressive eyes.
Noelle hesitated. She promised to think about it. Deep inside, she knew she was nervous being in the company of people outside her class in society, people she had absolutely nothing in common with.
Miranda learned about the invitation and the reason for her hesitancy. “A man like that asked you to be his date to an important event and you tell him you wanna think about it?”
Noelle nodded. The look on her friend’s face said she was a loony.
“He’d be pretty disappointed with you if you didn’t go. Might even stop coming around,” Miranda cautioned.
Noelle knew that Miranda was right. Besides, this was a chance to meet Hunter’s friends and know more about his world. She would be going for him. Not for anyone else.
And… this could just be the next step in their relationship.
The notion was exhilarating. So she texted him yes and said that she was coming as his date. He messaged back with a smiley emoticon.
***
Noelle thought she was okay, until insecurity hit her like a cannonball. Honestly, she had been on constant pins and needles since the d
ay she agreed to go. Like a loyal friend, Miranda kept her flagging spirit going. Noelle couldn’t remember the countless times she almost changed her mind, picking up her phone and then snapping it shut before she could dial Hunter’s number.
She stared at her cabinet with a sinking feeling. Dresses judged “not good enough” lay at her feet in a tumbled heap. Reproaching herself wasn’t helping the situation anyway. Panic assailed her. The idea of shopping for a new dress kept popping up during the past few days, but like some idiot who needed an excuse not to go, she kept pushing it back.
Tonight was the affair and as she stood in front of her closet, she bawled like a child, giving in to all her fears. She was certain that none of her clothes even remotely resembled a dress good enough to wear to one of New York City’s most prestigious events. She imagined the women whispering behind her back and making fun of her. She would be the laughing stock of the well-heeled crowd. Hunter would be so embarrassed.
She just couldn’t do it.
She realized that her cell phone was ringing and recognized Hunter’s number. This was her chance to tell him that she wasn’t going with him after all.
“Hello, Hunter…” she said in a tremulous voice.
The line was choppy with so much metallic interference that she could hardly hear his voice.
“Noelle, listen. I can’t talk long. I’m taking off in a few minutes but I will be back in time for the ball. Someone will drop by the café later today with a car and will help you with everything you need. You have nothing to worry about tonight.”
“Hunter, I can’t…”
“I’ll see you tonight, okay?”
“Hunter…WAIT!”
The line went dead. Noelle pressed the ‘call again’ button. All she got was a metallic voicemail response saying that the party was not available.
“Shit…” she muttered in frustration, tossing the phone onto her bed.
What did he just say? Something about someone dropping by at the café and helping her with everything she needed. A car and chauffeur?
She didn’t need a car; she wasn’t going anywhere. She had nothing to wear. Her mind was made up.
Back with the Stuntman_A Single Dad Second Chance Romance) Page 23
