by Zuri Day
“’Bye, Mom. Love you.”
“I love you more.”
* * *
Aliyah pulled into the crowded parking lot, found a space and cut the engine. Grabbing a sweater from the backseat to ward off the slight October chill, she was pleasantly surprised to see the café Terrell had suggested was a homey-looking diner and not a swanky five-star restaurant. After getting Kyle enrolled in the community center’s fall program she’d returned home, gone online and typed Terrell Drake in the search engine. What she’d seen there would impress most women. She was no exception. But it hadn’t made her excited to meet him. She was all too familiar with men like him. Those who had the world by the tail, and thought they ruled it, from a family that practically owned the town or at least helped build it. One brother a grape grower and rancher and another one the mayor? Elite affiliations and country clubs for sure. The more she’d read, the more she’d been tempted to cancel their meeting. When he’d called and boldly requested dinner, and she accepted, it was to possibly secure a west coast casual who could periodically scratch her sexual itch. It had been months, she had been busy and a woman had needs. But now? With his lifestyle sounding so much like the ex whose family made it clear that she didn’t and could never fit into their world? Why pull the scab off of a sore still healing? Because the attraction she’d felt in the community center office earlier was greater than her fear. So here she was.
She saw him right away, standing in a bar area with a group near the hostess stand. As she neared them he turned and reached for her, forcing the two women standing in front of her to step aside and let her through. Two men greeted her cordially and then walked away. The two women remained: appraising, waiting.
He made the introductions. Greetings were exchanged. He looked at Aliyah. “Shall we?”
“Yes.”
“Ladies.” With a nod goodbye in their direction, he placed a hand on the small of Aliyah’s back as they followed the hostess to a corner booth.
But the ladies followed, hot on their heels.
“Did you have any trouble finding the place?”
Aliyah shook her head. “Not at all. Have GPS, will travel.”
“That system does make it easier.”
The woman closest to her, a cute brunette with expressive gray eyes, cleared her throat. “Where’d you drive from?”
Aliyah looked at Terrell, then turned to address the woman behind her. “Davis.”
“You live there?” asked the woman who’d been fawning over Terrell when she walked in, and when introduced had offered a smile about as real as a three-dollar bill. The obvious competition, had Aliyah been in the hunt for a handsome, wealthy, well-built, charismatic, sexy example of male magnificence. She wasn’t. So Nosy Nancy had nothing to worry about. And no need to know her business.
They reached the booth. Aliyah sat without answering. The server immediately came over. “Is this who you were waiting for, Terrell?”
“Yes, it is.”
She placed menus in front of Aliyah and Terrell, then looked at the women. “Do y’all need menus?”
“Yes.”
“No.”
The server looked between Terrell and Nosy, from whom the simultaneous answer had come.
“It will just be Aliyah and myself tonight,” Terrell said. “My friends were just leaving.”
“Oh, okay.” Expressive Eyes gave a general wave. “I guess I’ll see you guys later.” She walked over and joined the two men who’d left Terrell to sit at the bar.
“Speak for yourself,” Nosy Nancy said, before looking at Terrell. “Are you going to scoot over or get up and let me in?” He didn’t move, just looked at her. “This isn’t a date, is it? I mean, you’re at the Cove Café for goodness sake, so obviously—” she looked at Aliyah “—it’s no big deal.”
So this was how it went down in Terrell’s hometown? Girlfriend didn’t know but the poised, polite chick in front of her was east coast all day long, where people kept it real. She could switch it up and hurt her feelings. But instead, Aliyah ignored her. Why spar with someone trying to crash into where she had been invited? She casually picked up her menu and began to browse.
Terrell’s voice remained low and casual, but his eyes were those of someone who’d had enough. “You have a nice evening...okay?”
“Oh. Okay.” She flung long black hair over her shoulder and adjusted a nice designer bag over store-bought boobs. “Sorry I upset you, Alicia. Terrell and I go way back, to preschool almost.”
The misspoken name was intentional, and catty. Aliyah knew that, and offered advice instead of correction. “Don’t be sorry.”
Terrell’s brief but knowing smile did things to her insides. The man was dangerous, too sexy for her own good. With no man in her life for the past few months, she wished he were on the menu she held. He had her so distracted she barely noticed Nosy mosey away.
“Sorry about that.”
Aliyah’s eyes turned devilish. “Don’t be—”
“Stop it!” He laughed. “You know you’re wrong. Clever, though.”
“I learned from the best—been dealing with girls like her since I was fourteen.”
“In Davis?”
“No. On Manhattan’s Upper East Side, where I went to private school on a scholastic scholarship.”
“You’re from New York?”
She nodded. “Brooklyn, more specifically. Born and bred in Prospect Heights.”
“But smart enough to go to school with the rich and privileged.”
“Yes, and at times that was most unfortunate. I watched girls who had everything become jealous of one who had nothing.”
He sat back, observing her keenly. “That’s not true. You’ve got a lot.”
“Yes, well, there’s that.”
“I’m not talking about your physical generosities...”
“Ha!”
“I’m talking about you.”
“You don’t even know me.”
“But you make a brother want to know you. And that’s what I’m talking about.”
“Looks like you’re a brother who knows everybody, and who everybody knows.”
“It’s one of the downsides of living in a small town. And one of the reasons I don’t eat here often even though the town’s dining options are limited. Everybody thinks they know you well enough to get all up in your business, even uninvited.”
“Most women who act like that have a reason for doing so.”
“She doesn’t.”
Aliyah shrugged. “Not my monkey, not my circus.”
“Meaning?”
“Meaning whatever is between you two is not my concern. I just hope this place serves a good burger.”
“It’s not the best one in town but you won’t be disappointed.”
As if on cue, the server came over to take their orders.
Conversation halted as Aliyah perused the menu. Terrell watched. She noticed. “Clearly you’ve already decided what you want to order.”
“Absolutely,” he said, his eyes narrowing slightly. “I already know exactly what I want.”
She rolled her eyes. He didn’t know, but the action matched the roiling of her stomach as she took in the curly long lashes that framed chocolate-brown orbs, his cleanly shaven angular face and cushy lips. He smiled when she ordered the Cove Classic: double-patty cheeseburger, coleslaw and fries.
“Make that two,” he told the server, letting her walk away before he refocused his attention on Aliyah. “I love it. A woman with a healthy appetite and not afraid to show it.”
She fixed him with a sultry look of her own. “Oh, yes. I have a very healthy appetite.”
Check, and checkmate.
“So tell me about yourself, Aliyah Robinson.”
; “What would you like to know?”
“Since you live in Davis, how’d you learn about our center here in Paradise Cove?”
“A good friend recommended it. Her youngest son is enrolled there. She watches Kyle for me. So it works out.”
“What’s her name?”
“Lauren Hensley. Do you know her?”
“No. But I’m only there three days a week, tutoring and mentoring teenaged boys between thirteen and sixteen years old. A buddy of mine named Luther works with your son’s age group.”
“I wouldn’t have pegged you as a guy who tutored teens.”
“Why not?”
“I don’t know. You just don’t look the type.”
“What type do I look like?”
Like the type of man I need to take home. Tonight. “Let me think about that.” The honest answer remained unspoken, but a hint of it showed in her eyes.
“Is UC what brought you to Davis?” She nodded. “With all of the great schools on the east coast, why that school?”
“The residency program.”
His brow rose in surprise. “You’re a doctor?”
“Not for at least another two and half years. I’m in residency as an anesthesiologist.”
“Impressive. Fine, smart...and you wonder why those girls were jealous.”
“Things look much differently when you’re fourteen.”
“Indeed.”
The server brought their drinks. Aliyah took a sip of her frothy root beer. Terrell had opted for real beer, and took a healthy swig from the bottle.
“Ever been to New York?”
“I’ve spent a little time there. My younger brother is going to NYU.”
“What’s he studying?”
“He’s getting his doctorate in psychology.”
“Oh, so you’ll have a doctor in your family as well.”
“We already do. My cousin’s wife is a doctor in San Diego. But yes, Julian, hands down, is the brains in my family.”
“Are you the brawn?”
He smiled. “Is that your answer for my type?”
“No, but if forced to fight I think you could hold your own.”
“Ha! Thanks, I think. My family owns a realty and consulting company. I handle sales.”
He was being humble. Due to her internet sleuthing, Aliyah knew he was a director in what appeared to be a very profitable company, heading up the sale of corporate and commercial properties throughout the state. A rich, successful, confident man who was also unassuming? Maybe he could scratch her itch after all.
“Is that how you ended up in Paradise Cove?”
“My grandfather settled here after leaving the military, went in with a partner and bought up a lot of land at a time when it was a buyer’s market. After college, my dad correctly predicted that metropolitan expansion would push the population this way. So he acquired more land in this area, got his real estate license and partnered with a contractor to build homes. Thirty years ago, where we sit now was nothing but farmland. Now, we’ve got Paradise Cove and, next to it, Paradise Valley, where my brother Warren now manages and co-owns that initial land my grandfather purchased.”
“Not many people of color can claim such historical ties and land ownership. You must be proud of what your grandfather and father have done.”
“I’m proud of my entire family.”
Conversation continued. The flow was easy. The food was good, the flirtations continuous. She told him a little more about Kyle, and about the teacher/mentor-turned-friend, Lauren, who’d encouraged Aliyah to choose UC Davis for her residency. She also let him know that while her body was in California, her heart still bled Brooklyn. She was a New York Jets fan for life. Aliyah ascertained that Terrell’s extended family was a close-knit one, that he was a member of the Raider Nation, but—that glaring offense aside—there was substance behind the sexiness. It was clear that neither wanted the night to end. But for Aliyah, it had to. She had a son to pick up and an early surgery to assist with in the morning.
She placed her napkin on the plate. “Thanks for dinner. The food was delicious.”
“What about the company?”
She shrugged, reached for her glass. “It was all right.”
“Ha! Just all right, huh?”
“Yep.” She finished the last of her soda. “Just all right.”
“You’re something else, you know that?”
“So I’ve been told a time or two.”
“Well, hopefully I made a better first impression the second time around.”
She blessed him with a smile. “You did.”
“Enough for you to go out with me again?”
She reached for her purse. “Maybe. But tonight’s good time has come to an end. I have to be up early in the morning.”
Terrell reached into his wallet and tossed a couple bills on the table. They stood and together walked out of the restaurant. He passed his shiny sports convertible and continued to her car.
“So, what kinds of things do you like to do?”
“I’m pretty adventurous and open to new things. There’s probably not many things I wouldn’t try at least once.”
Her quick once-over suggested he was included in this statement.
“Is that so?” They reached her car. He opened the door. Before she could get in, he cut her off and pressed her against the metal. “What about Friday night?”
She didn’t back down. She pressed back. “I have to work this Saturday. I’m off on Sunday, though.”
“Then what about Saturday night?” He ran a strong, large hand down her arm, before resting it lightly on her hip.
“Highly likely, if I can arrange a sitter. But not here, in your town. I’m not up to watching you fend off women all night and if insulted again, I might not act as civilly as I did tonight.” She pressed a hand against his shirt, and met a chest as solid as steel. “You work out.”
“I do. As tight as your body is, looks like you do, too.” Their bodies were close, their faces, too, so much so that their breaths mingled.
“Can’t say much for crunches and treadmills—” she slid a finger down the side of his face “—but there are certain ways I like to exercise.” She gently pushed him away and got into the car.
“Keep Saturday night open.”
“Don’t keep me waiting. Make a date.”
“All right then. Saturday, seven o’clock. I’ll text the details later.”
“See you then.”
She closed the door, started the engine and left the parking lot without looking back. Thoughts of Terrell accompanied her home, though.
Saturday night couldn’t come soon enough.
Chapter 3
The days flew. By the time Saturday arrived Aliyah had almost changed her mind again about her date with Terrell. Though this was a woman’s prerogative, she was usually more decisive. But he’d been on her mind more than was comfortable, took up more mental space than a potential casual should occupy. Trying to finish a three-year residency in two and a half was the only type of serious she could handle right now and something—okay, keen intuition and a heart that skipped a pitter when his face came to mind—told her that keeping things easy breezy and detached might not be possible. That scared her. So did the potency of her attraction. Yes, he was good-looking and yes, he was rich. She’d dated her share of handsome men and Kyle’s father’s family was part of the east coast’s Black bourgeoisie. Her ex’s family had doubted the truth of Kyle’s paternity and shattered her self-esteem. She didn’t want to go through that kind of scrutiny and judgment again, which is why a friend with benefits was all she wanted Terrell to be. But what if her heart felt otherwise? Did she want to chance a hot, sexual fling blazing into a relationship? Or worse, an in
ferno?
When she’d pulled up stakes and left the east coast, falling for an obvious heartthrob within a month of arriving hadn’t been in her plans. It still wasn’t. At least through this year, the only male she planned to focus on was the not yet three-foot-tall, sweet and curious tyke standing in front of her with his ever-present tablet in hand. But unlike most kids, Kyle was as likely to be working math problems from the study modules she’d downloaded as playing video games. The child had an unusual interest in numbers. She’d purchased the kid-friendly program to encourage him. Being good with numbers could take you places.
“Where are you going, Mommy?”
“Out with a friend, sweetheart.”
“Is it Mr. Drake?”
Aliyah was stunned, but maintained her composure by putting on her earring before she turned around. “What makes you think Mr. Drake and I are friends?”
“Because.”
Aliyah watched as her son held his arms out to the side and “flew” around the room. He could never sit still. She walked over to where he was and placed hands on his shoulders to still him. “Because what?”
“Because of how he was smiling when you came to pick us up.”
On Friday Lauren’s teenaged son, Conrad, had fractured his arm while skateboarding. On her way to emergency she’d called Aliyah, who agreed to pick up Kyle and Conner from the center.
“Mr. Drake wasn’t there, honey, remember? I spoke with your teacher, Mr. Adams.”
“I know, but Mr. Drake saw you, too. He stopped in the hallway and started smiling. Like this.”
Kyle smiled broadly. Aliyah laughed.
Observant little bugger. Note to self: watch your actions with Terrell when Kyle is around.
“I think he wanted to say hi, but this woman came and got him.”
A scowl jumped on her face without her permission, before she could stop it. The unconscious reaction surprised her. No doubt Terrell was popular with the ladies. And obviously unattached. Why wouldn’t they be swarming around him like bees on a honeycomb? And why should it matter to her? All she wanted from him was some horizontal exercise. She vowed to remember that.
