by Toni Jackson
She could barely hear his voice as it drifted through the receiver. “You were my world. There was no obligation on my part. I was excited. To me, it was a deeper connection to you.”
There was nothing Tina could say. It was silent until Alex spoke again.
“Well, I’d better go. I’ll call you tomorrow?”
“Yeah, I’d like that.”
.
Chapter 8
The doorbell rang just as Dani reached the living room with Lily squirming in her arms. Placing her rambunctious daughter in the playpen, she walked over to the door. She grinned as Tina strolled past her to remove the baby from her prison. Lily giggled and raised her arms knowing she was about to be rescued.
“You know the only rest I get these days is when you come to visit.” Dani said as she curled into a nearby overstuffed sofa.
“Liar!” Tina pulled Lily close and inhaled the clean, fresh baby powder scent. It was both a curse and a blessing. She loved the smell of a freshly bathed baby but hated the memories it brought back of the child she lost. She might never have children, but she would always be there for Dani’s.
Tina rubbed noses with her goddaughter then stretched across the floor with Lily stretched across her stomach. “I happen to know for a fact that Sean takes over every evening as soon as he gets home. And you have a nanny.”
“You have to take all the fun out of it.” Dani defended. “All right, I let you have your moment. Now I need details.”
“There’s nothing to tell.” Tina turned and focused her attention on Lily.
“Now who’s lying?” Dani asked, smirking.
Dani could be relentless when she wanted information. If Tina didn’t tell her everything now, she would never hear the end of it. “Ugh. You get on my nerves,” she grumbled.
Still holding Lily, Tina eased into a sitting position and placed a soft kiss on the baby’s head.
“Okay. So, you know Alex has always been…intense.”
“Huh! That’s putting it mildly.”
“So last night he just put it all out there. How he loved me. How he never stopped loving me. How I was ‘it’ for him.”
“So…? I happen to know that you never got over Alex.” Tina stared at her in confusion. “Oh, you put on a good show, but I know that nothing happened with those guys you dated, which is why those relationships never lasted.”
Tina rolled her eyes as she stood and kissed Lily again before placing in her back into her playpen. The frown that crossed the little face nearly broke her heart. She plopped down on the couch next to Dani and kicked off her shoes before putting her feet up.
All of a sudden, her quiet friend had become an authority on relationships. “You finally get some and now you’re an expert?” she taunted.
Laughing, she threw her arms up to block the pillow Dani swung at her. “Okay! Okay!”
She felt silly voicing her fears. Not as foolish as chasing Alex away the first time, but damned close.
“So, the way Alex is talking, it’s like the last few years never happened. Like I didn’t lose the baby, didn’t push him away. Like he never left. He wants to just pick up where we left off.”
Dani turned to stare at Tina with a look of disbelief. “And you don’t want to?”
Shaking her head, Tina sputtered, “No! That’s not it at all. I would love nothing more than to get back with Alex. He’s the only man I ever loved and I screwed up royally. I’m amazed he wants to take me back.”
“Then what is it?” Dani asked. She squirmed under Dani’s glare.
“He’s been gone so long. We can’t just take up where we left off like there’s nothing to it!”
“Why can’t you?” Dani frowned. “You two are adults. Whatever you choose to do and whoever you elect to do it with is your business. Do you think it’s a day at the beach for Sean and me? There are so many people in this world that hate the very idea of us being together. But we took a chance anyway.”
“At the end of the day, the name of the game is your happiness. Do not let anyone dictate how you live your life.” Dani's eyes narrowed as she continued her tirade. “And if they do say something, you can always call Alex’s mother. I dare anybody to come in between you and Alex. I thought that woman was going to come over here and drag you to the altar.”
Tina smiled at the memory. Alex’s mother had been so happy she was going to be a grandmother. She offered her home and babysitting services the moment she found out.
“In a nutshell chica,” Dani said, pulling her close for a hug. She pulled back gave Tina a stern look. “If you still love him, go for it.”
“You really think I should?” Biting her lips, she pondered Dani’s words.
“I’m positive.” Dani reached over and squeezed her hand. “Let yourself trust. He’s not your father.”
Chapter 9
The gallery was small but impressive. Wandering between the displays, he was charmed by the level of talent contained inside the small building. Paintings and sculptures decorated the floors and walls. Each expressed a love of real art, not some of the expressionism crap that people sold these days. It reminded him of his previous venture. What a disappointment that had become. And now where was he? No gallery and no repayment on an enormous amount of money expended. Still, there was one part of his agreement he could still collect. The very reason that brought him to this city.
As if hearing his thoughts, a head of dark red hair emerged from the small hallway where several offices were located. His eyes drifted over the curvy figure encased in a long, black pencil skirt topped off by should have been a demure beige button up blouse. On her, it was more sensual than if she wore nothing. His fingers twitched at the thought of releasing each button, her hair spread across his pillow, and those full deep pink lips opened in ecstasy. He moved behind a pillar at the far end of the gallery and took the opportunity to adjust himself.
He was a man used to getting what he wanted. For years, he worked long and hard, doing things most people could never imagine to achieve his goals. He had few friends since people considered him ruthless and immoral, but he didn’t care. But this woman was the one he could picture being at his side. Vigorous and beautiful, she would be the crowning touch to his empire.
He itched to approach and engage her in conversation, but forced himself to stay away. Today was just to acquaint himself with her natural habitat. From everything he had seen, she spent far more time her than her own house. What made her so driven? He would buy her a hundred galleries if that made her happy.
His happiness only depended on having her.
“Hello, can I help you with anything?” Intent on watching his target, he never noticed the petite African woman approach him. A connoisseur of women, he appreciated the dark beauty standing beside him. The contrast to his intended was enough for him to develop wicked ideas, but the glint of gold and diamonds on her ring finger convinced him that it would be too much trouble. Instead, he smiled and focused on her, turning his back on his target.
“I see that the beauty in this gallery is not limited to paintings and statues.” He gave her his brightest smile, satisfied when a soft blush stole across her cheeks.
“Thank you,” she replied in softly accented English. “Is there a particular item you’re interested in? Perhaps a painting?”
He shrugged. “Not today. I just happened to stop by while on the way to a meeting. But I will be back.”
The woman nodded. “Not a problem. If there’s something you’re looking for that we don’t have here, we have one artist who does take on commissions.”
The friend. The one the idiot tried to kill for the money. “Really? That sounds like something I may want to check into.” He glanced at his watch and noticed how her eyes assessed the value. “I am running late. My business will have me in town until the end of the month. I will stop back before then to discuss this. Is this alright?”
He smiled again as she nodded eagerly and stuck out her hand. Leaning down, he p
laced a gentle kiss on the back and strode from the gallery, the smile dropping from his face before he cleared the doors and stepped into his waiting limousine.
“Were you able to see her, Jefe?” His driver asked. Of all the people who served him, his driver/bodyguard was the closest and the most loyal. He never traveled anywhere without the hulking giant. His size alone was a deterrent for most people. And few others would follow his orders unconditionally.
“Si. As beautiful as I remembered,” he replied, staring out at the people strolling along the sidewalk. How oblivious they all were. “I’ll be ready to take her home soon.”
Chapter 10
It was a tired, cranky Tina that arrived at the gallery that morning, a double shot Mocha in hand. She had too much on her mind. Since seeing Alex, sleep had been non-existent. Everything inside her wanted to fall into his arms and erase the past, but something still held her back.
Pulling a group of papers towards her, she began sorting through requests and receipts. It wasn’t part of her regular duties, but she liked feeling useful. The repetition of the work was exactly what she needed. To focus on work and clear her mind. She could deal with the Alex situation later.
Two hours later, Temar entered her office with a huge bouquet of blood red roses. Tina started laughing. “Oooh, check you out! James trying to make up for staying too late at the gallery again? I told you, girl, some three-inch heels will bring that sexy marido yours running home every night.”
Temar laughed, a hearty sound that brought a smile to the face of anyone who happened to be near. Tina loved to tease her although it was evident James worshiped his beautiful, Ethiopian wife. According to Temar, she and James had met at an African art exhibit and fallen in love at first sight. They were married three months later.
James was a workaholic. It made things a little tense when Tina first signed on to personally oversee Dani’s art. Since then, Temar realized Tina was no threat and they formed a strong bond.
“No, ipa, these are for you! You out teasing the men again? Every time I turn around you’re breaking somebody’s heart. I walk to the window and look outside, men are weeping on the sidewalk!”
Tina shook her head. “You know I’m smarter than that! Right now, I’m having a strong love affair with my job. I don’t have time for dating.” She reached for the bouquet and took a deep breath. “These are beautiful. Is there a card?”
Temar handed Tina a small envelope with her name on it. She opened it to find one line written in bold letters.
This is only the beginning.
Her smile faltered.
“What’s the matter,” Temar asked concerned. “Don’t you know who they’re from?”
“I-I thought I did, but now I’m not so sure.” Alex knew her favorite flower was calla lilies. He understood her aversion to Roses.
Patting Tina’s hand, Temar frowned. “I’m sure it’s someone who wanted to impress you. They should have asked some questions first. You need me to take them away?”
Her hands trembled as she sat the vase on the desk. Having them sitting in front of her for the day was going to disrupt her concentration. “Could you, please? They would probably look gorgeous sitting out in the lobby.”
Nodding in agreement, Temar scooped up the flowers and left the office.
Pulling out her cell, she scrolled down to where Alex had entered his number. She wanted to confirm that he sent the flowers but hesitated. Tina didn’t want to sound paranoid. And the last thing she wanted him to think was that she had so many men that she couldn’t keep them straight.
Nothing was further from the truth.
Slowly, she placed the phone back in her purse and turned to the paperwork scattered across her desk. Suspicion was not going to get the accounting up to date. Grabbing a stack of receipts, she began sorting them out into their respective piles, but she couldn’t shake the thought of the flowers.
Chapter 11
Alex strolled up the walkway of his childhood home. A modest sized colonial style home, it was filled with memories. The house had held up well under the pressure of time. Everything appeared to be intact and in good shape. He pulled the key from his pocket, closing his fingers around it.
What were the chances that it would still work? Knowing his mother, she had never changed the locks. He smiled when he inserted the key and felt it turn with ease. A twist of the knob opened the door to his past. The thick carpet silenced his footsteps as entered the house. He studied the portraits in the hallway, all pictures of him that he sent back to her throughout the span of his military career.
Smiling portraits of his father occupied the spaces not taken up by his own pictures. The entire hallway felt like a shrine. His shoulders sagged. Although he sent pictures and talked to her online, he hadn’t stepped foot in the house since the day he left. He hated leaving his mother, but she understood his need to get away. Everything carried memories of Tina. This house, his room, hell, the entire neighborhood.
He walked into the living room and paused. It was like stepping back in time. The dark overstuffed couch that he and Tina made out on almost every evening while his mother was at work. Straight ahead was the dining room where his mother gave him “the talk” and threatened his life if he ever did anything that would interfere with his graduating from at least high school.
She left the college option open for him. One, because she knew he worried about her and secondly, because of Tina. For some reason, his mother bonded to Tina and welcomed her into the fold. Perhaps his mother saw the same thing in Tina that he did. Someone lost and reaching out for something to hold. Once he explained Tina’s relationship with her father, his mother did everything but move Tina into their house.
A thump from upstairs drew his attention to the ceiling. “Mom?”
Her muffled voice drifted downstairs. “Alex?” The patter of feet running across the floor reminded Alex of her reaction whenever he went on overnight trips. He understood. His father died on his way home from work one evening. She had been overprotective ever since.
He turned as she came down the steps and smiled. “Hi, Ma.”
A lump formed in his throat when he noticed the tears in her eyes. He wrapped her in his arms, comforted by the smell and feel of her. Her dark chin-length hair was the same. So where the crystal gray eyes that always knew when he had gotten in trouble. She seemed smaller than he remembered, barely coming to his shoulder.
Leading her over to the couch, he sat her down and let her cry on his shoulder. “I’m home now, mom. And in one piece.” She cried harder. “I even have all of my fingers and toes. Want to count them?”
She slapped his chest. “Not for your lack of trying. You were always dropped off in the middle of something crazy. If it hadn’t been for you calling me later to let me know you were okay, I would have lost my mind by now.”
“I know. I’m sorry. I’m out for good, though. My company is expanding like mad. You can sell the store now. I’m going to take care of you.”
“Oh, Alex!” Her hands fluttered back and forth as she sat up, wiping her eyes. Alex almost laughed out loud at the familiar signs of agitation. “What in the world would I do if I didn’t have the store?”
“Well, you can take care of your son.”
Waving a hand at him, she shook her head. “Please. You probably have women jumping over fences to get to you.”
His body shook with laughter. Maybe not so much before, but since Alex’s name was linked with Sean’s, women were coming out of the woodwork. Most evenings he stayed in his hotel room unless he left to view houses. He came in once to find a woman had bribed her way in. After a few well-placed threats, there had been no more incidents.
She sighed. “Have you seen Tina yet?”
He knew it was coming. “I actually ran into Tina the other night.“
“Hmm. Did you?” She leaned away from him, staring.
Damn. He had to open his fat mouth. “Um, yeah. I told you I was meeting with this guy, S
ean Davenport…”
Sitting back, she crossed her arms and legs. “Yes, the man that’s helping you with the expansion.”
“Yeah. So it just so happens Sean is married to Tina’s best friend, Dani. He brought them to dinner with him.”
She slapped him on the leg and burst into giggles. “Oh my goodness! I really wish I could have seen your face. Did she know he was meeting you?”
“No. I could tell both of the girls were shocked.”
“And?”
Alex shrugged in his usual manner. “No, she’s not married. And yes we talked.”
One perfectly sculptured eyebrow raised and waited for him to continue. “And yes, I told her I wanted to try again.”
By the time he left his mother’s house that evening, Alex had eaten his first home cooked meal in years and had been grilled within an inch of his life. Every other bite of food came with a staunch reminder that his mother was not a young woman and that she needed a grandchild to spoil before she left this planet. She also didn’t hesitate to hint that if he needed to use underhanded tactics to make it happen, she wouldn’t be mad at him.
Her one stipulation was that the child needed to have red hair – Tina’s red hair – so his choices were pretty limited.
How many mother would tell them to seduce someone and knock them up just so she can have a grandchild? Sometimes his mother was a little too modern. For him, the child was not the biggest factor in the equation. Tina was the key. His contentment depended on knowing she was his.
Chapter 12
Tina crossed the threshold of her townhouse and kicked her shoes to the side. Pain shot from the arch of her foot up her legs, the cost of walking in heels every day.
Clothes flew in every direction as Tina marched through her bedroom and into the bathroom and turned the hot water. She jumped in and grabbed her favorite body wash to rinse away the tension and stress, enjoying the water until her skin began to resemble a prune. Toweling off, she padded into the bedroom. Dressing in an oversized t-shirt and panties, she grabbed the remote and slipped under the covers.
