A Chance with You

by Yahrah St. John

  “Oh, yes.” Raina picked up her fork and stabbed at her green beans. She was embarrassed at having been caught daydreaming. “It’s delicious.” She put a bite in her mouth.

  He seemed satisfied with her answer and he and Zoe kept talking and laughing as he regaled her with stories of being in the NBA.

  It wasn’t long before they were leaving the restaurant and sliding into their floor seats. Raina was first, followed by Zoe, then Spencer.

  “It’s so big,” Zoe said, her eyes scanning the entire expanse of the arena, trying to take in all the sights.

  Raina was impressed, too. She’d never been to a live basketball game and she was amazed at how big the arena was and how close they were to the players. Their floor seats were directly behind the Miami Falcons team.

  Spencer stepped away for several minutes to talk to some of his old teammates as well as some of his current clients. It gave Raina a few minutes alone with Zoe.

  “Are you having fun, sweetheart?” Raina asked, giving Zoe’s shoulders a gentle squeeze.

  “Oh, Auntie, Spence is the best, isn’t he?” Zoe asked, looking up at her.

  “You really like him a lot, don’t you?”

  Zoe nodded. “I do. I think he’s the best. He’s so fun. It’s kind of like having a dad.” She said it with such ease and then turned away from Raina to focus back on the court.

  All the color drained from Raina’s face when she looked up and saw Spencer had rejoined them. It was clear he’d overheard what Zoe said. He probably felt validated by Zoe’s admission, but Raina was afraid of losing Zoe. She’d promised Alexa that she’d take care of her.

  In that moment, Raina didn’t look at Spencer even though she felt his eyes imploring her to look at him. She had to sort this out. But how? What place should Spencer have in her niece’s life? And, for that matter, in hers? Shouldn’t she be focused on Zoe and getting her through this hard time? Wasn’t that what real mothers did? Was she even entitled to think about her own happiness?

  A cheer came from the crowd as the game had just begun and Miami had scored the first points. Raina rose from her chair and cheered like Zoe and Spencer, but in her heart she was far from happy. She was torn.

  * * *

  “So, did you take my advice?” Ty asked Spencer when they met up at their favorite sports club to shoot some hoops the following day. It was their way to blow off some steam when Ty was in town.

  “Advice?” Spencer acted dumb as he closed the locker and pulled one knee to the bench and laced up his sneakers. He knew what Ty was asking and he’d done the exact opposite of his advice. Not only had he coerced Raina into attending the basketball game, but he’d had Mona arrange to hire Raina’s catering company to help throw a party for his clients at his mansion on Star Island.

  “Oh, so now you’re going to act like you’re hard of hearing?” Ty asked, as he stretched his legs on the floor in preparation for their game. They had a tendency to turn heated given both of their competitive streaks.

  Spencer sighed. “Sort of.”

  “What do you mean, ‘sort of’?” Ty stopped stretching and glared at him. “Did you go to the boards on the woman like you would a basketball game?”

  A frown formed on Spencer’s mouth. “Not that hard.”

  “So you didn’t back off and give her the space she needed to come to you?”

  “Listen, Ty, I couldn’t,” Spencer responded, ready to defend his actions. “I’ve lost too much time with my niece as it is. I have a lot to make up for. So although I didn’t come on too strong with Raina, I did make her see that my presence in Zoe’s life is needed and wanted.”

  “How’s that?”

  “Well, when I invited them both to a Miami Falcons game, I overheard Zoe tell Raina that she liked having me around and that I was kind of like a dad.”

  Ty rose to face Spencer and searched his eyes for the truth. “A dad? Did she use those exact words?”

  “She did.”

  Ty swallowed hard. “Are you sure you’re ready for that, man? I mean, I know you like this woman and you want to get to know your niece, but you’re getting attached pretty quickly to this ready-made family.”

  “Is there something wrong with that?”

  “No.” Ty paused, searching for the right words. “I just think you should be taking things much slower. I mean, you just found out about all of this a few weeks ago and you’re ready to change your whole life.”

  “I know that,” Spencer said. “But Zoe needs a male influence in her life. Are you telling me to keep my distance from her, too?”

  “No, of course not,” Ty replied. “I’m not telling you not to get to know your niece, but you can be that uncle that comes and gets her once a month for a few hours.”

  “That’s not the kind of uncle I want to be. I want to be more hands-on.”

  “Spencer, have I ever steered you wrong?” At Spencer’s smirk, Ty laughed. “Okay, maybe a few times back when we were kids, but this is different. What happens when you’ve had your fill of Raina Martin? What then? Imagine how your niece will feel when you start to make yourself scarce.”

  Spencer couldn’t see himself ever tiring of Raina’s beauty or spunk, but he let Ty continue.

  “Since you want to do something big, something to show you care, set up a trust in Zoe’s name. I bet that would make you feel good. And in the meantime, give your head time to catch up with your heart.”

  Spencer nodded. Ty’s idea about a trust was great, and he’d been mulling it over himself. But he doubted he would be able to keep his distance from the Martin women. Not only did Zoe deserve more, but he hadn’t gotten his fill of her beautiful aunt. “I hear you, man.” Spencer shook Ty’s hand. “Now let’s go play some ball.”

  * * *

  “So, what’s our next event?” Raina asked Summer after they’d decided to go out for lunch to discuss the upcoming months’ catering gigs. The past few weeks, she’d been much too preoccupied with her situation with Spencer and Zoe to focus much on the business, and Summer had been taking up the slack.

  After they’d sat down at the outside café that overlooked the beach, Summer pulled out her iPad to go over Diamonds and Gems Caterings upcoming events. “With the holiday season, reservations have been brisk,” she stated. “I think we might have to hire some additional help. Now that you have Zoe, you can’t put in the long nights you once did.”

  “I’m sorry, Summer,” Raina apologized.

  “It’s not an indictment, Raina,” Summer replied. “None of us could have predicted Alexa would get sick and you would have to care for your niece. I would never fault you for that. All I’m saying is we’ve got a few parties coming up and we’re going to need a few extra hands on deck.”

  A waitress came over to their table. “Can I get you ladies something to drink?”

  “Diet soda for me,” Raina said.

  “Water with lemon.” Summer swished her finger across her tablet to bring up her calendar.

  “I’ll be right back with those drinks,” the waitress said before she left.

  Summer rattled on about all the events she’d scheduled in Raina’s absence. “So, we have the Henderson’s Halloween party the day before Halloween, Allyson Peters’s veteran’s party in two weeks and then the Davis Sports Agency party this weekend.” She bowed her head and waited for the fallout that was about to come.

  Davis Sports Agency? Raina said the words over in her head. Where had she heard the name before? “Davis Sports Agency. Wait a second...” That was Spencer’s company. She focused her stare on her partner and waited for a response.

  Summer was slow to look up, but eventually her dark brown eyes settled on Raina’s. “All right, before you blow your top. Let me explain.”

  “Oh, please do.”

  “Here’s you
r water and diet cola.” The waitress returned with their drinks and set them on the table. “Would you like to order?”

  Raina took her eyes off Summer for the merest of seconds to glance up and say, “I’ll have the Chinese chicken salad.” She handed the waitress the menu.

  “And I’ll have the quinoa and arugula salad,” Summer said.

  Raina frowned at Summer’s healthy choice. Ever since Ryan had gotten on a health-conscious kick, her best friend had stuck to tofu and quinoa in her meals; she was fast becoming not much fun to eat out with.

  “I’ll get those salads right in for you.” Seconds later the waitress was gone and it was just the two of them again.

  “I’m waiting—” Raina pointed to her watch “—for that explanation.”

  “Well...” Summer paused. “When I booked the reservation, it didn’t register that it was Spencer’s company.” She noticed Raina’s brow furrow, but she continued, “His assistant mentioned none of this when she booked. It wasn’t until I received the deposit check to hold the date that I realized Davis Sports Agency meant Spencer Davis.”

  “So why didn’t you cancel?”

  Summer sighed. “That would be unprofessional after I’d accepted.”

  Raina shook her head in disgust. Spencer knew what he was up to when he’d had his assistant approach their catering service. If she backed out now, she would seem childish, like she couldn’t handle being in his company, not to mention that Summer was right. It was bad business to cancel at this late a date. Spencer had painted her into a corner and now they would have cater his event, at his home.

  “Please don’t be upset with me,” Summer pleaded.

  “I’m not upset, Summer,” Raina responded. “How can I be when you’ve been taking care of things for months? It’s not your fault I have a conflict of interest. I’ll just have to make this work.”

  “Are you sure that’s possible?” Summer asked. “After sleeping with the man? I mean you can’t go back to acting as if you’re immune to him.”

  “I sure can,” Raina said emphatically.

  “Why would you want to?” Summer inquired. “You’re free. He’s free. Why not indulge? Just keep it light.”

  “Because...I have Zoe. If things don’t work out between Spencer and me, imagine how awkward it would be between us.”

  “You mean like it is now?” Summer asked. “With you trying to avoid the man you’ve had mad passionate sex with? That’s pretty awkward.”

  “Summer!” Raina was exasperated.

  “I speak the truth and you know it,” she said. “Which is why you’re so irritated with me. If you just allowed yourself to feel what you want instead of stifling your emotions, you’d be better off.”

  “Whatever.”

  The waitress came back with their salads. “Can I get you anything else?”

  “We’re good.” Summer spoke up first.

  Raina wasn’t ready to look in the mirror that Summer was trying to hold up in front of her. She needed to put the feelings that Spencer had stirred up in her back in the closet. There was too much at stake and not just her heart.

  “Are you going to speak to me?” Summer asked. “Or are we going to eat in silence? If so I can take this salad to go and eat it at the shop while I prep.”

  Raina sighed. She could never stay mad at Summer. She appreciated that her best friend spoke her mind while she was usually plagued by self-doubt. “Of course I’m going to talk to you,” she replied. “I may not agree with what you have to say, but you have the right to say it.”

  “How very democratic of you.” Summer reached for her water with lemon and sipped generously.

  “So what are we going to serve Mr. Davis?” Raina asked.

  “You,” Summer said with a straight face.

  Raina nearly choked on her salad and started coughing furiously. Trust Summer to lighten the tension in the air. Funny part about it was, she was probably right. Spencer probably saw her company handling this event as a way to get closer to her. But he was dead wrong. She was more determined than ever to steer clear of him because if she didn’t, Raina feared she would lose her heart.

  Chapter 10

  “We’re not in Kansas anymore,” Summer said when they arrived at Spencer’s mansion, which boasted a four-car garage, on Star Island, where all the rich and famous in Miami lived.

  His home was impressive and his assistant wasted no time telling them the details when she opened the door. “Come in, ladies. I’ve been waiting for you.” Mona ushered them into the foyer that led to an indoor garden and cascading waterfall. “I see you were admiring the exterior. It’s custom handcrafted stone.”

  Raina glanced around. She was used to opulence. This was more understated, yet equally elegant. She glanced up at the leather-clad staircase and forty-foot ceiling that she was sure led to Spencer’s master bedroom and swallowed.

  “This home is ten thousand square feet, has five bedrooms and six and a half baths,” Mona gushed as she gave them a brief tour of the downstairs. They went past some type of lounging room that housed a big mattress on a center concrete block with lots of throw pillows, past a family area complete with a ten-foot screen and bookshelves, past the billiards and movie rooms until they came to another lounging area with all-white leather furniture and a freestanding bar completely stocked with liquor that reached the ceiling and merged with the custom kitchen.

  Raina and Summer both gawked. The kitchen had dark maple cabinets, marble countertops, refrigerators on each side of a built-in wine cooler and two built-in convection ovens. A large island stood in the center with two gas stoves and an extra sink even though there was a double sink against the glass windows that faced the terrace and the infinity pool with a view of the bay. The kitchen was so huge; they could each work a side of the island and never feel cramped.

  Summer bumped her hip and Raina finally said, “It’s lovely, but we’d better get to work.”

  “Let me know if you need anything,” Mona replied.

  “And Mr. Davis?” Raina almost held her breath when she asked.

  Mona smiled warmly. “Oh, don’t you worry, Ms. Martin. I’ll be your main contact for the evening.”

  Raina could only manage a nod and Summer said, “Of course. Thank you for the tour.”

  After she’d gone, Raina finally released the breath she’d been holding. She’d psyched herself out so much about this dinner that her stomach had been in knots all morning. She was sure Spencer had set this event up to get close to her, so why was he hiding behind his assistant? And what was his end game?

  * * *

  Spencer nervously paced the bedroom of his mansion. He’d showered over an hour ago, donned trousers and a royal-blue dress shirt and was ready for the evening to start, but he hadn’t yet left his room.

  Raina and her catering team were downstairs in his kitchen at this very minute preparing for his client appreciation party. He knew he had to play it cool tonight and act like he’d only hired Raina because her company was one of the best in Miami and not because he hoped to spend some precious alone time with the woman who’d thoroughly captivated his attention from the moment he’d seen her standing behind the chef’s table at Allyson Peters’s party.

  He’d made sure Mona was organizing the party, thereby showing Raina that they could share a professional working relationship even though he wanted more. A lot more. The one night he’d spent with Raina had meant more to him than any other experience he’d had with a woman. He hadn’t just been enjoying her body on a primitive level; he’d been connecting with her soul. He felt as if he was coming to understand her and she him.

  But Raina was still shutting him out. Since he’d overheard Zoe at the basketball game saying she wished she had a father, Raina had been even more distant. He’d called several times to just speak to
Zoe, but she either hadn’t picked up or had told him Zoe wasn’t there. She couldn’t avoid him forever. It was high time she faced him and the fact that he wasn’t going anywhere.

  He was hoping he would not have to get attorneys involved, but if she persisted in avoiding him and denying him access to his niece, he was going to have to take drastic measures. Spencer went to his nightstand drawer and grabbed a foil packet and placed it in his pocket.

  After he was sure a sufficient amount of time had passed and a fair number of guests had arrived, Spencer took a deep breath and left the room. Let the party begin.

  * * *

  “Soup’s ready,” Raina called. “We need to hustle and get them plated before they get cold.” She slapped her hands together to get the servers’ attention. “Chop-chop.”

  “I think we all get it,” Summer said as she helped plate the warm mushroom salad she was serving.

  “Sorry,” Raina replied, eyeing her partner.

  Summer came toward her and whispered, “Relax” in Raina’s ear so only she could hear.

  “I’ll try.” Raina was on edge. She hadn’t yet seen the man of the house. He was making himself scarce, which surprised her. She’d thought since he’d gone through the effort of procuring her services that he would be on hand to oversee the event. Far from it. Mona was cracking the whip and making sure everyone from the caterer to the DJ to the photographer was on schedule.

  Raina didn’t know what made her more nervous, that she hadn’t seen Spencer or that she would. She knew he couldn’t be pleased with her. Ever since they’d attended the basketball game, she’d kept her distance and it hadn’t gone unnoticed. Even Zoe had commented yesterday that it had been nearly a week since they’d seen Spence. She’d wondered aloud if he was starting to forget about them when he promised he’d come around more.

  Raina felt terrible for keeping Zoe from him, but she knew she didn’t have time on her side. If she and Spencer didn’t come to a resolution and soon about Zoe, he would take her to court. She just wasn’t sure she could handle Spencer becoming a fixture in her life. Whenever he was around, she felt out of control and acted impulsively. It was like she didn’t have any willpower and knowing he held that kind of power over her really scared her.