An Unexpected Love (Women's Fiction/BWWM Romance) (11 page)

Valerie ducked behind the corner when she
saw David and Corrine by the kitchen sink.

Corrine wet a paper towel as she asked
David, “Hasn’t anyone told you not to dance with a drink in your hand?” Then
she began to wipe punch off the front of David’s shirt.

They laughed and Valerie made a fist.
That little bitch.

“There you go.” Corrine finished wiping.
“You’re just as perfect and handsome as ever.”

David stared at Corrine like a lovesick
teenager. “Thank you.”

You
do want to fuck her don’t you?
Valerie dug her
fingernails into her palm.
You bastard.

“You don’t have to thank me.” Corrine
brought her hand down his shirt. “I love this shirt by the way. It looks real
good on you.”

He cleared his throat. “Thanks. And that
dress…” He swallowed. “It looks amazing on you.”

Corrine smiled. “You look like you were
having a lot of fun out there.”

David kept that silly gaze. “Yeah, and
it’s been a while.”

Valerie walked away.
You think you haven’t been having fun now then wait until we get home,
asshole.

****

“I take it you’ve missed me,” Cross said
over the phone.

“’Course I have.” Layla sat on the bed in
her parents’ guestroom with her cellphone. “You always brightened my day.”

“Maybe my news will brighten your night.
I’ve started the process to get released.”

“What?!” She shrieked. “You
mean
it?”

“Yes.” He laughed. “I never would’ve had
the courage to do that without you. I knew it was time, but you pushed me and I
needed that. Anyway, the doctors weren’t gonna let me stay much longer. They
knew what I was up to.”

“That’s great, Cross. Guess what?” She lay
down on the bed. “I’m officially going back to work. I can’t wait to get back
to it.”

“Have you heard from Patrick? Unless he’s
a bigger fool than I think he is, I’m sure he still wants you back.”

“Patrick and I are over for good.” She
leaned up on her elbow. “I’m ready for new beginnings with new people.”

 
“And
a new love?” Her heart fluttered as he continued to woo her. “I can’t wait to
be with you again. We’re gonna have so much fun.”

“I dreamed of you being released.” She
grabbed the pillow. “If I were still at Wellington you wouldn’t have wanted to
leave, would you?”

“After you left, I realized how empty my
life’s been. I want my life back, and I can’t let fear stop me. Whatever
happens, I’ll just have to deal with it.”

She smiled. “
We’ll
just have to deal with it.”

“That’s right.”

She checked her watch. “I gotta go get my
daughters.”

“Is something wrong?” he asked.

She left the room and walked down the
hall. “It will be if they don’t get back here before I leave this house. I’ll
see you.” She hung up and went downstairs.

Just then, Aliyah and Shanti walked
through the front door. Warren stuck his head out the living room. “Where you
two been?”

Layla stood in the hall with her back
erect like a sergeant.

“Hey, Momma.” Shanti kissed Layla’s cheek.
“We’re back. Everything is okay.”

“The hell it is.” Layla crossed her arms.
“What you did tonight is inexcusable. You know you don’t ever go off with boys
I don’t know unless I say it’s okay. Now,
Liyah
—”

Liyah
brushed past Layla. “I gotta go to the bathroom.”

“Wait a minute!” Layla followed her to the
stairs. “
Liyah
, I’m talking to you!”

Liyah
continued
up the stairs, ignoring her mother.

****

“Boy, that was nice, wasn’t it?” David
drove down Westheimer and stopped at a red light. “I’m glad we could get out
and have some fun.”

Valerie tapped her fingers against the
door.

“Yeah uh…” David glanced at her as he cruised
through the green light. “Layla looked good, didn’t she? I mean she always
looks good, but she looked refreshed and…”

Valerie wiggled in the seat with her eyes
straight ahead.

“Okay, what’s wrong?” David asked as he made
a left. “Did I do something?”

“You tell me.”

“How can I tell you, when I don’t know
what the hell you’re talking about?” He rested his hand on the steering wheel.
“Can’t we get through one damn day without arguing?”

“Are we arguing?” She glared at him. “I
haven’t said a damn thing.”

“That’s right.” He jerked up in the seat.
“If you’re pissed, you can at least say why.”

“I don’t know if I wanna even go there
with you tonight.” She took her earrings off. “I’m tired, and maybe I should
restrain myself before I do something I’ll regret.”

“No, don’t restrain.” He motioned to her.
“You got something to say, then say it. It’s never stopped you before.”

“Okay.” She placed her earrings in her
right hand. “I want the truth. If you lie, it’s gonna get ugly.”

He exhaled. “Lord, have mercy.”

 
“First,
do you think I’m stupid, David?” She pinched the bridge of her nose. “How many
times I gotta tell you I’m not?”

“
What
are you talking about?”

“I’m talking about you and that…
my sister
…in
the kitchen. What was that?”

“You’re talking about Corrine?”

“No, I’m talking about Oprah! Yes, I’m
talking about Corrine, fool.”

“Nothing was going on.”

She propped her arm on the armrest. “I
don’t call her standing close to you and rubbing your shirt nothing, David.”

“I was dancing, and I spilled juice on my
shirt.” He pointed to the faded stain. “She took me into the kitchen to wipe it
off. That’s all, Val. She was just being nice.”

“And what were you doing? Besides standing
up there with your tongue hanging out?”

“Just ease up, okay?” He sped up. “I
didn’t do shit, and you can’t say I did.”

“She was all over you, and you weren’t
discouraging her.”

“She was wiping my shirt!” He hit the
steering wheel. “God damn it, Val. This is ridiculous.”

“What’s ridiculous is you thinking I’m
gonna just sit back while you flirt with my sister.”

“I was not flirting with Corrine.
Urgh
!” He huffed and puffed. “I tell you, I don’t know how
much more of this I can take.”

“I better not catch you alone with her
again.”

He looked at her. “Excuse me?”

“Here are the rules...”

“Rules?” He laughed. “Maybe you should’ve
been in Wellington instead of Layla, because you’ve lost it.”

She pinched his ear. “You call this losing
it?!”

“Ow!”

“You wanna see somebody lose it, let me
catch you alone with her again! I mean that, David. I forbid you to see Corrine
unless I’m with you.”

“Are you insane, woman?” He rubbed his
throbbing ear. “You’re giving me rules?”

“You damn right.”

 
“What’s
gotten into you? Why are you so insecure when it comes to Corrine?”

“I don’t trust her for nothing, and you
know that. She always wants what I got. She stole my chance of having a baby.
She’s not getting my husband too.” She moved her seatbelt off her breast. “No
fuckin’ way.”

“I love you.” He patted her thigh.
“Corrine’s no threat to you.”

“Funny.” She pushed his hand off her
thigh. “The way you looked at her and smiled at her tonight makes me think
otherwise.”

“You say she’s jealous of you.” He looked
ahead. “But it’s starting to look the other way around to me.”

Two Weeks Later

“Okay, we need to get this stuff done!” Layla scurried
around the kitchen of Royal Delights. “Come on! You guys need to hurry up. Mrs.
Schmitt’s garden party is at noon.” She scampered past her busy staff. “We
should’ve gotten this stuff on the road twenty minutes ago.” She scribbled on
her clipboard. “For God’s sake…get the lead out…please, Javier.”

“Almost done, ma’am.” The petite, Hispanic man
struggled to get the hors d’oeuvres packaged.

Layla walked through the massive kitchen full of
stainless steel and frantic employees.

“I don’t mean to keep harping on you guys, but this a
big deal. Please, don’t pick today to be late.” She tapped her pencil against
the clipboard. “We need to have the van loaded now. Please!”
 

A pale, skinny redhead rushed up to Layla. “Calm down,
Lay.”

“It’s no calming down.” She flipped through her
clipboard. “This is a very important engagement, and Mrs. Schmitt is a huge client.”

“I know…but…”

“She’s a councilwoman, Ariel. Do you know how many
high-society events this woman goes to on a weekly basis?” Layla snapped her
fingers. “Pick it up, guys! We need to get this stuff on the truck!”

“Okay.” Alan wrapped the cheese and fruit platters.

 
“Lay, listen.”
Ariel tried to take the clipboard. “Please, just settle down.”

“I’m fine.” She faked a smile. “Tre?” She pointed her
pencil to the skinny black guy in the back.

Tre looked up from the cupcakes. “Ma’am?”

 
“Don’t put the
frosting on the cupcakes yet. Must I remind you this is Houston? It’s hot as
hell. The frosting will melt off before the food gets there.”

He stepped away from the cupcakes. “Yes, ma’am.”

“Lay?” Ariel followed her to the back of the kitchen.

“
Alan
.”
Layla moaned. “It takes you this long to wrap up some platters?”

He dipped his head. “I’m almost through.”

“Lay?” Ariel took her hand. “Listen. I think you need
to take it easy.”

“Where’s Jeanne?” Layla rushed to the doorway of the
kitchen. “Jeanne!”

“Ooh.” Ariel covered her ears.

“Jeanne?!” Layla screamed.

A round-faced black woman with a short afro hurried to
them. “Don’t worry, Lay. The ice cream cake is packed and on the truck.” She
gave a thumbs-up. “I got you.” Jeanne flounced away.

 
“Thank God I
can always depend on Jeanne to do what she needs to do.” Layla checked the ice
cream cake off her list. “Let’s go, guys! God damn, Alan, I could’ve wrapped a
hundred of those things in this amount of time.”

“The plastic keeps breaking.” He pulled plastic wrap
from the container. “It’s cheap.”

“Cheap?” Layla put her hand on hip. “Do you know how
much that stuff costs me a month? Hurry up,
please
.”

“Layla?”

“
What
,
Ariel?” Layla swung around and nearly bumped into her. “Sorry.”

“It’s okay.” Ariel touched Layla’s shoulder. “You need
to relax, seriously. Don’t get so worked up. Everything will be fine.” She took
the clipboard. “Let me oversee this, and you go to lunch.”

“Ariel.” Layla’s shoulders dropped. “You don’t have to
treat me like an invalid.”

“I know, but I’m worried, honey. You haven’t been back
that long, and it already seems too much for you.”

“It’s not, trust me.” Layla put her arm around Ariel’s
shoulders. “I might seem overwhelmed or frantic, but I’m happy!” She twirled
around in a circle. “You don’t know how much I missed this place.”

“We missed you too, but I just don’t want you to…”

“Have another breakdown?” Layla tugged on Ariel’s red
locks. “I won’t. I promise.”

Ariel sighed, “You can’t promise that.”

“I’m fine, girl.” Layla took the clipboard back. “I’m
better than I have been in a long time.”

Jeanne walked in. “Layla? There’s a man in your office
to see you. Someone named Cross Evers.”

“Cross?” Layla ran out of the kitchen and down the
hall to her office. She stopped at her door, collected herself, and then went
inside.

Cross turned from the window. “Hey.”

“Cross?” Layla dropped the clipboard on the table and
ran to him. “I didn’t know you were released yet!” She hugged him. “I’m so
happy to see you.”

“Wow.” He laughed. “I expected a warm welcome, but not
this. I’m not complaining though.” He held her waist. “You look wonderful.”

“Me?” She gestured to his crisp slacks and blazer. “I
had no idea you looked so good in a suit. Why are you wearing a suit?”

“I guess I wanted to impress you.”

“You didn’t have to put on a suit to do that.” She
stopped giggling when she realized how silly she must’ve looked. “I feel so
excited. It’s like Christmas.”

He touched her hair. “I hope I brightened your day. I
could barely contain myself getting over here.”

“When did you get out?” She stood at the front of her
desk.

 
“Last night.”

“We talked on the phone for hours yesterday.” She sat
at her desk. “Why didn’t you tell me you were getting out? I would’ve…”

“Come to get me? I know.” He sat down in the chair
across from her desk. “I wanted to surprise you.”

“You did.” She propped her arms on the desk. “I can’t
believe you’re here. It’s so strange to be together outside of Wellington.”

“Yeah.” He snickered. “But it feels good. It feels
right. I’ve never felt this optimistic after being released before, and I know
it’s because of you.”

“You look great.”

She tried to slow her breathing.
God, he looks good in that suit.

“You look like a completely different person than the
one I first met,” he said. “And this place is fantastic. I never realized it
was so big. It doesn’t look that big from the outside.”

“Yep, it’s huge, but I can manage it.”

“I bet you can. I heard you barking orders in there.
You usually ride so hard?”

She giggled with her hand over her mouth. “I’m a
perfectionist, and my job’s one of a few things I have control over.”

“Hopefully I’ll be returning to work soon too. I’m
supposed to talk to the principal next week.”

“I’m sure they’ll love to have you back. I couldn’t
imagine a better teacher than you.” Layla fidgeted and covered her eyes. “I’m
going on like a teenager aren’t I?”

“Yeah, you are.” He leaned forward. “But don’t stop on
my account.”

“I’ve been thinking a lot about you. The phone calls
don’t seem to be enough to stop that.”

“You couldn’t think about me half as much as I think
of you. Every time I close my eyes, I see us dancing that night at the party.”
He closed his eyes. “I actually feel you and smell you.”

 
“It felt good
to be that close to you.” She wiggled her feet under the desk. “It felt safe,
which is something I haven’t felt in a long time. I don’t know if Patrick ever
made me feel that way.”

“Have you heard from him?”

“He calls.” She sat back. “We just talk about the
girls, and that’s it. He’s mad that I won’t go on a date with him, but he’s
gonna have to accept it. What did you do last night after being released?”

“Nothing but go home and go to sleep.”

“Technically tonight would be your first free night,
then.”

He smirked. “I guess so.”

 
“Surely you
want to have some fun. Would you like to go out with me tonight?”

He blushed. “Are you asking me out on a date?”

 
“Does that mean
you’ll accept the invitation?”

His smiled faded. “No.”

 
“No?” She
deflated. “Why not?”

“Because, as a gentleman, I’m supposed to take
you
out.” He walked over to her and
knelt beside her. “Will you go out with me tonight, Layla? I’ve wanted to ask
that question since I first saw you.”

She forced away another giggle. “You didn’t even have
to ask.”

He gave her a gentle peck on the lips. “Pick you up at
seven-thirty.”

She nearly collapsed with anticipation. “Deal.”