WG2E All-For-Indies Anthologies: Viva La Valentine Edition (7 page)

• • •

Mac and Jan’s next date, a bon voyage party
for Kathy and Verna’s trip to Africa, took place on her turf and
was Mac’s first chance to meet her daughters. Verna’s husband, Ron
had requested the guests all wear something Afrocentric and asked
Jan to prepare authentic African dishes for the menu.

Mac arrived at Verna’s and found Jan in the
kitchen attending to last minute details. “Can I interrupt you for
a minute?” he asked from the doorway where he stood giving her an
approving once over. “Turn around. Let me look at you.” His voice
was low and purposefully seductive.

She obliged, spun in a slow circle and
modeled her backless dress made of authentic mudcloth.

“You look…incredible.”

The underlying sensuality of his words
captivated her. “Thank you. So do you,” Jan admired the black tunic
and pants trimmed with gold braid he wore with one of those round
cloth hats to match. “I love your outfit. It makes you look very
kingly
, if that’s a word. I’m finished in here. Come on. I
want to introduce you to my friends.”

He placed his hand on her bare back and
maneuvered her through the crowded family room. She introduced him
to Verna and Noreen then he excused himself to talk with Ron.

“Now see, that’s what I’m talking about.”
Noreen bestowed her approval. “That brother is USDA Grade A Prime.
I didn’t know you had such good taste.”

Jan grinned still finding it hard to believe
she was actually involved with a man that even nitpicky Noreen
considered spectacular. “Neither did I.”

Mac returned from his conversation with Ron
and found seats in a corner where we chatted until Bobbi and Val
arrived and found Jan among the guests.

“I’m glad you came. You’d better get a plate
now if you’re hungry before everything disappears. Make sure you
try the chicken. I put my best hand on that. We’ll save your
seats.”

When she said “we,” Val give Mac a visual
once-over and whispered something to her sister before they headed
to the buffet table. Jan figured it was time to warn him about her
youngest. “Before they get back, I wanted you to know that Valerie
still hasn’t gotten over my divorcing her father. So if she doesn’t
want to be your best friend, don’t be surprised. It’s not
personal.”

“Yeah. I caught that look she just gave me.
Don’t worry, I’m not touchy.”

The girls came back with full plates. “Well,
Mom, are you going to introduce us?” Bobbi asked, being her typical
good-natured self.

“Sure. I just wanted to make sure you got
some food first.” She turned to Mac. “These are my daughters,
Valerie and Roberta. This is Mac Sinclair.”

Bobbi reached out, offering a friendly
handshake. Val simply mumbled, “Hi.”

Mac stared at Bobbi for a moment. “Wow, you
look just like your mother. I thought I was seeing double for a
minute.”

“I wish,” Bobbi said cheerfully.

Val grunted and rolled her eyes toward the
ceiling. “Oh, please.”

“Val, did you see Kwame when you came in?”
Jan asked, referring to Kathy’s son and quickly changing the
subject. “He said he wanted to talk to you when you got here. It
might have something to do with school. He’s trying to get into
Georgia State for the winter semester.”

“No I didn’t see him yet. He’s coming to
State?”

“That’s one of the schools he’s interested
in,” Mac answered. “He’s also considering Morehouse and Emory.”

“How would
you
know?” Val asked in a
rude tone.

Mac graciously overlooked her disposition.
“Ron Scott and I talked with him earlier this week. We’re trying to
help him get an internship.”

“Oh, so ours isn’t the only family you’re
meddling with?” She gave him a surly stare.

Mortified, Jan sprang from her seat and
grabbed Val by the arm, dragged her toward the foyer then backed
her into an unoccupied corner. “Valerie, I’m so ashamed of you!”
Jan hissed through clenched teeth, her head throbbing with anger.
“I did
not
raise you to be disrespectful. You’re going back
in there right now and apologize to him.”

“When you made your big announcement, you
conveniently left out the fact that he’s young enough to be your
son,” Val snapped in defiance. “How old is he?”

“That’s an exaggeration, and you know it,”
Jan lambasted her, trying to keep her voice down. “I don’t have to
justify myself to you. I am your mother, not one of your
girlfriends.”

Bobbi came up behind them. “That was real
ugly, Val.”

“So it’s all right with you that Mommy’s
running around with some –”

“Some what – good-looking, sexy, young man?
Yes, as a matter of fact, it
is
all right with me. Why can’t
you just be happy for her and stop acting like a brat?”

“Come on, Bobbi. Be real. What could he want
with
her
?”

A wave of shock slapped Jan, and hot tears
welled in her eyes.

Bobbi took a napkin from the table and put it
into her mother’s hand. “Val didn’t mean that, Mom. She’s just
being ignorant.”

“Valerie, get in there and apologize – now!”
Jan dabbed at her eyes.

“Oh, all right,” Valerie sputtered. “Why
didn’t you at least warn us about his age?”

Jan’s fists clenched were so tightly her
fingernails dug into her palms. “Because it was none of your
business. Now move!” She and Bobbi followed Val’s reluctant walk
back across the family room.

“Mr. Sinclair,” Val began, avoiding direct
eye contact once she reached him. “I’m sorry for the way I acted
before. It wasn’t right.”

Mac motioned for her to sit. “Valerie, I
can’t say I know how you feel, because I don’t. I’m sure you love
your father, and I’m not trying to meddle with your family. But I
do care for your mother very much. Even though you probably don’t
see her this way, you have to understand that she’s an attractive,
appealing woman. And to be honest with you, we were drawn to each
other from the very first night we met. Granted, I may not be
exactly what you expected, but if you give me a chance, I can grow
on you.” He grinned.

“Did she tell you how old she is?”

“I never asked, but I knew she had
college-aged kids. It wasn’t hard to do the math. Your mom isn’t as
old as you seem to think she is. Lighten up on her, okay?”

Val managed a slight smile. “I’ll try.”

Satisfied with her apology, Jan left to check
the buffet table. Bobbi, a natural peacemaker, went to locate Kwame
and asked him to take Val off their hands for a while.

“Bobbi just told us what happened. Verna
said, resting a comforting hand on Jan’s shoulder as Jan spooned
more chicken into a chafing dish. “Are you okay?”

“I’m so mad at that child I could explode.
She’s never acted that way to –”

Ron’s call for everyone to join him in the
living room where he’d made space for dancing interrupted them. Jan
tried hard to pretend she didn’t feel Val’s burning gaze while she
and Mac danced to the African-inspired music, especially at the end
of the song when he kissed her neck. Thankfully neither of her
girls saw when he drew her into a corner, traced the outline of her
lips with his tongue then moved into an urgent, exploratory kiss
that left her body vibrating.

Before the night was over, Mac asked her to
join him at a client’s dinner party the following evening, but Jan
begged off. “The way I’ve been running the past few days, I was
really looking forward to a quiet evening at home. Why don’t you
come over to my house on Sunday afternoon? We could watch a movie
and kill the rest of the party leftovers.”

“Sounds like a plan. Do you want me to bring
anything?”

“Just your handsome self. That’s all.”

Chapter Three

Completely enamored by Mac’s attention, Jan
lived from one date to the next. After a frantic week, she could
hardly wait to see him on Sunday. She reveled in his attention,
which did wonders at erasing the soul-destroying years of Robert’s
disregard. In addition to the fact that Mac treated her as if she
were the only woman on the planet, the envying looks she received
from other women always sent her confidence soaring. They never
failed to give her a wicked sense of satisfaction. Mac loved that
she had her own business and made her own money, even though he
always insisted on paying for everything when we went out together.
Unlike Robert, her independence didn’t threaten him. If Mac had an
ulterior motive in choosing her, Jan couldn’t imagine what it was,
since she wasn’t a wealthy divorcee or a cougar on the prowl. Still
Valerie’s qualms about her new relationship constantly echoed in
her head. Was she being foolish?

Their low-key evening consisted of devouring
the party leftovers and watching Dwayne Johnson’s latest action
flick. When it ended, Jan put on some music, and they moved to the
kitchen where she prepared the coffeemaker and took two of her
special mugs from the cabinet.

“Those are unusual coffee cups.” Mac took the
modern design ceramic mug from her hand and gave it a 360-degree
turn so he could examine it from all sides. “Where’d you find
them?”

“On a gourmet foods web site. Different
aren’t they?”

“I have a weakness for classy, unusual
things. I guess that’s why I’m so attracted to you.” His gaze
locked with hers, and she felt as if she’d stuck her finger into an
electrical outlet. “You’re an incredible woman, Jan.”

“You’re pretty incredible yourself.”

“So, what am I going to do with you?” He ran
a finger from her earlobe down her neck to the lacy trim of her bra
peeking out above the edge of the tank top she wore.

Jan’s breath quickened. “I don’t know. You
tell me.”

Mac lifted her chin with one finger. “All I
could think about since Friday was being with you tonight.” He
kissed a trail down her neck and nipped her collarbone with his
teeth.

Jan grabbed the table edge to steady her
desire-weakened legs. Never in her life had she experienced such a
head spinning sensation, and she shivered at the power of her own
driving need.

“I want to make love to you, Jan.” Mac’s
breath was warm and moist against her face. “I want to know what
it’s like to touch you, taste you and to be inside you.”

Engulfed by overpowering need, without a word
she took his hand and pulled him down the hall to her bedroom.

Mac’s slow, intentional foreplay confirmed
how much he wanted to please her. The ecstasy she had been denied
for so long welled up inside, and she willingly surrendered to his
masterful seduction. Passionate yet controlled, Mac took his time
and brought her to an awesome, shuddering conclusion. A dam deep
inside her burst, and the river it restrained overflowed its banks
carrying her along on a dizzying rhythmic wave. Only after she
exploded with screams of delight did he allow himself to climax.
They lay in each other’s arms until he was ready again and replayed
the whole delicious scene. Jan fell asleep recalling how her desire
had gradually disappeared from years of utterly predictable sex
with Robert. Their bedroom interludes had been – quick, silent and
devoid of fervor. Now she was afraid Mac might just have awakened a
fire inside her that couldn’t be quenched.

• • •

For the next three months Mac kept hinting at
a special evening he’d had in mind but wouldn’t give Jan any
details. When the night he’d chosen finally arrived, the only
instruction he gave was for her to get dressed up. She opened the
door to greet him feeling confident and sexy in a cleavage
revealing little black dress.

“Umm.” His gaze ran the length of her body.
“You look wonderful. I planned this to be a special night, and I
want you to enjoy yourself.”

“I’m all yours.”

The drive took about ninety minutes, and she
had no clue of their destination until he took the exit off I-85
that said Lake Lanier. The restaurant he’d chosen overlooked the
lake and had a sophisticated atmosphere uncommon for somewhere so
far from the city.

After a superb lobster dinner, the waiter
asked, “Would you care to see the dessert menu?”

“No thanks. Mac answered casually. I have
dessert waiting for her somewhere else.” He paid the check and
whisked Jan back to the car.

“Where are we going now, O Mysterious
One?”

“To the marina. We have the use of one of my
client’s boats for the evening.”

This unpredictable man had surprised her once
again. Jan had never been on a private boat, and the location of
the impressive vessel was quiet and serene.

“Make yourself comfortable,” he said once
they entered the salon. “I’m going to put on some music and make
coffee.” He disappeared into the galley.

This must be one of the perks of the job he
mentioned the night we met. Not bad. Not bad at all.

She took in the luxurious surroundings and
waited for him to return. Dessert dishes and coffee cups were
already on the table, and she wondered when he’d put them there.
Mac eventually emerged from the galley carrying a carafe of freshly
brewed coffee and a small tray of fancy pastries. He filled their
cups and sat beside her.

“I’ve been planning this evening for a while,
and I wanted it to be special.”

She kept her gaze on the intensity I his eyes
as he spoke. Something in his tone was different tonight, almost as
if he were nervous. Trepidation wasn’t a trait she’d seen in him
before.

“Jan,” he began, speaking softly. “You’re
beautiful, smart, sexy and independent, the kind of woman I’ve
always imagined by my side. We only been together for a few months,
but I know I don’t ever want to lose you.” He reached into his
shirt pocket and pulled out a small velvet pouch.

Her breath hitched when she lowered her gaze
to his fingers as they loosened the drawstring and produced a
brilliant princess-cut diamond ring, and he gently slid it onto her
finger. “The more I think about it, the less I can imagine my life
without you. Will you marry me, Jan?”