“You’re not his girlfriend, and I know for a fact you haven’t slept with him already, so I still have a chance.”
“A chance at what?”
“A chance to win you over. Letting you go was one of the mistakes I made in the past, and I need to talk to Kendrick so he’ll step aside and you and I can focus on each other.”
Momentarily speechless, Jackie stared at him. “Wow. You’re unbelievable. You had your chance.”
“Now Fate has seen fit to give me another one. Kendrick has plans with friends tonight, but I’m going to see him tomorrow. I’ll call you later this week. Is your number still the same?”
Jackie gave him a blank look and didn’t answer.
“Never mind, I know where to find you.”
“I’m not interested, Tyson.”
“I don’t believe you.” His voice dropped lower and his eyes bored into hers. “Not after what we shared. It’s my fault we didn’t stay together, so let me fix it.”
“What’s the point? You’re going back to Atlanta after this visit.”
“Not right now. I finally made a success of myself—found what I was good at. Programming, if you could believe it. I created a piece of software that not only automates the process of creating a business plan, but lets the user know the probability for success based on finances, personality, and market factors. I sold it to a tech company, made a fortune off the initial sales, and was able to negotiate residual payments until I’m sixty-five. I’m extremely well off. Which means although I came here to see Kendrick, I can stay as long as I need to.”
“I can’t.” Jackie shook her head vigorously. She couldn’t fall for his tempting words.
He took her hand, and while she should have pulled away, she didn’t, taking comfort in his warm touch. Fire sparked under her skin, and she almost swooned from his touch.
“Let me talk to Kendrick. If I can convince him to back off, would you give me a chance? Give me three dates. That’s all I’m asking.”
“What if I want to continue seeing Kendrick?”
“You don’t,” Tyson said softly, confidently.
“This is crazy,” Jackie said.
“Crazy would be walking away from each other when there’s still so much chemistry between us. I know you feel it, too. What do you say, Jackie? Give me a shot to correct my mistake?”
Jackie laughed. “You haven’t changed a bit, have you? Whatever you want, you go after with a vengeance. I guess that’s how I knew you didn’t want me.” Saying the words aloud crushed her heart all over again.
“You’re wrong. I almost always go after what I want, but I messed up and didn’t pursue you after that week. One of the biggest regrets of my life.”
He knew all the right words to say, but was he being honest?
Jackie swallowed hard. “Three dates, that’s it?”
“Three dates.”
“All right, you talk a good game. Let’s see what you’re made of.”
A wide grin spread across his luscious lips, and she almost pulled back the words because she wondered what exactly she’d just agreed to.
He stepped closer and planted an unexpected kiss to her cheek.
Startled, Jackie yanked away her hand and stepped back. “You shouldn’t have done that.”
“Sorry,” he said, looking completely unrepentant. “Your skin is still so soft and you smell so good. Can I tell you something?”
“No.”
He bit his bottom lip. “Okay. I’ll keep my nasty thoughts to myself, for now.”
He covered the short distance to the door and let himself out. As he strolled past the glass window, he flashed her a sideways smile. Then he tucked one hand into his pants pocket and continued his leisurely stroll, whistling.
Jackie remained pinned to the floor, dumbfounded for several seconds. Finally, she locked the door and went back to the register to close up.
The man was a heartbreaker, and certainly lacked boundaries. He behaved as if he was in competition with his son, which was a turnoff.
Okay, maybe not a turnoff. Maybe a bit thrilling. Flattering. Exciting, to think that he planned to somehow throw up a roadblock to her relationship with Kendrick because he wanted her for himself. A tiny part of her liked the idea of him pining after her ten years later, regretting that he’d let her go.
After she placed the money, checks, and corresponding receipts in the safe, Jackie picked up her large purse and left the store. On the way to the car, her phone chimed. Not breaking stride, she dug it out from the bottom of the purse and stood beside the car door in the almost empty parking lot, staring at the screen.
Tyson had sent a photo of the two of them hugged up in the jacuzzi, her planting a kiss on his cheek. He was bare-chested and she wore a gold one-piece with a halter-top neckline. She’d taken that photo of them with her phone and texted him a copy.
She looked so happy in the picture, not knowing that a few days later they’d go their separate ways—never to speak again. The message accompanying the photo was simple, and Jackie stared at the words with a lump in her throat.
I never forgot you.
4
“How’s it going?” Tyson asked as he entered Kendrick’s apartment.
Over twenty-four hours had passed and he still had Jackie on the mind—her soft hand, her soft cheek. He couldn’t stop thinking about her. Every time he thought of her, his body hummed with the restraint he’d needed to resist gathering her in his arms and whisking her away to his short-term rental. But he couldn’t do that, not only because of her alleged disinterest, but because first he needed to handle the situation with his son.
“All right,” Kendrick answered, motioning toward his blue and red sofa.
Tyson sat down and crossed his legs. “How was your Fourth?”
“Ate too much. Want anything to drink?” Kendrick called from the kitchen.
“No, I’m good.”
Kendrick’s apartment was simply furnished. There was the sofa Tyson sat on, and across from that a blue armchair with a red pillow and a heavy coffee table between them. The dining area contained a dark wood, polished table and four chairs with a bouquet of artificial yellow flowers in a vase sitting in the middle of it.
A few abstract paintings hung on the walls, but what drew Tyson’s eye was a black and white photo of his four kids—three girls and Kendrick—in a silver frame. Just their faces, all of them looking into the camera. He and his ex had made some pretty-ass kids, but shame filled him. He’d been less than a good father.
He wanted to provide for Tyson, but his son wouldn’t accept any money from him, which was ridiculous.
After selling the software company, Tyson was in a position to provide for all his kids. His daughters had not been as prideful as his son, who proclaimed he wanted to make it on his own, though he regularly accepted money from his mother because he hadn’t worked full-time in months.
Kendrick entered the living room and set a glass of water on the table without a coaster, which irritated Tyson. It wasn’t his house or furniture, so he kept his mouth shut.
Tyson set his ankle on his knee. “I spent the weekend thinking about what I wanted to do while I was here. Tomorrow I plan to go on one of those tours where you hop on and off on the bus. Then I could meet you later for dinner. The next day I could hit the beach. What’s the best beach around here?”
“Ocean Beach is nice. It’s pretty laid-back and they have a lot of restaurants where you could grab a bite to eat. La Jolla is another nice spot with great views, but parking can be a pain in the ass.”
“How about I do my tour tomorrow so I can learn the place, and then you and I go to the beach on Friday? What’s your work schedule like?”
“I’ll have to check and let you know.”
Tyson’s eyes didn’t leave his son’s face. His thick Afro had been pulled back into a huge puff at the back of his head with a rubber band. He only wore black jeans and a white T-shirt, but with his perfectly symmetrical fac
e and smooth ebony skin, he appeared stylish and like the model he aspired to be.
He hadn’t been surprised when Kendrick expressed interest in acting and modeling because people had always remarked on his good looks—friends and strangers alike. In fact, he’d won a pretty toddler contest and acted in a few local commercials as a teen.
“I was thinking about extending my stay so we could spend time together and do some guy stuff, you know? I want to hear about your acting and modeling plans and see if there’s anything I can do to help.”
“You don’t have to do anything. Patrick and Mom are already helping me out.”
Patrick was his stepfather, the man who took over raising him and his sisters when Tyson and his mother divorced.
“I want to do my part.”
“No need. I’m good.” His voice was deadpan. Emotionless.
Tyson sighed internally and changed tactic. “Got any plans this week, other than us going to the beach?”
“I’m going out with Jaclyn this weekend again.”
Tyson rubbed a hand over his bald head. “You really like her a lot?”
“I like her enough. Why?” Kendrick’s eyes narrowed.
Tyson shrugged. “She’s quite a bit older than you, and I’m wondering where you think this relationship is going, especially once you move to New York.”
“So you’re worried about my relationship?” his son asked with quite a bit of skepticism.
“That might be hard to believe, but I am.”
“Just say you want to fuck her, Tyson.”
The accusation exploded in the room, taking him by surprise. The use of his first name no longer fazed him. Kendrick did it just to aggravate him, to make it clear that he didn’t think of him as a father. As if taking his mother’s maiden name at eighteen didn’t make the point enough. The shit hurt like hell.
Tyson dropped his foot to the floor, readying for the tough conversation to come. “What makes you think I want to do that?”
“Because I saw the way you looked at her, and now you’re dancing around the issue. I like her. She likes me. Apparently, you missed your chance ten years ago.”
“Jackie is a professional woman, and you expect her to wait around while you work for peanuts in New York, trying to make it big? Plus, this is a young relationship. You’re not being realistic.”
“Jaclyn and I are gonna talk and figure everything out.”
“You know as well as I do this relationship isn’t going anywhere.”
“Says who? You?” Kendrick lifted his head at a haughty angle. “I’m right, aren’t I? You probably had a thing for her and she never gave you the time of day. How ironic that she’s now my woman.”
Kendrick couldn’t be more wrong. Tyson’s tongue knew every inch of her skin. He’d tasted the sweet nectar of her mouth, inhaled the musky perfume between her thighs, and buried himself between those same thighs as he pumped himself into heaven.
“Have you slept with her?” Tyson asked.
“Planning on it.” He was almost gloating at this point.
Tyson released the tension in his shoulders. “Listen to me, son. I have a proposition for you. We both know you’re not in love with her, so let me help you out in New York. I’ll set you up in an apartment if you walk away from her now.”
Kendrick stared him. “Bribing me. Huh. You really want her bad, don’t you? You…” His eyes widened and he shot to his feet. “Hold up! Did something happen between you and Jaclyn? Did you…?”
Tyson rose slowly to his feet. This was not the way he’d wanted to divulge that he’d had a prior relationship with her. In fact, he’d hoped he could keep that a secret while at the same time helping Kendrick.
“Listen—”
“You slept with my girlfriend?” Kendrick demanded, his entire body tense and his face darkening with jealous anger.
“She wasn’t your girlfriend back then.”
“Were either of you going to tell me?” Kendrick asked.
“At some point I would have mentioned it, but I was hoping I didn’t have to right now because of…well, because of our fragile relationship.”
“This is unreal,” Kendrick muttered, walking toward the sliding glass doors and staring out at the night.
Tyson knew how he felt because he had experienced the same disbelief when he saw them together.
Kendrick swung around. “Why’d you come here tonight? To gloat?”
“Like you just did? Hell, no. I do want to spend time with you, but I can’t deny that I’m interested in getting back together with Jackie. I figured—well, I figured we could kill two birds with one stone.”
“Get me out of the way and off to New York and then get her back.”
“Something like that,” Tyson admitted.
“I can’t believe you just admitted that!” Kendrick exclaimed.
“I don’t see any reason to lie. What would be the point, especially since I’m trying to re-establish a relationship with you. You’re my son, and although I’ve repaired my relationship with your sisters, I can’t get through to you. You won’t let me get close. Coming out here to see you was me taking a chance. I know you think I’m not shit because I wasn’t there when you were growing up. I’ve told you a million times that I’m sorry. Let me show you that I’m a different man than I used to be.”
“I have a father. The man who raised me.”
Those words jabbed his heart like a dagger, but he refused to give up. “I’m not trying to replace the man who’s been a father to you. I’m trying to carve out a little space in your life for me.”
Kendrick shoved his hands into his pockets and studied his father for a while. Tyson didn’t speak, allowing him the opportunity to work out whatever he needed to work out in his head.
“This thing with Jaclyn is hella awkward,” he said.
Tyson nodded his agreement. “I think we can work through that.”
“You’ll really pay for me to go to New York?” Kendrick asked.
“As soon as you’re ready.”
“I’ll be ready as soon as you confirm you’ll pay to transport my car to New York and cover my rent for a year, too.”
“Done.”
His eyebrows shot higher. “You really like her.”
“I do.” In fact, she was the one who got away, and he meant that with his whole heart. He’d have work to do convincing Jackie he’d wanted her when they first met and wanted her even more now.
“Okay. You have a deal,” Kendrick said, though he sounded suspicious.
Relief washed over Tyson. “Wonderful. Now what about you and me? Our relationship.”
“I don’t know, man,” Kendrick said with a shake of his head.
Tyson stepped closer. “Give me a week, that’s all I’m asking. Let’s spend time together before you leave for New York—time that we haven’t been able to spend together because of me. I’m only asking for an hour or two here and there, and if you still believe that I’m not worthy of being in your life…” He swallowed. The pain of losing his kid when he was so close to having a real relationship with him was almost too much to imagine. “I’ll leave you alone, and I won’t try any more. If we do have a relationship in the future, I’ll leave it up to you to reach out.”
Kendrick’s lips tightened. “You’ll put in the time? You promise?”
The faint tremble in his voice, the vulnerable way he asked the question, tightened Tyson’s chest with remorse. He’d done serious damage, but he was determined to change his son’s mind. “I promise.”
5
Tyson climbed into the gold two-seater rental and started the engine. Thankfully, he’d made progress with Kendrick. His son hadn’t completely forgiven him, but spending time together would hopefully lead to a new, healthy relationship.
As he pulled out of the apartment parking lot, he dialed his ex-wife’s number.
“Hey, stranger. Haven’t heard from you in a while,” Yvonne said by way of greeting.
“It hasn�
��t been that long.”
“You were supposed to call me in Texas.”
On the way to San Diego, he had stopped in Texas for a few days to spend time with an old friend. His flight here had arrived in the afternoon, at which point he checked into a hotel and called Kendrick.
“I forgot. You know I have shit for brains. Anyway, how are you doing?”
Post-divorce, they’d become best friends. During the course of their marriage, they both realized that they shouldn’t have gotten married in the first place. But even after that realization, it had been hard to walk away from the security blanket their life together had become. Financially, they had needed each other as well. But they were both seeing other people without actually coming right out and saying they were, and they finally divorced when Yvonne admitted she had fallen in love with Patrick, the man she was married to now.
Yvonne yawned. “Doing fine. Long day, but I have my mandatory glass of wine before I go to bed.”
“Uh-oh, you’ll be sleeping real good in a little bit.”
Yvonne giggled. “I sure will.”
“Where’s Patrick?”
“Already asleep. The early morning shift is kicking his butt. I’ll be glad when he goes back to his regular schedule so he can keep me company at night.”
“They still got him going in at the crack of dawn?”
“Yes, unfortunately. He’s the only warehouse supervisor they can depend on, so they’re going to keep him on that schedule until they get that shift straightened out.”
“I won’t keep you since you got your sleeping-pill-in-a-glass already. I just wanted to let you know that I left Kendrick’s a few minutes ago, and we had a good talk. I feel like we finally turned the corner. You were right, I needed to come out here and see him in person.”
“When am I ever wrong?”
He laughed, slowing to a stop at a traffic light. “Never.”
“Thank you.”
“One more thing, I’m paying for his trip to New York and setting him up in an apartment.”
“Whoa, you two had a great talk.”
Seasoned Page 21