by Jacki Kelly
“You know if you say that too often. it becomes an insult.”
“Huh. I didn’t intend that. I’m mad at myself. I usually notice all attractive women.”
“I’ll make a note of that.” She looked out the window, dismissing him.
Dakota had spunk, and he liked women with spunk.
Chapter Five
Bishop hopped off the elevator in the lobby with a flair of freedom that he hadn’t felt in weeks. He’d nailed it. The project at Harper Enterprise was on target. After multiple meetings, the community center should open on schedule and under budget. Simeon Harper was pleased with Bishop’s work, which meant an extra bonus for his company. More money meant more pleasure. Maybe he’d take a dark haired beauty to Atlantic City for an extended stay.
Playing chauffeur last week had added brownie points to his Harper Enterprise bank. It also turned him on to a hidden treasure right here in Bristol: Dakota Conroy.
He stepped outside into the chilled October air to search the street for his sister. She should have been here to pick him up at three like they’d agreed. He pulled the collar of his suit jacket up to block the wind from his ears and bearded chin.
Tonight he’d celebrate his small victory with his sister and her lazy husband before checking his contact list for someone to warm his bed. Dad would be proud of him. Bishop was wealthy, single, and had a bevy of beautiful women willing to do his bidding.
He spotted his car at the stoplight. From the short distance, he could see Adanna’s large, bright smile. The light changed and she pulled through the intersection and stopped in front of him. She put the car in park and hopped out.
“You drive. You know I hate driving in this congestion.” She slid into the passenger seat and buckled her seat belt before he could comment. He placed his briefcase in the backseat and sat behind the wheel. His sister had only been driving a few months, so he understood her anxiety.
“You and Dennis need to buy your own car. I don’t like being without my wheels,” he said.
“Yeah, we will. But money is tight right now. How did your meeting go?”
He merged into the noonday traffic and tried to keep his face emotionless when he looked at her, but the heavy anxiety reflected in her eyes didn’t warrant teasing.
“Better than I expected. We’re on schedule and under budget. That means the performance factor in the contract kicks in. We’re even working on other projects. It looks like I’ll be spending more time in Bristol.” He checked the rearview mirror before changing lanes.
“That’s great.” She clasped her hands together.“This is a happy day for us.”
“What do you mean us?”
“Don’t tease me, Bishop. You promised if you got the bonus and Dennis finished school, you’d lend us the money to buy the house.”
He nodded. “How is your husband? Is he in school today?”
“He is in the library studying right now. One more month and he’ll finish. Another engineer in the family.”
“Where is the baby?” He lifted his eyebrow. “I hope you didn’t leave him with Dennis while he’s trying to study.”
The bright smile Adanna gave her brother melted his heart. He wanted the very best for his only sister. And if she loved Dennis as much as she professed, he’d do everything he could to help the newlyweds. He’d tried to bury his anger that Dennis had impregnated his sister before he married her. Too bad she didn’t get to have those wild years before settling down. His twenties were spent in a blur of women and parties. And it looked like his thirties would be the same.
“No, silly. DJ is with Dennis’ mother. She wanted to spend some time with him. I’ll pick him up later today.” She paused for a moment. “Sharon showed up at my place today.”
He chomped down on his jaw. “What did she want?”
“You.”
“What did she say?” His tone was stern now.
Adanna huffed and rolled her eyes. “What she always says. ‘Where’s Bishop? Why isn’t he returning my calls?’ She thinks I’m not giving you the messages.”
“Dammit. Sharon knows we’re done. I made that very clear.”
“Evidently not.”
“She hears what she wants to hear. I even changed my cell phone number to get away from that hassling woman. That’s why we’re not together anymore. I’ll talk with her again, and the next time she comes over, don’t answer the door.”
“How about you get me out of the middle of this mess? You know if you had a real girlfriend you wouldn’t have these problems.”
They rode in silence for several minutes. Adanna was stewing about something else and he decided to wait until she was ready to share it.
“Do you think Mom will ever forgive me?” Her voice dropped. Whenever the topic of her hurried marriage came up, she grew sad.
“What does it matter? If you’re happy, that’s what counts. Forgive yourself first, Adanna. Once Dennis gets a good job and can take care of you and DJ, I’m sure Mom and Dad will accept him into the family.”
“Why is she so hard on me? She didn’t say anything to you about your last girlfriend and it was obvious all she wanted was your money. Walking around asking how much everything cost.”
“Mom never met her, and I didn’t keep her around too long. But she was fun while she lasted. Mom knows I’m not thinking about settling down. She expects us boys to act like Dad and sow our wild oats. She just wants us to do it before we’re married. And that’s exactly what I plan to do.”
“Don’t you get lonely?”
“Who has time for that? I have plenty of women friends to keep me company.”
“You need to leave those flashy gold-diggers alone. You need someone who cares about you and not your bank account. I’m sure that’s why Sharon is still lurking around.”
“I’m doing just fine, thank you. I know my choice of women doesn’t meet your standards. I’m not looking to settle down, yet. Give me ten more years.”
“Everything about you shrieks, ‘Come look at all the material stuff I have!’ Until you change that, all you’re going to attract are good-looking women that don’t really care about you.”
“You think I care what women think of me? I just want their company for a while. When I get bored or they become boring, that’s my signal to move on.
Adanna settled back in the seat. “You are turning thirty-three in a few months. I’ll make it my responsibility to find you a wife. Maybe then we can get Mom and Dad to fly in for the wedding.”
“I’ll leave that to you and Dennis, marriage sounds boring to me.”
§§§
Dakota sat at her kitchen table overlooking her small backyard. The leaves from the oak tree fell like rain in a steady pattern, blanketing the yard in a carpet of yellows and reds.
Jennifer couldn’t hold down the bookstore by herself much longer. She was probably staging a mutiny already.
This week felt pretty much like last week, only now she didn’t have to wait on a call from Brian. It wasn’t coming. For the last several days, she’d tried to determine who was the bigger coward, him or her. At least he’d made a move. She’d ignored her feelings hoping something would change, even though she knew nothing would.
The bowl of soggy corn flakes sitting in front of her was about as appealing as the dried leaves in the yard. Sooner or later she’d need to pull herself out of this blue funk and get back to life. She hadn’t stepped foot in the bookstore in a week. Unsure what was most hurtful, the idea that Brian broke up with her, or the way he chose to end their relationship. Her heart felt like it had been hallowed out and filled with rocks. Jennifer must’ve thought she was nuts. Pretty soon, the world would come looking for her.
The phone rang. Instead of bounding for it like she’d done for over a year, expecting Brian to call, she settled back in the chair. The message light had started blinking two days ago, but she refused to check the messages for fear Brian might call. She had no idea what she’d say to him. Thank you for doin
g what I couldn’t. You should have told me, yourself.
“Get up, Dakota. Get up.” She pushed the cereal around the bowl before dumping it into the sink. One large brown glob slid into the drain.
The doorbell rang before she could climb the stairs. She went to the door and leveled her eye against the peep hole. Bishop Contee stood on her stoop, looking damn delicious. She turned away and slid below the viewer.
“Now what?” she whispered as she eased away from the door.
“I hear you by the door, so you can’t pretend you’re not home.” There was laughter in his voice.
Through the door, she responded, “I’m not really dressed for company. What do you want?”
“To see you.”
“Can you come back some other time?”
“I could, but since I’m here and you’re here, we can do this now. I’m not going anywhere until I see you.”
She looked through the hole at him again. With his hands at his side and his eyes covered by dark sunglasses he looked like a special agent. But why was he here? She looked down at her baggy sweatpants, tank top, fluffy pink slippers and moaned.
With a grunt, she opened the door. The trench coat and the suit made him look too serious to be standing at her front door.
“Can I come in?” His deep, sexy voice made saying no impossible.
She stepped aside and allowed him to enter. After she closed the door, she leaned her back against it. His eyes landed on the dinner plate from the night before still parked on the coffee table, and the stack of books cluttering the sofa. She closed her eyes, wishing she could clear the mess with a blink.
“Why are you here?”
“Last week when I dropped you off, you were unhappy. I decided to just check on you. I went by your bookstore yesterday. Your assistant said you weren’t there. This morning when she said the same thing, I thought I’d come here.”
“That’s nice of you.” She rushed to the chair and buried a pair of socks in the cushion. “I’m fine. I just decided to take a little time for me.”
“Do you mind if I sit?” Bishop looked around the room.
“You’re going to be here a while, huh?”
“You don’t mind, do you?” His eyes sparkled with mischief.
She hesitated a moment. A man hadn’t been in her house in over a year. Seeing him in the small confines of her messy living room made her schoolgirl giddy.
“Okay, have a seat.” She moved the books to the table. He sat on the edge of the sofa without taking his eyes off her.
“How are you doing?” He looked her over like he was inspecting a piece of meat.
“Better.” She sat across the room.
“I hope you don’t mind me dropping by.”
“What, just in case I’m suicidal?” She couldn’t help being snippy. Now he cared? He should’ve remembered sitting next to her at the public meeting. It was only a year ago.
“No. That’s not why I came by. You left your scarf in my car and I wanted to return it.” He pulled a huge bright ball from his trench coat pocket and held it out to her.
She reached for her scarf and wrapped the length around her neck. “You could have left it with Simeon’s assistant.”
“I’ve come at a bad time?” He looked around the room.
“Yeah. Let’s go with that.”
“Are you always that outspoken?” He rubbed his hands together while nodding.
“Evidently not. If I had been, I would have freed myself from a bad situation a year ago.”
He lifted an eyebrow.
“My boyfriend broke up with me.”
“I see.” His eyes twinkled and he smiled just a bit. “So that’s the reason for the long face?”
“You’re a quick study.”
“Everything happens for a reason.”
“I’ll remember that.” She shifted in the chair.
“If you need a listening ear, I’m here for you.”
“There isn’t much to say. Nothing interesting, anyway.” She jumped up. “Can I offer you a cup of coffee?”
“No.” He stood. “I have to get to the office. But I’d like to take you to dinner tonight to lift your spirits.”
She looked down at her attire. “Thanks, but no.”
“Maybe another time, then.”
“Yeah, we’ll see.”
At the door, she thanked him again for the scarf and gently closed the door behind him.
The phone rang again. Her stomach knotted. She’d planned a whole speech for Brian, but now the words wouldn’t come together in her head. The sharp edges of anger had dulled, but the thought of talking to him was taxing. She slogged to the counter and picked up the receiver.
“Dakota?” Asa asked.
“Whew! I’m glad it’s you and not—never mind.”
“I’ve called the store. Jennifer said you haven’t been there in days. Are you okay?” The concern in her voice made Dakota wince. The last thing her sister needed was to worry about her.
“I’m fine. Really, I am.”
“What is going on?” Asa stressed each syllable.
“I decided to take a few days off. I needed time to think.”
“Stop lying to me. You love that store. When you need a break, you go sit with the books.”
Dakota put her elbows on the table. “Brian sent me a Dear John tape.”
“What’s that?”
“He broke up with me, Asa. He sent a message for Simeon to play for me. How corny is that?”
“Oh no. When?”
“A few days ago. Don’t start worrying about me. I’m fine. Today is the last day of my pity party.” She almost mentioned Bishop, but decided she was making more of him than necessary. He only offered to take her to dinner, not to meet his mother. “Hey, Asa, would you call me pretty?”
“Okay. Pretty.”
“No, I mean, why do men seem to overlook me? Brian left me twice, once in high school and again this month. I can sit next to a man in a meeting and he never even notices me. For the last year, I’ve been the unmarried maiden and that went out of style at the turn of the century.”
“Look, I’m going to pack up the baby. We should be there shortly.”
“No, Asa. Not today. I’m doing okay. I’m just angry he dumped me so callously and I’m mad at myself for being upset. My stomach churns every time I hear that tape playing in my head.”
“Don’t do that, Dakota. Don’t beat yourself up wondering about things that you can’t get the answers to. Brian is a grown man. He’ll make out just fine,” she paused. “Now, do you want me to come over there and keep you company?”
“No. You’re right. You’re absolutely right. I need to make up for lost time. I’m crawling out of this hole. I bounce back pretty quickly. As a matter of fact, I think it’s time I’ve had some fun. A lot of fun,” she said.
“Tell you what. Come to dinner here tomorrow night. Simeon has invited a few people over. Come join us. You can play with Mia.”
“I won’t promise, but I’ll try. You know Mim used to say my promises were like pie crust—easily broken. So if I don’t show up, don’t hold my absence against me.”
“I will.” Asa laughed and hung up.
Dakota charged up the stairs and dressed in her favorite jeans. At the front door she pulled her coat off the hook, grabbed her backpack, and headed out. Her bright yellow car was parked out front, but she opted to walk the mile to the bookstore. The fresh crisp air could only make her feel better.
She headed to Mulberry Avenue toward the center of town. It was late enough in the morning that rush hour congestion was gone.
The shops along the street were going through a major renovation. Ever since Simeon began building the community center, the store owners had started sprucing up their businesses.
She glanced across the street at the brightly colored trim on several buildings, including the antique shop and the jewelry store. Each one had chosen a different pastel color. The pinks, greens, and yellows m
ade her think of a small southern community. Now was the time to do something to the bookstore. The drab colors of Bookends’ exterior weren’t inviting.
Business had slowed. A makeover might bring her loyal customers back into the store. At least sprucing up the place would give her something to do with the empty hours in her day. The smell of fresh bread drew her into the bakery three doors from the bookstore. Behind the counter was a young girl she didn’t recognize, so instead of chatting, she purchased a dozen glazed donuts and hurried out.
Dakota pushed open the door to the bookstore with her hip. “Good morning, Jennifer,” she greeted her assistant.
Well, it’s about time. If you didn’t show up here today, I was going to bring every book in this store right over to your house.”
“Good morning to you, too,” Dakota teased. “I see I was missed.” She placed the box of donuts on the far end of the counter before removing her coat. “I brought a peace offering. Why don’t you have something sweet? It might help improve your mood.”
“I don’t need help with my mood. What I need is a good night’s sleep. Brownie snored all night. I had to keep jabbing him in the side.” Jennifer complained about her husband every day. She didn’t know how lucky she was to have him to cuddle up with every night.
“Leave that man alone. He works hard. He should be able to sleep any way he wants.” Dakota picked up her backpack and headed to her office. “At least you have someone to cozy up to at night.”
Dakota flopped behind her desk and turned on the computer. Feeling better simply because one of the best looking men she’d seen in months asked her out, was silly. But she couldn’t suppress the bubbly feeling. She wasn’t Bishop’s type, but sitting across a table from him would have been thrilling. Maybe that was the signal she needed to take control of her life.
After placing a few orders, she searched the Internet for renovation ideas. First the store, then herself.
The loud ringing of her personal line interrupted her search.
“Bookends,” she said into the receiver.
“Dakota, its Melissa.” Her sister’s familiar voice came across the line. “I’ve called several times. Did you get any of my messages?”