by Jacki Kelly
“I see.” He scratched his chin.
“You don’t have a problem with that, do you?” She searched his eyes. “For a playboy like you, I thought that would be right up your alley.”
Under different circumstances, he would have grinned like he’d hit the lottery. But the tingle along his spine warned him this might not be good news. He was used to setting the guidelines for the relationship. Taking direction from someone else made him uneasy. He tried to swallow coffee past the lump in his throat. “No problem at all.” Whatever was going on, they’d work something out.
Chapter Eight
Dakota watched Bishop’s face cloud over. He took several sips of coffee without looking at her. Her casual attitude should have made him do cartwheels. Isn’t that what players always wanted to hear? Sex without the shackles of relationships and meeting the parents?
His eyes raked over her. Coming from a man used to dating a different girl every day of the week, the treatment made her giddy.
“I think I have enough to get started. Let me put some designs together and get back with you.” He put his cup down.
The urge to touch his face surged through her veins. Maybe she hadn’t satisfied her need for human touch yet because all she could envision was running her fingers through his beard and making him purr with pleasure. Maybe her loneliness was playing tricks on her.
She wondered what demons chased him. Why he refused to settle down. She pushed the thought away. Her job wasn’t to fix him or hold him up while he found his way. If they could have fun together, that was enough. That was all she wanted for now. His vow to stay uncommitted indicated something or someone had screwed with his head, but she didn’t want to be his counselor. Let some other woman rub his shoulders while he poured out his heart. She wasn’t playing that role anymore, for anyone.
He shifted his weight. She looked around the shop hoping to find something else to show him.
A quick glance at his watch and he announced, “It’s almost lunch time. How about we grab a sandwich at the shop down the street? We can talk through some of your suggestions.”
Thrilled by the invitation to spend more time with him her heart raced. “Let me get my bag.” She started toward her office, suppressing a squeal.
“You won’t need it. I’m paying.” He picked up his jacket and placed his hand on her elbow, guiding her to the front of the store. The heady surge of heat from his touch made her heart race. She didn’t want to expect too much—this was only a game with him. Pretty soon he’d move on to some other woman waiting in the queue.
“You bought the coffee the other day,” she protested. Keeping things simple between them was best.
“Dakota, let me clear the air. Any time I go out with a woman, I’m paying. That’s just my nature.”
She grabbed her coat from the hook and fastened the buttons without taking her eyes off him. “Are we going out?”
He opened the door to the bookstore. “We’re going out.”
“Oh, that was real cute.” She swatted at him and missed on purpose. Just being with him for a few days made up for the year she’d wasted with Brian.
They walked down the block in silence. She tried to find some warmth in her jacket, but the wind cut through her like she was wearing cotton. She shivered.
“Are you cold? “
“I’d pull out mittens but I might look silly since it’s only October.”
He opened the door to the small deli, the heat enveloping them as they stepped inside. Her shoulders relaxed as her temperature neared normal.
At the counter, she ordered tuna on rye.
“I’ll have the same. If it’s good enough for her, it must be delicious.” He paid for their order and then turned to her. “Letting me pay wasn’t so bad. See you didn’t have a spasm.” He stuffed his wallet back into his pocket.
She wrinkled her nose. “If I never get to treat you, I imagine things between us will get boring after a while.”
“You treated me this weekend. I ate all your hummus.” He kissed her cheek. “And I’m never boring.”
“I can vouch for that.”
They took their seats.
She believed him. Every conversation they had still resided in her head. This morning she’d recalled bits and pieces to keep them fresh in her mind.
Their number was called and Bishop sauntered to the counter to pick up their order. With the tray positioned between them, she reached for her sandwich and chips. He took a bite from his sandwich. “You own a bookstore, what do you like to read?”
“Everything. But I really enjoy—” Heat rose in her cheeks.
“You’re blushing. What do you read? Those sexy books?”
“No, but most people think I’m nuts. I like to read historical love letters.”
“What is that?”
“Famous letters, like the ones Napoleon wrote to Josephine and Churchill wrote to his wife, Clementine. I like them all, historical and fictional ones.”
He tilted his head. His eyes adopted a faraway look. Was he thinking she was a nut, or some old maid who filled her time with someone else’s life?
“That’s interesting. You’ll have to read to me one day.”
“Why, so you can laugh at me?”
“I don’t think I’d ever laugh at you.” Something in his eyes invited her in. There was a warm glint that allowed her to feel okay about her ridiculous passion.
“Do you wear suits every day?”
“Not every day. Seldom on Saturday, and only for church on Sunday.” He smiled…or maybe it was a smirk.
She laughed. “You know what I mean. Every time I’ve seen you, you’ve had on a suit. Do you own any jeans or khakis? How about a pair of shorts?”
“Do you want to see my legs again?”
She lowered her head. “I was only asking a question. Not making a come on.”
“I like when you flirt with me.” He lifted an eyebrow. “Since the weather is a little cold for shorts, I promise I’ll sport a pair just for you in April, or whenever the temperature starts to warm again.”
She bit her sandwich. The idea that he might still be around in the spring warmed her soul. Under the table, she tapped her foot with joy.
“Okay, you’ve got yourself a date,” She tamped down her joy. No use letting him see too much. If he’d knew he just made a mini commitment he’d probably tear out of the coffee shop.
“I was thinking about a date a lot sooner than the spring. Like maybe this weekend.”
“This weekend?” She hesitated. He was asking exactly what she wanted, but what she least expected. “What, another weekend sequestered in my house?” Her heart pounded while she waited for his answer. Did he think she was a sex toy, not to be seen in public?
“Actually, I was thinking about something not quite as strenuous. There is a concert in Philly. I’d like to take you. You like music, don’t you?”
A date.
A real date.
She sat back in her chair with her hands folded in her lap. Going out with Bishop would be fun, but not practical. The only thing they had in common was the ability to burn up the sheets. The weekend had been a fun expedition and a marvelous way to shake loose the cobwebs off her life, but she couldn’t push a weekend beyond that. In the deep curve of his smile resided disappointment. And if she pushed too hard something bad was bound to happen.
“I think I do. Of course I do. It’s just that…that…”
“You’ve got something else planned?” Bishop leaned closer to her, his tone was flat and there was disappointment in his eyes.
“I can’t this weekend. Maybe another time.”
“So what’s going on between us, Dakota?” He leaned across the table, his nose almost touching hers.
“Nothing yet.”
“What about our weekend? Do you want me to pretend nothing happen?”
She balled up the paper her sandwich was wrapped in and pushed away from the table. “I better get back to the store.”
He hopped up, taking their trash to the depository in the corner. “I’ll give you a call tomorrow to discuss designs.”
Outside, he gave her an informal embrace. His beard rubbed across her chin. The gesture was too stiff for people who had just shared each other with the wild abandonment of rabbits. She couldn’t answer his question. It was just supposed to be fun, a bridge between Brian and her new world. But the feeling in her gut told her what they shared was more than a rumble in the sheets.
She didn’t want to let go of him. The mournful nagging in the pit of her stomach made her drop her arms. If he intended to dismiss her, she didn’t need to see the look in his eyes. If she learned nothing else in the last year, she’d learned to expect nothing, and save herself the heartache.
As he walked to his car, she eyed his strong shoulders. Even in his custom-made suit, she could see his strength. He gave her a quick wave before getting in his car.
She clenched her fist and headed back to the bookstore. “Idiot. You should have said ‘yes’,” she said under her breath.
Chapter Nine
If two days of pure fantasy proved anything, it proved her head was hard and her heart was soft. She wanted Bishop Contee like Juliet wanted Romeo. She wanted him to be her soul mate, if she believed in such things. But, she refused to be so gullible the next time around. Love like that only existed in the pages of the love letters she read, not in real life. She tightened her light jacket around her neck as she made her way down the street. Maybe she should wait a few months or years before even considering dating again to make sure she knew what she wanted. Or what she didn’t want. Bishop wasn’t the one. He actually said so himself. His little speech about staying unattached was like a warning flare. She wouldn’t be foolish enough again to think she could turn a man around or make him want something he was hell bent on getting away from.
“What was that all about?” Jennifer asked as she walked into the bookstore.
“I’m thinking of re-doing the shop. The place needs a facelift, don’t you think?”
“You know what I’m talking about. The way you were going on and on with that guy. I could tell it didn’t have nothing to do with the shop. What about Brian?”
“He’s history.” Dakota hung her coat on the hook.
“I’m glad you finally recognized that.” Jennifer stuffed a twenty-dollar bill under the register tray and slammed the drawer.
“You’re saying you knew?” Dakota’s chest constricted.
“Honey, when a man leaves his woman for a year and Uncle Sam didn’t make him, the relationship is over,” Jennifer clucked her tongue like a mother schooling a child.
“So, am I the laughing stock of the town?”
“No. Most people assumed you two broke up and that’s why he left. The rest of us think you’re just too nice.”
“I see.” She paused. “Anyway, Bishop is going to work on the store. Nothing more.” She made her way to her office and closed the door. So much had happened in the last two weeks she couldn’t keep everything straight. In her chair, she turned on the computer and found the pictures she had been saving, the plans for the party she’d expected to throw for Brian upon his return. She deleted them one at a time, banging the computer key with almost enough force to break the keyboard. Then she picked up the phone and dialed Harper Enterprise.
“Catherine, this is Dakota Conroy. I need to get in touch with Bishop…Bishop Contee. Can you put me through to his office, please?”
“Sure, Dakota. Hold on a moment.”
The connection took longer than she expected. She almost hung up while waiting for him to come on the line. She inhaled a deep breath and forced herself to wait for him.
“Dakota, what can I do for you?” His bass voice jolted her, it sounded much deeper over the phone.
“Thank you for taking my call. I know…I…it’s…I mean…” She gathered her courage. “Is that invitation to the concert still open?”
“Yes, of course.”
“I’d like to go.” The line went quiet for several moments.
“Wonderful. I’d like nothing better.” He sounded happy. “Do you want to know who we’re going to see?”
“No. I just need to get out and have a good time.”
“Didn’t you enjoy last weekend?”
“Yes, of course I did. But I need to get out, in the world.” She stopped. “Wait, that didn’t sound the way I meant. I mean I want to go out with you and I’d be happy to see anyone.”
“It’s a jazz concert at the Keswick. Several artists.” If he talked to her all night, she didn’t care who they went to see. She’d just listen to the musical sound of his voice.
“I’ll pick you up on Saturday at seven.”
“I’ll be ready. Oh, and Bishop, can I get your number? I don’t want to have to call the assistant if I need to talk with you.”
“Then you intend to call me again? I hope you won’t call to cancel.”
She chuckled. He made her laugh at the silliest things. “I won’t cancel.”
After he gave her his phone number, she hung up feeling like she had just taken a ride on a roller coaster.
§§§
Bishop placed the phone on the receiver and listened to the sound his beard made as he rubbed his hand across his chin. He hadn’t expected that call. She seemed so emphatic with her refusal. Maybe that’s what drew him to Dakota — her unpredictability. The way she laughed at the simplest things or the way she tilted her head when she was giving something serious thought. She was refreshing, different from all the cookie-cutter women he’d dated. Instead of all the primping, preening, and eyeing of his wallet, she didn’t seem the least bit interested in his status or his bank account. She was happier with her VW Beetle, hummus and chips, instead of luxury cars and prime rib. A sense of satisfaction washed over him.
Simeon tapped on the half-open door and stepped into his office. Without waiting to be asked, he took the seat next to the desk and planted his foot on his knee.
“I didn’t get a chance to formally thank you for taking my sister-in-law home.” Simeon said.
“No problem. Glad I could help.”
“Dakota mentioned you might help her with the renovations at her store. I like that idea.” He nodded with approval.
“I’m working on some ideas.” Bishop reached for his tablet.
“You’ve been to the store already?” Simeon sounded surprised.
“This morning. She wants to get started right away. That’s not a problem, is it?”
He waited a moment before replying. “I…I don’t guess so. But she’s going through some things right now and I just hope she’s not being impulsive. Take it slow. She might change her mind in a few weeks and want something totally different.” Simeon stood and leaned against the file cabinet. “How’s everything else going? Have you had a chance to talk with Asa about the fashion show set? The date is approaching fast.”
“I’ll contact her today.”
After they discussed his other projects, Simeon exited his office. Bishop twirled his pen through his fingers as he contemplated Simeon’s words. Was their conversation strictly regarding Dakota’s bookstore or was Simeon also talking about her personal life?
Bishop dropped the pen on the desk. No matter what, he’d take it slow, handle her with special care, until he was sure she was ready. If she only wanted a fling, he was willing to play along, but the thought made his stomach constrict.
His phone rang. He yanked the receiver up hoping Dakota was calling again.
“Bishop, how’s it going?” His sister’s cheerful voice came across the line.
“Adanna, what’s up?”
“I know you’re real busy, but Dennis is running late tonight and I need to go to the store. We’re out of formula. Can you take me before you head to Philly, can you take me?”
“Sure, no problem. If you give me your list, I can just pick up stuff for you.” He poised his pen, ready to jot down her items.
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“You know how I like to wander the aisles. Besides, you never get the brands I want. And you don’t know how to pick out fruit. I’d rather do it myself. Also, I have a woman I want to talk to you about. I met her at DJ’s play group.”
He laughed at his sister. “Adanna, I still think you and Dennis need to buy a car. At least give the idea some thought.”
“Yeah, but will you, do take me? I need formula, not a lecture, big brother.”
“I’ll see you this evening. By the way, I never agreed to your matchmaking service. I can handle my love life without any help. No offense.”
“I’m not offended. But you know I’m just as bullheaded as you are, so stop complaining.”
Instead of responding, Bishop ended the conversation. His sister sounded a lot tougher than she was. The only time she asserted herself was when something pertained to him. She needed to use some of that authority on her husband.
Somehow, Adanna had missed all Dad’s words of wisdom. While she was busy playing with her dolls, their father had ushered him and his brothers onto the corner basketball court for a mini life lesson. According to him, all you needed in life was women and wealth, but not necessarily in that order. When his mother was steaming mad at their father, she preached respect and caring. These two lessons had him equipped for life.
With his tablet opened on his desk, he found the contact list and dialed Asa’s number. After a brief conversation where she did all the talking, he shut down his office and headed out.
Bishop pulled up to her townhouse and as expected, Adanna wasn’t waiting. He dialed her number.
“I’m putting my coat on now. I’ll be right out.” She hung up without saying goodbye. With the diaper bag in one arm and the baby nestled into the car seat on her other arm, she lumbered down the stairs.
Once she buckled the baby into the backseat, she climbed in and pulled the door closed so hard he jumped. “What is that all about and why are you taking it out on my car?”
She folded her arms over her chest. Unshed tears filled her eyes and she bit her bottom lip to keep from crying.