“Take-out?”
“Right. We can eat at my place so that way, you can finally meet Moses. Is that good?”
Yolanda nodded, smiling widely. “That’s…perfect.”
~ ~ ~
Indeed, the evening turned out to be perfect, just as what Yolanda had been expecting last Saturday. Even though they only had pizza, the ambience was lovely, with Shane’s house being as rustic and cozy as his music and the flames from the old-fashioned fireplace adding to the warmth. Moses, too, was just as amazing as she had thought he would be, a beautiful, intelligent creature who seemed very loyal to his master and eyed her curiously.
“I don’t think Moses has decided yet if he wants to be my friend or not,” Yolanda said after dinner, noting that the dog still kept his distance from her.
“At least he’s not growling at you,” Shane said.
“At least he hasn’t eaten me up,” she joked.
“It can take him a while to make up his mind.” Shane patted Moses between his ears. “Up to now, he still doesn’t really like Jill.”
“How long has Jill been your agent?” she asked curiously.
“I had a different agent when I started three years ago, but he only lasted about six months. Jill’s been my agent since.”
“She seems to really care about you.”
“She reminds me of my sister, except maybe a little more scary.”
Yolanda just grinned. She could imagine how Jill could be scary.
“By the way…” Shane stood up and got a picture from the mantel. “This is a picture of my sister and her kids from last Christmas. My Mom’s there, too.”
“She still looks young,” Yolanda said, running her hands over the picture. “And you look a bit like her. Except, you know, the male version.”
“They always said I got my looks from my Mom and my talent from my Dad,” he said. “My Mom didn’t really like that, but I guess she’s gotten used to it.”
Yolanda nodded. She didn’t have to ask where Shane’s father was. She knew that Shane’s father was also a famous country singer, before which he was the guitarist of a well-known rock band for many years, and that he died several years ago.
“Did your father ever tell you why he switched from rock to country?”
Shane shrugged. “Only that he kept saying country music was soothing to his soul.”
“I guess it is more soothing compared to rock, which has a different intention,” Yolanda agreed. “And you? Did you always want to be a country singer?”
“Ever since I learned how to play the guitar,” he confessed. “Although my Mom wanted me to be a pop singer, said I’d make more money.”
Yolanda chuckled. “Well, it looks to me like you’re doing well.”
“Better than I expected,” he said humbly.
“I’m sure your father’s proud of you.”
“I’m not sure about that. He had pretty high standards. I remember he would get really angry if I messed up even just one note on my guitar.”
Yolanda grinned, imagining it. “He just wanted you to get better. Now, look where all that teaching got you.”
Shane just smiled, seemingly remembering his father.
“Besides, all parents are proud of their children no matter how high they claim their standards to be,” Yolanda added.
“How about you?”
“What do you mean?”
“Did you always want to be a talk show host?”
“I always wanted to be a journalist,” Yolanda said. “I’m not sure about the talk show host part, but it’s fun.”
“You sound like there’s something else you’d rather be.”
“Well, I enjoyed being a reporter. Sometimes, I miss the thrill of it. Then again, I’ve been having a thrill these past weeks.”
“Do you know who spread that rumor about you?”
“No,” Yolanda lied, not wanting to tell him about Roy for fear that he would get involved in the mess she was in. “But whoever it was, he chose the wrong person to mess with.”
“Damn straight.” There was a moment of silence before Shane spoke again. “Aside from that interview with Kian Matthews, which I’m sure is special to you, what other story or experience do you find most memorable?”
“Wow, you sound like you could host a talk show yourself.”
He grinned. “I’m just curious.”
“Well, there is one,” she said. “I did this interview with a young woman who was pregnant with triplets. She had some special medical condition and the doctors were recommending an abortion because there was a chance she wouldn’t survive giving birth, but she decided to go through with it. I remember asking her why she made that decision and she told me that if three lives could be born at the cost of one, then surely it was a better bargain. I was crying after that interview.”
“Well, she was a brave woman.”
“It’s one of the things I miss about being a reporter,” Yolanda said. “Meeting ordinary people who are extraordinary in some way, just like the guests on my last show, excluding you of course, since you’re a celebrity.”
“If you miss it so much, then maybe you should just go back to it,” Shane suggested.
“I’m thinking about it,” Yolanda said. “It’s a big decision.”
Shane paused thoughtfully, then got up. “I have just the song to help you make up your mind.”
He walked towards his guitar which was on a stand in the corner of the living room, unzipped the case to take the instrument out and then walked back towards her, sitting on an armchair.
“Have you heard all of my songs?” he asked her.
“I have to admit I haven’t listened to all of them,” she admitted.
“That’s okay,” he said. “Well, here’s one of the songs from my first album, one of my favorites, actually.”
“Okay.”
“And just so you know, I’ve never sang for a girl before. I mean, one-to-one.”
“Never?” Yolanda was surprised.
Shane shook his head. Then, before Yolanda could ask any more questions, he started strumming his guitar, silencing her, entrancing her so that she could only prop her chin on her elbows and watch him, listen to him.
“Everyone has a dream
Everyone has a journey that begins as a gleam
In a child’s eye
Everyone’s heart holds a seed of something great
Something to turn the wheels of fate
Wings to fly
I may not know what you wish for
I may not know what you can do
But I know you can do great things
If to yourself you just be true
Listen to that voice inside of you
Reach for the stars
Let your hopes travel far
Hold fast to your faith
Don’t ever be dismayed
You can make a difference
You can make it through
And I’ll just be here for you
I’ll just be here for you
Everyone makes mistakes
Everyone bends and falls and breaks
Life isn’t easy
But you just have to keep moving on
Keep taking chances, I know you’re strong
You’re much stronger than me
I may not know what you wish for
But I know there’s something only you can do
You can do great things
If to yourself you just be true
Listen to that voice inside of you
Reach for the stars
Let your hopes travel far
Hold fast to your faith
Don’t ever be dismayed
You can make a difference
You can make it through
And I’ll just be here for you
I’ll just be here for you
I’ll always be here for you.”
As soon as he stopped strumming, Yolanda broke into applause. “That’s a very wonde
rful song. Did you compose it yourself?”
Shane nodded, looking right into her eyes. “And I mean every word.”
The sincerity in his gaze filled Yolanda’s chest with warmth. “Thank you.”
Shane grinned. “Do you want to try playing the guitar?”
Yolanda raised an eyebrow. “You’d let me?”
“Sure.” He handed her the instrument.
She ran her fingers over it. “I haven’t played a guitar since I was in middle school. I think I’ve forgotten how.”
“That’s alright. I’ll teach you.”
“Let’s see.” Yolanda stood up and started plucking a few strings.
“Here. It’s better if you hold it this way.” He stood behind her, adjusting her left arm, then her right.
“Okay.” She started strumming. “This is the G chord, isn’t it?”
“This one.” He moved her finger lower.
She strummed again. “Oh, right.”
She started playing the first verse from a song she used to play, then stopped, not only because she had forgotten the rest but because she was suddenly aware of how close he was to her, even closer than he was the other night on her couch.
She was acutely aware of his arms on her, of his firm chest against her back, of his breath against her ear, making her skin tingle, and when she turned her head, she saw the heat of his body burning in his eyes, softened by a feeling she almost did not dare name, though she was pretty sure what it was.
Love.
The next thing she knew, his lips were pressing down on hers, soft and gentle like the first fall of rain, and she surrendered to it, willing the warmth from his lips to wash over her. After a while, she felt the tip of his tongue against her upper lip and she opened her mouth for him, letting their tongues mingle as the kiss turned from a drizzle of rain to a storm, sweeping her away.
She was beginning to fear that she would drop the guitar, but as quickly as the storm had begun, it died down, and he drew back, gasping for breath just as she was.
It was the most incredible kiss she had ever shared.
“Now, that’s one way to teach someone how to love music,” she teased, not wanting the atmosphere to get awkward.
He scratched the back of his head and smiled. “I guess I got carried away.”
She chuckled, then handed the guitar back to him. “I think it’s better if you play it for now. I’ll just listen.”
“Okay.” He took the guitar. “Let’s see. Ah, this is another of my favorites…”
He started singing again and Yolanda simply sat, listening. If before, she wasn’t sure how she felt about Shane, now she was. The joy she felt simply from hearing his voice and looking into his eyes confirmed it.
For a moment, the words Jill had told her at the radio station drifted back into her head and she felt a bit of fear, but she set it aside.
Already, she knew that what she and Shane had was special and she would not let anyone get in their way or hurt them both.
Just let Roy Carmichael or anyone else try.
~ ~ ~
“No one can try to blame you for falling in love with him, you know,” Deana said over the phone the next afternoon after Yolanda had given her all the details. “You’re one lucky bitch.”
“I know,” Yolanda said, smiling as she shifted her phone to her other hand to set down her purse and keys on the counter. Somehow, since last night, she could not help but keep smiling. “Remember, it’s a secret, though, alright? I don’t want to be in the center of another whirlwind just yet.”
“I know, I know. You can trust me.”
“I know I can.”
“But you are planning to tell the public sometime, right? You can’t keep it secret forever.”
Yolanda didn’t answer.
“Yolanda?”
“I’ll call you back. I have a message from my stepbrother’s wife and my stepsister. Something must be up.”
“Is something wrong?”
“I don’t know yet.”
“Okay. Call me.” Deana hang up.
Yolanda pressed the button on the answering machine.
“Message Number One. 10:34 AM…Hey, sis. It’s Brenda…Please help me. My scholarship looks like it’s going to be cancelled. I don’t know what happened but the foundation said they made a mistake or something. What do I do? I don’t have any money to pay them back, much less to continue my studies. Please help me.”
Yolanda covered her mouth in shock.
“Message Number Two. 12:16 PM…Yolanda, it’s Catherine…Robert’s been laid off…I don’t know what to do…I could sure use some help right now.”
Yolanda closed her eyes, her chest suddenly feeling tight.
“No more messages.”
“No,” Yolanda whispered in the silence that followed, tears forming in the corners of her eyes.
No.
Just then, the phone rang. Yolanda picked it up.
“Hello?” she asked in a shaky voice.
“You should have accepted my invitation the first time I called.” It was Roy Carmichael, the last person she wanted to hear from.
“You’re behind all this, aren’t you?” Yolanda told him, her temper rising. “You hurt my family.”
“Oh, it seems I’ve struck a nerve.”
“You can mess with me all you want but leave my family alone.”
“Then will you come be my guest?”
She paused to think about it, the pleas of her stepsister and her stepbrother’s wife crossing her mind. In spite of those, though, she said, “Never.”
“You paused, though.” He chuckled. “Pretty soon you will be mine.”
“Not even if you kill me.”
“He might get hurt, too, you know, that handsome country singer of yours. Are you sure you’d like that?”
Yolanda paled. “What the fuck? Don’t you dare…”
“It was nice hearing your voice, Yolanda,” Roy interrupted. “Bye.”
The line went dead.
Yolanda placed the receiver back in its cradle, resisting the temptation to throw it against the wall. Then, she sat on a chair, buried her face in her hands and cried.
What on earth had she done?
By making an enemy out of Roy Carmichael, she had let her family get hurt. She had let them down, not foreseeing that Roy would involve them, too, though she should have known he was that despicable. It was all her fault, and so she vowed she would do everything she could to help them.
And she wouldn’t let Roy hurt anyone else she loved.
The fact that she had not heard from her other stepbrother, Lewis, meant Roy did not have influence over the army and so could not harm him, and since her mother and stepfather, both retired, were unharmed, they would probably stay that way. He did not mention Deana either, which meant he probably did not intend to hurt her.
There was, however, one person he intended to hurt. For sure.
Shane.
Well, she would not let him.
True, she couldn’t stop Roy’s despicable plots but there was one thing she could do to prevent Shane from getting involved, keep him from getting hurt.
As much as it pained her, there was only one thing left for her to do.
Chapter Five
“You’re going to stop seeing Shane?” Deana asked with a horrified expression as she sat on Yolanda’s couch, having dropped by her friend’s apartment out of concern after Yolanda had not called back. “But didn’t you say the two of you were in love? Just a while ago, you were…”
Deana stopped talking as she realized the look of despair on Yolanda’s face, which looked even worse than the expression she had on when she and Gil broke up. In fact, she had known Yolanda for many years now, both of them meeting in high school, and yet she had never seen Yolanda so crushed, making her own chest feel tight.
“What happened, Yolanda?”
“There’s something I haven’t told you,” Yolanda said, taking a deep breath. “Have you he
ard of the businessman, Roy Carmichael?”
“Of course. I’ve seen him on the news a few times. Not bad-looking for a businessman… Wait, wasn’t he supposed to be the guest on the show last week but he cancelled?”
“He didn’t cancel.”
“What?”
“I was the one who told him not to come.”
“You did?” Deana’s brows furrowed. “But why?”
“Because when we were at the restaurant the week before, I overheard him saying he wanted to sleep with me, or more accurately, he wanted to get me to sleep with him. Was gloating over it with some dickhead buddy of his like it was all some sick game.”
“Son of a bitch. Wait, he was at the restaurant? No wonder it seemed like there was a table with just bodyguards.”
“I’m sure there are a lot of people who’d want to kill him. I do.”
“You’re planning on killing him?” Deana’s eyes widened.
“I want to kill him,” Yolanda corrected. “But I’m not going to become a murderer just because of him. Anyway, back to the story. I turned him down and so now, he’s mad at me. At the same time, he still wants to take me to his bed which is why he’s coming up with all these schemes.”
“He was the one who spread the rumor?”
“And put something in the chocolates,” Yolanda said. “And just now, I found out that he’s behind my stepbrother suddenly losing his job and my stepsister’s scholarship being in jeopardy.”
Deana frowned. “That’s nasty.”
“It’s despicable, but there’s nothing I can do to stop him.”
“So what does this have to do with you and Shane?”
“He threatened that he could hurt Shane, too, and I don’t doubt he’ll go through with it, so I have to cut ties with Shane while I can.”
“You’re staying away from Shane because you don’t want Roy Carmichael to hurt him?”
“Right. He’s at the peak of his career. I don’t want to jeopardize that.”
“But Yolanda, you didn’t do anything wrong. Can’t we do something, like call the cops or something?”
“He’s powerful, Deana. He’s got enough money to make people bow before him.”
Twists and Curves - A Sexy BWWM Interracial BBW Romance Novella from Steam Books (Romantica) Page 5