by Donna Hill
After they pulled onto her street and Justin got out to open Bailey’s door, two police cars raced right down the block with their dome lights spinning. He held open the passenger door and helped Bailey out of her seat just as the nerve-jangling sound of police sirens wailed in the gray-tinged morning. Justin shut Bailey’s door. His gaze followed the cars to the corner where they turned and then silenced, indicating that they’d reached their destination. He slowly rounded the car and fully took in the neighborhood. Several of the buildings on the opposite side of the street were boarded up while others were in disrepair. A small group of men of undetermined age sat on the steps of a corner house drinking out of brown paper bags. Justin walked Bailey to her front door. He didn’t comment, but for the first time, Bailey saw her world through his eyes.
“Are you sure you have to work tonight? Weather report doesn’t sound good.”
“No choice. As long as Vincent opens the lounge...I’m on duty.”
“I wish you didn’t have to go in. These spring storms are notorious for always being worse than the forecast.” He didn’t want to tell her that what he was most concerned about was her coming home at night in this neighborhood. But it wasn’t for him to say...at least not now.
“Thanks, but I’ll be fine.”
“Well, I’ll try to stop by later this evening.”
She forced a brave smile. “Okay. Look forward to it.”
He leaned down and gently kissed her on the mouth. “You want me to come up?” he said against her lips.
“And neither one of us will get anything accomplished today.” She pressed her finger to his lips.
“That would be the point, wouldn’t it?” He gently nibbled the tip of her finger.
“Bye, Justin.”
“Agggh, you wound me,” he teased, pressing his hand to his chest and stumbling backward.
“Right.” She shook her head and chuckled as she went up the three steps to her front door. “Talk to you later.”
“Count on it.” He waited for her to get through the front door before getting back into his car. He took one more look around before taking off.
* * *
Bailey opened the door to her apartment, and the sensation of being suffocated overwhelmed her. She shut the door, and at that moment saw just how small her place was. She’d grown used to the kitchen table that wobbled, the sink that dripped if you didn’t turn the faucet just right and the sound of sirens that peppered the night. She tossed her purse on the used couch.
She’d prided herself on her “unique finds” as Addison put it, and made a habit of haunting the local flea markets and used-furniture stores. She felt her one-bedroom apartment had an eclectic character. Now it seemed shabby. She plopped down on the sofa and looked around. This is what Justin would see. And she didn’t want that. This was why she didn’t want to get involved with someone like Justin. It was the road that her mother had taken, and it had ultimately taken her.
Oh, how easy it would be to slip into a lifestyle that she knew Justin could offer. All of her worries would be over. She drew in a long, slow breath. She wasn’t her mother.
Her cell phone buzzed inside her purse. She dug around and pulled it out. Her sister Apryl’s number lit the face of the screen.
“Hi, sis,” Bailey greeted. At least Apryl rarely needed money. But if men were dollar bills, her baby sister would be a wealthy woman. “What has you calling so early?”
“I do have a job that requires me to be at my desk by nine,” she playfully tossed back. Apryl, at the tender age of twenty, worked for an up-and-coming urban men’s fashion magazine as a copy editor. A job that suited her perfectly. Apryl had always done well in school, and the chance to meet gorgeous men on a regular basis was right up her alley.
Bailey chuckled. “Okay, so what’s up?”
“Well...” she lowered her voice. “There is this f-i-n-e brother who has been doing a shoot here all week, and well...we kind of hit it off. I was wondering if you could hook me up a nice table at Mercury.”
Bailey’s brows pinched together. “Why are you taking him out?”
“B...get with the program. Hello...women take men out all the time.”
“They do?”
Apryl sighed into the phone. “Can you do it or not?”
“I guess so. When?”
“Tonight.”
“You heard about the storm, right?”
“Oh, yeah,” she said, dragging out the last word. “Are you working tonight?”
“Yes.”
“Okay, well, if it looks too dicey we can make it another night.”
“Fine, sis. Let me know when you know.”
“Will do.”
“Great,” she said, cheerfully. “Anyway, gotta run. Hugs.”
“Hugs.” Bailey dropped her phone back into her purse and pushed up from the couch. She had some errands to run, and nothing would get done sitting on the couch.
She went into her bedroom and looked at her queen-size bed that resembled a doll bed compared to Justin’s. It would never work. They were from two different worlds. But for once she was going to be selfish and do this for her...at least for a little while.
Chapter 11
Justin arrived at the office a bit before noon. The moment he pushed through the glass doors to the reception area, he could feel the change in the air. Dina, the front desk receptionist, was almost apologetic in her greeting and wouldn’t look him in the eye. The associates that he passed in the hallway murmured veiled greetings. He stopped at his assistant’s desk to check for messages.
“Mr. Dubois was looking for you. He wanted to see you when you got in.”
“Thanks. Tell him I’ll be there in a few minutes.”
She picked up the phone while Justin walked into his office and shut the door.
He was sure that Dubois would have been more than happy to accept his resignation, considering the conversation they’d had. So he couldn’t imagine what else they had to talk about. He made a couple of calls then took the elevator ride to Dubois’s office.
“He’s waiting for you,” Dubois’s secretary said. “Go right in.”
“Thanks.” He adjusted the knot in his silk tie and strode toward the closed door. He knocked lightly and went in.
“You wanted to see me.”
“Lawson. Have a seat.” He pursed his lips and leaned back in his chair.
Justin took a seat opposite Dubois’s desk.
Dubois reached for the letter on the desk. Justin knew what it was. He waved the letter in front of him then tossed it on the pristine desk. “This is the route you decided to take.” It was more of a challenge than a question.
“The right one. It’s clear that we’ve come to a crossroads. I’ll clear up my cases, bring my replacement up-to-date and be out of here by the end of the month.” He stared him in the eye until Dubois looked away.
Dubois stood, a tactic that Justin knew was only to create a sense of control. “Don’t be a fool. You have a future here.”
“Do I?”
His eyes tightened at the corners. “My employees don’t walk out on me. I let them go.”
Justin didn’t respond.
Dubois blew out a breath filled with frustration. He looked hard at Justin, who didn’t flinch as most would have done. “Whatever issues you may have with my daughter shouldn’t interfere with your job here.”
He’d finally put it out on the table. Justin crossed his right ankle over his left knee. “It never did.”
Dubois’s jaw tensed.
This wasn’t a matter of Dubois wanting him to stay. He simply was not used to anyone defying him. Justin knew this, and that’s why he had the upper hand. If he’d decided to stay, he could probably negotiate for whatever he wanted. However, it was too late fo
r that. He’d made up his mind. Dubois would have to find a way to deal with his wounded ego.
Dubois slid his hands into his pockets. “As I said, Lawson, I think you are making a big mistake. Most would have been begging to stay. Not you.” He snorted. “But...I respect you for it.” He lifted his chin.
Justin’s brows rose in surprise. “Thank you, sir.” He knew that wasn’t easy for Dubois to say.
“Keep me posted on the progress of your cases.”
Justin stood. “I will.”
Dubois turned away, ending the meeting.
“Thank you for the opportunity.”
Dubois murmured a grudging acknowledgment deep in his throat. Justin smiled to himself and walked out.
When he returned to his office, Carl was waiting for him.
“You could have given me a heads-up, man.”
Justin held up his hand. “I know. It wasn’t planned.”
Carl plopped down in a chair. Justin closed the door.
“So...what happened?”
Justin ran down to Carl what had transpired between him and Dubois and what prompted him to file his resignation, up to and including the last conversation.
Carl lowered his head and shook it slowly. “Wow. So now what?”
“So now I can move ahead with the plan—full-time.”
Carl massaged his right knee. “I’ll do what I can from here. I can’t say I’m ready to follow in your footsteps.”
“I don’t expect you to. You have a wife to think about. I’ll work on getting us set up. You jump in when you can.”
“Cool.”
“Knee acting up again?”
“Yeah. Played a short game of pickup last night.” He chuckled. “Not as young as I used to be.”
Carl could have made it to the NBA, but he was injured in his sophomore year of college, and his knee had never been the same.
“Where were you last night? I called you. Wanted to see if you wanted to play.”
Justin grinned. “I was with Bailey.”
Carl’s eyes widened. “Get out. So...what happened?”
“I don’t kiss and tell. But I will say it was...great.”
“Ha! My man.”
“I really dig her, man.”
“I hear a but in there.”
Justin leveled his gaze with Carl’s. He knew him all too well. “I took her home this morning and—” he hesitated “—she lives over on Chestnut.”
“Hmm. Rough area.”
“I know. I don’t like the idea of her having to come in and out at all kinds of crazy hours from her job.”
“Not much you can do about it unless you’re going to morph into her sugar daddy and set her up somewhere.”
The idea ran pleasantly through his head. “I wouldn’t mind waking up to Bailey every morning.”
“Say what?” Carl croaked. “She got you whipped like that already?”
Justin grumbled in his throat. “I like her. A lot. End of story.”
“Told you, man. The right woman can change your whole mind.”
“Don’t you have work to do?”
Carl gingerly pushed up from his seat. “Don’t hate the messenger.” He chuckled. “Talk to you later.”
“Yeah. Later.”
Justin sat down behind his desk and thought about his comment to Carl. He’d never considered living with a woman or taking care of one. Bailey was different. She wasn’t like the women he’d known. She clearly didn’t have everything handed to her. She worked hard for whatever she wanted. She was smart, sexy as all hell and easy to be with. When he made love to her...it was like coming alive. Yeah, he liked her. A lot.
Chapter 12
Vincent came behind the bar. “You going to be okay getting home?”
“I’ll be fine.” Bailey wiped down the bar top and continued stacking glasses in the rack for washing.
“I can drive you home. You’d be a lot safer in my truck than your car in this weather.”
Her honey-toned eyes flicked toward him. Their once, easygoing friendship had grown tense since he’d made his overture several weeks earlier. She’d made it a point to keep her distance and steer clear of having to respond to his “offer.” This was the first time they’d actually been in the same space long enough to have a conversation. She moved farther away.
“We haven’t had a chance to talk in a while.” He lined up the bottles on the shelf, something he never did. “I wanted to give you some time and distance...to think about what I said.”
Her heart pounded. “Vincent.” She turned to face him and folded her arms. “We have a good working relationship, and I truly appreciate everything that you’ve done for me.” She paused. “I’m seeing someone and even if I wasn’t, I don’t think that taking a business relationship and making it personal is wise, or something that I would do. I hope you understand that.”
His gray eyes grew stormy, darkening like the skies. “I see.”
“I don’t want this to affect anything.”
He placed another bottle on the shelf. “Get home safely.” He turned and walked away.
Bailey let out a breath she’d held and realized that she was trembling inside. The look in his eyes actually chilled her. She made quick work of closing out the register and took the night’s receipts to the safe. There was no way she was going to try to make it to the bank. She’d take care of it in the morning.
On her way out, she checked her phone. Apryl was supposed to have stopped by. She was sure the weather was a deterrent, but she was surprised that she hadn’t heard from her sister. Knowing Apryl, she was more than likely curled up with her new man somewhere. Something she wished she was doing instead of navigating the flooded streets of downtown Baton Rouge.
The windshield wipers were working overtime, but she managed to see enough to pull over so that she could make the call to Justin. She put on her hazard lights, just in case, and pulled her cell phone from her purse. Just as she was ready to call, the phone rang in her hand. She didn’t recognize the number. She pressed the talk icon.
“Hello?”
“Is this Bailey Sinclair?”
“Yes. Who is this?”
“I’m calling from the admitting office at St. Barnabas Hospital. Your sister Apryl was in a car accident. She asked that you be called.”
“Oh, my God. Is she all right?”
“She’s listed as stable. Do you think you can make it to the hospital?”
Bailey peered into the night, looked around to try to get her bearings. “Yes, yes. Um, I’ll be there as soon as I can.” She tucked the phone into her purse, gripped the steering wheel and lowered her head. She whispered a prayer.
* * *
The drive to the hospital was nerve-racking to say the least. So many of the streets were flooded that she had to detour around them, and lights were off in some areas making it nearly impossible to see in front of her. Shaken, she finally arrived at the emergency entrance of the hospital, found a parking spot and raced inside.
“My sister Apryl Sinclair was brought in. She was in a car accident,” she blurted out the instant she reached the intake desk.
The clerk behind the counter checked her computer screen. “Do you have ID?”
Bailey rolled her eyes in annoyance and fished in her purse for her ID, practically shoving it in the woman’s face.
The woman looked it over and handed it back. “Sorry, but we have to be careful,” she said, mildly soothing Bailey’s ire. “Your sister was admitted, but they haven’t taken her to her room yet. She’s still in the emergency area. Walk straight through those swinging doors. You’ll see a reception desk. Someone there can tell you where she is.”
“Thank you.”
“Good luck.” She smiled.
She hurried down the corridor and through the swinging doors. The nurses’ station was on her right. “Hi. My sister Apryl Sinclair was brought in earlier. Car accident.” Her heart was racing so fast she could barely catch her breath.
The nurse checked her register. “Yes. She’s in the fourth cubicle down on your left. The doctor is with her now, I believe.”
“Thank you.” She raced off. Curtain number one, two, three, four. She stopped, steeled herself, and said a silent prayer for strength, not knowing what to expect when she pulled the curtain back. She didn’t have to. A young, ready-for-television-looking doctor pulled the curtain back and stepped out, nearly colliding with Bailey.
“Sorry,” he said, grinning, showing deep dimples in his smooth chocolate face. “I’m Dr. Phillips. Relative?”
“Yes, Doctor. I’m her sister.” She tried to peek over his height and broad shoulders to get a glimpse at the body beneath the white sheet. “How is she?”
“Very lucky. She has a concussion, bruised ribs and a badly sprained wrist. The car didn’t fair as well, I understand.”
Bailey pressed her hand to her mouth and sighed in relief. “Can I see her?”
“Sure, but only for a few minutes. They need to get her to a room.”
“How long is she going to have to stay?”
“At least overnight. The main thing is the concussion. We want to monitor her for the next ten to twelve hours. If everything looks good tomorrow, say midday, she can go home. She’ll experience headaches for a while, and she’ll need some help until her ribs and wrist heal, but other than that, she should be fine.” He flashed those dimples again.
Perfect for Addy. “Thank you, Dr. Phillips.”
“She may seem a little out of it. But it’s to be expected. I don’t want you to be alarmed.”
Bailey nodded. She tugged in a breath and stepped behind the curtain. Her heart jumped at seeing her sister appear so helpless. Her eyes were closed, and there was an IV in her arm. Her left hand was in a soft cast. Bailey slowly approached. She stroked her sister’s fingers.