Rituals for Love (9781476761893)

by Ray, Shamara

  “Hello.”

  Hearing her voice made me smile. “Hey, babe, how are you?”

  “I’m okay. How are you?”

  “Not so good.”

  “What’s the matter?” she immediately responded.

  “Don’t worry, it’s nothing serious. I just missed my flight this morning.”

  Silence. “And you’re just now calling to tell me?”

  “I meant to call as soon as I got back to the house, but I fell asleep.”

  “How did you end up missing your flight?”

  “I got in late from the charity event… and then I woke up late… and then the next thing I knew, I missed my flight by a few minutes.”

  “Let me get this straight. You got in late, woke up late, got to the airport late and now you’re calling me late to say you’re not back in New York. Unbelievable. When are you coming back?”

  “I have a flight tomorrow morning.”

  “I hope you’ll be on time for that one.”

  “Come on, Jade. Let’s not make this worse than it needs to be.”

  “So I shouldn’t have an issue that you were out late with some woman and couldn’t get yourself up to catch a flight? I have never known you to oversleep or miss a flight.”

  “I wasn’t out with some woman. I was at a charity event, with my executive chef, which we both attended on behalf of Eden2. You make it sound like I was out on a date or something.”

  “I honestly don’t know what’s going on with you. All I know is that missing flights and calling me hours after you should have landed to say you’re not even in the state is not like you at all.”

  “No, it’s not. But, as I said, I fell asleep. Why didn’t you call me to see if I made it back safely?”

  “Because you typically call me when you land from a trip.”

  “Exactly. I didn’t call. You didn’t think something was wrong?”

  “Cain, we have barely spoken this week. No, I didn’t think anything was wrong when you didn’t call when you landed. If anything, I thought you were intentionally not calling. It’s obvious that nothing is wrong and you’re fine. You had a late night, couldn’t get up and couldn’t call. A late night at an event with your executive chef.”

  “Where is this coming from?”

  “It’s coming from late nights and missed flights.”

  “Okay, I missed my flight. It’s not the end of the world, babe. I’ll be back tomorrow. You probably won’t even miss me since you’re mad at me.”

  “I have to go.” She completely ignored my comment. “I have to meet my father and brother at Genesis.”

  “You’re taking them today? I wanted to go with them.”

  “Well, it’s a funny thing. They were both available today. I was going to let you know that when you called me when you landed. I suppose I don’t need to restate the obvious.”

  “I’m sorry I didn’t call you when I missed my flight. I’m as upset as you are about missing the flight, even more so. I want to get home. I miss you.”

  “I miss you, too.”

  I needed to get back home. I didn’t like what I was feeling. There was a disconnect between Jade and me and that was foreign to me. She was already upset from our conversation earlier in the week and now this. She was right about one thing. I didn’t miss flights. I was always on time. The airlines may not have been, but I made sure I was where I was supposed to be. This morning was an exception to the rule. I knew Jade and she was probably even more upset that she would have to explain to her father why I wasn’t there for the walkthrough. I just needed to get home.

  My cell phone alerted me that I had a message. It was a text from Riley.

  I had a great time last night. I owe you an apology. That kiss… It shouldn’t have happened.

  It was a perfect evening. Don’t even think twice about it.

  I was doing my best to put the kiss out of my mind. I wasn’t exactly sure what compelled Riley to kiss me. One minute she was hugging me goodbye and the next she had her lips on mine. I tried not to think about how they felt. I tried to forget that she said she had to do it. She had crossed a line for sure, but she apologized and I would forget it happened. I’d forget everything except that she was the one who kissed me.

  CHAPTER FORTY-FIVE

  JADE

  I unlocked the door and the three of us stepped into the building. The lobby and reception area were nearly complete. I saw my dad taking in everything from the marble tile to the sconces on the wall and the lighting fixtures hanging from the ceilings. My brother zeroed in on the elevator. I led them into the dining room next, sharing what I envisioned for the completed space. I went to wait in the center of the room as they wandered, commenting to one another.

  “You can go in the kitchen, too,” I called out.

  They disappeared immediately. My father came out of the kitchen chattering. “That’s some setup. Viking equipment, the extra length on the central workstation. You’re going to be cooking up a storm in there.”

  “That’s the idea.” I took them to see the private dining room and then we went upstairs to the spa.

  I let them go off on their own. I sat down in the lounge area and waited. I reflected on my conversation with Cain earlier. I couldn’t believe he actually missed his flight. I had been watching my clock all morning wondering when he would call. I didn’t think he would be calling to tell me that he was still in Atlanta. It seemed to be a convenient coincidence that he was out with Riley the night before and for the first time since we had been together, he couldn’t get to the airport on time. I didn’t like it. Something about it just didn’t feel right.

  I told my father and brother he had to extend his trip an additional day. I didn’t bother to mention that he actually missed his flight. There was no reason for them to know that piece of information. All I knew was that I was immediately pissed when I found out he was still in Atlanta. After a week away, I would have expected that he couldn’t wait to get back home. Then again, he did say he had been thinking about how our relationship had changed his way of life. What the hell did that mean? Maybe in Atlanta he was taking advantage of the way his life used to be. Living as a bachelor without accountability to one woman. Not even having to call someone if he missed a flight. I still couldn’t believe he said those things to me.

  My phone vibrated.

  What are you doing?

  At Genesis with my father and brother.

  When will you be finished there?

  In about a half an hour.

  Can I take you to lunch?

  Yes, you can.

  I’ll pick you up.

  I have my car. I can meet you.

  I’m picking you up. See you in thirty minutes.

  Okay.

  Terrence and my father joined me in the lounge. My brother kept strolling around looking at details I probably wasn’t even aware of.

  “This spa is incredible. Your contractor has done some amazing work.”

  I pulled up the pictures I took of Genesis with my phone before Hal started the project. “Compared to these pictures,” my dad continued, “you have reimagined this place.”

  I swiped one more time. The selfie I took in the lobby of Cain and me popped up on the screen. “That was the last one,” I said, closing the app.

  Terrence sat down next to me. “I’m proud of you.”

  “Really?” I said, barely able to contain my smile.

  “We kid around a lot, but you make me proud, little sister.”

  “Thank you, big brother.”

  My father interrupted our moment. “There are a couple of things you should check into with your contractor. I’m not sure, but the tiles in the steam room may not be adequate.”

  “I know. We’re changing them out next. We had to order replacements.”

  “I also noticed in the last treatment room on the left, there are cracks in the wall corners. Have them check it out to make sure it’s not structural. Other than that, Mom and I can’t wait
to come for spa services and lunch.”

  “And if you’re trying to think of a wedding gift for me and Dru, we’ll take whatever gold package you plan to offer. Two of them.”

  I pushed Terrence. “I don’t have to tell you that you’re welcome any time. Thank you guys for always supporting me.”

  “Are we ready to go?” my father said.

  “You two go ahead. I’m going to stay awhile to get a jump on some things for this week.”

  “Are you sure? We can wait for you.”

  “It’s not like we’re riding together, anyway. Give Mom and Dru my love, and I’ll talk to you later this week.”

  I walked my father and brother to the door, gave them hugs and sent them on their way. I did a turn in my space. Getting their seals of approval meant more to me than anything. They were both so driven about their business. To be viewed as a success from both of them touched my heart. My brother telling me that I made him proud lifted my spirits in ways he could never know. We had always been close since we were kids. To hear him say that his little sister was making him proud was something special. I always looked up to him and it seemed like, just maybe, he knew how I felt about him all of these years.

  I walked down the corridor to the temporary office. Our office suite would be completed this week and I couldn’t wait. I was greeted by Omar’s flowers on the desk. I had forgotten they were there. I trimmed several leaves from the stems and poured half of my bottled water into the vase. I leaned against the desk and looked at my phone. I pulled up the selfie of Cain and me. “Missed his flight…yeah right,” I said out loud.

  Approaching footsteps made me freeze. Omar appeared in the doorway. “You don’t lock the door when you’re here alone?”

  “I thought I did when my family left.”

  “Obviously you didn’t. You should be more careful.” He came over to me and kissed me on the cheek. “Happy Sunday.”

  “Same to you. I could have saved you a trip and met you somewhere.”

  “It’s not a big deal. I wanted to pick you up. Don’t worry, I’ll bring you back.”

  I laughed. “You better.”

  “I have something for you.”

  He wasn’t carrying anything, so I was a bit perplexed. “What might that be? You better not be referring to anything you’ve been sending via text.”

  “Come on, now.” He chuckled. “I’m being serious.”

  “All right. What is it?”

  He reached into his back pocket and handed me a check folded in half. I looked up at him and slowly unfolded the paper. It was made out to Genesis, Inc. “Omar, what is this?”

  “What does it say?”

  I peered down at the check in my hand again. “It’s a check from your account for fifty thousand dollars.”

  “If I’m going to be a silent partner, I figured why not start now. I trust that you’re working on the legal documents. The other day at the spa showroom you said that you wanted those treatment tables. Cancel your existing order and get the ones you want.”

  “Omar, I don’t know what to say.”

  “This is an investment for me, too. You want upscale, let’s get upscale.”

  Many things ran through my mind. I had been procrastinating with contacting the lawyer and I hadn’t even discussed my decision to take Omar on as a partner with Cain yet. Omar was all in, and I was at a loss for words. “I’ll look into whether I can cancel the order first thing tomorrow morning.” I placed the check on the desk. “This is great, thank you.”

  “You’re welcome, partner. Now let’s go eat.”

  • • •

  I SAT ACROSS FROM OMAR sipping on a mimosa. We were dining outdoors at a restaurant in SoHo on Thompson Street. He was scanning the menu. Brunch was still being served and I had already decided that I was going to have an omelet. He placed the menu on the table. “I’m ready.”

  “Finally,” I said, with feigned exasperation.

  He gazed at me contemplatively, a slight smile on his face. “There’s something about you that gets to me.”

  “Please don’t start with the flirting.”

  “No, hear me out.”

  I spread my hands. “All right, go ahead.”

  “I know you’re with Cain.” He paused, looking me directly in the eyes. “I don’t mean any disrespect to your relationship. But, like I said, there’s something about you. From the moment I met you, I felt a connection. I had a sense that you were the one. I know we talked about me coming to Long Island to your restaurant, but sometimes when you meet someone new, it’s all just talk. I was determined to make sure our paths did cross again. I’ll admit I was hoping that your new relationship wasn’t going to be permanent. Obviously, it’s lasted longer than I had hoped.” He laughed and then took a sip of his drink. “I’ve been dating since we met. However, the timing of my breakup with Damaris, and you reaching out to me, made me think. I’ve had notions of what if anytime I thought of you. What if Jade really is the one? What if I didn’t try and there was a chance we could be together? What if, what if, what if?”

  I reached across the table and took his hand in mine. “I can understand exactly what you’re feeling. Life is too short to allow missed opportunities. The thing is, I’m not an opportunity. I’m not single.”

  “I may not agree, and this is something I just started to believe in the past few weeks. You’re in a relationship, yet you’re not married. If I see my ideal in front of me, within my grasp, and I don’t do anything about it, then I’m a fool.”

  I pulled my hand back. “Omar—”

  “You know I’m not the type of man that believes in cheating and I don’t take relationships lightly. But I’m also the type of man that knows what he wants. I believe in going after what I want, in all things. We’re friends because that’s what you want. I want more.”

  “I can’t give you that.”

  “Have you even considered it?”

  I opened my mouth to answer, but he kept talking.

  “If you took a moment to honestly think about whether we could be more than friends, you have to admit there’s a possibility it could work.”

  “It’s not about whether it could work or not. Sure, we’d probably get along great, have lots of chemistry and everything. But I’m not in a space to explore that with you.”

  “You don’t feel like we’ve been exploring it with all of the time we’ve been spending together recently? I do. And don’t get me wrong. I don’t expect that your feelings for Cain have diminished. I just hoped that maybe you could acknowledge that your feelings for me have grown. If they have, don’t you owe it to yourself to explore it further?”

  “Omar, I—”

  “You think about it. I don’t even want you to respond without giving what I said some thought.” He signaled to the waiter to let him know were ready to order.

  • • •

  OMAR PULLED UP IN FRONT of Genesis to drop me off. “Thanks for joining me for lunch.”

  “Thanks for the invite.”

  “Maybe we can do it again tomorrow?”

  “Actually, I need to be at Rituals in the morning. I’m not sure what time I’ll make it into the city.”

  “I hope I didn’t come on too strong with my honesty.”

  I shook my head. “I can appreciate honesty because it doesn’t leave any room for misunderstandings.”

  “Do you need me to wait while you go inside?”

  “I’m not going back inside. I’m going to head back to Long Island. I’m parked right around the corner.”

  “I’ll drop you at your car.”

  I stepped out of Omar’s car with an awkward over the shoulder glance and a rushed goodbye. He may have still been talking when I closed the door on him.

  CHAPTER FORTY-SIX

  CAIN

  My flight landed at eight-fifteen in the morning. I picked up my car from the long-term parking lot and jumped on the Grand Central Parkway to the city. I figured Jade was already at Genesis, and I’
d meet her there. I needed to see her face. We could both be as tough as we wanted over the phone, but face-to-face our tension melted. It always did.

  Hal saw me as soon as I walked in. He greeted me with a handshake and a pat on the back. “Long time, no see,” he said.

  “I’ve been busy managing a few other business endeavors. How’s everything going?”

  We walked from room to room and talked about the progress. They had done a dynamic job transforming the space. He assured me his crews would have everything wrapped up in two weeks. “Jade has been on top of us since day one. We’re not letting anything fall through the cracks,” he said.

  “Is she in the office?”

  “I haven’t seen her this morning.”

  “She’s not here yet?”

  “Unless she came in when I was upstairs in the spa. She may be back in the office.”

  “Let me check.” I started off in that direction. “I’ll be back in a minute to talk about these invoices and how we’re looking on the budget.”

  It was quiet in the back and the office was empty. A vase of roses was sitting in the middle of the desk. I walked over and opened the small envelope next to it. Your Welcome Distraction. What was that supposed to mean? I put the card back and something else caught my eye. I reached for the check. Omar Anderson? Fifty thousand dollars made payable to Genesis? What the hell was going on? I slipped the check in my jacket pocket and left the office.

  The entire time I was reviewing the finances with Hal, the check was burning a hole in my pocket. I needed to talk to Jade. I wrapped up our meeting and left for Long Island. I called Jade from the car to let her know I was back in New York. She was at Rituals taking care of some business. I asked her to meet me at my house when she finished over there. I had planned to go to my offices to check on my own business dealings, but I thought it was better to see Jade first.

  I got home and went out on the patio in the backyard. It was where I did some of my best thinking. I took out my tablet and went over the numbers that Hal and I discussed. His assistant emailed an updated status report along with the invoices. I went through everything line by line. I reworked the figures. I leaned back in the chair with my hands behind my head. I knew what I needed. I was in the kitchen pouring a Black on the rocks when I heard the front door opening. “I’m in the kitchen.”