Lexia hopped off the stool, picked up the pitcher of lemonade and followed him to the table.
“Let me get glasses and we’ll be all set.” He came back, filled their glasses and sat across from her. He gestured to the food. “Ladies first.” She didn’t move. “What’s wrong?”
She rose and got her cell phone. “I was waiting for you to bless the food. Or do you only do that when your mom is here?”
He grinned sheepishly. “I do it most times.” Khalil quickly said a blessing. They filled their plates and ate in silence for the first couple of minutes. He didn’t talk much because he was tired of stopping to read a message. He just wanted to talk normally for a change.
She held up her half-eaten fajita. “It’s good.”
“Thanks.”
“What did you marinade the chicken in?”
He finished chewing and took a couple of sips of his lemonade. “It’s a dry rub I made with ground chipotle peppers, cumin, paprika, salt, pepper and I added lime juice and some cilantro.”
“I may need to borrow this recipe for the café. I’d give you credit, of course,” she added with a smile.
Khalil chuckled. “You might want to hold off on that because it’s not anything I’ve written down and I don’t know the exact measurements. And I thought you already had a set menu.”
Lexia wiped her hands. “I do, but I’m always looking for some new items to add, either permanently or seasonal. Right now, I’m exploring adding items that are leaning toward the healthier side and these grilled chicken breasts fall right in line. I guess I’d have to leave off all the cheese and sour cream, though.”
“Probably.”
“Changing subjects on you. Are you working tomorrow?”
“I’m going in for about three hours in the afternoon, why?”
“I’d like to take you to visit my friend, Elyse.”
He went still. “The one who’s deaf?”
She nodded hesitantly.
His first thought was a resounding no, but he’d promised himself he would make an effort to deal with this thing.
“It’ll only be for an hour or so, maybe less. She has access to far more resources and can answer any questions you may have.”
“Okay, I’ll meet you there. I need to be at the gym by noon.”
“If we met at ten, would that give you enough time to get back?”
“Plenty of time. Just text me the address. Can you be gone from the café that long?”
“Yep. It’s after the morning rush and Sam and Jayla will be there. I should be back by the lunch rush to help, if needed.” Lexia finished her food. “Thanks for dinner. Next time, it’ll be my turn.”
Next time meant that he’d get another opportunity to kiss her. “Just let me know when.”
She glanced at her watch. “I can help you clean the kitchen before I leave.”
Khalil stood. “Leave everything there and I’ll take care of it when I get back.”
She rose to her feet. “Why didn’t you tell me you had someplace to go? I’m sorry.”
He laughed. “The only place I’m going, sweet lady, is to follow you home.”
She waved a hand dismissively. “I told you before you don’t need to do that.”
“Yep, you did. Let’s go. And give me your address, just in case you decide to lose me on the road.” Lexia doubled over in laughter and, again, he wished he could hear it.
When she composed herself, she pulled out her phone and sent a text. “I sent you my address and Elyse’s.”
“It’s your real address, right?”
“Yes, you nut. Now, come on.”
Downstairs, the valet brought both of their cars. Khalil still felt a little anxiety, especially since this would be the first time he’d driven at night. He took a deep breath and plugged Lexia’s address into the GPS. He saw her friend’s address and his mind shifted to tomorrow’s visit. Once again, he battled with not wanting to go. He still held on to the belief that his condition would be very temporary, yet a small, nagging voice kept asking, what if it’s not? Dr. Moyer had suggested Khalil talk to a counselor or psychologist to help him adjust, but Khalil refused to do that. With any luck, this visit would turn out to be beneficial.
Chapter 11
Wednesday morning, Khalil pulled up to the address Lexia had given him. He had assumed it would be a house, but was surprised to see a school—Sunny Coast School for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing. Was she trying to get him to take classes? His anger spiked. A moment later, Lexia came out of the building, smiling and waving at him. Her smile deflated some of his annoyance. He got out and met her halfway.
Lexia shielded her eyes from the sun. “I hope you found it okay.”
He nodded. “Why are we here?”
“Because this is where Elyse is. She runs the school.”
He felt his eyes widen. “She runs it?”
She signed, “Yes.”
Curious, Khalil followed Lexia into a modern brick building. They passed several classrooms with colorful artwork on the doors and teachers standing in front of whiteboards. It looked like any other school. Finally, she escorted him into an office where a pretty, honey-brown-colored woman stood engaged in a conversation with a teenager. Their hands moved rapidly and the student nodded enthusiastically. The student waved and bounded out of the office.
The woman turned and noticed them. Her smile widened and she held her arms out to Lexia and they embraced.
Lexia reached for his hand and the cell and made introductions. “Khalil, this is my best friend, Elyse Ross. Elyse, this is Khalil Gray.”
While Lexia held the phone, Elyse simultaneously spoke and signed, “I’m pleased to finally meet you, Khalil.”
The smile on Elyse’s face and the blush that crept over Lexia’s made him wonder what Lexia had told her friend. “Same here.”
“Would you like a tour?”
“Yes.” Khalil was impressed by the prekindergarten to twelfth grade school. The only difference was that the teachers and students used their hands to talk. On their way back to the office, he noticed a boy who looked to be about nine or ten, sitting alone on the playground with his arms folded. His steps slowed and he asked about the kid.
“That’s Anthony. He’s only been here about a month,” Elyse explained. “He lost his hearing due to a virus six months ago and was struggling in school and getting into fights because the other students were teasing him. He refuses to learn sign language or use any of the technology because he’s convinced his hearing will return soon.”
His gaze went back to the sullen boy. What Elyse had described sounded exactly how Khalil felt.
“So far, none of us have been able to reach him, and we’ve tried everything from offering extra recess time to his favorite snacks, but...” She shrugged.
Elyse had mentioned during their tour that she could read lips. Khalil asked, “Do you mind if I give it a try?”
“Not at all.”
“You might need this.” Lexia handed him her cell phone.
“Thanks.” He left the women standing there and made his way over to the bench where the boy sat. For several seconds, Khalil searched his mind for a way to start the conversation.
The kid scowled over at Khalil. “Who are you?”
He pointed to his ears, shook his head and handed his cell to the kid. “Mrs. Ross said you lost your hearing a few months ago. You’re Anthony, right?” He pointed to the phone.
Anthony read the message and nodded.
“My name is Khalil Gray and I lost mine, too, a couple of weeks ago.”
The boy whipped his head in Khalil’s direction, surprise covering his face. “You did?”
Khalil nodded. “Yes. I’m pretty mad about it. I can’t talk to my family and
friends anymore without these.” He held up the phone. “I can’t listen to my favorite songs or my shows on TV.”
Anthony switched phones. “That’s how I feel. All my old friends were teasing me and they stopped inviting me to their houses and everything. I hate this.”
“I know.” The remembrance of Gerald’s text came back to him. He’d heard about this type of discrimination, but had never experienced it, until now. He was the same person, his IQ hadn’t changed, he still spoke three languages, yet the simple fact that he couldn’t hear made him an outcast. “But I guess we’re going to have to show our friends that we’re still the same. I bet you’re pretty smart in school.”
His face lit up. “I had straight As on my report card at my old school.”
“Then there’s no reason that you can’t do the same thing here.”
Anthony’s smile faded. “But what if I’m not smart enough. Everybody knows sign language except me.”
“And me. I have to learn it, too, even though it seems pretty tough. And I bet you’ll learn it faster than me.”
He angled his head. “You think so?”
“I do. But you can only do that if you try. How about we make a deal to do our best?” Khalil stuck out his hand.
Anthony hesitated briefly before shaking the proffered hand. “Deal.”
“Good. I have to go to work, but I’ll be asking Mrs. Ross about how you’re doing.”
Anthony’s eyes went wide. “You will?”
He signed, yes. “That means yes. Now, it’s time for you to make some new friends.”
His gaze went to the playground then back to Khalil. “I guess.” He handed Khalil the cell, waved and left to join a group of students playing basketball. They immediately welcomed him.
Khalil smiled and stood. If only things could be that simple for him. He walked back to where Lexia and Elyse stood with their mouths hanging open.
Elyse immediately reached for the cell. “How did you do that?”
He glimpsed over his shoulder just in time to see Anthony make a basket and receive a high five from a teammate. He shrugged. “He just needed to talk to someone who understands. Can you let me know how he’s doing?”
“You wouldn’t by chance want a job here?”
Khalil laughed and shook his head. He and Lexia said their goodbyes and made their way out to the front of the school. He walked her to her car and, being mindful that they were at a school, gave her a short kiss. Lexia waved, got into her car and drove off. It was a good thing because the desire blazing in her dark eyes had tempted him to carry her off and find someplace to finish what they’d started last night. He’d wanted to spend the entire night making love to her, then wake up and do it all over again. He froze in his tracks. Wake up and do it all again? That implied her spending the night and he never did morning afters. Ever. Maybe he needed to step back. He needed to focus on getting himself back on track with the new fitness center opening, including hiring a manager and dealing with Logan. He had a feeling that he’d be firing the man soon. That meant he had no time for getting caught up in any kind of relationship. Too late, an inner voice said. Lexia had gotten to him.
* * *
Lexia sat in her office later thinking about Khalil and how he’d handled the student. There was so much more to him, she realized and found herself falling harder and harder. Last night he’d set her body on fire and she hadn’t wanted him to stop. Visions of the encounter replayed in her mind and her eyes drifted closed. She could still feel the heat of his mouth on her breasts, the glide of his hand on her body and the intense climax.
“You okay, Lexia?”
Her eyes snapped open and she jerked upright in the chair. “Hey, Cam. Yeah, fine. What’s up?”
Cam observed her. “You sure? That guy not giving you trouble, is he?”
Khalil was definitely giving her trouble, but not in the way Cam meant. “No.”
“Okay. I just wanted to let you know that the guy is here to fix the window. I moved the tables and blocked off the area.”
“Thanks. How’s the job hunting going?”
He shrugged. “Feels like I’ve been out of the game a long time.”
Lexia paused. “Are you okay?”
“It’s nothing. I’m going out for a while.”
“You’re coming back, right?” She didn’t want him to go back onto the streets.
“Yeah, Lexi. And don’t even think about staying around until I do.”
“I won’t.” Cam was a grown man and could make his own decisions and, as his friend, she needed to let him do it. It didn’t stop her from being concerned, though. On the heels of his departure, Sam came in.
“You never said how things went with Khalil last night.”
“They went okay. We started with the first ten letters of the alphabet.”
“I’m not asking about that, and you know it. I want to know what happened after the lesson was over.”
“We watched a movie then he cooked dinner—fajitas. I know you were going to ask.” She had purposely left out the intimate parts.
Sam narrowed her eyes. “And he never kissed you once.”
“I didn’t say that. We...he...yes, he kissed me.” And touched her in ways that made her want to throw caution to the wind.
She grinned. “Now we’re getting somewhere. So, are you two dating exclusively?”
“No. And I don’t think it’s a good idea. In fact, now that he’s doing better, I—”
“Don’t even go there, Lexia. He hasn’t done anything to deserve you cutting him off at the knees.”
“I didn’t say he did. But he’s not looking for anything permanent, or temporary for that matter, and I don’t want to be a convenient one-night stand for him. I know some women have no problems doing that. I’m just not one of them. I’ve never been good at separating my heart and body.”
“You’re falling for him.”
Lexia didn’t comment.
“For what it’s worth, he seems like a good guy.”
“He is.”
“Give him a chance. Or at least let him mess up first,” Sam added with a laugh.
“Funny, Sam.”
“Seriously, though, give it a little more time before you decide.”
“I’ll think about it.” Although she said she’d consider it, Lexia had all but made up her mind to end things. No sense in dragging it out. That would only result in her potentially getting hurt again.
When her cell buzzed with a text from Khalil a while later, Lexia contemplated not answering, but decided it was now or never.
Khalil: Hey, beautiful. Are you going to be busy tomorrow evening?
Lexia: Hey. Actually, yes. I have some things to prepare for. How’s the studying coming?
Khalil: Not as fast as I’d like, but it’s coming.
Lexia: I was thinking now since you’re well on your way, you don’t need my help.
Khalil: So, we’re back to me being bad company again.
Lexia: No. I just don’t think we should continue to see each other. I’m not looking for an involvement.
A few minutes passed before he replied: I understand and you’re right. I have a lot on my plate right now and I need to concentrate on that. I’ll see you around.
She held the phone against her chest as disappointment filled her. She didn’t know what she expected him to say—maybe that he wanted them to continue seeing each other or something along those lines. But his response let her know that she had done the right thing.
* * *
Friday afternoon, Khalil sat with the design team at Gray Home Safety reviewing the first pieces of equipment that had been produced. He ran his hand over the curve of the two-pound dumbbell where the braille label would go. “It’s perfect.” They would be
making them from one pound up to twenty pounds, initially. Currently, he had three members who had low vision, all women, so he’d wait to have the team produce the heavier weights until the women tried them out and Khalil could determine their effectiveness. They discussed the production schedule and other details and, as the meeting ended, Brandon entered. He nodded and focused his attention on the papers the production manager handed him.
Once everyone cleared the room, Brandon propped a hip on the table. “How’s it going?”
Khalil briefed him on the particulars. “They did a great job. I think the label will fit nicely.”
“Good. I see you’ve removed the wrist brace.”
He flexed his wrist and fingers. “That thing was driving me crazy. It made my hand hurt worse.”
“What about everything else?”
“It is what it is.” Almost three weeks had passed and still not one sound in either ear.
Brandon dropped down into the chair next to Khalil. “Have you given any more thought into checking out some of the resources Dr. Moyer gave you?”
“No.” He hadn’t looked at them once after leaving the office. “But Lexia let me borrow her book on sign language.”
“Lexia? You’re seeing her?”
“Not seeing her really. Just hanging out.”
Brandon threw his head back and laughed.
Khalil frowned. “What’s so funny?”
“You. I warned you about her that first day. I’m telling you, if you keep ‘hanging out’—” he made quote marks in the air “—you’re going to end up in the same spot as Siobhan, Morgan and me. And don’t try to lie about not having feelings for her.”
“She’s a beautiful woman. Of course I’d be attracted to her. That doesn’t mean I’m ready to propose.”
“If memory served me correctly, you’ve already done that. All you need to do is set the date. I’m sure Mom would love that.”
Khalil leaned back in the leather chair and scrubbed a hand down his face. He’d forgotten about the teasing proposal he’d made to Lexia. And his mother. She’d taken an instant liking to Lexia, as evidenced by her extending an invitation to the family dinner. He didn’t even want to think about what would have happened if she’d come. Siobhan seemed to like her, as well, and he had no doubts that the rest of his family would feel the same. But after their conversation two days ago, it was a moot point. Lexia had asked for some space and he’d given it.
A Touch of Love Page 11