Before I Let You Go
Page 6
Diamere caught her arm just as she brushed past him. “Kelly, wait. I’m sorry. I’ll agree that things did get a little out of hand here, but there’s something about you that makes it hard for me to behave properly when you’re around.”
She saw the sincerity in his eyes, and knew what he meant firsthand. She had no control over her own emotions when she was around him, either.
“No harm done,” she replied, then looked over at the school to make sure Principal Combs’s office window wasn’t in plain view, sighing with relief when it wasn’t.
“Hey, why don’t you let me make it up to you and take you to a movie on Friday?”
Her brows rose. “What happened to dinner?”
His laugh was deep, warm and rich. “That, too. You can even have some popcorn if you want it.”
Smiling, she turned on her heel and moved toward her car. “I might just take you up on that offer. I’ll be in touch.”
Chuckling, he called after her, “Don’t keep me waiting too long.”
Kelly climbed into her car feeling better than she had in months. She would let Diamere sweat a little even though she had every intention of spending Friday evening with him. At the blink of an eye, Diamere Redmond had managed to wiggle his way back into her life. She wasn’t prepared yet to admit how she felt about that. But one thing was for sure—no matter what happened between them, she would never allow him to get close to her heart.
Chapter 6
On Wednesday, Diamere strolled into Hadley, located in downtown Philadelphia, shortly after ten o’clock in the morning. His secretary, Peaches, was already behind the desk with the phone to her ear. As soon as she saw him, she mouthed, “Good morning,” and held up a stack of telephone messages. He gave her a warm smile and took the pink slips of paper from her hand, thumbing through them as he moved into his large corner office and sat behind his mahogany desk. The callers were mostly alcohol sales representatives, eager to retain his business. As he reached the end of the stack, he paused at the only personal message. Ernestine Redmond, aka Nana. He had to smile. His grandmother had made sure Peaches wrote down a reminder that he was not to miss the annual recreational dance at the retirement home.
Two years ago, he’d had a fit when Nana mentioned selling his childhood home and moving into a fifty-five-plus retirement community. But after his grandfather’s death, Diamere realized that just because Pops had died, Nana hadn’t. In the last year he’d seen the eighty-five-year-old woman happier than she’d been since his grandfather had grown ill from liver disease and eventually passed away. Diamere visited Nana often at the retirement home and even attended a couple of social events, and of course was a hit with the ladies. The August dance was in two weeks. Diamere chuckled. There was no way he could forget. Peaches had left reminder messages on his computer, BlackBerry handheld and office calendar.
Diamere set the messages aside and logged on to his computer. The middle of the week was when he took care of all the business needs of his nightclubs. He had offices in all three, but Hadley was the most central location and where he spent the majority of his time conducting business.
“I was wondering if you were coming in today.”
He glanced up at his manager, whose massive chest and arms blocked the doorway, and grinned. Tony had been working for him since he opened for business. And not a day had passed that Diamere hadn’t thanked his lucky stars. “You forget I’m the boss.” Laughing, he rocked back in the chair. “How’d things go last night?” Tuesday was karaoke night at Hadley.
Shaking his head, Tony straightened in the doorway. “Nice crowd. I think the contest is really drawing people in.”
Diamere noted the lines at the corners of his mouth. “Good, then why the frown?” They’d been running a karaoke contest for the last three weeks. The top singer would win a VIP membership for one year, which included reserved parking in a prime spot out front.
Tony snorted as he moved into the office and approached the desk. “Because I had to let Carlos go last night. He was drunk again.”
Diamere lifted a brow. Carlos was one of his best bartenders. Unfortunately, he had an alcohol problem and had been caught on more than one occasion drinking on the job. Diamere had brought him into his office twice and counseled him before Carlos finally left him no choice but to give him a clear written warning that the next time he was caught drinking he would be terminated. It looked like that time had finally come.
“Carlos got into a shouting match with a customer who complained that he had mixed his drink incorrectly. Instead of making him another, Carlos argued with the man that he had been making drinks long enough to know how to make a proper dry martini. It was pretty embarrassing.”
Diamere gave him a hard stare. “I hope you calmed the customer.”
Tony nodded. “Yes. I apologized and gave him free drinks for the rest of the night and two VIP passes for him and a friend for the duration of the month.”
“Good job.” Customer service was important to Diamere. He didn’t take it lightly and expected the same of all his employees.
“I’ve already faxed an ad to the newspaper for a replacement.”
“Excellent. If Carlos gives you any problems just tell him to come and see me.”
“I’ll do just that.” Tony rose. “By the way, we’re already out of Grey Goose vodka.”
“We’ve got a lot of vodka drinkers in Philly,” Diamere said with a grin as he remembered one beauty in particular who loved cosmopolitans. “The distributor should be in later this afternoon. Go ahead and order an extra case.”
“Got it, boss.”
Diamere’s phone rang just as Tony excused himself and moved down the hall to his own office. “Hadley, Diamere Redmond speaking.”
“You know I hate having to call you at work. Why don’t you ever answer your home phone when your grandmother calls?”
A smile curled his lips at the sound of Ernestine Redmond’s voice. “Because I’m never at home, Nana. I told you, you can always reach me on my cell phone.”
She gave a snort. “That’s way too many numbers to remember.”
“Nana, I programmed it on your speed dial.”
“You kids and your technology. I’m lucky I remember to put my teeth in in the morning.”
He chuckled softly. “I got the messages you left with Peaches this morning. I just didn’t have a chance to call you.”
“Nice girl. Although, what was her mother thinking, calling her Peaches? Sounds like a piece of fruit or something.”
Diamere laughed out loud. His nana was definitely something else.
He had spent a lot of time with his grandmother, growing up, when his mother decided to go back to work after ten years of being a homemaker. Nana had been everything a grandmother should be—warm, caring and considerate—although Diamere knew firsthand that the feisty little woman wasn’t a pushover.
“Have you heard from my mother?” he asked curiously.
“Yes, she called me while visiting some country I couldn’t even begin to pronounce, and said she was having the time of her life. I guess I’ll have to go with her next year.”
Diana Redmond was currently on a seventeen-day cruise of the Mediterranean with her seniors travel club. It was supposed to have been a mother-daughter vacation, but at the last minute Nana had declined. “How are you feeling?” he asked, suddenly concerned about her health.
“Fabulous for an old lady.”
Diamere rested his elbow on the desk. “I’m glad to hear it. If you’re calling to remind me about the August dance, I haven’t forgotten.”
“Good, but that’s not why I phoned. I’m doing a head count for the buffet and wanted to know if you were bringing a date.”
Oh, boy. “I wasn’t planning on bringing anyone.”
“It would please a dying old woman if you did.”
“Nana, you’re not dying.”
She snorted rudely. “Fiddlesticks. I’m eighty-five years old. God could come calling
tomorrow, and I want to at least see you happy before I leave for heaven.”
“I am happy.”
“Oh, for heaven’s sake! I want to see you happy with a good woman by your side, baking you cakes and pies.”
“Now, Nana, if I had some woman doing that, what would be left for you to do?”
“Hug and kiss my great-grandbabies.”
He knew how hurt she had been when they’d found out the twins weren’t really his. Ryan, who’d always had a soft spot for Ernestine, had been at least compassionate enough to agree to still bring the twins up to see her when in Philadelphia visiting her parents.
“Could you at least think about bringing a date?”
Diamere blew out a defeated breath. “Okay, I’ll think about it.”
“Good. I’ll mark you down for two.”
He chuckled, then listened as she told him about one of the residents getting caught skinny-dipping in the pool, before Nana finally hung up to watch her soap operas.
As he skimmed through his e-mails, Diamere found himself thinking about his grandmother’s request. A date. Bringing a woman to meet Nana was something he didn’t believe in doing unless he was serious. He didn’t want to give any woman the wrong impression. After Ryan, marriage was definitely the last thing on his mind. He wouldn’t say he’d never get married again, but it wasn’t a road he was interested in traveling anytime soon.
As he thought about possible dates, he realized there wasn’t anyone he’d gone out with in the last six months that he would even consider taking to the dance. Most of the women he met weren’t interested in a strictly sexual, no-strings-attached relationship. In his thirty-five years he’d run into every type of female imaginable. After several regrets he’d figured out how to weed out the needy, clingy women and the ones who sought commitment. Then there were the ones in it for the money. But he rarely found a woman who wasn’t looking for anything other than a few laughs and some sweet loving on occasion.
Diamere laced his fingers behind his head as he thought about the past several months. After his breakup with Ryan, he’d vowed to never become involved in another serious relationship. And to insure there were no misunderstandings, he was honest with women from day one that he wasn’t looking for anything long-term. He made it his policy to never date women who frequented his club or worked for him. Both were recipes for disaster. But he was a natural flirt. He knew that and couldn’t do anything about it. It was part of his charm. Nevertheless, he didn’t need a woman watching his every move and getting upset if he paid someone else a little too much attention. As far as he was concerned it was good customer service. That’s why dating a woman where he worked was definitely a no-no. Inviting one back to his place was out, as well. The last thing he needed was someone popping up unannounced. Nope. None of the women he dated knew where he lived, and he preferred it that way.
Until now.
Diamere leaned back in his seat as a particular slender beauty came to mind. Kelly was different from all of those other women. Part of it was because he had known her for almost half his life, and that in itself made her special. His door would always be open to her.
Staring out the window, he thought about inviting Kelly to his place and how welcome he wanted her to feel. So comfortable that she’d be lying across his bed, naked, waiting…. Diamere groaned at the sudden heat that traveled to his loins. He was torturing himself, but he truly couldn’t get her off his mind. Their last kiss still haunted him. He remembered pulling back and staring down at her lips, which were moist, swollen, parted. And then there had been those luminous cinnamon eyes that widened so expressively. She had felt it, too. There was no denying the heat and passion burning between them.
His lips curled at the thought of her beautiful mocha face. Ever since lunch at Clarence’s he’d been thinking about her. One thing he had always admired about Kelly was that she had no idea how beautiful she really was. He also loved the way she tried to act as if she wasn’t attracted to him. The way she blushed when he asked her out and the way she tried to deny what she was feeling. She made it clear she wasn’t looking for anything long-term. And that was perfect. He missed her smile. Holding her in his arms. Her touch. Her taste. Friday couldn’t come soon enough.
Dammit, he thought. He was doing it again. Getting ahead of himself. So far Kelly hadn’t even called to confirm their date. Oh, brother. He now had a serious hard-on and the only woman who could satisfy him was Kelly. Soon kisses wouldn’t be enough. He was going to want to explore her body and get to know it well. For years he’d admired her from a distance, and now he wanted to examine her up close. She aroused everything about him that was male, and he knew whatever type of relationship they decided to share, it would be different from anything he’d had with any other woman.
Without thinking, Diamere picked up the phone and dialed Mark’s cell. While he waited for him to answer, he chuckled. In all this haste to get to know Kelly again, he’d forgotten to ask for her phone number.
Kelly stepped into her condo and immediately slipped her mules off her feet, padding barefoot toward her bedroom at the end of the hallway. While she moved, she quickly thumbed through her mail and paused at the last piece—a light blue envelope. Her address had been typed and there was no return address. Her lips twisted. She had a pretty good idea who the card was from. Quickly, she took a seat on her queen-size bed and broke the seal with one French nail. She slipped out the card and read it.
“Please forgive me and the error of my ways. I still love you.”
Kelly pursed her lips and tossed the card aside. There was no point in reading any more. It was from Devin, and she didn’t want to hear or read anything he had to say. This wasn’t the first time he’d tried to contact her. No, there had been so many phone calls that she had been forced to change her number. There had been so many flowers and gifts, all of which found their way to the nearest trash can. The same place this card is going, she thought as she moved back down the hall to her large, spacious kitchen and removed a bottle of water from the stainless steel refrigerator. Just thinking about Devin made her blood boil. Did he really think she would forgive him after what he had done to her? She snorted at the thought and took a swallow of water. Her mama hadn’t raised a fool. There was no way in the world Kelly would ever consider taking him back. That was one pain she wished to never feel again, which was why she had no intention of letting another man get that close to her.
The phone on the wall rang, startling her to the point that she choked on a swig of water. She reached for the receiver and coughed until she found the breath to say, “Hello.”
“You okay?”
Kelly immediately recognized the caller’s voice and started coughing again. Goodness. It was Diamere. “I’m fine. Just choking on my water.”
“Oh, for a moment there I thought maybe I had that type of effect on you.”
She hesitated, then asked, “Who is this?”
He paused, obviously stunned by her response. Kelly chuckled inwardly. That’s what he gets for being so cocky.
“You mean to tell me you don’t know who’s speaking?”
A smile touched Kelly’s lips. “No,” she said, and leaned back against the chocolate granite countertop. “I don’t.”
“Yes, you do. I can hear your smile.”
She quickly forced her lips downward. “How can you hear a smile?”
“Easily. I know your voice and I know how you sound when those beautiful lips of yours are curled upward. Like right now.”
“Diamere, you think you know me.”
He chuckled. “I know you quite well. Just like I know you were pretending not to know it was me on the phone. But I forgive you.”
“Thanks…I think,” she replied with a giggle.
“You’re quite welcome. Although, for giving me such a hard time, I think you now owe me.”
“Owe you?” she repeated.
“Yep. You owe me a big favor. Actually, it’s for my nana.”
“The retirement center where she lives needs volunteers to help with their annual dance.”
“That sounds simple enough. What would I have to do?”
“Just look beautiful and make sure the residents are having a good time,” Diamere began in a low, composed tone. “Especially the male residents. Some of them haven’t seen a beautiful woman like you in a long while.”
Kelly couldn’t stop smiling. “So my job is to entertain little old men?”
“Yep. I think you’ll make quite a few of them very happy.”
His words caused her heart to flutter.
“So, can I depend on your help?” he pressed.
How in the world could she say no to an event that benefited the elderly? “Sure. I’d be glad to lend a hand.”
“Thanks. Nana will appreciate it.” There was a noticeable pause. “So, are we on for this Friday?”
“Yes, unless you’ve changed your mind.”
“No. I’m looking forward to it.”
She smiled. “So am I.”
“Well, I’ll see you then, Kellis Michele Saunders.”
“You, too, Diamere Travis Redmond.”
Hanging up the receiver, Kelly returned to her bedroom, retrieved Devin’s card and tossed it into the trash.
Chapter 7
“I heard through the grapevine you’ve got a date tomorrow?”
Glancing up from her desk, Kelly spotted Essence sashaying into her classroom, eyes dancing with mischief. Kelly playfully rolled her eyes and lowered her pen. “I don’t even need to guess who’s been running his mouth.”
Essence laughed and leaned back, resting her weight against a student’s desk in the front row. “And I suppose you weren’t going to tell me.” She even had the nerve to look offended. Kelly knew her well enough not to fall for that.