After Dark

by Donna Hill

  “Ron is a real nice guy. I think you’d like him.” Once the words were out of her mouth she couldn’t believe she was talking to her father about another man in her mother’s life.

  “Do you?” he asked, biting into his sandwich.

  “Yeah. He’s cool.”

  Matthew nodded. “Maybe I’ll get to meet him one day.”

  Dawne’s brows rose. “Are we going to turn into one of those ‘modern’ families?”

  Matthew chuckled. “Looks that way. Finish your sandwich so we can go over this stuff.”

  “I love you, Dad,” she said softly.

  “I know,” came his gentle reply.

  By the time Dawne left several hours later, he’d come to a decision about his treatment. First thing tomorrow, he was going to see Dr. Chavis.

  On the drive home to her studio apartment in the West Village, Dawne thought about her visit with her father. She was glad that she went. She’d been irrationally angry at her mother and owed her an apology. She remembered, all too well, how hurt her mother had been, how devastated. Yes, her mother did deserve to be happy and, if she was happy with Ron, then so be it.

  Her father’s health crisis had been an awakening for all of them. Life was too short to hold resentments. She was letting hers go. Her entire belief in marriage had been shaken. When she’d looked at her parents, it made her believe in forever. But she couldn’t build her life on the image of someone else. She had to do that on her own, which made her think of Brian.

  She smiled. He was just the kind of guy she’d been looking for. He reminded her in many ways of her father; good-looking, hardworking, focused. She was definitely going to give it her all. She just hoped he didn’t have any skeletons in his closet.

  Chapter 18

  He knew he should have never gone to the spa, unofficially. He should have never spoken to Mrs. Lewis. If it ever got out, the entire case, for what it was worth, would be compromised. But, in his estimation, it was going nowhere fast. Now he also had Dawne to consider. He wanted to get to know her. But what would she think if she found out that he was investigating her mother’s boyfriend, or worse, what if his superiors found out about his involvement with her and her connections to the case?

  The best thing to do was to wrap this up as quickly as possible, clear this Powers guy and move on. But what if he couldn’t?

  His phone rang.

  “Jennings.”

  “Hi, Brian. It’s Dawne.”

  He turned his back to the opening of his cubicle and lowered his voice. “Hey, how are you?”

  “Good. I was thinking about you and thought I’d call. Busy on some great mystery over there?” she teased.

  “Yeah, something like that.”

  “Listen, I was just calling to confirm about tonight. We’re still on, right?”

  “Sure. I’ll pick you up at seven.”

  “Great. At the restaurant. I won’t have time to go home if we want to make the show.”

  “I’ll be there.”

  “Looking forward to seeing you.”

  “Me, too,” he said.

  He slowly hung up the phone. At least, thinking about his first date with Dawne would hopefully make the day fly by.

  “So, you ready for your big date with Brian tonight?” Desiree asked as they worked side by side in the kitchen preparing the ingredients for the house special—soup.

  Dawne beamed. “Yeah. I’m excited. Haven’t been on a real date in ages.”

  “That’s cause you’re too hard on men. You expect all of them to be like Dad.”

  “Is that so wrong? Dad is a good guy and he was my first love,” she said in a feigned dreamy voice. “I went to see him last night.”

  Desiree stopped cutting the celery. “You did? And?”

  “We had a long talk about a lot of things, the mistakes he made, his love for us and Mom. I felt really sorry for him. Mom was his whole world but he blew it and now he’s regretting it. But…he did say he wants her to be happy, that’s the most important thing to him. I owe Mom an apology. I was really ugly, yesterday.”

  “Who you telling? But she understands.”

  “I finally got him to decide on his treatment. He promised me that he was going to see his doctor today.”

  “Oh, thank goodness.” She breathed a sigh of relief. “Mom will be relieved to hear that.”

  “I’ll give her a call later.”

  “Good. Make sure that you do. So where are you and Brian going tonight?”

  “We are going to The Comedy Club. We have reservations for the first show.”

  “That should be fun and not too demanding.”

  “Exactly. I thought about an intimate dinner, but I didn’t want to put any pressure on him.”

  “You really like this guy, huh?”

  She grinned. “Yeah. I mean, we haven’t had a lot of time to get to know each other. Just talking here at the restaurant. But there’s something about him that appeals to me.”

  “I hope it works out. He seems nice. What exactly does he do for the FBI, anyway? That always sounds so ominous to me.”

  “I know. He doesn’t really say.” She shrugged. “Guess it’s top secret stuff—His eyes only.”

  “You’re silly.” She added her ingredients to the simmering pot then wiped her hands on her apron. “I’m all done here. I’m going to check up front and see how things are going.”

  She thought about her sister’s question regarding Brian and his job. It was a bit disconcerting not knowing what he did. Maybe she’d find a way to bring it up during the evening, see what he said.

  The day flew by relatively quickly. Before she realized, it was already six o’clock. Brian would be arriving in an hour. She went to the back to the employees’ rest room with her change of clothes and makeup bag. She applied fresh makeup and put on a brand-new pair of Apple Bottom jeans and an light pullover sweater, ran a comb through her hair and was ready.

  When she came out front, she was surprised to see Ron and Ali sitting at a table in the back. Her one-sided argument with her mother the day before regarding Ron rushed to mind.

  One of the new waitresses they’d recently hired was taking their order. She went over, anyway.

  “Hello, guys,” she greeted.

  Ron looked up and smiled. “Hello, yourself.”

  “You’re looking mighty nice. Hot date?”

  She grinned. “Something like that.”

  Inwardly, Ron cringed and wondered if the hot date was with Agent Jennings. He didn’t have to wait long to find out. The chimes over the door rang and Brian walked in.

  He stopped short at the door when he saw Ron and Ali talking with Dawne but quickly recovered.

  Dawne broke out in a grin and walked over to greet him.

  “What the hell is going on?” Ali whispered.

  “I’ll tell you about it later. Just be cool.”

  Dawne walked over arm-in-arm with Brian. “Ron, Ali, this is my friend, Brian Jennings.”

  Ron held his breath wondering how this was going to go down.

  Brian extended his hand to Ron, then Ali.

  “Nice to meet you both.”

  “Ron is a good friend of my mother’s,” Dawne said. “Actually, he was the contractor who worked on the spa.”

  “Really? I happened to stop by the other day.

  I’d heard so much about it.” He focused on Ron.

  “Outstanding job.”

  “Thank you,” he said.

  “Well, we better get going,” Dawne said to Brian.

  “Yeah, don’t want to be late.” He turned his attention to the men at the table. “Good to meet you both.”

  “Uh, same here,” Ali muttered. “What the hell was that?” he asked the instant they’d walked out the door.

  “I should have told you. Apparently, Dawne and Mr. G-man went to school together. He stopped in the restaurant one day and they reconnected.”

  Ali ran his hand across his face. “Geez. What are the odds
of that?”

  “New York. Go figure.”

  “So what kind of game is he playing?”

  “I have no idea. But, apparently—at least for the time being—he’s gonna act like everything is cool.”

  Ali looked toward the door. “Yeah, for the time being.”

  “What ever made you decide to go into the FBI?” Dawne was asking during intermission at The Comedy Club.

  He picked up his drink of rum and coke and took a thoughtful sip. “Well, obviously going to John Jay College for Criminal Justice had me thinking about law enforcement. I knew I didn’t want to be an attorney and I didn’t want the stress of being a cop on the street.”

  “Yes, that is definitely a job that takes more than heart to do every day. But, unfortunately, the climate for police on the street is at an all time low. With all the shootings of unarmed men, the profiling. It’s just a bad time all around.” She shook her head sadly.

  “Exactly. Anyway, I think this was after you’d left John Jay, but there was a seminar and they brought in some speakers from the agency. I was impressed. But I was also taken by the lack of black agents. That’s where I thought I could make a difference on an even broader scale than local law enforcement.”

  She nodded. “Hmm. Makes sense.” She glanced across at him. “So what are you working on now?”

  He grinned. “Stuff,” he offered. “I really can’t discuss ongoing cases.”

  “Can’t blame a girl for trying. As long as you’re trying to make a difference,” she said.

  The statement sat in the center of his chest like a fist. Right now, he was doing just the opposite of the main reason why he joined. As an agent, you were supposed to be objective and not let your personal feelings and prejudices interfere with your performance or your judgment. He knew both were compromised. He didn’t believe in what he was doing to Ron Powers which contradicted everything he’d sworn to uphold.

  The intermission ended and the comedy resumed. Dawne reached across the table and took his hand as she laughed at the comic on stage and Brian’s conscience gave him another kick in the ribs.

  “Thanks for a really great night. I can’t remember the last time I had so much fun,” Dawne said as they sat in Brian’s car in front of her apartment building.

  “Me, too. I really don’t get out much.”

  “Then, maybe we can do it again sometime.”

  “I’d like that.”

  That awkward last moment of indecision hovered between them. Dawne, not one to wait for opportunity to present itself, made her own opportunity and leaned over and kissed him.

  His lips were so soft, were her first thoughts, just as she imagined and when he put his arm around her and drew her close, she’d never felt that something could be more right.

  His kiss was gentle and tender, so opposite of his very rigid persona. With his close-cut hair and clean-shaven face, no distinguishing marks, he could easily blend into a crowd, which worked well for the kind of work he did. But beneath that very controlled exterior, was a sensuality that burned just beneath the surface. That’s the Brian that Dawne wanted to get to know.

  Slowly, she eased back and watched his brown eyes slowly open. She smiled. “That was nice.”

  He almost looked shy for a moment, and that endeared him to her all the more.

  “We’ll have to try that again, too.”

  She sighed. “I better get inside.” But she didn’t move.

  “I’ll call you.”

  She opened the car door to the cool evening air. “Good night,” she said before getting out, then closed the door behind her. She trotted up to the front steps of her building, turned and waved, then pushed through the heavy glass-and-chrome door.

  For several moments, Brian sat in his car. Dawne was a great girl. He knew, just from the times they’d talked at the restaurant, that he wanted to get to know her better. After tonight, he was positive that this was a relationship that he wanted to pursue. But at what cost?

  Dawne got out of her clothes and put on her oversized nightshirt. She crawled under the covers and turned out the light. She smiled contentedly, very pleased with herself. Whether Brian Jennings realized it or not, she was going after him full-steam ahead.

  Her phone rang. She couldn’t imagine who it could be at this hour. She peered at the caller ID and grinned.

  “Yes, Desi…”

  “Are you alone?”

  “Yes! Do you think I’d bring a man home on the first date?”

  “No telling with you. So how was it?”

  Dawne purred. “Really nice. I’m mean, really nice. He’s attentive, funny, smart, good to look at. And the man can kiss.”

  “And he’s gainfully employed,” Desi added.

  They laughed.

  “I’m glad it worked out.”

  “Me, too.”

  “So I take it, you’re going to see him again.”

  “That’s the plan. He’s going to call me.”

  “You sound really happy, sis.”

  “You know, I am.” She giggled. “Anyway, I need to get some sleep and so do you.”

  “See you tomorrow.”

  “’Night.”

  Dawne hung up and rested her hands atop the covers. She was happy and she hoped it only got better.

  Adam Collins sat outside Dawne’s apartment building and watched Brian drive off. What the hell was going on?

  Chapter 19

  “Dawne and I had an ugly falling out the other day,” Elizabeth was saying to Ron.

  He was working on a wooden rack for her massive collection of jazz LPs, some real treasures.

  “What happened?”

  She told him about the conversation and how Dawne had flipped on her. Basically accusing her of abandoning her father in favor of him.

  He put his tools down and looked at her over his shoulder. “You’re kidding?”

  She shook her head. “I wish I was.” She got up from being curled in the lounge chair and came to sit next to him on the floor. “Something else I need to tell you.”

  “Do I need a beer first?”

  She chucked him in the arm. “I spoke with Matt.”

  His expression grew serious. “And?”

  “He told me the real reason for his affair.”

  “His real reason?” he asked incredulously. He was already getting himself agitated. Every time he thought about what Matthew had but Ellie through, he wanted to push his fist through a wall.

  Elizabeth put her hand on his shoulder. She could see him puffing up with every breath. “He, apparently, knew something was wrong with him long before the divorce….”

  As Ron listened to her explain Matthew’s rationale, he could almost sympathize with the man. For the most part, men valued themselves on several criteria, being able to provide for their families and being able to satisfy a woman. When one of those variables went out of sync they tended to lose not only their way but their sense of self. But the bigger question was, why was Elizabeth telling him all of this?

  “Now that you know the truth, do you feel that the divorce was a mistake?” he asked once she was done.

  She lowered her gaze and tugged on her bottom lip with her teeth.

  “Ellie? Was it a mistake? Are you planning to go back to him?”

  Her eyes flew to his face and saw the subtle fear in the tightening of his brows.

  “It’s not as simple as that.”

  Ron put down his chisel, brushed his hands on his jeans and stood. He looked down at her. “Whatever you have to say, spit it out. I’m a big boy.”

  “What I’m trying to say is that of course the divorce was a mistake. It was a mistake because it was carried out under false pretenses.”

  Ron’s insides took a nosedive. He didn’t want to hear anymore.

  “I went through with it because Matthew cheated on me with another woman and I firmly believed that he didn’t love me anymore.”

  “Fine, Ellie. I get it okay. You now realize your ex-husban
d still loves you and that your divorce was a mistake. He’s sick and needs you. I get it.”

  “Yep. Exactly.” She stood up and grabbed him by the arm turning him to face her. She stared into his eyes. “And I’m in love with you. What Matthew did to me can’t be undone. I’ll admit, there was a moment when I thought that maybe we could make it work.” She frowned and shook her head. “I won’t go backward. Not at this stage of my life.”

  “But are you still in love with him, Ell? You need to be sure, and I damn sure do, too.”

  “I will always love Matthew, at least, the man that I married. But, no, I’m not in love with him. I’ll help him through this crisis when I can. But I’m not going to allow him to play the guilt card with me. And I’m not going to allow him to interfere with us.” Her voice softened. “Because us is too important to me.”

  The hard lines of his face eased. He blew out a long breath. “Why you have to beat around the bush like that to tell a brotha you love him?” He fought to keep a straight face.

  “Anything worth having is worth waiting for,” she whispered.

  He angled his head slightly to the side and put his arms around her waist. “I’ve been waiting for you for a long time, baby, and I’m thinking we need to make this more official than me just asking and you saying yes.”

  She frowned in confusion. “What do you mean?”

  “I want to put something big, brilliant and expensive on that finger of yours.”

  Her heart fluttered in her chest. She grinned up at him, her eyes sparkling. “How big?”

  He took her hand and pressed it to his chest. “As big as all that’s in this old heart for you.”

  Her eyes suddenly filled. “I love you, Ronald Powers,” she choked out.

  “I think I’m starting to believe you.” He lowered his head and took her mouth in a hungry, urgent kiss that stunned them with the unexpected intensity.

  “We can’t keep this up,” she said breathlessly against his mouth.