“We only came back to each other because it was convenient, not because we cared for each other. I don’t love her.”
She was quiet for a few seconds. “Who is this woman?” The change in subject meant he’d won the argument as it related to Bridget. His mother may have an engineer’s mind, but she also believed in love. “And why did you introduce her to the media before us?”
“Introducing her to the media first wasn’t intentional.” Calculated to prevent fallout, but not to disregard his family.
“You’re showing her off for damage control,” she said as if she’d caught him cheating on a final exam. “Your father heard about the incident.”
Of course his father knew. “We were together before the appearance.”
“Not for long. You’d just split with Bridget a few days earlier.”
His mother never questioned him this hard about the women he’d occasionally been seen with when he wasn’t with Bridget. He was sure they would have been happy with whomever he ultimately fell in love with even if the woman wasn’t Bridget. This was something different.
“What are you getting at?” he asked.
“We’re coming to see you before you leave for training camp. We want to meet her,” she said in a no-nonsense voice that meant the bags were packed and plane tickets purchased.
“Mom—”
“Obviously you went through a lot of trouble to clean things up where this woman—”
“Angela.”
“Where Angela is concerned. For years, you’ve never walked away from Bridget for any other pretty face that’s crossed your path. Nor have you introduced a woman to the media. If you’re going to be serious about her, then we want to meet her.”
“And you’ll do a background check on her before you come.” He was only half-teasing.
“No. We’ll let you reveal all her dirty secrets to us in person,” his mom said sweetly.
They talked for a few more minutes before saying goodbye. He swore under his breath before going back into the locker room for his stuff. Mark Simmons, one of his teammates who’d been drafted the previous year, stopped him. Isaiah concealed his frustration. He had no problems with Mark, but they weren’t close. Mark was brash, cocky and liked flaunting the money, women and privilege that came with being a professional athlete.
“Isaiah, I saw your girl at Sweethearts last night.” Mark licked his lips. “She’s pretty fine. I might get her to serve me every time I go.” Mark giggled as if he’d just said something funny.
“What did you just say?” Isaiah glared and stepped to Mark.
Mark’s eyes widened but he didn’t back down. “I know you ain’t rolling up on me over that chick.”
Isaiah pointed in Mark’s face. “That’s my girl, not some chick. Don’t talk about her like that.”
“Don’t get mad at me because she’s one of the packages there. Me and a hundred other fellas are checking out all her assets every night.”
Isaiah lunged forward, but Kevin held him back. “Hold up. Not in here. This ain’t worth it.”
Mark shook his head. “Listen to your boy.” He walked out.
Isaiah shook off Kevin’s arm. “I’m good.”
“You sure, man?”
“Yes. He needs to watch his mouth.”
Kevin stepped forward. “And you need to fix your reaction,” he said in a low voice so the other players in the locker room couldn’t hear. “Angela is cool, but she does work in a strip club. Mark won’t be the only guy trying to get under your skin with that. If you’re going to be with her, then you gotta accept that.”
Kevin hit his shoulder, then gave him a look that said, “You good?” Isaiah nodded, but he wasn’t good. He grabbed his stuff and left the arena. Kevin was right. Hell, opponents would try to use Angela to get under his skin. It happened all the time. Just last season Jacobe had almost missed the playoffs because of a personal jab on the court. As long as she worked there, his relationship with her was an open target.
Chapter 22
Cory practically skipped next to Angela as she walked into the main office of her apartment complex to pay the rent. Despite getting fired, she focused on the good and kept a bounce to her step. She’d find another job, Cory hadn’t had a teenage meltdown in weeks and things were going really well with her and Isaiah. Life could be a lot worse.
“Are you sad Isaiah has to leave for training camp?” Cory asked.
She glanced at him with a smile. “I’m going to miss him, but I’m not sad. It’s a part of his job.” Even though it was a Saturday and she would have raked in on tips that were desperately needed, she’d asked Z to let her have the night off since Isaiah would leave for training at the end of the week. She didn’t want to spend his last weekend in town serving drinks to strangers.
“I’m surprised you didn’t ask me to hang with Nate tonight.” Cory opened the door to the office for her.
“You’ll miss him as much as I do, plus, he wanted both of us to come over for dinner,” she said. The cool air of the office was welcome after the heat outside. “You two will probably ignore me while you play video games half the night anyway.”
Cory laughed and followed her inside. “Yeah, that sounds about right.”
Not that she cared. Cory would pass out from videogame overload and then she and Isaiah would have plenty of alone time. Her lips lifted in a smile and her body shivered in anticipation.
She walked over to the drop box for the checks and pulled the envelope with next month’s rent out of her purse. Thankfully, she had some savings and wouldn’t struggle too hard over the upcoming month. School started for her and Cory when Isaiah got back. Not working would free up time for her to study during the day while Cory was at school.
Sheila, the weekend property manager, came out of the office and grinned. “Hey, Angela, what are you doing here?”
Angela held up her envelope. “Paying the rent for next month.”
Sheila’s eyebrows drew together. “Why?”
“So I’ll have a place to stay for another thirty days?”
“Don’t be silly,” Sheila said with a hand wave. “Your rent is covered for the next six months.”
Angela cocked her head to the side. “What are you talking about?”
Sheila’s eyes widened. “I thought you knew. He didn’t say it was a surprise.”
“Who didn’t say it was a surprise?” Angela asked sharply.
“Your boyfriend, Isaiah Reynolds. He stopped by earlier this week and covered your rent. There’s only six months left on your lease, so that’s what he covered. I do hope you’ll consider renewing with us after that time.”
Angela crushed the envelope in her hand. He’d paid her rent. Without consulting her or saying anything. She’d asked him to wait and let her try to figure things out first. Why hadn’t he? Did he think she couldn’t handle herself? Did he think she’d want him to spend money on her like this? Was that what he thought their relationship was about?
She wouldn’t become dependent on him. She wouldn’t become dependent on anyone. Depending on someone increased the risk of struggling even harder when they left her high and dry. She wasn’t going through that again.
“Thank you for telling me. I didn’t know.” She looked at Cory. “Come on, let’s go.”
Cory didn’t say anything as he followed her out of the office. Once they were in the car he gave her a wary glance. “What’s wrong? I thought you’d be happy about having the rent paid.”
Angela used the time it took to back out of the parking space to take a deep breath and get her frustration under control. When they were out of the complex she spoke. “I appreciate his effort, but he shouldn’t have done that without talking to me first.”
“Maybe he wanted to surprise you. There’s nothing
wrong with surprising you, is there?” Cory sounded genuinely confused.
“We’d already talked and I told him I didn’t want him to step in. I have things under control. For him to step in and take over like that after I asked him not to means he doesn’t respect my wishes.”
Cory plucked at a string on the edge of his gray khaki shorts. “Or he just really likes you and wants to help. Like when you tell me to eat my vegetables because they’re good for me.”
“Not the same.”
“Sounds the same.” Cory’s phone chimed and he got sucked into a text conversation.
Angela welcomed the interruption. She didn’t know how to explain the dynamics of relationships to Cory. He’d seen her look for a job every day. They’d make it through the upcoming month and then the next. The third month would be hard. She couldn’t lie; not having to worry about rent would be a relief, but that didn’t mean Isaiah could just step in and handle her life.
Cory focused on his phone for the remainder of the time it took to get to Isaiah’s place. There were two cars there besides his that she didn’t recognize. Maybe a few of his teammates, which meant she’d have to save the discussion about him overstepping his bounds until later.
They got out of the car and rang the bell. Isaiah answered the door. His face brightened the second he saw her. Her heart fluttered and tightened. Damn, she was crazy about him.
“Right on time,” Isaiah said. “Come on in.”
He gave Cory a shoulder-bump hug. When he pulled her into his arms for a hug and then kissed her neck, her body hummed. She was really crazy about him.
You’re mad at him, too.
She stiffened and pulled back. Isaiah frowned but since Cory watched them she didn’t want to get into the argument now.
“I saw cars out front,” she said quickly. “Do you have friends over?”
His smile was a little tight. “Not really. Come on in.” He took her hand and led her and Cory farther inside. “My family is here.”
Angela stopped walking. Her heart froze, then rushed to catch up with her whirling thoughts. “Your family?” she asked tightly. She tugged on her plain navy maxi dress and smoothed her hair. “You didn’t tell me they would be here.”
“Surprise?” he said with a half grin. He tugged on her hand. “Come on, it won’t be bad. They came to town to see me before training camp.”
“I could have come later, or another day.”
“I want them to meet you. And they want to meet you, too.” She must have made a look because concern filled his gaze and he stepped closer. “It’s not a big deal. They’re in town, I want to spend time with you before I go, that’s all. Don’t panic.”
“I’m not panicking.” Her voice sounded calm. Her palms were sweaty. Maybe she was slightly panicked. “I’m just caught off guard.”
“Don’t worry.” He squeezed her hand reassuringly. “They’ll love you just as much as I do.”
Angela couldn’t breathe again. He loved her? Did he mean that the way she thought he did, or was he just reassuring her? How did she feel if it was the first way? He must have taken her stunned silence as her being okay with moving forward, because he nodded to Cory and took them outside to the patio.
The small amount of time it took to get to the patio out back wasn’t enough to let her brain register everything that was happening. He’d paid her rent, was introducing her to his parents and kinda said he loved her. Everything was too much, too soon. She needed time to process. She liked the idea of where their relationship seemed to be going, but not this quickly. If she wasn’t careful she’d cave to the urge to dive headfirst into this and he’d snatch everything away just as quickly. She’d be left with nothing but fond memories and the confirmation she could only rely on herself again.
His entire family really had come into town. Four people sat around a glass table, sipping lemonade and soaking up the sunshine. The smell of charcoal from a grill nearby filled the air. His parents were easy to pick out. The handsome older couple suited each other. His dad was just as tall as Isaiah, with the same pecan-brown complexion and expressive eyes. He looked relaxed in a pair of dark slacks and a polo shirt. His mom gave Angela a friendly, if not guarded, smile. Her salt-and-pepper hair was cut short to complement her heart-shaped face, and the peach-colored sundress draped her curvy figure and enhanced her dark skin.
His mother came over to Angela and clasped one of her hands. “Angela, it’s so great to finally meet you. We’ve heard so much about you.” He voice was warm, her shoulders relaxed, but her eyes were sharp as they watched Angela closely.
Exactly whom had she heard so much about Angela from? “It’s nice to meet you, too, Mrs. Reynolds. This is my nephew, Cory.”
“Call me Linda,” she said before releasing her hand and smiling at Cory. “Such a tall boy. How old are you?”
“Almost fourteen,” Cory said with teenage pride.
Linda laughed. “I remember when my boys were that age. They ate me out of house and home.”
“That’s the same thing Auntie always says,” Cory said with a smile.
Linda nodded and focused back on Angela. “He lives with you?”
“Yes.”
Linda waited, but Angela offered no other explanation.
Linda nodded slightly and one eyebrow quirked just a fraction. “Isaiah, introduce your lady to the rest of the family.”
Isaiah’s father was nice and watched her with the same underlying skepticism she’d sensed in Linda. His brother, Tim, resembled Isaiah without an athlete’s build and was a few inches shorter. His fiancée, April, a stylish woman who eyed Angela with obvious curiosity in her light brown gaze, greeted her next.
Isaiah and Angela settled on one of the outdoor sofas. Cory asked Isaiah if he could play a video game upstairs in the media room, but Linda said there was no reason for him to run off and suggested they all get to know each other.
Cory opted to help the men work the grill. Linda and April chatted with Angela. “We already made a salad and coleslaw for later,” Linda said. “We’ll let the men handle the burning of the meat.”
The conversation flowed easily and stayed away from anything sensitive. After about thirty minutes, Angela felt more relaxed. Though Linda watched her closely, she didn’t pry or make Angela feel uncomfortable. After they ate and talked a little more, Angela had almost forgotten she was mad at Isaiah.
She went inside to get more ice and Isaiah followed her in. He walked up behind her at the fridge and wrapped his arms around her waist. “Is it bad that I can’t wait for my family to get the hell out of the house so we can have some time together?”
Angela chuckled and leaned back into the strength of his embrace. “Cory will still be here.”
“Yes, but Cory is easily distracted by video games.” He kissed the side of her neck, then inhaled deeply. “You smell delicious.”
Angela turned in his arms and hugged his waist. She made sure to keep her glass with the ice in it off his back. “Then you’ll have to taste me later.”
He groaned and kissed her hard. When they came up for air he didn’t let her go. “I think my family likes you.”
“You’re lucky your family is here. I was angry at you when I came over.”
His eyebrows drew together and he pulled back. “Why?”
She pulled out of his embrace. Mustering indignation was hard when she was in his arms. “You paid my rent for six months. Why did you do that?”
He shrugged as if that was no big deal. “I didn’t want you to worry while you got your finances in order.”
His nonchalance turned up her anger real quick. “I’m not worried. I have a handle on things.”
“Why are you upset? That’s one less thing to worry about during your last semester.” He rubbed the back of his neck. “You won’t have
to work so many hours at the club.”
Her suspicions peaked. “Working those extra hours is the reason I have things under control. I don’t need to be rescued.”
“Well, I don’t need my woman working harder than she has to when I can step in and make things easier.”
“That’s not the point. You went against my wishes.”
“I did something nice for you. I can’t believe you’re giving me grief over this. I’d think you’d be happy to not have guys drooling down your cleavage during your last semester of school.”
Angela took a step back. “That’s what this is really about? Guys drooling down my cleavage?”
He crossed his arms. “I wouldn’t be heartbroken if you didn’t work there.”
The realization was like a slap to the face. “Why is this suddenly a problem? Is this because of the thing with Jerry, or the news investigation?”
“It’s because you don’t have to be there anymore. You’re with me. I can handle things until you’re back on your feet.” He reached for her hands.
Angela pulled her hands back. “No, this isn’t just about that. You weren’t upset about me working there when we met. What changed?”
“What changed is that we’re together now. You’re my woman, how does it look for me to let you hang out behind a bar in a strip club with half the men in the area, and on my team, drooling over you and telling me about it the next day.”
Angela sucked in a breath. “You’re worried about what other people are going to think? Are you embarrassed by my job?”
“I’m not embarrassed, but that doesn’t mean I have to like it. I can get you out of there.”
Angela held up a finger. “News flash! You don’t have to get me out of anywhere.”
The door to the patio opened. Cory walked in with Isaiah’s brother, Tim. Their smiles died when they heard the last of Angela’s angry statement. They looked from her to Isaiah curiously. Angela couldn’t stay another minute. She’d end up saying something she would regret.
Overtime for Love Page 15