by Tina Martin
“Who are you?”
She frowned when those words came floating across the table. “You’re talking to me?”
“Yes. I know you but I don’t really feel like I know who you are as a person. Like, who are you outside of Rayford Real Estate?”
She shrugged. “I’m a woman who’s trying to make it in life at the moment. I like being adventurous when I’m not focused on work. I want to travel. Be a wife. A mother.”
“You’re already a wife. Perhaps we should discuss changing your business name to Champion Real Estate.”
She laughed it off. “That’s not going to happen.”
“Why not? It has a nice ring to it. Champion Real Estate…”
“Because this isn’t real. We know we’re doing this only so you can get that house, so let’s keep it professional.”
He chuckled. “We passed professional a long time ago, sweetheart. We left professional in the dust. Professional is somewhere along I-140 thumbing a ride, looking for its innocence again.”
She laughed so hard, she could feel her eyes water.
“You want to know what I think?” he asked. “I think you like me.”
“You probably think every woman likes you.”
“Many do. Not all.”
The waitress interrupted briefly to take their orders. He ordered the cider pork chops. She went with the vegetable linguine.
Back to their conversation, Jemisha said, “Out of the many you’ve been involved with, why haven’t you settled down with one?”
“Because I was waiting for you. Wife.”
Her eyes narrowed at his smooth talk.
“Let me stop playing with you,” he said, but he wasn’t playing. “I firmly believe that something—I don’t want to say magical, but something happens within a person to let them know when they’ve met their match.”
“I believe that to a certain extent, but you can’t always trust your heart in matters of love because you never know what’s really in the other person’s heart.”
“Explain,” he said after taking a sip of his drink. He saw the moment she hesitated. The moment she smiled sadly and tried to pretend what she was saying was just all talk and had no deeper meaning. He knew better. It’s the same look his mother had when she used to talk about their father. How much she loved him and how hurt she was when she realized he was married to another woman.
“Um, I was with someone in Charleston for a year. I thought everything between us was good because that’s how he made me feel. As far as I knew, we were heading in the direction of marriage and then out of nowhere, he left me for someone else. I was so taken off guard, I didn’t care to find out who the girl was or anything like that. I just basically—”
“Gave up,” he said.
“Well, yeah.” She shrugged. “What else was I supposed to do? Fight for him? Go crying and begging for him to give us another chance? To leave the other woman alone?”
“If he was really worth it, why not?”
“Why are you always challenging me?”
“I feel like you need to be challenged. Wife.”
“Stop calling me that.”
“Nah. I like it,” he said swishing the drink around in his glass as his eyes focused on her lips.
“I feel like if he was that far gone, there was no reason for me to chase after him. Besides, I don’t want a cheater. Once he crossed the line with her, it was already over. There’s no coming back from that.”
“You don’t believe people can make mistakes.”
“Of course, but you don’t mistakenly jump into someone’s bed.”
The waitress lowered their dinner entrees to the table, then after confirming they were good for now, she walked off.
“I know what it’s like,” he said.
“You know what’s what like?”
“To be hurt by someone who claimed to love you.”
“You’ve been hurt before?”
He smiled. “Why did you ask it like that? Like it’s impossible for me to be hurt?”
“I guess it would be possible. I just can’t fathom a woman ever cheating on you. Who would she cheat with? Whoever it is, it would definitely be a downgrade.”
“Wow. I don’t think I’ve ever heard anyone speak so highly of me. Continue.”
“If I knew it was going to go to your head, I would’ve stayed quiet.”
He smiled. “I just wanna say, whoever this moron was who cheated on you must’ve been out of his mind. You’re too beautiful, too sweet of a woman to ever be treated that way.”
“Yeah, that’s what they all say in the beginning.” She chuckled. “I met Carver—that’s his name—at a backyard cookout. It wasn’t a hookup or anything. He struck up a conversation with me and we talked the whole night.”
“Did you ever suspect anything was off about him?”
“No. He was an all-around good man. He had a job, we’d had countless dinners and outings with my parents and his parents. I thought it was the real deal. And then—boom—he’s with someone else. He had to have been seeing her most of the time he was with me. You can’t just start a relationship with someone overnight.”
Mordecai nodded. “My father had a whole wife and my mother didn’t know. And we recently just connected with our half-siblings. As a man, I think it’s a cowardly move to make someone fall in love with you and not follow through. Love isn’t a tool to use to get what you want. It’s an emotion that needs to be nurtured and protected.”
She nodded, sipped her drink and glanced up at him. He seemed so honest and sincere as he talked about love. So upfront and straightforward. Was he all talk, or did he mean any of it?
* * *
The wind fanned through her hair as they strolled along the Riverwalk, in stride, taking leisurely steps back to their vehicles. Mordecai didn’t want the night to end. Jemisha didn’t either, no matter how much she told herself to be cautious – to not let her guard down with Mordecai. But she had let it down. The guard came down when she was comfortable enough to accept a shoulder massage from him.
Mordecai glanced to his left to see her briefly. Darkness had fallen, but the Riverwalk was lit up as usual. The lights along the way were enough to illuminate her face enough to where he could actually tell she was enjoying herself. She looked happy – as happy as he’d ever seen her. She wasn’t uptight, stressing about work. Or houses. She was having a good time with him and he liked that since he intended on them having plenty more good times together.
When they were at her car, she said, “It’s been nice hanging out with you this evening.”
“Are you surprised? I think we always have a good time together.”
“Me, too, actually.”
“You do?” Mordecai asked, watching as the breeze fanned through her hair. His hands twitched at the thought of touching it.
“Yes. I had a really good time.”
“Why don’t we do it again tomorrow?” he suggested.
“Do what again tomorrow?”
“Spend some time together. Hang out. Shoot the breeze.”
She smiled. “Okay. We can do that?”
“Good. I’ll pick you up at noon for lunch and we’ll go from there.”
“Okay,” she said, her eyes joining with his hazel ones. When she felt herself being drawn to his lips, she abruptly turned away and unlocked the door. He grabbed the handle, opening the door for her. Before she could get inside, he planted a kiss on her cheek.
“Drive safe, Mrs. Champion.”
She laughed. “You’re too much.”
“Seriously—be careful.”
“I will. Thanks.” She got inside the car, sat there for a minute to reclaim her senses, then pulled off.
Chapter 25
Jemisha woke up refreshed Sunday morning, looking forward to the day. Not only was she excited about spending the day with Mordecai, but she was also celebrating the fact that come Monday morning, she had two clients – referrals – the best kind of clients. Refer
rals were usually guaranteed clients since a satisfied client basically talked them into her services.
Things were looking up.
She sipped coffee and scanned through the latest edition of Homes & Land magazine, browsing the wide range of listings but while she pretended to be distracted by listings – and realizing she needed to be advertising her business in this magazine like other agents were doing – she had butterflies tickling her stomach as she thought about her date. With her husband.
A smile came to her face at the slightest thought of him actually being hers. He was hers. Legally. That was about it.
* * *
After leaving Sunday brunch, they went for a walk through a nearby park where Mordecai bought two vanilla cones from an ice cream stand. It was a way to keep them together a little longer since he wasn’t ready to go even after spending an hour and a half eating.
Today was the perfect day to be outside. Eighty degrees. Some kids came by on skates. There was a lady walking a giant, black poodle. A younger woman pushing a baby stroller. A man jogging.
And then there was them – The Champions – eating ice cream.
“I have a question for you,” she said, then licked the ice cream.
Mordecai observed, thinking to himself he could never tire of seeing her eat ice cream. He already knew how her tongue tasted. It would be an extra treat to suck the taste of vanilla ice cream from it.
“What’s your question?” he asked her.
“Why do you think people fall out of love?”
“Gee. That’s a heavy question for a light, Sunday afternoon stroll.”
She laughed. “Sorry. It was on my mind.”
“Why?”
“It’s basically what happened to me. My ex fell out of love with me.”
Mordecai shook his head. “He cheated. That doesn’t mean he fell out of love. To answer your question, though, I don’t think people fall out of love instantaneously. It’s a gradual process. Men and women alike, have certain triggers I think. Men think they’re losing the touch. Women think their man doesn’t find them attractive any longer. People get lazy in relationships. They get too comfortable. Fall into slumps. Take each other for granted. Let themselves go. If I met a woman who kept it tight when we met, then I want her to keep it tight when we’re together.”
“What if she has a baby and her body isn’t the same or as tight as it might’ve been when you first got together?”
“Then that’s understandable. I would never scold my woman for gaining weight, period. I definitely wouldn’t do that after she’s had my baby. That would be a cowardly move on a man’s part to do such a thing. I have female clients like that. After they have kids and something goes awry in their relationships, they come to the gym and want to hire a personal trainer to get a revenge body to show their ex they still got it.”
He grinned. “Fitness is all about self—not anyone else. Nobody should get into shape to please someone. Anything in life a person does should be done because they wanted to do it—not because they wanted to impress someone.”
“I think I get caught in that trap sometimes with my mother.”
He glanced at her, saw her licking ice cream. Made him lick his lips. “How so?”
“My mother didn’t want me to move to Wilmington and she doesn’t hide the fact that she hopes the business doesn’t make it so I can move back to Charleston. A part of me wants to do everything in my power to make it a success and show them I did it, but I shouldn’t be trying to prove anything to them.”
“Exactly.” He finished his cone and said, “You must be an only child.”
“I am.”
“Figures. Parents have high expectations of all their children, but the only child—whew! That has to come with a bunch of added stress.”
“Yeah, tell me about it…but, things are looking up. I just had a chat with my mother a few days ago. She seems to be coming around. Oh, and I have two very good prospective buyers to meet with on Monday.”
“That’s good. Just don’t forget to call them.” His cheek dimpled.
She nudged him.
“I’m teasing. I’m teasing. I do think you need some help though. At least, part-time.”
“Please…I gotta help myself first. You know how they tell you on the airplane that in the event of an emergency, you should secure your oxygen mask before you try to help someone else secure theirs?”
He grinned. “I feel you. There was a time when I was in your predicament. Overwhelmed, sort of. I knew I needed help but I couldn’t afford it.”
“What’d you do?” she asked, tossing the cone in the waste can after she’d eaten the majority of the ice cream out of it.
“I got on my grind—worked many late nights to get stuff done. Hiring additional trainers is what ultimately helped me expand. Made me realize I couldn’t do it all on my own. You’ll get there one day.”
“As long as I don’t give up, right?” she asked.
“I won’t let you,” he said.
She glanced at him the same time he’d glanced at her and when he’d done so, he reached for her hand and interlocked their fingers while they walked. It happened so naturally – like it was something he’d done a million times before, but it wasn’t. Still, he felt the urge to do it because the woman next to him wasn’t just any woman. She was a Champion.
Jemisha chewed her lip. The feelings that flowed through her…
She was overcome with nervous energy – the kind of dynamism you feel when you’re already feelin’ someone. Already attracted. Invested. And then you know that this same person is feeling you to a degree that they’d proven how much they want to be with you. How they’re rooting for your success. How, even though the marriage was supposed to be fake, he’d given her a super-real ring.
Her hands trembled in his grasp like little short-circuit explosions, but she held on, felt him squeeze her hand tighter, securing her. His hand was strong and possessive. To everyone looking at them, she was his. She wondered if that’s the impression he meant to convey or was she overthinking things.
“I have a confession to make regarding the not-calling-you-back deal.”
“Yeah, and what’s that?”
“It was intentional, along with some other things I did. When I took you on the first showing for that house you really liked, I made myself look rough, hoping it would make you run for the hills and get another agent. And when you showed up to my office and wanted me to take you there again, I told you I was on my period but I wasn’t. Again, I was hoping it would make you go away.”
“Why?”
“I didn’t want you as a client.”
“Again…why?”
“Because when you’re near me, alarms go off in my head telling me to be cautious. A bad relationship has forced me to rewire my brain to be vigilant about protecting myself—my heart—from further damage.”
He nodded. Those were all things he knew already. He knew the signs. His mother had shown those to him over the years.
“I hope you’re not upset about it.”
“I’m not, but if being near me is causing you discomfort—”
“No, I didn’t mean it like that.”
“I know what you mean.” He stopped walking, took her other hand into his and turned to face her on the trail near an oak tree and an empty park bench. “I know because my mother has been through it, but you don’t have to let it define who you are. You’re a beautiful, smart, talented woman. Don’t live in the shadows of your past, Jemisha.”
He released her left hand with his right and brushed his knuckles across her cheek.
“Thanks for the encouragement.”
“You’re welcome.”
She smiled and shied away from his gaze. “So, what’s the plan for the rest of the day?”
“I need to go to Home Depot to get some boxes.”
She chuckled. “You’re taking me to Home Depot while we’re on a date?”
He smiled and saw the moment
she wanted to retract the question or at least part of it.
“Sorry, I didn’t mean to say date.”
“You may as well have because that’s exactly what this is. Come on, syrup lady. Let’s go.”
“Where are we going?”
“I told you where we’re going.”
* * *
“I can’t believe we’re at Home Depot right now,” Jemisha said as they walked through the sliding glass doors and continued past the customer service desk. “This is the store where married people come to make decisions on which washer to buy or what kind of flooring to put in the kitchen.”
“We’ll do that later, baby. Right now, I only need boxes.”
“Whatever,” Jemisha said, then laughed.
“Tell you what—if I find the boxes before you, you have to come to my place for dinner tonight.”
“And what do I get if I find the boxes first?”
“You get to go home, get a good night’s rest and prepare for your new clients tomorrow.”
Jemisha took off, looking for boxes and when she couldn’t find them on her own after running down two aisles, she searched for a store employee. She was enjoying her time with Mordecai and all, but being in the confines of his home would be nerve-racking. She had to find those boxes.
She ran down an aisle past a bunch of screws and nails, then made a left.
Lumber.
No, I don’t need lumber. Where are the boxes?
“Excuse me,” she said to a man wearing an orange apron. “Can you tell me where the boxes are?”
He gave her an aisle number and she took off again, made a left down the aisle only to find Mordecai there already, knees bent as he studied the sizes of the boxes.
She playfully narrowed her eyes. “You set me up.”
He chuckled. “How? I had to ask somebody where to find these.”
“I did, too.”
“Well, since I got here first, just figure out what you want for dinner tonight, honey bun.”