by Regina Hart
“We didn’t exactly part on good terms.” Donovan glanced at Tyler. Had he brought up Whitley in an effort to amuse Xavier? His smile was faint, but it was the first sign of levity his friend had shown in more than a week.
Tyler shrugged. “She’s a good lawyer and you know her.”
“You’re right.” It wasn’t that Whitley hadn’t crossed his mind. But he was reluctant to return to any sort of relationship with her, considering the way their relationship had ended. “But she may be more trouble than she’s worth.”
“Maybe she’s changed.” Tyler’s voice was pensive.
“Can people really change that much?” Xavier asked.
Donovan studied the other man. He sensed Xavier was thinking about his ex-girlfriend when he posed that question.
He turned back to Tyler. “I’ll see if the other board members have luck finding a lawyer to help us pro bono. If not, I’ll give Whitley a call.”
He hoped the other members had a long list of recommendations for legal representation. He’d much rather not have to reconnect with his ex-girlfriend.
* * *
Rose was the last of the four former law school classmates to arrive at the Ethiopian restaurant after work Friday evening. She wasn’t late. In fact, she was almost ten minutes early. What time had the others gotten off work?
“Sorry to keep you waiting.” Rose offered the apology as she sat beside Maxine Ellerson in the booth.
“I just got here myself.” Maxine was the least neurotic of the three other women. Her neat, close-cut natural complemented her pixie, coffee features.
Rose’s companions had their drinks—a water, an iced tea and a lemonade. She waited as they gave their dinner requests to their waitress. The entire table ordered vegetable entrées, as usual. Rose was tempted to mix it up and order a meat dish. Instead she ordered the same thing she always did when they met once a month: the lentil salad, Azifa, and a glass of ice water with lemon.
While they waited for their dinners, Rose listened as the other lawyers brought each other up-to-date on personal and professional events. Maxine was a junior partner with a law firm not far from the restaurant in the Short North neighborhood. She’d been dating a chemist for the past several years. Tasha Smalls was unhappily married with two young children. She was legal counsel for a financial institution headquartered in downtown Columbus. Claudia Brentwood-Washington had her own practice in the suburbs, and never missed an opportunity to boast about her well-trained husband and prodigy daughter.
Why do I do this to myself? Rose’s gaze chased around the warm, vibrant colors of the restaurant’s traditional decor. The air was fragrant with exotic spices, well-seasoned meats and savory stews. Their dinner conversation always reminded Rose of everything she should have had. She wasn’t married. She wasn’t even dating anyone. She was happy with her job at the law firm, but she wanted more. Why am I here?
Their conversation was briefly interrupted as the server brought their entrées, then Rose returned her attention to her former classmates.
She’d met them during their first year at law school while attending a Black Student Union meeting. Despite their different backgrounds and personalities, they’d stayed in touch over the past ten years, mainly through emails and these once-a-month dinners.
Tasha shook her head, sending her long, thin braids over her shoulder. “Rose, I felt so sorry for you when I heard that Ben was added to your legislative update panel for our reunion. How are you holding up?”
That didn’t take long.
Rose lifted her eyes to hold Tasha’s dark gaze. There was a time when she would have believed the innocent expression on the other woman’s round, nutmeg face. But now she recognized the satisfied glint in Tasha’s eyes. “Ben and I were over a long time ago.”
“What are you going to do?” Claudia always looked as though she’d just walked out of a salon. How could she maintain a solo practice, care for her family and look perpetually perfect?
“Why do I have to do anything?” Rose shrugged one shoulder, feigning indifference. She swallowed a forkful of her salad. The savory dish tasted like ashes. Her ruined appetite was one more sin to count against Benjamin.
Claudia and Tasha exchanged incredulous looks.
Seated beside Rose, Maxine sipped her iced tea. “Ben probably got himself assigned to Rose’s panel for the exposure, hoping she’d once again make him look good.”
Rose lowered her gaze to her barely touched salad. Long ago she’d come to the same conclusion: Benjamin had used her success and popularity at their law school to meet people who could help him. She’d been so in love with the snake in disguise that she hadn’t realized he’d only been interested in her body and her connections, not necessarily in that order.
“When did you finally notice he’d only been using you?” Tasha’s question echoed her thoughts.
Maxine forked up her salad. “We’re supposed to be getting caught up on each other’s news. Why are we reliving the past?”
Rose glanced at Maxine, grateful for her intervention. However, Tasha wasn’t done.
“Talking about Ben does qualify as catching up with Rose.” Tasha pinned Rose with another watchful stare. “After all, finding out you’ll be presenting with him during our reunion is your latest news, isn’t it, Rose?”
“Actually, it’s not.” The words were out before Rose knew she was going to say them.
“What do you mean?” Claudia’s warm brown eyes sparked with curiosity.
“You have other news?” Tasha was caught off guard. It was a rare occurrence for her.
“Don’t keep us in suspense.” Maxine nudged Rose’s arm. “What is it?”
The moment of truth. Rose took a long drink of her ice water with lemon, then forced out the words. “I’m dating someone.”
Maxine smiled into Rose’s eyes. “Tell us about him. How did you meet?”
“What does he do?” Claudia leaned forward.
“Is he for real?” Tasha hid her sneer behind a tight smile.
Rose met the challenge in her friendly adversary’s almond-shaped eyes. “What makes you think he’s not?”
Tasha spread her hands. “Why are we only now hearing about him?”
“I didn’t want to tell anyone until I knew whether he was serious.” Not bad for an on-the-spot response. Rose gave herself a mental round of applause.
“That makes sense.” Maxine set aside her nearly empty salad plate.
“I understand.” Claudia sipped her iced tea. “You want to take your time.”
“Exactly.” Rose nodded as she finished off her salad.
The young server returned to clear away their empty plates and leave behind their individual bills.
“Why don’t you tell us about him now?” Tasha’s smile was a taunt. She checked her bill, then inserted her platinum credit card into the black leather bill holder.
“I’m still not ready.” Rose added her card to her bill holder, as well. “But hopefully you’ll have a chance to meet him during the reunion.”
Their server returned to collect their bills. Rose searched her brain for a change of topic.
“Meeting your new boyfriend at the reunion should be interesting.” Tasha’s shoulders shook with her laughter.
Rose frowned. “Why?”
Tasha shrugged. “Because Ben will meet his replacement—”
“He’s not Ben’s replacement.” Rose’s tone was sharp. Was Tasha deliberately poking her temper?
“And you’ll meet Ben’s new wife.” Tasha drank her diet soda. “Did you know she’s pregnant?”
The temperature in the café seemed to drop by at least ten degrees. There was a buzzing in Rose’s ears. “Ben’s wife is pregnant?”
“You didn’t know?” Tasha tilted her head. “Sh
e may be too far along to attend the reunion.”
A shaft of hurt and anger so sharp sliced through Rose like scalding steel cleaving her in two. She clenched her teeth against the pain. Benjamin was living the life he’d promised her.
“Well, I wish them every happiness.” The lie was sour in her throat. She didn’t want him to be happy. She wanted to hurt him back.
“Good for you, Rose.” Maxine saluted her with her iced tea. “You’ve moved on and gotten over Ben.”
That sounded like something Lily would say. The realization made Rose uncomfortable with her deception. Her gaze drifted away. Their server returned with their credit card receipts.
“It’s getting late.” Rose checked her silver wristwatch. “I’d better get going. It was great to see everyone.”
Claudia stood. “At least show us a photo of this mystery man.”
Rose chuckled as she stood, as well. “I don’t carry his photo.”
“You don’t want to talk about him. You don’t carry his photo.” Tasha led them from the restaurant. “I have doubts that he really exists. I hope we meet him before the reunion.”
Rose’s shoulders tensed. So do I.
Chapter 2
“I need a boyfriend.” Rose puffed the words as she and Iris continued their five-mile jog through the Park of Roses on Saturday morning.
It was the last day of spring, the day before the longest day of the year. Even this early on a Saturday morning, the park was busy with cyclists, walkers and other runners. Rose jogged beside Iris past the tennis courts. The row of maple trees on their left formed a canopy over them. They continued down the incline to the music of the birdsong around them.
“I thought you’d given up on men.” Iris’s strides were synchronized to Rose’s, the result of years of jogging together.
Her youngest sister’s lemon-yellow jersey and navy blue biker shorts were cheerful contrasts to Rose’s steel-gray jersey and black shorts. They veered to the right at the bottom of the hill.
“A fake one for my reunion. Remember?” Rose frowned into the distance. Ben’s fair features and wavy dark hair superimposed themselves over the park’s picnic area. She briefly squeezed her eyes shut to dispel the objectionable image.
“Do you have any candidates?” Iris’s voice became increasingly breathless as she expended more energy on the path.
“Not even one.” Rose had searched her mind Friday night after dinner with her former classmates: work, church, neighbors, anyone.
“What about Leroi? You’ve worked with him for years.”
“He’s dating someone.” Rose leaned forward and shortened her stride as she climbed the incline that led to the high school. Her words came out in puffs. “Besides, Leroi’s successful. And intelligent. And good-looking. But he doesn’t. Hold a candle. To Ben.” And she needed someone whose looks would eclipse her ex-fiancé’s.
“You’re in luck.” Iris took a breath. “I know someone. He’d be perfect. For your assignment.”
“Who?” Rose crested the hill with Iris. Her pulse and breathing slowly returned to normal.
“Donovan Carroll. Also goes by ‘Van.’ He’s Ty’s friend. Vice president of sales. For Anderson Adventures.”
“How’s he look?” Rose looked at Iris, reluctant to believe her sister had the answer to her problem.
“Six-three, six-four. Clean shaven. Classically handsome. Shaved head. Built like a football player.”
So far, so good. “Smart?”
“Very. And charming.” Iris smiled.
“Sounds perfect.” Almost too good to be true. She wiped the sweat from her eyes. What’s wrong with him?
“Ty’s cousin would be, too. But he’s recovering from his breakup.”
“I remember.” Rose felt an empathetic tug in her heart. “You told me.”
“I don’t think your plan would work if both of you brought baggage to it.”
“I agree.”
Two male joggers were advancing toward them. They had the long, lean, well-muscled look of professional athletes or narcissistic gym rats. Their naked torsos glistened with sweat like a neon sign flashing, Warning: Heartbreak Ahead. They caught Rose’s gaze. Their confident smiles seemed to ask, “Do you like what you see?” Rose’s scowl answered, “No, go jump in a lake.” The men looked away. Wise move, boys.
“Maybe Lil knows someone, too.” Iris’s suggestion redirected Rose’s attention.
“Can’t ask Lil.” They reached the end of their path. Rose turned as they jogged back to their cars. “She thinks I should go to the reunion alone. Ben would love that.”
How could she possibly go to her law school reunion alone while Benjamin attended with his pregnant wife? The idea made her want to throw up. Benjamin would think she hadn’t gotten over him. She wouldn’t let him believe that.
Rose glanced toward Iris, who’d fallen silent beside her. She took a deep breath. “I’d like to meet Van.”
Iris nodded. “Great. I’ll set it up.”
“Lunch next week?” Rose heard the tension in her voice.
“Why rush?”
Rose shrugged her shoulders. They’d just passed the high school and were heading back to the incline. She hated hills. “The sooner I meet Van.” She paused to breathe again. “The sooner I’ll know. Whether I need to find someone else.”
Iris chuckled softly. “I think you’ll agree. Van is perfect. For the role.”
“Hope so.” The stakes were high. The risks were steep. She’d already committed to this plan. She couldn’t back out. Rose had to convince Benjamin and her former classmates that she hadn’t given him a moment’s thought since she’d broken up with the lying, cheating snake almost two years ago.
Rose’s shoulders slumped. Why did she have the feeling she was casting the role of a lifetime?
* * *
Donovan hadn’t realized he’d had expectations when he’d accepted Tyler’s invitation to have lunch with him, Iris and her sister, the lawyer. But he was disappointed by the quiet, aloof woman Iris introduced as Rose. It was an appropriate name for someone who seemed covered in thorns. Donovan had assumed Iris’s sister would be as warm and personable as Iris. He tried again to engage her in conversation.
“Where did you go to law school, Rose?” Donovan pitched his voice to be heard above the chatter from the surrounding tables in the crowded neighborhood restaurant.
“University of Michigan.” Her brief glance was dismissive. She returned her attention to her salmon salad.
“That surprises me.” The spicy scent of his chicken parmesan lured Donovan back to his own entrée.
“Why?” Rose’s head snapped up at Donovan’s comment. “Do you think I wouldn’t be able to get into such a highly ranked law school?”
“Rose, I’m sure that wasn’t what Van meant.” Iris stared at her older sister beside her. She sounded surprised by Rose’s reaction.
“That’s not what I meant.” Donovan was relieved to know Rose wasn’t always this prickly. What had caused her uncharacteristic response? “Iris told me you and your sisters were born and raised in Columbus, home of The Ohio State University. I’m surprised you’d go to OSU’s rival school.”
Rose looked down her nose from the other side of the table. “I wasn’t concerned about their rivalry. The University of Michigan has a good law school.”
Tyler lowered his glass of iced tea. “Xavier and I were born in Columbus, too. But we chose to go out of state for college. That’s where we met Van.”
Rose nodded as though she was filing away the information on how he’d met the Anderson cousins.
Donovan heard the note of caution in Tyler’s voice as his friend and coworker waded into the conversation. Perhaps Tyler also was caught off guard by Rose’s behavior during this lunch. He’
d thought Tyler had met Iris’s two sisters. Did Rose seem different from the first time he’d met her?
Maybe Donovan should stop while he was ahead. He couldn’t imagine Rose agreeing to help the shelter pro bono. She didn’t appear to be a very compassionate person. But he couldn’t convince himself to leave the lawyer alone. He needed legal assistance to speak for his clients and their families. Besides, something about her chilly, judgmental demeanor challenged him, and Donovan had always been attracted to challenges.
“Are you saying you’re not a Buckeye fan?” Donovan allowed his gaze to roam over Rose’s face.
She was lovely. Her skin looked as smooth and warm as honey. Her elegant features were perfect: winged ebony eyebrows, a long, narrow nose, high cheekbones, a pointed chin. Her cocoa-brown eyes were wide and curious and framed by long, thick lashes. Her full, pink lips were classically curved. Such lips were meant for smiling. And kissing.
“I don’t like college sports. I prefer the pros.” Rose pinned him with a stare. “What about you?”
Would she grade me on my answer? “I like all sports, college and pros. Which teams do you like?”
“The Ohio ones, of course.” She shrugged one slender, sexy shoulder. “I just wish they were better.”
Rose earned points for supporting her home teams despite the fact that it had been longer than a while since any of Ohio’s professional franchises had sniffed a championship. It took a lot of perseverance to stick with a team through its darkest seasons. But her chilly personality left her with a scoring deficit because she didn’t seem approachable. Regret settled on his shoulders like a coat. Rose couldn’t provide the legal representation they needed. He wanted someone who cared about the people, not just the process.
Now that he knew he wouldn’t be working with her to represent the shelter and its clients, there was no reason for them to see each other again. Was there?
* * *
Rose considered Donovan in her peripheral vision. Iris had been wrong. Donovan wasn’t right for the role of her fake boyfriend at all. Yes, he was successful and intelligent. But he was too charming. If he attended her reunion, he’d cast a spell over half of the attendees, if not all of them. And he was far too attractive. Rose glanced at him again. Contrary to popular opinion, she believed there was, in fact, such a thing as “too handsome.” And Donovan Carroll fit that description. To perfection. So did Tyler. Judging from the attention the two received from the women at the other tables, Rose’s theory had support. Did Iris notice the stares directed toward their table? How could she not?