He still couldn’t wrap his mind around the fact that his uncle had a kid. Other than the woman he remembered seeing Uncle Thad with at the warehouse that summer, no other one came to mind. Did they have a child together? He and his brothers had spent many nights at their uncle’s house and not once had he mentioned having children. There had been no weekend or holiday visits. And Brandon would know because Uncle Thad had spent most of those times with Brandon’s family.
Brandon had tried to ask his father again for more details, but got the same answer he’d given at the meeting: “Thad will share when he’s ready.” In the meantime, his father expected Brandon to waste time he didn’t have. He already had to interview and train his replacement, as well as make his own preparations in taking over for his father. The anger and resentment that had been hovering below the surface rose again and he drew in several deep breaths to gain control of his emotions.
“Knock, knock.”
Brandon lifted his head. “Hey, Vonnie. Come on in.”
Siobhan eyed him.
“Don’t start.” Siobhan took her role as the oldest seriously and would stage an intervention if she felt one of her siblings needed it, whether they wanted one or not. The look on her face told him it was coming.
She sat across from him and smiled. “Okay. You get a reprieve for the moment, but only because I have something more urgent. We’re planning Dad and Uncle Thad’s retirement party and since they’ve given us such a short window to work with, I want to get the invitations out by Monday afternoon. It’s going to be the last Friday of July, which gives us a good three weeks for folks to get their invites. I talked to Malcolm and they don’t have to report to camp until that Sunday, so he and Omar are free. I was also thinking—”
Brandon felt a headache coming on. His sister was in full PR and planning mode. “Vonnie, I’m not in the mood to be talking about a party right now.”
Siobhan skewered him with a look. “You don’t have to be. All you need to do is show up and handle your part, which includes giving the toast. Now, as I was saying...”
He half listened to all the details and wondered how she had found time to do all of this when their father had only announced it yesterday.
“You should bring Faith.”
He promptly tuned back in. “What?”
“I said you should bring Faith. That is her name right...the woman from the accident?”
Brandon didn’t recall telling his sister Faith’s name.
“Justin mentioned her name once.”
“As I said before, we’re not in that kind of relationship. Besides, she’ll probably be gone back home by then.” Something else he didn’t want to think about. But he’d just said they weren’t in a relationship, so it shouldn’t bother him if she left. Yet, it did.
“Oh? Hmm... Did you decide to take her to the pier like Justin and I suggested?”
Images of that evening surfaced and Brandon couldn’t stop his body’s response. Thankfully he was seated behind his desk. “Yes, since I couldn’t come up with anything else,” he said casually.
Siobhan observed him for a moment, and then smiled. “Well now.”
His brow lifted. “Well now, what?”
She stood. “I’ll send you everything once I’m done.” She walked to the door and turned back. “And, I’ll put you down for one plus a guest. I have no doubts about your power of persuasion.” She tossed him a bold wink and exited.
Brandon groaned. He didn’t know who was worse, Siobhan or Khalil. He did know that he needed that persuasive power for tomorrow.
Chapter 13
Saturday morning, Faith paced back and forth while waiting for Brandon to arrive, far too excited about spending the day with him. Ever since he’d mentioned not wanting to mess up whatever was happening between them, she had wondered what he meant. Did he want them to explore something other than their agreed-upon casual affair? She thought it best to keep her emotions out of it, especially with what she knew. She still hadn’t figured out how to broach the subject. Faith checked her watch. He’d said he would arrive at quarter to nine, so she still had a few minutes to come up with something.
She toyed with telling him as soon as he arrived to get it over with, but a selfish part of her looked forward to seeing him and wanted this time. Maybe a better time would be at the end of the date. A knock at the door broke into her thoughts.
Faith went to open the door. Brandon stood there wearing a pair of black shorts and a pale blue short-sleeved button-down shirt, and smiling. “Good morning.”
“Morning.” Brandon bent and kissed her tenderly.
Any thoughts she had of coming clean fled. If she could bottle up his kisses to take home, she would.
“Are you ready?”
Faith nodded. She picked up her purse, jacket and the bag with an extra set of clothes that he had asked her to bring when he called late last night. He eased it from her hand and she followed him out to his car. As they merged onto the freeway, she was pleasantly surprised to see the traffic flowing at the speed limit. “So, where are we going?”
Brandon slanted her a quick glance. “It’s a surprise, remember? If I tell you, then it won’t be.”
She twisted in her seat to face him. “Oh, that’s how you’re gonna be?”
He chuckled. “Yep. You said I had to step up my game and give you a better than good date. I’m just trying to oblige you.” He wiggled his eyebrows and unleashed that smile on her. “I hope you’re ready for some fun.”
She returned his smile and poked him in the shoulder. “Okay. I’ll play your little game, but you’d better bring it. I want to remember this day long after I go home.” At the mention of her leaving, the playful mood changed and they fell silent. Faith straightened in her seat and stared out the window. She didn’t understand why the thought of leaving bothered her. Even if she came back to visit Thad later in the year, Brandon would have moved on, especially when she came clean about her identity. And she’d be a distant memory. If he remembered her at all.
“How long are you going to be here?”
“About two and a half weeks.” She had originally planned to stay two weeks and leave the day after the Gray Home Safety board meeting. However, Thad had convinced her to stay through the weekend because he wanted to have some kind of welcome party for her. He seemed sure the Gray family would welcome her with open arms, but she knew differently and questioned whether the gathering would be a good idea.
Brandon reached for her hand and brought it to his lips. “Then we have plenty of time.” He smiled.
Faith returned his smile, but inside knew that time was running out. A short while later, they reached Long Beach and she saw a sign that read The Catalina Landing. “A cruise?”
“Yes, ma’am. We’re going to take a trip to Catalina Island.” He tossed her a bold wink and hopped out of the car.
She groaned inwardly. If this was his definition of stepping up his game, she was in trouble. He came around and helped her out of the car. Without letting go of her hand, he shut the door, pressed the remote locks and started off.
“Wait. Don’t I need my bag?”
He stopped and looked down at her. “No. That’s for later.”
“What are we doing later?”
That sexy smile appeared. “You’ll see.”
Yep. Big trouble. She had a million questions, but he just continued walking. They bypassed the ticket window and got in line. Apparently, he had really done some planning because he’d purchased the tickets online beforehand. They had arrived an hour early for the ten-fifteen scheduled departure and, as a result, had a position near the front of the line.
When it came time to board, Brandon asked, “Do you want to sit inside or on the top deck?”
“If there are still seats available, I’d like
to sit on the top deck.” Since the sun was shining and the weather not too cool, she thought it might be a better way to take in the scenery.
The ride to the island took about an hour. Faith stepped off the boat and glanced around the quaint area. Shops lined the walk all around and houses sat on hills behind them. “What are we going to do first?” she asked. “It’s a beautiful day.” Sun, blue skies, slight breeze and though the temperature said mid seventies, it felt at least ten degrees warmer.
Brandon shrugged. “That’s up to you. We can walk around, shop, do one of the tours...”
“Let’s walk for a few minutes and first, then we can decide.” They passed several souvenir shops, restaurants and bike and golf cart rental places. Off to her right, Faith spotted what seemed to be a boat that looked like a submarine. She pointed. “Is that a submarine?”
“Looks like one.” He led her across the planked walk and stopped at the tour window. He picked up a brochure, opened it and held it where Faith could see.
She read descriptions for the different tours. “There is a semi-submarine tour that looks interesting.” She had never done anything like it. “And it’s only forty-five minutes long.”
Luckily, there were still a few tickets available for the eleven forty-five trip, so he bought two. “Perfect timing.”
They only had to wait ten minutes before boarding, navigating down a steep flight of stairs to a narrow interior that had rows of seats on either side, each one in front of a window. The boat moved through the water while the guide gave some history and talked about the various types of fish they might see. Faith saw a variety of large and small fish, and tried to match them with the pictures posted above them on the walls.
At one point, the fish swarmed the boat when the captain stopped to feed them. She felt the same excitement as the two young children who squealed and raced from window to window. She and Brandon snapped several pictures on their phones. He even asked the person sitting across from them to take one of him and Faith. She leaned over to look at it and felt a strange sensation. Ignoring it, she said, “That’s a nice one. Can you send it to me?” Brandon pushed a few buttons on his phone and a moment later, hers buzzed. Faith studied it for a minute. Brandon had his arm around her, their heads touching, and both were smiling. They weren’t a real couple, but for today, she could pretend. At the end, they climbed the steps and stepped out into the sunshine again. “That was cool.”
“Yeah, it was pretty cool.”
Faith gazed up at him with amusement. “I take it you’ve never done something like this, either.” She shook her head. “You need to get out of your office more.”
Brandon ducked his head sheepishly. “We’ve already established that I don’t leave the office often, but hey, I should get some points. This is the second time in as many weeks that I’ve taken time out to play.”
She patted him on the chest. “You’re absolutely right, baby.” Coming up on tiptoe, she gave him a quick kiss, grabbed his hand and pulled him in the direction of the main street. “I’m hungry.” They ended up at Jack’s Country Kitchen, where they both ordered the Catalina Club.
Afterward, he rented a golf cart and they spent the next hour touring the island. When they got back, she had enough time before their three-thirty return to purchase a T-shirt and two bottles of nail polish that went on one color, but changed in the sunlight.
He was still shaking his head when they boarded the boat. “Nail polish?”
“What? It’s like getting two colors for one price and if you want to change the color, all you do is have to step outside. You can’t beat that.”
Brandon laughed. “Whatever you say.”
Once again, they opted to sit on the top deck. The breeze had kicked up a little and blew her hair in her face. Brandon scooted closer to Faith and slung his arm around her. He gently turned her face toward him, pushed her hair back and placed a lingering kiss on her lips. Faith’s eyes slid closed. The feel of his warm lips on hers caused a riot of sensations. She had promised herself she’d pull back, but it became harder every second they spent together. She stared out over the water and searched her mind for a reason to end the evening early.
“Did you enjoy yourself?”
“I had a wonderful time. Thank you. So, what’s next?” Faith wanted to know why he’d had her bring a change of clothes. He’d told her comfortable shorts or sweats were fine, so she assumed they wouldn’t be going any place that required them to dress up. And had he brought a change, as well?
“A little relaxation before dinner, and then we’ll see.” Brandon’s eyes twinkled with amusement at the look she gave him. “Haven’t I been a good host since you’ve been here?”
He had been a fabulous host and more. “Yes.”
He kissed her temple. “Nothing’s going to change tonight.” He leaned closer until they were a whisper apart. “In fact, I want it to be one you remember for a long time.”
“I remember every moment we’ve been together,” Faith said, the words tumbling out before she could stop them.
Brandon traced a finger down her cheek. “So do I.”
She could not fall for this man. He pulled her closer and they remained that way for the duration of the ride. After disembarking, they made their way back to the car. She tried to hide a yawn.
“Tired?” he asked.
“Not really. It’s just something about being outside all day that totally relaxes me.” In reality, she could barely keep her eyes open. Between the temperatures that had climbed into the eighties and fighting off her desire for Brandon, she needed a long nap.
“Well, you’ll have time to chill before we eat.”
Faith smiled, leaned back against the seat and closed her eyes. The lulling movement of the car relaxed her further and she drifted off. When she opened her eyes the next time, almost half an hour had passed. She didn’t recognize the stretch of highway they were traveling on, but she did recognize the traffic that seemed to be a constant fixture since she had been in LA. She sat up and glanced over at Brandon. He sang quietly and bobbed his head in time with the up-tempo R&B song playing. As if sensing her scrutiny, he turned his head her way.
“Hey, sleepyhead.”
She chuckled. “Sorry. Where are we going?”
“Brentwood. My house.”
His house? “How much farther?”
“With or without traffic?”
Faith burst out laughing. “I don’t know how you people deal with this all the time.”
Brandon shook his head. “We should be there in about fifteen minutes.”
She was admittedly curious about where he lived. He was a self-proclaimed workaholic and struck her as being a bachelor in every sense of the word. However, with the way he carried himself and dressed, she didn’t think it would be the proverbial bachelor’s pad. She imagined he lived in an upscale apartment or condo. He exited the freeway several minutes later. She marveled at the number of people out and about. “There are a lot of young people.”
“That’s because UCLA is a few miles away.”
“Is that where you went to school?” She realized that he didn’t talk about himself much.
Brandon left the main street and turned down a residential area. “No. I went to UC Berkeley, got an undergrad business degree and stayed for the MBA.”
Faith took in the large houses and nicely manicured lawns. “I figured that’s what your degree would be in.” He made another turn, drove halfway down the block and pulled into the driveway of an expensive-looking two-story house. Her mouth fell open. At least she had gotten the upscale part right. He got her bag from the trunk and came around to help her out. “This is very nice.” Greenery lined the front and, despite the browning from heat and drought, the grass looked freshly cut. “Somehow, I expected you to live in a condo or something.”
&n
bsp; He smiled. “Until six months ago, I did.” He led her to the front door, unlocked it and moved back for her to enter.
She stepped inside a large foyer with highly polished wood floors.
“Come on in and I’ll give you the grand tour.”
The foyer opened to a large living room that held a sofa, love seat, two lamps and a coffee table. A trio of paintings rested against the fireplace waiting to be hung. She followed him to a chef’s kitchen with an island. “Your home is gorgeous. But, why so much space since you live alone? I would think with all the hours you work, you wouldn’t have time to keep up with a house.”
Brandon placed her bag on one of the stools. “I did love my condo and not having to worry about maintenance. My sister and brother-in-law live in the area and, after visiting them one time, I drove around and liked the neighborhood. I figured it would be a good investment.”
A future investment that most likely included a wife and children. That thought shouldn’t have bothered her, but it did.
“My brothers, sisters and I all spent a lot of time at each other’s homes, and it’s not unusual for one or all of them to stay the night. With both my sisters now being married, my two-bedroom condo seems to have gotten smaller. And we could get a little rowdy, which my neighbors didn’t appreciate,” he added with a laugh.
“I can imagine.” Faith had seen the photos of his family on the website and knew that, other than Brandon, only one worked for the company. After her initial search, she had Googled his other siblings and found that one brother had been a model and now owned a fitness center, and the other one played professional football. She wanted to ask which sister lived in the area—the one married to the pro football star or the one married to the inventor—but kept the question to herself. Asking would open an entire can of worms and ruin what had, so far, been another perfect date.
“Let me show you the rest of the house, then you can relax in here or out on the deck while I cook dinner.”
She whirled around. “Cook? You’re going to cook dinner?”
Giving My All to You Page 13