“Thanks,” she said, hoping not to waver in her resolve to end their relationship.
“I’m glad you stopped by. I missed you.” He leaned in to kiss her again. She turned slightly and he kissed her cheek. “Are you okay? Are the boys okay? You missed your spa appointment.”
“How did you know about that?” Natalia asked.
“I sent flowers, but was told that you had canceled.”
“I’m fine. We’re all fine,” she said, moving away from him.
“Good. Have a seat. Can I get you something to drink?”
“No, thanks. I’m good. I can’t stay. I just wanted to ask you about…” She paused, seeing the suitcase sitting beside the sofa for the first time. Her stomach jumped. “You’re leaving,” she concluded.
He smiled. “I need to take care of some business for a few days. I should be back before the end of the week.”
She nodded. “Have a good trip.”
“Thanks. Wish you were coming with me,” he suggested openly with the smile that made him famous.
“Umm, this came this morning.” She pulled an envelope from her purse and handed it to him.
“A letter?” he asked without taking it.
“A registered letter from the Montgomery Foundation. My application was approved. I’m one of the finalists for the grant.”
He smiled happily. “Congratulations! That’s great. We need to celebrate,” he said, walking over to the desk and picking up the phone.
“No, wait,” she said, stopping him by placing her hand on the phone and easing it back down into the cradle.
He looked at her, questioning. “What’s wrong?”
“You did this, didn’t you?”
“Yes.”
“Why?”
“Because you need the grant money,” he said simply.
“No, you can’t just arbitrarily make a phone call and make money available like that.”
He smiled. “Actually, I can. You need it, and I facilitated it.”
“It’s wrong.”
He looked at her, confused. “What are you talking about? The grant’s not enough? You need more money?”
“No, no. The grant’s amazing. It couldn’t be more perfect. It’s just that I let this get personal and that was a mistake.”
“A mistake how, Natalia?” he asked, fearing that he’d been played.
“This, the grant, the money, I can’t take it.”
“You’re turning it down?” he asked. She nodded. “Why?”
“Because it looks like quid pro quo,” she said. “I allowed this to be personal and that was wrong. I jeopardized the center.” She offered him the envelope back. He looked at it, but didn’t take it. She placed it on the desk and turned to leave.
“Natalia, wait. You can’t be serious.”
“I’m very serious,” she said firmly.
“So that’s it?” he asked.
“I’m sorry. You have no idea how sorry I am, but I can’t accept the grant. I crossed the line and it will look bad for both of us if this goes public. Both the foundation’s credibility and mine would be called into question. I can’t do that, no matter how much we need the money.”
“So because we slept together you’re giving this back?” he asked. She nodded. “Why? Are you feeling guilty about something?” She smiled and nodded. His heart nearly stilled. “Is that what it was from the beginning, Natalia—coercion and seduction for money? You had to know I was going to intercede with the foundation on your behalf.”
She glared at him hard. “No, I didn’t know, and don’t confuse me with the others. I’m not one of them. Friday and Saturday had nothing to do with who or what you are. It had to do with a man and a woman being together. But with this letter, business got personal and it shouldn’t have. It looks wrong and you know it, too.”
“So you’re saying that the man and the woman part had nothing to do with the grant,” he asked, glancing down at the envelope on the desk.
“You know it didn’t.”
“No, I don’t,” he said plainly.
They stared at each other a moment longer, then she turned and walked to the front door. She opened it and paused when he called out her name. “So none of this—what happened between us meant anything to you?” he asked. She didn’t say anything. He knew that instant that she was holding back her feelings. “It did, didn’t it? But still you’re willing to push me away, for appearances’ sake?”
“Have a good trip,” she said, then closed the door behind her.
David stood wondering what had just happened.
Chapter 12
Days later, Natalia walked down the hall of the teen center, then peeked into the nursery room. Several children sat with coloring sheets and large bulky crayons, including her son, Brice. His head was down and he was intently focused on whatever he was coloring. Natalia smiled. He was such an inquisitive child. He loved drawing, painting, coloring and playing make-believe. His imagination was limitless. He also loved being the center of attention.
She saw Jayden asleep in one of the cribs, then stepped away from the side window and continued walking toward the storage closet. Her phone rang just as she got to the door. She stopped, looked at the caller ID and then answered. It was Nikita. “Hey.”
“He’s on his way back to town,” she said simply.
Natalia knew exactly who her sister was talking about, but still her heart jumped. “I heard. I can handle it.”
“Are you sure?”
“Truthfully, no.”
“At least you’re not kidding yourself. Have you heard anything from him lately?”
“He called dozens of times, but I didn’t take the calls. We said everything we needed to say to each other the last time.”
“I’m sorry.”
“Niki, it’s okay. It’s for the best, really. I’m fine. Let’s face it—he’s who he is and I’m me. It was one weekend, a nice fantasy. That’s all.”
“No, it wasn’t.”
“Would you please allow me to rationalize?” Natalia scolded.
“Feel like company tonight?”
“No, thanks. I’m taking the boys on a picnic and to the playground. Hopefully, with all the fun, they’ll be exhausted by the time we get home so I can catch up on my paperwork.”
“Sounds good. If you need me, call.”
“I will. Talk to you later.”
Natalia closed her cell, then unlocked and opened the storage closet door. The fluorescent lights flickered as soon as she turned them on. The closet was small, dark and nearly empty. She stepped inside and leaned back against the door frame. Her heart thundered and her stomach twirled. David was coming back to town. He’d said a few days, but he’d been gone over a week. He had called and left messages a few times, but she refused to reply. She sighed heavily, having decided that thinking about him was a waste of time and effort. She looked up at the empty shelves, grabbed two packs of white copy paper, closed the door and headed back to the computer room. Her cell rang again. It was Mia at the front desk. “Hey.”
“Nat, you’re wanted up front.”
“Okay, I’ll be there in a minute,” Natalia said, presuming it was the same problem they generally had. People would walk in off the street thinking that the facility was a soup kitchen. She usually gave them a few coupons or a few dollars for a meal.
“Ms. Coles, Ms. Coles.”
Natalia turned and saw two of her teenagers running to catch up with her. “Denise, Shanna, slow down, slow down. What’s wrong?”
“Um, oh, my God, Ms. Coles,” Denise said, barely catching her breath. “You are never gonna guess who’s waiting out in the reception area for you.”
“He is so sexy gorgeous. I swear I wanted to jump him right there. You feelin’ me?” Shanna said, holding her hand up for her friend to agree with her.
“I know that’s right,” Denise said, slapping Shanna’s hand. “Yeah, a’ight, now that’s what I’m talkin’ ’bout, and he’s got deep pockets a
nd everything about him was sexy.”
“Ladies,” Natalia said, looking at the teens sternly.
“A’ight, we know, we know. First rule: be respectful of self and others.”
“Exactly. Do you want to try that again?” Natalia asked.
“A’ight. Mrs. Morales asked us to find you and tell you that David Montgomery’s waiting in the office.”
Shanna nodded eagerly. “He asked for you personally. I didn’t know you had it like that, knowing movie stars and all. What’s up?”
“Oh, my God, I just saw his movie last week. It is so good.”
“I saw it three times already. I didn’t know you knew movie stars. Pharrell is in it, and he’s too gorgeous.”
“Do you think you can ask him if he can get Pharrell to come and perform here at the center? We can blow it up in here and get all kinds of cash coming in.”
“Thank you, ladies. Do me a favor and take this paper to the computer lab,” Natalia said, turning to head back to the front of the building. Several kids were also headed in that direction.
As soon as she got to the open doorway of the reception area, she saw a crowd of teens and kids all laughing and talking, surrounding David on all sides. The girls were right—he was sexy gorgeous. He wore a simple white shirt with straight-leg jeans, and everything about him was sexy. The kids took pictures with cell phones and got his autograph, all while calling out questions and comments. David was answering, apparently loving every minute of it. Mia walked up beside Natalia, smiling. “Looks like they’re having a great time,” Mia said, watching the impromptu interview session.
“Yeah, looks like,” Natalia said, obviously troubled.
“I gather his arrival here today is a surprise to you.”
“Absolutely. A complete surprise,” Natalia said.
David glanced over and saw Natalia standing by the door. He smiled, then nodded once. Natalia nodded back. Mia, watching their interaction, began clapping her hands to get everyone’s attention. “All right, guys. Let’s wrap it up and get back to what we were doing. We’ll let Mr. Montgomery and Ms. Coles have a minute.” There was a collective groan of disapproval. “I’m sure that’s not how we want Mr. Montgomery to think we behave here, is it?”
The kids slowly began leaving the room, ushered by Mia with an ever-watchful eye on Natalia as she moved to the inner office. When the last student left, Mia showed David into the office area then stood smiling at the two of them until the awkwardness of the moment hit her.
“Okay, insert definite uncomfortable moment here. I’ll check on the computer-room drama for you,” Mia said before winking and closing the door behind her.
“Hi,” Natalia said as her stomach quivered again.
David’s sexy half smile creased the one dimple in his chiseled jaw. “Hi, yourself,” he said in his most decidedly masculine voice. He exhaled slowly as he looked down the length of her luscious body. He removed his dark sunglasses and licked his lips seductively. He took in her navy blue flared skirt, navy blue zippered sleeveless sweater and navy heels, accented with pearls.
Natalia felt his eyes on her. Her stomach lurched and her skin goose-pimpled instantly. “Welcome back,” she said as calmly as she could, hoping to gain some control over her wayward nerves.
“Thanks. Wow, you look good enough to eat.” His smile changed to a more devilish, purposeful grin. The very real thought of walking over and making love to her right there in her office made his body react. “I’ve been thinking about you, about us.”
“Oh, I forgot. Congratulations on your success. I saw that you’ve signed to do a couple of sequels. That’s great.”
“Thanks. I also got another role,” he said.
“Really, that’s wonderful. What’s the role?”
“I play a man who falls for a woman and can’t get her out of his mind. The thing is, he has no idea why she won’t answer or return his phone calls. She completely shuts him off. He’s been waiting for a long time to find someone like her and right now he can’t stop thinking about her or their time together.”
She sighed. “David, there’s nothing to think about. We had a great weekend, that’s all.”
“Is that all you want it to be?”
“That’s what it has to be.”
He moved closer and took her hand, pulling her into his arms. “That’s not all it was.”
She looked up into his eyes and nodded. “That’s all it can be.”
“Then why can’t I stop thinking about you?” he asked softly. She looked away. “I’d be doing an interview and suddenly I’m wondering what you ate for dinner or if your son bumped his head again, or why can’t I have you in my life.”
She looked back at him and smiled slowly. “It’s for the best.”
He nodded. “Mia, your associate, is she the same Mia who babysat a few weeks ago?” he asked. Natalia nodded, thankful that he changed the subject. “She’s nice. I like her. She told me that you were cousins.”
“Mia married my cousin, Esteban, last year. She was actually a college professor in Atlanta, but now she works here at the center. After she moved here, she decided that she didn’t want to go back to teaching college, so I asked her to help out. She agreed. The kids love her. She’s completely dedicated and the only full-time volunteer worker. I don’t know what we’d do without her.”
“Before you came out, Mia updated me about the center. It looked great on paper, but actually being here—seeing and talking with the kids—I have to say I’m more impressed than ever. You’ve done an incredible job here. Natalia, you deserve that grant.”
“I’m currently making other arrangements.”
“Which are?”
“The center is going in a more public-donation direction. My family and I will be donating the bulk of the money needed to sustain operations.”
“Is that what you want to do?” he asked.
“To take money from my family?” she asked. He nodded. “No, but it will keep the center doors open at least until the end of the year, and that’s the important thing,” she said.
“After that, what happens next year?”
“I’ll figure something out.”
He nodded his admiration and pride, then smiled at her. “You look great,” David said, moving close.
Natalia swallowed hard then walked over to one of the desks. Her stomach did a somersault as her heart slammed against her chest repeatedly. He had her nerves jumping and her senses on overdrive. She watched as he walked over to the other desk and picked up the frame. It was an LCD and the picture continuously changed. “These are photographs of your sons?”
“Yes, that’s them.”
“They’re older here than on your cell phone.”
She nodded. “They grow up fast,” she said, peering over his shoulder at the photograph. “These are the most recent, so they’re about that size. They’re in the ninetieth percentile for their age and weight.”
“What are they doing at this age?” David asked, remembering some of the things he’d read in the parenting books.
“Jayden is ten months old. He’s cruising and getting into everything. He does peek-a-boo and patty-cake and he’s usually very happy. Just seeing him makes you want to smile. He doesn’t talk exactly, just two-syllable babbling like mama. He’s learning some independence and he’s feeding himself. His dexterity is improving hourly. Plus,” she added with a broad smile, “he’s stubborn—very stubborn.”
“What about Brice?”
“Now, he’s the character. He’s such a little ham. But I know you didn’t come here to ask me about my sons. So what are you doing here?”
“I came for a tour of the facility.”
“David, I don’t have time to play games.”
“I’m not playing games. Your center’s brochure said that tours are available on a walk-in basis.”
“That’s for those interested in our program and our services and the last I heard you don’t have any children.”
> “Not everything is as it seems,” he said cryptically.
She looked at him. “What do you mean?”
“The tour is also for interested professionals, correct?” She nodded. “Well, I’m an interested professional. Show me the center. I want to see all this through your eyes.”
Her shoulders slumped as she relented. She had no choice but to give him a tour.
“Our mission here is to give area kids a safe place to go and have fun while also learning. We try to make this a loving, caring environment. Our volunteers are teachers, church members, public officials and business professionals. Each volunteer undergoes a stringent background check, which is updated yearly. We want our children to be safe here. This facility is basically an alternative to the streets. We ask each parent or guardian to volunteer a few hours once a week.”
“Sounds good,” he said. “Shall we begin our tour?”
He stepped aside and Natalia led the way back through the reception area then down the hall to the main center. There were students in the hall and some in classrooms. “This is it. Most of the participants are in classes right now.” She described the different programs and courses. They stopped periodically so that Natalia could introduce David to volunteer staff members, but mostly she kept the tour moving quickly.
“Right now we’re open only three days a week—Thursday, Friday and Saturday. We have a staff of six volunteers and my family helps out a lot. We go on field trips and take the older kids to ball games and on college tours and things like that. I primarily deal with the younger kids.”
“How do they get here—walk or catch a bus?” he asked.
“The school bus drops them off when school’s in session. In the summer the parents drop them off in the morning and pick them up by seven in the evening.”
“Impressive. Is there payment involved?”
Cross My Heart Page 12