You and No Other

by Toni Jackson

  “It’s not funny. Just because I got caught up in my work that once and lost track of time!”

  “Accept it, Dani. We all know you too well. You got lucky with the black dress when you met Sean, but other than that, you have no interest in clothes. We know this, we understand it and we love you anyway. Accept your strengths and weaknesses, girl.” Tina took one of several elastic bands she kept on her wrist and pulled her loose curls into a ponytail.

  “Whatever,” Dani snapped, annoyed. Tina smiled to herself and mentally promised to make it up to her later. “We have reservations for eight. We’ll pick you up about seven-thirty?”

  “That’s fine. I’ll be ready.”

  “Later, chica!” Dani chirped before disconnecting.

  Tina turned around to go back to her office when she noticed some of the men standing off to the side, smiling at her. A raised eyebrow sent them back to work

  Time flew once the gallery opened for business. Along with the regular customers, an art class from Corcoran decided to pay a surprise visit and plied her with questions about Dani’s art style. The wide-eyed innocent looks of the students reminded her of her teenage years. She didn’t have a chance to check the time until the last one of them left.

  Where did the time go? It was already four fifteen. She rushed into her office, grabbed her things, then locked her office before strolling swiftly towards the back exit. Temar stepped out of her office just as Tina sailed past. Waving goodbye, she savored the astounded expression on Temar’s face. It was earlier than she promised, but she wanted to put a little extra effort into her appearance.

  After all, who wanted to look like the frumpy friend?

  Climbing into the car, she started it, then put in her earpiece before easing into the L street traffic. It was a beautiful day to eat near the water. No humidity. Sunny, not too hot and a light breeze to top things off. When was the last time she went out? She stayed so busy, one day usually ran into another before she realized it. It was nice to break the trend by going out to a nice restaurant. The one they were taking her to was way out of her usual range, but as long as she didn’t have to pay the bill, she was fine.

  She had a long ride ahead of her. The only thing she disliked about the gallery was the location. On one of the busiest parts of the road, traffic existed at all times of the day or night. Mornings were filled with people commuting to work and evenings opened the tableau for the diners, sampling the up and coming restaurants. D.C. had changed a lot through the years. A lot of it was unrecognizable. It was part of the reason she moved to the outskirts of the city and bought a townhouse. Everything in town was too busy and expensive.

  Luck was with her today. Light traffic cut her commute time, giving her a few extra minutes to prep. After parking the car, she ran into the house and straight upstairs. She laid her clothes on the bed, so she could just lotion and go once she finished her bath.

  With a twist of the knob, hot water gushed into her soak tub. A few sprinkles of her favorite scent would help her to relax. The scented bubble bath appealed to her feminine side. Dealing with the movers always brought out the worst in her. Not to mention baths just made her feel a little flirty.

  She pulled the peach dress on, loving the feel of the soft material as it caressed her skin. The color contrasted perfectly with her dark bronze skin. A little makeup and she would be ready.

  A buzz drew her eyes to her cell phone where it sat on the dresser. Her stomach clenched when she recognized her father’s number. He never remembered he had a daughter unless he needed something. In the last year, he called more and more for her to help him out. As much as she wanted to ignore his calls, a little voice in the back of her head kept reminding her that he was her father.

  Taking a deep breath, she answered the call and put him on speaker. “Si, papi.”

  “¿Por qué no ha llamado usted para mí?” Why haven’t you called to check on me?

  “He estado ocupado.” I’ve been busy.

  “¿Demasiado ocupado para tu padre?” Too busy for your father?

  “Divertido, recuerdas sólo una hija cuando necesita algo.” Funny, you only remember you have a daughter when you need something.

  “Nunca entendiste. Su madre era enferma durante mucho tiempo. Soy un hombre. Tenía necesidades.” You never understood. Your mother was sick for a long time. I'm a man. I had needs.

  “Mira, estoy a punto de salir hacia fuera. Qué quieres.” Look, I'm about to leave out. What do you want?

  There was silence from the other end of the line. “When you have time, I need you to come over. I have something I need to speak to you about.”

  It was on the tip of her tongue to say no. Distancing herself from her father had become second nature. There were things she would never forgive him for and he knew it. He argued about her lack of understanding, but it was a direct product of his actions.

  Tina paused, surprised at his request. Their conversations never went beyond the phone.

  Now he wanted to see her?

  “Probably not until next week. Things are busy at the gallery right now. Dani’s sculptures are gaining more attention. I have to make sure that everything is just right.”

  The mention of Dani’s name flipped a switch, sending him into a screaming tirade. “You always put her before your familia!”

  Tina could see the flush rise in her cheeks as anger rose within her. It was time this man understood that she could no longer be intimidated. “You mean like you always put your puta before me?” Every conversation with him always ended the same way. He resented Dani and her family for being there when she needed a shoulder to lean on. The same argument had gone on for years.

  They would never understand each other.

  “You - you do not call Marissa that name! You were the one acting like a puta with that boy. You think I never knew? I knew! And in the end, what happened!” His voice broke as he screeched louder and louder in the phone. “He left you! That’s what happened! If you had stayed home, that would have never happened! You…” Tina disconnected the call and took a deep breath to calm her nerves. It was always the same. They started off fine, then the mention of Dani would set him off.

  Easing down on the edge of the bed, she clenched her hands and fought back the tears that threatened to fall. She refused to let him ruin her evening. Sometimes she hated the very air he breathed.

  Other times, memories of the man he was before her mother got sick drifted into her mind and made her smile. He came home every night, smiling and tossing her in the air. The perfect image of the doting father.

  The phone buzzed again. When she saw his number again, she blocked the call and stood to finish dressing. Usually, when she wouldn’t take his call he wouldn’t call again for the next few days. So she was surprised when the phone rang again just as she was slipping on her shoes.

  Frowning, she noticed the number was blocked. The only two people who called her would never block their numbers.

  Curious, she placed the phone to her ear. “Hello?”

  “Hello, beautiful.” She frowned. The voice wasn’t familiar. It sounded like her last boyfriend, but it had been over a year since she talked to him.

  It had been over a year since she dated anyone.

  “Troy?”

  A deep, sexy laugh floated across to her. “Trust me, when I tell you my name, you will never forget it.”

  A shiver ran down her spine. Someone was playing on her phone. She disconnected the call and resolved not to answer any more unknown numbers. There was too much going on today. She needed a chance to relax. A glance at the clock showed that it was seven.

  Moving back to her dresser, she finished prepping for the evening. At least she could look forward to a nice quiet dinner with her friends. Lord knows, she couldn’t stand any more excitement.

  Chapter 3

  Tina’s text alert sounded as she placed the final touches on her makeup with a message that Sean and Dani were outside. Once last check of her refle
ction in the mirror showed a confident, sexy woman with bronze skin, dark red hair and green eyes. Wispy curls flowed from her top knot, giving her a romantic look. Her only pieces of jewelry were the gold hoops Dani had given her for her birthday and her mother’s locket. Inside, there was a picture of the two of them together before she died. When she wore it, she didn’t miss her mother as much.

  Satisfied that everything was perfect, she grabbed her keys and went downstairs. Opening the front door, she saw Sean’s car at the curb, the rear door open.

  Standing beside the car was one of the younger members of Sean’s security team. Just what she needed. McKinnon, Sean’s head of security, usually traveled everywhere with Sean, but wasn’t anywhere to be seen. He must have needed a day off.

  This one was Colin.

  At six-four, he was built like a blonde-haired, blue-eyed tank. She couldn’t imagine anything getting past him to Sean or Dani. The slight curve of his lips was the only sign that he noticed Tina’s perusal.

  It was a standing joke between her and Dani which one of the security team was going to ask Tina out first. Tina winked at him as she got into the car. A deep flush bloomed on the man’s cheeks as he held the door. Sean smiled at Tina while Dani just shook her head.

  “You can’t help yourself can you?” Dani muttered, as Colin closed the door and rounded the car to slip behind the wheel.

  Tina’s eyes stretched wide. “What did I do? I can’t help it if he’s a cutie.”

  Sean linked fingers with Dani while shaking his head. “Half of my security staff is in love with Tina. As long as she’s with us, I don’t think we’ll ever have to worry about security being lax.”

  Tina smirked. “See, I have my uses. Which reminds me, Dani. Your last sculpture was incredible! I’ve already had six people come in asking about it, and I just put it out this afternoon.” The statue brought tears to Tina’s eyes. Entitled Legacy, it showed an older man reaching out to a baby whose arms were stretched up towards him.

  Dani gave Tina a bittersweet smile. “I was thinking of how much Poppi would have loved to have seen Lily.”

  Sean pulled Dani close and placed a gentle kiss on her temple. “My parents too, sweetheart. But we’ll make sure we tell her about them and show her so much love she never feels that anything is missing from her life.”

  Through blurry eyes, Tina’s watched the sister of her heart embrace the man who completed her. The two of them were made for each other. A sharp pang of envy filled her. She loved that Dani had found someone, but sometimes she felt like an outsider. She cleared her throat.

  “That’s sweet, but I’m telling you now, if I start crying, and my mascara starts to run, we’re turning this car around. I don’t care who you’re meeting.”

  Both of them smiled at her; Dani’s eyes shiny with unshed tears, while Sean looked nostalgic. “Yes, Tina,” they replied.

  They barely felt the car stop minutes later. The door opened, and Sean exited first, before turning to hand first Dani, then Tina out of the car. The maître’d waited for them at the front door of the restaurant. They moved towards the door, Sean standing back to let them enter first.

  Tina turned around to wink at the driver before going inside.

  Chapter 4

  Sean reserved the entire back room of the restaurant. Dani told Tina that Sean liked his privacy. That was an understatement. His choice in restaurant showed he had style and excellent taste. Discrete photos and maritime art decorated the walls. Huge uncovered windows faced the west, giving them a beautiful view of the sun setting on the water.

  All other furniture had been removed from the room was empty except for a large round table, handsomely decorated with white roses floating in a clear bowl filled with water. The silverware gleamed and intricately folded napkins were placed strategically on the table in what appeared to be a careless manner, but instead formed an elegant pattern.

  Tina clenched her purse between her hands. She had gone out with Sean and Dani before, but the settings weren’t this formal. And he wasn’t meeting clients.

  What if she did something and embarrassed Sean?

  Her brow wrinkled as she surveyed the settings, trying to remember which was the salad and meal fork like they learned in Miss Petty’s etiquette class in fourth grade.

  “Tina, are you okay?” Dani looking concerned.

  “Oh, no…I’m fine. Everything is just so beautiful.” She turned and noticed Sean waiting to seat her. “Sorry.”

  Dani immediately launched into a conversation about the gallery, asking her about the owner, James Johnson. Although Dani sent in work, she seldom met with the owner, preferring to stay in her home studio and work. The more they talked about James and his wife, she more she began to relax.

  As she relaxed, the settings no longer seemed so intimidating. Engrossed in talking about James and his wife, she never noticed the dark haired man being led to their table.

  She froze when she heard a familiar deep voice behind her. “Trust you to clear half a restaurant and bring two gorgeous women to a business meeting, Sean.” Tina turned and froze. She felt Dani stiffen beside her.

  Sean stood and shook the man’s hand while both women sat silently. “Dani, Tina, I’d like you both to meet -,” he started.

  “Alexander Peterson,” Tina whispered.

  He hadn’t changed. Not in any way that mattered. He still had the same hazel eyes, black hair, and muscular body that she remembered. Only his face had changed. Gone were the soft, boyish features she remembered. In their place were sharper and leaner angles and eyes that had seen things she couldn’t imagine.

  “Danielle? Christina?” Alex stared at them, amazed. “Small world.”

  Sean’s eyes narrowed as he watched at his wife and her best friend. “You all know each other?”

  Tina took a drink of water before answering. “We all went to school together.”

  Alexander narrowed his eyes at her statement but didn’t say anything. Dani’s head swiveled back and forth between the two of them, amazed.

  “I…see,” Sean said as he motioned for Alexander to sit in the chair beside him. Tina could tell from his voice that he really didn’t. She was grateful that he didn’t ask any other questions. She was still in shock.

  Before any of them could speak, the waiter came and took their orders, including a bottle of Chardonnay for the table.

  Alexander focused on Tina. “It’s funny, Sean. When you mentioned your wife Dani and that she was a sculptor, it never occurred to me that it could be the same Danielle I knew.” He turned to his host. “How did you two meet?”

  Sean locked eyes with his wife, beaming. “Fate. I happened to attend one of Dani’s shows and met her. We’ve been together ever since.”

  Tina and Dani smiled at each other. If only they could tell the whole truth. Dani asked the question Tina was dying to know.

  “So, Alex. What have you been up to since the last time we saw you?”

  Tina studied his profile as he leaned back in his chair. “I went into the military for several years. When I got out, I got a job working with a small programming company creating intelligence software. I eventually bought out the company and expanded it.” He shrugged. “And here I am.”

  “I’m glad to see you landed on your feet,” Tina said, forcing a smile. It was hard to make small talk when the man you had loved for most of your life sat across the table from you like you had no history.

  Alex nodded, his gaze focused on her. “I guess you could say that I was always determined.”

  Dani muttered, “That you were.” Tina nearly choked on her water at the comment.

  “Anyway, I’m happy for the two of you,” he said, turning to Sean. Tina noticed his smile didn’t quite reach his eyes.

  Sean nodded. “Thanks. Now, about that program…”

  Tina’s body sagged when Alex turned his gaze away. Under the table, Dani grabbed her hand and squeezed it, making her feel better. The last person she expected to see
when she came to dinner tonight was the man she almost married.

  Chapter 5

  The first course was served, sautéed shrimp over a bed of rice. The aroma drifted around her head, tickling her nose and teasing her. The sound of her stomach growling reached her ears, reminding her she missed lunch. Was she the only one who heard it? A quick glance around showed everyone enjoying their food, not staring at her. She scooped the first forkful into her mouth, against a moan as the food melted on her tongue.

  The dish was a favorite dish of hers and Dani’s. Trust Sean to make sure his wife’s favorite meal was the main course.

  Sean and Alex tried to include the women in the conversation but soon gave up as they talked about stocks and market rates. Dani rolled her eyes at their conversation, causing her to smile. It was just like she said it would be. Sneaking looks at Alex while he was occupied with the conversation, she marveled at how much he had changed from the boy she once knew. The old Alex hated Math and everything to do with it. If it hadn’t been for Tina, he would have failed Algebra.

  “He’s changed a lot,” Dani leaned over and whispered between bites.

  Tina took another bite and nodded. “I noticed.” Where had he been all these years?

  “So, Tina. What are you up to these days?” She nearly missed Alex’s question, lost in her thoughts.

  A soft blush stained her cheeks. “Oh, I’ve been managing Dani’s work at the gallery.

  He cocked an eyebrow at her. “Really?”

  “I imagine my wife has come a long way from when you knew her in school,” Sean remarked.

  Alex dipped his head in agreement. “I would imagine she has. Even though she was incredible then.”

  Glancing over at Dani, Tina smiled at the slight flush that rose in her cheeks. Her friend still had problems accepting praise for her work. Tina was in awe of her talent.

  Perfectly cooked food and excellent wine dispelled the tension that settled over the group when Alex appeared. Dani took a sip of her wine and asked, “So Alex. How did you find yourself in the business?”