Jake put his hands up, appropriately chastised.
“Who knows,” she said, settling back, “maybe you’ll meet someone special…or run into someone special?” She gave him a mischievous look.
He went back to focusing on his half eaten omelette to avoid responding to that.
“Listen, I was only supposed to use this card if you were reluctant, but it looks like Hollywood is finally jumping on the Nick Zane bandwagon and there may or may not be talks about a movie,” she hinted.
“I’m supposed to be happy about some studio ripping my novels a new one?” he asked, incredulously. “I’d be surprised if the result even remotely resembled my book.”
“Well the more cooperative you are with everyone, the more creative control you’ll have in the end,” she said. “The tour ends in L.A. where you’ll get a chance to meet with some studio execs and it will all go from there.”
Jake took a bite of his omelette, pondering that last bit. Los Angeles. That’s where Natalie lived. Maybe she’d even come to one of the signing events. Maybe he’d have time to seek her out, take her to dinner or something. He wondered if she still looked the way he remembered. These days the line between Naomi and Natalie become slightly blurred.
“I thought that might pique your interest,” Martha said, reading his mind.
He sighed and put his fork down. “Ok, you’ve ‘piqued my interest,’ ” he confessed. “What does this thing entail? I’m not making any promises, mind you.” he warned.
Martha gave a satisfied smile. “Someone from Wright will get in touch with the details. They’ll handle everything from the flights to the hotels to the locations. You just have to bring that handsome face of yours.”
Jake sat back in his chair thinking about it. “Okay, fine,” he said. “Tell them to call. No promises!”
Martha only smiled in return, knowing she had him hooked.
NATALIE
Natalie was happily enjoying a binge marathon of Game of Thrones on the TV in her parent’s den. God bless them and their subscription to HBO direct, something she wouldn’t dare splurge on.
No sooner had she settled down with a beer and some homemade nachos than she heard Pooh Bear start yapping his head off. Thinking the worst, she paused the TV and got up to go around to the back living room where he was standing guard in front of the sliding glass doors.
Natalie looked outside to see what was up and saw the cat that belonged to the neighbor, Ms. Jackson, which is how everyone in the neighborhood, old and young alike, referred to her. The feline was idly walking the length of the wall separating the two backyards, paying absolutely no attention to the torrent of yelps on the other side of the glass.
“Oh hush, Pooh Bear!” Natalie chastised the little dog. “You know that cat. She doesn’t care about your silly yapping. I’m trying to watch TV here!”
The cat glanced imperiously toward the glass doors as if to confirm Natalie’s assessment. That only got Pooh going that much louder. If Natalie didn’t know any better, she’d swear the cat was actually taunting him. Why couldn’t that damn Ms. Jackson keep her cat indoors?
She heard her cell phone go off in her purse on the kitchen counter. Shushing Pooh Bear once again, she rushed to see who it was. The caller ID read “Mom” and she pressed answer and brought the phone to her ear.
“Hey, mom,” Natalie said cheerfully as Pooh Bear yapped incessantly in the background.
“Hi Natalie, honey,” her mother said, “Is Pooh Bear acting up again? Everything is okay I hope?”
“Yeah, Ms. Jackson’s cat is in the backyard again,” Natalie assured her. “Hush, Pooh!” she yelled, sticking the phone between her ear and shoulder as she chased Pooh Bear around to try and pick him up and remove him from the aggravating influence of Ms. Jackson’s cat.
“How’s New York?” Natalie asked, over the noise of Pooh yapping for dear life. Of all the dogs to get, her mom had to go and adopt a crazy Pomeranian. Then, of course, she had to call right when said Pom was in the midst of a turf war with the neighbor’s cat.
“Oh, you know, wonderful as always,” her mother said. “Your father’s already been walking me crazy. Speaking of which, he finished that book of yours, honey. I read it too. Obviously.”
Natalie’s ears perked up over that. “Really,” she asked, her curiosity getting the best of her. “What did you guys think?”
“Well…Natalie, you say this man, Jake Steele, is just a friend?” her mom asked with slight hesitation.
“Umm,” she stalled, trying to think of a good lie. It was difficult to do as she finally grabbed Pooh Bear by the collar and collected him in her arms while he continued to protest the trespass of Ms. Jackson’s cat. Fortunately, her mother continued before she could say anything further.
“It’s just that, well, the writing in the front makes it seem like, maybe you two are more than just friends.” her mother said. “And then the story, well, there is a relationship between the two main characters, after all.”
Yip, yip, yip! Natalie wrestled with Pooh as she tried to grasp exactly what her mother was hinting at.
“You know I’m not too much of prude, and you know I have no problem with you dating white men.” her mother continued. “After all, you’re a grown woman and I have no illusions about your virginity—”
“Wait, what?” Natalie interjected, finally finding her voice. “What are you talking about, mom?”
Yip, yip, yip!
“Hush, Pooh!” Natalie shouted at the dog squirming in her arms.
“This book, honey,” her mother answered. “It’s quite….Well, you know I don’t read the kind of books your dad enjoys, but even I couldn’t put it down. It certainly is…very detailed in the sex department, if you know what I mean.”
Natalie knew exactly what she meant, though she certainly didn’t need that imagery coming from her mother. However, she was suddenly very interested in whatever the heck was written in this book that had her mother talking this way.
Yip yip yip! Pooh continued to bark with a high pitched yelp as she tried to talk and listen over him.
“Mom,” Natalie said patiently, trying to contain a squirming Pooh in her arms, “what exactly is in the book?”
“Well, the sex scenes, Natalie,” her mother confided with a lowered voice. “They were quite…graphic. I’m your mother and I really shouldn’t say it but I’m going to. All I can say is, I’m certainly glad you’re in such capable hands after that horrible, awful Malcolm situation. I just hoped you used a condom.”
“Nonsense!” she heard her dad shout in the background. “Make as many babies as you want with this guy, Natalie. Think of all the free books!” He laughed heartily at his own little joke. Her mother sighed into the phone. Her dad, the jokester.
Natalie, on the other hand, wasn’t in a laughing mood. “Mom, how…graphic are we talking here?” she asked cautiously. Part of her wanted to know every horrid detail. Another part of her certainly didn’t want it coming from her parents’ lips.
“Well, all I can say is, that part with the Vodka? It was pretty, inventive I’d say.” Her mother paused at that while Natalie’s dad guffawed in the background. Why in the world couldn’t her parents just be like other black parents and be indignant or offended?
“Ew, mom!” Natalie cringed.
Yip, yip, yip!
Ugh, would this dog ever shut up? Natalie had removed herself and her canine companion into the den, away from the presence of Ms. Jackson’s cat. It did nothing to calm Pooh down. Now her parents were talking about sex…and Jake…and this book. What the hell had Jake written?
“Mom, what vodka?” she said, trying to contain Pooh in her arms. “What are you talking about?”
“Well, I just assumed you would know,” her mother said with surprise. “I guess maybe there was some poetic license at work? I suppose as your mother I should be relieved to hear that.”
Natalie gave up and set Pooh free to wage his war with the neighbor’s cat
. By now she had other things on her mind. Namely, every fucking detail from this book.
“It’s a shame though,” her mother conceded. “You’d think if he wrote something like this, he would have at least tried it. I mean, vodka poured down her thigh and…well, I won’t get too graphic here. I guess you’ll just have to read it, honey.”
Natalie’s mouth flew open. She didn’t need to read it; she had experienced it. Switch out vodka for a thousand dollar bottle of whiskey and it was an exact reenactment of her night with Jake. Vivid memories of his tongue sliding down her thigh to her….Oh god!
What the hell had he written in this book?
“All I can say is, next time you see him, make sure and insist he does the same things to you that Nick does to Naomi!” her mother chuckled.
There were moments when Natalie appreciated her parent’s slightly libertine views on life. This was not one of those moments. She groaned into the phone as she sank down onto the couch. She had no intention of enlightening her mother either about Jake’s having acted out each scene from this book of his, or that he was anything more than a friend.
“Mom, I should probably go. Pooh Bear is having a fit with this cat,” she said, making up an excuse to get off the phone before the conversation became anymore embarrassing.
“Okay, honey,” her mom said. “Tell Pooh Bear to behave himself!”
“Yeah, mom,” Natalie said. “Love you. Enjoy New York!”
With that she ended the call.
Natalie tried desperately to remember everything that occurred that night with Jake. Obviously there was the whiskey.
Natalie’s cringed at the memory of it, wondering exactly how he’d worded it in this book of his. She thought about the things she had screamed out. Dear god, what had her parents read?
Why in the world had she let her dad take that book? She should have wrestled it out of his hands.
Natalie thought of all the people she knew who would possibly read the book when it finally came out.
Okay, so it was too late with her parents. They had read everything. No biggie. Fortunately, they were open minded. A little too open minded, but that was neither here nor there. None of her friends read Jake Steele novels.
Maybe she was safe?
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
JAKE
“Hello, Jake?” the female voice on the other end of the line asked. “This is Terri Dodson from Wright Publishing?”
“Oh, yeah,” he answered. “Hi.”
“Hello,” she said brightly. “I’m just calling to introduce myself and see if we can get together to discuss the details of the book tour.”
“Well, I haven’t agreed to anything yet,” he said warily.
“Oh, yes!” she said quickly, “I’m just supposed to give you information, just in case you decided to do the tour.”
“Hmm,” he said, noncommittally.
“It really is quite a bit to go over,” she continued, “Perhaps it would be best over dinner?”
Jake became a bit confused. “Dinner?”
“Well, it’s just that, it might be best over a meal or something,” she explained, not very convincingly. “Covered by Wright Publishing of course!” she added.
“Um, well, I suppose so,” he agreed.
“Great!” she said in that perky voice again. “Are you free tonight? At 9 o’clock?”
“That’s a bit late for a work dinner, isn’t it?” he said.
“Oh,” she said. Jake could hear an undertone of disappointment. “We can meet earlier if you like.”
“Why don’t we make it 7 instead,” he said. “That way you don’t have to spend your night working and you can get home,” he chuckled.
After a pause, she gave a little laugh in response. “Okay,” a little less perky this time. “I’ll text you the details after I get a reservation.”
“Sure thing,” he said in response.
That night Jake found himself sitting in a cozy little booth across from an attractive and very attentive blonde. Terri Dodson looked to be in her late 20s and was conventionally pretty with extraordinarily bright blue eyes in an oval face. Her hair hung down to her mid-back and every so often she would tuck a strand behind her ear as she looked at him. The only flaw was a slight overbite, which actually make her kind of cute as it turned out. She was dressed professionally, but there was a hint of…sexiness to it. The white blouse was a little too sheer. The pencil skirt a little too snug. The heels a bit too high.
He looked around the restaurant for the umpteenth time wondering how in the world anyone would think of a place like this to hash out business details. It was a fancy place, complete with white tablecloths and wait staff in formal wear. The booth he and Terri occupied was a rich, red velvet and was just barely big enough for both of them, especially with his long body. The lighting was low, which made it nearly impossible to read any of the paperwork that she had brought with her.
She had ordered an entire bottle of wine, despite his protests that he didn’t want Wright Publishing going all out on his account. “Nonsense,” she had said, pouring him a glass “We need to butter you up so you’ll agree to this tour.”
He had an idea that the wine—and the restaurant—were both her idea. He looked her over, reevaluating her. As far as prospects went, she wasn’t a bad one. It had certainly been a while for him, he mused as he took a sip of wine. In fact, he was surprised to find out that the last person he had actually slept with was Natalie.
Jesus, what was wrong with him?
He looked at Terri again, wondering how she would compare. Would this one inspire any new characters?
He shook his head, snapping out of it. Okay, so he was in a dry spell. But tonight was about business.
“So what exactly would I be agreeing to here…if I say yes?” he asked.
That gave her all the encouragement she needed to scooch in closer to him, pulling out a piece of paper from the leather bag she had brought with her. Now she was close enough for him to smell the fragrance emanating from her. It was some kind of flowery scent, probably from lotion or something.
He felt her knee touch his, and he instinctively slid further away on the couch. They both reacted to that with confusion. Her from disappointment and him from…he couldn’t say why.
Maybe he just needed more wine.
He sipped as she went down the list of cities they would be flying into. Boston. Chicago. Houston. Seattle. Pretty much all the major metropolises. Ending in Los Angeles.
Jake sipped some more wine.
“I was told you are hesitant to do this,” Terry said, looking up at him with a smile. “But I’ve been on these tours before. It’s actually quite fun. You stay in nice hotels and meet all sorts of people, your fans! Think of it like a vacation.”
Jake laughed, inciting an excited smile from his table mate. “You’re the second person to put it to me like that.”
“Does that mean I’ve convinced you?” she said, leaning in oh so slightly.
“You’re doing a damn good job,” he said, taking another sip. “This wine is helping.”
Terry leaned over the table and grabbed the bottle. She took Jake’s glass and poured more into it. She poured a drop into hers as well. Then lifted it up to his.
“Cheers!” she said in her perky voice.
“Cheers,” he said, going along and tapping her glass with his. “What exactly are we toasting to?”
“Well, to your book?” she suggested. “Or maybe to the possibilities this tour will bring,” she smiled ambiguously at him.
He thought of Los Angeles and smiled. “Cheers,” he said quietly.
Terry brightened, thinking the smile was for her benefit. Another inch disappeared between them.
“So can I go back and tell my bosses that I got you to come around?” she said enticingly.
“What the hell,” he said, taking a gulp from his glass. “Let’s do it!”
She laughed in response. Another inch closer.
&
nbsp; “Let’s toast again,” she suggested, moving ever so slightly closer. “To the book tour,” she said, holding her glass up.
Jake brought his glass to hers and they both took a sip.
“You know, I really love the picture on your cover,” she said, leaning into him. “So many writers want to look professional or like some sort of bad ass, but yours…yours was just so personable.”
Her eyes were glowing up at him as she talked. He could tell the wine was hitting her. He could feel it starting to loosen him up as well.
“It makes you seem so approachable, like anyone could just come up and have a conversation with you, or whatever.”
By now she was only inches away from him.
“It doesn’t hurt that you’re very good looking,” she said, biting her lip flirtatiously. “I’m sure there will be a lot of women wanting to meet you on this tour.”
Jake just nodded, trying to decide if he liked where this conversation was going.
“Do you think I’m attractive?” she inquired.
His eyes shot open wide at that. He furrowed his brow in confusion. Sure she was attractive but something inside of him thought maybe it wouldn’t be a good idea to head down this road. On the other hand, he didn’t want to hurt her feelings, and she was cute in a way. Not necessarily his type, but cute all the same.
“Um, sure,” he said, taking a sip of wine. “You are an attractive woman.”
She beamed and before Jake knew it, she leaned all the way in, brought her hand up around to the back of his neck and kissed him square on the mouth.
He was so shocked he didn’t react at first. A small part of him gave in to it at first, enjoying the feel of lips on his. Then…it just felt all wrong. She didn’t taste or feel right.
He reached up to unclasp the hand that clung to his neck and gently pushed on her shoulder with his other hand. He heard a slight groan in frustration under his lips as she held on a moment longer hoping to bring him around. He pushed a bit firmer.
She came away and looked up at him searchingly. She saw the lack of passion in his face and frowned. The frown turned into panic as she realized what she had done.
One Night: A BWWM Interracial Romance Page 9