Just to Be with You

by Sheryl Lister

  “What are you doing?”

  “Sitting out on my terrace relaxing before I start dinner. Speaking of dinner, if you’re going to be working so late, when are you going to eat?”

  “You sound like my grandmother. She always calls me when I’m on the road to make sure I’m eating. But to answer your question, I’ll have something ordered in.”

  “Your grandmother sounds like a wonderful woman.”

  “She is.”

  Janae heard the deep affection in his voice. “It sounds like you love her a lot.”

  “If it weren’t for her and my grandfather, I don’t know where I’d be.”

  Janae sensed a story behind those words, one that held a certain degree of sadness. “So tell me about your middle name—Monte.”

  “My grandfather is a huge fan of Negro League baseball, and his favorite player was Monte Irvin. Well, his actual name was Monford, but my dad liked Monte better, so they compromised, and that’s how I got my middle name.”

  “Did your grandfather want you to become a baseball player?”

  “No. He knows music has always been my passion. It’s been that way since I was a kid.”

  “Well, I’m glad that music is your passion.” She laughed. “I like your music. You use real instruments, not to mention you have a great voice. There’s nothing like the sound created by the layering of those instruments, but they don’t overpower your voice.”

  He cleared his throat. “Thank you. I’m glad you like it.”

  “Aw, are you blushing?”

  “Nah. Men don’t blush. Hang on a minute, Janae.” She heard muffled voices, and then he came back on the line. “I have to go.”

  “Okay. It was nice talking to you, and don’t forget to eat.”

  “I won’t. I enjoyed talking to you, too. I want to see you again...soon. We’ll talk about it next time. Bye, baby.”

  “Bye, Terrence.”

  Baby? Surely he didn’t mean anything by it, but her traitorous heart leaped just the same.

  * * *

  Terrence was still smiling when he hung up the phone. He glanced over to see Donovan’s smirk. “What?”

  “Baby? You met her, what...two...three days ago, and now she’s your baby?”

  Terrence picked up a folder and thrust it at Donovan. “Didn’t you need to talk to me about the upcoming schedule?”

  Donovan snatched the folder and tossed it back on the desk. “That can wait. I want to talk about you and Ms. Simms.” He leaned back in the chair and stroked his chin. “Let’s see. I’ve known you since you were a dorky fifteen-year-old, and I don’t remember ever hearing you call any woman you were supposedly dating ‘baby.’”

  “How do you know? You weren’t with me every second,” Terrence countered.

  “I didn’t need to be, T. Even though you date, you always maintain this kind of distance. You treat women with respect and are very considerate, but I think they sense your inaccessibility. Think about it. Remember those women in Chicago, New York and Atlanta? One date, and you dropped them like a bad habit. Not to mention all the others—same thing. And, as far as public displays of affection, you’ve only been seen occasionally holding hands—maybe.” He leaned forward. “No kissing.”

  Terrence frowned. “Damn, D. You need to get a life. Maybe you’re the one who needs a woman, or a hobby. And if you don’t have enough to do here, I can find something to keep you busy.”

  Donovan merely smiled. “Oh, and all this smiling and laughing...you sure your system won’t go into shock?”

  “You can be replaced, Donovan.”

  Donovan’s laughter rang out in the office.

  Long after his friend’s departure, Terrence sat thinking about Janae. Hearing her soft, sweet voice made all kinds of sensations swirl in the pit of his stomach. A strange reaction for him because, when it came to women, emotions were never a part of the equation. He had yet to figure out why this particular woman had him acting so out of character. And when he’d blurted out that he missed her... Terrence shut his eyes and cursed under his breath. Why had he said that? He had never missed a woman in his life other than his grandmother. He’d felt a moment of panic when Janae hadn’t responded, but he’d relaxed when she’d confessed to missing him, too.

  Two days later, staring out of his office window, he still couldn’t get her off his mind. His secretary poked her head in to remind him of the staff meeting. He stood and headed for the conference room.

  Terrence half listened to the updates from the different departments in his record company. Unlike the larger companies, he had a limited number of artists represented under his label and preferred to keep it that way. He was less interested in turning a quick profit by putting out several one-hit wonders and more concerned with developing an artist for longevity in the business. He wanted each person to feel as if he or she was an individual, instead of a product. His father had always stressed the importance of treating people with respect. Terrence could hear his voice as clearly as if his father was sitting right next to him. If you respect the people who work for you, they’ll respect you and work hard. Respect is earned, and remember that money isn’t always the most important thing.

  Usually music and everything related to it filled his thoughts, but today something—rather, someone—else dominated the space in his brain. He’d sent Janae flowers and hoped she’d received them. He made a mental note to call her, then turned his attention back to his business manager’s report. At the conclusion of the meeting, everyone filtered out slowly, until only Donovan, Audrey, his business manager, and Brad, the company’s attorney, remained.

  Terrence had met Audrey when they were paired up for a business class project in college, and she introduced him to Brad, whom she married right after graduation. They, along with Donovan, were part of his small circle of friends, and there wasn’t anything they wouldn’t do for each other.

  “Are you okay, Terrence?” Audrey asked as she closed the door.

  “Yeah, why?”

  “I don’t know. You seem preoccupied, which is totally unlike you when it comes to business or music.”

  “I’ve been wondering the same thing,” Brad added. “For the past couple of days, you’ve been acting strange. Did something happen when you were in the Bay Area?”

  “Yeah, Terrence. Did something happen?” Donovan asked with a grin.

  Audrey came back to the table. “You were there, Donovan. I thought the concert went off without a hitch and you guys took a couple of days to wind down.”

  “We did,” Donovan confirmed with a smile.

  Terrence glared at him. “I’m fine. Is there anything else?”

  Audrey stared at him for a long moment. “What did you do in San Francisco, Terrence? I’m trying to get Brad to take me.”

  “We hung out on the pier sightseeing and took one of the sunset cruises to the Golden Gate Bridge.”

  “Ooh, that sounds romantic. Too bad you didn’t have someone to share it with.” She sighed wistfully.

  Terrence didn’t comment, but noted the grin on Donovan’s face.

  Audrey came around the table and placed her arms around Terrence. “It’s all right. You don’t have to tell me her name...yet.”

  Terrence whirled around in his chair. “What? How did you...?”

  She arched an eyebrow and smiled knowingly. “Women’s intuition, and you have the signs.”

  “What signs?”

  “I’m not telling my secrets.” She pulled out the chair next to Donovan and sat. “Okay, Mr. Wright, tell me all about her. Where did he meet her? What does she look like? Does she seem like a nice person? And please don’t tell me she’s one of those stalker groupies.” She shuddered.

  Donovan chuckled and shook his head.

  “What? I need to make sure s
he’s worthy of my little brother.”

  They all laughed. She’d been calling Terrence her brother since their college days, and every time she introduced him as such, people stared in disbelief at the five-foot-eight-inch, blond-haired, blue-eyed beauty with the dazzling smile standing next to the tall, handsome chocolate-skinned man.

  As Donovan began to speak, Terrence’s phone rang.

  He quickly dug it out of his pocket, thinking something had happened to one of his grandparents. They were the only ones who called his personal cell during the day.

  When he saw the display, his features softened. He stood and quickly left the room, not caring about the laughter he heard behind him.

  Chapter 4

  Janae was surprised when she opened her door to a florist carrying a huge arrangement of pink roses and white calla lilies. She tried to tip the delivery person, but the man told her it had been taken care of. She thanked him and carried the flowers to an end table in her living room. She pulled off the card and opened the envelope.

  Thinking of you, Terrence.

  A huge grin blossomed on her face. Already, the fragrance of the flowers filled the space. She started to put the card back, but decided it would be better off in the nightstand by her bed. Then her smile faded. As much as she didn’t want to, her mind questioned why he’d sent them. The last man to give her flowers was Carter Harris. They dated for six months before he turned possessive. He used the excuse that he loved her and was afraid she’d leave him. After they’d slept together once, he got worse and she had been ready to end their relationship.

  He sent flowers, thinking that she would show her appreciation by not breaking things off and sleeping with him again. When Janae refused, he got rough. But her three brothers had taught her how to protect herself. The surprise blows to his face and groin gave her time to escape to her bedroom, where she locked the door and called Devin. One minute she heard Carter banging on her door and yelling, the next she heard her brother threatening him with bodily harm and to call the police if he didn’t leave. She hadn’t heard from Carter since that incident almost three years ago.

  What would Terrence expect in return? He didn’t seem to possess the same arrogance as Carter and had treated her with respect the entire time they were together. But there were many superstars who expected women to fall at their feet.

  She released a deep sigh. This was supposed to be a fantasy, and in fantasies, things did not get this complicated. Maybe she should stop this madness before it got started. The last thing she wanted or needed was another man to shatter her heart. Janae knew that however she felt, she did need to call and thank him for the flowers. She hesitated a moment, then picked up the phone.

  “Hi, Terrence,” she said when he answered. “It’s Janae. I’m calling to thank you for the flowers.”

  “You’re welcome. Did you like them?”

  “I did. They’re very lovely.”

  “I hoped you wouldn’t get upset.”

  “Why would I get upset?”

  “Do you remember what you said when I asked for your address?”

  “Oh, yeah,” she said with a giggle. “Well, I guess I can make an exception for flowers.”

  “Good.”

  They both fell silent for a moment. “Well, I know you’re probably busy. I only wanted to let you know how much I appreciate the flowers.”

  “I’m glad you like them. Are you going to be busy this weekend?”

  “Probably not. Why?”

  “The rest of my week will be really busy, so I may not be able to call you until then.”

  “It’s no problem. We’ll talk whenever you have some time. Go back to work. I’ll talk to you later.”

  “Okay. Talk to you soon.”

  * * *

  He disconnected and inhaled deeply. I need to see her. He walked back into the room and met the smiling faces of his friends. “Don’t you people have work to do?”

  “We do. So the quicker you spill the beans, the quicker we can get to it,” Brad said.

  Audrey rubbed her hands together with glee. “Come on. What’s she like? Is she pretty? Nice?”

  Terrence knew they wouldn’t leave until they had answers, so he brought up the picture of him and Janae on his phone and handed it to Audrey.

  “She’s gorgeous.”

  Brad leaned over her shoulder. “I agree. She’s a beauty. Where did you meet her?”

  Terrence shot a quick glance at Donovan, then back to Brad. “At the concert.”

  Brad’s eyebrows shot up. “I thought you said she wasn’t a groupie.”

  “She’s not,” Terrence snapped.

  Donovan jumped in and told them what transpired the night of the concert and the rest of the weekend. “She seems like a really nice person.”

  “Does she live in San Francisco, Terrence?” Audrey asked.

  “No. San Jose.”

  “Hmm, a long-distance relationship can be tricky, especially with all the traveling you do,” she noted thoughtfully.

  “I know,” Terrence replied. Although it wasn’t as if he was thinking relationship. He didn’t do relationships. At the same time, he couldn’t get her off his mind.

  “Man, I don’t think it’s wise for you to get caught up in this kind of thing. Maybe you should just sleep with her and move on. Like Audrey said, she’s geographically undesirable,” Brad said.

  Terrence knew Brad meant well, but couldn’t stop the surge of annoyance that welled up.

  Audrey punched her husband in the arm. “That’s not what I said, Brad. I said a long-distance relationship is tricky, not impossible.”

  The anger on Terrence’s face was plain.

  “Way to go, Brad. And why would you tell him to ‘just sleep with her and move on’? Didn’t you see the look on his face when she called?” She rolled her eyes and jumped to her feet.

  Brad’s face reddened, and he tried to backpedal. “I’m sorry, Terrence. I didn’t mean it like that.”

  “For a man who’s supposed to be able to read facial expressions and body language as an integral part of his job, you can be so dense sometimes.” Audrey turned to Terrence. “Terrence, if you feel she’s special, then you should go after her.” She shrugged. “That’s my two cents.” She glared at her husband, snatched up her belongings and stormed out.

  “What does that mean?” a confused Brad asked.

  Donovan chuckled. “Man, you stepped in it this time. What your wife is trying to say is, as a lawyer, you should have been able to look at Terrence’s face when Janae called and know that she’s more than some booty call.” At Brad’s continued blank look, he shook his head. “You really don’t get it, do you?”

  “No. What am I missing?”

  “In all the years you’ve known Terrence, how has he behaved when it came to women?”

  Brad shrugged. “More or less had a take-it-or-leave-it attitude.”

  “And, even when he dated?”

  “He still seemed somewhat detached. As a matter of fact, I don’t remember seeing him with the same woman twice.”

  “When you look at Audrey, what happens to your facial expression and your body language?”

  His eyes widened. “I...oh...you’re right. I’ve never seen him look like that before.”

  “Bingo.” Donovan stood.

  “I’ll be in my office,” Terrence grumbled, annoyed they were talking about him as though he treated women badly.

  Brad stood quickly, following them out. “I’m sorry, man. I didn’t know.”

  “Terrence will be fine. You should probably start with your wife, since she thinks you’re dense,” Donovan said with a laugh.

  * * *

  Terrence sat at his desk staring out the window when Donovan closed the door and too
k a seat on the sofa.

  Neither spoke for several minutes, and then Donovan asked, “You okay, man?”

  Terrence slowly rotated in his chair. “I’m cool.”

  “I don’t think Brad meant any harm.” He chuckled and shook his head. “But he pissed Audrey off. You know how protective of you she is.”

  Terrence smiled faintly.

  “What are you going to do about Janae?”

  “I’m going to see her.”

  “You’re serious about her.”

  “I’m not serious about anyone.”

  He shook his head. “What do you need me to do?”

  “I’d like to go on Saturday.”

  “I’ll make sure the jet is ready and get you a car. When do you want to fly back?”

  “Depends. No later than Sunday, though. We both have to work on Monday.”

  Donovan nodded and stood. “I’ll let you know when everything is finalized.”

  “Thanks, D. And tell Audrey to go easy on Brad.”

  “I will, and you tell Mrs. Lewis we didn’t do anything to you. She was fussing and asking if we upset you when I came in. I swear you’ve got better protection than the president.” The fifty-something-year-old secretary watched over Terrence like a mama bear protecting her cub.

  “What can I say?” Terrence shrugged. “I’m leaving in about half an hour. I want to be home early so I can spend time with my folks.”

  “That’s fine. Tell them I said hello. We’ll be closing up shop before that anyway. I’ll be right behind you.” He opened the door and turned back. “I should have everything ready for your trip by midmorning tomorrow.”

  “Okay. Later.”

  * * *

  Terrence hit the play button on his home studio’s audio system, listening once again to the demo he’d received the previous day. Something bothered him about the recording, but he couldn’t put his finger on it. After three repeats, he shut down the system. He knew exactly what he needed to do to relax—cook. A smile creased his face. He would surprise his grandparents by cooking dinner for them.

  Due to the lateness of the hour, he settled on a simple meal of grilled salmon, wild rice and steamed broccoli. After he finished cooking, Terrence walked through the breezeway that connected his grandparents’ cottage to his house. When he’d had the house built, they had adamantly refused to live with him, citing his privacy and being burdensome among their reasons. They had finally relented when he told them they would have their own two-bedroom, one-bath cottage, complete with living room and kitchen.