Just to Be with You

by Sheryl Lister

  Janae slowly went through the dresses on the rack, but nothing seemed to catch her eye.

  “I got it,” Karen said excitedly, holding up a black banded, formfitting dress with a sweetheart neckline and open back. “And before you reject it, although the back is out, it’s still high enough for you to wear a strapless bra.” She thrust the dress at her. “Go try it on.”

  Heaving a deep sigh, she took the dress, went into one of the dressing rooms and put it on. She hesitantly walked back to where Karen waited outside the dressing room and held out her arms. “Well?”

  “Girl, Terrence isn’t going to know what hit him when he sees you in that dress,” Karen whispered in awe.

  A guy walking by with a woman stared so hard he tripped. Janae and Karen shared a smile.

  “I rest my case. People would never believe what a killer body you have under those loose-fitting clothes you always wear. What do you think?”

  Janae turned one way, then another. “It’s not that bad. I like it.”

  “Before you ask, no, it’s not too short. It’s hard for anything to be too short for you, with your little five-foot self.”

  “Shut up.” The dress stopped about four inches above her knees. “The dress is fine, but I don’t have any shoes to go with it.”

  “Did I say we were done shopping?”

  “We’ve been shopping for over three hours. I’m tired, my feet hurt and I’m hungry,” she whined.

  “Fine. We can go to the food court and get something to eat. Then we’ll find you some shoes and something sexy to wear under that dress.”

  After eating, it took them another two hours to find shoes, a purse and undergarments. By the time Janae got home, her body ached so much that she never wanted to see another store in her life. Although she had to admit, the outfit was just sexy enough for her taste. She wondered what Terrence would think.

  * * *

  Janae had been so busy with end-of-the-year school activities and meetings that she had totally forgotten to call Terrence. Already a week had passed. She said her goodbyes to the other teachers in the lounge and made her way to the parking lot. Once in the car, she pulled out her cell, took a deep breath and sent him a text. “I guess I’m committed now,” she said to herself. She started the car and drove out of the lot.

  As soon as she got home, Janae changed her clothes and went into her studio. This thing with Terrence had gotten out of hand, and she needed to think. The telephone interrupted her. She placed her brush on the tray and wiped her hands.

  “Hello.”

  “Well, hello there, my darling daughter.”

  “Mom. Hi. How are you?”

  Her mother’s soft laughter came through the line. “Great. I finished the last lecture this morning, and I’m a free woman.”

  “Well, if you stayed retired, you’d be a free woman all the time.”

  “This is true, but I can’t seem to help myself. Your father, on the other hand, has no trouble being retired.”

  “How is Daddy?”

  “He’s fine. Right now he’s at a meeting. A group of men are working on developing a mentoring program for young men.”

  “That’s great. We need something like that here. Oh, before I forget. I saw Mrs. Jenkins at the grocery store a couple of weeks ago. She told me to tell you hi.”

  “Did she say how she’s enjoying retirement?”

  “I think Mr. Jenkins is underfoot. She said she has to go to the grocery store to get some peace,” Janae responded with amusement.

  Her mother laughed. “So what’s going on with you?”

  “School will be out next week, so I’ve been busy getting everything finished. This year I decided to do scrapbooks for all the students so their parents can see how they’ve improved over the year. I’m also including a small summer packet so they can continue to work on their skills over the summer.”

  “That sounds fantastic. Hmm, that would be a good thing for all teachers. Have you been painting?”

  “Actually, that’s what I was doing when you called. Remember the moon rising over the mountains we saw when I visited?”

  “Oh, yes. It was incredible. But I don’t remember us taking a picture of that scene.”

  “I took one in my mind.”

  “Please take a picture and email it when you finish. I’d love to see it.”

  “I plan to complete it tonight or tomorrow. So you’ll see it before the weekend is over.”

  “I spoke with Devin a little while ago. He mentioned you have a new friend.”

  Janae groaned. “We met a few weeks ago and went out a couple of times. Devin happened to be here the first time he visited.”

  “Devin seems to think the guy isn’t who he says he is. Is that true?”

  “No, Mom. His name is Terrence. Devin’s just being his normal overprotective self.”

  “Well, you have a good head on your shoulders. If it develops into anything serious, I’m sure we’ll hear about it. Don’t mind your brothers. If Devin and Erik find wives like Justin has, they won’t have time to be in your business. Do you think it may become serious?”

  “I don’t know, Mom. He’s really nice and fun to be around, but I’m not sure things will work out.”

  “Sounds like you like him a lot.”

  “I’m trying not to, but I can’t help it. It’s complicated.”

  “What kind of job does he have?”

  “Um, I’d rather not say right now, but I promise he has a good one and it’s nothing illegal.”

  She chuckled softly. “Is this part of the complication?”

  “Yes.”

  “Well, I won’t pry for now. If you need to talk, I’ll be here.”

  “Thanks, Mom. I love you.”

  “I love you, too. Go back and finish your painting, and keep me posted. You’re still coming to visit sometime in the summer?”

  “Yes. I’ll let you know soon. I’m going to visit Justin and Pam, too. I know Teresa is getting big, and I don’t want her to forget her auntie.”

  “I’ll talk to you later.”

  “All right. Tell Daddy I love him.”

  Janae hung up the phone and dropped her head in her hands. “What am I going to do?” She’d been asking herself that question all day—especially since coming to the realization that she had fallen in love with Terrence—and still didn’t have an answer.

  * * *

  “Let’s go over this last song and call it a day,” Terrence said to the band. They’d been rehearsing for over two hours.

  “Which one do you want to do?” Malik asked.

  “I think we’ll do ‘It’s Only You,’” he answered, rising from the keyboards and grabbing a microphone at the stage’s center.

  The band clapped. He performed the duet with the female background singer Lorena Daniels.

  “Saang, Lorena,” Gerald Myers, the male background singer, crooned. “That means I can go sit down.”

  The music to the soulful, sexy ballad began, and Terrence and Lorena sang as if they had been lovers for a lifetime. By the end of the song, the band members stared at him in awe. As the last note faded, whistles and clapping sounded throughout the auditorium. Terrence noticed that even the employees had stopped to listen.

  “What?” he asked when Lorena continued to stare. “I think we sounded great.”

  She shook her head. “It’s not like you don’t always sound great, Monte. But, today...today there was something different.” Lorena held out her arms. “See, you gave me chills. I could feel the passion clear down to my soul.”

  “Damn, Monte,” guitarist Carl said, patting Terrence’s shoulder. “I think we should close with that one. There’re gonna be a lot of babies made this weekend.” He chuckled.

  “No l
ie,” Lisa said. “You’re making me miss my boyfriend even more than usual.”

  “Well, I guess that means we’re finished,” Terrence said.

  As everyone started the teardown, Terrence walked over to the side of the stage and picked up a bottle of water. He drained its contents without stopping.

  Donovan slowly approached from the rear.

  “What did you think, D?”

  “Everything went perfectly. It’ll be a great show.” He gestured for Terrence to follow him. Once they were out of hearing range, Donovan told him, “They’re right, you know.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “You always sing with passion, but today you were off the charts. Why do you think that is?”

  “I always try to put everything into my music.”

  “Nah, see, that’s not what it is this time.”

  Terrence folded his arms across his chest. “Really? Well, why don’t you enlighten me?”

  “I’ll be happy to.” Donovan grinned. “This time, you’re in love.” He spun on his heels and sauntered off.

  Love? Definitely not. His jaw tightened.

  So if you aren’t in love, why were you thinking of Janae with every word you sang?

  “I’m not in love,” he grumbled to himself, and stalked toward the lobby.

  Terrence leaned on a column in the bar area and stared up at the TV screen, unseeing. He stuck his hands in his pockets and took a deep breath. Why couldn’t he stop thinking about Janae? She stayed with him every waking moment and starred in his dreams at night.

  He pulled out his cell phone and turned it on. He had two messages. The first was from his grandfather, wondering if he’d made it safely. The second was a text message from Janae stating she would accept his invitation. He called his grandparents first and got their answering machine.

  “Hey, Grandma and Grandpa. We made it safe.”

  His grandmother picked up the line. “Wait a minute. Don’t hang up, baby.”

  “Hi, beautiful.”

  She giggled. “How are you, sweetheart? Your grandfather and I were coming in from the pool.”

  “I’m good. We just finished rehearsing.”

  “Did you eat?” she asked.

  Terrence shook his head, not surprised by the question. “We’re going as soon as everything is secured.”

  “You make sure you eat and get some rest tonight. I know you’re going to be running for the next several days.”

  “I will. I promise.” He smiled, even though she couldn’t see him. Terrence had no idea how he would have gotten through life without them.

  “Your grandfather says hello. When are you coming home?”

  “Tell him hello, and I’ll hopefully be home next Tuesday evening, but Wednesday at the latest.” He looked up to see the group beckoning him. “I have to go, but I’ll try to call you guys on Sunday. I love you both.”

  “We love you, too, angel. Bye and be safe.”

  Terrence met the band in the lobby.

  “You ready to roll?” Donovan asked.

  “In a minute. I need to make a quick phone call.” He ignored Donovan’s knowing smile. “I’ll meet you guys in the parking lot in a few minutes.”

  Terrence waited until they left to make the next call. He had no desire to listen to Donovan’s teasing tonight. He had enough on his mind with trying to reconcile his feelings for Janae.

  Chapter 12

  “Hey, baby,” Terrence said in response to Janae’s greeting.

  “Hi, Terrence. How are you?”

  Better now that I’m talking to you. “Good. And you?”

  “I’m okay.”

  “Got your text. I’m glad you’ll be joining me.”

  “What’re you doing?”

  “We just finished rehearsal and are getting ready to go eat.”

  “Isn’t it a little late for dinner?”

  “It’s not even eight yet. I’ll probably get something light, though. What are you doing?”

  “I’m painting.”

  “What are you working on?”

  “The moon rising over the mountains at sunset. I saw it when I visited my parents in New Mexico.”

  “Are you painting from a picture you took?”

  “No. I’m painting it from memory.”

  “Are you serious? How long ago was your visit?”

  “Almost a year ago.”

  “And you can still remember what it looks like?”

  “I can close my eyes and see it as clearly as if I was standing there.”

  Just as I can see you when I close my eyes. Your beautiful smile. That curvy body. Oh, and those sexy lips that call to me. He tried to rid his mind of the visions. “I’d love to see it sometime. I wanted to let you know I got the text. The band is waiting for me, so I’ll call you early next week with your flight information.”

  “Okay. Knock ’em dead this weekend. Talk to you later.”

  Terrence laughed. “I’ll do my best.”

  Now, if he could only focus long enough to get through both concerts and interviews.

  * * *

  “Let’s give Monte another round of applause,” radio host Gayle Sanders said to the studio audience as the music faded. “We thank you for taking time out of your busy schedule to sing a few songs and answer our questions.” She gestured him to one of the chairs.

  “Thanks for inviting me.”

  “You’ve been a busy man lately. Are you working on anything new?”

  “I am. I’ll have a new project coming out hopefully at the start of fall.” Terrence laughed as a few screams came from the audience. “I hope you’ll enjoy it.”

  “If you’re singing, I know I’ll enjoy it,” a woman called from the audience.

  Clapping and more shouts combined with “amen” and “I know that’s right” sounded through the audience.

  Gayle smiled. “Well, I guess there are a few people looking forward to your new project.”

  “I’ll try not to disappoint you all.”

  “You’ve been in the business for nearly a decade making your own music, as well as writing for and with other musicians. How do you keep coming up with meaningful lyrics?”

  Terrence thought for a minute. “Most of them come from life experiences. I’ve also had the opportunity to work with some incredibly talented musicians, who’ve helped me grow, as well. I’ve been blessed to do what I love.”

  “And it shows, Monte. We appreciate your dedication to keeping good music alive. Now, I always like to ask artists I interview this question. If you weren’t in the music business, what would you be doing?”

  “I need to think about that a minute. Hmm, I think I probably would have pursued a career in sports...maybe basketball.”

  “When did you play, and what position?”

  “High school and my first two years of college as a guard. Then I focused solely on music.”

  “That would have been a sight to see.” Gayle stood. “We’ll take a few questions from the audience.” She walked across the room and placed the microphone in front of a woman who had her hand up.

  “Hi, Monte. My name is Cherelle. I’d like to know how you come up with your songs.”

  “Hi, Cherelle. Most times, I have melodies or phrases playing around in my head, and I build from there. Sometimes the lyrics and music come quickly, and I finish a song in an hour or two. Other times, it may take a week or more.”

  Gayle moved to another area.

  “Hey, Monte. I’m Jackie. We know you sing and play piano. Do you play any other instruments, and did you study music in school?”

  “Hi, Jackie. I also play percussion, bass and guitar. I do okay on the saxophone.”

  “A man who
does it all,” Gayle said.

  “I wouldn’t say that. To answer the rest of your question, I did study music in college.”

  “Smart, sexy and can sing,” a woman commented from the audience, followed by laughter.

  After several more questions, Gayle announced, “We’ll take one more question.” She walked quickly to the back of the room.

  “What’s up, man? My name is Reggie. I want to know what keeps you in the business with all of the changes and trends in the music industry.”

  “How’s it going, Reggie? Let’s see...what keeps me in the business? I’d have to say it’s because I love what I’m doing. Money drives the business, and nowadays, an artist often has to do more with less. You have to be committed to your craft. I’m fortunate to be working under my own label now, which gives me a little more freedom. It also gives me an opportunity to do venues like this, where I can connect with you on a more personal level.”

  “And we appreciate it,” Gayle said. “I think that about wraps it up. I do have one more question, however. Monte, you write the most beautiful love songs. Is there a special lady in your life who gives you inspiration?”

  “Sorry. There’s no one.”

  Several women yelled out comments.

  “I’ll give you inspiration.”

  “You taking applications?”

  “You need some inspiration?”

  Gayle laughed. “As you can see, there is no shortage of women who’d be happy to help you out.”

  “I’m flattered. But right now, my schedule doesn’t allow much time to pursue a relationship.”

  “All right. Let’s give it up for Monte. Thank you for spending this time with us. We look forward to the new project.”

  “It was my pleasure. Thank you again for inviting me, Gayle.”

  The audience broke out in applause and whistles. He stayed around awhile longer to chat and take pictures.

  By the time he left, Terrence was exhausted. He’d done the two concerts, this mini gathering and had an interview in the morning.

  “Nice show,” Donovan said once they were settled in the car.

  Leaning against the headrest with his eyes closed, Terrence said, “Thanks.”

  “I was wondering one thing, though.”