“Do you think he’s involved with another woman?” her mother asked.
Janae angled her head thoughtfully. “Honestly, no.”
“Are you sure? Some of these music stars are famous for that kind of behavior.”
“Not Monte,” Pam said. “He’s been on the scene for close to ten years, and there hasn’t been one thing linking him to drama. If anything, he stays away from it.”
“Pam, why do you keep calling him Monte? Janae said his name is Terrence.”
“His first name is Terrence,” Janae said. “And the reason I don’t think there’s a woman involved is because he has a curved music staff tattoo over his heart, and when I asked him about it, he told me music was his only passion, his only love.”
“Has he tried to contact you?”
Janae dropped her head and nodded. “Yes. He’s called, texted, sent flowers.”
Her dad opened the sliding glass door and called for her mother. Standing, she told Janae, “You should talk to Terrence. If nothing else, it’ll give you some closure so you can move on.”
Once her mom was gone, Pam folded her arms and asked slyly, “So how did you come to see that tattoo over his heart?”
She felt her cheeks warm.
“Oh, I see. So...was it good?”
Janae couldn’t hold back her smile. “Better than good.”
Pam screamed, then quickly covered her mouth. “Girl, you need to get this straightened out because I need some concert tickets.”
Janae burst out laughing. She could always count on Pam to lift her spirits, and she spent her last night in New Mexico laughing and enjoying her family.
Devin rearranged his flight to come home with Janae. She expected him to say something about her mood as soon as they were alone, but he didn’t and she was glad. Since he had only visited their parents for a few days, he’d parked his car in the airport lot, and that meant not worrying about a cab or airport shuttle. As he drove, she gazed out at the passing scenery and thought about the differences between Santa Fe and San Jose. Although there were houses and buildings for miles, she was glad to finally be home.
When they pulled up in her driveway, she crawled out of the car and stretched. The early afternoon summer heat had not abated. She opened the door, and a blast of heat immediately hit her. Janae quickly went to the thermostat to adjust the temperature, then opened the windows for a few minutes to let out the stale air. Devin brought in her bags and set them near the hallway.
“What’re you doing for dinner?” he asked, taking a seat on the sofa.
“I don’t know. There’s nothing in the refrigerator, so I’ll have to go shopping. Unless you want to cook for me at your place.”
“Hey, my refrigerator is just as empty.”
“How is that? You’ve only been gone three days.”
“True, but I’ve been working a lot of hours and didn’t have time to shop.” Devin worked as an architect.
“I don’t feel like sitting in a restaurant tonight. Can we get something and bring it back?”
“Yep. Sounds like a plan. How about Chinese food?”
“That works. I’m going to take a shower.”
“I’ll probably do the same, then relax for a while. I know you’re going to be in that studio, so I’ll come get you when it’s time to eat.”
“You know me so well,” she called over her shoulder.
Janae entered her studio after showering, inhaled deeply and let it out slowly. She hadn’t painted in two weeks and missed the feeling of peace and relaxation that came over her whenever her brush touched the canvas. The time in Santa Fe had given her more inspiration than she knew what to do with. Some she’d photographed with a camera, while others had been captured in her mind. The first one on her list would be the desert sunrise. Dreams about Terrence had kept her awake at night, so one morning, instead of going back to sleep, she’d gotten up, sat out on the patio and watched the sun greet the day. The explosion of oranges, pinks and purples crossing the sky had left her breathless, and she was eager to get started. She painted for over an hour before Devin poked his head in the door.
“I’m going to get dinner. I already called it in, so I should be back in about twenty minutes. Get cleaned up and be ready to eat.”
“All right, all right. I will.” She had held up dinner many a night as a teen, and often, someone would have to drag her out of the studio.
After painting for a few more minutes, she cleaned up, put away her supplies and went to wash her hands. By the time she came out of the bathroom, she heard the front door opening. She met Devin in the kitchen.
“See, you don’t have to drag me out,” she said, sticking her tongue out at him.
He tugged on a curl. “Sit down and hush.” He got plates, glasses and serving utensils. Taking the chair next to her, he blessed their food.
She filled her plate and moaned with the first bite of sweet and sour pork. “Mmm. I haven’t had this in so long.” They ate in silence for a while.
“So what happened with Terrence?”
Janae paused in midbite. She finished chewing, set down her chopsticks and wiped her mouth. “What do you mean what happened?”
“What did he do to you? And don’t insult my intelligence by saying nothing happened.”
“He didn’t do anything to me. Things just didn’t work out.”
He dug his cell out of his pocket, pushed a few buttons and handed it to her. “Do you recognize anyone in that picture?”
Her eyes widened upon seeing the picture of her and Terrence dancing at the CD release party. Although her face was partially blocked, anyone who knew her well would recognize her. “Where did you get this?”
“Tina sent it to me. Apparently a friend of hers went to the party and was surprised to see this guy with a date, so she sent this as proof.”
Tina would definitely know her since Tina’s brother and Devin had gone to school together. She handed the phone back.
“I knew this guy was lying about his name. It’s Monte, not Terrence.”
She released a deep sigh. “Devin, his first name is Terrence. Monte is his middle name. Can we talk about something else, please?”
“No. I want to know what he did to you. Something happened that weekend. I bet he was messing around with other women at this party like all these popular music stars do. When I get done with him—”
“No! No, he wasn’t.” She blew out a harsh breath and rubbed her temples. “I simply fell in love with a guy who has no room in his life for anything but music. He never led me on, or anything. It just happened. I fell, he didn’t.” Janae felt the tears gathering in her eyes and tried to blink them back. “Please, please, let it go, Devin.” She swiped at a tear that escaped.
Devin cursed. “I’m sorry.” He pulled her up and onto his lap. “Don’t cry, Jan. I’m sorry, baby girl.” He tightened his arms around her and held her while she cried, like when she was younger. “Everything’ll be okay.”
She hoped so, because as it stood right now, she couldn’t imagine things ever being okay again.
* * *
Terrence sat at his kitchen table toying with the food on his plate. His grandmother had come over and cooked breakfast to “cheer him up.”
“Baby, you need to eat. And you look like you haven’t slept well in a while.”
“I’ll be okay, Grandma. I need to figure out how to fix something.” He hadn’t spoken to Janae in almost a month. Since making a mess of his life, he hadn’t been able to concentrate on anything. He forced himself to get through the days at the office, but hadn’t made any progress where his own music was concerned. At this rate, his project wouldn’t be completed on time. The funny thing was he didn’t care.
“Well, don’t take too long. Are you expecting someone this morning
?” she asked when the doorbell rang.
“No.”
“You stay here and eat,” she said, pointing at his plate. “I’ll get the door.”
She came back with Donovan trailing. “I made breakfast, Donovan. Get yourself a plate.”
“Yes, ma’am. Hey, T,” Donovan said, going to the bathroom off the kitchen to wash his hands. He came back and fixed a plate, then took a seat across from Terrence. Donovan quickly blessed his food and dug in.
“Oh,” he groaned. “These are the best waffles in the world, Grandma.”
“Grandma?” Terrence asked with a raised eyebrow. “Since when did you start calling her Grandma?”
“Since she said I could,” he answered, smiling around a full mouth.
“What are you doing here?”
“You left early yesterday, and I wanted to see what was up.”
“Nothing’s up,” Terrence grumbled. Donovan and his grandmother eyed him speculatively.
“Well, since Donovan is here to keep you company, I’m going back to the cottage. Your grandfather and I will be in the pool, and then we have a couple of errands to run.” Both men stood. “It was good to see you again, Donovan. Don’t be a stranger.”
He hugged her. “I won’t, especially if I can get breakfast every Saturday morning.”
Terrence rolled his eyes. “See you later, Grandma.” He hugged and kissed her, watching until she was out of sight. He slowly lowered himself back in the chair.
Donovan dropped back into his chair and continued to eat the waffles, eggs and bacon piled on his plate. “Man, I wish my mom lived close. I’d be over there every week.”
“You could always learn to cook, you know.”
He snorted. “So what’s going on?”
“Nothing.”
“Tell that to somebody else. It’s Janae, isn’t it?” He leaned back in his chair. “Man, you and misery have been shacking up for quite a while now. Don’t you think it’s time for a new roommate?”
“I had a visitor yesterday.”
“Is that why you left? Mrs. Lewis was fussing about some woman upsetting you when I stopped by the office. Oh, by the way, I met Trina Jackson. Is that the best Audrey could find to fill in? I think she’s going to be a handful.”
“All I need is for her to answer the phones and put everything else where Mrs. Lewis told her.”
“So who was the woman?”
“My mother.”
Donovan paused in midchew. Terrence recounted their conversation.
Donovan shook his head. “Unbelievable. Janae is nothing like her, T.”
“I know. I messed up, Don,” he said emotionally. All night he’d tossed and turned, thinking about not being able to have Janae in his life. How he’d let the selfish actions of his mother dictate his approach to relationships. And how he’d hurt the one woman who’d asked nothing of him but himself.
“Have you talked to her yet?”
“She won’t return my phone calls. I don’t know what else to do.”
Donovan shook his head in exasperation. “Boy, do I need to get you some cue cards or something? You can’t settle something like this over the phone. You gotta do it face-to-face. We’re going to Seattle on Wednesday. We can do a quick stop in San Jose.”
Terrence had thought about going to her house, but nixed the idea out of fear of rejection. But if he wanted her back, he’d have to take a chance. Their trip would only be overnight, he mused. A plan started to formulate in his mind. He hoped it worked because, if it didn’t, he and misery would be permanent roommates for sure.
* * *
With a solid plan, he focused long enough to catch up on his work. He also found out that what Donovan had said about Trina Jackson was true. Several times over the past two days, he’d glance up from his paperwork or a telephone call to find her standing in his office doorway. When he asked if she needed anything, she merely smiled and told him she wanted to make sure he had everything and to let her know if there was something she could get for him. She made a point of walking past him with an exaggerated sway of her hips and had even asked for his autograph. Terrence needed someone to keep the office running smoothly, not a fangirl. If this kept up, he would talk to Audrey about getting someone else for the following week. He’d be out of the office starting tomorrow until Friday, so he’d wait until then to mention it.
Leaning back in his chair, he thought more about his plan to get Janae back. Lord, how he missed hearing her voice. He’d laughed more with her in the few weeks they had known each other than he had his entire adult life. When he kissed her, it felt as if her mouth was made exclusively for his. He was still in awe of their lovemaking—the way her body arched into his, the sound of her voice screaming out his name. She held nothing back...and neither did he.
“Excuse me, Monte. You have a phone call. It’s Mrs. Lewis.”
He spun in his chair. “Thank you, Ms. Jackson. You don’t have to get up. Use the intercom.” Terrence shook his head and waited until she moved from the door, then picked up the line. “Hey, Mrs. Lewis. Is everything okay?”
“Hello, dear. Everything is fine. I wanted to let you know that Michelle and Trevor had another little boy last night,” she sang. “They wanted to thank you for the gift card. I knew you went overboard.”
“That’s wonderful. Are mom and baby doing well?”
“They’re doing fine. Christopher is excited about being a big brother.”
He chuckled. “I’m sure he is. What did they name the baby?”
“Actually, that’s the other reason I’m calling. Michelle wants to name him after you.”
“What? Why? I...I don’t know what to say.”
She laughed. “How about we start with the name Terrence.”
“I’m truly honored.”
“You’re a good man, and I’d be proud to have my grandson carry part of your name.”
He fell silent for several seconds as emotions gripped him.
“So, how are you coming on that other matter we discussed?”
She was as bad as his grandmother. “If things go as planned, it should be settled by the time you get back.”
“That’s what I like to hear. I’ll let you go now. I know you need to get ready for your Seattle trip. Be safe.”
“I will. See you in a couple of weeks, and thank Michelle and Trevor for me.” He slowly dropped the receiver in the cradle and briefly wondered if he would ever have children of his own. If he did, he knew he would be the same kind of father as his own. Though his father lived only a short time, he’d given Terrence a lifetime of memories.
* * *
Janae sat at Karen’s kitchen table with her head in her hands. “What am I going to do?” she moaned.
“You need to talk to Terrence. At least let him explain.”
“I will talk to him, but not yet. I’m just not ready.”
Karen reached over and squeezed her hand. “Whatever happens, you know I’ll be here for you.”
“I know, and I’m grateful.” She stood. “I’d better head home. I want to do some painting. That always relaxes me and helps me think.” She followed Karen to the door. “I’ll call you.”
“You do that.”
Janae headed directly for her studio the moment she arrived home. She was halfway done with the sunrise and was anxious to complete it. Taking a deep breath, she closed her eyes and let her mind journey back to that morning. With the picture in her mind, she picked up the brush, and the moment it touched the canvas calmness washed over her and the tension dropped off in waves.
She was so intent that she started when the doorbell rang. She placed her brush aside, wiped her hands and went to the door.
“Terrence. What are you doing here?”
* * *
&n
bsp; Terrence’s heart pounded in his chest, and he let his gaze roam all over her. He needed this woman like he needed to breathe. “Hi. Can I come in for a minute?”
She seemed to hesitate briefly, then unlocked the screen. She led him to the living room. “Have a seat.”
“I can’t stay long. A cab is waiting to take me back to the airport. We’re on our way to Seattle.” He scooted next to her on the couch and took her hand. “Janae, I am so sorry. I didn’t mean to hurt you. Can you forgive me?”
“It wasn’t all your fault. I should have stayed and talked to you.”
“Will you come to L.A. on Friday? You asked me why I’ve never committed to a woman, and I’d like to try to explain. I made flight reservations for Friday at ten-thirty. You don’t have to decide right now, but I need to see you.” At her look of uncertainty, he added, “I promise it won’t be like last time.”
“I’ll think about it.”
“That’s all I’m asking. Just call me or send a message to let me know. I’ll fly here and wait for you at the airport upstairs once you pass security.”
“Okay.”
He stood. “I have to go. Everyone’s waiting for me.” Taking her hand, he walked to the door. He told himself he wasn’t going to kiss her, that they needed to talk first. But there was no way he could follow through with that edict. Bending low, he briefly touched his mouth to hers. “I hope you decide to come. I’ll see you later.”
He jogged down the walkway and got into the cab. Their eyes held as the driver pulled off. Terrence leaned back against the seat, closed his eyes and smiled. She hadn’t said no, so maybe things were looking up.
Chapter 18
Janae went through security and searched for Terrence. Those darn butterflies were back and doing a salsa in her belly. She didn’t see him, but spotted a tall, blond-haired woman who could easily pass for a model holding a sign with Janae’s name. She cautiously approached.
“You must be Janae,” the woman said with a warm smile. “I’m so happy to finally meet you. My name is Audrey.”
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