Perfect Timing

by Brenda Jackson

  “I feel like my time is running out.”

  “Because of the surgery?”

  “Yes.”

  Gwen paused a moment before asking. “What happened to you and that doctor Bessie was all excited about?”

  Maxi thought about Reginald Tanner. “He’s still hung up on his ex-wife.” Gwen shook her head as she resumed working with her roses. “It happens that way at times, unfortunately.”

  After a few moments Maxi asked. “Mom, do you remember Christopher Chandler?”

  “Is that Cousin Albert’s boy?”

  “No, Mom, Christopher isn’t related to us. We just have the same last name. He and I went to school together and—”

  “Oh, that Chandler. Yes, I remember him. And I also remember the scandal involving his mother and the mayor, Will Potter. If I recall she ended up committing suicide behind that mess, which surprised a lot of people. She’d been sleeping with married men for years so she must have cared a lot for Potter.”

  Maxi nodded, remembering hearing bits and pieces of the story back then. “Well, I ran into Christopher on the class reunion cruise.” She decided not to tell her mother that the two of them had shared a cabin.”

  “How is he doing?” Gwen asked.

  “He’s doing fine. He owns this big construction company in Detroit.”

  “Then you must be proud of him.”

  Maxi raised her brow. “Why would you say that?”

  Gwen smiled. “Because if I remember correctly, you were one of the few friends he had. Also, I recall on a couple of occasions that you made an extra sandwich and put it in your lunch box just for him, because you were concerned about him not having his own lunch. That’s when your father used to tease you about not feeding anyone not living under his roof.”

  Maxi chuckled, remembering those times. Her father had been the greatest.

  “Then when you got older you had this huge crush on him.”

  Maxi lifted a brow. “You remember that too?”

  “Yes.” Gwen glanced over at her daughter. “I also remember when he left town, swearing he wasn’t ever coming back.” After a few moments she asked softly. “Is that about to change?”

  Maxi shrugged knowing her mother was studying her intently. “I don’t know. It might.”

  “And if it does, would you have anything to do with it?”

  Again Maxi didn’t know how to answer her mother’s question. “I’m not sure what his future plans are, Mom. He and I are just friends.”

  “Friends who are interested in each other?”

  Friends who might be sharing a baby is more like it, Maxi thought. Her mother had always been very perceptive where she was concerned but Maxi would bet a million dollars her mother would never suspect anything close to Christopher’s offer to get her pregnant. “That’s hard to say, Mom. We only spent seven days together but I did enjoy his company, and I want to think he enjoyed mine.”

  “Well, make sure I’m one of the first to know if he ever decides to come back to Savannah.”

  “Why?”

  “So I can prepare a nice welcome home dinner for him.”

  Touched by her mother’s kind offer Maxi leaned over and hugged her. “Thanks, Mom. You’re the greatest.”

  Later than evening Maxi was in deep thought as she walked outside her home. She had purchased the house three years ago and the one thing that had drawn her to it were the numerous magnolia trees in the backyard. Jim had built her a gazebo and for privacy purposes, he had also installed a fence around her entire back yard. She enjoyed siting under the gazebo in the late afternoons while sipping a cup of hot herbal tea.

  She also enjoyed coming out here to think about things that concerned her. Her period had started that day and with it came the painful cramps that reminded her of the surgery she would eventually have to have. Remembering the surgery only made her remember Christopher’s offer. It had been nearly three weeks since he’d made it.

  She had thought about it, prayed about it, and had even dreamed about it. Now she knew her mind was finally made up about what she would do. She just needed to make sure Christopher still wanted to go through with it. She would let him know of her decision and discuss how best to proceed.

  CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE

  The buzzer sounding on Christopher’s desk caught him by surprise. He had instructed his secretary to hold his calls because he hadn’t wanted to be disturbed. “Yes, Mary, what is it?”

  “You indicated you wanted any call put through from a Ms. Maxine Chandler.”

  Christopher straightened in his chair. “Yes, is she on the line?”

  “No, sir, she’s here to see you.”

  Christopher blinked, thinking he hadn’t heard his secretary correctly. “Could you repeat that?”

  “Yes, sir. I said there’s a Maxine Chandler here to see you.”

  “Maxine Chandler is here? In Detroit?”

  “Yes, sir. Do you want me to send her in?”

  “Yes.”

  “Thank you, sir.”

  Christopher tossed the huge envelope he was just about to open aside, then stood to face the woman who had been plaguing his thoughts relentlessly for the past four weeks. Several questions began flooding his mind. Why was she here? Had she made a decision on his offer? Why hadn’t she called?

  His door swung open and he placed a tense smile on his lips as Mary escorted Maxi into his office. “Thanks for showing Ms. Chandler in. That will be all for now.” He saw Mary look at him and Maxi curiously. Since she knew he didn’t have any relatives, it was apparent she was trying to figure out what Maxi’s relationship was to him, given they had the same last name. Was she a long-lost relative or was she an ex-wife he’d never bothered mentioning he had? “That will be all for now, Mary,” he repeated. “And make sure I’m not disturbed.”

  “Yes, sir.” Mary then gave him a wry smile before leaving, closing the door behind her.

  His attention was then immediately drawn to Maxi. She looked just the way he last remembered seeing her. Beautiful. “I didn’t know you were coming to Detroit.” If she hadn’t planned to take him up on his offer, she could have easily made a phone call to let him know it. Since she was here that could mean only one thing.

  At first Maxi couldn’t find the words to say anything. She had seen him in a business suit before during one of those times they’d had to dress for dinner on the cruise. However, she found that seeing him again dressed in a starched white dress shirt and a pair of tailored navy blue trousers that emphasized his long muscled thighs, legs, and hips was unnerving and was making her lose the ability to think clearly. “I didn’t know myself until a few days ago. I thought it would be best to come see you face to face, and I didn’t think you’d want to come to Savannah. I need to ask you something.”

  There was a brief pause before he asked. “What do you want to ask me?”

  Maxi stared into his intense gaze and felt the floor feel unsteady under her feet. She swallowed the lump in her throat and somehow found her voice. “I want to know if your offer still stands? If you’re still interested in doing what you said you would do?”

  “To give you a baby?”

  Maxi’s breath caught on his words. She had heard the huskiness in his voice. The sound of it had run all the way up her spine. “Yes.”

  He nodded. “The offer still stands, Maxi.”

  She studied his features. “And you’re absolutely sure about this?”

  “Yes, I’m absolutely sure.” He watched her shoulders relax. “And are you accepting my offer?”

  She nodded. “Yes. We need to talk about it and make some necessary plans. I’m here for the weekend and will be staying at the Marriott Hotel.”

  “You’re welcome to stay with me. In fact that arrangement would probably work better since we have a lot to discuss, and the Marriott is on the other side of town from where I live. You being at my place will be more convenient.”

  “I wouldn’t want to intrude.”

 
; He smiled, remembering she hadn’t wanted to intrude on the cruise either. “You won’t be. I have a large apartment.”

  “Thanks.”

  Christopher looked at his watch. He then glanced at the huge envelope on his desk that he’d been about to open before she’d arrived. His plans to stay and work late immediately changed. “Come on, let me take you to my apartment and get you settled in. You must be exhausted after your flight.”

  “Oh,” Maxi said entering Christopher’s apartment and glancing around. “This place is humongous.” He’d said he had a large apartment but she hadn’t visualized it as being this big. It was nearly the size of her house.

  “I like a lot of space,” he said smiling, upon seeing the expression on her face. “All my years while growing up and living in the Vines, I always dreamed of having a spacious place to call my own.”

  “And you’ve succeeded,” she said, watching him place her luggage down by his feet.

  “Yes, I’ve succeeded.”

  She was tempted to ask what else he’d made up for having now that he had gotten successful but decided not to.

  “Come on let me show you to the guest bedroom and then I’ll show you around.”

  After taking a tour of his home she was more than impressed. His kitchen was to die for. It was spacious and all his appliances were totally modern. The entire décor of his apartment had a distinct masculine touch, even the guest bedroom.

  “You can rest up while I prepare dinner.”

  She lifted a brow. “You cook?”

  He smiled. “Of course. I’ve been fending for myself all my life and that also included cooking for myself.”

  She nodded suddenly remembering how at one time he’d told her if he didn’t make his own meals he wouldn’t get fed. His mother had had other things to do with her time than seeing about her only child’s well-being. “So, what do you plan to prepare tonight?” she asked following him into the kitchen.

  “I thought I’d throw a couple of steaks on the grill and make a salad.”

  “Can I help?”

  “Are you sure you don’t want to lie down for a while and rest?”

  “I’m sure. I’m not tired.”

  “All right then. I can grill the steaks and you can prepare the salad. Will that work?”

  She smiled at him. “Yes, that will work.”

  “Umm, this steak is melt in your mouth tender, Christopher,” Maxi said savoring the piece of meat she’d just eaten.

  “Yeah, and this salad is pretty good, too. I’d never thought about adding raisins and almonds to my salad before. I like it.”

  “I wasn’t sure if you would. That’s why I had placed them on the side.”

  The corners of his mouth twitched. “I admit I’m kind of picky when it comes to certain foods but I think this is delicious.”

  Maxi smiled. “I’m glad to know that you’re not hard to please.”

  Ten minutes later they had finished their meal after engaging in light conversation. He had told her more about Gabe and also about Gabe’s parents and how close he was to them.

  “What time do you fly out on Sunday?” he asked Maxi as they began clearing off the table.

  “That morning around seven. Why?”

  He thought about inviting her to have dinner with him and the Blackwells but didn’t think that would be a good idea. He’d already explained to Gabe what the real deal was between him and Maxi, but had decided not to divulge that kind of information to the older couple. If he took Maxi to the Blackwells on Sunday for dinner, Joella Blackwell would hear wedding bells since he’d never brought a woman to dinner before. And he didn’t want to put any ideas into the older woman’s head; especially ideas that were definitely not true.

  He suddenly came up with his own idea. “Would it be a lot of trouble to get your flight time changed to later? I’d love for the two of us to have breakfast together.”

  Maxi was touched by his invitation. “Changing my flight time shouldn’t be a problem. In fact, I’ll check with the airlines now.”

  He nodded. “When you come back you can join me in the den where we can talk about things.”

  Maxi bit her lip, beginning to feel somewhat nervous about what they would be discussing. “All right.”

  Maxi found Christopher in his den where several original paintings by black artists lined the wall. He was sitting on the sofa and had settled in the seat, drinking a glass of wine. He looked up when she entered.

  “Would you like something to drink? In addition to wine there is fruit punch, tea, and ginger ale in the fridge.”

  “No, I’m fine,” she said, taking a seat in the wing chair across from where he sat. “There wasn’t a problem changing my flight time. I don’t leave until noon.”

  He nodded. “Thanks for changing it.” He then sat up straighter in his seat and watched as she nervously looked at everything in the room but at him. “So, how do you propose for us to handle your having my baby?” he asked, deciding the best way to start off the discussion was to be direct.

  Maxi glanced quickly at him and was caught by the deep dark brown of his eyes. They were eyes watching her intently. Her gaze then shifted to his mouth and her heart began to beat a little faster. She tried not to remember the one and only time they had kissed. She nervously began rubbing her hands together. “I know you gave me the option of artificial insemination or the traditional way, and if it’s all right with you I prefer the traditional. I don’t want to get impregnated on some table in a clinic. But if you have a problem with it then I’ll understand.”

  He looked at her wondering if she really thought he would have a problem making love to her? “No, I don’t have a problem with it. Then I guess my next question is how soon do you want to do it?”

  “I want to get pregnant right away.”

  He chuckled. “Is this weekend soon enough?”

  Maxi shook her head, and he noted she’d suddenly turned shy. “No, this weekend is too soon. I—I didn’t come prepared to do anything like that.”

  He shrugged wondering what was there to get prepared for. “Okay. Will next weekend work? We can fly somewhere for the weekend to be in a more relaxed setting. How about Las Vegas?”

  Maxi’s brows bunched thinking next weekend was too soon, too, but she did want to get pregnant right away. “What if nothing happens after next week?”

  “Then we’ll keep trying until we finally get it right.”

  Maxi nodded as she released a sigh. She was glad his offer wasn’t a one time only deal. “Becoming involved with me won’t interfere with your social life will it?”

  Christopher smiled. “No, I plan to give you my absolute attention until you’re pregnant.” He paused before continuing. “Just as long as you understand I’ll be assuming my usual lifestyle after the deed is done. I’m not the marrying kind nor do I ever plan on being the marrying kind. The only thing you’ll get out of this is a baby.”

  Maxi met his gaze. “And that’s all I want.”

  CHAPTER THIRTY

  The next day Maxi got the chance to meet Gabe when he joined them for breakfast. She liked him immediately and could tell his and Christopher’s relationship was a rather close one.

  After breakfast Christopher took her on a tour of the city after telling him it was her first visit to Detroit. He also pulled a lot of strings to get tickets to a Brian McKnight concert for that evening. She had mentioned to him on the cruise that she was a big fan of the popular singer.

  Maxi was still humming one of Brian McKnight’s songs when they returned to Christopher’s apartment after the concert. “Wasn’t he just wonderful, Christopher?”

  “Yes, I guess,” Christopher responded dryly, leaning against the closed door watching her. To say she was on cloud nine was an understatement. A part of him was glad he was responsible for her happiness, but then another part of him was slightly peeved that she was carrying on this way about a man who wouldn’t know her if he passed her in the streets. He shook his head
and walked into the room. “It’s still early. Do you want to watch a video with me?”

  “Umm, what you got?”

  “Probably everything you’ve already seen at the movies. I prefer waiting until they come out on video.”

  Maxi looked at him thoughtfully. “You don’t take your dates to the movies?”

  “No.”

  She lifted an arched brow. “Then where do you usually take them?”

  He met her gaze wondering if she really wanted to know. He didn’t think she would appreciate knowing his bedroom was the usual place. “It depends. Do you want to watch the video or not?”

  She smiled wondering if she had put him on the spot. “Sure. I’ll be back after I change into something more comfortable.”

  When she returned moments later after changing into a lounging outfit she had purchased while on the cruise, she found Christopher on the floor in the den, stretched out in front of a big screen television. He smiled when he saw her.

  “You’re just in time to select a movie for us to watch,” he said handing several to her.

  She joined him on the floor frowning when she noted they were all action-packed movies. “Don’t you have anything that Steven Seagal doesn’t star in?”

  He thought for a moment. “No.”

  Maxi raised eyes to the ceiling. “You mean you don’t have any movies with Taye Diggs, Denzel Washington, or Morris Chestnut?”

  “No.”

  She shook her head. “Okay, then, any of these will work. I’m not usually into action-packed movies but I guess I’ll suffer through it.” She stretched out beside him.

  “What type of movies do you watch?” he asked curiously.

  She chuckled. “Usually anything with a lot of black folks, like Two Can Play This Game, Soul Food, The Wood, The Best Man, Love and Basketball, The Brothers…that sort of movie.”