by Nicki Night
“Blake is off-limits. I used to date his brother,” she said matter-of-factly.
“What? You didn’t tell me that. Which one?” Cadence didn’t hide her surprise. “I thought I knew all of your boyfriends.”
“Drew. It wasn’t serious. We went out a couple of times.”
“Oh.” Cadence held her smile on the inside, happy to hear that her friend wouldn’t possibly be interested in Blake. “I don’t like playboys, and besides, I doubt I’m his type. My boobs aren’t large enough to choke me when I lie down, and I don’t speak bimbo.”
“Ha! Those brothers attract all types. He’s a good catch and he gives back to the community. In fact, they all do. That’s what I like about them.”
“I can see that.”
“Blake is very active in this organization that mentors young boys. He’s always taking them out and doing things with them. It’s really cool. I think it helps to keep him grounded.”
Cadence quietly pondered what Alana had just said. She admired people who gave back.
“Plus, he seems to be genuinely interested in you. Just give it a chance. You never know what can happen.”
“I don’t know. Maybe I’m just not ready to date.” She’d gotten over Kenny, but not those feelings of rejection. The last thing she wanted was to get her hopes up about someone who probably didn’t take a woman’s feelings seriously. He may have been a reasonable humanitarian, but he was still a man who appeared to be a playboy.
“Well, you may not be ready for him, but I know for sure that he’s ready to get to know you a little better.”
“What makes you say that?” Cadence tilted her head, eager to hear Alana’s response.
“Ever since the mixer, he’s been asking about you.”
“You didn’t tell me that.” Cadence rose in her seat and then sat back, hoping she didn’t appear too anxious.
Alana shrugged as if it was no big deal.
“We’re here.” Alana peered over the dash to get a better look at the front of the restaurant. “That’s it right there. I’m sure there’s more parking in the back. I’ll pull around.” Alana whipped the car into the lot and pulled into the first available spot. “This is probably the closest we are going to get. It looks crowded.”
The ladies checked their faces in the visor mirrors and headed inside. Alana stood on her toes, craning her neck over the crowd in search of Blake, while Cadence discreetly scanned the restaurant with her eyes. It didn’t appear that Blake had arrived yet.
“Let me see how long the wait is going to be,” Alana said.
Cadence followed Alana as she snaked through the thick crowd toward the hostess. Their wait would be about forty-five minutes and the women figured that would work since Blake had yet to arrive.
“Can I take your name?” the young hostess asked Alana.
“Ah.” She paused, looking at Cadence for confirmation. Cadence shrugged. “Sure. Alana. Party of three, but our third party is not here yet.”
“Okay. You said Alana, right?” the woman asked, and Alana nodded. “Will you be dining with Mr. Barrington this evening?”
Cadence and Alana exchanged surprised glances. “Yes, we will. How’d you know?”
Offering up a pleasant smile, the hostess said, “Oh, Mr. Barrington called ahead, so we were expecting you. Follow me,” the hostess said with a nod, grabbing several menus and leading them through the loud bustling restaurant to a room set aside for private events. They were seated at a table for at least eight people and the hostess placed a menu at each setting. Turning to them, she smiled and nodded again. “I’ll send your waiter right over. Mr. Barrington and the rest of your party should be with you shortly.”
“Thank you,” Alana said to the woman politely before turning to Cadence. “How the heck did Blake manage this?” she said, referring to the fact that they were seated immediately despite the long wait.
“I don’t know, but I’m glad we don’t have to wait the whole forty-five minutes. I thought about leaving but, realizing that it’s a Saturday evening, every other restaurant will have a similar wait.” Cadence couldn’t help glancing around as she anticipated Blake’s arrival.
“Yeah, but Blake didn’t offer to treat us to those restaurants. Ha!” Alana teased.
“Thanks, Kim,” Blake’s voice sounded off just outside of the room where Alana and Cadence sat.
Cadence turned around so fast she almost gave herself whiplash. She hoped Alana hadn’t noticed her eagerness because she sure wouldn’t let her live it down.
Blake stepped into the room where they were seated with one of his arms extended out to the side. “Ladies!” Several of the other volunteers from the career fair stepped in behind him, looking more like his personal entourage. Taking a seat at the head of the table near Cadence, he smiled wide, rubbing his hands together. “I hope they didn’t make you wait long.”
“Not at all,” Alana spoke up first. “How did you manage that? Those people out there are waiting at least forty-five minutes to be seated.”
“Let’s just say, I know a guy.” Blake’s laugh bellowed and bounced off the walls in the enclosed area.
The group exchanged greetings with one another. Cadence was thankful for their presence, assuming it would take the pressure off sitting at the table with Blake. Their waiter showed up immediately and took their orders. Idle chatter about their volunteer work ensued until the food arrived. The crew was so hungry that little was said while they indulged. The noise level at the table grew considerably once the food had been finished and drinks began to flow more frequently.
Cadence enjoyed the cuisine and the company and was almost glad that she hadn’t gone straight home. It was a nice departure from her normal routine, though being alone never bothered her. As an only child, she was accustomed to stillness. With tons of work and a voracious love of books, boredom had never been an issue.
Blake brushed across her hand, causing small tremors to travel up her arm. He was holding court but never failed to let her know that he was including her with a touch or glance or by somehow pulling her into the conversation if she appeared to get too quiet. She appreciated his small gestures of inclusion.
As the drinks flowed, the dialogue took on a more animated resonance when the topics changed to relationships. The sharp difference of opinion between the ladies and the men made for an intense debate.
“That’s because most men only want one thing!” Sandy practically shouted.
“That’s all some women want these days, too.” Blake’s response generated a collective gasp from the women. “Present company included...obviously,” The grumbling response from the women was like a roar. Blake held his hands up. “Wait! Let me say this.”
“Let the man speak.” Eddie slurred and everyone laughed.
“Being a good-looking man, I come from a different perspective. I come across all kinds of women in my travels. I can take my pick.”
“Oh Lord! Will you listen to King Blake,” Sandy interjected.
“No!” Blake said, holding his hands up. “Seriously. Even if I wasn’t as handsome and dapper...” Blake jokingly paused and posed, offering a gorgeous profile. All three women at the table rolled their eyes simultaneously and laughed aloud. “It still wouldn’t matter. Some women are just different these days. They don’t have the same values as they used to. As a man, if you don’t have your own value system, you could get away with almost anything. If you have more to offer than just your good looks like I do, oh, forget about it! The world could literally be yours.”
“I can’t believe how arrogant you are.” Cadence’s thoughts had made it past her lips. Blake was apparently pretty confident about the fact that he was God’s gift to women.
“I’m not arrogant, sweetheart. I’m confident. There’s a difference.” He topped his comment off with a w
ink.
Cadence hated the fact that his little clarification made him even sexier and the fact that he’d called her sweetheart made her want to swoon. “Whatever,” she said, waving her hand.
“It’s true. I’m blessed to have a lot going for me. I’m well educated and I take good care of myself. I try not to get caught up in nonsense and I wish that women out there wouldn’t, either. It just clouds the judgment.”
“Okay, King Blake. I hate to say it, but you’ve got a point,” Sandy said before raising her glass and taking a sip of her white wine.
“The problem is your delivery!” Sandy cosigned Cadence’s comment by shaking her head in Blake’s direction.
“Ha! Yeah,” Alana added, laughing with the rest of the group. “It makes sense. Some of our women and men do seem to be more concerned with superficial things. At the end of the day, what matters the most is how well you are treated. A person’s looks, money or degrees can’t hold you at night or tell you how much they love you.”
“See!” Blake looked at Cadence. “That’s why I could be your ideal man. I’ll hold you at night and tell you how much I care—” Blake cast a smoldering gaze in Cadence’s direction “—among other things.”
A shudder radiated from Cadence’s core out to the edges of her skin. Picking up her wineglass, she pushed down the lump that had formed in her throat with a large gulp and hoped no one else caught that.
“If this man toots his own horn one more time...” Sandy threw her hands up in mock frustration.
“I’m with you, Sandy!” Alana added.
“Don’t be mad at the truth!” Eddie interjected.
Everyone else at the table was doubled over laughing.
Alana looked at her phone. “Oh my goodness! It’s almost nine o’clock!”
“What?” Cadence sat up straight. She had brought loads of work home that she planned to get through. After volunteering earlier and spending the rest of her evening and now most of her night with Blake and Alana, she was sure to get nothing done. She couldn’t believe how the hours had passed without warning.
“Wow. How time flies,” Sandy said, emptying her most recent refill in one long gulp. Putting the glass down, she placed the palm of her hands on the table and pushed herself up. “This was grand, but I’ve got to hit the road.”
“Me, too,” Eddie slurred. Taking a moment to collect his balance he pulled out his wallet. “How much do I owe you?”
“My treat,” Blake said, flashing a dazzling smile.
“Thanks!” Eddie said, flipping his wallet closed and returning it to his back pocket.
“Thanks,” rang out around the table from all parties.
“My pleasure! Thanks again for taking the time to help out today. Eddie, you can ride with me. I’ll bring you back tomorrow to pick up your car.”
He had done it again. Cadence didn’t want him to get to her, but qualities outside of his arrogance were seeping through and she liked what she saw. Her reasons for avoiding him were waning. As she gathered her belongings and said her goodbyes, she mentally summed up the pros and cons of Blake Barrington. He was successful, gorgeous, funny, caring, charming, and giving, despite being an arrogant playboy and a lawyer.
Blake walked along with Cadence and Alana, waving goodbyes to the others. Once Alana clicked the car alarm, Blake was at Cadence’s side, opening her door. She climbed inside. He closed the door and waited for Alana to start the car to roll down the window. Leaning in, he thanked Alana one last time and smiled at Cadence.
“See you Friday?” he asked, curling his full lips into a sexy grin.
Cadence could have sworn she saw a glint in his eye. “Sure.” She knew her response didn’t sound assured, but it was the most she could do. Cadence knew she had no intention of going, but didn’t want to let him down in front of Alana. She’d let him know sometime during the week that she wouldn’t be able to make it. Blake took her hand and kissed it—an unhurried, moist, lingering kiss that offered a stirring indication of how he would handle other parts of her body. A slow burn started in her center. Cadence cleared her throat and shifted in her seat.
“Good night,” she said, looking straight forward. She couldn’t bring herself to look directly at the hankering in Blake’s eyes, afraid she would melt under its heat. Feeling Alana’s eyes on her and seeing her wide grin through her peripheral vision, she didn’t want to look at her, either. A swollen silence pulsated between them.
“Get home safe,” Blake finally said, tapping the side of the car as he stood.
Cadence rolled up her window and before Alana could fix her lips to say something, Cadence pointed a finger at her. “Don’t say a word.”
“Ha!” Alana obliged, though she couldn’t contain her laughter as she put the car in gear and exited the parking lot.
Trying not to be obvious, Cadence watched Blake strut back toward his pickup, closed her eyes and willed the butterflies swarming in her stomach to settle down.
Chapter 9
When Judge Watson banged his gavel, closing out the case in Blake’s client’s favor, Blake wanted to pump his fist. There was no way that something like that would go over well, especially with this uncompromising judge. Such an unprofessional display would certainly land him in contempt in Watson’s courtroom.
Blake’s client, Clint Carter, looked stunned, apparently unbelieving of the win. Grabbing the young songwriter’s shoulder and reaching out for a handshake, Blake found that he had to shake him a little to get his attention. Instead of offering up his hand, the young man turned his wide shocked eyes toward Blake, wrapped his lanky arms around him and laid his head on his chest.
“Thank you! Thank you! I can’t believe this. I couldn’t have done this without you!”
“You’re welcome, man!” Blake smiled and pulled himself from the viselike embrace and then patted the guy’s shoulder.
Blake completely understood Clint’s excitement. With the substantial settlement that he was due to receive from the record company that ripped him off, he would be financially set. After sending in his demo recording to be considered for a deal, the young man hadn’t heard anything back from the company for months. Then one day, the hopeful artist heard the popular multiplatinum R&B artist J. Reigns singing the words he’d written to the beats he’d created on one of New York’s top radio stations. The album went platinum within days.
The jilted songwriter sought Blake out after being referred by another aspiring artist. Always willing to fight for the underdog, Blake took the case without a second thought and fought long and hard against one of the country’s largest recording conglomerates to secure this win.
“Go home and celebrate. I’ll see you in my office in a few days. I’ll have my secretary call you so we can set up a time to get everything closed out. You should have your money in a few short weeks.”
“Aw, man. Thank you, man!” Clint cupped Blake’s hand in his and shook it vigorously. “I can’t believe it, man.”
Blake chuckled. “Believe it,” he said, stuffing the papers from the table into his briefcase. “You deserve this.”
“Woo!” Clint’s shout startled Blake, along with a few other lingering folks in the courtroom.
Blake picked up his briefcase and nodded toward the exit. He shared his client’s sentiment but didn’t want him to get into any trouble. Not only did Clint have a big windfall coming from this settlement, but also the fees due to Barrington and Associates were quite substantial.
Blake exited the court building with a sense of urgency. He needed to make it back to Long Island to meet with the young men of Billy’s Promise, the charitable organization where he spent much of his spare time helping young—mainly fatherless—boys blossom into productive men. He had a special treat for the boys tonight. Platinum-selling rapper Iconik was coming for a visit, along with his team
from the record company. Blake wanted to expose the boys to all the other jobs in the music industry that were integral to making an artist’s career successful. Just the thought of how excited the guys would be when Iconik walked into the center made him smile.
Blake had to make sure everything was all set. This would be more great exposure for the organization. Blake had also invited a few of his own contacts, hoping this didn’t turn out to be a media circus.
When Blake arrived at the center, the squeak of sneakers against the wood, laughter and bouncing balls filled the space with youthful energy.
“Yo! What up, Mr. B?,” one young man called out. Blake slapped five with several of them as they gathered around.
“I’ve got something special for y’all tonight,” Blake said with a huge grin.
“Was up?” The boys looked at each other with excitement.
“Get everybody together.” Blake scanned the group taking a count of how many boys showed up, looking for one in particular. “Where’s RaShawn?” he asked when he noticed him missing.
“He’s out by the office,” another young man said.
“Okay. I need you all to set up about twenty chairs in a semicircle in the middle of the floor. I’ll be right back.”
“Cool,” one young man said, taking the lead as Blake walked off. “Get those chairs and put them right here,” he continued giving orders.
Blake greeted Tracy, the after-school site coordinator, as he headed to the back offices. The lights were off. At first he didn’t see RaShawn sitting on the floor just beside the door.
“What’s up, man? Why are you back here alone?” Blake knew right away that something was wrong, as RaShawn was one of the rambunctious ones in the group.
“I don’t feel good.”
Concerned, Blake knelt down. “What hurts? Do you have a fever?” Alarm crept over him.
“My stomach.”
“Oh. What does it feel like?”