by Nana Prah
His body had been more than willing to dive in when she’d lowered her lids. His stupid logical mind had brought it all to a screeching halt. Getting involved wasn’t a possibility. No matter how much he liked and desired her.
He’d dealt with the consequences of having affairs with clients, including losing them as paying customers when they wanted more from him. It wasn’t worth it. He met women everywhere he went. No need to muck up his workspace with what would inevitably be a fling. He was man enough to admit that relationships weren’t his thing. Not anymore.
His mission of clearing his reputation would help them reach the overall goal of serving the at-risk inner-city youth of his old neighborhood. They were what mattered when it came to working with Gia. Not the way she made him laugh or how she stood up to him when she wasn’t happy with something he said. She was adorable when she cursed up a storm during an exercise that she hated. And talking to her was comfortable. He didn’t get the sense that she was trying to impress him or that he needed to do so with her. They clicked.
Irritated with his current state of indecision, he picked up his cell phone and tapped on her name. Just because they couldn’t be lovers didn’t mean friendship was out of the question.
“Hello,” Gia answered.
“Hi. This is Lamar.”
“Yeah. I saved your number.”
Getting into an ice-filled tub evoked less nervousness than this conversation. “How are you?”
“I can barely raise my arms, but other than that I’m good. You?”
He could hear the smile in her voice and wanted to see it. “I’m alright, thanks. Did you give any consideration to attending the match tomorrow?”
“Well, no,” she said with a high pitch of surprise in her voice. “I thought it was just a polite offer so I hadn’t thought about it.”
What had given her that impression? Was he that rusty at asking a woman to hang out? “It was genuine. Since you enjoyed boxing so much I know you’ll have a good time.”
The line went silent.
The hesitation wasn’t a positive sign. Did she have plans already? A man? It hadn’t even crossed his mind. He wasn’t into trespassing so it would keep him at a strictly professional distance if she was in a relationship. His free hand balling into a fist, the clenching of his jaw, and his heart racing as his mind sent impulses to ask her directly if she was attached said differently.
Chapter 11
Gia swiped the sweat from the phone’s screen before switching it to her other ear. Why was she hesitating to accept the invitation? It was surreal. Lamar Pearce calling to invite her to an MMA tournament took a minute to get accustomed to. What did it mean? Did he like her?
The man had his choice of women. Maybe he wanted a buddy. Someone to hang out and laugh with. They did plenty of that while training.
She should say no and get it over with. Instead her mouth had other ideas. “What are you up to tonight?” She clapped a hand over her loose lips.
“I’m at home relaxing and going over some last-minute details for tomorrow. It’s what I advise my students so I lead by example.”
“Otherwise, you’d be hanging with your boys or…your sweetheart?”
Subtle. Real smooth.
“I chill with my boys on occasion. No significant other.” He cleared his throat after a pause. “You?”
Her hands became clammy at the fact that he was interested in her personal life. “No one.” Was that an exhale from his end or her imagination? “When my sister is in town, I’m usually with her.”
“You two are close?”
“Yeah. I basically raised her. Well, me and our nanny.”
“Where were your parents?”
Something everyone asked. “They were researching the behavior of people in villages in South America. They’re tribal sociologists.”
“Oh.”
“They’ve travelled all my life. Usually without me.” She let out something between a grunt and a chuckle. “They never wanted children. I learned this by eavesdropping on my mother and a friend during one of their short vacations home.”
She’d been inconsolable for days after listening to that detrimental conversation. Not something a little girl should be hearing from a mother who was never around. “They’re religious, so when I came along, they refused to abort me. Unfortunately, no matter how hard I tried to get their approval or how well I behaved, they chose their careers over me.” Why couldn’t she shut her mouth? She hadn’t had many close friends, definitely no one she found as easy to talk to as Lamar. He’d only be around for the next few weeks, so she may as well enjoy it while she could.
“Sorry to hear that.” The way his voice had lowered indicated sincerity.
“Luckily for me, after six years of loneliness,” she grinned, “they gifted me with Trista. She was a real miracle. I learned later that Mom had undergone tubal ligation after I was conceived. Trista wasn’t supposed to exist.”
“Then how did she come about?”
Gia swung her legs up, rested her head against the arm of the couch and snuggled in. “When I asked my mother, she refused to explain it so I looked it up. She must’ve developed a hole in one section of the Fallopian tube and it affixed itself to the other side of it. It’s not common, but it does happen.”
“You found this out at eight years old?”
This conversation really should’ve taken place face to face so she could see his reaction. Not that he was the most expressive guy, but it would be nice to look at something beautiful while relaying the misery of her past.
“Actually, I was nine by then, but I’ve always been inquisitive.”
“I see. Is that why you became a mechanical engineer?”
She shot up. “How did you know that’s what I do?”
“Trista mentioned it. She was proud of you getting your master’s degree. It seems there aren’t many women in your field.”
His explanation made sense so she relaxed. “It all started when I was young. I’d take apart everything in the house and experiment with putting them together in different ways before reassembling them as good as new. There’s nothing else that I could imagine doing.”
His chuckle made her scalp tingle. “That must’ve given your caretaker a heart attack or two.”
“Only the first few times. And then she took me to a shop and let me choose electronic things to build. She encouraged me every step of the way. She even cheered me on when I walked across the stage to get both my bachelor’s and master’s degrees.” She’d have to give Lucinda a call, it had been a couple of weeks since they’d last spoken. Both she and Trista were closer to the woman than they’d ever been to their parents.
“I’m sure your folks were proud of you, too.”
Their opinions no longer mattered. At least not as much as it used to. “I guess in their own way, but not enough to show up for any of our graduations.”
“That’s rough.”
“We don’t all get the TV family setup.”
The line went quiet. Had she destroyed a good conversation with the issues of her past? “Are you still there?”
“Yeah. Just thinking about how hard life can be sometimes.”
She couldn’t have him believing that growing up had been all bad. “As I mentioned earlier I wasn’t always alone. Trista brought me joy. My parents even stayed home for three years after she was born. They became guest lecturers at Northwestern, where I eventually attended.”
Her shoulders slumped at the memory of them telling her they were leaving on another excursion. “But then they returned to their careers.”
“It sounds like you got a harsh deal with your parents.”
She shrugged off the grief trying to claim her. “It could’ve been worse.”
The call wasn’t going as planned. It was better.
Anytime Lamar had asked Gia a personal question during her workouts, she’d shut him down by changing the subject. This conversation about her childhood revealed anothe
r layer of the fascinating woman she’d become. Was it neglect that kept her in a job where she wasn’t treated well?
“What’s your story?” she asked.
Since she’d been willing to share, he may as well, too. “For most of my childhood my mom raised me and my older sister as a single parent.”
“So you’re the spoiled baby in the house? I can see it.” Her smile came through in her voice.
“I was.”
As if she understood, she didn’t speak.
“My dad left us when I was about seven, claiming he couldn’t handle the unshakable responsibility of being a father or a husband. My mom did the best she could to try to keep us in the apartment we lived in, but eventually had difficulty paying the rent on her own, even with the second job she’d taken up. My father had no interest in paying child support, so we moved to Roxbury.”
“Oh, no.”
He imagined her expressive eyes going wide. “I take it you know the area?”
“Who in Boston doesn’t? The crime rate is through the roof. Not the best place to grow up.”
She’d get no argument from him. “My mother was one of those active parents who was all up in our business. Even working two jobs, she always knew what we were up to and gave us hell if we didn’t do the right thing. Mom had a fierce determination to make sure we became successful.”
“Sounds like a wonderful woman.”
He smiled as his heart swelled with love for his mom. She’d sacrificed so much. She could’ve given up like their father, but she hadn’t. She’d done her best with them and it had been more than good enough. He couldn’t have been blessed with a better person to raise him.
“She is. The strongest and biggest-hearted person I’ve ever known. And she’s smart, wise, and takes no shit from anybody. Especially not me.” He laughed. “That’s why I never give her any. Might sound corny, but she’s my best friend.”
“I wouldn’t have figured you for a mama’s boy.”
“I’m not. Just dedicated to a fantastic woman.”
“Aww. That’s so sweet.”
He could stay on the phone with Gia all night, but his body protested with a yawn. “Listen, I’ve got to get some sleep.”
“You haven’t finished telling me about your childhood.”
He grinned at the opportunity knocking. “If you go to the tournament with me tomorrow, I’ll tell you that story and more.”
“Tempting, but—”
“I already told you what I thought about that word.”
Her giggle pleased him.
“You’re starting to be a pain in mine.”
“Not the first time I’ve been accused of it,” he confessed. “It might have been my mother’s mantra. Are you coming tomorrow?”
Seconds ticked by as she considered. “Fine. I’ll go.”
He pumped a fist, happier than the answer should’ve made him. “You’ll have fun.”
“I’m not as confident about that. What time are we setting off?”
“The match is at four in the afternoon, but the guys need to be there by ten a.m. to do their weigh-in.”
“That doesn’t sound fun.”
The offer for her to ride to the venue with Suarez and arrive later refused to slither out of his mouth. He wanted her by his side for as long as he could have her.
“It’s more interesting than you’d think. You’ll see. Send me your address and I’ll stop by at eight to get you. Then we’ll pick up the guys from the gym,”
To sweeten the deal he added something he’d never thought he’d say. “You can invite Trista if you want.”
“She’s in Italy having the time of her life shopping and partying, so it’ll just be me. What do I wear?”
“Anything comfortable.”
“Okay.”
Ending the call was difficult. An all-night conversation wouldn’t be good for his competitors during their bouts as he gave fatigued instructions.
“I’ll see you tomorrow, Gia.”
“Have a good night, Lamar.”
A warm flurry of arousal landed low in his belly. Damn. He liked the breathiness in her voice when she said his name.
“You, too.” It took actual strength to hit the end button on his phone.
At least he’d get to see her. For the first time in a while he wanted to get to know a woman rather than just falling into bed.
As inappropriate as Gia was for him, he couldn’t help it.
Although mixing business with pleasure might mean getting into a world of trouble with her sister, he wasn’t sure he could stay away.
Chapter 12
If only Gia could take a net to the butterflies that had been disturbing her stomach since she’d woken up remembering that she’d be hanging out with Lamar. Not a make-up guru of her sister’s caliber, she did her best with applying tinted moisturizer, neutral shades of eyeshadow, mascara to her virtually non-existent eyelashes, and blush.
After gliding on her standard cinnamon-brown-colored lip gloss, she shoved her makeup box away before she went overboard. Turning her head left to right, she admired the woman in the mirror. Not bad, especially with the pimples that had formally taken residence having reduced to a few spots. A healthier diet and exercise was doing wonders for her outsides, she could only guess what the insides were going through. Hopefully, this journey would lead to better stats when she went for her next checkup.
The doorbell rang. Swiping damp palms down the front of formerly tight jeans she’d had to cinch with a belt, she reminded herself that it wasn’t a date. There was no way attending an MMA tournament could be considered a date. None.
Unless…
She shut down whatever her brain was ready to convince her of and grabbed her jacket, purse, and keys on the way to the door.
Lamar stood on the other side of the barrier when she opened it. Her breath hitched at the sight of him. His T-shirt clung to his chest as if it never intended to let go, showing off defined shoulders and arms that had carried her with ease. Unlike at the gym, he wore dark denims. They did amazing things for his slim hips and muscular thighs.
She swallowed before dragging her gaze back to his eyes.
His tilted head and lopsided grin teased her. She wouldn’t have been surprised if he had asked if she’d liked what she’d seen.
Ears hot, she appreciated her dark skin for not revealing her embarrassment. “Hi, Lamar. You’re right on time.”
He leaned over and brushed a kiss against her cheek. “Hey, Gia. Glad to see that you’re ready.”
Mouth dry, skin tingly, and brain empty all from a friendly kiss, she turned and locked her door to avoid saying anything senseless.
They walked down the stairs of her brownstone to the curb. Her neighborhood had atrocious parking, so she didn’t expect his car to be right out front.
He led her to the double-parked vehicle. He’d taken a risk, but that wasn’t what impressed her.
“You drive a Tesla?”
His gaze snapped to her. “You know it?”
“In these days of saving the environment, who doesn’t?” She glided a hand along the sleek arch of the black four door electric SUV. “Plus, it’s hot.” Like the owner.
He went to open the front door but she stopped him by gripping his wrist. “Is it winged?”
His grin jacked up the heat pulsing into her palm, so she let go.
“Yes.”
She assessed the space between the parked car next to them. “Is there enough room to open it?”
“It has falcon wings, so all I need is a foot of space. There’s more than enough room.” He pressed a button on his key fob and the doors rose, something she’d only seen when drooling over the vehicle on the Tesla website.
Eyes roving over the structure, her brain analyzed the mechanics and beauty it presented. “That’s wicked.”
“Do you own one?”
She dragged herself out of her amazed state and grunted. “Not yet. One day though. Right now I’m rolling
in a Nissan Sentra. Not fancy, but reliable.”
He lowered the wing and opened the front passenger door. Her heart did a somersault when he waited until she’d settled into the passenger seat before closing it.
She scanned him as he strode around the front of the car to his side and sat. Was this really happening? Yes, they were going on a casual outing. Not a date, she reminded herself.
Gia followed his example by buckling her seatbelt.
“Where’s the tournament?” she asked as he took off.
“Plymouth.”
She whipped her head over to look at him. “That’s an hour away. I thought it would be local.”
“It’ll be an adventure. Have you ever been there?”
“For a class trip in the third grade.” The memory of her pigtailed self, roaming around with other kids her age in the old town emerged. “The highlight of my school year. It brought boring snoring history to life for me.”
He took the same route she did to get home from the gym. “Not a history buff, then.”
She scrunched her nose. “Science and math are my thing. What about you?”
“Education in general is my shit. My mother taught me that it was a powerful key and to take advantage of it to get me to the places I wanted to go.”
The mention of his mother reminded her of the condition he’d set if she’d joined him. “You promised to finish the story of your childhood.”
“Where was I?”
“Your mother was kicking your ass and keeping you out of trouble while working two jobs.”
His dark eyes softened and his mouth curled into a semi-smile when he looked at her. Her heart rate doubled and would explode at the expression she could only describe as approval.
“I was eleven when my fourteen-year-old sister was killed in a drive-by.”
“Oh my goodness! I’m so sorry for your loss.” She clasped her hands together to keep from touching him. She’d known that his sister had died when she was younger, but it was beyond tragic to be gunned down.
“Keisha would’ve been thirty-six next Thursday.”
“Her death must’ve been hard for you and your mom.”