“I can be there in a week. I closed on the condo yesterday and right now I’m staying with a friend while the movers pack up my stuff and put it in storage. I’m going to call Aunt Evelyn after I get off the phone with you and let her know I plan to stay with her until I find a house.”
“Thanks, Sutton. You know I owe you.”
“No, you don’t. After all, we’re family and that means we have to look out for one another.”
“What about your mother? Does she plan to stay in Atlanta?”
“Right now, she's on the fence whether she wants to stay or leave. She claims she’s coming up for the Fourth of July celebration because it will give her a chance to reconnect with folks in the Falls.”
“How long does she plan to stay?”
“I’m not sure. She claims she needs a break from her what she calls her so-call friends.”
“What’s wrong with them, Sutton?”
“I told her the sooner she gets rid of her entourage, the better her life will be. Once folks found out that she was my mother they began swarming around her like flies on fish guts. I told her over and over that they were using her, but Mom told me I was jealous because I didn’t have any friends. What she fails to realize is that I don’t need friends who are nothing more than parasites. That’s where a lot of dudes go wrong because when the money runs out their homeboys find other places to park their dusty butts. I refuse to have folks laying up in my house when I’m on the road. And whenever someone asks to come over I politely give them a time to leave. I tell them I’m not running a hotel or motel, so there’s no checking in.”
“Wow! What do they say?”
“There’s not much they can say. My house, my rules. And those who drink too much and can’t drive, I arrange for a car service to take them home.”
Georgina knew very few men were willing to challenge her six-four, two-hundred-thirty-five-pound cousin who could hit a baseball into the upper deck and occasionally out of a ballpark. She knew Sutton’s aversion to having people lounging around his house was the result of his ex-wife’s constant need to entertain her family and friends. He’d finally had enough and filed for divorce. He gave her the house and a generous settlement and moved into a three-bedroom condo in a gated community.
“I’m going to let you go back to whatever you were doing before I interrupted you,” she teased him. “Let me know when you arrive.”
“FYI, I’d just finished.”
“Bye, Sutton.”
“Bye, Georgi.”
I knew it, she thought. It was obvious he was in bed with a woman. She hadn’t known Sutton to be a love-them-and-leave-them type of guy; however, she knew for certain that whomever he’d been seeing in Atlanta, wasn’t going to be returning with him to Wickham Falls. At least not until he purchased his own home.
Georgina smiled when she realized she had to make one more phone call. Langston had come by Powell’s a couple of days ago to return her sketch pads and he’d picked the right time because Evelyn had left early to prepare dinner for her husband at home.
“I got it,” she said when he answered her call. “I can open A Stitch at a Time in early July.”
“Congratulations, sweetheart. Are you ready to celebrate?”
“Not yet. I’m going to wait for my grand opening.”
“Have you eaten?”
“No. Why?’
“I know I can’t keep you out too late, so I’m coming over to take you to the Den. Once you’re up and running, I’ll take you someplace real fancy so we can celebrate on a grand scale.”
Georgina wanted to tell Langston that she didn’t need a fancy restaurant to commemorate what she’d planned and patiently waited for. The fact that her shop was going to become a reality was enough. However, it had been a while since she’d gone to the sports bar. The last was when Sutton had come up from Atlanta during the All Star break. When they’d walked in together he was given the rock-star treatment with fist bumps, slaps on the back and some had even asked for his autograph.
“Give me time to shower and change my clothes.”
“Can you be ready in thirty minutes?”
She glanced at the clock on the microwave. It was seven-thirty. “Yes.”
“I’ll be there at eight.”
* * *
Langston felt as if he’d been punched in the gut when Georgina opened the door. A mane of reddish-brown hair framing her face flowed over her shoulders and down her back like loose ribbons. At that moment he wanted her in his bed, the curls spilling over the pillow under her head.
He swallowed an expletive when he felt the growing bulge in his groin. “You look incredible,” he said in a hoarse whisper. And she did in body-hugging black jeans and cotton black long-sleeved tee. A pair of high-heeled booties put her head level with his nose. She smiled, bringing his gaze to linger on the vibrant red color on her lips.
“Thank you. It looks as if great minds think alike because we’re both wearing black.”
Langston glanced down at his untucked black shirt, jeans and Doc Martens, grateful that his erection was going down. “You’re right about that. By the way, I called ahead and asked Aiden to save us a table.”
“You have juice like that?” she said, teasingly. Retired navy SEAL Aiden Gibson returned to Wickham Falls to assist his uncle and was now the official pit master for the popular barbecue sports bar.
“You didn’t know?”
Her smile grew wider. “Should I take you with me whenever I decide to go to the Den?”
Reaching up, Langston brushed a curl away from her cheek. “Of course.” He wanted so much to kiss her but knew if he did he wouldn’t stop. “Let’s go, Cinderella.”
Georgina scooped up her wristlet with her cell phone and key card and closed the door. “Oh, my goodness. You have your father’s Mustang.”
Cradling her elbow, Langston led her over to the classic car. “Dad gave it to me, and I always keep in the garage.”
“It looks brand-new.”
He opened the passenger-side door. “That’s because I had a body shop restore the outside, and Jesse Austen took care of what was needed to be replaced under the hood.”
Langston waited until Georgina was seated and belted in before rounding the car and slipping behind the wheel. He found it hard to concentrate on driving with her sitting less than a foot away. The warmth of her body, the tantalizing fragrance of her perfume and knowing she was the first woman who would accompany him to the Wolf Den made the occasion even more special.
He tapped a button on the dash, turning on the satellite radio that had replaced the one that had originally come with the car. The distinctive voice of Lionel Richie singing “Out of My Head” filled the interior of the vehicle. Langston was familiar with the song, but it was the first time he concentrated on the lyrics. It was about a man who’d lost the love of his life and couldn’t get her out of his head because he’d believed their love would never die. He was tempted to change the station when he heard Georgina mouthing the words under her breath.
“You know this song?” he asked her.
She turned to meet his eyes for a brief second. “Yes. I have everything Lionel Richie has recorded, including the time when he sang with the Commodores.”
“What type of music do you like?”
“I’m not partial to any genre. It doesn’t matter whether it’s pop, R&B, rap, hip-hop or country. I usually download music of the artists I like.”
“Name some.”
“Rihanna. Anthony Hamilton. Anything by Whitney Houston or Aretha Franklin. Adele and Sam Smith are my favorite British singers. And last, but certainly not the least, is Tina Turner.”
Langston smiled. “I flew to Montreal to see Tina in concert during my second year in grad school for her Fiftieth Anniversary Tour, and I can honestly say it was the best live performance I’v
e ever witnessed.”
“I’ve seen videos of her performances, but they probably can’t come close to seeing her live.”
“You’re right about that. I have a confession to make.”
Georgina rested her hand on his, which was gripping the steering wheel. “What?”
He came to a complete stop at a four-way intersection, looking both ways for oncoming traffic before driving across the roadway. “I went to see her again three months later in London.”
“No, you didn’t!”
Langston’s laughter floating up from his throat filled the interior of the car. “Yes, I did. I’d saved all of my tips waiting tables, so I told my professor that I had to take a few days off for some personal business, not telling him I was flying to London to see Tina because I had a mad fan crush on her.”
“You really had it bad.”
He shook his head. “You just don’t know the half of it. I was twenty-four and young enough to be her son or even grandson, but that didn’t matter because I was obsessed with her.”
“How long did you stay in London?”
“Two nights. I came back so jet-lagged that it took me a while to get my circadian rhythm back to normal. I still waited tables on the weekends and the manager sent me home after I dropped one too many orders. I lied and told him that I was coming down with something and he yelled at me never to step foot in his restaurant again if I was feeling sick. I went back to my apartment and slept for sixteen hours straight and when I woke up I realized it was impossible for me to attend classes, wait tables and jaunt off on a whim to attend a concert I’d seen before.”
“You were young and had the hots for Tina.”
“What man wouldn’t, Georgi, regardless of his age? The woman is as beautiful as she is talented.” Just like you, he thought. Georgina’s sketches, even to the untrained eye, were impressive, and he knew if she had attended art school there was no doubt she would’ve been a very successful illustrator. “Did you ever have a crush on a singer or movie star?”
“Yes, and too many to name. It was as if I fell in love with every leading man. He didn’t have to be drop-dead gorgeous. I think it was the acting that captivated me.”
“So it was the art?” Langston asked.
“Yes, because acting is an art form. But there is a distinct difference between an actor and a movie star.”
“Who are some of your favorite actors?”
A beat passed. “Viola Davis, Benicio del Toro, Taraji P. Henson, Denzel Washington, Will Patton, Mahershala Ali, Meryl Streep, Angela Bassett and Michael B. Jordan to name a few.”
“You really like traditional actors who are not pigeonholed into playing a particular character.”
“What I like, Langston, is their versatility and their ability to morph into whatever character they’ve been selected to play.”
He smiled. “You should’ve been a movie critic.”
“No, Langston. I’m going to be what I always wanted to be. Someone who will be successful and in control of her own destiny.”
He had wanted to tell Georgina her permit had been approved after hearing the decision while covering the meeting for the paper but decided to wait until she’d received written notification. Langston did not know why, but her joy had become his, because he realized his feelings for her surpassed friendship. Although it wasn’t love yet, he knew he was falling in love with her. And when she talked about being successful, he had no doubt she would be.
Even her choice in actors and music revealed she wasn’t ready to embrace the latest fads. It had taken him a while to realize he, too, was a small-town guy who, despite his worldwide travels, never felt more at home than he did in Wickham Falls. He was certain his colleagues and the friends he’d made over the years would either laugh or look at him sideways if he invited them to the Falls, while wondering what was there to lure him back into a lifestyle they probably would’ve said was not only boring but also predictable. But it was the predictability that Langston craved because he did not have to go to sleep or wake to the sounds of bombs and gunfire.
Georgina had spent her entire life in the Falls, while he’d spent half his life away from it. Well, he was back, and this time to stay. To stay, start over and put down roots as his father’s family had done generations ago.
She had asked him whether he’d wanted to remarry and have children and he could honestly say that he did. And this time he would be there for his wife and the children he hoped to share with her.
“It's now early-June and do you think you’ll be able to have your grand opening the first week in July?” Langston asked after what had become a comfortable silence.
“I’m not sure, because a lot has to happen in a month. I must call several companies to deliver the shelving, furniture and other equipment that I’ve placed on order. And even before that I’m going to give the space a good cleaning.”
He gave her a quick glance. “What about your stock?”
“It’s in the spare bedroom. I’ve spent hours scanning the barcodes into a computer program to keep track of the inventory.”
“Have you finished?”
“No. You’d be surprised how many shades of white there are. I began with embroidery thread and ended with bulky knit for each color.”
Langston shook his head. “That definitely must be time-consuming.”
“It’s more like laborious but once it’s done, I won’t have to repeat it,” Georgina said.
“Which color are you up to now?”
“Red.”
“I want you to let me know when you have your grand opening because I’ll make certain one of the staff reporters will be on hand to cover the event. Even before that I’d like to interview you for the ‘Who’s Who’ column, but I won’t run that until you’ve been open for at least a month.”
“The week before I open I’d like to place an ad in The Sentinel, offering discounts to customers who sign up for knitting, crocheting or quilting workshops.”
“I’ll have Randall Stone contact you for the ad. Of course, as a first-time advertiser you’ll be given a generous discount with the hope that you will become a repeater in the classified section.”
Reaching over, Georgina covered his right hand on the steering wheel with her left. “How much of a discount, Langston?”
He registered the teasing tone in her voice. “That all depends.”
She leaned closer. “On what?”
“I don’t know. You have to let me think about it.”
Georgina laughed, the throaty sound echoing in the closeness of the vehicle. “You don’t have to think about it, Langston. Even though I’m dating the owner of the newspaper I’m not going to ask for any special favors. After all, you are in business to make money.”
“Yes, I am. But are you saying because we’re dating each other that our businesses shouldn’t factor into our personal relationship?”
“That’s exactly what I’m saying. I want you to treat me like you would your other advertisers, and if not then you can consider this the last time I’ll go out with you.”
Langston did not want to believe she would stop seeing him because he’d wanted to help with her new startup. “Don’t you believe in compromise, Georgi?”
“What do you think I’ve been doing my entire life, Langston? I’ve compromised not going to art school because I had to help my parents at the store. And I’ve compromised not having a love life because I’ve had to work 24/7 to help keep Powell’s afloat. But that’s over, because it’s time for Georgina Mavis Powell to go it alone. And that means we cannot mix business with pleasure.”
He’d wanted to tell her that his parents had married and worked together for more than thirty years and were now enjoying in retirement doing exactly what they wanted. And it didn’t have to be any different between him and Georgina; he knew he had to understand w
here she was coming from, and although he’d found himself falling in love with her, he had to allow her the independence she needed to succeed or hopefully not fail.
“Okay, babe. I promise not to interfere.”
Georgina gave his hand a gentle squeeze. “Thank you.”
Langston wanted to tell her there was no need to thank him, because he was willing to agree to anything if it meant their continuing to date each other. Georgina was so different from the other women with whom he’d been involved that he’d almost forgotten they’d existed. There weren’t so many he couldn’t remember their names or faces, but when he looked back, he realized some he should have never engaged in conversation, because at the time he’d experienced a restlessness that wouldn’t permit him to stay in one place for any extended length of time. And that meant he hadn’t been willing to commit to a woman.
Langston was just beginning to acknowledge what had drawn him to Georgina other than her overall physical appearance. It was confidence and a resolute belief that she could accomplish whatever she wanted. She was loyal almost to a fault, because a lot of young women would’ve left town to seek their own fortunes rather than work for their family. She’d mentioned sacrificing a love life because she’d had to work long hours but once she became the proprietress of A Stitch at a Time she planned to close two days a week.
Yes, he thought. He was lucky because she’d agreed to see him rather than some other man and knowing this, he did not want to do anything to sabotage their fragile relationship. He drove down the road leading to the Wolf Den and maneuvered into an empty space at the rear of the restaurant. It was Saturday night, and the parking lot was nearly filled.
“It looks as if there’s a full house,” he said, unbuckling his belt.
“Is it always this crowded on Saturdays?” Georgina asked.
“I don’t know. I usually drop by during weeknights. I try and stay away on Mondays because that’s when everyone who’s past and present military comes by. A lot of dudes stop by on Wednesdays for Ladies Night, with the hope that they can meet someone.”
Starting Over In Wickham Falls (Wickham Falls Weddings Book 9) Page 13