“You’re still here?”
He nodded. “Your dad saw me in my office and invited me to lunch.”
“Nice,” Yolanda said as they walked into the dining room.
“Did I tell you that I love your hair? It’s very becoming.” Clinton pulled out a chair for Nina and winked at her as she sat down.
She ran her hand through her freshly cropped hair. “Thank you. I thought I needed a change.”
“Think Lamar’s going to like it?” Clinton asked in a near whisper.
“I really don’t care. I did this for me.”
Yolanda cleared her throat and smiled at the duo when they looked at her. “You two want to share with the rest of the class?”
“Are all of your sisters like this?” Clinton asked.
Yolanda rolled her eyes. “Don’t judge me by the actions of Alexandria the Great. I’m Yolanda, by the way.”
As if she knew her sisters were talking about her, Alex appeared in the doorway. “Daddy sends his apologies, but he’s doing an interview that Mr. Jefferson set up and didn’t tell me about. He said he’ll try to make it for dessert.”
“Surely you can’t be cross with Clinton for doing his job,” Yolanda said with a fake British accent.
“Grow up,” Alex snapped as she took a seat at the head of the table. She cast a contemptuous glance at Clinton and Nina.
“We’re not talking about business at this lunch,” Nina said when she caught her sister’s eye.
“I had no intentions of doing so, especially since neither of you would know what I’m talking about anyway. I see you’ve taken a page from Yolanda’s book and changed your hair. It’s really cute, though.”
Nina was surprised that Yolanda didn’t have something smart to say. Could it be that the Richardson sisters were going to have a lunch without an argument?
“Maybe you should do the same,” Yolanda said.
Oh well, Nina thought as she shook her head.
Alex flipped her shoulder-length hair and rolled her eyes. “My hair is fine.”
“Whatever.”
Nina pulled the top off one of the covered dishes. “Can we eat without an argument? Y’all know Daddy’s rule. Clinton, would you like some shrimp and grits?”
“Sure,” he said as he handed Nina his plate. She piled his plate with the low-country staple and smiled as she set it in front of him.
For a few moments everyone ate in silence and Nina stole glances at Clinton, taking in his milk chocolate complexion, long eyelashes, and perfect lips. She wished that she would’ve been in the right mindset to enjoy his kiss the other night. She wished that she could take the time to get to know him and see if he could be that guy who would bring her joy and smiles rather than heartbreak and tears. But now wasn’t the time to get involved with another man when she was hardly over Lamar. But Clinton seemed different. His warm smile charmed her and his smooth skin made her want to taste him.
God, what is wrong with me? Physical attraction is why I’m in the mess I’m in now. For all I know, Clinton could have a wife or girlfriend tucked away somewhere and Alex isn’t sure that he’s not here to hurt Daddy.
“Nina, are you all right?” Yolanda asked. “You’re quiet and that doesn’t happen often.”
Alex raised her eyebrow at Clinton as if to say he was the reason for Nina’s sudden silence, when she was normally the family chatterbox.
“I was thinking about Monday’s game,” she said. “I have a big story to write. But Clinton and Daddy are coming up to Charlotte too. A friend of mine who works for the Panthers got me tickets in the owner’s box because I told him about the B&B.”
“Maybe you should be the marketing director,” Clinton said.
“Oh, I don’t think so. I’d go crazy sitting in an office all day,” Nina said. “I love my freedom. I just get up and go when I get ready.”
“Don’t listen to her,” Yolanda said. “She just doesn’t want to work for Alex.”
Nina laughed and silently prayed that Clinton wouldn’t take Yolanda’s bait.
“I love working with Alexandria,” he said. “She’s fair and stern. What more can you ask for in a supervisor?”
Yolanda stood up and clapped as if she’d just watched a Broadway play.
Alex scoffed at her sister and then reached for the food in the center of the table.
“So, Yolanda, right?” Clinton said. “What do you do?”
“I run a fashion boutique in Richmond. Next year I plan to expand into Atlanta or Charlotte.” She popped a sauce-covered piece of shrimp in her mouth, then shrugged. “I might even come back to Charleston.”
Alex coughed and shook her head.
“Y’all have such diverse interests,” Clinton remarked.
“But there’s one thing we have in common,” Alex said. “We don’t like people who try to mess with us and if you mess with one of us you mess with all of us.”
With that comment, Alex sucked the fun out of lunch until Sheldon arrived, raving about the interview he’d had with USA Today.
“A photographer is coming Monday to shoot the place and me. So, baby girl, I can’t go up to Charlotte for the game. Luckily, Clinton can go with you,” he said as he sat down beside Alex. “Keeping my seat warm?” He kissed his oldest daughter on the cheek.
“Daddy, you know I always have your back,” she said as she stood up so that he could take his seat at the head of the table.
Roberta, the bed and breakfast cook, walked into the dining room and placed a chocolate crème cake in the middle of the table. “Would you all like some coffee or anything?”
“I’ll get it,” Alex said. “Thank you for lunch, Roberta.”
“You’re welcome, it’s so good to see all of you together again.”
Nina smiled at the woman who’d been cooking for them since they were small children. “It’s good to see you, Miss Roberta.”
Shaking her finger at Nina, she said, “Don’t stay away this long again, young lady.”
“Yes, ma’am,” Nina said. Seconds later, she and Clinton reached for the knife to cut the cake at the same time. When their hands touched, they exchanged fleeting looks.
“You’re probably better at this than me,” Nina said, allowing him to take the knife.
“I’m not trying to step out of bounds. But that cake looks delicious.”
“So not out of bounds and the cake is more amazing than it looks,” she said, then nibbled at her bottom lip.
Yolanda hid her grin behind her hand as if she could see what was going on between Clinton and Nina.
“Let’s dig into this cake,” Sheldon said. “And then my fashionista daughter can help me pick out a suit for Monday’s photo shoot.”
“I think I might stick around and make sure you don’t mix your patterns and solids too much,” Yolanda said. “Clinton, since you’re going to Charlotte with my sister, do you think you can talk her into coming back after the game?”
“It’s going to be too late to drive back after I do my post-game interviews and whatnot,” Nina said. “And I’m not coming back because I have work to do.”
Yolanda clasped her hands together and nodded. “And I hope you trip Cody Cameron on your way out of the locker room.”
Clinton rose to his feet. “Then I’d better see about booking a hotel room.”
Sheldon laughed as Clinton handed him a slice of cake. “You can do that after you eat Roberta’s cake. Trust me, this is a treat not to be missed.”
Nina couldn’t help but wonder what kind of treat Clinton would be.
Chapter 7
Monday rolled around a little too quickly for Nina’s tastes. After the quiet weekend she had, she certainly wasn’t ready to see Lamar. But it was going to happen whether she wanted it to or not. She’d left early that morning so that she could meet with her editor and get more details on what her assignment was before the evening kickoff.
She made it home in record time because when it came to driving, Nina had never me
t a speed limit she didn’t break. She’d checked her voice mail from the car as she sat in the parking lot, hoping that her editor hadn’t called. More than anything, she prayed that Lamar had called to say he wasn’t going to attend the game tonight. How could he show his face after she caught him with his bae?
But knowing what a fan of the game he was, that likely wasn’t going to happen. He’d use the pass she’d given him because he was just that kind of asshole.
Then there was Clinton. Nina had been surprised that he’d agreed to come to the game and play her faux boyfriend. Now, she didn’t want to play such a stupid game. Clinton deserved better than to be used as a pawn in a game Nina wouldn’t win. And even if she did, Lamar was no prize. She knew that for sure. If he thought she was going to be one of his options, he was dead wrong.
In another world, Clinton would be the one. He was sweet, considerate, and had lips that were like sugar. Nina closed her eyes and relived that kiss—sweet and tender.
“Stop it,” Nina said to herself as she dialed her editor’s number. “You don’t even know that man and he could be a bigger asshole than Lamar.”
Nina talked to her editor, copying his instructions on her notepad, and tried to focus on her job and not the fact that she was going to be stuck in the press box with Lamar in a few hours.
* * *
Clinton sat in his office, scouring the Internet for a hotel room that didn’t cost over two hundred dollars. He was only going to be in Charlotte for a few hours and he knew how these things worked. Because the big game was in town, hotel operators jacked up their prices and got away with it. After all, what was bigger than Monday Night Football and how many people would be sober enough to drive home? It was a marketer’s dream.
But he wasn’t going to fall victim to it yet, there was no way that he could ask Nina if he could crash at her place. They didn’t know each other well enough and he could imagine the evil look Alex would give him if she had any idea that he and her little sister had spent the night together, no matter how innocent it would be.
Would it be innocent? Nina had been the star of Clinton’s erotic dreams since the day that they’d met and he felt her lips against his. No matter how much self-control he had, he couldn’t guarantee he’d resist temptation.
The phone rang as he surfed a hotel’s website. “This is Clinton.”
“This is Nina,” she replied with a giggle. “You’re still coming to the game tonight, right?”
“If I can find a hotel room,” he said.
“You can stay with me. I have an extra room.”
“No. I can’t impose on you like that.” What Clinton really meant was that he couldn’t be in her house and resist the urge to rip her clothes off and make love to her or walk in on her in the shower, accidentally on purpose, just to get a look at her naked body.
“It’s not an imposition because I made the offer. And I know that the room rates are outrageous today. And what kind of Richardson would I be if I didn’t provide my guest with a nice place to stay?”
This is about her childish scheme and as long as I remember that, then it will be fine and I won’t get caught up.
“All right,” he said. “Too bad Charlotte isn’t close enough to Charleston so the B&B could get a piece of the action.”
She gave him her uptown Charlotte address and told him he’d be better off using his GPS because she was horrible with directions.
“I should be leaving soon,” Clinton said, looking around the corner to see if Alex was anywhere around. “Are you going to be at home?”
“Yes, I have the passes and I’m doing some research on this hotheaded Dallas receiver and his latest outburst for my sidebar,” she said. “And I just got another assignment to interview the Cowboys’ rookie quarterback. A few national outlets want a short Q&A with the superstar.”
Clinton could feel her excitement through the phone. “Sounds like a lot of work to be done in a short amount of time.”
“It is. But that’s why I love what I do. I make diamonds under deadline pressure.”
Clinton chuckled. “It’s a great feeling when you do what you love, right?”
“It is. Thanks for coming with me. It’ll be nice to have a friend with me tonight.”
After hanging up with Nina, he wondered why she couldn’t let this Lamar guy go. Rising from his desk, Clinton stood in the doorway and stole a glance from Alex’s big window.
“Wishing that this is your office?” Alex asked as she appeared before him like a ghost.
“No, actually, I was about to leave for the day.”
Alex sighed. “That’s right, you’re off to Charlotte. Clinton, I’m going to ask you to tread lightly with Nina. You may think I’m overbearing, but Nina is somewhat like a daughter to me. I don’t want her hurt anymore and sometimes when it comes to men, she makes bad choices. Don’t be another one.”
He understood her concern for her sister and actually respected her for having Nina’s back. Clinton smiled at her. “Listen, Alexandria, I like your family. I like your sister, too, and I would never do anything to hurt her. We’re just friends and getting to know each other better.”
Alex nodded. “All right.”
“I’ll see you in the morning. By the way, how did Sheldon’s interview go?”
Alex rolled her eyes. “The interview was fine until Yolanda and the photographer got into a little tiff. She wanted Daddy to be photographed from his right side and the photographer told her that this wasn’t a Cosmo photo shoot. And wouldn’t you know in the end, she and this photographer ended up setting up a date for dinner tonight.”
“Your sisters are something else.”
“And I guess you’re wondering why I’m not like them?” Alex asked. “Since I’m the oldest, I have more responsibility than they do. Maybe I’m too serious, but this is who I am.”
“I didn’t say that. Alexandria—”
“You didn’t have to. Your eyes said it all. Have fun tonight and remember what I said about Nina.” Alex walked into her office and closed the door.
Clinton figured he’d better take advantage of her good mood and hit the road.
* * *
Nina looked up at the clock and decided that she’d better shower quickly because Clinton would be there sooner rather than later. Rushing into the bathroom, she tore off her shorts and T-shirt and then jumped under the warm spray. She was looking forward to seeing Clinton again and not just to make Lamar jealous. He was charming and attractive. But he had to have some hidden flaw. He probably has a stable of women at his beck and call, she thought as the water beat down on her. Nina shook her head. Why was she even worrying about what Clinton did in his free time? The man was single.
Stepping out of the shower, she looked in the mirror and vowed that she would not under any circumstance allow her foolish heart to open up to Clinton Jefferson. As she wrapped a plush towel around her body, the doorbell rang. Nina searched for her robe while yelling, “Just a minute.”
The chiming continued and Nina had no choice but to answer the door in her towel. As soon as she opened it, she was taken aback when she saw Clinton standing there in a pair of nicely fitting jeans, a muscle-hugging long-sleeve T-shirt, and a black baseball cap. “You—you’re early.”
Clinton tried not to stare, but seeing her damp body, her hair wet and wavy, and that towel barely covering her breasts made it impossible to look away. “Yeah. A little too early, huh?”
“Come in, I’ll be dressed in a second.” Nina dashed down the hall to her bedroom.
Quickly she dressed in what she’d dubbed her game gear—a pair of black jeans, a white oxford shirt that she buttoned nearly up to her neck, and black sneakers.
As one of the few women who covered the NFL, Nina was constantly trying to prove herself. She didn’t want to be mistaken for a groupie, so she always took extra pains to keep her look professional. Reaching for her tennis shoes, Nina decided that tonight she could add a little extra to her outfit. She g
rabbed a pair of black leather pumps with a two-inch heel, then she undid a few of the buttons on her shirt and topped her look off with a black blazer with a huge pink rose pin on the lapel. Satisfied that she would catch Lamar’s eye yet not raise the ire of her colleagues or the team staff, Nina headed to the living room where Clinton was waiting.
“We can grab something to eat unless you want to take a risk on the pregame meal,” she said.
“It’s up to you. I’m your puppet tonight.”
Nina clicked her tongue against her teeth. “New plan. I’m not worrying about Lamar. You and Yolanda are right. I need to let this thing go and that’s what I’m going to do. But it doesn’t hurt to have a friend with me tonight.”
Clinton smiled. “That’s a plan I can get with. But what happens after tonight?”
She turned away from him because she didn’t have an answer for that. As crazy as it was, she wondered what the next step would be with her and Clinton. Would their friendship develop into something more? Would this be a rebound fling? Because she wasn’t ready for a new relationship. Nina scoffed inwardly. New relationship? Clearly, you didn’t have an old one with Lamar.
“Not going to think about tomorrow until I meet my deadline. And honestly, I’m not giving him another chance to make a fool of me.”
Clinton closed the space between them. “Smart move. Everyone doesn’t deserve a second chance. When a person shows you their true colors, believe it.”
“You talk as if you’ve been through this before? Who broke your heart?” Nina grabbed her purse from the edge of the sofa.
“I hate to tell you this, Miss Nina, but you don’t have the market cornered on disappointment and heartbreak.”
Nina looked at him with disbelief shining in her eyes. A man who looked like Clinton Jefferson didn’t get his heart broken; he broke hearts. Men like Clinton didn’t have to pin their hopes and dreams on one woman. She imagined he had a bevy of beauties vying for his attention.
“So, what happened?”
Owner of a Broken Heart Page 6