Accidentally Yours (22 page)

She made a noncommittal murmur, not wanting to admit that the odds were a lot higher than he thought. Of course, if Timothy decided to see a doctor, it would be
someone in the Stamford area, and Zack would never know.

“
Sometimes we get so involved with the day-to-day stuff that we don’t realize how full our lives are,” he continued. “Speaking of the day-to-day stuff, I’m due back at work tomorrow afternoon.”

She kept her voice casual.
“I’ll bet you’re anxious to get home.”

“
I’ve been very comfortable here, but you know what they say—there’s no place like home.”

She
’d known all along that he would be leaving after dinner. He was moving about fine, and there was simply no need for him to stay longer. Still, there was a dull ache at the base of her throat that she recognized as disappointment.

He insisted on helping her clean the kitchen.
“I have to do this when I’m at home, you know.”

“
Yeah, but you’ve got a dishwasher.” Vivian instantly regretted having said the words. The kitchen was on the first floor in the rear. His bedroom, where he kept his clothes and where she was
supposed
to have been, was on the second floor. She’d just put her foot in it, telling him that she’d helped herself to a tour of his home.

Zack graciously did not comment on her blunder.
“True, but that’s only a small part of cleaning a kitchen. I think this past week may have spoiled both of us. You won’t want to cook and I won’t want to clean.”

And then it was time for him to leave.

He picked up his duffel bag and portable television, but put them down when he reached the door and turned to her.

Her heartbeat raced. Surely he wouldn
’t leave without kissing her…

He took her hands in his, then raised her right hand and kissed the back of it
. His eyes never left her face. As he lowered her hand he continued to hold it, and then in a smooth motion he let go and slid his hands up the length of her arms. When he reached her shoulders he drew her close to him, saying just one word before he kissed her hungrily.

“
Vivling…”

She accepted his embrace like she
’d known it all her life. When the kiss ended they just stared at each other, and then he put an arm around her, encouraging her to rest her head on his shoulder.

“
Leaving you is a lot harder than I thought it would be,” he said.

She didn
’t respond right away, savoring having her head nestled in the space between the back of his ear and his shoulder, enjoying the warm tingling that came from being so close to him. “I can help you downstairs,” she managed to say.

“
No, I can manage. I’m all cured, remember?” He let go of her and bent to get his belongings, slipping the duffel bag onto his right shoulder and grasping the television with his stronger right arm. “Thank you,” he said simply.

Then he was gone.

She closed the door behind him. With him gone her cozy apartment seemed to have lost all its life. Her first thought was to grab her purse and drive somewhere, anywhere noisy and full of people. But she had to give Zack a chance to leave first, otherwise he would think she was chasing after him.

The ringing of the telephone was a welcome distraction. She grabbed the receiver and voiced a pleasant greeting.

“Vivian? It’s Timothy. I wanted to see how you were feeling.”

“
I’m fine. The question is, how are you?”

“
I just left the emergency room. They diagnosed me with gastroenteritis. It had to be the shrimp.”

“
Oh, how awful!”

“
It’s a mild case. Since you had shrimp also I just wanted to make sure you’re all right.”

“
That was thoughtful of you. I’m fine, actually. I’m glad you’ll be all right.”

“
Yes, they had me hooked up to an IV for a couple of hours for hydration and for medication. I’ll be at work on Monday. Maybe we can do lunch again next week…somewhere different, of course.”

When their conversation ended she felt even worse. Learning that her latest date had developed food poisoning, no matter how mild, did
little for her ego.

She walked over to the
computer armoire and opened it. Getting involved in the strategy involved in attempting to conquer the world was just what she needed to get over her low mood.

She turned on the computer and pulled one of the chairs around to face the screen. As she waited for the machine to boot up, she noticed a small white envelope to its left and picked it up.
‘Vivling’ was written across it in bold printed strokes. Maybe it was a note, something that would make her smile…and something that would make her forget that he hadn’t even asked for her phone number before he left. She used the letter opener she kept inside the drawer to open it. It wasn’t a note, but three fifty-dollar bills.

She stared at the money for a long time. When her desktop came up on the screen, she shut it down and turned it off
. A computer game of strategy and keen thought would no longer satisfy her.

Vivian grabbed her jacket, purse, and keys. L
eaving the envelope and its contents exactly where she had found it, she left her apartment, headed for the spa. They didn’t have a punching bag, but any frenzied activity was in order to vent the frustration she felt.

Chapter 1
4

What Goes Around Comes Around

“W
ell, I don’t know, Bev,” Vivian said into the receiver. “You know how badly it went between Thomas and me, and I’d be sure to run into him at a party at your house.”

“
Oh, don’t worry about him. He’s in the hospital.”

“
In the
hospital?
What happened?”

“
Gallstones. He’ll be fine.”

“
Well, as much as I don’t want to run into him, I’m sorry to hear he’s in the hospital. I wouldn’t wish that on anyone.”

“
It’s about time he’s had them taken out. They’ve been bothering him for months now. I think it goes back to around the time he met you.”

Vivian sank back into the cushions, and part of her wished she could drown in them.
“All right, Bev. I’ll see you Saturday.”

*****

Vivian smoothed her dress. She felt a little uncomfortable going to a party alone, but Glenda was on a date with a man she had met at the NBP-sponsored bowling tournament, and none of the other girls she knew in the area could make it.

Beverly and John lived on a
quiet street in the Westchester hamlet of Elmsford. Since they were married she figured most of the people they knew would be married as well. She had no expectations of meeting anyone here, but she needed to get out. The dismal note on which Zack’s stay had ended, as well as the knowledge that Thomas Joseph also had not been spared misfortune after crossing her path made her very morose, and she could count the times she’d smiled in the last week on the fingers of one hand. Everyone had noticed her melancholy mood, and a concerned Glenda had offered to break her date in order to go to the party with her, but Vivian assured her she was fine with going alone.

She felt buoyed from the moment she first heard the music, which was loud but not eardrum damaging, and felt better still at the sight of attractive people mingling in small groups in the living and dining rooms. Beverly introduced her to a few people, and soon she was standing with a group of women who, judging from their hushed tones, were gossiping. She had joined them because they were female, but it had clearly been a mistake.
“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to interrupt.” She turned to find another group to join when the woman named Tina stopped her. “Oh, don’t go. We didn’t mean to shut you out It’s just that we’re all feeling so bad for poor Gordon.”

“
Gordon?”

“
One of the guys who’s here. He had made special plans for tonight because it was the birthday of the girl he was seeing, and she canceled on him with some excuse, and then she shows up here on the arm of another fellow.”

“
Oh, how awful! Not to mention embarrassing. Is…Gordon still here, or did he leave?”

“
He’s still here. Right now he’s dancing. He’s putting on a good front, but what else can he do?”

“
If he leaves he’ll lose face,” another woman agreed.

“
It just goes to show, Westchester is a small place. You never know who knows who,” the third woman added.

Vivian only half listened as the women exchanged remarks about it being a small world. She was rapidly losing interest in the saga of
“poor Gordon” and wondered how all of them had even found out about his humiliating situation. Then again, that was the way of parties. All it took was one person to know the inside scoop, and the story spread faster than the flu.

From there the women went on to discuss how Gordon didn
’t stand a chance against the good-looking escort the two-timing woman had arrived with. “I don’t know. If I was her and he called me, I might have done the same thing.”

“
He’s so fine.”

“
Did you see those eyes? They practically glowed in the dark.”

“
Do you suppose they’re real, or is he wearing contacts? I don’t think I’ve ever seen anyone his complexion with blue eyes.”

“
I remember my grandmother had blue eyes and she was brown-skinned, but it had something to do with her cataracts.”

“
Anyone else would look like a freak of nature, but on him they look good. I’m sure they’re real. Men don’t get into colored contact lenses; it’s just us women who like to experiment with eye color.”

The mention of an exceedingly handsome
brown-skinned man with blue eyes piqued Vivian’s attention. She carefully scanned the room, which wasn’t that large, but her eyes were still adjusting to the dim lighting. She didn’t see anyone who looked like Zack, but who else could the women be talking about? Apparently not only was Westchester small when it came to single thirty-something African-American professionals, but so was the entire New York metropolitan area.

She gestured to Beverly as she was about to pass by, stepping away from the others and spoke as sof
tly as she could and still being heard above the loud music. “Do you know if there’s a man here named Zack Warner?”

“
Zack? Yeah, I think so. Does he have blue eyes?”

“
Yes.”

“
He’s involved in Big Brothers with John. You know him?”

“
Yes.”

“
I wish you’d invited him. He caused a hell of an uproar with that woman he showed up with.”

“
If this is about poor Gordon, I’ve already heard the story.”

“
I feel terrible, since I’m the one who invited him. He’s the son of friends of my parents, and we used to play together when we were kids. He’s a nice guy, not bad-looking, either. I was so surprised to see him, since he’d told me he couldn’t make it because he had a big night planned. He’d made dinner reservations and bought theater tickets. At least he was able to sell the tickets to somebody after she canceled on him.” She shook her head. “Women who do things like that give all of us a bad name. But at least he’s hiding his hurt well.”

Vivian looked in the same direction as Beverly.
Her mouth dropped open when she recognized the man who’d been spurned. “Wait a minute. It’s Gordon
Wilson?”

“
Yes. You know him, too?”

“
Yes. The son-of-a-gun stood me up a couple of months ago, and now I’ll bet I know why. This girl must have told him she wanted to see him, and he unloaded me like the proverbial hot potato.”

“
That’s too bad, but at least you were able to keep the incident to yourself. I think the story of what happened to him has gotten around to everybody here.”

“
I do feel sorry for him, but I can’t help thinking that what goes around comes around. So where are Zack and the girl, Bev?”

“
I think they’re out on the patio. John asked everyone who wants to smoke to go out there. He’s afraid someone might burn a hole in our brand new furniture. Besides, that hussy is probably too ashamed to show her face inside, as well she should be.”

“
Thanks.” Vivian concluded that the woman must smoke; Zack didn’t. All she could do was wait for them to come back in. She wasn’t about to go out there looking for him. She hadn’t seen or heard from Zack since he’d left her apartment over a week ago, and she was still smarting from the way he’d left the money for her. It seemed so cold and impersonal. She hadn’t done anything for him that warranted him giving her a hundred-and-fifty dollars. The money was still sitting in the envelope inside her armoire. If she’d known he would be at this party she would have brought it so she could return it to him.

She was asked to dance and promp
tly got caught up in the music. She’d forgotten how good it felt to dance. Next time she had the blues she would put on some music and dance up a storm in the privacy of her living room.

When the song ended she and her partner thanked each other, and, feeling a tap on her shoulder, turned and saw Zack.
“Hi! Hey, are you following me?” The lightheartedness of her tone surprised her.

“
I thought that was you. And I’m not following you, not that that’s a bad idea.” He looked around. “Are you with someone?”

“
No, but I hear you are.” She regretted the words as soon as they were out. Zack blinked, and his eye color appeared to darken, like he’d been wounded. It was her own hurt feelings that had made her lash out.
She
was the one he should have asked to be his date, not some other woman. He was acting as if nothing had ever happened between them, as if they’d never shared any good times at her apartment over those five days…as if he’d never kissed her.

“
I’m not staying. I just apologized to Gordon.”

“
The way I heard the story it wasn’t really your fault.”

“
No, it wasn’t. When I invited Sherry to this party she didn’t mention she was going to cancel the plans she’d already made. I felt bad for him, and I wanted to tell him I was sorry. Sherry was someone he obviously thought highly of.”

The sincerity in both his expression and his voice reminded her of that night in the ER when he was treating the
little girl whose face had been cut. She’d learned from Beverly that Zack served as a Big Brother, another indication of his sensitivity. Still, his thoughtfulness stung her ego. He seemed to be so considerate of everyone else’s feelings but hers. Didn’t he consider her worthy of dating? Did he really believe she would bring him bad luck? What about the kisses they shared at her apartment? Surely he had derived as much pleasure from them as she had. But instead he left her home without even asking her for her phone number, leaving money in an envelope, like theirs was a business relationship, and of an unsavory nature at that. She wished she could just come out and ask him just how he regarded her.

She forced her curiosity
about that aside in favor of being inquisitive about another issue. “How did he react?”

“
He was a gentleman, and he appreciated
my
being a gentleman. I think it’s safe to say that Sherry no longer ranks as a possible date for either of us. But because he really cared about her, giving her up will be a lot harder for him than it will be for me.”

“
Well, I’m sure you won’t have to make too much effort to find another date. There are plenty of possibilities right in this room.” She met his gaze squarely in a silent dare for him to get the point.

He stared at her wordlessly, his gaze
locking with hers. He opened his mouth to say something, but in an instant what he had been about to express was lost.

“
There
you are. I thought you’d forgotten about me, Zack.”

Vivian watched as a woman slipped her arm through his. She was petite, her shapely figure shown to its fullest advantage in a clingy shell with matching cardigan, and short, tight skirt
. It had to be the notorious Sherry. A closer look revealed this was the same woman who had intercepted Zack as they left the dance floor at the NBP Valentine’s dance, the one who’d been wearing that ridiculous dress with the zigzag hemline and one shoulder out. From the cozy way she was smiling at Zack, Vivian guessed he hadn’t yet told her she had lost her position on his personal hit parade.

“
I think it’s time for us to be leaving,” Zack said without emotion.

Sherry gave Vivian one of those triumphant smiles that said
keep away, he’s taken,
and dragged Zack away. Vivian pretended not to see. If there was anything she disliked more than people who took two parking spaces to protect vehicles that were already covered with dents and scratches, it was a possessive female.

She almost laughed aloud when she saw Zack yank his hand away.

*****

Zack couldn
’t get Sherry home to the Bronx quickly enough. He saw her to her apartment door, his tight-lipped demeanor leaving no doubts about his anger. Despite this, she had the gall to invite him in, her body pressed against his and arms around his neck extending an invitation she didn’t need to put into words. But he couldn’t stand conniving females. What would have been a pleasant evening was in ruins because of her dishonesty.

As he drove home to Harlem he thought of Vivian
’s comment about possible dates amongst the females at the party. He knew the unspoken message—that the best possible choice was standing before him. He had been about to take her up on her challenge when Sherry appeared.

The truth was that he
’d thought about her ever since he left her apartment last Friday. The time spent with her there had forced him to think deeply about his attitudes. He had never lacked for feminine attention, not even during his childhood. He definitely got noticed, if for all the wrong reasons. But those same girls who teased him about his unusual coloring in the schoolyard managed to fall into step beside him when classes let out. The behavior became more aggressive in higher education, and in nearly twenty years of dating he learned quite a bit about the female species, what so many of them wanted in a man. He was attentive, charming, witty, and truly cared about what was important in their lives, but few had made a real impact on him or stayed on his mind when an evening ended, which, more often than not, was the next morning.