Bitter Hearts (A Southern Loving Book 3) (7 page)

“Hank
and I are just friends. I’m employed to work for a client who wants him to
build custom cribs.”

“Nope,”
he said, smirking deviously and waving a hand as if to dismiss idea. The
expression upon his face indicated that he was having far too much fun toying
with her.

“Girrrrl,
I think he likes you.” Corey grinned at her, reclining back in the rolling
chair. He sat up and rolled his chair from his desk to her. “I think you like
him too.”

Kari
rolled her eyes and moved away from her desk where Corey sat there laughing
like a manic. “You make me sick,” she said.

“Then
go take some medicine,” Corey howled with laughter.

“You’re
so ridiculous. He doesn’t like me; we can barely work well together. Plus, I’m
black and he is white,” she said, trying to calmly but desperately put
everything into perspective.  For the past few days they’d been bickering at
one another.  She’d rather keep their role neutral, her being the designer and
him being the carpenter, if they went beyond the lines of professionalism it
would cause them to have an odd working relationship.

“You’re
silly.” Corey shook his head. “What does your color have to do with the price
of tea in China?”

“Ugh,
you getting on my nerves.” Her eyes bored into those of her assistant, taking
on a look of steely certainty until Corey burst into a fit of laughter. Kari
sucked her teeth. Would it be bad if she liked Hank a little more than she
should?

“Come
on Kari, it’s not that bad. You haven’t dated in two years and I’m pretty sure
your vajayjay has some cobwebs in it,” Corey said, rolling himself over to his
desk. “Look at it like this, he likes you and you like him.”

Kari
went to the small kitchenette in the office and made herself steamy cup of ginger
tea. “Why are you worrying about my
Concha
?”

“I’m
a good friend and I’ve been worrying about you since the day you broke up with
him, whose name shall not be mentioned,” Corey said.

“You
don’t have to worry about me. I’ve bounced back great from that tragedy of a
relationship,” she assured Corey.  Her best friend was a hopeless romantic who
thought there was always a happily ever after like those crazy Hollywood love
stories. She wasn’t Cinderella and there wasn’t going to be a Prince Charming
to sweep her off her feet. The only person responsible for her true happiness
was her and no one else.

“He
doesn’t know how to approach you regarding setting up an appointment to meet,”
Corey said hesitantly, as he busied himself with filing.

Kari
held the mug inches from her lips as the words came from Corey’s lips. Maybe a
meeting with Sam was exactly what Rita said she needed to do in so many words
the other night. She was done wrong and not once did she seek any type of
resolution. For two years she pretended like him hurting her had never happened.
“Arrange for a meeting when I return from Texas,” she said, taking a seat
behind the desk.

“What
about Hank?” Corey asked.

“What
about him?” she asked with a quizzical looked on her face.

“He
likes you and you like him,” he muttered.

“This
is not Jr. High School,” Kari snapped, jotting down information on sticky note
as she posted it on the desk. “I have to pick up some samples for my meeting
with the McBride’s tomorrow evening, can you close up for me?”

“Yeah,
of course.”

Kari
finished the remainder of the tea before standing up. Going across the room she
wrapped her arms around Corey. “I love you, Corey. You’ve been my best friend
since college and didn’t question my ideas of opening a business here in Nashville.”

“Yes
I did,” he said, patting her shoulders. “I said girl ain’t nothin’ out there
but a bunch of hillbillies, but look at us now. You’re climbing up on people
radars as an interior decorator and designer.”

“I
couldn’t do it without you,” she said, as she kissed the side of his cheek.
“I’ll call you later tonight.”

“I
love you, Kari,” he said.

“I
love you, too,” she said, before walking out the exit. 

***

Hank
stood in the distance watching Kari going over the sample baby bedding with
Farrah. She wore designer white skinny jeans with a navy blue silk halter top
with ruffles all down the front that matched her designer high heel shoes. Long
curly ebony hair fell just below her shoulders, she must had sensed him
standing there looking at her, because those deep brown eyes met his.

“Are
you going to stare at her all night?” Austin teased, standing behind him.

“I
wasn’t staring,” Hank lied.

“Whatever
dude.” Austin walked passed him and to where the two ladies was conversing.

“Honey,
look at the bedding samples,” Farrah gushed.

Hank
found himself looking at Kari instead of paying attention on what was going on
around him. He was so amazed at the work she did. He studied everything about
Kari from her smile, the dimples in her chin and the laughter that sound like a
melody.

“Uh,
yeah you did a great job,” Hank said.

“Are
you okay?” Farrah and Austin asked in unison.

“Why
do you ask?” he asked, plastering a fake smile on his face.

“You
were making this noise, more like a grunt,” Austin said, looking at him with a
smirk on his face.

“I
should be leaving,” Kari said, standing up from the table and packing her tote
bag quickly.

“Why
don’t you stay for dinner,” Farrah offered. “I made more than enough.”

“I
shouldn’t impose,” Kari said.

“Don’t
be silly.” Farrah shook her head. “I made a Mediterranean style dinner.”

Hank
held his breath waiting for Kari’s answer. He didn’t have a chance to talk to
her about the kiss the other day.

“Okay,”
she said.

“I’m
going to check on dinner it should be ready in a few,” Farrah said, pulling
Austin towards the direction of the kitchen leaving Hank and Kari alone.

“Hey,”
he said softly, moving closer to her. “Can we talk?”

“About
what?” she asked with a slight frown on her face.

“Kiss
me, and I’ll show you,” he said breathlessly.

Kari
exhaled a breath before she closed the small space between them and kissed him.
There was something between them, something deep and real that was floating to
the surface. He kissed her back with all the emotion she gave him.

“Kari!
Hank!” Austin yelled out. “Dinner is ready!”

They
broke apart. Kari opened her eyes slowly and Hank looked at her with lust
filled eyes. That look told her that he wanted to skip dinner and go back his
house. Looking away from his eyes quickly, Kari knew if she continued to stare
into those eyes she would ask if they could leave.

“Hank,
I…We can’t do…”

“We
can just go with the flow,” he said.  “Just think about it,”

“It’s
time for dinner,” she said, walking away from him but not before she turned
back to meet his eyes. 
Don’t be stupid,
Kari told herself as she walked
into the kitchen.

Minutes
later, Kari sat at a glass table in the kitchen in front of huge floor to
ceiling windows that gave a scenic view of the ranch as the sun was beginning
to set. Farrah had outdone herself with grilled lamb chops with roasted garlic.

“This
is so delicious,” Kari said, biting into her lamb. Her tongue was met with
rosemary, thyme and cumin.

“I’m
happy you like it,” Farrah said between bites of her lamb. “My husband and his
cousin would tell you in a heartbeat they only eat red meat and potatoes.”

“I’ll
have you know that we do eat chicken,” Hank said.

“So,
Kari, tell us about yourself,” Austin said, looking at her from the head of the
table. “Why design?”

“My
grandfather owns a successful architecture design firm where they specialize in
the exterior and interior. I followed in his footsteps, except I wanted to earn
my way in life and not have it handed it to me.” 

Hank’s
fork clattered on his plate, he was shocked to hear that come from Kari. He
pegged her as a spoiled brat with the designer clothes and shoes she wore. “Why
move to Nashville?”

“I’m
from the 90210 and moving to Nashville gave me the opportunity to slowdown my
life a lot. Everything you see that glitters is not gold,” she said with a
shrug.

Hank
sat there eating, but his mind was occupied with thoughts of Kari. His judgment
about her was way off. He’d allowed his bitterness to get in the way of seeing
Kari for who she was. Hank tried to look away from her but he couldn’t, her
smile, the excitement her eyes, the laughter and the angriness she sported
after argument with him. Those were all the things he liked about her. Deep
down he wanted to get to know her a little better.

Sitting
there, he watched as Kari and Farrah interacted together. They acted like there
were old friends. Natalie wasn’t close friends with Rebecca, but somehow found
it to hate Farrah with a passion.  

“What’s
wrong with you?” Austin whispered. Sitting next to him.

“Nothing.”

“That
look don’t say anything,” Austin said. Cutting in his lamb chop and eating
another bite. “I swear you have this look on you face like you did when you was
in 12
^th
grade with Ally.”

Hank
picked up his fork and knife and cut into his food. He tried to appear unbothered
by the mentioning of his ex-girlfriend and first real love of his life. Was it
odd that he was thirty-three years old and had a crush on a woman?  He needed
to get a grip and figure out what was happening to him. Hank tried to convince
himself mentally that the only reason why he was smitten with Kari was the
physical attraction he had to her. Yeah his body craved to have her underneath
him, but let’s face it, he wanted it all.

Damn
he was in trouble, especially if Austin could see that Kari had an effect on
him. Hank felt like he was crossing the line with Kari. He was still married on
paper. It had to more than a physical attraction that he had for her. Maybe it
was because they shared an emotional connection from the time she flipped him
off or when she’d cut her hand. He tried to pay attention to something other
than Kari but nothing was working.

“Ask
her out to the state fair,” Austin said in a low voice. “Jiggy saw her when she
came up and he was asking about her earlier.”

Hank
wasn’t about to allow Austin’s sound engineer, Jiggy, to take Kari out anywhere
if he could help it.

Hours
later after dinner, Hank and Kari left the McBride’s house at the same time.
The short walk to the car was in silence. When she unlocked the car Hank knew his
time was almost up for him.

“Have
you ever been to the state fair?” Hank asked, looking down at her.

“Not
that I can recall,” she said, tucking her hair behind her ear.

“Austin
asked me to play back up for him.” He stuck his hands into his pockets to keep
himself from touching her. “And I want you to be my date.”

“I
thought you were married?”

“I’m
separated,” he said quickly. “I don’t cheat it’s not in my vocabulary.”

“Why
don’t you come to my house for dinner tomorrow?”

“You
don’t cook,” he reminded her.

“I’ll
order something.”

“Chinese
food, I haven’t had that in a long time.” He reached pass and opened the door.

“I
live above my design studio.” She gave him a quick peck on the cheek before
getting inside her car.

“Drive
safe and I’ll call you when I think you’ve made it home.” He closed the door
and watched her drive away.

***

 Kari
just took a shower and was in bed anticipating Hank’s phone call. Her eyes
drifted to the wall. Should she really do this? Kari thought to herself. This
man was still legally married to another woman. Her mind was telling decline
the date but her heart was telling her to go out with Hank. The two shared a
connection and that was hard to ignore. Immense with her thoughts she barely
heard the phone ring.

“I
didn’t think you would call,” she said softly, laying her head back on the
pillow.

“I
needed to hear your voice to make sure you made it home safely.”

A
shiver of want and need ran though her as she listened to his deep, southern
voice. “What is going on with us?”

“Kari…I
haven’t felt this way in a long time.”

“Hank,
what happen with you and your wife?”

Silence.

“I’m
sorry, I shouldn’t have asked you that.”

“It’s
okay. It’s hard to tell people that my wife left me for another man,” Hank
said.

“Are
you okay?” she asked.

“I’m
moving on. You can’t keep marinating a heart break. I learnt that I don’t have
to stay hurt,” he said.