Gotta Get Next To You (16 page)

“Yes, I know what you think,” Andrea broke
in. She led her to an empty table. “Sit down and listen. I know you
want me to be happy.”

“Exactly, and you need—”

“I need time. Please, Gran. I’ve got so much
on my mind these days.” Andrea rested against the chair back and
let out a deep breath.

Gran smiled affectionately. “You’re right,
cher. Sit and take in some fresh air. Enjoy yourself.”

“Are you kidding? I’m working just as hard
tonight

as I do at the clinic. Don’t let the hors
d’oeuvres and music fool you. I’m being sized up.” Andrea glanced
at the people scattered around the terrace.

“Oh, stop. They’re too busy eating and
dancing.” “They’re not that busy. Especially not the board members.
It’s so important to build our credibility. I’d better circulate
some more.” Andrea started to rise, but stopped when Gran shook her
head.

“You’ve been on your feet for an hour or
more. You sit here and let me get you some more punch and food.”
Gran stood.

“There’s no need to make a special trip. I’ll
be back inside in a little while,” Andrea protested.

“I was going to get more food for myself
anyway.” Gran moved off at a brisk pace. “Just stay right there.”
Andrea opened her mouth to call her back, but realized it was no
use. Gran was through the doors and fading into the crowd already.
Andrea laughed to herself. Still, she enjoyed this brief respite
from smiling and talking. Being out under the deep blue sky with
silver stars twinkling overhead was peaceful. The band was
evidently taking a break. Andrea glanced at her wrist- watch. It
was near eleven o’clock. The party was set to wind down at
midnight. She’d been here since seven. Gran was right; her feet
were starting to complain. Andrea slipped off her black pumps,
flexed her toes, and gave a soft sigh of relief. Another breeze
brushed her face and she closed her eyes and breathed in the
fragrant smell of home, wet grass, and bayou.

“Miss Mavis sent me out on a mission.”

Andrea’s eyes flew open. Jamal stood in front
of her holding a small, round tray with two plates of food and two
glasses of punch. He looked stunning in a black suit cut stylishly
with narrow lapels, a crisp white shirt, and a black, green, and
white silk necktie. The suit jacket was tailored to fit his broad
chest. A tiny shock of electricity started at the base of her spine
and spread through her hips. Andrea just gazed at him for a moment.
His cologne floated on the breeze and snaked itself around her
until she shivered. Obsession for Men, Andrea thought hazily.
Appropriately named, given the effect he was having on her. Then
Andrea realized she must be gawking at him. She’d successfully
avoided him most of the evening as he circulated among the
guests.

“What?” she managed to blurt out.

Jamal held up the tray. “She said you needed
to be revived after working so hard. So here I am.”

Andrea’s mind took an erotic turn at the
speed of light. She could think of all kinds of ways this gorgeous
man could refresh her. He put the tray on the table with a graceful
movement.

“Yes, here you are,” she murmured. Andrea
looked away from him. She hoped it would clear her mind. “Thank
you.”

“You’re welcome. May I sit down? That was a
long walk.” He gazed down at her with a soft smile.

“I’m sorry,” Andrea stammered out. “Of
course, please.”

He folded his long frame into the
wrought-iron chair. “You should be pleased with the turnout.”

Andrea struggled not to stare at him again.
He stood out from every other man present. His every gesture seemed
to capture her.

“We have a lot of support from the
community,” she said.

“I noticed you doing the network thing.”
Jamal took a bite out of a small ham sandwich.

“The entire board is here.” Andrea gazed
through to the ballroom. “The mayor, aldermen, all of them are
keeping a close eye on us.”

“Yeah, this is a business function in
disguise.” He nodded.

“Exactly. Of course, good food and music make
it easier to open up discussions.” Andrea laughed. “Some-thing we
understand very well in south Louisiana.”

‘Tell me about it. Since I moved here I’ve
had to re-ally exercise more. Too many fried-shrimp po’ boys,” he
said, and patted his fiat stomach.

Andrea studied his build. From where she sat,
he was doing a great job of keeping in shape. “Men can eat whatever
they want without worrying the way we do. It’s all these fat
cells.”

“I wish,” he said with a grunt. “You should
be with me at the gym. It’s rough lifting those weights and doing
chin-ups.”

“You could handle anything with those
muscles,” Andrea blurted out before she realized it. “I mean ...”
She stuck a cookie in her mouth to cover her confusion.

“Thanks.” Jamal swept a glance over her from
head to feet. “You must work out, too. You look positively ...
fit.”

Andrea squirmed under his examination and
tugged at the hem of her ivory sleeveless party dress. “I try to
run at least three times a week. Honestly, I haven’t kept up. Too
many long hours at the clinic.”

“Best thing to fight off tension,” he
said.

“That’s something I get plenty of these
days.” Andrea wanted to steer the conversation back onto safe
ground. “Every day I uncover some new horror that curls my
hair.”

Jamal leaned forward. “Yeah, things have been
pretty bad. The records are like a puzzle somebody threw in the
air. You have to wonder how those people got anything done,” he
said, referring to former clinic staff members.

‘Tell me about it!” Andrea said with a groan.
She lowered her voice. “Patient records are still screwed up. But
we’ve made headway a little.”

“What about the pharmacy?” Jamal took a sip
of punch, and then put down his glass. “I heard Bill Larissey is
about ready to quit.”

Andrea scowled at the mention of the
part-time pharmacist. The man constantly criticized Andrea’s
attempts to organize the clinic.

“He’s a pain in the... well, you know.
Everyone works with me except him,” she said.

“The inventory and dispensary are a
mess.”

“No kidding. Why should it be different from
the rest of the place?” Andrea retorted.

“I guess you’re sorry you took this job.”
Jamal used his forefinger to trace an invisible line on the
tabletop.

Andrea let out a long, slow breath. “It’s
worse than I was told, and that’s the truth. But all in all, I’m
glad to be home. And for the first time in years I feel like I can
really make a difference, one that I can see.”

Jamal gazed at her with a thoughtful
expression. “You didn’t feel that way in Chicago?”

“Some days I did. But most of the time I just
felt overwhelmed.” Andrea smiled. “Could be I was never cut out for
big-city life. What about you? Aren’t you bored down here after Los
Angeles?”

“Not really. I was ready for a change after
my divorce,” he said with a shrug.

Andrea detected a note of sadness in his
voice. “Yeah, I know what you mean. Chicago definitely lost

its appeal for me. Funny, but I started
thinking about home more after I got the final divorce papers.”

“Yeah,” he said quietly.

She looked at him. “But you were home. Why
leave?”

“For one thing, my ex-wife moved to Houston.
I’m closer to my son now,” Jamal said.

“How old is he?” Andrea was intrigued at the
image of him as a father.

“Jake is six going on thirty-five,” he
quipped.

“And you left the rest of your family in
L.A.?”

He paused before answering. “My childhood in
L.A. wasn’t exactly sweetness and light.”

He’d left his home to escape. Andrea knew a
lot about trying to outrun pain. The signs were there beneath that
layer of strong, cool dude. His face cleared like a cloudy sky
giving way to sunshine. He turned his bright smile on her.

“Anyway, here we are right where we want to
be,” he said.

“Please,” Andrea said with a groan. “I’d much
rather be seeing patients.”

“But you know being in charge means you can
do more good for more people,” he said, and gazed at her with his
head tilted to one side.

“Yes, I’m tired of complaining about what
‘they’ should do. I’m going to do it,” Andrea said.

“You want a career, not just a job. Do what
you want for once, right?”

Suddenly Andrea felt a click deep inside. He
understood her. His tone, his expression, and even the way his eyes
reflected the soft lighting cast a spell and made her believe he
could see into her heart. It wasn’t logical.

They hardly knew each other outside the
clinic. As she gazed back at him she caught a glimpse of something
in his eyes and thought she understood him, too. He was searching,
like her.

“Right,” she murmured, unable to look away
from his dark eyes.

When the band started to play, he looked over
his shoulder, then back at her. “Let’s dance,” he said, and held
out his hand as though the matter were already settled.

Andrea was out of her chair and in his arms
before she realized what was happening. The music seemed to wrap
itself around them until she imagined they were all alone in the
world. The tune was a rhythmic blues love ballad. The lead singer’s
rich tenor added a poignant note that made the air vibrate. Andrea
tensed when Jamal gently placed his open palm against the small of
her back. Her hand rested inside his larger one. Without fanfare,
Jamal pulled her closer until their bodies touched lightly. Andrea
fought to slow her breathing when he rested his chin against her
forehead. Her nipples hardened and sexual craving washed through
her body. Andrea bit her Up to hold back the soft moan that
threatened to tumbled across her lips. She became pliant under his
touch as he led her in a Creole two-step.

“How am I doing?” he said close to her
ear.

“Just fine,” Andrea whispered, and snuggled
closer.

“I took lessons from a friend.”

“Hmm?” Andrea inhaled the scent of cologne on
his skin, a salty mix that was intoxicating.

“Dancing. My pal’s girlfriend showed me how,”
Jamal said.

“Yes, dancing,” she mumbled.

Andrea was thinking of a different kind of
dance. For the first time in years she felt totally free. There was
only this moment, music, and the sensation of being in his arms.
She wanted to cup his face in both hands and press her lips to his.
As though her desire conjured up the reality, she was gazing into
his eyes. His mouth came closer.

“Andrea ...” His voice was husky and low.

“Yes?” Andrea whispered.

“You look beautiful tonight.” Jamal said.
“Simply beautiful.”

Andrea took a deep, shaky breath. “Th—” His
lips grazed hers teasingly, cutting off her reply.

Jamal pulled her closer, his forehead resting
against hers. For a long, delicious moment Andrea felt suspended in
time. They seemed to float on a cloud, moving in harmony to the
music. He started a fire that raged out of control deep inside her.
Andrea gazed into his deep brown eyes and trembled in his arms,
wanting more of him. Then the music stopped and the other dancers
applauded.

Jamal held her a moment longer, then took a
deep breath. He stepped back and let go of her hand. “I think we’d
better go in.”

Andrea swayed, still off balance and
reluctant to let go of the moment. “I suppose.”

“Some rich guy might want to drop a stack of
cash for the clinic.” He tugged at his tie and smiled at her.

The magic was gone and the composed charmer
had returned. Even his smile seemed closed to her. How dare he turn
it on and off like a light switch, she fumed silently. And she’d
been so willing to surrender. Now he stood there gloating. Andrea’s
eyes narrowed as she glowered at him.

“Like you said, this isn’t a simple party,”
she

snapped. “In fact, few things are what they
appear on the surface. Excuse me.” Andrea spun around and marched
off.

“I’ll go with you. You might need more
refreshments.” Jamal used the advantage of his long stride to catch
up to her.

“No, I won’t,” she said without looking at
him.

“Did I do something wrong? I thought we had a
nice dance.” Jamal smiled and nodded at several people.

“Yes, we did. Just a dance,” Andrea said,
looking at him sideways.

Jamal studied her for a few seconds. “Sure. A
dance.” “It’s over,” Andrea said. She started to walk away when his
hand on her arm stopped her.

“I think we should talk.” Gently but firmly
he led her to a comer away from a knot of other people. He seemed
flustered and at a loss about how to proceed.

Andrea was not sympathetic. “Well, make it
short. As you reminded me, I’ve got business to take care of.” “We
work together,” he began.

“This is not news to me. Of course, it was a
surprise since I didn’t hire you.”

“I guess what I’m trying to say is—”

“Hold it,” Andrea broke in with an angry
frown. “Don’t flatter yourself. Number one, I’m too busy for your
player games.”

“It’s not like that.”

“Number two,” Andrea pressed on, ignoring his
comment, “I’m not interested in dating, and if I were, you wouldn’t
be my first choice.”

His dark brows drew together in irritation.
“I only meant—”

“Number three, I don’t date men I work with.
So

calm down, you’re safe from me,” Andrea
finished, her voice like a razor blade.

His expression softened as he gazed at her.
“I wasn’t trying to be a smooth operator, okay? We both felt it.
And it could make things ... complicated.”

He didn’t have to say what “it” was; Andrea
knew full well. Yet she would not give him the satisfaction of
acknowledging the powerful attraction she felt.

“I agree.” Andrea lifted her chin and gazed
back at him coolly.