Looking For Trouble (18 page)

Chapter 25

A
lexandria still couldn't believe her eyes, or her good fortune. If anyone had told her a few hours ago that she'd be looking into the face of the handsome man whose picture from more than twenty years ago she'd just seen, she wouldn't have believed it. But as she sat across from Dr. Parker Brightwood II—her very first best friend from childhood, whom she'd affectionately known back then as PJ, and whom she hadn't seen since they were six years old—she would have thought it highly improbable.

For someone who had the ability to reach back into the past and glimpse toward the future, this was one thing that she hadn't seen coming.

After standing in front of the Lazy Day trying to talk among the throng of clubgoers, she and PJ decided to continue their game of catch-up in a more private setting. They found a small booth inside the coffee shop around the corner and settled in, talking with ease as if they saw each other every day.

“I still can't believe it's you, and after all these years,” Alexandria said.

“As soon as I heard your name and saw you walk out on that stage, I was speechless.”

“You remembered me?” she asked, surprised.

PJ nodded and smiled. “Of course, I did. And the funny thing is that when you said you hadn't intended on being there tonight, well, neither had I. I had a long workweek and all I wanted to do was crash tonight. But a couple of my buddies convinced me to hang out with them and blow off some steam. Now I'm glad I did—otherwise, we wouldn't have reconnected.” He paused. “At least, not tonight.”

“So you think this was fate?” Alexandria asked, searching his eyes.

PJ tapped his long fingers against the ice-cold glass of Coke sitting in front of him. “I don't believe there are any coincidences in life. Things happen the way they're supposed to. I went there with my friends tonight because I was supposed to see you. And get this—it's the first time any of us have ever been to the Lazy Day.”

“Really?”

“Yes, and what'll trip you out even more is that I live only a few blocks away.”

“Stop playing!”

“I kid you not. Because I'm in the neighborhood, I'd heard about the place—that it's a really cool spot to listen to live performances. But until tonight, I'd never walked through those doors.”

Alexandria was quiet, still processing what all this meant. She knew he was right, and that there were no coincidences. The fact that she'd come across his picture from out of nowhere, after all these years, confirmed that she was supposed to meet PJ tonight. In that moment, she knew he'd been the force that had made her turn around in the middle of Peter's street and head toward the Lazy Day. He'd called her to him without even knowing it, and the thought made her shiver.

“You're gonna freak out when I tell you this,” Alexandria said. “I was going through an old trunk in my parents' basement today and I found a picture of us when we were kids.”

“Get outta here.”

Alexandria opened her large handbag and pulled out her wallet, where she'd placed the small photo for safekeeping. “Here, look.”

PJ took the picture and studied it, smiling and shaking his head. “I remember this day.”

“You do?”

“We were in Ms. Snow's class and your mom came to pick you up after school. She took this picture right before my dad came to get me. I guess he never got a chance to get a copy, because I've never seen it before.”

“I can't believe you remember that,” Alexandria said, sounding surprised.

“I remember everything about you, Ali.”

She put the picture back in her wallet, trying to hide her trembling hands and ignore the warm fuzzies she felt from PJ's presence.

He smiled at her. “When I told my buddies I knew you, they all went crazy. You should've heard them.”

“What did they say?”

PJ shook his head and let out a light laugh. “I hang with some pretty wild dudes. Let's just say that they all wanted a personal introduction to the lovely Alexandria.”

Alexandria blushed, which was something she didn't normally do. She was beginning to feel the heat of PJ's intense stare; it made her bare thighs tremble against the vinyl-covered seat. He was sexy and direct, and she liked the way he carried himself. His cool confidence and rugged masculinity were tempered by a sweet humility, which she could see in his eyes.

She wasn't prepared for the rush of feelings suddenly bubbling up inside her, all caused by a man with whom she'd been reacquainted for only an hour. She knew she couldn't let on how she felt, so she decided to change the subject from her to him. She looked at him and smiled. “I'm looking at you and I'm thinking how you haven't changed a bit.”

“I don't know if that's a good thing.” PJ let out another light-hearted laugh. “The last time you saw me, I was wearing a Power Rangers shirt and corduroys.”

Alexandria laughed along with him. “Let me clarify that. I was referring to your essence. It hasn't changed.”

“Really? And what's my essence?”

She looked into PJ's dark brown eyes and wanted to tell him what she could see. At his core, he was still a sweet, adorable little boy, but he had grown into a handsome man, with a sexy, fine swagger, which was dangerously intoxicating. His golden yellow skin, short, curly black hair, and finely trimmed goatee complemented the rest of his package, elevating him to what she deemed as “fine-as-hell” status.

But she couldn't divulge that, so instead she concentrated on his nonphysical attributes. “You're a kindhearted, all-around–nice person. I remember that when we were kids, you always shared your toys, and whenever we went outside for recess, you held my hand until we reached the playground, to make sure I was safe.” Recounting the past made Alexandria think about what she'd told her mother that afternoon—how Grandpa John and Nana used to hold hands.

“You remember that?” he asked.

“You never forget your first best friend.”

PJ nodded, looking into Alexandria's eyes. “You were my first, too, Ali.”

She smiled. “You're the only person who's ever called me that.”

“My kindergarten mastery of language wasn't developed enough to pronounce your name properly, so I improvised. I hope you don't mind that I keep calling you ‘Ali.' I mean, you're a woman now, and my vocabulary has improved a bit.”

Alexandria shook her head and smiled again. “Actually, I like it.”

“Good, so do I. It fits you.”

Alexandria found herself enthralled. She loved listening to PJ's deep, robust voice. His tone was powerful, yet gentle at the same time. His crisp diction and command of words let her know right away that he was well read—an attribute she found very appealing, since she was a writer and a spoken-word artist. She remembered that his father had had a deep voice as well, and that he'd always been nice to her when he came to pick up PJ from school.

“Have you been here in Atlanta this whole time?” PJ asked.

“Yes, except for when I went away to UPenn for law school. Then after graduation, I came back here. How about you? Have you been here all along, or did you move away?”

PJ explained that at the end of their kindergarten stint, his father was offered a position to head the cardiac care unit at Johns Hopkins, which landed them in the DC Metro area, home base to most of the Brightwood clan. After high school, he followed a nearly identical path to his father's. He entered Howard University at seventeen, graduating in three years, and then moved on to medical school at Harvard. But when it came to his specialty of practice, he'd chosen a different path. Instead of becoming a cardiothoracic surgeon for adult patients, he chose to work with children and was currently completing his residency in pediatrics at Emory University Hospital.

“You're well accomplished,” Alexandria said. “Your dad must be really proud.”

“Yeah, he is. He's been my biggest supporter for as long as I can remember. And he never pushed me into medicine, either. He always told me he'd support me in whatever I chose to do with my life—so long as it made me happy.” PJ smiled and took a sip of his Coke. “Everyone thought I'd be a heart surgeon like him, but I've always wanted to work with kids, so pediatrics was a natural choice.”

“Really? What draws you to children?” Alexandria was curious to know. She knew that most of the men their age viewed children as an annoyance, and they had no interest in having any—let alone, working with them.

“I developed asthma when I was seven years old,” PJ told her. “My condition got so bad that I was in and out of the hospital constantly. Being an only child made it tough. I never forgot how scared and lonely I felt during those days. My dad and grandparents were there, but it was still rough on me.”

Alexandria tilted her head; a quizzical look settled on her face. “I hope you don't mind me asking, but what about your mom?” She remembered meeting his mother only once, and that was when they'd celebrated PJ's birthday at school. She'd dropped off cupcakes and then left abruptly.

PJ shrugged. “She's never really been a part of my life. Instead of the stereotypical absentee dad, I grew up with an absentee mom.”

“Oh, I'm sorry.”

“Don't be. It happens. Anyway, because of my experience as a child, when I decided to go into medicine, I knew it would be in a capacity to help kids.”

“You must really enjoy what you do.”

“I love it.”

Alexandria smiled. “That's a beautiful thing. You're very blessed, because not everyone can say that.”

“Yes, I am. But you know what it's like. I saw you up there tonight and I can tell you love what you do, too.”

“Yes, I do. Writing and performing spoken word is my passion. But it's not what I do full-time.”

“Oh, what's your day job?”

Alexandria took a small sip of her iced mocha latte and let out a sigh. “I'm an associate at a lobbying firm downtown. I spend my days writing briefs, proposals, and doing litigation research for one of the senior partners at the firm. I've been told some people would kill to be in my shoes.”

“I'm sure some would, but you sound like you're ready to put on a different pair.”

She nodded. “How'd you guess?”

“It doesn't take a genius to figure that out. Besides, I can't see the woman who was up on that stage tonight sitting behind a desk in a cubicle, grinding it out over briefs and proposals.”

“I know! Me either. I feel like I'm suffocating every time I walk into work.”

“Then why do you do it?”

“I have a master plan,” she said with a smile. “Just as you followed in your dad's footsteps, I'm using my mom's blueprint.”

“Oh yeah?”

“Yep. My job pays me very well, and because I live in one of the buildings my dad owns, I don't have to worry about rent. I've been saving up over the last two years. When I have enough to float me for a while, I'm going to quit my job and dedicate myself to my craft full-time.”

“That's a great plan. I know you're close to your folks, so how do they feel about it?”

“They told me that even if I fall short of money they'll help me with expenses until I can get established. I love them so much for always supporting me, but I'm going to keep working for a while because I want to make it on my own.”

“That day is coming sooner than you think.”

Alexandria smiled. “Tell me when, where, and how, because I want to be there when it happens.”

PJ leaned back against the side of the booth. “I don't know all the details, but what I can tell you without question is that you're a great performer. I loved what you did tonight.”

Alexandria blushed again, thinking about the words she'd spoken onstage. “Thanks, I'm glad you enjoyed it. The piece I performed was totally unplanned. I just spoke what was on my heart and let it flow.”

“Can I ask you a personal question?”

She shifted a bit in her seat and prepared herself for something she might not want to answer. “Sure, go ahead.”

PJ took a sip of his now watered-down Coke as an intense look formed at the edge of his lips. “Are you seeing anyone?”

Alexandria laughed. “Are you sure you listened to my piece?”

“Every single word.”

“Then you know the answer to your question.”

“Not really. You said you want ‘real love,' and I get that, but it still doesn't answer my question. Are you seeing anyone?”

Alexandria's mind flashed back to Peter and the fact that she should be telling him what she was about to explain to PJ. “There's a guy I've been dating for a year. He's a good person, but he and I want and need totally different things. So tonight I finally decided to call it quits.”

“A year is a decent clip of time.”

“Yeah, but to be honest, we probably should've broken up six months ago. He works so much that we only see each other on the weekends, and lately, that's even been sketchy.”

PJ nodded. “What made you decide to break up with him tonight?”

Once again, Alexandria thought about what PJ had said about there being no coincidences. Sitting across from him, and looking into eyes she felt she could get lost in, she knew he was the reason she'd finally made her decision to end things with Peter. She wanted to tell him the truth, but she knew she couldn't. Instead, she settled on a light version, which she thought he could handle.

“Have you ever had a feeling about something you couldn't explain, but you just knew it was right? Well, that's what I felt tonight. I want and need more than he and I can ever have together. I guess that's why when I got onstage, I spoke about what I desire, and what kind of love I want.”