NiceGirlsDo (9 page)

Sharde's smile lit up her face. “Do you have time to help me choose a wedding dress?”

“Is the sky blue? Of course I have time.”

Sharde’s smiled turned into a grin. She opened her desk drawer and slapped a thick book on her desktop. “Then pull up a seat and let me show you the five I have my eye on.”

* * *

“Clay? Got a moment?”

With his hand on his car door, Clay looked up from his car to see Damien crossing the company parking lot. He opened his car door, tossed his briefcase in the passenger seat, and leaned against his car. “Actually, I've been wanting to talk to you.”

“What about?”

“Cami.”

Damien tensed. “What about her? Look, if you're still angry because I got a little carried away with her --”

“How long have you two been having sex without a condom?”

He watched the muscles in Damien's jaw clench. “You used one with her, didn't you?”

“Always, with her and everyone else.”

“Then what's your problem?”

“I don't have a problem, but if you're having unprotected sex, you do or will.”

Damien shook his head. “I don't need a lecture from you, Clay. I'm a big boy and I know how to protect myself.”

“Then why the hell aren't you doing it?”

“I do. You think I have unprotected sex with every woman I sleep with?”

“Do you?”

“No! Cami is ... special.”

“Special. How special?”

He shook his head. “Look, I wanted to talk to you about Darbi Raymond.”

“What about her?” He raked a hand through his hair. “Look, Damien, if you're about to tell me you had unprotected sex with her as well, I swear, I'm going to knock you the fuck out right here and right now!”

Damien arched a brow. “So, despite what you said, it's like that, huh?”

“Like what?”

“You mean that, don't you?”

“What do you think?”

“I think you're about to lose your heart ... if you haven't already done it.”

“You think wrong.”

“Sure I do.” He slapped Clay’s cheek. “I never laid a finger on your Darbi. Hell, to tell you the truth, as gorgeous as she is, I wasn't even tempted.”

“Why not?”

He shrugged. “I told you, I knew when our eyes met you'd slept with her. I saw it in her gaze. When we had dinner, she kept staring at me, and I knew she was seeing you, not me. I think you need to make a move before someone else does.”

“When I want your advice on how to handle my love life, I'll let you know.” He smiled and clamped a palm around the back of Damien's neck. “You worry about Cami and let me worry about Darbi.”

Damien narrowed his gaze. “Why should I worry about Cami? Do you know something I don't?”

“No.”

“Then what are you talking about, Clay?”

“The way you two were going at each other when I left ... that was some heavy shit, Damien.”

He shrugged. “She's ... I like her.”

“Apparently she likes you too.”

“Does that bother you?”

“Why should it? I'm not in love with her.”

“Good. Since you clearly have other interests now, can I expect you to stay away from her?”

He frowned. “You're sounding a little possessive there, Damien.”

“No, I'm not, but now that you're seeing Darbi Raymond and --”

“Don't jump to conclusions. Just because you're ready to toss away your little black book doesn't mean mine's going in the trash too.”

“So you're going to go on seeing Cami?”

“Would my seeing her be a problem for you?”

Damien averted his gaze. “Why should it?”

He got into his car and lowered his driver's side window. “Then, if you'll excuse me, I have a date.”

Damien gave him a cool look. “Give Darbi a couple of deep, hard thrusts for me, will you?”

Damien's assumption that he would be sleeping with Darbi again annoyed the hell out of him. “Fuck off and get the hell out of my way, boy.”

“Who the hell you calling boy, whitey?”

He laughed and started his car. “Give Cami a hug for me.”

“I will. You'd better get going so you can be home in time to tuck Amber in bed at a decent hour.”

His smiled vanished. “About her, can you run shotgun for me tonight?”

“Nope. I have a date of my own. Your sister. Your problem.”

“Thanks, Damien, you're a real pal.”

“Ain't it the truth?” He laughed and walked back into the building.

* * *

Standing in her apartment wearing a new elegant black dress with a scoop neck and back, Darbi noted the appreciative gleam in Clayton's beautiful green eyes. The dress had been worth every penny of the ridiculous price she'd paid.

“Damn, you're beyond beautiful.”

She smiled. “Thank you.” She hesitated before lifting her face.

He brushed his lips against her cheek.

She turned her head until their lips met. Linking her arms around his neck, she pressed a long, moist kiss against his mouth. His lips parted and she slipped her tongue inside, rubbing her breasts against his chest.

He lifted his head and stepped back.

She allowed her arms to fall away from him. “What’s wrong?”

“We're supposed to do the dinner and dancing thing before we have dessert.”

She nodded and linked her fingers with his. “So we are.”

He lifted her hand to his mouth and kissed the back of it. “Let's go have dinner.”

They had dinner at an upscale restaurant. He arched a brow when she ordered a salad. She smiled. “I don't want to eat too much and get sleepy. I want to be wide awake for dessert.”

He laughed. “You candor is amazing.”

“Believe it or not, I'm not usually so straightforward.”

“Then I'm flattered.” He sipped his seltzer water. “You're not married or engaged. Have you ever been?”

She sighed. “This is the part I hate.”

“Why?”

“I'm divorced.”

His glance went to her left hand. “How long?”

“Nearly six years.”

“What happened?”

“I met Martin when I was twenty-one. We were married four months later. I graduated from college early so I was working full time while he was still in school. We had a lot of plans and goals and to help expedite them, I took a second job to help pay his way through grad school.

“I thought we were on our way when he graduated and landed this great job at an engineering firm with this huge salary. I quit my second job and prepared to be happy and prosperous. A year after graduation Martin got a big promotion. That's when things started to go south for us.”

“In what way?”

She sighed. “Along with the promotion came this beautiful secretary. I guess I can’t blame him for falling in love with her. She was the most stunning woman I’ve ever met. She was tall and slender with this lush, smooth sable skin. Her dark skin and green eyes made for an incredible look and she was the most beautiful creature.”

“You’re beautiful.”

She shook her head. “Not compared to her. I --”

“You’re beautiful compared to any woman.”

She smiled. “You mean that.”

“Of course I do. So he fell for her?”

“Yes. Six months later, I found myself divorced.”

“I take it you were still in love with him and didn't want the divorce?”

“I didn't want the divorce and yes, I was still in love with him then. So the divorce really hurt.”

He reached across the table to squeeze her hand. “And now?”

“It took a while, but I got over him.”

“But you still believe in marriage?”

“Of course. One of these days in the not too distant future, I'd like to have at least two kids. For that I need a husband.”

“Is that the only reason you want a husband? What about love?”

“What about it? I tried it once and got my heart broken and tossed back at me. The next time I get married it will be for necessity, not love.”

“And you expect to find a man who'll settle for a loveless marriage?”

“Why not? Just because we won't be in love doesn't mean we won't share passion and affection for each other. Actually, I think we might have a better chance of having a lasting marriage without love.”

“You do?”

“Yes. What about you? You said you'd never been married or engaged and you're how old?”

“Thirty-nine. No, I haven't been married or engaged, but I do believe in love. I want to fall in love.”

“Have you ever been in love?”

He shrugged. “I've imagined myself in love a couple of times. In college there was this co-ed who looked like Whoopie Goldberg. She had this amazing smile and every time she smiled at me, I got aroused. Within weeks of meeting her, I was convinced we were meant to spend the rest of our lives together.”

“What happened?”

He grimaced. “Nothing happened.”

“Nothing? You mean she didn't share your interest?”

“Oh, she shared it all right. In polite company she used to call me TDH, for tall, dark, and handsome.”

“And what did she call you in not so polite company?”

“Well-hung.”

That appellation certainly applied. “So you were lovers?”

“No, we weren't.”

“Then how did she know you were well-hung?”

“Our relationship never went past the kissing stage, but she did have a pair of wandering hands.”

Recalling how often she herself had touched, caressed, or held his cock during their few hours together, her cheeks burned. “If you were both interested, why weren't you lovers?”

He gave her a cool look. “I was too white for her. Like you, she was determined to save herself for a man with the right skin color.”

She shook her head. “I hope you don't think I'm prejudiced because I'm not.”

“I think you're a bit of a hypocrite.”

“What?”

“I'm good enough to fuck, but not good enough to marry.”

She sucked in a breath and tugged at her hand. “That's not fair.”

He tightened his grip and retained her hand. “Of course it is.”

“No, it's not! It's not as if we're in love, but I refuse to marry you because you're not black. Besides, how can that be a fair statement when even if I wanted to marry you, you wouldn't be interested?”

His nostrils flared and he released her hand. “Okay, maybe you have a point there.”

“Was Whoopie your only love?”

“No. A few years after college, I met this woman who was a dead ringer for Angela Bassett. Unfortunately, she was already spoken for.”

“Do you always fall for black women?”

“Yes.”

“Oh. Do you only date black women?”

“Yes.”

“Exclusively?”

“Yes.”

“Why?”

He arched a brow. “Because I prefer them. Why else would I date them?”

“I don't know.”

“I've always known what I wanted and I've always wanted to date black women. I'm from a long line of southern men who have always been predominately attracted to black women.”

“Your mother is ...?”

“Mom is a gorgeous, natural blonde with green eyes, which is probably why she couldn't hold my father's attention or affection for very long. He prefers black women too.”

“So you're like your father in that respect.”

“Somewhat, but unlike him, I have no intentions of marrying a white woman to please anyone.”

“No. You have no intentions of marrying a woman of any color, do you?”

“I don't think marriage is necessary to be happy.”

“What happens when you fall in love with a black woman who won’t settle for anything less than marriage?”

“I'll worry about that when and if it happens.”

“You don't think you'll fall in love?”

“I'd like to, but I haven't yet.”

“What do you have against marriage?”

He shrugged. “I haven't had a very good example. My parents are still married to each other, but they are both in long-term relationships with other people. I have a brother and sister as a result of those extramarital relationships. You've met Damien.”

“He's your half-brother?”

“Half-brother?” He shook his head. “We have a different mother, but he is my brother. Period. There's no half in our family. We're all one big, happy family. Hell, my parents live within miles of each other in Jamaica and the four of them have been known to go on vacation together.”

She blinked. “You mother and her ... partner and your father and his partner vacation together?”

He laughed. “Yes, no need to look so shocked. They’re all friendly with each other, but it’s not as if their swap partners or anything.”

“Oh. Well, that must make for ... interesting vacations.”

“Oh, it does.”

“Well ... you and Damien look so much alike when I first saw him, I thought he was you.”

“He's nine years younger than I am. Our sister is even younger. She and I have the same mother. My parents are very happy with their respective lovers, but feel no pressing need to get married. My father's been in love with Damien's mom for over thirty-one years. As far as I know, he's never strayed during that time.”

“And Damien's mom is content to have spent so much time with a man who's still married to another woman?”

“The last time I saw her, Velva looked very happy. My mother is happy in her relationship which has lasted over twenty years.”

“It sounds like your parents and their lovers have an ... ideal relationship.”

“They think so.”

She flashed him a brief smile she hoped hid her opinion of his parents' relationships. How could a woman in love be content in a long-term relationship with a man who didn't care enough to marry her?

“Never mind my parents.” He reached for her hand.

She slipped it into his.

“I'd rather talk about us.”

“Is there much to talk about? We have very different thoughts about love and marriage.”

He shrugged. “Maybe, but they don't have to be mutually exclusive. You believe you can marry without love and be content. I believe you can be happy without marriage.” He smiled. “We might need to file that information away for future use.”

Why bother?

“So. Darbi. Tell me about your parents and your siblings.”

“My parents were happily married for thirty years before my father died five years ago. I don't have any siblings.”

“Aren't you the lucky one?”

She shook her head. “I wish I did.”