Slow Seduction (19 page)

“Damn, girl, you have one fine looking man there,” Charisma muttered, impressed with Clinton. “Isn’t he part of the Campbell Construction and Design Corporation?”

“Yes, he’s the president and True’s husband Hayward is the CEO.” Jenisha replied, smiling at her flirty friend. Charisma loved men. She didn’t care what their skin color was.

“I remember True’s wedding. Her husband is a nice looking man, too,” Charisma said, recalling Hayward’s Campbell’s dark good looks. “Hey does she know any other single, good looking men I can date,” she asked, tapping her fingernail against her cheek.

“You aren’t ready to settle down yet and you know it,” Jenisha teased, hugging her friend. “Hey, what happened to Ryan anyway?”

Charisma sat down on the couch and rolled her eyes. “That brother turned out to be a loser and a thief,” she hissed, still pissed at the memory. “I came home early a few weeks back and caught him stealing from me.”

“What?” Jenisha gasped, falling on the couch beside Charisma. She always thought of Ryan as a big time loser, but never a thief.

“I called the police and had him arrested, and I haven’t heard from him since,” Charisma said. “I can’t say that I miss him anyway. I don’t have time for a broke man. Why in the hell would I want to keep one that is stealing from me?”

“You knew you couldn’t build a secure relationship on someone you met at the video rental place,” Jenisha uttered, poking her friend in the shoulder. When would Charisma learn that she deserved a man better than the ones she was always dating?

“Okay, I have to admit I wasn’t looking for a husband when I stated dating Ryan,” Charisma mumbled. “I wanted a fun time, and Ryan gave me that. But, it wore off pretty quickly.”

“Charisma, you have to start making better choices in guys,” she pointed out. “I never thought I would meet a loving man like Clinton in my life, but look at me now.” Jenisha couldn’t stop the smile that spread across her face. “At first I didn’t want to date Clinton. However, I let my guard down with him and I’m so happy. He’s truly the best thing that has ever come into my life.”

Stretching her legs on the table in front of her, Charisma Miles fingers massaged her short, brownish-black hair while she listened half-heartedly to Jenisha’s perfect love life. She couldn’t stand having her long hair brushing her shoulders, so fifteen months ago, she cut it all off. She had gotten so many compliments over the last few weeks about her shorter hair. The style flattered her catlike slanted eyes and showed off her cocoa skin to perfection.

She wasn’t as tall Jenisha. However, she was proud of her five feet, five inches without heels, and she had the elegance of a taller woman. Charisma drew male attention from the grocery store to the gas station. Every man’s head turned when she walked into a room. The one accessory that she was never without was her choker necklace. Without a doubt, she had every style and variety available.

“Okay, Miss Matchmaker in training, do you know any single hot guys for me?” Charisma asked, kicking off her scandals.

Biting her bottom lip, Jenisha thought about it, but her mind came up blank. “No, I can’t think of anyone for you right at the moment.” Did she really know any man who could handle or deal with Charisma’s games? She couldn’t stop herself from wondering if Charisma was serious about having a real commitment this time or if it was just talk? Maybe it was only rebound sex on her mind?

“How are things at work? Are weird Mark and crazy Robin still there?” Charisma asked. “I should have never left that good job. I miss everyone so much, but it was a good decision.”

“I didn’t know you even knew about Robin,” Jenisha questioned, stunned.

“Yeah, I had to come back and get some files from Principal Kimball and I met her. She’s one strange woman,” Charisma said. She wondered if Robin playing with a full deck.

“Robin is still as weird as ever and Principal Kimball can’t stand me since I turned him down for a date.” A cold shiver spread over her as their faces flashed before her eyes.

“He asked you out?” Charisma gasped, wide-eyed from shock. “Wow, I’m happy that it wasn’t me. Principal Kimball is so bizarre with his actions and words.” She loved men, but she wouldn’t want Mark Kimball if she was dying from thirst and he was holding the last glass of water.

“See, that’s what I told Clinton, but he thinks Mark is still pissed that I turned him down for a date,” Jenisha commented as the smell of the food Clinton brought drifted toward them. “Let’s eat. I’m starving.” Unwinding her tall body off the couch, Jenisha headed toward the kitchen with Charisma behind her.

“Are you going to get married?” Charisma asked.

“I don’t know. My relationship with Clinton is still pretty new and I don’t want to rush things,” Jenisha answered. “I think he could be the one.” She grabbed plates out of the cabinet and placed them on the black glass table beside the delicious food Clinton left for them. “I know he loves me because he had told me several times that he does.”

Taking the lids off the variety of containers, she tossed them into the trashcan by the island. Popping a piece of lemon pepper chicken into her mouth, Jenisha munched on the yummy meat.

“If you do marry him, what would your parent’s think?” Charisma asked before placing several pieces of chicken onto her plate. “I remember you writing and telling me how you parents didn’t like Keith.”

Sitting down at the table, Charisma added a few pieces of stir-fry beef to her plate next to the chicken. She added some rice and vegetables to her plate and waited for Jenisha to join her at the table.

“Keith was a different story all together,” Jenisha sighed, sitting down at the table in front of Charisma. She honestly hadn’t thought about Keith in such a long time, especially since Clinton came to Los Angeles. He almost seemed like a dream. All the time she cried over her broken engagement was a blurred memory in the gray matter of her mind now.

“He wanted me to quit teaching and travel with him on the rodeo circuit. Keith wanted a pretty accessory on his arm. At the end of the day he realized I wasn’t going to be that person and the engagement ended.” Jenisha felt bad about lying to her friend, but she had to.

“I don’t know how you can talk about that jerk so calmly,” Charisma hissed, picking up her pepper chicken with her fork. “He left you standing at the altar.”

“If I keep on hating him it won’t make me a better person,” she said firmly. “Furthermore, harboring all that hate would keep my heart closed to Clinton’s love.

Pushing the food around on her plate, Jenisha tried to think of a way to make Charisma understand the swirling sensations Clinton brought to her life. “I feel I’m stronger because of Keith, not weaker.”

“Jenisha, I see why you’re a school teacher. What you just said was so beautiful,” Charisma sighed, rolling her eyes in the back of her head.

Picking a piece of chicken off her plate, Jenisha threw it at her friend. “I know you’re making fun of me,” she laughed as Charisma ducked at the piece of flying chicken.

“Alright, maybe I was a little,” Charisma grinned, a smile pulling at her pouty lips. She loved that Jenisha knew how to take a joke.

Jenisha and Charisma finished up their meal and talking about the past and wondering about the future. Fifteen minutes later Charisma left, promising to call or visit Jenisha at work soon.

Moving around her relaxing living room, Jenisha straighten up the magazines on glass table. A series of paintings hung from the walls around her, and for the first time in her thirty-two years, she was happy. Of course thoughts of having a baby were always present in her mind, but tonight she pushed it to the back of her mind.

As she reached to turn off the living room lights, she noticed a car pulling up in the driveway. Peeking out the front window, she spotted Clinton walking from his car toward her front door. Smiling, she fixed her hair and checked her reflection in the mirror, making sure she looked okay.

Jenisha rushed to the door and flung it open. “What are you doing back here at this time of night?” she whispered, glancing at the clock on the wall that flashed seven thirty. She leaned her shoulder against the doorframe and let her eyes drink in the sight of her attractive boyfriend.

“Hi,” Clinton whispered, moving to stand in front of her. She couldn’t get over how sexy he looked in his shirt and blue jeans.

“Hi, yourself,” she tossed back, sliding her fingers into the loop of her jeans. “Are you going to answer my question?”

Clinton looked past her into the house. “I thought maybe I could spend the night.” He stared back at her with such hope in his eyes.

“Hmmmm…..I don’t think so,” Jenisha replied, getting lost in Clinton’s green eyes. “I already have someone in my bed, and he doesn’t like to share me. He’s very warm, big, and very good at cuddling.” She confessed, tossing a quick glance over her shoulder toward her bedroom.

“What!” Clinton yelled. His emerald eyes glared down into Jenisha’s as he rushed into the house. “Where in the hell is the bastard hiding?” He took a quick glance toward her bedroom and started off in that direction. “Is he in your bedroom?”

Jenisha jumped in front of Clinton and placed her hands in the middle of his chest. “Baby, calm down I was just kidding. There isn’t another man here. I wouldn’t do that to you.” She swallowed down a laugh. Jenisha didn’t think Clinton would take her comment seriously.

Clinton’s eyes narrowed after he noticed the smile on her face. “You’re going to pay for that joke,” he growled. Reaching behind him, he locked the front door then walked toward her.

She raised her hands and backed away from him. “Clinton, don’t get crazy. Can’t you take a joke?” Jenisha asked teasingly.

“Precious, I can take a good joke like the next guy until it involves you with another man,” he mumbled, yanking his shirt over his head tossing it on the floor. “Who was I jealous of anyway?”

Clinton watched Jenisha’s nut brown eyes wandered over his chest. He liked the way they shined when they finally connected with his. “My teddy bear, Hunter, I’ve had him since I was five years old.”

Her eyes widened when Clinton continued to take off the remainder of his clothes inside her living room. He inched closer to her until her body was pressed against the wall. “How do you want to pay for that horrible prank?” Clinton breathed by her ear.

Jenisha couldn’t fight the shiver that raced down her spine. She linked her arms around Clinton’s wide shoulders and kissed the side of his mouth. “Anything you think of will be fine with me, good looking.” She giggled as Clinton swept her into his arms and carried her off to the bedroom.

“Your wish is my command.,” Clinton muttered as he walked into Jenisha’s bedroom, kicking the door shut with his foot.

Early the next morning Clinton munched on a piece of raisin toast and made his was back to Jenisha’s room. “Precious, you need to hurry up or we’re going to be late for work.” He paused in the long hallway then went back in the direction of the kitchen.

“I’m coming,” Jenisha yelled back at him on his way back.

He couldn’t believe how much Jenisha’s sweetness had smoothed out the rough edges of his personality. He wouldn’t have guessed that he would have found a woman who meant so much to him. His whole outlook on life changed the moment he gazed into her eyes across the room at True’s party.

A smile spread across his face as the thought of his spunky sister-in-law crossed his mind. She and his adorable nephews were the best part of his little brother’s life. For the past seven years his life consisted of working long hours and dating girls half his age. He never really had anything important to look forward to until now.

Hearing her footsteps coming down the hallway, he tossed the piece of half-eaten toast into the trash can and went to kiss his girlfriend good morning. He stopped dumbstruck in the room by the vision standing in front of him. Jenisha was already breathtaking, but now she looked more stunning than usual in her all white v-neck shirt and matching skirt.

The long spilt in the front showed off her long, toned legs to perfection and the three inch heels only enhanced his favorite part of her body. Her usually curly hair was blown straight and pinned into a loose bun at the back of her head.

“Why are you dressed up sexy for a Wednesday morning? Is there something going on I don’t know about?” Clinton questioned.

Jenisha looked at him from across the room. “I’m not going to work today. You know I’ve got that out of state conference,” she commented, rushing around the room.
Where in the world was her purse?
Clinton wrapped his hand around her arm then spun her around to face him.

“No, you didn’t tell me. How long will you be gone?”

She glanced up and saw the confusion on Clinton’s face. “It’s a seven day conference. It was scheduled the week before you came, but I was so sure I told you about it.”

“I don’t know if I can make it seven days without you,” Clinton complained, watching her drag her suitcase from the hallway. He stopped her and carried it the rest of the way. “Can I at least have the phone number to the hotel?’

“Baby, I’ll call you as soon as I check into the hotel.” She needed to get going or she’d miss her flight.”

Clinton didn’t want Jenisha to go without him. “Precious, give me ten minutes to make some phone calls and I can go with you.”

Picking up her purse off the couch, Jenisha slid it on her shoulder and faced him. “Clinton, I need my total focus on the trip because I’m the only teacher going from Bryant Elementary. If you come with me I wouldn’t be able to think about anything but you.”

He hated to admit it, but Jenisha was right. He didn’t want to be what came between her doing a good job for the school. He would just stay here and count the days until she came back to him.

“Can I drive you to the airport?” Clinton asked, pulling his car keys out of his pocket.

She shook her head. “No, I can drive myself to the airport and I don’t want to you to be late for work. We don’t need Principal Kimball on our cases. I’m surprised he hasn’t said something about us dating.”

“What we do outside the workplace isn’t any of his business. Principal Kimball doesn’t own either of us.” Clinton had a hard time keeping the anger out of his voice.

Jenisha kissed Clinton on the mouth. “Don’t let Mark get under your skin, and be good while I’m gone.” She moved away from Clinton, picked up her suitcase off the floor and went out the door, leaving him standing alone in the middle of the room.

An hour later, Clinton arrived at Bryant Elementary. He wandered through the empty hallway, still upset that Jenisha would be gone for an entire week. Turning the corner, he walked down the hallway to his make shift office and spotted Jim and Dave waiting for him by his office door.

“Hey, guys, what are you doing here so early?” He asked, digging the office keys out of his pocket.

“Since we didn’t get a chance to talk much last week we wanted to give you a report on how everything was going,” Jim replied, moving out of the way so he could unlock the door.

“Well come on in and have a seat,” Clinton said, pointing toward two chairs in front of his desk. He watched as Jim and Dave tried to get their tall frames comfortable in the small chairs. “I’m trying to get better ones.”

“Don’t worry about it,” Jim answered, twisting around in the uncomfortable chair again.

Shifting around in his seat, Dave interrupted the conversation. “We finally got those walls torn down and the floors taken up. I didn’t think Principal Kimball would ever sign the rest of the paperwork.” He stopped talking and took a big bite out of the banana in his hand. Dave swallowed down the food in his mouth and then continued. “He tried to give me problems until I told him how much another architect would charge.”

Dave finished off the rest of his banana and tossed the peel into the trash can by Clinton’s desk. A smile tugged at the corner of his mouth. “You should have seen how quickly he signed those order slip forms. After that he has been much more agreeable,” he smirked.
Guys like that really pissed him off.

Leaning back in his swivel chair, Clinton stared at the two best friends and employees he had known for the past five years. “Sounds like everything is moving along according to plan, and you know how much I love that.”

“How are things going with you? Still dating the sexy teacher?” Dave grinned.

Jim spun around in his chair then tossed Dave a hard look. “Don’t you know when to leave it alone?”

Clinton waved off it. “It’s alright. I don’t mind if he asks about Jenisha. I know she isn’t going to leave me for him. We’re doing wonderful. I couldn’t ask for a better woman in my life. What about you, Dave? Any sexy bombshells waiting for you back home?” he asked.

Dave raked one hair through his short hair. He couldn’t remember the last time he had a swim suit model on his arm. “No, I haven’t dated a woman like that in a while. I’ll be thirty-six in a couple of months and I’m tired of dating all fluff and no brains.”

He wanted a woman now that he could have an intellectual conversation with anytime the moment struck him. Over the last few years his interest in the same model type of female had shifted.

Stunned to hear those words come from Dave’s mouth, Clinton fell back in his chair and stared at his friend. He didn’t know what had gotten into in Dave. This wasn’t the man he knew that loved working out and having an Amazon model on his arm everyday of the week. Was this some kind of trick?

Coughing a couple of times to clear his throat, Jim said, “We thought you loved the leggy blonde types,” he said, pointing between Clinton and himself.

Dave didn’t know how to explain his change to Jim and Clinton, but they were right. His ideal woman used to be the slender, long-limbed girl with sun bleached blonde hair, but not anymore. “What can I say? Maybe in my old age I’m getting smarter?” He shrugged one of his large muscular shoulders.

Pulling a pen and pad from his desk, Clinton tossed them on top of his desk. “We need to bring the conversation back to the reconstruction.” He tried to listen as Jim and Dave told him what other supplies needed to be ordered, but his mind was on Jenisha and how much longer it was going to be before she called him.