Wayward Dreams (14 page)

The sisters watched the dumbfounded man hand over a fistful of cash to his gleeful cohorts as he sat down, shaking his head.

“Poor thing. He's not used to losing.”

“Serves him right,” Bianca whispered.

“I
love
having a sister!” Julia squeezed her sister's fingers, her smile going from saucy and sexy to loving and fun. “I always wanted to do something like that with you.”

Maybe this night is going to work out, after all.
Liking the look in her sister's eyes and on her face, Bianca squeezed back.

“Did you see what they just did?” Kemi leaned over to nudge his brother. “They shot Brother Man down so fast, he never saw it coming.”

“Yeah, it had to hurt.”

“Well, yeah. But he should have known they weren't for him.”

Harry felt his stomach pitch and instinctively knew what was coming.

“They're here for us.” Kemi grinned. “Yours is the tall one.
Kachou fuugetsu
, as Mom would say.”

“Yeah. Right.”
Flower, bird, wind, moon—experience the beauties of nature and in so doing, learn about yourself. Guess the tall one qualifies as a beauty of nature—she's gorgeous.
“What did you say her name was?”

“Bianca. The one with the sassy smile is Julia, and she's with me.”

“Thanks—not that I mind.”

“Gratitude is a good thing.” Kemi stood so quickly that Harry had no choice but follow suit.

Seeing Kemi, Julia raised a hand and smiled. They crossed the room, with Julia leading, but it was the other one who drew Harry's eyes, and recognition ticked beneath his skin.

I know her…but from where? Kemi said she works for Kin Kura, but I've never met her there. Maybe I would know her voice—if we'd ever had a conversation…

“Harry, this is Julia.” Akemi beamed, kissing her cheek. “And this is Bianca.” He ushered her forward, and still kept an arm around Julia. “Ladies, this is my brother, Harry.”

“Hi, Harry,” Bianca said with a smile. Returning the smile and offering her a chair, Harry was grateful for his brother's intervention.

Sitting, Julia plopped her purse to the tabletop and waited until the men were seated. Then the CEO in her soul asserted itself. “Well, here we all are,” she said, her eyes pinpointing Harry. “I understand you've been out of the country for a while. And now you're back. Tell us about yourself.”

Harry leaned back in his chair, his face relaxed. “What would you like to know?”

“What do you do for fun?”

“A little golf, a little tennis, and I run.”

“A little,” Julia finished for him. “Bianca used to play tennis. Maybe you could help her with her game.”

“I'd like that.” Harry turned just in time to catch the glare Bianca directed toward her sister.

“Hear that, Bianca? He'd like that.” Pleased, Julia turned back to Harry. “How is it that a man like you is single and available?”

She probably would have said more, but for Bianca's sharp kick. Julia's breath whooshed out and wheezed in. She blinked and sat straighter when her sister's eyes nailed her.

Bianca stood and offered a brittle smile. “Excuse us, please.” Her tight nod tolerated no debate. “Julia?”

Rising slowly, Julia collected her purse and tried to keep her smile from breaking. “We'll be right back.”

Raised to have good manners, the brothers stood when the women did, then sat as they walked away.

Harry watched Bianca's back until she was out of view.
That woman has a walk like music—nothing but rhythm, all swing and sway. If I had ever met her, I would have remembered that walk. I know I would.

Akemi blew into his fist, then looked over at his brother. “So what do you make of that?”

“I think your lady had a lot to say, and now she's going to have to pay for it.”

“You think they're in there talking about us?”

“Women do go to the ladies' room for other reasons than to talk about men, you know.”

“At least, that's what they'd like for us to believe.”

“Kemi…” Harry raised a warning brow.

“Do you know her, recognize her from somewhere? You looked at her as if you knew her.”

“Not that I can recall.” Harry shrugged. “Should I?”

“Maybe you dreamed her up.” Akemi grinned. “A woman that good-looking should walk through a man's dreams on the regular.”

Harry drew a breath and then released it. “Bianca or Julia? Is either of them walking through
your
dreams?”

“Oh, no, you don't. This is about you, not me,” Kemi said, thinking the question was hilarious. “Have you seen some of the women who walk through my
real
life? I don't have to live for dreams.”

“Men like you never do,” Betty said, materializing at his shoulder. “I saw your friends come in. Are you ready to order?”

“I think we're going to do wings, fries, beer, and karaoke all around.”

Betty's pencil tapped Kemi's shoulder. “Those didn't look like hot wing girls to me.”

“Maybe it's the company they keep.”

Her eyes shifted to Harry, surprised he'd spoken. “Maybe,” she said slowly. “I'm gonna go get those wings.”

Betty was still swinging her hips across the room in unsubtle invitation when Bianca and a chastened Julia returned. An awkward haze of discomfiture hung between them as they seated themselves.

“We went ahead and ordered. Hope you ladies like wings, fries, and beer.”

“I love wings. Lemon pepper or hot?”

“Both, with fries.”

Bianca's eyes brightened and the tips of her fingers brushed Harry's arm. He felt the hairs rise at her nearness, and for just a second, he thought he saw fire in her gaze.
She felt it, too.

Betty had to make two trips to fully load the table. To her credit, she made an effort to be cheerful when she had to go back for catsup and hot sauce.

Bianca was enjoying the wings. “There was a time,” she said, carefully working the meat from a slender bone with greasy fingers, “I could have lived on these things.”

“That makes two of us,” Harry said, watching her drag fries through a puddle of catsup.
She even makes that look good.

Julia twisted her hips in her chair so she could look at Akemi. “I think it's working,” she whispered. “She gave me hell in the ladies' room.”

“Then we have to push them into the next step.” Akemi leaned closer, sliding his fingers into Julia's hair.

“What are you doing,” she hissed, raising her hand to his. “This is an act, remember?”

“And if it is to be believed, shouldn't we make it complete?”

Julia sighed and left her hand over his. “I know she likes him. She made me promise not to disgrace her any further.”

“Did you?” One of his fingers traced the back of the hand she rested on the table, and she nodded.

Bianca made an indelicate smacking sound when she sucked chicken from a small bone, and she froze. When her eyes came up, they met Harry's and he laughed, the sound solid and contagious. She covered her mouth with her napkin, and laughed with him.

When was the last time I sat in a room with a woman and laughed over something as stupid as a chicken bone?
Her eyes touched him, broke away, came back, and danced.
When is the last time I sat with a woman and laughed for the sheer joy of it?

Kemi and Julia watched and smiled.

Across the room, pale light bloomed on a small stage, then brightened to gold when a woman in orange plaid pedal pushers stepped forward, bringing a pair of microphones on tall stands to the center of the stage. She gave her knit top a tug and leaned close the microphones. “Testing,” she murmured, coolly. “Testing. One, two, three.” She waited for the man sitting in the shadows to move his hands across the sound board, then brought her mouth close to the microphones again. “Testing. One, two…”

The sudden screech of microphone feedback drowned Harry's voice out. Clapping her hands over her ears, Bianca dropped her napkin. As the sound faded, her hands came away to find the dropped napkin, and she leaned toward him, the soft light catching the creamy smoothness of her face and shoulders.

Harry pulled one of the karaoke menus across the table. “Looks like they're getting ready to sing. Take a look at the songs they have.”

Bianca leaned close and Harry felt the heady rush of her scent and her closeness.
Clean, soft. She smells like fresh air and…peaches?
She tipped her head to see better and her hair brushed his cheek.
Soft as a kitten.
Harry sniffed lightly and didn't care if she caught him at it.

She seemed not to notice as her finger traced lines of print. She hummed a line or two and nodded. “Some of these are really old songs.”

Akemi released Julia's hand and tapped at the menu. “I told Julia how good we are with old Motown, and she says she and Bianca have a lock on the Supremes. What do you think?” he asked Harry.

“Sounds like a challenge.”

“Well, my sister and I think you know what you can do with your challenge.” Julia's sneer was dainty, but definite. “If you really want to prove how good you really are, why don't you try singing with one of us, instead of with each other? Try a little Marvin Gaye and Tammi Terrell, or some Peaches and Herb?”

Kemi sat back and folded his arms. “My brother and I can knock them out of the park. Suggest a title.”

“How about
Take Your Tim
e
?”

“Al Green and Corinne Bailey Rae? Too new. How about something older? Something like
The Closer I Get To Yo
u
?”

“Roberta Flack and Donny Hathaway?” Kemi shook his head. “Too old-school, besides, nobody can touch the original. Nobody.”

“Not even you and your brother? Bianca can work that like a day job.”

I can what?
Why is Julia throwing me under the bus like this?

“We'll choose our own song.” Harry stood and offered Bianca his hand. Drawing her to her feet, he led her to the table where the karaoke mistress stood waiting.

“Score!” Kemi slapped a high five against Julia's raised palm.

“Are you sure?”

“You wouldn't have to ask if you knew my brother,” Kemi snickered.

“Can't wait till I can say that about my sister. She still thinks
we're
on a date—and if we're lucky, she'll continue to have no idea that you and I are not an item.”

Tilting his bottle in Bianca and Harry's direction, Kemi's satisfaction was evident. “They look good together, don't they?”

“Like they were meant to be together,” Julia agreed. “I don't think we should ever tell them that this get-together was for them, do you?”

“Agreed.”

Across the room, their bodies framed by shadow and stage light, Harry still held Bianca's hand and her body touched his at shoulder, and hip. Harry felt the shift when Bianca lifted her chin to glance up at him, and the corners of her lips curled. There was question and maybe a bit of an answer in the glance, but he needed more than just a clue.

“Something?” She looked away, but when her eyes came back to him, Harry felt the connection. “Are you going to let me in on the joke?”

“Joke,” she repeated, taking her hand from his and passing it beneath his arm, she leaned close. “This is no joke. This was good old-fashioned matchmaking.”

Harry looked back at their table.

She slapped at his arm. “No, don't look! They'll know we know,” she whispered.

Her arm tightened on his and he enjoyed a schoolboy's thrill when the soft warm curve of her breast pressed against him as they walked up to the karaoke table. “Is that a bad thing?”

Her fingers played along the muscles of his arm, suggesting seduction, but her eyes flashed a different message. “What do you think?”

“I think I'm glad my brother has good taste.”

“You just keep thinking those happy thoughts, all right?” She turned her attention to the song lists spread on the table in front of them. “How about this one?” Bianca pointed to “You're All I Need To Get By”, an oldie, but a goodie.

“Marvin and Tammi. I once heard they were in love when they recorded it.”

“Maybe not that one.” Bianca's fingers skimmed the listed titles. “Baby, Come to Me” caught her eye. “Patti Austin and James Ingram. Think we can make it sound as good as they did?”

“Not a doubt in my mind.” Harry brought his lips close to her ear. “But we had a bet.”

“I never bet anybody anything.”

“Your sister…”

“My sister has a big mouth. Harry, you do know this is not a real date, don't you? You don't know me from a can of paint, and no matter what my sister wants for me, her hanging on to my boss for a night and dragging you into it is not going to make a bit of difference to anything.”

“Are you sure about that?”

Bianca's hazel eyes snapped away. “Don't you know when you've been played?”

“I know enough to watch out for the players, even when I'm not sure what the game is.”

“Played like a radio.” Harry smiled and Bianca noticed the way the corners of his eyes crinkled.
Nice.
Determined to hold the line, she kept her face still and her body stiff.

His smile deepened. “So we've decided?
Baby, Come to M
e
?”

Bianca's eyes searched his face and found nothing to complain about. “You don't know me and you could leave right now, if you wanted to. Why are you letting this go on?”

Harry's shrug was irritatingly simple. “For the same reason you are. It got me out of the house.”

“You don't know anything about me, and I don't know anything about you. You might be an axe murderer, for all I know.”