Читать книгу The Heat Between Us - Cheris Hodges - Страница 10

Chapter 2

Michael and Mimi were still sitting in her office when Brent called his wife. As she listened to Mimi cooing and laughing into the phone, Michael could only shake her head. But she had to admit, love looked really good on her friend. She couldn’t believe she’d ever thought that a narcissist like Nic was capable of making her feel like this. Get over it. Turning to her computer, she googled the lineup for the past New Orleans jazz fest and made notes of the artists who had performed there. She wanted to make sure they didn’t book the same people for the Atlanta event. Then an idea hit her. What if they used local bands? That would really give the Peach City its own thing. The food would have to be amazing as well. She then started searching some of the restaurants that Jamal had introduced her to that she enjoyed. As she thought about her dinner with him last week, she couldn’t help but laugh. They had been sitting on the patio at a new Peachtree Street eatery when a woman walked over to Jamal and threw a glass of water in his face.

She’d gone off on him for not returning her phone calls and proceeded to call him every name in the book. Then Jamal had dried his face with a napkin and stood up and handed her a dollar.

“Maybe this will help you buy a clue as to why I didn’t call.”

It had been funny to Michael, even as a part of her wondered if this was what it would be like dating a playboy like Jamal.

But they weren’t dating.

“What are you giggling about?” Mimi asked as she dropped her phone in her purse.

“Nothing as exciting as whatever Brent was saying to you.”

“He was reminding me that we shouldn’t be late for lunch.” The smile on her friend’s face told Michael that was not all he’d said. “Come on, MJ. Leave those files and let’s get moving. You know how traffic is around here.”

“Yeah. But you’re driving since you made me run this morning.”

“And we’re running tomorrow as well, so get ready for it.”

Michael groaned as she rose to her feet. “I never thought I’d say this, but I can’t wait for you to go back to New Orleans.”

“Whatever. You know you miss me when I’m not here. And luckily for you, once my travel series is over, I’ll be back in Atlanta full-time. That means we can run every morning.”

“No, ma’am.”

Mimi rose to her feet and told her friend that she and Brent would see her at the restaurant in about an hour. Before MJ could tell her friend goodbye, her phone rang.

Monday was actually turning into a busy day for her.

Finally, after she wrapped up her calls and reports for her clients about their marketing campaigns, it was time for lunch.

If it hadn’t been for the fact that Michael had been clamoring to try the new West End restaurant, Sunshine Café, she wouldn’t have agreed to be the third wheel on Brent and Mimi’s lunch date. She started to tell her friend not to become that married woman who was always trying to hook up her single friends.

Mimi and Brent were the perfect couple, in her opinion. He was the calm where Mimi was the storm and it worked for them. Her friendship with Jamal was a bit like that. The more time they spent together, the more she found things to really like about him.

The fact that he was a foodie and found the most off-the-beaten-path restaurants in the city always made her smile. She hoped that she could introduce him to a place for a change.

If only he wasn’t such a playboy...

Walking into the restaurant, she smiled when she saw Mimi waving for her. “Brent got held up on a case at work,” she said when Michael made it to the table. “This place seems really nice.”

“I know. I was hoping to tell Jamal about it, since he is always finding cool places for us to eat around the city.”

Mimi laughed. “Were you expecting him for lunch? Because here he comes.”

Michael turned toward the door and smiled when she saw him walking her way. Their eyes locked and Michael’s heart rate increased. Relax, she told herself.

Jamal Carver was a beautiful, yet rugged, man. His caramel-brown skin was smooth as silk and that goatee gave him the right mix of tough and sexy. His bedroom eyes gave hints of mystery and sex, and that brilliant smile just made her melt every time. Even if she tried to deny there was an attraction between them that went beyond friendship.

Then he had a body that seemed chiseled from mythological marble and wood, crafted by a sensual deity for pleasure and desire. But since she wasn’t the friends-with-benefits type, she kept her wanton thoughts under wraps.

“Hello, ladies,” he said when he reached the table, then leaned in and gave Michael a kiss on the cheek.

Mimi smiled. “Jamal, what are you doing here?”

“Thought I’d check this place out and I see that great minds think alike,” he said then winked at Michael as he took a seat across from her.

“And here I was hoping to scope it out and bring you someplace new for a change,” Michael replied.

“Have you all ordered yet?” Jamal asked.

“No, and I’m going to go,” Mimi said as she waved her phone, a peculiar gleam in her eye. “Brent wants me to meet him at the office.”

Jamal and Michael shared knowing glances. “Umm, huh,” Michael said. “I bet he doesn’t need you.”

“Anyway. You two enjoy—lunch, that is,” Mimi said as she rose to her feet and sauntered away.

“Were we set up or what?” Michael asked.

Jamal shrugged innocently. “I have no idea what you’re talking about. You know how I love new restaurants.”

“Sure you do,” she quipped. “How’s your Monday going?”

“It just got a thousand times better,” he said with a wink. Michael felt herself blush.

“Glad I could help,” she said. “Hopefully this place is as good as it smells.”

Jamal reached across the table and took her hand in his. “What are you doing tonight? I have something I want to show you.”

“What?”

“Why would I tell you now?” He stroked the back of her hand with his thumb. Shivers of delight attacked her spine as his fingers caressed her. It wasn’t as if he hadn’t held her hand before, but today felt different. She slipped her hand from underneath his, urging her heart to return to its normal pace.

“Because I hate surprises.”

“Too bad. About nine, meet me at my place.”

“Jamal, I... Okay.”

“Don’t get all excited on me,” he quipped.

“Oh, stop,” she said with a giggle.

A few moments later, a waitress appeared at the table to go over the day’s specials. Michael decided to go with the shrimp, chicken and grits, while Jamal was a bit more adventurous and chose a crawfish jambalaya pie.

“Wow,” Michael said. “Now, that was a bold choice.”

“Have to try it first to see if I don’t like it.”

She nodded in agreement. “But if you don’t, my grits are so off-limits.”

“Just selfish. But I’m sure this food is going to be amazing. If not, I have good company.”

“Flattery is not going to get you a spoonful of my grits,” she joked. Michael liked being with him—laughing was so easy. But she couldn’t and didn’t want to risk her heart again or get hurt. Jamal was everything that she knew wasn’t good for her. A playboy. Would he even want to settle down with one woman? Could he?

“MJ?” Jamal said, breaking into her thoughts.

“Yes?”

“Where did your mind go?”

“Work. A client who came in today wants to do a citywide jazz fest.”

“Mmm, that could be a logistics nightmare, depending on how many venues you plan to use.”

“Not when I know a dream team that can help.” Michael smiled. “First Line of Defense, perhaps.”

“I’d be happy to help, but I have to be honest with you. We had an incident over the weekend.”

“What happened?”

He told her about the shooting at the concert and how his team hadn’t been able to prevent it. “Ten years in business and nothing like this had ever happened.”

“People make mistakes, Jamal.”

“But this is bigger than a mistake. Someone died.”

“And that’s not your fault.”

“Wish I felt that way,” he said as the waitress made her way to the table with their food.

* * *

Jamal was silent until he and MJ took their first bite of food. Then they were singing the praises of the dishes and Jamal wasn’t thinking of last night’s tragedy. “These are the best grits I’ve ever had!”

Jamal nodded in agreement. “And the corn bread is tender and sweet. Reminds me of something else.”

She rolled her eyes. “And what would that be?”

“You.”

“Jamal, you probably say that to all of the girls.” Michael wiped her mouth with her napkin.

“Being that you’re the first girl I’ve eaten with here, you’re the only one who gets treated to this.”

“For now.”

“This is officially going to be our spot. It’s going to be MJ and Jamal’s, not the Sunshine Café. Should I carve our names in the table right now?”

She hid her grin as she shook her head. “You’re a mess.”

“And? If I was Joe Regular, you wouldn’t be here with me, now would you?”

She smiled and nodded. “You’re right. And that pie looks delicious.”

“It is.” Jamal held a fork full of his savory meal out to her. When Michael closed her lips around the fork, he was jealous. That fork had what he wanted. Michael’s lips and tongue. Then Michael moaned. He could make her moan like that. She just needed to give him the chance.

“So good.”

Jamal nodded. “Like I said, this is our spot. And for the record, I want points for sharing my food.”

She nodded. “Ten points for sharing your food. Only if the dessert is as good as the entrées.”

Jamal slowly allowed his eyes to roam over Michael’s lithe body. “Where does it all go?”

“What?”

“The food.”

“Burns off in the gym. You should join me for one of my morning workouts.”

Jamal laughed. “You’re not ready. Have you forgotten that I’m a marine?”

“Sounds like you’re challenging me and I’m always up for a challenge. You haven’t learned from that spades game at Brent’s place?”

“Yeah, but you won’t have your partner in crime Mimi this time. Name the time and the place.”

“Six a.m., Anytime Fitness in midtown.”

“Hope you like burpees.”

Michael rolled her eyes. “I’m the burpee queen. Hope you like losing.”

“Want to know a secret? Brent and I let you ladies win that day because he wanted to get in Mimi’s pants.”

“That’s bull and you know it. Brent was going to get into her pants win or lose. When you guys want a rematch, we’re not hard to find.”

Why did she have to say “hard”? Thinking about her in a pair of spandex shorts and a sports bra made him harder than a brick. “I hear you talking, beautiful. But this time we will show no mercy. Brent already has his woman.” And soon enough, I’m going to get mine.

“And just like Mimi, I don’t like to lose.” Michael winked at him then waved for the waitress.

“Yes, ma’am?” she asked as she approached the table.

“Do you have a dessert menu?”

“Of course. I’ll bring it right over to you.”

Michael looked at Jamal with a smile on her lips. “I hope they have chocolate cake.”

“With lots of icing.” He winked at her, and then his cell phone rang. When he saw Brent’s name, he started to ignore it, but he excused himself from the table and took the call.

* * *

Michael watched as Jamal walked away, talking on the phone. Part of her wondered if it was one of his women. This is stupid. If I can’t trust him, why am I here?

The waitress returned to the table and handed her a menu. “Is that your man? Because, girl, you are lucky.”

“Oh, we’re just friends.”

The waitress’s mouth dropped open. “Does he know that?”

“Well aware. Question—do you guys have a chocolate cake?”

She nodded excitedly. “And it is very good. Moist, and the icing is homemade.”

“I need two big slices.”

The waitress nodded and smiled as Jamal walked back toward the table. “He has the hots for you,” she whispered to Michael. “You better take advantage of it before I do.”

Michael offered her a mock salute. “I’ll take that under advisement.”

Jamal sat down and placed his hand on top of Michael’s. “Sorry about that.”

“No worries.”

“That was Brent. He had news for me about the shooting this past weekend. So far, it looks as if we have a legal standing if lawsuits start piling up because the promoter should’ve...”

Michael threw her hand up. “You don’t have to explain anything to me. You get phone calls.”

Jamal shook his head then polished off the last of his pie. “Did you find anything you liked on the dessert menu?”

“Oh, yeah. I think it’s coming our way right now.” She nodded toward the waitress.

“That’s some good-looking cake,” he said as the waitress set the hunking slices on the table.

“Just wait until you taste it.” The waitress gave Jamal a wink and Michael felt a twinge of jealousy. Was this woman really flirting with him in front of her face? But then again, she’d just told her that she and Jamal were only friends.

“You wouldn’t happen to have any milk, would you?” Michael asked, wanting to send her away.

“Soy, almond or regular?”

“Definitely almond with a side of ice.”

The waitress turned to Jamal. “Can I get you some milk as well?”

“No, just some water.” When the waitress left, Jamal took a glance at Michael as she took a big bite of her cake slice. “I know you aren’t going to eat all of that.”

She stuffed it in her mouth and smiled. “Mmm.”

Jamal followed her lead and took a big bite of the cake as well. It was good, but when he saw a drop of chocolate on Michael’s bottom lip, he didn’t care about how the cake tasted because he wanted to taste her.

“What?”

Jamal leaned forward and wiped the chocolate from her lip with his thumb. “Just a drop of chocolate on your face.”