Читать книгу A Pleasing Temptation - Deborah Mello Fletcher - Страница 12
ОглавлениеWhen Kamaya googled Wesley Walters, 442,000 search results came up. There were twenty-five LinkedIn profiles and just as many Facebook pages. After eliminating an author, an artist, a doctor, a real estate agent and a host of personalities with the name Wesley Walters, she still hadn’t found the good-looking black man who’d piqued her curiosity. She blew a soft sigh as she settled back in her upholstered chair.
It had been a good long while since any man had captured her interest the way Wesley Walters had. And because he had her attention, she found herself wanting to vet him as completely as possible. She trusted his association with Paxton because she trusted her friend, but she instinctively knew there was more to the man than even Paxton knew.
As she powered down her computer there was a knock on her office door. She looked up just as Paxton pushed the entrance open and poked his head in. “Can we talk now?” he asked, eyeing her with an air of indignation.
She returned his look with a raised eyebrow. “Do I detect a hint of attitude?”
Paxton moved into the room, closing the door behind him. He dropped down into the empty seat in front of her desk. “No, you detect a boatload of attitude. What’s your problem?”
She crossed her arms over her chest. “My problem?”
“Yeah! You’ve been giving me the cold shoulder since I told you about me and Laney. What kind of shit is that? You’re supposed to be my friend. My best friend!” He tossed up his hands in frustration.
Kamaya shook her head. “You really have some nerve. You tell me you’re marrying that wildebeest and I’m suddenly supposed to change how I feel about her? Not saying anything is the best thing I could have done for you and our friendship.”
“Wildebeest? Really?”
“Really. Did you forget about her husband? Or does the fact that she has one not matter to you?”
“You know that’s only a technicality. She loves me.”
“She loves playing you and you enjoy letting her.”
“That’s low. Now you’re sounding like you’re bitter. And jealous!”
Kamaya blew a soft sigh. “Paxton, you and I go way back. And because we have a lot of history I’m going to pretend you didn’t just say that.” She shifted forward in her seat. “Laney is a witch. You know she’s a witch. Because I’m your best friend I can tell you she’s a witch. Now, if that moose ever does get her divorce, you can marry her if you want to, but I’m not going to lie to you about how I feel about it. When it blows up, I’ll be right here to help you pick up the pieces. And then I’m going to tell you I told you so. You’re making a mistake. A big one.”
“You are so cold!”
“I’m honest. I will always keep it one hundred with you.”
He shook his head. “You know you’re breaking my heart right now, right?”
“You should have let me have some time, but no, you had to push.”
“That’s what I do.”
“Then you shouldn’t get mad when I push back.”
He paused for a moment. “So, now what?
“Now nothing. When and if you actually marry that barracuda, I will be there as your friend. I’ll be your best man or best woman or whatever, throw you a banging bachelor party and then I’ll try to talk you out of it because that’s what a true friend would do!”
“Well, can you do one more thing for me?”
“What’s that?”
“Can you stop calling my girl names? Please? To hear you tell it she’s the star of her own animal kingdom!”
Kamaya shrugged. “Well, if the hoofs fit...”
Paxton rolled his eyes. “Really, Kamaya?”
“Tch!” She sucked her teeth, annoyance wafting over her expression. “Whatever. I promise I’ll try. Just keep her away from me until I stop feeling some kind of way.”
“I still think it’s jealousy. You were really hoping the two of us were going to hook up, weren’t you?’’
Kamaya narrowed the gaze she leveled in his direction. “Now I know you fell down and bumped your damn head!”
Paxton laughed. “You better be glad I still love you.”
“I love you, too!” She changed the subject. “So, tell me more about your friend Wesley.”
His eyes widened. “Wesley? What do you want to know?”
“What can you tell me?”
“He’s one of the good guys. He was at the top of our class in school. From a middle class working family. Put himself through school working fast food and blue collar jobs. Two and three at a time if I remember correctly. Personally, I always thought he was kind of country but it looks like he’s coming up in the world. I like him. I like him a lot. He’s not afraid to take risks even if they’re safe risks and I’ve always found him to be honest to a fault. No man should be that honest!”
“That’s it?”
“You need more?
She shrugged. “Is he married?”
“I don’t think so.”
“Gay?”
“That, I’m not sure about. Why? You interested?”
“I like to know who I’m doing business with. Vetting people is a necessary vice when you don’t want folks to know your business.”
“Which is why you need to come clean and stop pretending you’re selling cupcakes for a living. You’re no girl scout and they don’t give out honor badges in our field of work.”
“You handle your business your way. I’ll handle my business my way.”
“His friend Bryan was gushing over you.”
“What did he say?”
“What they all say about your assets.”
“And what did you say?”
“What I always say. I told him you were already in a relationship.”
Kamaya’s eyes widened. “Why would you do that? What if Wesley thinks that I really am?”
Paxton chuckled. Before he could give her a retort his cell phone rang, the device chiming from the inner pocket of his jacket. Kamaya watched as he pulled it from the compartment, his eyes lighting up as he answered the call.
“Hey, baby!”
She shook her head as she listened to his side of the conversation.
“No, sweetheart...I...It’s not like that...Of course, I love you...I’m on my way, I promise...Laney, don’t be...Please, darling...”
Kamaya rolled her eyes.
Paxton suddenly disconnected the call. “I need to cut this gab fest short.”
“Awww! Is Laney not happy?” she said, her tone sarcastic. “Does darling need her boo-boo bear?”
“You are mean! I bet when you were a kid you used to kick dogs, torture cats and bully the other girls.”
“You’re a fool.” She blew a heavy sigh. “I think I’m going to take the day tomorrow. Maybe work from home. I need to catch up on some things.”
Paxton nodded. “Just touch base with me when you can.”
Kamaya nodded. “I will,” she said, her gaze narrowing as his cell phone chimed once again.
He took a deep breath as he stole a quick glance down at the screen. “I’ll talk to you later,” he said, as he turned abruptly and rushed from the room.
As the door slammed behind him Kamaya sneered, her expression pained. Her best friend’s relationship with that woman was proving to be a continuous thorn in both their asses. It made no sense to her why he couldn’t see it. She was still shaking her head when she reached for her phone and scrolled through her contacts.
Seconds later, her sister answered the phone.
“Hey, Kamaya, what’s up?” Maitlyn answered.
“Are you busy?”
“I was just rocking Zayn to sleep.”
“I can call you back.”
“No, it’s no problem. Zakaria is reading Rose-Lynn her bedtime story and Zayn’s already dozed off. I just like to cuddle him as much as I can. When Zakar gets here, Zayn’s going to have to share mommy’s lap, so I want him to get all the me time he can while he’s still the little baby.”
“You’re naming the new baby Zakar! I like that!”
“It was Zakaria’s idea. You know how he is about his sons! I was leaning toward Aloysius.”
Kamaya laughed. “Aloysius Sayed? Really!”
“It has a ring to it.”
“If you want your son to grow up with psychological issues.”
Maitlyn laughed with her. “My baby would be just fine.”
“Zakar Sayed has a jazzier ring to it. Zak is right on this one.”
“I hate to admit it, but I know! Just don’t tell him I said that!”
Kamaya smiled. She instinctively knew her sister was leaning to kiss her son’s forehead, nuzzling her cheek against his little face. “You sound happy, Maitlyn.”
“I am. Though, I’ll be ecstatic in about six weeks when this baby comes. But that’s not what you called me for. What’s up?”
“I need Zak to run a background check on someone for me.”
“Ooh! This sounds serious. Who is he?”
“His name is Wesley Walters and he’s someone I just need to know more about.”
“So you’re running background checks on random men now?”
“There is absolutely nothing random about this man!”
“That sounds even more intriguing! Are you two dating?”
“We just met. We might be doing some business together and I just want to make sure he’s on the up and up.”
“So this is just a professional query?”
Kamaya shook her head, imagining the smug expression on her sister’s face. “Just find out everything that you can about him. Please. Professional and personal.”
Maitlyn laughed. “Send me what you have on him and I’ll see what Zakaria can do. Did you think about calling Mason or Kendrick? You know they both would have checked him out for you.”
