Читать книгу The Way You Love Me - Donna Hill, Donna Hill - Страница 12

Chapter 5

For the next two weeks, Justin, true to his word, showed up at the Mercury Lounge at least three nights a week. Bailey quietly looked forward to seeing him, although she never told him as much. When he walked through the doors and took what had become his usual seat, all the lights came on in her world, and she sailed through the night.

On the evenings that Justin didn’t show up, Bailey experienced an incredible emptiness, a malaise almost as if she was lifting her feet in and out of mud.

Tonight was one of those nights. Every time the door swung open, her heart leaped only to stutter in her chest when it wasn’t him.

Bailey wiped down the bar top and began putting away bottles and stacking glasses for washing. Tonight made two nights in a row that Justin had not made an appearance.

He had probably gone back to his fancy life, which was fine with her. She was crazy to think that he was really interested in her beyond some casual conversation to pass the time.

* * *

Justin was in the thick of preparing a case for one of the partners where he would serve as second chair, but his thoughts kept drifting back to the night of the party and seeing Bailey. He’d wanted to see her again, but the past couple of weeks had been grueling with him clocking in twelve-hour days. But he knew that when he saw her again, he had to come right. And coming right meant dealing with the futility of his relationship with Jasmine DuBois. As if he’d talked her up, his phone rang and it was Jasmine.

“Justin Lawson.”

“Hey, sweetie.”

Justin put down his pen. “Hey, Jasmine. I’m really busy right now—”

“I know. That’s why I’m calling. You’ve been working nonstop, and don’t think for a moment that Daddy hasn’t noticed.”

Justin’s jaw tightened.

“Anyway, sweetie, I made reservations for dinner tonight. You deserve it, and it will give us a chance to talk about us.”

Justin ran his hand across his face. “Jazz, I told you before, we can only be friends...a serious relationship won’t work for us.”

“If you’re worried about what Daddy is going to say, I can handle him,” she said, oblivious to what was really being said to her.

If he ever doubted for a minute before that this relationship with Jasmine was a disaster in the making, all of his doubts vanished. Jasmine’s selfish single-mindedness was impenetrable. All she saw and all she wanted was whatever it took to satisfy her desires. The needs and aspirations of others never entered her radar. In the beginning, he felt that her superficiality was all for show, and that once they got to know each other, she would allow him to see the real her—a woman with some substance. He was still waiting. He wouldn’t wait any longer.

“What time are the reservations and where?”

Jasmine giddily gave him the information.

“I’ll meet you there.”

“Sure. See you at seven...” She giggled.

“I’ve got to go, Jazz.”

“Sure, sweetie. See you tonight.”

* * *

Justin arrived home and was surprised to see his eldest sister, LeeAnn, tinkering around in the kitchen.

“Lee!” He dropped his briefcase at the entrance to the kitchen. “What are you doing here?”

LeeAnn turned from peering into the fridge and beamed a smile of delight in seeing her brother. She shut the door and crossed the room. “Hi, baby bro.” She reached up and kissed his cheek. He held her hand.

“Long way from your new home in DC. Preston here, too?”

“He should be soon.”

Justin frowned. “Everything okay?”

“Actually, everything’s great. Desi and Dominique are going to come by also.”

“Desi and Dom? Okay, spill it. What’s really going on?” He leaned against the island counter.

LeeAnn drew in a breath. “Well, I wanted everyone here so that we’d only have to say it once, but I guess I can tell you if you swear you won’t say anything until the rest of the family gets here.”

He ran his finger across his lips in a zipper motion.

But before LeeAnn could say a word they heard the front door and the near identical voices of Desiree and Dominique in animated conversation.

“Hello, good people,” Dominique greeted as she entered the archway. She kissed her brother and sister.

“What’s all the secrecy, sis?” Desiree asked. She placed her purse on the counter and hugged LeeAnn then Justin.

“Yeah, spill the tea, girl,” Dominique said.

LeeAnn grinned. “Can we wait for my husband to get here?”

“Well, I don’t know about y’all, but I’m starving,” Dominique groused. She headed to the fridge and pulled the door open then plucked out an apple. “Are you at least fixing dinner, Lee, since you got us all over here?”

LeeAnn had always been the great cook of the family, and they’d all come to expect her to whip up one of her special dishes whenever she was home. Being the eldest girl, she’d all but taken over caring for her siblings after they’d lost their mother, Louisa, and they all still looked to her for all the things that a mother would do.

“I hadn’t planned to, but I suppose I could put something together.”

Justin checked his watch. Jasmine was expecting him in an hour. The evening was going to be tough enough. He didn’t want to add being late to the mix. But, family first. Jasmine would have to understand. “I need to make a call.” He excused himself and walked into the front room. He pulled out his phone and called Jasmine.

The phone barely rang before Jasmine picked up.

“Hello, Justin,” she said.

“Hi. Listen, something came up here at the house. I’m going to be late getting to you.”

Silence.

“Jazz?”

“Fine. What’s late?”

“I don’t know, but I’ll call you when I’m done here.”

“We have reservations,” she whined.

Justin’s jaw tightened. “I know that.”

He heard her blow an exasperated breath into the phone. “Well, we can cancel, and you can come here.”

That was the last thing he wanted to do, but he also had no intention of dragging out the inevitable. “Sure. I’ll see you as soon as I can.”

“I’ll make it worth your while,” she cooed.

“See you later.” He disconnected the call, stuck his phone back into his pocket and returned to the family gathered in the kitchen.

“Everything okay?” Dominique quietly asked while she sipped on a glass of wine.

“Yeah.” He reached for the bottle of wine and filled his own glass. Of his three sisters, it was Dominique that could always read him. There was a closeness between them that often rivaled the relationship between her and her twin, Desiree. Dominique was the wild one, or so most people thought. But underneath her diva exterior, she was insightful, caring and wise beyond her years. Meanwhile, it was Desi that had a passion for the dangerous world of race-car driving. When that little tidbit of information got to their father, he nearly imploded.

LeeAnn and Desiree were busy catching up and preparing dinner for the clan. Dominique slid her arm around her brother’s waist and peeked up at him above the rim of her glass. “What’s really going on?”

“With LeeAnn? I know what you know. Nada.” He gave a half grin.

“You know that’s not what I mean.” She gently nudged him in the side with her elbow. “What’s going on with you? I know that look.”

“You mean my strong jaw and charismatic smile.” He chuckled lightly and stroked his smooth chin.

“Don’t play with me.”

He blew out a breath. “Making some moves, that’s all.”

She arched a questioning brow. “That’s your final answer?”

He angled his body away from LeeAnn and Desiree to face Dominique. “Working out some things with Jasmine. She needs to understand where we stand.”

“How is that going to affect things at the office?”

He gave a half shrug. “We’ll see.”

“If it helps, I think you’re making the right decision. Jasmine is a woman for someone else. She’s all about Jasmine and getting ahead and latching on to name and money.” She clasped his upper biceps. “You have a vision, ambition and a commitment to society. I can’t see Jasmine ever being a part of that.”

Justin slowly nodded. “I agree. Don’t get me wrong. I care about her. Beneath all of the shine of her exterior, she’s trying to find her way. But she has been so spoiled by the life her parents have provided for her that she has no empathy for anyone who she believes has less than her. That’s a big problem for me. I tried to ignore it and hoped that it was just a facade, but it’s at the heart of who she is.” He slowly shook his head. “I know I’m not the one for her.”

“It’ll be fine. Was that who you were calling?”

“Yeah. We had reservations for dinner. I’d planned to talk to her at the restaurant. Unfortunately, I didn’t anticipate this...” He gave a slight tilt of his head toward his sisters.

“Hmm. So what are you going to do?”

“Meet at her place when we’re done here.”

“You know I got you covered if you need a ride-along,” she teased.

Justin chuckled. “Thanks, but no need. I’m good.”

“Well, I’m just a cell phone call away.” She winked and sauntered over to her sisters just as the doorbell rang.

LeeAnn wiped her hands on a paper towel. “That should be Preston.” She walked out and went to the front door.

“I hope so. Then we can get this party started,” Dominique said and refilled her glass of wine.

Moments later LeeAnn and Preston walked in arm in arm, with LeeAnn beaming at her husband like the day she married him.

“The gang’s all here,” Preston greeted, kissing the cheeks of his sisters-in-law and shaking Justin’s hand.

“Everyone but Rafe,” Desiree added.

“I’d hoped that he would be able to make it, but he has a gig in South Beach tonight at the Versace mansion,” LeeAnn said.

“He does get around,” Preston said with an air of admiration.

“All this small talk is nice, but will somebody please tell me what the hell is going on so we can eat?” Dominique said.

LeeAnn looked up at her husband, and he shared a “go ahead” nod.

“Well...we have news on a couple of fronts.” She drew in a breath and pushed out what they were waiting to hear. “We’re pregnant.”

“I knew it!” Desiree screeched.

“Congratulations, y’all,” Dominique added.

“Congrats, sis and you, too, Preston,” Justin joked.

They all shared hugs and kisses, and when the excitement died down to murmurs of happiness for the couple, LeeAnn took Preston’s hand. “There’s more.”

The room quieted.

“I was offered a position with the Department of State as Deputy Director of Environmental Policy Implementation,” Preston said.

A chorus of congratulations filled the air.

“Thanks. It’s something that I’ve always wanted to do, and serving in the Senate on the environmental committee paved the way.” He paused. “The position is in Kenya.”

“Kenya...as in Africa, Kenya?” Desiree asked, her voice rising in pitch.

“We leave in three weeks,” LeeAnn added.

Dominique put down her glass. “What? You’re moving to Kenya?”

“That’s a big move, brah,” Justin said. “You both ready for that?” He looked from one to the other.

“We are,” LeeAnn said.

“Hey, you have to do what you can to make a difference, and I know you will,” Justin said. He stepped to his brother-in-law and gave him a hearty hug. “Proud of you, man.”

“Thanks.”

“How long will you be gone?” Desiree asked, her voice cracking.

“At least a year. It could be extended. But for now, it’s a year.”

“What about the baby? You’re going to have the baby in Kenya?” Dominique asked, her dismay finally kicking in.

LeeAnn offered a tight smile. “Looks that way.”

“Dad is going to have a natural fit,” Desiree said.

“That’s why we wanted to tell you all first, get your support,” LeeAnn said. “You know Dad. He wants things his way, and he has Preston’s entire career mapped out.”

“You don’t really think that Dad doesn’t know, do you?” Justin said. “Nothing gets past him, and he’s right there in the mix in DC.”