Читать книгу Indiscriminate Attraction - Linda Hudson-Smith - Страница 11

All finished with the Holliday interview, which had gone off as smoothly as a summer breeze, Laylah pulled her car up in front of the shelter instead of parking in the lot, her normal routine. She had made it there right on time. Upon spotting Chancellor, she quickly blew the horn, regretting it the moment lots of heads turned her way. She couldn’t help smiling broadly as he made his way over to the car.

Chancellor opened the door and slid into the passenger’s seat with ease. He looked over at Laylah and smiled. “How’s your day been?”

As Laylah thought about how it had made her day to best March at his evil deeds, laughter trilled in her throat. “Beautiful! And yours?”

“Pretty darn good, considering. You ready for our little shopping trip?”

“I am. I know people who’d give up a limb or two for the chance to go to Home Depot to shop for plant-pest spray.”

Chancellor roared with laughter from deep inside his belly. “That’s funny.”

“I thought so,” Laylah remarked, trying hard not to sound too flirty.

Wondering if she was trying to be cute or cocky, Chancellor gave her a wry look. He liked her sense of humor, but he didn’t care for artificially overconfident women, hoping she wasn’t anything akin to those types. Too much confidence in folks was hard for him to take, period. He had never been arrogant; he thought of himself as both humble and compassionate. “Do you always toot your own horn like that?”

Laylah seemed baffled. “What do you mean?”

“Your comment after I said you were funny was kind of arrogant.”

The look in Laylah’s eyes was sincerely apologetic. “It wasn’t my intent to come off like that. You’re the first person who has ever called me arrogant.” Well, that’s not quite true, she mused, suddenly recalling March saying that about her a time or two. She really didn’t like being referred to as such. She was very confident but never haughty. She had been pompous with her boss on a few occasions, which she hated to admit.

As Laylah pulled into the parking lot of the Home Depot, she quickly glanced over at Chancellor. “I’m sorry if I offended you in some way.”

“You didn’t. And I’m not insulted. I think I simply read you wrong.”

“I’m happy you’ve changed your mind about me.” She turned off the ignition. “I guess we’d better go inside so I can get you back to the shelter in time.”

“Why do you even care whether I land a bed there or not?”

“I just do. I’d like to see everyone get one. It doesn’t make me happy to know that our country is the greatest superpower in the world, yet it lacks compassion.” Laylah sighed hard. “If you’re wondering if I’ve taken a special interest in you, I have. I’m attracted to you, Chancellor Kingston. I know that may seem ludicrous, but it’s true.”

“Is an attraction to me ludicrous? Or is it ludicrous to be attracted to a homeless man? Which one is it, Miss Versailles?”

Laylah could easily refuse to answer that question, but she thought it might make her seem shallow. She was anything but superficial. “I guess I could say both. There are people out there who would definitely think it’s ludicrous to be romantically attracted to a homeless guy. To be real honest with you, I feel as if I’ve been acting a little insane over my attraction for you. What do you think of it?”

Chancellor grinned. “I think I like having you attracted to me. Despite you not being homeless, the attraction is mutual. The truth is, I think you’re pretty hot. I guess a guy down on his luck shouldn’t even be thinking or saying something like that, huh?”

Laylah blushed fiercely, something she’d done a lot of since meeting Chancellor. “I’m truly flattered. Thanks for the return honesty. I appreciate it.”

“You’re welcome. Now that we both know we’re attracted to each other, how do you suggest we handle it?” He was very interested in hearing her response.

Laylah gave a resigned sigh. “Wish I’d asked you that question first.”

They both laughed, seemingly content to leave the question unanswered for now.

Feeling less foolish than she had before her confession, Laylah slipped out from under the steering wheel. That Chancellor was just as attracted to her made her feel much better. How they’d go about establishing any type of relationship was anyone’s guess. This wasn’t an everyday situation. Nor was it an ordinary boy-meets-girl scenario.

Woman meets homeless man and falls head over heels in love. Go figure…That would definitely be one exciting story to write. Laylah laughed inwardly.

Chancellor located the item he needed to treat the plants right away. The formula came in a spray and a powder. When he couldn’t make up his mind which one might work best, Laylah made it up for him by tossing both items into her shopping cart.

As they proceeded to the checkout line, Laylah spotted an eye-catching lighting display. Because she had been looking for a new chandelier for the dining area, she began to look at the various ones for sale. She gave a few oohs and aahs before she came upon the perfect one for her formal dining room. “What do you think of this chandelier?” she asked Chancellor. She didn’t know why, but his opinion mattered.

Stroking his chin, he pursed his lips. “Beautiful. Are you in the market for one?”

“Have been for quite a while.” She chewed on her lower lip, thinking about who she could get to install it for her. A bright smile lit up her eyes as she looked over at Chancellor. “Do your handyman skills include working with lighting fixtures?”

“You’re in luck.” Chancellor winked at her. “They do. I’m very experienced in electrical work. Looks like I’m getting lots of chances to earn my supper.”

That’s not all you’ll get to earn. She quickly chided her devilish wickedness. “When do you think you can hang it?”

He put his forefinger up to his right temple. “I’ll have to check my calendar first.”

“Okay. Just let me know when.”

Surprised that she hadn’t caught his attempt at light sarcasm, Chancellor chuckled. “Whenever you need me to do it is when I can get it done.”

She could surely run away with his statement. She had a lot he could do for her.

Chancellor then thought about the place he had once used for all his lighting needs. “If you can wait a little longer, I’d like to take you to a place specializing in light fixtures. Light Up Your World has every type of lighting you can imagine.”

“Hmm, I think I’ve heard of the company. Pretty swanky place if I recall correctly. I have the weekend off. Are you free to take me sometime tomorrow?”

“I’m free.” Without all these heavy burdens he carried around, Chancellor would one day be as free as a bird. One day soon everything would, hopefully, be resolved.

He couldn’t wait for the topsy-turvy things in his life to return to right side up. He wished Laylah hadn’t revealed her attraction to him, since the timing for him to get personally involved with someone was not the best. If everything was the way it used to be, he’d be happy to sweep her off her feet and carry her off into the sunset. He sensed that she deserved a real live hero to enhance her life, a knight in shining armor.

Right now, Chancellor just couldn’t fulfill Laylah’s romantic needs. There was too much unsavory stuff on his plate. However, once he got his life back on track—and if she was still available—she had better look out. He planned to be hot on her trail.

Laylah thought it was strange that Chancellor had asked to be dropped off a block away from the shelter, but she had obliged him. As she drove the short distance to her destination, she had a chance to briefly think about some of what had transpired between them. Whether she had intended to or not, she had totally changed the nature of their relationship. For better or worse, she didn’t know. She had every intention of finding out.

Only time would tell.

Serving meals to a few dozen patrons had gone off without a hitch. Some evenings at the shelter were much easier than others, but rarely were there any without a single incident. Laylah was so grateful for how smoothly things had run, because she felt extremely tired. A hot bath and a couple of hours of reading would help rejuvenate her. Then she recalled it was Friday night. Open mic was something she loved to indulge in and hardly ever missed attending.

As Laylah was a woman who loved to write poetry, she also enjoyed sharing her creative works with others. Seated in the audience and listening to other poets was also a real blast for her. The majority of the poetry was spoken to music and someone might even hum or trill during the performance.

Bella’s Café was cozy, pretty laid-back—and the rules of the establishment cited no particular dress code. Most everyone wore jeans, sweats and other comfortable attire, as well as casual footgear. It was so easy to meet people at the event. Folks acted as if they were all one big happy family, as if they’d known each other their entire lives.

The very old jukebox was a favorite fixture. Hot wings and French fries, personal-pan pizzas and a few other fast-food items could be ordered. The only alcoholic beverage served was wine, but lemonade, iced tea and water were also available for purchasing.

Laylah looked all around the room until she spotted Chancellor. Wondering if she should ask him if he wanted to go to Bella’s Café with her was at the forefront of her mind. She actually thought he might enjoy it. It might also help him relax.

Then again, Laylah really didn’t know what Chancellor might or might not enjoy. She wanted to find out everything about him, though. Suddenly she was fearful about her chances of really getting to know him. It still bothered her that he’d earlier asked to be let out of the car before reaching their destination. Had he been trying to protect her from rumor and innuendo? That was a possibility. However, it hadn’t been necessary.

She truly didn’t care what people thought of her. Nor did she care what they said about folks she chose to closely associate herself with. It then dawned on her that that might not be the entire truth. All she had done since meeting Chancellor was worry about how she’d present a homeless man to her family, wondering and worrying about what they might think of it and him. Her expression rapidly turned pensive. Perhaps she needed to reassess what she had honestly believed was her position on the matter.

Regardless of how troubled Laylah was by her recent revelations, she still wanted to ask Chancellor about accompanying her or meeting her at the café. She would love to have him tag along. Her desire alone, to have him in her company, was a good enough reason to invite him. There were no rules or laws against becoming friends or even lovers with the homeless. What did she want them to become? Friends? Or possibly lovers?

What was wrong with them becoming both? Laylah smiled gently.

It didn’t take Laylah long to decide what she’d wear to Bella’s Café. A pair of beige jeans and an autumn-orange low-cut top would make a perfect fit for the evening’s festivities. The outfit was as stimulating as the sultry poem she’d picked out to read. “Tonight” was an intimately suggestive poem she’d written out of loneliness.

Thrilled only partly described how she had felt when Chancellor had said he’d love to attend poetry night. However, he’d totally refused her offer to pick him up at the shelter, where he’d been fortunate enough to score a bed. Benjamin had told him if he wanted to do a few odd jobs around there on a regular basis, he could do so. There’d be no monetary payment, but he’d already be in place to get a bed assigned at sign-up time.

She had taken it upon herself to ask Benjamin to use discretion in telling Chancellor about the new and used clothing handed out at the shelter, but only after he had expressed dismay with the attire he’d have to wear to the event. She thought he may as well make good use of all the shelter had to offer. She was sure he needed all the help he could get, so that should make it okay. Laylah didn’t know how things had turned out, since she had left before Benjamin had had a chance to say anything to Chancellor.

If Chancellor showed up at Bella’s Café wearing other duds, then Laylah would know he had been okay with Benjamin’s clothing offer. She knew he’d gotten to her place on the bus. There was a bus that ran right out in front of the café and it ran pretty often. If it had stopped running by the time poetry night was over, she’d just drop him off. That is, if he allowed her to.

Most shelters didn’t permit folks to come and go after they had been assigned a bed, but Second Chances was different than most places. The patrons were grown folks and didn’t need baby-sitters. However, if they didn’t come back there to sleep that same night, they’d be penalized. Someone else could’ve slept in the unused bed. Because of that, the violator of the rule couldn’t sign up for another bed for five consecutive nights.

So far no one had run afoul of the very fair rule; at least as far as Laylah knew.

While Laylah nervously drummed her fingernails on the café table, she kept a vigilant eye on the front entry. She was due to go up onstage and recite her poem in a few minutes, but Chancellor hadn’t showed up yet. He had seemed sincere enough when he’d told her he’d come down to Bella’s later on just to support her.

Maybe Chancellor had been offended if Benjamin had indeed offered him other clothing to wear. He was smart enough to figure out she may’ve had something to do with it. Not wanting to tamper with his dignity, she prayed that it wasn’t the case.

Laylah had really been looking forward to him being there, more than he’d ever know. In the next instant, her name was called out by the emcee. She looked up at the stage and then back at the front entry before she quietly slid out of her seat. Slowly, hiding her bitter disappointment, she began what seemed like a never-ending walk.

Once up onstage, Laylah spoke to the band leader and the emcee, Michael Brady.

Michael stepped up to the microphone and removed it from its stand. “Laylah is hardly a stranger to Bella’s Café. She has delighted us numerous times. Let’s give our lovely sister a warm round of applause. She’s going to excite us with a poem entitled ‘Tonight,’ penned by her own creative hand. Laylah Versailles!”

Smiling, Michael handed Laylah the microphone. He then gave her a warm hug before stepping aside to allow her to take center stage.

Laylah greeted everyone in an enthusiastic manner, smiling sweetly, cheered on by the houseful of poetry buffs. She took one last glance at the front entry and then at the table she’d just vacated. It was still empty, as empty as she now felt inside.

“‘Tonight,’” Laylah breathed softly, looking out at the crowd.

“Tonight I’m going to fulfill your needs and all your wildest fantasies. My darling, just close your beautiful brown eyes, think only of me, while my hot hands work their sensual magic on your entire anatomy.

Tonight it’s every part of your delicious body I fully intend to taste, as the ride to ecstasy is accomplished at a deliciously slow and easy pace. Relax and imagine me all dressed up in the beauty of your nakedness.

Tonight I’m going to make it fantastic for you, so turn up on your side. If the sensations are more than you can bear, just ebb and flow with the tide, as I rub this hot, jasmine-scented oil all over your strong back and thighs.

Tonight as you shudder, tingle and squirm under my expert touch, I hear your body talking softly, telling me that it wants me so very much. It’s also telling me you’ve fallen madly into love, as well as deep into lust.

Tonight a single candle turns the shadows on the wall a magical blue. Can you feel my electrifying fingers running rampant all through you? Though your hands haven’t even touched me yet, I feel the electricity, too.

Tonight when I’m done, I can’t wait for you to return the favor in kind. By your reaction to the butterfly kisses I’m raining down against your spine, I can tell you’re ready to surrender, ready for me to completely blow your mind.

Tonight when it’s over, I’ll be exclusively yours, and you’ll be all mine. My darling, raise your head and take a sip of this sweet, aphrodisiac wine. Better yet, let me pour it all over you to taste it from your dark skin so fine.

Tonight is over and now it’s time for us to fall into a dream-filled sleep.

The evening’s been fulfilling, what’s between us has grown so deep.

For some, tonight may be just another insignificant time of the week.

For us, the burning memories of this delicious night are forever ours to keep.”

Waiting for the thunderous applause to die down, Laylah bowed at the waist numerous times. Just when she thought it was all over, everyone began standing up, continuing to applaud her. This was her very first standing ovation at Bella’s Café.

Unable to believe the avid response, Laylah felt overwhelmed as she stood stock-still. “Thank you for your undivided attention and your kind generosity,” she said into the microphone, though she knew no one could hear her. The loud clapping hadn’t stopped; her emotional response had just begun. Laylah discreetly wiped away her tears.

Seeming to appear out of nowhere, Chancellor was at the very edge of the stage, holding out his hand for Laylah to take. She didn’t know how long he’d been there or how much of her poem he’d heard; she was just beside herself with joy at seeing him. If he could hear her heartbeat, then he already knew it sounded like a runaway freight train. But she didn’t care if he heard it. All she cared about was that he’d kept his word.

There were several men who hadn’t kept their word to Laylah. And it felt darn good to have one man who’d had enough integrity to keep his. He hadn’t said when he’d get there; he’d just said he’d be there to support her. And so he was.

Laylah gently laid her delicate hand inside his. “Glad you could make it.”

“Wouldn’t have missed it for the world. You were great. Loved the poem.”

So, he had heard her, she thought, happy he’d gotten there in time.

Chancellor gave her hand a gentle squeeze as he led her to the back of the café, where she pointed out the dimly lit table she’d occupied before her performance. Once they were comfortably seated, he pulled out a thin wad of cash and showed it to her. “I got enough work today to be able to buy you a drink. Name your poison.”

Laylah would have ordered a ginger ale, but she somehow felt he might see through her desire to keep the check fees to a minimum. “White wine, please.”

Grinning broadly, Chancellor summoned the waitress.

Tracee, a waitress Laylah knew well, crossed the room to take their order.

“Two white wines, please,” he said to Tracee. “One with a twist of lime.”

“How did you know I like to drink my wine with a slice of citrus?” she asked.

Chancellor shrugged. “I didn’t. I just happen to take mine the same way.”

Laylah threw her head back and laughed. “I’m sure we’ll probably discover we have a lot more in common than taking our wine with lime.”

Chancellor winked at her, smiling suggestively. “I think you might be right.”

Tracee came back with their drink order and quickly took off again.

Laylah was hungry, but she hadn’t ordered any food because she didn’t want Chancellor to feel he had to pay for it. It would do her no good to wish she had eaten dinner before coming to the café. She hardly ever ate before performing. A host of butterflies normally resided in her stomach to keep her somewhat nauseated. Once she got offstage, though, she always immediately ordered a personal-pan pizza.

As though someone had read Laylah’s mind, Tracee showed back up at the table with two personal-pan pizzas and a basket of hot wings. Before Laylah could ask about the food, the waitress pointed out a man seated at the bar. His back was turned to them. “Compliments of that gentleman, Laylah. He said to tell you he thoroughly enjoyed your hot poem. He thinks you’re a great poet. He also said you’re hot, too,” she whispered.

“I guess I’ll have to thank him myself. Thank you for the food delivery, Tracee.”

“You’re welcome, girlfriend. Talk to you later. By the way, the poem was the bomb! Everyone in the house seemed to enjoy it. All the lovers in the house surely did.”

Laylah glowed all over. “Thanks again. Your nice comments are appreciated.”

“You are so welcome.” Without further comment, Tracee rushed off.

Laylah found it interesting that Chancellor hadn’t bothered to turn around to take a look at the man Tracee had pointed out to her. She believed a lot of men would’ve done so in an instant. They may have also felt threatened by a man sending a gift of food to their date, but she didn’t see this as such. It hadn’t seemed to bother Chancellor in the least.

Laylah was intrigued. His attitude was that of a very confident man.

Her attention was drawn to her generous benefactor as he slipped off the bar stool. When he turned around, her jaw dropped. Seeing March wasn’t a very pleasant experience. She had to wonder what he was doing there, since she’d never seen him in the café before tonight. No doubt it would be very interesting around the workplace on Monday. He would see to it. Laylah was certain of that.

March probably would try to keep Laylah from living this down, but he had no idea what she could or couldn’t live with. She wasn’t ashamed of her poetry or any of her other creative writings. She wouldn’t let him make her feel shame. If he thought he could break her down or embarrass her, the brother was in for one rude awakening.

Laylah pushed the basket of wings to the center of the table. “Would you like to help me eat some of the food? I’m sure one of these pizzas was ordered for you.”

“I doubt that. But since I’m a little hungry, I don’t mind helping you out. How often do you come here?” He took a slice of pizza and put it on one of the small plates the waitress had delivered along with the food.

“Practically every Friday night. The only time I don’t come to the poetry session is when I have to put in overtime at the office. This is a great place to hang out.”

“I like it here. It’s not loud and noisy like most clubs. The atmosphere is pretty laid-back. How long have you been writing poetry?”

Laylah rolled her eyes back. “Since I was a teenager, maybe even earlier than that. I love to write. I’m also a journalist. I work as a reporter for the L.A. Press.”

Chancellor hid his displeasure in her profession. He didn’t like reporters. His experiences with them hadn’t been very good ones. Arrogant, pushy, beyond nosy and downright rude was how he saw the majority of them. He had dealt mostly with the dreaded paparazzi, whom he felt were largely responsible for some of his more serious woes. The band of renegades had given his family a lot of grief over the years.

No matter what he personally thought of the unethical journalists he’d once encountered on a regular basis, he vowed not to let his bad feelings about them spill over onto Laylah, not without just cause. Why she was so interested in him had suddenly taken on new meaning. He quickly decided he needed to be wary of her just in case she had ulterior motives. Chancellor wished this kind of damper hadn’t been put on their evening. Perhaps he should make his exit right now, as opposed to much later.

Laylah restlessly flipped through the television cable channels until she came upon Sarafina, starring Whoopi Goldberg. The movie was set against antiapartheid riots. She had seen parts of the film before, but never in its entirety, and decided to watch it.

As much as Laylah wanted to watch the movie to hopefully take her mind off Chancellor, she couldn’t seem to concentrate. She didn’t know why things had suddenly gone wrong for them down at the café, but they had gotten terribly out of whack. He had begun to withdraw into himself right after she’d mentioned what she did for a living.

The communication between her and Chancellor had quickly become stifled and he had suddenly seemed overly guarded. Although he had said he’d help her out with eating the food, he hadn’t touched a bite more of anything once he had consumed the first slice of pizza. Minutes later he had said that he really had to go, adamantly refusing her offer of a ride back to the shelter.

What had transpired at the café had Laylah terribly worried, not to mention downright puzzled. Chancellor’s behavior had been odd and unexplainable. At this point, she didn’t know if she’d ever see him again. Just the thought of that happening had her feeling fearful and disheartened. She could get over her attraction to him if she had to, but that’s not at all what she wanted. If nothing else, she wanted his friendship.

She wanted him in her life—and she wanted him to stay there for a very long time. She hoped what had happened was just a freaky instance and that he’d come back around. They’d been so frank when admitting their attraction to each other. Now she just didn’t know what the future held for them.

Just in case he did decide to stick around, Laylah thought it might be in the best interest of their friendship to come up with a list of fun but inexpensive things for her and Chancellor to do together. She loved touring museums and visiting different parks all around the city. She also loved outdoor picnics and long drives outside the metropolis.

Although some entertainment venues had small entry fees, Laylah had loads of free passes she’d been given as gifts to thank her for her various community services. In fact, she had all sorts of freebie tickets to one venue or another. Tickets to sporting events were sent to her frequently. She also had quite a few free-meal coupons she’d acquired in pretty much the same way.

At any rate, Laylah knew she and Chancellor had to take their relationship extremely slow. He was reluctant to get involved with her even though he hadn’t said any such thing. It was just something she had sensed in him early on, more so this evening.

Because he couldn’t afford to pay for elaborate dates, she felt she had to be careful not to make him feel she required that of him in order to be happy. Spending money on her wasn’t something she had ever required of any man. She was very easy to please. Spending quality time and indulging in effective communication with her romantic interest was what she desired most out of her relationships.

Chancellor had been tossing and turning on the cramped cot ever since he’d first lain down. Thinking about what had happened at the café with Laylah still had him on edge. He not only felt sad about running out on her like that, he also felt horribly guilty. Reporters of any kind just made him downright nervous. Their intrusive presence in his life had left a lot to be desired. He couldn’t help wishing she hadn’t mentioned her profession. At any rate, it more than likely would have been mentioned sooner or later.

Chancellor sensed that Laylah desperately wanted to know all about his life, and how he’d gotten where he was, but he had figured out she was probably too polite to ask. Her not asking what she wanted to know about him was what worried him the most.

If Laylah didn’t feel comfortable asking him about his personal and professional life, she just might take it upon herself to snoop around in his private business to find out on her own. That’s what reporters often resorted to in getting their information. He recalled her point-blank inquiry of his surname.

The Kingston name was very well-known in the business world and was also well connected with elite social circles. Chancellor’s grandparents had worn their prestigious name with pride and honor.

To up and disappear on Laylah or continue to stick around was a difficult decision for Chancellor to make. The fact that he was so personally interested in her made it doubly hard on him. He already knew she was different from any other woman he’d ever dated. This woman knew exactly who she was, with her “take me as I am or just leave me alone” attitude. Laylah wasn’t about to change herself to fit into anyone’s mold.

Money and prestige obviously didn’t mean a darn thing to Laylah, not when she could consider getting romantically involved with a homeless man. She had made no bones whatsoever about her wild attraction to him. Her confession had been rather refreshing. Her down-to-earth and unassuming demeanor was a real turn-on for him.

A part of Chancellor wanted to stick around to enjoy the excitement Laylah brought to his life. Another part of him was telling him to hightail it out of Dodge before all hell broke loose. Judging by her actions, he wouldn’t be surprised if she already knew who he was. If she didn’t already know, once Laylah found out about the Kingston family background, it would more than likely be over for them anyway.