Читать книгу Just To Be with You - Sheryl Lister - Страница 11

Chapter 3

Since the band members wanted to have a late lunch, Terrence didn’t leave San Francisco until after five in the evening. He had planned to be home earlier so he could spend time with his grandparents. He’d been away for almost three weeks, and as the only family he had left, he missed them tremendously. His father passed away when Terrence was eighteen, but his mother had walked out of their lives when he was only eight. The old anger that came with the memory surfaced, but he pushed it down, preferring to reminisce on his weekend. Reaching into his pocket, he took out his phone, then pulled up the picture of him and Janae. In her heels, her head barely came to his shoulder; without them, she only reached the middle of his chest. But her petite body was stacked with womanly curves—curves his hands itched to trace.

“Nice picture, Monte. Who is she?” Malik, the band’s bassist, asked over his shoulder.

“Her name is Janae,” Terrence answered without looking up.

“Oh, yeah. She’s the woman we met backstage. I’ve never known you to let someone come back after a show.”

Before Terrence could answer, Lisa, the drummer and only female musician in the band, spoke up. “Get out of Monte’s business, Malik. You’re just mad it’s not you.”

A couple more of the band members started asking questions, and Donovan interrupted. “Hey, Monte. Can you come back here for a moment? I need you to look at something.”

“What do you need me to do?” Terrence asked, taking a seat in the area sectioned off in the rear of the aircraft set up for business.

“Nothing. I wanted to give you a little space for privacy.”

“Thanks, man.”

After several minutes, Donovan spoke again. “You like her a lot, don’t you, T?”

He stared down at the phone in his hand with their picture still on the screen. “Yeah. I do.”

“She seems like a nice person. Do you plan to talk to her or see her again?”

“Yeah. I need to figure out how to see her before our concerts on the East Coast.”

A slow grin curved Donovan’s mouth. “Absolutely amazing. Janae has done what no other woman has, and without trying. Women always try coming on to you, some almost to the point of stalking, but you never even notice. What is it about her? I mean, you’ve come across countless beautiful women.”

“She’s... There’s just something about her.” Terrence shifted his gaze toward the window. “She gets to me,” he said, remembering. Even now, thinking about her made his heart rate kick up. He hoped she and Karen had made it home safely.

* * *

Janae breezed through the school office Monday morning and spoke to the secretary before checking her mailbox. She glanced at the papers, stuck them in her bag, then went to make copies. She had more than half an hour before the students arrived, giving her time to prepare the art activity that would accompany their lesson. Despite her determination to get back to reality, her mind kept straying to her time with Terrence. Contrary to his promise to call, she knew he probably wouldn’t, and decided the time they spent together would go into her book of memories, to be pulled out time and time again.

“Hey, girl.”

Her head popped up when Karen came through the classroom door. “Morning. You just getting here?”

“No. I’ve been here for about an hour. I have some testing to do today, so I needed to get a lesson plan ready for my parent helper who’s coming in.” She came around the table to see what Janae was drawing. “Foil?”

Janae smiled. “Yep. It’s a fun activity, and the best part is that they don’t even know they’re working on their fine motor control.” She had drawn a flower using a black permanent marker and would have the students use colored permanent markers to fill in the spaces. When they finished, not only would they have a beautiful picture, they would have practiced staying within the lines—something to help with the control needed for writing.

Karen took a seat across from her. “Hmm. Maybe I need to have you do all my art projects. I don’t know how you come up with all this stuff. So, did you talk to Terrence last night?”

“No. I’m sure he had a lot to do when he got back. I didn’t really expect to hear from him.”

“Do you think you’ll see him anytime soon?”

“Probably not, but we didn’t really discuss any of that, Miss Nosy.”

“Well, did you guys at least exchange phone numbers?” she asked with exasperation.

“Yes, we did.”

“Finally, something right.”

“Don’t you have to get to your class?”

“Oh, I have a few more minutes to get in your business.”

“So, did you tell Andre about you ‘hanging out’ with a celebrity?”

Karen hopped up from the chair. “What happens in San Francisco...stays in San Francisco. See you later.”

Janae burst out laughing. “Girl, you are too crazy. Did you bring lunch?”

“Yeah. If you brought yours, we can eat in my room.”

“I did, so I’ll meet you later.”

After Karen’s departure, Janae’s mind drifted once again to Terrence. Alone, she admitted to herself that she did want to talk to him and see him again. In her mind, she recalled the rich, deep timbre of his voice and the effortlessly controlled movements of his body onstage. Automatically, her thoughts shifted to his kiss—how his mouth moved slowly but insistently over hers, and how his body felt pressed against hers. She shook herself mentally.

“Get it together, girl. That was a onetime thing—nothing more.” She rose from the table, returned the supplies to their respective places, then went to her desk to check emails.

She answered two from other teachers and one from a parent. Scrolling down, she read one from her brother Devin, and smiled. Four years her senior, he was the youngest of her three brothers and the one she was closest to. He wanted to let her know that he’d be by on Saturday, so she responded and exited her email as the bell rang. Her two paraeducators had yard duty and would escort the students to class. Janae made sure the visual schedules for two of her students with autism were posted on the wall near the door. The schedules helped them know what to expect throughout the day and minimized anxiety. Janae was grateful for her two assistants—their presence allowed the students to have core instruction conducted in small groups.

By the end of the day, Janae felt more than tired. Mondays were always harder for some of the students to get back into their school routine. She immediately changed into comfortable clothes when she got home, then went to sit on the terrace outside her bedroom. The late-May temperatures hovered in the mid-seventies, with a slight breeze. She inhaled deeply, feeling her body start to unwind after the long day. She leaned back on the lounger, closed her eyes and started to drift off.

She startled when her cell phone rang. Reaching blindly, she searched the small table next to her, picked it up and read the display. She jerked upright when she read Terrence Campbell. She let it ring a couple more times before she answered.

“Hello.”

“Hi, Janae. It’s Terrence.”

Was his voice this sexy before? “Hi. Did you make it back home okay?”

“Yes, although we didn’t leave until after five. How did your day go?”

“Hectic, but good. What about you?”

“Same as yours. I’m still at my office and will probably be here for at least three more hours,” he answered with a sigh.

Janae glanced at her watch and frowned. “It’s already close to five o’clock. That’s kind of late, isn’t it?”

“It is, but I have a lot to do. I miss you.”

Momentarily stunned silent, she sat holding the phone. He missed her? Didn’t they meet three days ago? How could he miss her without really knowing her?

“Janae, are you still there?”

“Huh? Oh, yes. I’m still here. I miss you, too,” she added softly. It might be crazy, but she did.

“What are you doing?”

“Sitting out on my terrace relaxing before I start dinner. Speaking of dinner, if you’re going to be working so late, when are you going to eat?”

“You sound like my grandmother. She always calls me when I’m on the road to make sure I’m eating. But to answer your question, I’ll have something ordered in.”

“Your grandmother sounds like a wonderful woman.”

“She is.”

Janae heard the deep affection in his voice. “It sounds like you love her a lot.”

“If it weren’t for her and my grandfather, I don’t know where I’d be.”

Janae sensed a story behind those words, one that held a certain degree of sadness. “So tell me about your middle name—Monte.”

“My grandfather is a huge fan of Negro League baseball, and his favorite player was Monte Irvin. Well, his actual name was Monford, but my dad liked Monte better, so they compromised, and that’s how I got my middle name.”

“Did your grandfather want you to become a baseball player?”

“No. He knows music has always been my passion. It’s been that way since I was a kid.”

“Well, I’m glad that music is your passion.” She laughed. “I like your music. You use real instruments, not to mention you have a great voice. There’s nothing like the sound created by the layering of those instruments, but they don’t overpower your voice.”

He cleared his throat. “Thank you. I’m glad you like it.”

“Aw, are you blushing?”

“Nah. Men don’t blush. Hang on a minute, Janae.” She heard muffled voices, and then he came back on the line. “I have to go.”

“Okay. It was nice talking to you, and don’t forget to eat.”

“I won’t. I enjoyed talking to you, too. I want to see you again...soon. We’ll talk about it next time. Bye, baby.”

“Bye, Terrence.”

Baby? Surely he didn’t mean anything by it, but her traitorous heart leaped just the same.

* * *

Terrence was still smiling when he hung up the phone. He glanced over to see Donovan’s smirk. “What?”

“Baby? You met her, what...two...three days ago, and now she’s your baby?”

Terrence picked up a folder and thrust it at Donovan. “Didn’t you need to talk to me about the upcoming schedule?”

Donovan snatched the folder and tossed it back on the desk. “That can wait. I want to talk about you and Ms. Simms.” He leaned back in the chair and stroked his chin. “Let’s see. I’ve known you since you were a dorky fifteen-year-old, and I don’t remember ever hearing you call any woman you were supposedly dating ‘baby.’”

“How do you know? You weren’t with me every second,” Terrence countered.

“I didn’t need to be, T. Even though you date, you always maintain this kind of distance. You treat women with respect and are very considerate, but I think they sense your inaccessibility. Think about it. Remember those women in Chicago, New York and Atlanta? One date, and you dropped them like a bad habit. Not to mention all the others—same thing. And, as far as public displays of affection, you’ve only been seen occasionally holding hands—maybe.” He leaned forward. “No kissing.”

Terrence frowned. “Damn, D. You need to get a life. Maybe you’re the one who needs a woman, or a hobby. And if you don’t have enough to do here, I can find something to keep you busy.”

Donovan merely smiled. “Oh, and all this smiling and laughing...you sure your system won’t go into shock?”

“You can be replaced, Donovan.”

Donovan’s laughter rang out in the office.

Long after his friend’s departure, Terrence sat thinking about Janae. Hearing her soft, sweet voice made all kinds of sensations swirl in the pit of his stomach. A strange reaction for him because, when it came to women, emotions were never a part of the equation. He had yet to figure out why this particular woman had him acting so out of character. And when he’d blurted out that he missed her... Terrence shut his eyes and cursed under his breath. Why had he said that? He had never missed a woman in his life other than his grandmother. He’d felt a moment of panic when Janae hadn’t responded, but he’d relaxed when she’d confessed to missing him, too.

Two days later, staring out of his office window, he still couldn’t get her off his mind. His secretary poked her head in to remind him of the staff meeting. He stood and headed for the conference room.

Terrence half listened to the updates from the different departments in his record company. Unlike the larger companies, he had a limited number of artists represented under his label and preferred to keep it that way. He was less interested in turning a quick profit by putting out several one-hit wonders and more concerned with developing an artist for longevity in the business. He wanted each person to feel as if he or she was an individual, instead of a product. His father had always stressed the importance of treating people with respect. Terrence could hear his voice as clearly as if his father was sitting right next to him. If you respect the people who work for you, they’ll respect you and work hard. Respect is earned, and remember that money isn’t always the most important thing.

Usually music and everything related to it filled his thoughts, but today something—rather, someone—else dominated the space in his brain. He’d sent Janae flowers and hoped she’d received them. He made a mental note to call her, then turned his attention back to his business manager’s report. At the conclusion of the meeting, everyone filtered out slowly, until only Donovan, Audrey, his business manager, and Brad, the company’s attorney, remained.

Terrence had met Audrey when they were paired up for a business class project in college, and she introduced him to Brad, whom she married right after graduation. They, along with Donovan, were part of his small circle of friends, and there wasn’t anything they wouldn’t do for each other.

“Are you okay, Terrence?” Audrey asked as she closed the door.

“Yeah, why?”

“I don’t know. You seem preoccupied, which is totally unlike you when it comes to business or music.”

“I’ve been wondering the same thing,” Brad added. “For the past couple of days, you’ve been acting strange. Did something happen when you were in the Bay Area?”

“Yeah, Terrence. Did something happen?” Donovan asked with a grin.

Audrey came back to the table. “You were there, Donovan. I thought the concert went off without a hitch and you guys took a couple of days to wind down.”

“We did,” Donovan confirmed with a smile.

Terrence glared at him. “I’m fine. Is there anything else?”

Audrey stared at him for a long moment. “What did you do in San Francisco, Terrence? I’m trying to get Brad to take me.”

“We hung out on the pier sightseeing and took one of the sunset cruises to the Golden Gate Bridge.”

“Ooh, that sounds romantic. Too bad you didn’t have someone to share it with.” She sighed wistfully.

Terrence didn’t comment, but noted the grin on Donovan’s face.

Audrey came around the table and placed her arms around Terrence. “It’s all right. You don’t have to tell me her name...yet.”

Terrence whirled around in his chair. “What? How did you...?”

She arched an eyebrow and smiled knowingly. “Women’s intuition, and you have the signs.”

“What signs?”

“I’m not telling my secrets.” She pulled out the chair next to Donovan and sat. “Okay, Mr. Wright, tell me all about her. Where did he meet her? What does she look like? Does she seem like a nice person? And please don’t tell me she’s one of those stalker groupies.” She shuddered.

Donovan chuckled and shook his head.

“What? I need to make sure she’s worthy of my little brother.”

They all laughed. She’d been calling Terrence her brother since their college days, and every time she introduced him as such, people stared in disbelief at the five-foot-eight-inch, blond-haired, blue-eyed beauty with the dazzling smile standing next to the tall, handsome chocolate-skinned man.

As Donovan began to speak, Terrence’s phone rang.

He quickly dug it out of his pocket, thinking something had happened to one of his grandparents. They were the only ones who called his personal cell during the day.

When he saw the display, his features softened. He stood and quickly left the room, not caring about the laughter he heard behind him.