How much longer he could keep working for her, he didn’t know, but that was another aspect of his life he needed to sort out.The interview he’d attended came to nothing.The salary wasn’t competitive, and the workload sounded overwhelming, but he had several prospects lined up for the new year.Meantime, he still had amends to make.Major ones.
His heavy sigh coincided with his mother’s return to the table.“Is it okay to ask what’s on your mind?”
“Sure.”He pushed his chair back and rose.“There’s something I need to fix.Chelle, how much longer do you plan to be here?”
Twisting the end of her ponytail, she said, “Sometimes, I worry about you.I’m sure I said I’d be here all evening.We’re having a games night, remember?”
“I forgot.There’s something I need to do.”Running one hand down his chest, he said, “May I borrow your car?I should be back within an hour.”
Her eyes gleamed as she pointed toward the living room.“The keys are on the center table.”
On his way through the door, he grabbed them.Inside the SUV, he adjusted the seat and prayed he’d get to Lizette’s place and back without too much hassle.The last-minute shoppers always made the traffic thick as Christmas Eve drew closer.As expected, the lines of vehicles were everywhere, but the delay gave him time to unravel his thoughts.
When he stood outside Lizette’s door, he had a sudden rush of doubt.Did he know what he was doing?She’d have a thing or two to say to him after his hot and cold behavior.He rapped on the door and waited, but nothing happened.
Maybe she missed her flight, or it was delayed.He leaned sideways to peer through the frosted glass to the side of the door and caught a moving shadow.As his airways tightened, he knocked again.
“Who is it?”Lizette asked.
“Shomari.”
She stood on the other side as though undecided, while he prayed she wouldn’t walk away and refuse to speak with him.A full minute passed before she opened the door.
He let out his breath in a huff when she turned the handle.
“Yes?”
His gaze went from the hair piled on top of her head to the T-shirt and sweatpants.Her toes peeked out from under the wide legs.The scent of something fruity—a combination of cucumber and melon—told him she’d showered recently.He took it all in while she moved from one foot to the other.
“Don’t tell me you came over here to stare at me?”
“Uh, no.”He licked his lip, then asked, “May I come in?”
Stepping aside, she waved him past her.“Have a seat.”
He did, and she sat opposite him on a large bamboo sofa, chock-full of cushions.The tree that dominated one corner of her living room was as large as the one in her office.Her living room was neat, furnished with bamboo chairs, side tables, a stereo system, and a television tethered to one wall.His gaze strayed to the large paintings hanging on an adjacent wall.All three were seascapes, each a continuation of the other.They fascinated him the first time he visited, as they did now, but he forced his attention to her when she made a sound in her throat.
“How was your trip?”
She shrugged with one shoulder.“It was business.It went well.”
Now he was here, Shomari was tongue-tied and stared down at his clasped hands.“Um, about the last couple of weeks …”
She didn’t speak and waited as though she wasn’t the slightest bit interested in what he had to say.
“I wanted to apologize for the way I’ve been acting.I’ve shut you out when you were only trying to help.”He sighed.“I didn’t want to be a burden.”
Lizette held her silence while focusing somewhere over his shoulder.
He was drowning in doubt, but continued, “I didn’t want to unload all of my problems on you …”
She continued staring past him the way she would have if she were alone in the room.
Frustrated, Shomari shifted his feet and settled both elbows on his thighs.“What started all of this is that just before I came home, I found out everything I’d been working for was non-existent.”
He explained the situation with Christy and couldn’t help his sharp intake of breath when Lizette asked, “Why are you telling me this?”
Hands open, he said, “I figured that if I wanted a chance with you, I’d have to share the root cause of my … issues.”
