“Don’t give me that damn look. You know I don’t date.” I stood.
“Yeah, I know that tired-ass excuse of yours.”
I glared at her. “It’s not tired, nor is it an excuse.”
“Who do you think you’re talking to? I know you inside and out, and I know that your ‘I don’t date’ain’t shit but an excuse to avoid getting your heart broken again.”
I held up my hand. “We’resonot getting into this right now.”
“Sure,” she shrugged. “But, I’m not the one avoiding any semblance of a dating life out of fear.”
“Yeah, you just date lame ass dudes who you don’t take seriously,” I retorted. If she was going to call me out, she damn well better expect a little bit of it in return.
“Nice try at deflection, but we’re not talking about me. Let’s talk about the man you’ve had a crush on since fourteen just asked you out.”
“I have not had a crush on that man since I was fourteen,” I defended.
More like since I was twelve.
She frowned. “Again, who do you think you’re talking to? This is Xavier Grant you’re talking about, right? Been your brother’s best friend since forever and the guy you’ve had googley eyes over since you first laid eyes on him? And you turned his invitation for a date down after your fast ass had the nerve to kiss him when he gave you a ride home. But you’re not making excuses, right?” She folded her arms across her chest.
“I knew I shouldn’t have said anything to you,” I mumbled as we exited the locker room.
“Like you could hide anything from me. Pssh.”
In spite of our argument, I laughed. Gabby was right. There wasn’t anything I could keep from her for too long. It's always been this way. We clicked from the very first day we’d met in our first law class. She’d made a comment about the professor’s hair and we cracked up. We’d been tight ever since, even when she opted to drop out of law school in pursuit of a different career.
The hour-long class went by in a flash, and we emerged sweaty and flushed with endorphins. After grabbing my bag from the locker room, I parted ways with Gabby in the parking lot for the fifteen-minute drive to my condo. On the way, I thought about what Gabby said. Was I using my no dating rule as an excuse?
There was something between Xavier and me, and to be honest, that scared the hell out of me. It had been a long time since I’d been in a serious relationship, and the only ones I’d had were enough to keep me from relationships for a very long time. Plus, it was true, dealing with clients who’d once proclaimed to love their partner for eternity only to end up in my office, sometimes battered and bruised, ready to throw in the towel, had jaded me.
Then, of course, there was my childhood, where the example of love and fidelity that I was supposed to be shown was a myth. If I was honest, I knew that my distrust of love and relationships began way before any of my fucked up adult relationships. And as I envisioned Xavier’s handsome face and deep brown eyes that somehow seemed to look through me, a chill ran down my spine. I knew that man had the power to make me fall deeper and harder than anyone before him. That thought only solidified my decision to stay far away from him.
Chapter Five
Chanel
I paced back and forth in the hallway in front of my office as I read the file in my hand. Pacing was a habit of mine when I needed to think. I found moving around helped. My mouth moved as I mumbled the words to myself. The spouse of one of my clients had received the divorce filing and was making things difficult. I’d had to do some legal research on the issue in the state of Texas to figure out my next move.
“Sir, I’m sorry, we don’t have any attorney here by that name,” I heard Liza say, a slight tinge of alarm in her voice.
That made me stop in my tracks. From her voice, it sounded like Liza was at her wit's end with whomever she was speaking to. The next second, I knew why. The male voice that began admonishing Liza was all too familiar. Without thinking, I moved to the outer office.
“Young lady, I know she is here. Her name is Chanel Combs. She works here. Now, if you could just call her and let her know I’m here to see her...”
I rounded the corner to see my father towering over Liza as she sat at her receptionist desk. The look he was giving her would intimidate even the most seasoned attorneys.
“Dad,” I interrupted. “What are you doing here?” I’m sure the look on my face was as confused as Liza’s was frazzled.
“See, I told you she worked here,” he chastised Liza.
“Sir, you asked for a Chanel Combs. This is Chanel Richards.” She looked up at me. “I had no idea you were using a maiden name.”
I swallowed as my father’s surprised gaze turned on me. “I’m not married, Liza,” I told her, avoiding my father’s stare.
“You go by Richards?” he asked in a voice that almost sounded wounded. If I didn’t know any better, I’d believe he was hurt by the fact that I chose to go by my mother’s maiden name instead of his.
“Excuse us, Liza.” I peered up at my father. “My office is down the hallway.” I turned, expecting him to follow me.
