“What other qualifications are they asking for?”
“I’m within the age range, and have more than three years’ professional experience. Of course I’d have to pass a security clearance background check and a physical.”
Jasmine stared at the framed watercolor of a Venetian palazzo overlooking a canal with moored gondolas. “You’re an independent woman with options as to where you want to take your future.”
Nydia leaned forward. “Why would you say it like that?”
Her dark-brown eyes met a shimmering clear-brown pair with glints of green and gold in a complexion that reminded Jasmine of frothy mocha icing. “All my life I’ve relied on men to take care of me. First there was my father, and then Gregory Carson, who was my first lover and mentor. Gregory was thirty years my senior and he gave me what I needed to become a much sought-after successful interior decorator. I met Raymond Rios after Gregory died and married him a year later. I probably still would be married to him if I hadn’t discovered he’d cheated on me. Now three years later it’s Cameron Singleton.”
“What’s so wrong with that, Jazz? So many women never experience a man’s protection. And after what you had to go through with Raymond, you’ve been given a second chance at love.”
Her eyelids fluttered. “I know, but I wanted to wait until after giving birth to marry Cameron.”
A rush of color suffused Nydia’s complexion, and she clenched her teeth. “Why? So you can become a baby mama? Do you have any idea how many women would love to change places with you? I know girls who’ve had wonderful relationships with their boyfriends until they mention the B word, and then their men act as if she’s come down with bubonic plague. Halfway through our second year my college roommate told me her boyfriend wanted her to have an abortion over the winter break because he claimed he couldn’t afford to take care of another child. That’s when she found out that he had two other kids and both his baby mamas had taken him to court for child support.”
Jasmine smothered a gasp. “Did she have the abortion?”
Nydia nodded. “It was either get rid of the baby or lose the man. A month after she had the procedure he broke up with her. Talk about a hot mess. She had an emotional breakdown and dropped out of school. When I called her parents’ home, they told me she’d moved to Arizona to live with her older sister. Now back to you, Miss Soon-to-be Mrs. Cameron Singleton. You probably think Cameron wants to marry you because you’re carrying his child, but didn’t you tell me he’s admitted to being in love with you?”
“He has, and I’m in love with him.”
“Then, what’s the problem? Has he said anything about you going into business with Hannah?”
“No. He couldn’t because I’d given Hannah my word and we’d finalized our business agreement even before I realized I was pregnant.”
“The man has allowed you to be an independent woman and control your life, something his father hadn’t permitted his mother. So, why are you being a drama queen? I didn’t come down here during the hottest month of the freaking year to listen to you talk about marrying Cameron after you push out his baby. I love you like a sister, but, so help me, Jazz, Iwillgo ape-shit and show my natural ass and end up on the local news if you don’t go through with this wedding.”
“You wouldn’t!” Jasmine whispered.
“Girl, please,” Nydia drawled. “There’s a crazy side to Nydia Stephanie Santiago you don’t ever want to see.” She snapped her fingers. “I can bring thefunkwith the best of them.”
“I didn’t say anything about not marrying Cameron. I was just saying—”
“Don’t say anything else, Jasmine,” Nydia interrupted. “Either it’s hormones or premarital jitters, but I’m going to help you get through this. I remember my sister-in-law’s mood swings when she was pregnant with her first child. She drove my brother crazy when she began calling him Nelson rather than Luis, which happens to be his middle name. We later discovered one of her exes was named Luis, and she did not want to relive her past, so to humor her we all started calling him Nelson.”
“What did he say to that?” Jasmine asked.
“My brother worships his wife, so she can do or say no wrong. Personally I think he goes along with her just to keep the peace. Being a cop is stressful enough without coming home to bitchin’ and moaning. His motto is: happy wife, happy life.”
Jasmine noticed Nydia’s eyelids drooping as she attempted to stay awake. She pushed to her feet, reached into the pocket of her dress, and placed two key cards on the coffee table. “I’m sitting here running off at the mouth when you need to rest after getting up before dawn. I’m going upstairs to my suite to take a nap before we get together later for dinner. I’ll meet you in the lobby at seven.”
Nydia stood. “Will Cameron be joining us?”
“I’m not sure. He’s scheduled an early dinner meeting with a client, and I’m not certain how long it will last.”
“Tell him I really appreciate his taking care of my travel arrangements.”
She nodded, smiling. “You can tell him yourself when you see him.” Turning, she walked to the door, opened it, and then closed it behind her. She’d wanted to tell Nydia that shewasexperiencing premarital jitters. That she’d committed to marrying a stranger—a man who had gotten her pregnant the first time they’d made love, despite using protection.
Jasmine had vacillated whether she wanted to marry before or after the birth of her child because she wanted Cameron to want her for his wife and not because she was carrying a Singleton. Openly admitting to Nydia that he loved her had helped her to acknowledge she’d made the right decision to marry the father of her unborn child at this time. Nydia said she loved her like a sister, and it was the same with her when it came to the gifted young accountant who’d graduated college with honors and passed the CPA exam on her first attempt; she could always count on her friend not to sugarcoat what she needed to hear. Not only had she asked Nydia to be her maid of honor, but she also planned to ask her to become godmother to her son or daughter.
Chapter 2
Nydia punched the elevator button for the lobby. She’d put off taking a nap until after she’d eaten the caprese, chicken salad and mixed greens with a balsamic dressing. She then set the alarm on her cell phone to wake her at five o’clock, which gave her time to unpack and take a bath. Relaxing in the garden tub and luxuriating in the feel of pulsing jets of water on her body for the next half hour had revived her to where she was ready to reconnect with her friends and enjoy the warm camaraderie they’d developed over the past year.
At thirty-three she was the youngest of the quartet, and there was a twenty-plus-year age difference between her, Tonya, and Hannah; however, at no time had she ever thought of them as mother figures. To her they were her older sisters. Nydia still marveled that she was able to hold her own when interacting with them, perhaps because she tended to say exactly what came to mind. Jasmine accused her of having no filter, but the truth was she detested duplicitous people. She preferred folks to speak their mind, even if she didn’t agree with them.
The elevator stopped at the lobby, the doors opened, and as soon as she exited the car she saw Tonya, Hannah, and Jasmine standing together near the table with the massive bouquet. Tonya spied her first and approached Nydia. It was apparent marriage had more than agreed with the professional chef. A light-blue sleeveless linen sheath dress flattered Tonya’s toned body, while her short, gray-flecked hair flattered a flawless dark complexion radiating good health. Twin dimples dotted her cheeks when she smiled.
