Nydia anchored her arms under his shoulders. “That doesn’t count.”
“What does count, Nydia?”
“It’s not all about me, Lamar. What about your partners? I know you interact with them in the office, but how about socially? Do you take time to go out for drinks at the end of the week, or get together for family gatherings to celebrate a birthday or after you’re awarded a new construction project?”
“Not too often. But that will probably change once we begin dating.”
Nydia was totally confused with his statement. What did she have to do with his dearth of social life? “Why would you say that?”
“Because every time I get together with Kirk or Omar they invite a woman they want me to meet. It becomes very awkward, at least for me, because usually who they choose isn’t someone I’d want to go out with.”
“So you think if you take me as your date they’ll stop trying to hook you up with someone?”
“I know they will.”
She thought about his inference. Lamar had a point. If she did attend a social event with him, then perhaps his partners would believe that he was involved with a woman. “You helped me out, and now I’m going to return the favor. The next time they invite you to something I’d be happy to go along.”
“What if I hold something here?”
Nydia went completely still. “You mean you want to host a gathering here?”
Lamar’s face lit up like a child on Christmas morning. “Yes. It’s been a while since I’ve had folks over. The last time was a surprise birthday party for my mother’s sixty-fifth birthday.”
“When was that?”
“Last June.”
“You’re talking about a couple of months ago.”
“I know,” he admitted under his breath. “We held it here because my mother lives with my sister, and Petra said it was impossible to plan a surprise event without Mom getting wind of it, so I volunteered to have it here.” Lamar paused seemingly deep in thought. “Kendra’s birthday is at the end of October, and she hasn’t had a birthday party in years. What do you think of a birthday/Halloween theme party?”
Nydia thought of Halloween and how her parents forbade her to go treat-or-treating or accept candy or fruit from anyone because of stories about children finding needles and other dangerous objects. She did not know about Halloween traditions in New Orleans, but celebrating at home in a controlled environment was preferable to roaming the streets.
“I think it’s a good idea. Do you want it to be a surprise?”
“No. I’ll ask her who she wants to invite and have her give the invitations to her friends. Their parents will have to call me to confirm whether their children will attend. Halloween is on a Saturday this year, and I’m thinking about inviting some grown folks, too. The kids can party inside and the adults outside. What do you think?”
Nydia angled her head as she met Lamar’s eyes. They were filled with excitement. “I like the idea. Are you going to cater it or cook?” she teased.
“Believe it or not, I can grill steaks, burgers, and links.” There was a hint of pride in his voice.
“So you do cook.”
“I grill, Nydia.”
“Grillingiscooking, Lamar. Do you realize how difficult it is to grill the perfect medium-rare steak or a well-done burger? I don’t know how many times I’ve requested a well-done burger and get what looks like a charred hockey puck. So don’t be so self-deprecating, because you do cook.”
Lamar kissed her forehead. “Now that I’ve accepted that I can cook, I’m going to buy a smoker to go along with the gas grill.”
Nydia shook her head. “I think validating you as a cook has made you a little too cocky,” she said as she teased him again. “First you deny you can cook and now you want to become a pit master.” She eased out of his arms. “I’ll help you plan Kendra’s party; now please show me the rest of the house.”
She entered Lamar’s bedroom, and her first impression was it was wholly masculine. There wasn’t a hint of femininity. The colors of off-white and dark gray predominated. The room was spacious enough for a California king bed, triple dresser, chest-on-chest, and armoire, and she wondered if Lamar had had the room redecorated after losing his wife so not to remind him that she had been there.
A slight gasp slipped past her parted lips when she walked into Kendra’s bedroom. A queen-size, honey-toned, hand-painted sleigh bed caught her immediate attention. Delicate vintage white cotton, linen, and lace bed dressings were the epitome of girlishness. The gossamer bed skirt matched the floor-to-ceiling embroidered window drapes. Varying shades of white and green and the furnishings could easily transition from childhood to adulthood. A corner with a desk, laptop, printer, worktable, and bookcases served as Kendra’s bedroom-office. She noticed several photographs on the desk of Kendra at different ages and with a young beautiful woman Nydia knew had to be the girl’s mother. Dark and pale green pillows crowded a built-in window seat. She ran her fingers over the green-and-white checkered seat cushion.
“It’s a twin with a trundle that converts in a full bed,” Lamar said as he stood in the doorway.
“This bedroom should appear on the pages of a decorating magazine.”
