Lamar kissed her hair. “That sounds like a plan. Let me know where you want to eat dinner, and I’ll make the reservations.”
“Okay. Speaking of reservations, I’ve ordered tickets forThe Lion King.We have orchestra seats.”
“How much do I owe you?”
“Nothing, Lamar. It’s my Christmas gift for Kendra and my nieces.”
“But I told you I’d pay for them.”
“Let’s not fight over money, Lamar. It’s so gauche.”
“I’m not fighting with you, Nydia. You’re the one who’s not working, while you’re spending your money paying for a hotel suite.”
Shifting on the bench, Nydia gave him a lethal stare. She wondered if she’d been a man and a CPA he would have doubted her ability to handle her own finances. “What gives you the impression I’m not working?” Her eyes gave off angry green sparks. “I do have accounts I monitor remotely.” She wasn’t about to tell Lamar that she didn’t have to pay for her suite because Cameron had confided to her that he owned the Louis LaSalle. “And please don’t concern yourself about what I pay for my suite. And furthermore, I can assure you I won’t have to file for bankruptcy because I bought four tickets to a Broadway play.”
Rubbing her back in a comforting gesture, Lamar winked at Nydia. “I’m sorry, sweets, for questioning your ability.”
Her annoyance vanished with his apology as she blew him an air kiss. “I’ll forgive you as long as you don’t forget it.”
His eyebrows shot up. “That tongue of yours is going to get you in trouble one of these days.”
Nydia scrunched her pert nose. “How so?” she asked.
“You’re going to say something that will get you in so much trouble you won’t be able to extricate yourself.”
“I’m not worried about that, Lamar. If I get into trouble I can always count on you to rescue me. After all, you are my knight in shining armor. And I have a feeling that you like my sassiness, because you never know what you’re going to get.”
“You’re so right about that,” Lamar said in agreement. “And that’s what I like about you. I’m never bored whenever I’m with you.”
“I’ve been called a lot of things but never boring,” Nydia said, as Lamar stood up and went over to the bar.
Hannah tapped Nydia on her bare shoulder. “I had no idea Lamar spoke Spanish.”
She leaned closer to Hannah and whispered, “He’s a man of many talents.”
“I should say he is,” Hannah whispered back. “And you’ve succeeded where so many women have failed. The man is totally besotted with you.”
Nydia smiled. “Now that’s a word I’ve read about in romance novels.”
“That’s because your life has become a romance novel, where you and Lamar are the protagonists. You’re the heroine who moves from her hometown to start over after a failed relationship. She meets a handsome, devoted single father who is ready to share his life and future with her.”
Nydia’s smile faded as she shook her head. “You’re definitely getting ahead of yourself, Hannah. Lamar and I are just friends.”
“The question is how long will you remain friends? It’s as plain as the nose on your face that the man is falling in love with you.”
“How do you know that? Has he said anything to you about me?”
“I don’t know Lamar that well for him to confide in me. And to answer your question, he doesn’t have to say anything, Nydia. The man looks at you the same way St. John looked at me once we reunited at our high school reunion. And don’t forget Cameron and Jasmine.”
Nydia had to agree with Hannah. St. John had come to the DuPont House to pick Hannah up for their dance lesson, and only someone visually impaired would not have noticed the way he stared at her. And she felt Cameron staring at Jasmine at Hannah and St. John’s wedding reception was akin to a fixation. Nydia liked Lamar, and had admitted it to him, but she was reluctant to allow herself to fall in love with him.
When she’d fallen in love with the college instructor she was still young and impressionable. She was older, more sexually experienced when she slept with Danny, but it was for the wrong reason: loneliness. Now at thirty-three Nydia knew she was more mature, confident, and a lot more cautious than she’d been in the past, and if she did become involved with Lamar, then she knew she would have to guard her heart, because he was everything she’d wanted in a man and potential husband.
He returned with a glass filled with an amber liquid, and recaptured her attention when he rested a hand on her shoulder. “I’m sorry I didn’t ask, but can I get you something from the bar?”
“Another lemonade would be nice.” It was made with club soda instead of water, the carbonation adding fizz to the beverage.
She stared at Lamar as he made his way to the bar, a secret smile slightly parting her lips.He’s perfect, she thought. The two words summed up everything she thought about the man who unknowingly had allowed her to alter her stance about not dating for a year once she ended a relationship. She’d discovered he was firm and also affectionate with his daughter while sacrificing companionship because his sole focus was taking care of Kendra.
