Janae looked around to find the person calling her full name. Adam’s mother was standing on the other side of the condiments aisle.
Just what she needed, to be caught red-handed by the mother of the object of her lusty thoughts, in the midst of said lusty thoughts.
The guilty “Huh” spilled out of Janae’s mouth so fast, she could hear her own mother in her head reply, “If you can huh, you can hear.”
“Ah, Mrs. Henderson.” Janae recovered quickly, hoping the woman wouldn’t notice the hint of awkwardness in Janae’s voice. “What are you doing out so early this morning?”
The woman skillfully moved her cart in front of Janae’s so they wouldn’t block traffic in the aisle.
“Oh, just trying to beat the crowd. Besides, Adam has a bunch of running around to do for the reunion tonight. I didn’t want to make him late by making him drag me all over town to do my shopping.”
“Adam’s here with you?”
“Sure am.”
That familiar deep voice came from behind her, daring her to turn around and witness him in all his glory.
Adam didn’t wait for Janae to turn around. Before she could blink, he was standing beside his mother’s cart, easily placing a gallon of milk into it. He looked up at her, pinning her with a look that made her want to forget they were in the middle of a grocery store with his mother standing next to them.
He wore his locs loose today, long and flowing down his shoulders and back. He was casually dressed in a T-shirt and dark wash jeans with a dark brown cardigan that took the outfit from everyday casual to sexy professor. The herringbone chain around his neck was there again, dipping seductively beneath the white cotton material of his shirt, the perfect accessory to set off his tanned skin.
“Morning, Janae. It’s good to see you again.”
“Again?” Adam’s mother asked.
“Adam was kind enough to bring me dinner the other night when I got stuck at work.”
Adam’s mother patted his arm, her pride in him evident in her light brown eyes. “I’m glad my boy is using the home training I gave him.”
His mother turned to Janae again. “I hope if you’re out this early in the morning that means you’re going to the reunion too.”
“Ah, well,” Janae tried to reply. Unfortunately, Adam’s mother saw her pause as an opening to continue.
“Adam, if you had any sense, you’d be taking her. I don’t know how someone so pretty and accomplished has managed to stay unattached in this town.”
Janae’s eyes widened, and her jaw dropped. She wasn’t a woman who was easily surprised. She’d been in the trenches of critical care, she’d raised a child, and she had managed to survive a hypercritical mother and a manipulative spouse. Never had any of those scenarios or people ever caused her to lose her ability to speak.
Although her words were simple, the genuine warmth Mrs. Henderson wrapped around the description of Janae was something she’d never experienced before, not coming from an elder anyway.
“I would love to take her, Mama.”
His mother pulled her cart away and maneuvered it around to where Adam and Janae stood.
“Well, then, I’ll leave you to finalize the details. Come find me in the produce section when you’re done.”
And just like that, Janae was alone in the middle of the condiments aisle with Adam as a sly grin crept up his face.
“Don’t,” Janae muttered.
“Don’t what?” Adam replied as he stood in front of her. “No worries, Janae. I’m not going to ask you to go to the reunion with me.”
Okay, of all the things she thought he’d say, that certainly wasn’t it.
“Why the hell not?”
She chided herself that once again her brain to mouth ability was malfunctioning in the presence of this man.
“Because, you’ve spent the last few days avoiding me, following what I thought was a nice time together. I take that to mean you’re too afraid to be around me.”
