Chapter Ten

Tasha

“Coming!” I yell from my bedroom to the front door. I assume it’s Jeremy right on time for our seven o’clock date. Unfortunately, I’m running a little late, having gotten sidetracked at the community center. Then I came home and wrote for hours. I rush for the door and open it wide. “Hey, sorry, but I was helping Coral at the community center. She had to hire a temporary director because she’s going on leave soon and I helped with organizing information for the new director. Then I came home and started writing. Then I got this really great inspiration from a scene for my cover, so I started sketching that out. And before I knew it, you were knocking on the door. And I know—”

“LaTasha, take a breath.” His facial expression is serious, but I detect laughter in his eyes.

Closing my eyes, I inhale deeply and exhale slowly. I blink and my eyes open. Now, I feel less unhinged by the warmth and laughter swimming in his eyes.

“Hello. How are you? May I come in?” He asks, but enters simultaneously, forcing me to take a few steps back. He closes the door behind him. “No need to fret. I’m a few minutes early.”

I look at the clock hanging on my living room wall and realize it is still ten to seven. “Oh.” I exhale, feeling slightly relieved that I wasn’t as late as I thought I was.

“I was in the area already and thought I’d be a few minutes early picking you up. Go finish whatever you were working on and feel free to pack it up to bring for the weekend.”

“Sure thing.” I start to head off before I stop abruptly, remembering my manners. “Did you want anything to drink while you wait?”

“A bottle of water would be fine.”

“Coming right up.” I retrieved the bottle of water and take it to him, before heading back to my bedroom to shut down and pack up my laptop and drawings to bring with me this weekend, along with my clothes of course. Since Jeremy already told me we’d be staying in tonight, I decided to wear a white flowing skirt that stops a couple of inches below my knees and a sky-blue button up top.

“Don’t forget to pack the Ben Wa balls!”

I almost drop my laptop when I hear him yell from the living room. Covering my mouth with my hand, I giggle out loud at the same time I retrace my steps and open the drawer where I keep the Ben Wa balls. Grinning I neatly tuck the box holding the balls into my overnight bag before doing a mental check to make sure I have everything else I’ll need over the next day and a half. Feeling satisfied, I turn off the light and exit my bedroom and re-enter the living room where Jeremy’s back is turned to me. He looks hunched over as if he is reading something on the coffee table.

“What’s this?” he asks as I step closer.

Shit! I mentally curse after I realize what he has in his hand. It’s the invitation to the National Book Awards Ceremony I’d received today and carelessly tossed on the coffee table. I accidentally left it exposed for Jeremy to see.

“That’s just some invitation to an awards ceremony. My agent constantly sends me those things.” I roll my eyes as if it’s no big deal. 

“You’re not attending?”

“No. It’s not until late October, and by then, Coral would’ve had the baby. So I want to be around to help her. Camille is always sending me these things.”

“Camille?”

“Yeah. She’s my agent.”

Jeremy finally looks up from the envelope with half of the letter sticking out. He stares at me. It may just be my imagination, but I could swear his eyes are a shade darker than normal. And it’s not that sexy eye change in hue that happens whenever he’s turned on. My heartbeat doubles and I hold my breath, wondering if he’s seen through my lies. After a few seconds of just staring, he finally takes one last swig from his bottle of water.

“Is this everything?” he asks, as he grabs my overnight bag from my shoulder.

“Yup.” I sigh in relief.

“Great. Let’s go.” He turns and heads toward the door, not bothering to wait for me.

I find that unusual as he’s usually so touchy-feely, but I brush it off. It is Friday evening. It’s probably been a long work week for him, I reason to myself. I shut the lights off and step out the door, making sure it’s locked behind me. As I turn, Jeremy places his arm at the small of my back.

“I like this skirt,” he says low in my ear, causing my panties to dampen.

See. He’s not upset.