The Acceptance
Page 28
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Tyler tapped his fingers on the table and the smile was back. “Maybe she could.”
“I’ll give you three months. But promise me I don’t have to do this next year.”
“If I don’t get fired you don’t have to help me next year.”
Now her eyes had lightened up and she sipped her coffee again. “Okay, good. So what are your thoughts on the event?”
~*~
Courtney closed her laptop and gave it a little pat. Tyler was going to either love what she’d done all day or be upset that she’d nosed her way into his aunt’s business.
Since ten o’clock that morning she had been on the phone with no less than a dozen women who now had secure jobs, good educations, and a healthy living environment because of Simone Keller’s Diamond Gift organization.
Four of the women had gone on to marry men who were active in their community and owned their own businesses. Another three of them had businesses of their own.
Courtney had always felt she’d accepted her fate fairly well. She’d adjusted, learned to deal with life in a new way at a young age, and she’d been told on more than one occasion that she’d helped someone else get through their trauma. But after having talked to the women she’d talked to today—she realized being blind was a cakewalk.
Sure, she couldn’t see the spring. Slippery sidewalks were her enemy. And it was very hard to run the path around the lake. But she’d done them. Never once in her life had she had a man beat her near to death and threaten her livelihood.
One woman had been stabbed four times and her child kidnapped by her ex-boyfriend. Now she lived in Washington D.C. and worked for better legislation against men like him.
It sent chills down Courtney’s arms as she stood from her desk and stretched.
Taking her phone from her pocket, she checked the time. In the masculine British voice she’d programmed, her phone let her know that it was nearly six o’clock. That meant Tyler would be here soon. He’d promised her bar-b-que tonight and now she was starving for it.
Courtney went through her closet and pulled out her favorite pair of black jeans and a crisp white shirt. Fitz had never been a man of fashion, but he dated well. His last girlfriend had taken her shopping and this was one of the outfits Missy had picked out.
She said it accentuated all the best parts classically. Courtney wasn’t sure about that, but she felt good in the outfit and that meant a lot. And, with the buttons in the front she was fairly sure she wouldn’t make the rare mistake of putting it on backward or inside out.
Once she was dressed she dabbed on a little Chanel No. 5, which Fitz had also bought for her, and ran a brush through her hair. The only makeup she kept on hand was some lip-gloss. She dabbed it onto her lips and made the pucker sound her mother had taught her.
The memory froze her in place. She’d been so hard on her mother for the past few weeks since they’d learned of Fitz’s death. They’d argued and each had said nasty things to the other. Guilt was coursing through her veins now. She’d thrown her paternity in her mother’s face and she hated when she did that. Everyone was due their mistakes. Even Courtney had had a few.
She heard the doorbell and she realized she needed to let go of the feelings she was having—for the moment anyway. There needed to be peace and acceptance between her and her mother. They were all they had now. There couldn’t be any resentment.
Courtney walked down the steps, remembering to turn the lights on when she reached the bottom one.
“Tyler?” she called out before she answered the door.
“It’s me.”
She unlocked the locks and pulled open the door.
“Wow!” he said and she figured Missy must have been right. “You look amazing. I mean you always do, but wow.”
“Thank you. I was hoping for that kind of reaction.”
There was no movement for a moment and he said nothing.
“Is everything okay?” she asked, worried that something had slipped by her and he was upset.
“I’m just taking you in.” Now he moved and he was quickly wrapping his arms around her and she around him. “I’ve thought of you all day. Is that crazy?”
“I hope not. I’ve done the same—thinking about you.”
She felt his mouth move against her temple, to her cheek, to her neck, and then press against her lips.
Courtney swayed against him, pulling him close. His tongue teased. His breath warmed. His hands moved down her back and over the curve of her bottom.
She felt the moan escape as she heard it with her own ears. There was going to have to be a time in this very fast paced relationship she was having, where she thought about what was to come next. She’d known Tyler Benson all of a week, but she knew she wanted his hands on her, his lips, his words.
His breath was heavy when he pulled back and rested his forehead against hers. “I guess I’m a little stirred up.”
“We’d better go then—before we forget we had plans.” She broke free from him and reached for her purse on the edge of the sofa. “I know this is bad etiquette, but do you mind if I take my laptop?”
“Are you going to do some work while we eat?”
“I did work, all day. And I want to show you.”
“That’s fine. Where is it? I can help you pack it up.”
When he offered his help she didn’t feel as though it was because she couldn’t. It was exhilarating to think a man just wanted to help.
“It’s on my desk in the corner. There is a small bag in the drawer next to it that I carry it in.”
She could hear him move to the desk and pack up the computer.
“I’m anxious to see what you’ve done.”
“You are?”
He stopped near her. “I’m trying real hard to make you understand that you’re very important to me. Not just you, but everything you are and everything you do. Am I failing?”
She swallowed hard. “I’m just getting use to this kind of attention, that’s all.”
“I have a lot more to give.”
Her breath was shaky again. What was going to make this man break and leave? She’d always need something—even though she thought she’d proved to herself she didn’t. Would he always be willing to be interested?
Chapter Sixteen
At the very moment the door opened and she stepped foot into Steve’s B-B-Q Pit and Beer she could smell the familiarity. The stale scent of beer, cooked steak, fresh cornbread, and peanuts. Dust lingered on the air from the thousands of garage sale decorations that adorned the walls. Hank rang out on the jukebox and the heavy perfume of the woman walking toward them made her smile.
“I’ll give you three months. But promise me I don’t have to do this next year.”
“If I don’t get fired you don’t have to help me next year.”
Now her eyes had lightened up and she sipped her coffee again. “Okay, good. So what are your thoughts on the event?”
~*~
Courtney closed her laptop and gave it a little pat. Tyler was going to either love what she’d done all day or be upset that she’d nosed her way into his aunt’s business.
Since ten o’clock that morning she had been on the phone with no less than a dozen women who now had secure jobs, good educations, and a healthy living environment because of Simone Keller’s Diamond Gift organization.
Four of the women had gone on to marry men who were active in their community and owned their own businesses. Another three of them had businesses of their own.
Courtney had always felt she’d accepted her fate fairly well. She’d adjusted, learned to deal with life in a new way at a young age, and she’d been told on more than one occasion that she’d helped someone else get through their trauma. But after having talked to the women she’d talked to today—she realized being blind was a cakewalk.
Sure, she couldn’t see the spring. Slippery sidewalks were her enemy. And it was very hard to run the path around the lake. But she’d done them. Never once in her life had she had a man beat her near to death and threaten her livelihood.
One woman had been stabbed four times and her child kidnapped by her ex-boyfriend. Now she lived in Washington D.C. and worked for better legislation against men like him.
It sent chills down Courtney’s arms as she stood from her desk and stretched.
Taking her phone from her pocket, she checked the time. In the masculine British voice she’d programmed, her phone let her know that it was nearly six o’clock. That meant Tyler would be here soon. He’d promised her bar-b-que tonight and now she was starving for it.
Courtney went through her closet and pulled out her favorite pair of black jeans and a crisp white shirt. Fitz had never been a man of fashion, but he dated well. His last girlfriend had taken her shopping and this was one of the outfits Missy had picked out.
She said it accentuated all the best parts classically. Courtney wasn’t sure about that, but she felt good in the outfit and that meant a lot. And, with the buttons in the front she was fairly sure she wouldn’t make the rare mistake of putting it on backward or inside out.
Once she was dressed she dabbed on a little Chanel No. 5, which Fitz had also bought for her, and ran a brush through her hair. The only makeup she kept on hand was some lip-gloss. She dabbed it onto her lips and made the pucker sound her mother had taught her.
The memory froze her in place. She’d been so hard on her mother for the past few weeks since they’d learned of Fitz’s death. They’d argued and each had said nasty things to the other. Guilt was coursing through her veins now. She’d thrown her paternity in her mother’s face and she hated when she did that. Everyone was due their mistakes. Even Courtney had had a few.
She heard the doorbell and she realized she needed to let go of the feelings she was having—for the moment anyway. There needed to be peace and acceptance between her and her mother. They were all they had now. There couldn’t be any resentment.
Courtney walked down the steps, remembering to turn the lights on when she reached the bottom one.
“Tyler?” she called out before she answered the door.
“It’s me.”
She unlocked the locks and pulled open the door.
“Wow!” he said and she figured Missy must have been right. “You look amazing. I mean you always do, but wow.”
“Thank you. I was hoping for that kind of reaction.”
There was no movement for a moment and he said nothing.
“Is everything okay?” she asked, worried that something had slipped by her and he was upset.
“I’m just taking you in.” Now he moved and he was quickly wrapping his arms around her and she around him. “I’ve thought of you all day. Is that crazy?”
“I hope not. I’ve done the same—thinking about you.”
She felt his mouth move against her temple, to her cheek, to her neck, and then press against her lips.
Courtney swayed against him, pulling him close. His tongue teased. His breath warmed. His hands moved down her back and over the curve of her bottom.
She felt the moan escape as she heard it with her own ears. There was going to have to be a time in this very fast paced relationship she was having, where she thought about what was to come next. She’d known Tyler Benson all of a week, but she knew she wanted his hands on her, his lips, his words.
His breath was heavy when he pulled back and rested his forehead against hers. “I guess I’m a little stirred up.”
“We’d better go then—before we forget we had plans.” She broke free from him and reached for her purse on the edge of the sofa. “I know this is bad etiquette, but do you mind if I take my laptop?”
“Are you going to do some work while we eat?”
“I did work, all day. And I want to show you.”
“That’s fine. Where is it? I can help you pack it up.”
When he offered his help she didn’t feel as though it was because she couldn’t. It was exhilarating to think a man just wanted to help.
“It’s on my desk in the corner. There is a small bag in the drawer next to it that I carry it in.”
She could hear him move to the desk and pack up the computer.
“I’m anxious to see what you’ve done.”
“You are?”
He stopped near her. “I’m trying real hard to make you understand that you’re very important to me. Not just you, but everything you are and everything you do. Am I failing?”
She swallowed hard. “I’m just getting use to this kind of attention, that’s all.”
“I have a lot more to give.”
Her breath was shaky again. What was going to make this man break and leave? She’d always need something—even though she thought she’d proved to herself she didn’t. Would he always be willing to be interested?
Chapter Sixteen
At the very moment the door opened and she stepped foot into Steve’s B-B-Q Pit and Beer she could smell the familiarity. The stale scent of beer, cooked steak, fresh cornbread, and peanuts. Dust lingered on the air from the thousands of garage sale decorations that adorned the walls. Hank rang out on the jukebox and the heavy perfume of the woman walking toward them made her smile.
