Loves Redemption (16 page)

Mark had been lifting the back hatch of his Expedition when he caught the question and

the subtle difference of inflection in Jordan’s voice.

He glanced around the hatch door as he lowered it back into place and answered.

“Learning more about one another, typical relationship things. You know.”

“I don’t know. We haven’t talked much lately. Want to go grab a drink at Hooligans?” he

asked with studied casualness, referring to their favorite sports bar.

It was a Wednesday night and although he and Maya hadn’t made any formal plans,

Mark had intended to call her as soon as he left the precinct. Over the course of their relationship he’d gotten into the habit of calling her first thing in the morning to start his day off right, he’d told her with a laugh.

Over the last few days, he hadn’t been able to reach her. He’d left several messages, but

she hadn’t returned his call. Today he and Jordan had worked early in the morning and he’d

missed calling her, and he’d left a message with Dalia for Maya to call him when she was free.

He tried not to think she was avoiding him. He’d planned to go by the House and see her as soon as he left the precinct. He glanced at his watch and thought he had enough time to grab a beer and still be able to go by Imani House for Maya.

“Man, if you and Maya have plans we can make it for some other time,” Jordan said with

studied casualness.

“No, we don’t have any plans. Tonight is her late night at the House. I’ll meet you at

Hooligans.”

On the drive to the bar, he made a call to Imani House in hopes of speaking with Maya.

His luck was with him when she picked up on her private line.

“Imani House, this is Dr. Richardson,” she answered on the second ring.

“Hey, sweetheart, it’s Mark. Remember me?” A smile of satisfaction crossed his face, in

automatic response to hearing her voice.

“Hey you, long time no hear,” she lightly teased back.

Mark breathed a sigh of relief. Although he’d picked up a slight hesitancy in her voice, at least she answered her phone.

They’d grown closer, and he was glad she found it easier to open up with him. He cared

about her feelings, and he tried to show her at every opportunity. He hoped she was starting to believe him when he told her he’d never felt as he did about her with anyone else. He just had to make sure she believed him.

“I told you about the FBI agent coming on board the investigation,” he began.

“He arrived?” she asked.

“Yes, we had our first conference with him and we’d like to have the two of you meet.

Whenever you have time in your schedule, I’ll arrange it.”

“If you can bring him to the House tomorrow, I’ll have some time.”

“That should be fine. I’ll check in the morning and let you know. Are you ready to wrap

up for the night? I worry about you driving home so late every night. I thought I’d come by to get you,” he turned the conversation away from the investigation.

“Actually I’m done with work for the night. I told you about our major fundraiser we’ve

had for the last two years? Well we’re doing it again, and I need to meet with Arlinda to start planning for it.” She mentioned the name of her college friend who donated the majority of the clothes for the show.

“Alright, baby. Jordan wants me to go and have a beer with him, and I’d plan to come by

afterward. I guess I’ll have to wait until tomorrow to see you.” Mark didn’t try and hide his disappointment.

“I would have liked to see you too,” she admitted. “You should go with Jordan and have

a beer. Where are the two of you going--to your house?”

He thought about saying yes because although Maya didn’t go out to bars she may have

heard of Hooligans, and he didn’t want her to get the wrong impression. It was a nice bar but had a reputation for being a meat market.

Deciding to compromise with the truth, he told her they were going to a sports bar,

without mentioning the name. “I’d better let you go. You be safe, okay? And call me when you get home.”

“Don’t worry about me, I’ll be fine. I’ll call you,” she promised.

After he hung up the phone, Mark shook his head in mock self-disgust, still amazed with

the depth of his growing feelings for her. And although she was affectionate toward him, he still wasn’t confident in how deep her feelings ran for him.

He hadn’t said the words
I love you
, but they were there; ready to spill. But he held back, frustrated as hell. He knew she wasn’t ready to hear them yet.

Maya hung up the phone with a smile lingering. Despite the doubts plaguing her, she’d

smiled more than she ever had in her life. The smile was still in place when her office door was slung open.

“Hey girlie! Ready to go out and have some fun?” Her flamboyant friend bounced into

Maya’s office.

Maya’s grin widened as she came around her desk to give her friend a hug. “What are

you talking about?” She released her friend and gathered her paperwork.

“Well I was thinking. When was the last time I bullied you into going out dancing with

me?” Arlinda asked with a gamine smile and a small shake of her hips.

Maya couldn’t help smiling, but Arlinda brought the smile out of most people. Her

infectious smile and positive personality drew men to her like a magnet. Neither did it hurt that she was beautiful, Maya thought.

Arlinda also had a mixed heritage, her mother was Puerto Rican, and her father was

African. That was where the similarities ended. She and Maya were polar opposites.

Maya was quiet and held her emotional cards close, and Arlinda was flamboyant and

outrageous. She would often laugh and joke, making light of life and love with the majority of her friends.

She once shared with Maya that most of the time she was Arlee. Arlee was the pretty girl

who laughed and joked and made ‘friends’ quickly. With women, she played the party girl who was always up for a fun time, with a flippant comment always at the ready. With men, she

played the sexy flirt who used her femininity as a shield to hide her intelligence and ability. In the end she shared with no one the complete Arlinda.

With Maya she was Arlinda. Arlinda was the real thing. She laughed and cried and

showed she was a woman who was sensitive, and often had her feelings hurt by the selfishness of others, like anyone else.

Arlinda respected the fact Maya didn’t party. But once in a while, she’d drag her out with

her and make her laugh and by the end of the night, Maya would have to admit she’d had a great time.

“Girl, I already
know
what you’re thinking. We’re supposed to start organizing and

taking care of business, and we will. I have a great idea for the show this year, and we can talk about it at this great sports bar I discovered last week, it’ll be fun. They have great music, cool atmosphere, and the men--ooh la la.” A broad grin split her pretty face. “Girl, the men are simply
too
fine. Umm. There ought to be a law against ’em! It’ll be fun. Come on,” Arlinda wheedled.

“Arlinda, I’m not dressed to go out anywhere,” Maya protested and laughed at the same

time, holding out the floral dress for her friend’s inspection.

“What? You fishing for a compliment? You look gorgeous; that dress looks great on you!

It really shows off your assets if you know what I mean. If you got it, flaunt it, right? It’s a great departure from you normal wear, girlfriend,” she teased her friend, as her glance stole over the short floral dress that was simple in design, yet complimented Maya’s full curves.

“Okay, it sounds like fun. Let me gather my stuff and I’ll follow you,” Maya finally

agreed, and Arlinda let out a whoop before the women left with Arlinda leading the way. Maya drove and followed Arlinda to the popular bar, located not too far away from Imani House.

“It sure is crowded for a Wednesday night, isn’t it?” Maya asked, after they’d been

forced to park a few blocks from the bar, as the parking lot was packed.

“No, this place is never short for customers, I hear. Each night of the week they feature

something different. You know, like karaoke, line dancing, live bands, and Salsa. Tonight is R&B night,” she answered.

“Arlinda, for somebody who recently discovered a place, you sure do know a lot about

it.” Maya laughed at her.

“Girl, I know. The party girl never stops. I honestly did discover it last week--for real,

Maya!” She laughed at Maya’s doubtful expression. “But I have been back a few times since,”

she admitted with a sheepish grin.

Once inside, Arlinda led them through the maze of patrons like a Seeing Eye dog would

for a blind woman. After they found a deserted table, they sat down on the high-backed stools. A waitress soon approached them with a large smile and took their drink order.

Maya looked around the bar. It was teaming with noise and activity. They’d lucked out

and landed a good table near the dance floor, giving them a bird’s eye view of the entire bar.

“So what is this new idea you have for the fundraiser?” Maya’s voice rose to compensate

for the loud music.

“I was thinking we could include a section for men’s fashion. I’ve been dedicating a

small section of the boutique to a new designer who features men’s clothes, and I thought we could include some of them in the show.” Arlinda spoke over the music, and Maya saw her

checking out a few men who’d caught her eye.

“That sounds great, tell me more,” Maya spoke over the music.

Sitting back with her drink in hand, Arlinda looked across the table at Maya with a slow

smile spreading across her face.

“What? What’s that look for?” Maya asked, noticing both the smile and the coy

expression on her friend’s face.

“Okay, I know we don’t get to see one another as often as I’d like to, but in the last

month I’ve seen you--girlfriend, you’ve changed.”

“What do you mean? How’ve I changed?”

“Can’t quite quantify it. Not really tangible or physical. Although I do like the dress,

much better than those damn jeans and granny dresses you normally sport. But seriously, I don’t quite know what it is, but…” Arlinda insisted, and tapped the end of her nose with her finger.

“And if I didn’t know better, I’d say it was because of a man.”

“Is that your stock answer? Why does the change have to be because of a man?” Maya

wasn’t sure if she should be offended or not.

“So you admit there’s something different going on? If it’s not a man, then what’s going

on? And don’t be offended, it’s a compliment. Maya you’re glowing, I swear to God!”

“I
have
been seeing someone,” Maya admitted. She rarely spoke to anyone about her

intimate feelings, and even with Arlinda she felt uncomfortable.

“I knew it!” Arlinda returned, before sobering, to put a semi-serious look on her face at

Maya’s scowl. “Sorry. Well go on--tell me all about it, and don’t leave out any juicy details,” she demanded, rubbing her hands together and grinning.

“I told you about the detective who’s been investigating Allison’s murderer?”

“Yes. How’s it going? I guess I should say, how are you doing?” Although it was obvious

Arlinda wanted to hear the ‘juicy parts,’ Maya knew her friend was concerned with how she’d been coping with the death of Allison.

“I’m doing a lot better. Mark is the major reason I’ve been able to handle it all. Arlinda, I think he cares, at least he acts as though he does” she said, with a slight catch in her voice.

“You sound hesitant, what’s up?” Arlinda asked bluntly when Maya paused.

“I don’t know,” Maya admitted with a sigh before continuing. “It seems too good to be

true sometimes, Arlinda. It’s like I’m constantly waiting for the other shoe to drop, you know?”

“Maya,” Arlinda paused on a long sigh.

“What? What is it? You obviously want to say something. You may as well get it out,

Arlinda.”

“Okay I’m gonna just say it. Stop with the sabotage.”

“What sabotage?” Maya asked as she took a sip of her drink.

“Maya girl, you know damn well what I’m talking about. Every time you have a potential

for happiness you do this. Admittedly, you rarely let a guy get close, but the few times you have, you find some reason to end it before giving it a chance.” Arlinda sat back and crossed her arms over her chest to stare at her friend.

One part of Maya admitted that what Arlinda said was true. The other part of her closed

herself off to the possibilities that what her friend was telling her was true. As she contemplated Arlinda’s words, she glanced across the room and made eye-contact with the man in question as he danced on the crowded dance floor with a tall blonde.

Mark wasted no time leaving the dance floor, his long stride catching up with Maya as

she ran to the women’s lounge and was opening the door.

As her arm was reaching out to open the door, his much longer one slammed it shut as he

nudged her down the wall. Crowding her body with his, Mark forced her into closer contact with him and captured her hands in his when she tried to push him away.

“Maya, sweetheart, it isn’t what I
know
you’re thinking.” When she looked blank, no expression on her face, he felt desperation claw its way through his gut.

She had twined herself so tightly around his heart, he felt a near physical ache from

looking at her. Everything about her he found intoxicating. The way she moved. Her funny

expressions. Her presence. Her intelligence. Her dedication to Imani House and the women who depended on her.

Everything.

The thought of her not believing him was intolerable. He tilted her chin back when she

wouldn’t make eye contact.

“Baby, don’t do this,” he pleaded. When she refused to make eye contact, he felt anger,