A Case for Romance

Her face had changed into a rigid mask bearing a stiff and very phony smile. “I can’t help you there. I didn’t go through all of that with my boys. I adopted Alec when he was four and Cameron was six, so I got to miss all the fun of carrying a baby I loved from inception to delivery. I’m, um, going to go see what they’re up to. See you later,” she added hurriedly as she dashed down the stairs.

Johnny looked helplessly at Billie, who was staring at him with great exasperation. “You have a big mouth, you know that?” she said.

“How was I supposed to know I was saying something stupid? You never know when you’ve said something stupid until it’s out there and you’ve made a daggone fool out of yourself,” he said gruffly. “You could have given me a heads-up. You know I like her, and this is the first time we’ve had a chance to get together.”

Billie didn’t have time to ponder this revelation because Johnny was still talking. “Besides, those kids look just like her. How come they look like triplets if they’re not hers?”

Billie sighed and put her hand on her brother’s arm. “Because they’re related by blood. Those boys are her sister’s children. She died when the boys were quite young, and Ayanna was their guardian. She adopted them and has done her best to raise them to be the delightful young men they are today.” Billie looked reflective for a moment. “She’s sacrificed a lot for Alec and Cameron, although she doesn’t consider it to be any kind of burden. They’re her whole life, and she loves them devotedly.

“Now what’s this about you liking Ayanna?” she asked with a frown. “Your track record with the ladies isn’t one I want to wish upon my best friend. If you want to play, stay away from my girl. She’s isn’t your normal disposable party favor, so don’t even think about it.”

The warm clasp on his arm was replaced by a sharp pinch. He jerked away from her looking stunned. “That was just wrong, Billie. In the first place, you make me sound like some ol’ cheap playa, and in the second place, I think you left a mark, you wildcat. Does Jason know about this side of you?”

“I don’t think you’re cheap,” she said earnestly. “I think you’re a very high-priced playa, top-shelf, in fact.” She turned to run down the stairs and looked at him over her shoulder. “And Jason knows all about my wild side, and he loves it. He encourages it,” she added, wiggling her hips as Johnny covered his ears and made a horrible face.

“Oversharing, little sister. That’s called oversharing.”

Ayanna felt like a nitwit for her reaction to Johnny’s innocent remarks. After she reached the first floor, she got a glimpse of Davina regaling Toni and Zane Beauchamp with a story about her illustrious medical practice, and Ayanna quickly slipped out of the French doors that led to the big terrazzo patio. It was a soothing place with comfortable chairs and big potted plants surrounded by a low brick wall. Taking a deep breath, she watched her boys playing a noisy game of basketball with Nick’s nephews. Sadie was also playing, running back and forth and barking with gusto.

Why did I act like that? It’s not the first time the subject has come up, she thought. So why did I act like I was running from the law or something?

Just then she felt two strong hands on her shoulders. Johnny turned her around to face him. “I didn’t mean to say anything out of line, Ayanna. Are we still friends?”

She looked up at his handsome face, which was completely serious for the first time she could remember. Johnny was always laughing and making jokes, so this was quite a change. “We’re fine. You didn’t know my boys are adopted, and there’s no real reason that you should’ve known. But it’s not like it’s a secret,” she told him.

He nodded and continued to look at her like he was trying to memorize her face. “I just realized that I don’t know very much about you,” he said thoughtfully.

Ayanna was looking at him with the same kind of intensity. “No, I guess you don’t. I met you at Billie’s wedding, and I’ve seen you a few times since then. It’s not like you live here in Chicago or anything.”

Johnny didn’t seem to be listening to her. His big palms were making circles on her shoulders, and he showed no interest in removing his hands from her body. But he was paying attention, as his next words demonstrated. “Well, I think we should start remedying that. I’m moving here, and I think getting to know you better is going to be a priority.”

“You’re moving here? Permanently?” Ayanna sounded slightly breathless.

“Yes, I am. Didn’t Billie tell you? Let’s get something to eat and talk about it some more.”

“Is food all you think about?”

“Pretty much. Food and sex. What else is there, besides football?” Johnny’s face resumed its normal, humorous expression as he smiled down at her.

Ayanna’s eyes widened. “You need Jesus, Johnny Phillips. You need help.”

“So are you gonna help a brother out or what?” His hands flew off her shoulders as he heard Davina’s voice float out through the French doors. “Billie, where’s that brother of yours? He just disappeared.”

“Help me get away from that succubus,” Johnny said urgently. “She’s been on me like a duck on a june bug, and I’m trying not to hurt her feelings. Come on. Let’s go in the side door.”

“Johnny, you’re crazy!” Ayanna’s dimples wreathed her smile as she allowed him to hustle her away from the sound of Davina’s voice.

“No, I’m not. I need help, just like you said. Help me stay away from the man-eater and I’ll give you anything you want.”

A warm pleasant feeling settled over her at his teasing words. “Don’t make promises you can’t keep. You have no idea what I might want,” she warned.

They had reached the door that led to the kitchen. He squeezed her hand, which he’d taken when he led her off the patio. “That’s true, I don’t. But whatever it is, I’ll give it to you gladly. Count on that,” he replied with his devastating grin.

They went into the big kitchen, and he stared at the table loaded with all kinds of good things to eat.

“Dang, that looks good. Fix me a plate, and we’ll get started on your list.” Johnny went to the sink and washed his hands while Ayanna stared at his beautiful butt and his long legs that were slightly bowed.

“I’ll fix you a plate, but what list are you talking about?”

He turned around, wiping his hands on a dish towel. “Your desires, Ayanna. I told you I’d give you anything you want.”

She couldn’t move for a moment, and then she laughed at his foolishness. “Move out of the way so I can wash my hands. Your blood sugar must be low.”

Chapter 3

A fter the party ended and everyone went home, Johnny was still thinking about Ayanna. He’d insisted on following her home to make sure she got there safely, even though it was kind of superfluous seeing as how it was barely dark and she had Alec and Cameron for protection. He did it anyway and pulled up in the driveway behind them. He watched until they were all in the house safely, and then he punched in her number on his cell phone.

“I told you I was going to call you,” he’d reminded her. She had laughed, the tinkling little giggle that reminded him of spring rain.

“Yes, but I didn’t think you’d be calling from the driveway. You want to come in and have a cup of coffee?”

He had done so at once because it gave him a chance to see her again, even for a little while. He had admired her house and got to observe her easy relationship with the boys up close. Actually, he’d spent more time talking with Alec and Cameron than he had with Ayanna, but it was cool because he liked them. She had raised some fine young men. She’d finally called the evening to a halt because they had to get up early for church the next day. He would see her there since she and Billie and Dakota attended the same church, and he always went with them when he was in town.

Now Johnny was in the media room of Billie’s house, stretched out on one of the big leather sofas. The plasma TV was on ESPN, but he wasn’t watching it. He was thinking about Ayanna’s smile. She’d made an impression on him the first moment he’d seen her at Billie’s wedding. He’d gotten into Chicago the morning of the ceremony, and he’d missed all the festivities leading up to it, so he hadn’t seen the bridesmaids until they were walking down the aisle. Her huge black eyes, the big dimples and her perfect golden brown complexion were all adorable, but he’d thought she was about nineteen or twenty, way too young for him.

After the ceremony he’d found out that Alec and Cameron, who’d played the violin and piano during the ceremony, were her sons. This made him think she was married. By the time he realized she was single, the reception was almost over and he’d hooked up with some tall leggy woman who was into a good time for one night only, which was his style. He remembered, though, watching Ayanna dance the night away with what seemed like every man there. She could dance her butt off, he recalled, in a sexy and alluring but not sleazy way. She was graceful and moved like she’d been doing it all her life.

Billie entered the room and interrupted his thoughts. “Who won the game?”

“Huh?” He turned to look at her. “Who won what?”

She pushed his feet aside and sat down on the end of the couch. “Were you asleep? I asked who won. Aren’t you watching the scores?” she asked as she pointed to the TV.

“No, I was thinking about Ayanna. She’s beautiful, isn’t she?”

Billie tilted her head as she looked him over. “If you were any other man on the planet, I’d say you were smitten, but we know that’s not true, don’t we?”

“You don’t know anything, little sister. Where did she learn how to dance like that?”

“She used to be on a dance squad when she was in high school, I think, and she took dance when she was little. She teaches a dance class at a community center near her house. That girl can get down like a pro,” she said. “Wait, I have a DVD from the hospital benefit. Todd asked her to be his partner in this ballroom dance thing. Hold on, let me get it.” Todd Wainwright, Jason’s younger brother, had missed the party because he was at work.

She rose gracefully and went to the wall where the DVDs were stored. “Let’s see…” she murmured. “Oh, here it is. I’ll put it in for you.”

Jason appeared in the doorway as she slipped the disc into the player. “Baby, isn’t it time for you to go to bed? You did a lot today, and I don’t want you to tire yourself out,” he said.

Billie went to him and nuzzled the base of his throat as he wrapped her in his arms. “I was just getting ready to come upstairs. I’m a little tired, but not because I did too much. You did everything for me, as usual.”

Johnny sat up and waved the couple off. “Take your lovey-dovey newlywed expectant-parent selves out of here before I get sick from watching you,” he said.

“Aw, man, don’t hate, participate,” Jason drawled. “This is what you get when you turn in your playa card and start being a real man.” He stopped talking and kissed Billie deeply.

“I’m blind, I’m blind,” Johnny moaned. “Stop doing that, man, that’s my baby sister.”

Billie and Jason shouted with laughter. “I might be your sister, but I’m his wife. This is what married life is like.”

“Yeah, well I may never know. Good night. Please, good night, sleep well, etcetera. By the way, speaking of sisters, where is yours?” He pointed at Jason as he spoke.

“She hooked up with some quarterback or whatever. We might not see her until tomorrow,” Jason answered. “See ya.”

Johnny pumped his fist in the air as the couple left. “Thank you! Now I can have some peace.” He pushed play on the DVD player and was immediately transfixed by what he saw on the high definition screen. “Oh damn, I could be in serious trouble,” he murmured as he watched Ayanna come into view. “But it’s just the kind of trouble I like.”

Ayanna was thinking about the events of the day as she got ready for bed. The party was wonderful, just like any gathering with Billie’s family. They had to be the sweetest people she’d ever met. Dakota’s in-laws and Billie and Dakota’s parents were just delightful. And what could you say about Johnny Phillips? He was every woman’s dream—tall, intelligent, funny and kind and his looks were off the chart. Too bad he was way out of her league. Men like Johnny ended up with women like his sisters: Billie, the former supermodel who was now making her mark in the construction business, and Dakota, the Pulitzer prize-winning author who’d also won an Oscar for screenwriting. Yes, with sisters like that, he’d look for a doctor, a CEO or even a lawyer, since that was his profession. Standards had been set pretty high in the Phillips family.

She was in her bedroom, taking a last look in the mirror before getting in the shower. A pleasant face looked back at her. Her skin was good; her hair was passable, although it wasn’t long and cascading like the Phillips women. I guess I could get a fifteen-hundred-dollar weave like Davina, she thought. She made a face at her reflection. No need to take a swallow of haterade. You are what you are.

She took off the cute celery-green cotton sweater she’d worn with a pair of light-colored jeans and a pair of stylish little yellow flats from Payless. She laughed as she took off the shoes to put them in the closet. She couldn’t see Johnny Phillips with a woman who scouted for clothes on clearance at Target and shoes from the Payless buy one, get one sales. She wasn’t a high-powered executive or someone of national prominence. She was a single mother with an office job who had to pinch pennies hard to make sure her sons were well-fed, nicely clothed, safe and secure. And that her bills were paid on time. She didn’t drive a luxury car, unless a five-year-old PT Cruiser was in that category. Her house was sparkling clean and charming, but almost everything had been done by her two hands, assisted by the boys. Nope, she was not his glass of champagne, not by a long shot.

She finished undressing and took a long shower. It was the only way she could be sure to get some hot water because the boys would monopolize it the next morning before church. Sighing as the sweet scent of her bath gel filled her nostrils, she thought again about how much fun she’d had with Johnny. She loved his irreverent humor and outrageous flirting; she was so busy being a mom she’d forgotten how much fun it could be. Ayanna could be shy with people she didn’t know, but her acquaintance with Johnny and his family made him feel safe and familiar. For a brief moment she wished with all her heart that she was more than what she was. She wished she was the kind of woman who could attract a man like Johnny for real.

Ayanna couldn’t wait to get to church the next morning to pray for forgiveness. The dreams she’d had the night before were so vivid and explicit that she’d awakened sweaty, trembling and moist in places that should have been bone dry. And “Ramon” was not the star attraction that night. He’d been replaced by someone taller, broader of shoulder and chocolate brown with a clean shaven head. She didn’t need an advanced degree in psychology to know what that was about. She kicked the covers off and glanced at the clock on the bedside table. It was 5:00 a.m. She sat up groggily and tossed aside the wrinkled bedclothes. She needed another shower to wash away all traces of her drastically misplaced erotic desires.

She scrubbed herself from head to toe, using her nylon bath puff like a weapon. When she washed her small, firm breasts and the sensitive area between her legs, she was dismayed to find them tender and responsive to her touch, as though the wild sex of her dream was real. To shake off all vestiges of her nocturnal fantasies, she lowered the temperature of the shower until it was quite cool. She had to stifle a scream, but she ran the cold water over her body resolutely and thoroughly. If anyone knew what she’d been thinking, she’d die of shame.

Okay, that’s a little dramatic, she admitted as she toweled herself dry. But the things they had done to each other in that dream were so vivid and so wild! I’ve got to leave those romance novels alone. No more Brenda Jackson, Maureen Smith or Altonya Washington for her. And definitely no more Adrianne Byrd! The books she read were well-written, delightfully sensual and they’d been her obsession ever since she discovered African-American romance. She had so many of the books that she had to catalog them.

The newest ones were in her to-be-read pile next to the bed. Her favorites took a place of honor in her bedroom bookcase. The older books were in boxes under her bed, each box labeled with a sheet that told the name and author of each book. She sighed heavily as she made her bed, still wrapped in her towel. It was pathetic enough that her sex life was confined to reading the delicious love scenes the authors so generously provided her in their fascinating books, but when her loneliness—and yes, her unfulfilled desires—made her include a real live man in her dreams, well, it was time for a change.

I’m the one who needs help, she thought. Maybe there’s some kind of herbal thing I can get at the health food store to cool my jets. She had to laugh out loud at that thought. It wasn’t that serious. She just needed to exercise more. That would work out those urges quite nicely. She could teach another dance class; it would give the boys more time at the rec center, which they would enjoy. Problem solved. No more crazy dreams about having wild sex in the middle of a bed with red satin sheets with a chocolate hunk of man for her. She would exercise that man right out of her thighs, that’s what she would do.

She looked around, realized that she’d made the bed, rearranged her dresser and organized her closet. And she still had over thirty minutes before the boys’ alarm would go off. Okay, she’d put on her underwear and a robe and go make some cinnamon rolls for a surprise. Keeping busy was the answer. If she just kept busy and kept her mind focused on productive things, she had no doubt that her current state of constant longing would dissipate. It was a good plan that only took a few hours to blow up in her face.

Chapter 4

J ohnny slept a lot better than Ayanna, and the dreams he had about being with her weren’t a cause for angst. On the contrary, he was looking forward to seeing her that morning. He’d watched the DVD of her dancing three times before he went to bed, after making a point of taking it out of the player and taking it to the guest room with him. He had every intention of keeping it, and Billie could just get over it until he could copy it. If he copied it. For some reason, he didn’t really want anyone else looking at it. The way Ayanna looked was amazing, but the way she was dancing was too sexy to be believed.

He was still in bed, wearing the sheet that was covering him and nothing else. He smiled lazily as he recalled with total clarity every act of consensual loving he’d shared with Ayanna during the night. It was the costume she’d worn in the DVD that had done it. It was some kind of gold getup with those sparkly things on it. It had a top part with one shoulder strap and a skirt thing that bared her navel and was split on the side to show off her long, shapely legs. Ayanna might be slender, but every inch of her was bangin’ as his early-morning tent pole testified.

He chuckled as he enjoyed the sensation of his erection. Some men got bothered by the early-morning wake-up call by their nether regions, but Johnny liked it. It let him know that he was still in business, and after the night of fantasies he’d had courtesy of the captivating Ayanna, he couldn’t blame his body for reacting. The way she had worked her body around that stage was so blazing hot it had seared his eyeballs. She moved like she didn’t have any bones in her hips, especially when she was doing the Latin dances. She had such control of her beautiful body that all he could think was what she would feel like in his arms.

The only hitch was Todd Wainwright. Were they involved or something? Todd hadn’t made it to the open house because he was head of the trauma unit at John Stroger Hospital, and he’d been on call yesterday. They seemed to move as one person on the DVD, and the way he touched her and looked into her eyes during the dance was more intimate than Johnny liked. Was it part of the show, or was there something going on? He’d already made two wrong assumptions about Ayanna that had put him off the trail, and he wasn’t going to make a third. First he assumed she was too young, and then he assumed she had a husband because she had two sons. “Yeah, well, they say assumptions are the mothers of all screwups. I’m getting to the bottom of this ASAP,” he said aloud.

He tossed back the covers and got out of the bed, stretching as he did so. First a long hot shower, then a little grooming of his goatee and a shave of his cheeks. Then he’d get dressed for church before going downstairs to grill his sister about her brother-in-law’s intentions toward the delightful Ayanna. This time he was going to get it right.

Johnny came into the kitchen to find Billie and his mother at the table. He kissed them both, and after exchanging greetings, he got right down to business. “Billie, what’s the deal with Todd and Ayanna? Are they kickin’ it or what?”

Lee Phillips looked at her oldest child with equal parts amusement and amazement. “You sound rather territorial, dear. What’s going on? Are you interested in Ayanna?”

Johnny didn’t hesitate. “Yeah, I sure am. Why shouldn’t I be interested? She’s smart, she’s a great mother, her boys are well-mannered, well-behaved and intelligent and she’s gorgeous. Why are you asking if I’m interested? Don’t you like her? You think there’s something wrong with her?” He had a very defined scowl on his face, which neither woman had ever seen on behalf of a woman.

Lee and Billie exchanged glances before bursting into laughter.

“I think he’s serious, Mama,” Billie said. “I’m going to finish cooking breakfast before Daddy comes down here growling like a bear.”

“Come sit down, dear.” Lee invited him. “Have some coffee.”

“I’m not sitting down until you tell me why you don’t like Ayanna,” he said defensively. “She’s a lovely woman. What’s not to like about her?”

“Ooh, you’re really going off the deep end, aren’t you?” Lee’s eyes twinkled with affection for her son. “Now sit your lanky butt down, and let me drop some knowledge on you.”

Johnny sat down at the pub table in the spacious kitchen and crossed his arms on the table. Lee took a sip of coffee before speaking.

“Ayanna Porter is an outstanding young woman, and your father and I adore her. But she’s not like those gangly airheads you normally spend two or three weeks wining, dining, bedding and forgetting. She’s not for you, son. All you want is a good time, and she’s not a good time gal. So unless you’re willing to go the distance, you need to go away.” Her words were kind but firm.

“Don’t hold back, Mama. How do you really feel about it?” he said dryly.

Billie’s giggles could be heard as she took a tray of maple crisped turkey bacon out of the oven. “I guess she told you, big brother. But she’s right. I told you, Ayanna ain’t anybody’s play toy. If you’re looking for a playmate, I think I heard Davina in the shower. She got in late, but she should be rarin’ to go.”

“Well, thanks for the gratifying assessment of my personality,” Johnny said curtly. “I think I’ll just meet you at church,” he added.

“Oh, don’t get mad. I made stuffed French toast,” Billie wheedled. “It’s Ayanna’s recipe. We’re not trying to say that you’re a hound, but you haven’t had any long, sustaining relationships. Unless that’s what you’re looking for, Ayanna’s not the one for you. She deserves someone who’s going to love her unconditionally and permanently and that hasn’t been your pattern, you have to admit.”

Jason came into the room and kissed his wife before going to his mother-in-law and giving her a good morning kiss on the cheek. “I heard you all when I was coming through the dining room. Ease up off Johnny. I was a coast-to-coast hound before I met Billie. When a man meets the right woman, he becomes the right man for her. Am I right, baby?” he asked, looking at Billie.