Why oh why hadn’t she worn tights? This was the last gig she’d do where the costume had to be so threadbare in the winter months. “I guess I’ve put off this thing long enough. She said he’d be at the restaurant waiting for her.”
“And instead of the girlfriend, he’ll get you…in front of all those people.”
Shannon sighed. “Well that’s what a singing telegram is all about—the embarrassment of getting it with an audience. At least it’s public, and he can’t attack me because I gave him a break-up notice on Valentine’s Day.”
“That’s what you think.”
Shannon stuffed down her ethics and her worry and picked up her mock bow-and-arrow set off the counter, along with the goodie basket Kim had made. The sooner she got this madness over the better, and she could go home and curl up with a cup of hot cocoa and a good book—alone.
*****
Alexander pulled his jacket sleeve back and checked his watch for the millionth time. Laney was always late. He shouldn’t be surprised. Although since he had a habit of canceling at the last moment, he didn’t blame her for taking her time. She had no way of knowing if his work would interfere this time as it had all the others.
Twice the waiter had come by asking if he was ready to order, and each time Alexander sent him away. He fingered the roses he’d bought to give to his girlfriend. She hated chocolate, which he considered unnatural, at least in women.
Movement at the front door of the restaurant caught his attention. For some reason, his gaze locked on the young black woman standing just inside the door, scanning the room. She wore spike heeled red open-toed shoes. Her feet must be freezing, he thought. When he looked higher, he was arrested over the shapeliness of her long legs. They too were barer than the weather called for. Plump and coffee with cream colored smooth skin, she arrested his attention and refused to let it go.
Alexander had always appreciated the beauty of an African American woman, and this one was among the sexiest. Her pursed full lips and determined big amber eyes drew him in. He thought her honey brown hair extending to her shoulders worked well with her features. Of course, all of this impersonal yet appreciative speculation of her went out the door when her gaze locked on him and she shed the coat.
The dress was skimpy, and her breasts practically spilled over the top of it as she headed in his direction. Alexander’s air was cut off, and he told himself to stop looking at her like this, feeling like he wanted to devour her sweetness when he was not available. He had never and would never cheat on the woman in his life.
To his surprise, the beauty stopped at his table. “Alexander Stone?”
“I am,” he stated simply.
“I have a message for you from Laney.”
She broke into song with obvious talent. Alexander felt his face growing warm. Other patrons stared at them. The host seemed to question whether he should put a stop to the display. Only when he focused in on what she was saying did his anger begin to build. He said not a word, and at the conclusion to her little ditty, she perched on his lap and turned a mouth up to him that surely she couldn’t mean for him to kiss. Yet, he was tempted despite his anger. His cock had grown rock solid, and it was everything he could do not to touch her.
When she noticed his eyebrows bunched low over his eyes, she scrambled from his lap. “I’m sorry. Oh crap, it was poor taste to do this. She wanted me to break it off with you in this public way. Maybe she was angry at all you did, how you treated her and thought you deserved it.”
“The way I treated her… All I did?” Alexander surged to his feet, and the woman jumped back a few feet, agile in the high heels. She uttered another apology and fled. Rather than chase after her insisting on an explanation, he barked, “Check!” and settled up for the two glasses of wine he’d consumed while he waited.
On his way to
“And instead of the girlfriend, he’ll get you…in front of all those people.”
Shannon sighed. “Well that’s what a singing telegram is all about—the embarrassment of getting it with an audience. At least it’s public, and he can’t attack me because I gave him a break-up notice on Valentine’s Day.”
“That’s what you think.”
Shannon stuffed down her ethics and her worry and picked up her mock bow-and-arrow set off the counter, along with the goodie basket Kim had made. The sooner she got this madness over the better, and she could go home and curl up with a cup of hot cocoa and a good book—alone.
*****
Alexander pulled his jacket sleeve back and checked his watch for the millionth time. Laney was always late. He shouldn’t be surprised. Although since he had a habit of canceling at the last moment, he didn’t blame her for taking her time. She had no way of knowing if his work would interfere this time as it had all the others.
Twice the waiter had come by asking if he was ready to order, and each time Alexander sent him away. He fingered the roses he’d bought to give to his girlfriend. She hated chocolate, which he considered unnatural, at least in women.
Movement at the front door of the restaurant caught his attention. For some reason, his gaze locked on the young black woman standing just inside the door, scanning the room. She wore spike heeled red open-toed shoes. Her feet must be freezing, he thought. When he looked higher, he was arrested over the shapeliness of her long legs. They too were barer than the weather called for. Plump and coffee with cream colored smooth skin, she arrested his attention and refused to let it go.
Alexander had always appreciated the beauty of an African American woman, and this one was among the sexiest. Her pursed full lips and determined big amber eyes drew him in. He thought her honey brown hair extending to her shoulders worked well with her features. Of course, all of this impersonal yet appreciative speculation of her went out the door when her gaze locked on him and she shed the coat.
The dress was skimpy, and her breasts practically spilled over the top of it as she headed in his direction. Alexander’s air was cut off, and he told himself to stop looking at her like this, feeling like he wanted to devour her sweetness when he was not available. He had never and would never cheat on the woman in his life.
To his surprise, the beauty stopped at his table. “Alexander Stone?”
“I am,” he stated simply.
“I have a message for you from Laney.”
She broke into song with obvious talent. Alexander felt his face growing warm. Other patrons stared at them. The host seemed to question whether he should put a stop to the display. Only when he focused in on what she was saying did his anger begin to build. He said not a word, and at the conclusion to her little ditty, she perched on his lap and turned a mouth up to him that surely she couldn’t mean for him to kiss. Yet, he was tempted despite his anger. His cock had grown rock solid, and it was everything he could do not to touch her.
When she noticed his eyebrows bunched low over his eyes, she scrambled from his lap. “I’m sorry. Oh crap, it was poor taste to do this. She wanted me to break it off with you in this public way. Maybe she was angry at all you did, how you treated her and thought you deserved it.”
“The way I treated her… All I did?” Alexander surged to his feet, and the woman jumped back a few feet, agile in the high heels. She uttered another apology and fled. Rather than chase after her insisting on an explanation, he barked, “Check!” and settled up for the two glasses of wine he’d consumed while he waited.
On his way to
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