Lesson in Romance, page 15
Alex laughed. “It seems I never have any luck with either, so I better stay away from both.”
Just then, the waitress brought their breakfast to the table. The two men dug into their food, wolfing it down in silence. When they had finished, they pushed their plates to the side. Now that their bellies were full, it was time to talk business.
“Speaking of women, how are things with Miss Williams?”
Alex shrugged and idly stirred his coffee. “Why do you ask?”
“Are you ready for the book tour?”
He nodded. “I think so.”
Tommy leaned his elbows on the table. “You better be,” he warned. “Because I just heard you’ve been doing more than just reading with her. That’s the reason I was late.”
Alex stopped stirring. “What are you talking about?”
“Cozying up to the little lady at Idella’s. Bringing her to the Hideaway. Plus, to make matters worse, you were seen coming out of Beacon House with her.”
He felt his face flush with anger. “Who told you all of this?”
“It doesn’t matter.” Tommy looked around and lowered his gravelly voice. “You were the one who wanted to keep your illiteracy a secret.”
Alex clamped his mouth in a thin line, knowing Tommy was right. His heart thudded in his chest. “How bad is it?”
“Don’t be surprised if something pops up in the press in the next few days. They know who she is and what she does for a living. It’s only a matter of time before they put two and two together. And even if they don’t know for sure, they’ll report it anyway,” Tommy replied, his face grim. “I’ll have to say this, she’s about the prettiest one you’ve had the pleasure of introducing to New York City via the headlines in a long time.”
Alex threw his arm over his head and slumped down in the booth. “What am I going to do? I can’t let the press get to her. It could destroy her. She’s not like the others.”
“Are you in love with this woman?”
When Alex looked away and didn’t reply, Tommy grinned and slapped his knee. “Hot damn. I never thought I’d see the day when Alex Dovington fell head-over-heels in love.”
Alex scowled and gulped down his lukewarm coffee. “Look, even if I am, it doesn’t matter. She hates me.”
“Why?”
“That’s just it. I don’t know. There’s something she’s not telling me.”
“A woman always has some kind of secret. That’s what makes them so intriguing. Besides, you’re no saint, either.”
“I know, but why couldn’t she just tell me, instead of running away?” And breaking my heart.
“Probably because she wasn’t sure how you’d react. The question you have to ask yourself is, do you want to know what this secret is, and if so, when you find out, are you willing to stick by her, no matter what?”
Alex steepled his fingers. “I think so.”
Tommy tipped his hat back, then leaned in and pointed at him. “Think so?” he snorted. “You gotta know so. You gotta be so sure about her that nothing will stand in the way of how you feel about this woman. Otherwise, it’s all smoke. You dig?”
Alex nodded and smoothed his hand over his head. He got what Tommy was saying, and it was valuable advice. But it was also extremely risky. He’d told her he loved her, for God’s sake. And he did.
But who knew what she was hiding beneath her beautiful face? It must be big for her to run out on him like that. He was never one to take chances. What kind of man would gamble his entire future on a woman?
One who wants to be accepted for who he is, despite his past mistakes.
He was that man, and he realized it was time to come clean with everyone, including Cara.
“Can you get me some time with Mo today?”
“I can give it my best shot, why?”
“I need to tell him about my illiteracy before someone else does.”
“Great idea!” Tommy paused while the waitress topped off their cups. “What about Cara?”
Alex rubbed his chin. “I love her, T. I’ve never felt this strongly about someone in my life. And if she’s willing to take a chance on me, I’m willing to do the same.”
“Great. Why don’t you roll by Beacon House this morning and tell her? Bring her some flowers. Women can’t resist them.”
Alex’s mind flashed back to the evening before. When he made love to Cara, the pink and red rose petals had resembled velvety coins on her nude body. He would never be able to look at those flowers again without thinking about her.
He shook his head. “I can’t go there. She wouldn’t talk to me anyway. I would visit her at home, but I don’t know where she lives.”
Tommy laughed. “Why didn’t you say so? I know where she lives!”
Alex’s eyes opened wide with astonishment. “You do? Where?”
“When we were discussing the contract, she told me she lives in Brooklyn. In fact, she lives right next door to my old pal John Sutton. He takes care of her cat whenever she’s away. I think the cat’s name starts with an M?”
“Molly.”
“That’s it.” Tommy wrote Cara’s address on a napkin and handed it to him. Then he took off his hat and laid it on the table. As if on cue, the waitress came over with the bill.
Outside, the two men pumped hands.
“I’ll call you as soon as I set up the meeting with Mo.”
“What’s going to happen after the book tour? Are you going to continue with reading lessons?”
Alex smiled. “If everything goes well tonight, I have more than reading lessons planned for my future.”
Tommy chuckled, waved goodbye and shuffled away.
As Alex headed downtown to Parkside Studios, he knew he’d need more than just luck to get Cara back into his life. Like the cowardly lion, he needed courage.
* * *
Cara trudged up the stairs to her Brooklyn town house. Between dealing with insensitive creditors and guilt over the pain she’d caused Alex, this was one of the worst days in her life.
She didn’t want to think, didn’t want to feel. All she wanted was a hot bath and a very large glass of wine.
With a scowl, she dumped her briefcase and purse on the living room couch.
To top it off, the meeting with her lawyer had not gone well. Her landlord planned on renovating the entire space to attract big-box retailers. The paperwork was in order. Unless a miracle happened and somebody purchased the building, there was nothing he could do to stop the eviction.
She kicked off her shoes and hung up her coat, wishing she could disappear into the depths of her closet. Starting tomorrow, she’d have to hold off on accepting any new students.
It pained her to think of saying no to anyone who wanted to learn how to read. But what choice did she have? She didn’t want to accept them, then have to turn around and find them placement in other literacy centers. It was better to cut the cord now, before it was too late.
Her mind troubled, she entered the kitchen and selected a bottle of wine from her collection. As she poured herself a large glass, Molly curled a figure eight around her ankles.
Cara had walked out on the sexiest man alive and was losing the business she’d built from the ground up, but at least she still had her beloved cat.
“You love me, don’t you?” she asked optimistically.
But before she could reach down to scratch Molly on the top of her head, her cat walked over to her bowl and meowed.
“Oh, I see how you are,” she scolded. “You only love me because I’m the one that feeds you. I get it.”
It was pathetic, but her spirits were so low that even her cat’s rejection hurt her feelings.
As she fed Molly, her thoughts turned to Alex. After her little drama session last night, she didn’t expect to hear from him ever again. She only hoped that it wouldn’t affect his performance at the book tour on Friday.
She clapped a hand to her forehead when she realized she might not even receive the donation from him. Even though he was legally bound to pay her, she wasn’t sure he would. And she couldn’t blame him after the way she acted last night.
Her heart pounded in her chest. She was just an ordinary woman who just happened to love, and be loved by, an extraordinary man. She still could not believe all that had transpired between them.
But by walking out on him last night, she’d missed her only opportunity to express her feelings. Now he would never know how much she loved him, too.
Her eyes swam with tears. The best thing she could do now was to concentrate on saving Beacon House—on her own. It had been a mistake from the very beginning to count on anyone but herself.
She was on her way upstairs when the doorbell rang. She peeked through the peephole and frowned. Plastering a cheerful smile on her face, she pulled the door open.
“Hi, Daddy.”
Uh-oh, she thought when he didn’t reply as he shrugged off his coat and hung it up in the closet. She wondered what the lecture topic would be this time.
“I didn’t know you were going to stop by. How are you?” she inquired as they walked into the living room.
They both sat on the couch with rigid spines and faces that masked their true feelings.
“Cara, I’m fine. But some pretty disturbing news about you has come to my attention.”
Her heart dropped. “What is it?”
“How could you have allowed yourself to get into a situation where you’re threatened with eviction?”
She sucked in a breath. “How did you find out?”
“I’m a judge. I work in the New York City judicial system. People tell me things. They know you’re my daughter. Besides it’s the only way I ever find out anything about you. You never talk to me.”
“I never tell you anything because you never listen,” she retorted, hating the bitter tone in her voice.
“I’m listening now, and I want to help.”
“You want to help?” she snorted and folded her arms. “Why now? I would think you would want me to fail. You’re the one who pressured me to go to law school, and when I chose to become a teacher, you never let me forget it.”
“I wanted you to become a lawyer because I knew that the life of a teacher would be difficult, and I didn’t want that for you.”
She slapped her hands against her thighs in exasperation and rose from her seat.
“But what about what I wanted, Daddy?” Her voice rose. “I wanted a father who was there while I was a kid. Who cared more about me than his political career.
“Did I get it?” she railed. “And now, you have the nerve to come in here and try to rescue me? From something that is absolutely none of your business? If you haven’t noticed, I’m an adult now. I. Don’t. Need. You!”
Her words hung suspended in the air, but the hurt look on her father’s face made her wish she could snatch them back into her mouth.
“I’m not going anywhere until we talk about this,” said her father sternly. Then he softened his voice. “I know I wasn’t around when you were smaller, especially after your mother passed away. And I’m sorry, but there’s nothing I can do to change the past.”
He stood and went over to her. “But what I can do is be there now. I’ve been hearing great things about you, Cara. A lot of the people who’ve been in my courtroom tell me they’ve been through your literacy program. And even though they may have temporarily fallen back into crime or drugs, they’ve told me that you’re the one person who really cared about them and gave them hope.
“Beacon House is an important community organization in Harlem, but more than that, it’s your brainchild and your dream. You’re my daughter, I’m proud of you and I want to help you save it.”
This was the first time her father told her he was proud of her. She burst out crying and buried her hands in her face to hide her tears. The moment was bittersweet. Perhaps there was a chance that they could reconcile and she could have the kind of relationship with her father that she’d always wanted.
“Daddy, I don’t know what to do,” she cried. “I’m going to lose Beacon House.” The faces of her students flashed by in her mind. “My clients, where will they go?” she sobbed. “I’ve worked so hard…”
His arms closed around her, strong and safe, and she cried on his shoulder. “Don’t worry. We’ll find a way.”
The doorbell rang again. “Are you expecting anyone?” her father asked.
Cara shook her head, wiping the tears away from her eyes and nose.
“I’ll be back in a minute. Wait here.”
When she opened the door, her heart seized with panic.
Alex.
Oh, God, what if he saw her father? She had to get him out of here right away.
“Hi, Cara,” he said, his voice low and apologetic. “Mind if I come in?”
Before she could answer, he strode through the door like he owned the place. She was relieved when he didn’t venture into the hallway but stopped just outside the small foyer.
She closed the door behind them, turned and crossed her arms. “How did you find me?” she demanded in a low whisper.
“Tommy gave me your address,” he said in an offhand manner.
His eyes widened and she felt heat rise to her cheeks.
“You’ve been crying. What’s wrong?” he asked, staring at her tear-stained face.
“Nothing.” She wiped the tears away and took a step forward. Being close to him made her knees tremble, but going to another area of the house was out of the question.
“What are you doing here?”
He winced. He didn’t know that her sharp tone wasn’t meant to hurt him, but she had to get him out of the house before her father saw them.
“We need to talk about last night.”
He tried to embrace her, but she pushed him away and strode back to the foyer. “There’s nothing more to talk about, Alex.” She placed her hand on the doorknob. “Listen, I’m extremely busy and I’m asking you to leave. Now.”
He ran his hand over his head, and she could see on his face that he was struggling to maintain composure.
He gave her a confused look. “What’s going on with you, Cara?”
“Nothing’s going on,” she lied. “I just want to be left alone.”
“That’s not the impression I got last night when I was making love to you.”
She kept her voice calm, and although she knew her next words were a lie, she had to hurt him in order to get him out of her life forever.
“That was a mistake.”
He pressed his lips together, his laser-intense gaze boring a hole right into her heart. “You don’t mean that.”
She lifted her chin, forcing herself to look him straight in the eyes. “Yes, I do, Alex,” she insisted. “You’re a wonderful, charming man. But it would never work between us. We’re too different. I’m too…”
“Afraid?” he cut in, raising an eyebrow. “Isn’t that it? Everything we shared at my cottage and last night, my love for you, scares the hell out of you, doesn’t it? Why don’t you just admit it?”
Her stomach knotted and she winced from the pain. He was right, but she wasn’t going to tell him that. It was too late.
She lowered her voice, trying desperately to maintain control over her emotions. “I fulfilled my end of the contract. I taught you to read, enough so you’ll be able to complete the book tour. There’s no reason for us to see each other ever again.”
He nodded, and took a step closer. “Yeah, you taught me how to read, but you forgot one thing.”
She narrowed her eyes and pressed her back to the door. “What are you talking about?”
“You weren’t supposed to teach me how to fall in love with you and then walk out of my life. I don’t think that was part of the deal, was it?”
Oh, Lord, her heart felt like it was being cut into slivers. To know he was hurting, because of her.
It hurt so bad to have this conversation with him, to keep her voice hard and unfeeling and her demeanor tough on the outside. All so he wouldn’t think she loved him or needed him, when the opposite was true.
She shrugged. “I can’t control how you feel about me.”
His shoulders recoiled and he glared at her. “Do you treat all your clients like this?” His voice dripped with sarcasm. “Or just the ones you screw?”
Tears sprang to her eyes. She felt like he’d slapped her and at that moment, she wished she’d never laid eyes on him. Her face burned with anger at this arrogant and self-righteous man. How dare he say something so vile?
“Who do you think you are?” she shouted, her brain so overloaded with pain and despair that she forgot where she was. “You don’t know me at all, and you never will.”
She abruptly turned her back on him and opened the door. “Get out!” she screamed.
He hung his head, then walked toward her and slammed the door shut so hard the hinges rattled.
He drew in close to her, and placed his palm on the door, and his other hand on the wall. “I’m not going anywhere.”
“Yes, you are, young man.”
The tone of her father’s voice was as powerful as the gavel he wielded on a daily basis, and Cara squeezed her eyes shut against a sudden wave of nausea. How long had he been standing there listening to their shouting match? She’d been so angry at Alex that she’d completely forgotten her father was in the other room.
Alex scowled, dropped his hand from the door, and stepped away from her. She felt invisible as the two men stared each other down like two lions ready to rumble in the jungle.
“Crawford Williams.” Her father extended his hand first. “The Honorable Crawford Williams. I don’t believe we’ve met.”
When Alex ignored the outstretched hand and peered at her father like his face held an answer, she clenched her fists at the panic that rose in her chest.
