One Date At A Time

ONE DATE AT A TIME

Jacki Kelly

Copyright 2014 by Harris, Jacqueline

Smashwords Edition

ISBN: 978-0-9899601-3-7

First Edition Electronic April 2014

Published by Yobachi Publishing, LLC

This is a book of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents either are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead or events or locales is entirely coincidental.

All rights reserved. The reproduction or utilization of this work in any form or in any part by any means electronic, photocopying or other means available now or in the future is forbidden without written permission. For permission please contact YOBACHI PUBLISHING at YobachiPublishing@gmail.com.

For Everyone Who Kept Me Encouraged

Chapter One

The warm Philadelphia afternoon sun warmed Geeta Preston’s back. Two days ago she meant to retrieve the mail from the box, but another jail house letter from Donny while he tried to come up with bail money kept her away. She shuffled through the thick multicolored pile of correspondences. Bill. Bill. Bill. Junk. Letter.

She stared at her name in Donny’s messy script. Her stomach twisted in a hostile knot. What would it take for him to understand they were through? After ignoring him since he was arrested he should have gotten the message, but Donny was never one to see what was right before him.

She scanned through the words, skipping to the last sentence. Each week his letter ended with the same sentiment – ‘I’ll be coming home to you, soon.’

He couldn’t think she was waiting on him or that she was even interested in what he planned to do while out on bail. The pressure in her belly expanded. She curled her fingers around the loose-leaf notebook paper. The satisfying scrunch of his letter undid the weight threatening to make her sick.

Now he had plenty of time to tell her how much their love meant. If only he had cherished her when she was begging for his attention. Selling drugs had clouded his views, ruined their relationship, and pushed her into reevaluating her life. For that she was thankful. It appeared sharing an eight by eight prison cell with a total stranger had changed his perspective on life, too.

She glanced at her watch and rushed out the door. Showing up late for Cat’s party would send her sister into a homegrown tirade. Since this was her first visit in months the least she could do was arrive on time. There wasn’t anything pretty about an angry pregnant woman. Their sisterly bond had settled into a cozy rhythm and today wasn’t the time to test the boundaries.

Before opening the car door her cell phone rang. She fished it from her purse and stared at the screen. Unknown Caller. After hesitating for two seconds she answered.

Geeta, it’s me. The moment Donny’s voice filled her ear her heartbeat accelerated. All her anger from the moment the police had dragged him from under the bed and threw him in jail pulsed through every vein in her body.

Donny, it’s over. I’m not interested in anything you have to say. She kept her voice firm and level.

Let me stop by, so we can talk in person.

You’re out of jail? She opened the driver side door and heaved her purse into the passenger seat. When…your letter didn’t say… she stuttered.

He chuckled, his cool throaty laughter mocking her. Yeah, baby. Sometimes mail gets hung up. Where are you living now? I’ll drop by.

No. I don’t want to see you. Didn’t you read the letter I sent you? She pushed a stray lock of hair behind her ear.

You were just mad. Now that I’m out, I can make it up to you. He poured on the charm. She could tell by the way he spaced his words.

You’re out for good? She flopped behind the driver seat. The conversation zapped her energy.

I’m out on bail. It took me a few weeks to get the money together. But I ain’t going back. I’m sure I can beat this charge, especially with my baby by my side. Now tell me where your crib is so I can come see you.

With her index finger Geeta smashed the Off button. Her pulse quickened. After several deep breaths she shook her arms, trying to dislodge Donny from her life. The next call from him would go unanswered. Maybe the gesture was overkill, but watching the police drag him from under the bed, handcuff and shove him into the back of the squad car required a grand gesture on her part. If Donny refused to listen then she wouldn’t waste another moment on him.

Philadelphia’s cross-town traffic put her in her sister’s crowded parking lot with minutes to spare. She rode the elevator to the penthouse condo.

Ever since the authorities cleared her name and gave her life back, she was hardly recognizable. She had a new place to live, she couldn’t stay in the place where Donny had committed his crimes. A promotion that paid enough so she didn’t have to sponge off her family. And no hassles from men, since love was no longer on the table. The moment she packed up her heart for safekeeping life became much less complicated to navigate.

The one time she almost went too far was at her sister’s wedding, but thankfully Brooks DiNardo vanished after the nuptials. She couldn’t take him seriously anyway. He wasn’t her type. He’d been a delightful distraction, but never anything more.

Her roommate, Egypt, thought speed dating was a good way to have some fun without the inconvenience of commitment. The whole hermit persona was a front for her sister. Cat worried too much about everything. Her hormones were on high alert since she became pregnant.

She was more than ready to slough off the old maid boredom, and ease back into a real life, like a gangly child outgrowing her summer wardrobe. Staking claim to a life that let her walk on the wild side without the threat of brushing the wrong side of the law didn’t seem like to much to ask.

Life was remarkably better now. Too bad she had to almost get arrested to unveil this new normal. The elevator doors parted and she bounced down the hall towards her sister’s condo.

Cat enjoyed entertaining. Any reason was good enough to cook mounds of food and call everyone over.

Without knocking, she opened the door. In true Cat and Jeremy fashion, the large living room was stuffed with their friends. Mellow music wrapped around the large area easing the guests together in whispered conversations. There were so many things about Cat’s life to covet. She had good friends, a man who adored her, and now they were expecting a child. Maybe some of Cat’s treasures would spill over and land in her life.

Spending time with her sister and brother-in-law hardly seemed like a major sacrifice. Cat had picked her up out of a sinkhole more than once. Coming to her party tonight was another way of saying thank you. Her sister made a point of calling daily and visiting often. How else could Cat give their parents the latest update on her baby sister’s mental health?

Ensconced in the corner of the bar she spotted a familiar figure. Brooks DiNardo, a ghost from her past. This one with sweeter memories, though. The best man to her maid of honor at the wedding. A warm sensation enveloped her, much like his touch had back then. Tall and lean, her arms had fit around his waist like a custom tailored suit.

He’d swept Geeta off her feet like he had been sent by her fairy godmother to erase any lingering vestiges of Donny. But after the wedding he disappeared. Vanished like fog on a warm summer morning. He was a smooth talker, filling her up on the balcony before Cat and Jeremy cut the cake.

With a cell phone pressed to his ear, he poured a beer into a tall glass. Without looking up, he handed it to a waiting hand. After ending the call he scanned the room. His green eyes were as sharp as she remembered. His search stopped when he noticed her. He made his way around the makeshift bar towards her, a big, bright smile stretched across his face.

The first kiss tells everything about a relationship. At least that’s what she thought after a few hours with Brooks. His heated kisses and the passionate way he’d embraced her sent her body into sensory overload. She couldn’t have been more wrong. He was only interested in a few hours of fun. Now no matter how hard she tried, those moments kept visiting her dreams.

Sometimes, even now, echoes of the way he made her laugh still filled her ears, making her smile.

Well, hello. I was hoping I’d see you here today. His deep throaty voice was like a sexual melody, pulling up memories of the two of them behaving like sex starved teenagers at the reception. Today he was casual, as if the last they’d seen each other was at some church picnic.

She shifted away from his touch. They weren’t picking up where they left off.

Brooks you’re looking well. She faked sweetness.

Today, she’d already expended all her extra energy on one ex-boyfriend. She couldn’t swap words of wit with Brooks.

He was as strikingly handsome as she remembered. He still wore his blond hair short on the side and buzzed on top, which gave him a no-nonsense appearance, like a strict teacher or principal. Fresh out of a dysfunctional relationship with Donny was no time to get serious with the ultra-conservative Brooks. Another insurmountable obstacle she wasn’t ready to tackle. Today he wore a button-down shirt and a pair of khakis, amplifying his stiff persona. If he could lose the good boy charm surrounding him, he might be worth a try.

She shook the thought away. What she needed right now was a real bad boy to loosen the cobwebs in her life. Even with the bulging muscles and sharp chin, Brooks didn’t have the edge she was looking for. Since he was a friend of Cat and Jeremy she needed to keep him at arm’s length. Her sister didn’t need to know how she planned to treat any man in her foreseeable future. Use them and lose them was her new plan.

You’re the bartending tonight? She was afraid to look at him or all the emotion she’d held back would rush through her well-placed shield.

After all the things we did on the balcony at your sister’s reception, you’re going to kiss me like I’m your brother?

You ought to be foot stomping happy I kissed you at all, since I haven’t seen you in such a long time, she retaliated.

I’ve been away. But that doesn’t mean I wasn’t thinking about you. I’ve got some really fond memories. The wicked smile he gave her warmed the ice around her heart, but not enough to defrost it. His sincerity kept her from pushing him away when he embraced her waist with one hand.

The snug hug was both intimate and sensual. Too many lonely nights had left her horny. Her wayward senses telling her every man in the room wanted to take her to bed. Maybe he only wanted to greet her. The idea of being with someone…at least for a night, stroked the desire she’d been trying to ignore. A one-night stand would fix her immediate problem.

Vodka and cranberry juice, right? He led her back to the bar and reached for the bottle of Gray Goose before she could reply. With the flair of an expert he splashed liquor and juice into the glass at the same time, and then added the ice cubes.

Charming. Brooks produced an easy smile. His classical good looks reminded her of a much younger Sean Connery. The one in the James Bond