Authors: Donna Hill
She turned, picked her purse up from the table and walked out, knowing that her tomorrow, her forever, was now finally hers.
Quinn watched her go, his soul finally at peace, crossed the room to the bar and ordered a glass of Jack Daniels.
Nikita never made things easy. She was his light, always had been. He'd just been too blind to see it.
He smiled.
Here All the Time
S
he'd made up her mind that if he didn't come back she'd be all right. She'd press on. But dammit, the past thirty-six hours had been the longest “I don't care” hours of her natural born life.
Work was one salvation. And she'd just about burned herself out at the gym, hoping that she'd be so exhausted she'd just collapse into bed.
Nothing happening.
She didn't know folks could stay awake for damn near two days without going into a coma or something.
One more night. Just one, and she'd know for sure. One way or the other.
She locked up the office and walked the half block to where her five-year-old Honda Accord was parked. Got a good deal on it and it ran like a dream. She stuck the key in the lock, thinking about her long night ahead. “Don't play with me, Q. Just don't even try it.”
Taking the long route home, she stopped at some of the antique shops, just to look, then decided to pick up some fresh vegetables and a bottle of wine.
Everything else failed at putting her to sleep. Since she wasn't a wine drinker, maybe it would do the trick.
By the time she reached her neat little home, it had grown dark. And she felt the loneliness settle over her just like the clouds hanging up over the rooftops. Nights were the hardest. Always had been.
She opened the door, picked up the mail and flipped on all the lights as she wentâsaying “hey” to all her plantsâneeding the light, but needing more than that somebody to come home to, especially tonight.
He stood watching her from the top of the stairs as she fussed over her plants, cussed at the bills in her hand, in all her earthy beauty. And it made him smile, inside and out.
“Hey, girl.”
She shut her eyes and breathed in and out real slow, wanting to make sure it wasn't the lack of sleep playing tricks on her.
Okay, she had herself together.
She turned around, slowly, because if it
was
her imagination she wanted it to last just a minute longer.
She looked up. It wasn't a dream. It wasn't a trick.
She tipped her head to the side and put her hand on her hip. “You here to stay, Q?”
He started down the stairs. He watched those perfect little breasts of hers rise and fall beneath her yellow silk blouse.
Only Max could wear yellow silk.
He stood in front of her, looking down into those eyes that challenged him to answer herâ¦with his heartâ¦with the truth.
“I think you know, Max. You always have,” he whispered.
And her eyes filled and tears ran down her cheeks even though she'd promised herself she wouldn't cry, one way or another.
Didn't make sense to let a man know he had you like that. Butâ¦What the hell.
He pulled her into his arms, tight, feeling her all around him, in his heart, deep in his soul. Right there all the time. His friendâ¦all that she ever could be.
She tilted her head back, smiling through her tears, that little toothpick gap winking at him.
“I know,” she breathed. “I know.”
And she knew she'd be okay.
After the Fire
T
he nationally syndicated television show
Like It Is
was just coming back on after a commercial break. Gil Noble turned to the camera.
“For those of you who are just tuning in, I'm talking with Quinten Parker, author of
A Private Affair.
Mr. Parker, just today your book hit the
New York Times
Bestseller List. The book has had a phenomenal impact on the industry, especially since you decided to go with a small, relatively unknown publishing house. What prompted you to write a relationship story?”
The camera zoomed in on Quinn's face. “Just a story that needed to be told.”
“And judging by the sales, one that a lot of people want to read. How has the sudden success changed you?”
Quinn smiled, and every television viewer got an up-close glance of those dimples.
“The success hasn't changed me,” he said. “Finally telling the story did.”
Nikita stood in the wings ready to burst with pride, watching him on the closed-circuit television. She smiled and nodded.
“No doubt, Q. No doubt,” she whispered.
A PRIVATE AFFAIR
An Arabesque novel published by Kimani Press/July 2009
First published by Kensington Publishing Corp. in 1998
ISBN: 978-1-4268-3542-1
© 1998 by Donna Hill
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This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents are either the product of the author's imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, business establishments, events or locales is entirely coincidental.
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