Hearts in the City Read online

  “There’s no way it could be. He was out of town on business around that same time.”

  “Have you discussed it with him yet?”

  Simone shook her head. “Hell no. Besides, I don’t think I’m keeping it yet so please, please, please don’t say anything to anyone.”

  “Of course not,” Olivia said. She was already holding on devastating secret for Simone. What the hell was one more devastating secret?

  Olivia was still coming to terms with Simone’s shocking news after the couple left. She hoped for Simone’s sake the doctor was wrong. It was bad enough she’d been sleeping around on Jamal. But carrying another man’s baby was something else all together. Forcing Simone’s dilemma out of her mind, she joined Theo in the den hoping to make up for lost time. She took a seat next to him on the sofa, leaning over and kissing him on the neck.

  “Hmmm...I love the way you smell. Gets me all hot and bothered,” she moaned into his ear. “Is that the cologne I bought you?”

  “Yes it is,” he responded without emotion, his gaze fixed on the TV.

  His acting coldly toward her bothered her. “I love you,” she said in a soft, controlled voice.

  This time he looked over at her. “You sure? Because I can’t tell with the way you’ve been blowing me off lately.”

  She let his comment pass. “So...Jazlynn left a message she’s staying at a friend’s tonight and you know what that means...” She rubbed her hand up and down his thigh.

  OIivia couldn’t fathom having sex with her sister only a few feet down the hallway, so they spent most of their intimate times together at Theo’s apartment.

  He picked her hand up off his thigh, placing it on her knee. “Can’t...long day ahead of me tomorrow.”

  Her face turned sour. “I have a long day ahead of me tomorrow, too.”

  “And we have your career to thank, don’t we?” he said, sounding bitter.

  “So you’re just going to keep blaming me, is that it?”

  “Is there anyone else to blame? Yeah, let’s just keep doing things your way since it’s working so well for us.”

  She was taken aback. “What the hell are you even talking about...my way?”

  “Whenever you decide it’s time—like I have no say in the matter.” He stared at her for a few seconds then shook his head, returning his attention to the TV.

  “Well I don’t know why you’re getting all torqued up,” she said defensively.

  “You want to know I’m torqued up? Because it’s time to move this relationship forward but you keep stalling. I don’t get it, Liv.”

  “How am I stalling?”

  “By keeping things at your comfort level. To hell with what I want.”

  “Please...for God sake.” She put a hand out to touch him but he wriggled away from her.

  “Look at Simone and Jamal...they’re committed to each other. Things are perfect for them. She’s your best friend...I would think you’d want the same thing.”

  “It’s not about that...it’s about timing.” She made a weak defense.

  “Yeah...your timing. What you want. When you want it.”

  Part of her knew it was true. She’d been holding out on him for some time. But she wasn’t making him stay. He was staying of his own free will. “You’re wrong. Just give it a little more time.”

  “Until what? Until you decide its run its course and I’m left standing alone?”

  “What in God’s name are you talking about?”

  “Liv...please don’t act like you don’t know what I mean,” he said raising his voice. He got up from the sofa, leaving her sitting alone.

  She got up and followed him to the door. “You knew how busy my career was when we started dating.”

  “Never once did I agree to a one-sided relationship.”

  “This is far from a one-sided relationship and you know that.”

  “Well it sure as hell doesn’t feel like it,” he said, turning the door knob.

  “So what happened to making things work?”

  “What about it?” His eyes flashed in anger. “Does that mean we’re supposed to be two ships passing in the night? What am I supposed to do, Liv? Just take a number and stand in line?”

  She was hurt by his comments. “That’s not fair and you know it.” Why couldn’t he see that she was trying and that she wanted their relationship to work?

  He huffed, walking out, leaving her standing alone. He returned with his jacket a few seconds later, quickly slipping it on. He stood staring at her. “I’ve barely seen you this past two weeks,” he said, sounding frustrated.

  “I know, and I’m working on clearing up my schedule a little more so that we can spend more time together. I promise.”

  “Don’t you dare talk down to me.”

  “How am I talking down to you?”

  “By placating me.”

  “I’m not placating you.”

  “Yes you are. Why you’re so opposed to taking things to the next level is beyond me. We don’t even live together yet, for gods sakes!”

  “You know full well living here with me and Jazlynn isn’t possible. It’d be too awkward. After she goes away to school next year—”

  “I’m not talking about shacking up Liv. I’m talking about a legal commitment.”

  Seeing Simone and Jamal as a married couple had only escalated his desires for the same. “Here we go...,” she mumbled under her breath. “Like I said...when things slow down a little...”

  Part of her knew he was right. But she craved the feeling of accomplishment that came with burying herself in her work. Five and a half years at Harris, Templeton and Monroe under her belt and she was still a rookie with a lot to accomplish. She couldn’t imagine letting go of that. But at the same time, she didn’t want to lose the man she loved.

  Chapter Four

  Alistair scanned his appointments, preparing for busy day ahead. He had two showings that morning. The first one to a picky couple looking for their first home and second the house he’d found for Simone and Jamal. He was anxious to show them the bright, sunny executive split level he’d found. It’d make a great starter home. Simone told him they planned on having children as soon as possible, so he knew there was ample room for lots of them. He grinned to himself thinking about it as he stretched his long frame back in the leather high-back chair and chewed the tip of his pen for a moment. It was hard to imagine Jamal as a father. He’d have to see it for himself when it finally happened.

  He recalled their days in university together. Wild days full of girls and booze. They’d been joined at the hip, partying hard for a good portion of those years. They finally got it together when they were hit with the realization that their respective futures were just on the horizon. Both graduated with degrees in commerce. Jamal landed a decent paying job as a business analyst and Alistair a job as a financial advisor. He knew how to make money, save money, but more importantly, how to invest it. He had a tidy sum in his bank account as a result.

  He’d left his banking career almost three years ago to devote his career to selling real estate full-time. He’d only dabbled in it at first, selling it on the side. He’d kept an eye out for hot properties, while further expanding his knowledge in the arena. Once discovering his knack for selling, he decided to leave his job at the bank altogether. Selling real estate was hard work but could also be very rewarding. Commissions earned from the sale of a high-end home could be tremendous and with the market just coming out of a slump he was considering starting his own investment property business. He was courting a few potential partners, figuring the sooner he capitalized on the pending real estate boom, the better.

  “Here’s the contract you’ve been waiting for.” His secretary interrupted his thoughts as she entered his office and laid a fax on his desk. “And the flyers for that other open house are ready for pickup.”

  “Thank you, Bridget.” At that moment his cell-phone rattled on his desk.

  “Hey...what’s up stranger?�
�� a sultry voice asked on the other end.

  Corrine Neville, the girl he’d been casually seeing for the past six months. He immediately rolled his eyes toward the ceiling. “I’m actually quite busy at the moment.” He adjusted the phone between his neck and shoulder as he scribbled reminder notes about a piece of property in his day planner.

  Honestly, as of late he’d been little bored with her. He hated women who pursued. And Corrine was a pursuer in every sense of the word. He preferred more of a challenge. He liked a chase and she wasn’t providing one for him.

  “I see...” She paused. “There’s a new movie showing tonight and wondered if you wanted to go see it?”

  “Would love to but I have showings all evening.”

  “The whole evening?”

  “Uh-huh. Pretty much.”

  She sweetened her voice even more if that was possible. “I’d still like to go see it together. What’s Friday looking like for you?”

  “Not sure.” He was growing impatient with her. “Not really looking that good as it stands right now, though.”

  “Well maybe give me a call later this week if your schedule is open. How’s that sound?”

  “Will do. Thanks for calling.”

  He hung up before she could drag the conversation any further.

  Leaning back in the chair, he tapped his pen on the desk and thought for a moment. It wasn’t that Corrine wasn’t a nice girl. She was attractive and took care of herself. Working on a master’s degree in social work, she was certainly well-educated. But she was too needy and clingy and seemed to be lacking that certain something he was looking for and he didn’t feel much of connection with her.

  He’d left a trail of women in his past who didn’t measure up to his standards. He’d been criticized for being too picky. But he knew what he wanted. He’d set a certain standard for himself and sure as hell didn’t plan on lowering it at this stage of the game. Although he was in no hurry to settle down, he knew when he did it wouldn’t be with just anyone.

  He’d been told he was incredibly handsome, very easy on the eyes and had the body of a Greek god. He found that last description quite amusing. Sure he spent time at the gym and set of rock-solid abs, but a Greek God? Not quite. He didn’t consider himself a conceited brother but had to admit he noticed women swooning over him during the run of a day. So with good looks, a great physique, and more importantly, a high level of intelligence how could he afford to be anything other than picky? He wasn’t looking for arm candy, just someone that could at least match what he had to offer. Compatibility was everything in a relationship. He’d learned that from his parents’ ill-fated marriage. Two people just had to be on the same page to make a relationship work. If not, things went south— like his parents’ marriage.

  His parents had divorced during his mid-teens. Leonard and Loretta Davenport had married at a very young age after Loretta became pregnant with Alistair. Since it was the proper thing to do in those days, they’d gotten married. The first several years of marriage had been relatively good. But by Alistair’s tenth birthday things had begun unraveling.

  Leonard’s job as a traveling salesman took him on the road for weeks at a time while Loretta held things together at home raising Alistair and his brother on her own. After discovering she was pregnant with Marquise, the prospect of raising thee children alone proved to be too much. Alistair vividly recalled the sounds of arguing coming from his parent’s bedroom. It had been troubling for a young boy. He’d been disturbed hearing the two most important people in his life yelling and screaming at each other. Frightened of what might happen to them he’d cried himself to sleep many nights. Shortly before his sixteenth birthday, his mother took the three children out for supper, gently telling them she and their father were getting divorced. Their father had fallen love with someone else and their marriage was over. He remembered Marquise bursting into tears. How he’d consoled her, assuring her that everything would be okay for them. In hindsight it was a miracle his parents’ marriage had survived as long as it did.

  No, Alistair would definitely ensure he was compatible for life before committing to marriage.

  Alistair left his first showing rather annoyed. First-time homebuyers with unrealistic expectations were the bane of his existence. How they expected so much with so little money was beyond him. The couple had given him the run around and hadn’t been happy with anything he’d shown them. If they learned to lower their damned expectations maybe I could help them, he thought, irritated as he sat in the car waiting for Simone and Jamal to arrive. He was tapping away on his laptop checking for other available listings when he saw them arrive through the rearview mirror. As they drove up and parked behind him, he quickly shut down his laptop, stuffing it back into the carrier before hopping out of his Passat. The car alarm made two chirping sounds as he locked the door with the remote.

  They were all smiles as he walked over to meet them.

  “I’m already in love with it,” Simone gushed with excitement.

  Alistair smiled. “And a two-car garage just like you wanted...”

  Jamal nodded, grinning. “Good job, man. I’m liking this a lot.” He stared up at the huge bay windows.

  “Beautiful windows,” Simone said.

  “Let’s go take a look,” Alistair said, leading them up the walkway.

  “Wow...looks great,” Jamal said, looking impressed as they stepped into the foyer.

  “Oh my! Baby, this is just what we were hoping for!”

  A feeling of satisfaction washed over Alistair every time he pulled his car into the driveway of his two-bedroom bungalow home. It was the perfect reward after a long day’s work. He’d purchased the house two years ago through a foreclosure. It required plenty of TLC and he’d gotten right down to business hiring the best contractor he could find to renovate it just the way he wanted. Although just a tiny house, it was perfect for him and was all he needed at this stage of his life. He was proud of the curb appeal the house represented. The wrap-around deck he’d built not long after moving in, the freshly mowed grass, the tiny flower garden, the nicely kept one-car garage full of his favorite tools and things. Hell, even his nosey neighbors made it what it was. The small talk shared across the fence with a neighbor was one the perks often overlooked in a close-knit, small community.

  He made his way up the front steps and smiled at the sound of neighborhood children playing up the street. He turned around, watching them at a distance for a few moments. A few of them were on bikes and a couple of them were whirring around on roller blades. He supposed one day he’d be hearing the sound of his own vibrant children. His mother would absolutely love that. Grinning to himself, he turned his attention to the mailbox and flipped the lid open while simultaneously putting the key in the door. He pulled out what seemed like an endless stream of junk mail then continued into the house. The sound of the door opening brought with it the sound of paws hitting the floor as his dog, Thunder, rounded the corner to greet him. The dog wagged his tail, watching as Alistair pulled off his shoes. Alistair had owned the black lab for almost eight years.

  “How about going for a walk tonight, bud?” Alistair said, as the dog licked his face then responded with a simple howl.

  “Let’s get you some fresh water and then we’ll take a walk to the park before the sun sets, how’s that sound?”

  Thunder tilted his head slightly to the side in response.

  With the dog tagging behind, Alistair made his way to the pantry and removed a bag of dog food and topped off dish. He then filled the water dish and Thunder wasted no time thirstily lapping away at the contents. After washing up, Alistair heated up leftovers from the night before and decided to eat in the living room. He flipped the TV on just in time to catch the start of the evening news. Sitting on the couch with his laptop open in front of him on the coffee table, he took a few moments to check emails, glancing up at the TV whenever a news story caught his interest.

  He was about to close the web brows
er when an email notification popped up. He clicked it open to find it was Corrine reminding him about the local multicultural festival occurring in a few weeks. She wanted to know if he planned on going. Had he not been so amused by her persistence he’d have been irritated. She just wasn’t giving up. He was about to close her email without responding but decided to send her a quick reply thanking her for the reminder. At the same time he decided to appease her for her efforts by telling her he was taking Thunder for a walk after supper if she wanted to come. He told her to meet him at his house in an hour if she was interested.

  An hour later, Alistair heard her pull up in his driveway. She was all smiles as he and Thunder met her in the yard. She looked simple in a yellow tank top and khaki shorts and flip-flops, her hair tied up in a ponytail.

  Within fifteen minutes they arrived at the park. She linked her arm in his as they walked along the wooded path, passing other evening walkers and joggers. They walked until it started to get dark then made their way back to his house. He invited inside for a drink of iced tea and she happily accepted. As they sat on the couch and sipped their glasses, she snuggled closer to him and began rubbing his leg. Why he allowed it he didn’t know. He was trying to wean himself off of her and this wasn’t helping. All they’d ever had between them was sex. Good sex. But just sex nonetheless. He knew she wanted more, but he wasn’t prepared to give it to her.

  She undid the zipper on his shorts and the rest was history.

  Chapter Five

  Olivia took a sip of coffee and clicked the email icon on her desktop. As usual her inbox was full. A client was anxious about a pending acquisition and wanted to set up a meeting as soon as possible. She sent him a message assuring him that her secretary would have a meeting scheduled by the end of the day. After sending off a few more emails, she reviewed some research materials she’d set aside the day before. She had her head lowered over a stack of papers when Bertram walked in.

  “Ah...there you are,” he said. “Are you sure you went home last night? I seem to recall you in that same spot going over the same stack of papers when I left here last night.”