Maya And The Tough Guy (25 page)

He shook her hand. “I’m pleased to meet you, Sophie. You seem very sophisticated for kindergarten.”

“Thank you,” she said sweetly.

“And you?” he turned to Matthew.

“Mattie,” he said. “Uncle Jayce is training me to be a boxer.”

Grey whistled. “I’ll be extra polite to you, then.”

“A boxer? When did this happen?” Addy asked.

“I went to the gym and met a guy named Ace. Now Uncle Jayce takes me there on the weekends.”

“Mm, I’ve met Ace,” Addy said. “Big guy. Muscles on his muscles.”

Mattie laughed.
 

Maya watched Grey watching Addy.

“Aunt Addy, can we have another tea party sometime?” Sophie asked.

“Aunt Addy,” Grey muttered with a smile, as he opened up his menu.

Addy blushed. “Of course. I’ll be down next weekend. I’ll come by and tea party with you.”

Sophie bounced in her seat. Maya was pleased to see that the man could hold a conversation with children. Better than Jayce at the beginning. But now she was looking with sympathy on Addy whose eyes were big and round behind her glasses. She sat stick straight with her hands folded in her lap, not bothering with the menu. She wouldn’t be eating.

“So what do you teach, Grey?” Jayce asked.

Grey folded his menu and relaxed into his chair. “Political science. Ms. Hart is taking my Economics of Poverty class at the moment.”

“It’s an extremely interesting topic,” she said, relaxing now that she had a scholarly subject to pontificate on. “And with Dr. McDaniel’s experience working with the UN, it’s a very difficult class to get into. Everyone wants to hear him speak.”

“The UN, wow,” Jayce said. “How’d you go from that to teaching in St. Louis?”

“Well, my family is here. I got shot in the leg while distributing vaccines in Somalia. By the time I finished physical therapy on that, my teaching career was already taking off. And I just decided to stick around. Ten years in third world countries, I guess I was just ready to be home.”

“He’s a great boon to the university. Very famous in academic circles,” Addy said reverentially.
 

“Oh, come on, Addison,” he said.

And she looked at him, because it was the first time, in Maya’s hearing, that he’d called her by name. “It’s true.”

“I think it’s just because I got shot. Gives me street cred with the kids, ain’t that right?” He tugged at a strand of her hair.

“I wouldn’t know,” she said, stiffening. “I’m not a kid.”

Grey’s eyes studied her profile intently and she was obviously doing everything in her power to avoid looking at him.

The waitress came by and they ordered. Addy and Grey both got salads and then smiled bashfully at each other.

“So, Addy, are you going to be able to come Friday night?” Maya asked.

“Absolutely. I am so excited. But do me a favor and don’t tell my mom I’m coming because she’ll want me to visit and I’m planning on crashing with Zoey. And you,” she said turning to Jayce. “You’re not going to drink, are you?”

“In a room full of drunk women? Why would I need to?”

“Good. Because you get really grabby and flirty when you drink.”

“That’s not his natural state?” Maya asked, winking at Jayce as she sipped her soda. She turned to Grey. “We’re having a Ladies Night charity event for Valentine’s Day, Friday. You should come, if you’ve got the time. Because as Jayce said, there will be a room full of drunk women.”

“And Addy will be one of them. Girl cannot handle her liquor,” Jayce said.

Addy cocked her head and scratched her temple with her middle finger.

“I can’t imagine Addison getting drunk,” Grey said.
 

“She’s my favorite person to drink with,” Jayce said. “Turns into a dancing queen and she’ll make out with anyone.”

“Jayce, for God’s sake.” She turned to Grey. “I don’t get drunk. Once in high school. And maybe once or twice in college.”

Jayce snorted. “I know I personally made out with you three times in high school, and that would only happen if you were drunk.”

“I wasn’t drunk at my birthday party.”

“You sure about that?”

The two bickered back and forth and Maya suppressed a smile. Jayce was a good friend. He was making Dr. McDaniel jealous. Jayce kept casting knowing grins at Grey who would darken and smile stiffly. Addy wasn’t noticing, but Maya was.
 

At last, Addy punched Jayce in the shoulder and said, “Stop defaming my character, you tattooed jackass.”

Everyone, Grey included, got a laugh out of that. Maya felt sorry for Addy in that this was likely the most nervous she’d ever been in her life.

“And what is it you do, Maya?” Grey asked, once their food had arrived.

“I’m a barmaid,” she said.

“Needs to be an event planner,” Jayce said. “Reckon you gotta go to school for that?”

Maya stared at him.

“Not necessarily,” Addy said. “Though I’m sure a business degree would be beneficial, don’t you think, Dr. McDaniel?”

He frowned and washed down the bite of salad he’d just taken with a drink of water. “I imagine the same studies that people who want to work in the hotel business would take. The business degree with the concentration in hospitality management. She could get that here in St. Louis.”

Maya’s hand was suddenly covered by Jayce’s. “She’s working on her GED right now,” he said. “Is it difficult to get into a degree program without a high school transcript?”

Dr. McDaniel shrugged. “Not really. She’ll need to take one of the tests, of course. SAT or ACT. I’m not sure how well a GED program prepares you for those, though. She’ll want to take a prep course, if possible. Community centers usually offer programs like that fairly regularly.”

Jayce gave her hand a squeeze. “What do you think, baby girl? You wanna go to school?”

Maya gaped at him. “You haven’t even seen whether my Valentine’s party is a success.”

“It will be. You’ve loved putting it together.”

“I have, but that’s hardly a basis for a career.”

He shrugged. “You can do anything you want, that’s all I’m saying.”

“Including magic up tens of thousands of dollars for a degree?”

“Maybe you’ll get a scholarship. In fact, I’ve been thinking the bar needs to offer scholarship money for its employees. That would help.”

No feelings indeed. A man who only wanted sex wouldn’t be at all concerned with her future.
 

“Maya,” Grey said, “a single, low-income mom…there’s grant money just waiting for you. Get your GED and I’ll be happy to walk you through the process.”

“Thank you,” she said, deeply meaning it. And then she laughed. “God, I could go to college.” She squeezed Jayce’s hand and stared up at him with tear-filled eyes. He lifted her hand to his lips.

“You get smarter than me, you’ll be able to find yourself a better boyfriend.”

There he was playing dumb again. But even worse, using a term she hadn’t given him. He knew it, too.
 

He laughed and shook his head. “I mean love slave. A better love slave.”

She grinned, but behind it was sadness and regret. No more Friday nights. She couldn’t do this to him anymore. “No feelings?”

“Hell, no! Do I look like the kind of guy who has feelings? Don’t even worry about it.”

She exchanged a knowing look with Addy.
 

After they finished eating, Jayce suggested they take the kids to the City Museum for a while. They invited Addy and Grey.
 

Grey looked at Addy with uncertainty. “I shouldn’t,” he said.

She nodded. “I understand.”

They stood and he took her hand, giving it a squeeze. “I enjoyed having lunch with you, Ms. Hart.”

“Likewise, Dr. McDaniel.”
 

He left with shoulders slumped and head down. Addy fell into her chair and dropped her forehead to the table.
 

“Aw, come on, kid,” Jayce said, hauling her to her feet. “Shake it off.”

She looked miserable, but she let him lead her outside, and she followed them to the City Museum. They watched the kids play for a couple of hours before heading their separate ways. The drive home was quiet. Jayce kept his hand on Maya’s thigh, but neither of them had much to say.

CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO

Maya and Janice were getting more and more excited about their Valentine’s Ladies’ Night. They’d found several guys to serve drinks. Maya had even talked Zoey into lending them Kellen. They were promoting the whole thing as a charity event, donating all proceeds to the local women’s shelter.
 

On the Tuesday before, Maya had a planning meeting with Janice and the other five waitresses.
 

“You won’t believe it,” said Angel, a vibrant, bouncy brunette. “I talked to my friend, Tammy…she and two other stylists are willing to come and just set up stations around the bar and give free manicures. You know, we can leave like donation jars at their tables.”

Maya was about to praise the hell out of Angel when Tasha spoke up.

“I’m totally sleeping with this guy who works at Godiva. I can get us a ton of truffles. I thought we could put them in little individual boxes for, like, favors.”

Maya opened her mouth to squeal in delight.
 

But then Janice said, “I found this great girl band. They rock, like, hard. And they want to play for us so bad. Here’s their CD.”

Maya took the CD and gaped at it. She looked around at all the little changes Jayce had been making over the past few weeks. He’d changed the lighting. There were now sofas and chairs and coffee tables in three little nooks in the building, for a more intimate setting. He’d told her she could decorate however she wanted for the Ladies’ Night.
 

Just then, a martini glass was placed in front of her. Pink liquid surrounded a quickly dissolving mound of cotton candy. She looked up to see Jayce towering over her. “Saw that on Pinterest. Don’t judge me.” He walked away.

She bounced in her seat and tasted the drink. “Oh, my God, so good!” She passed it around to each of the girls who all gushed.

“Jayce, baby, you’re amazing,” Tasha moaned.

“all right, all right,” he said, waving off their compliments. He was puttering behind the bar. They were an hour from opening.
 

“We wanna try the Bomb Pop!” Janice shouted at him.

“Bomb Pop?” Maya asked.

“He told me he was going to make a drink that looks like those Bomb Popsicles, red, white, and blue. I’m not sure it’ll fit with our theme, but it sounds awesome.”

“Another time,” he said from behind the bar. He came out with a tray of shot glasses filled with some kind of pink, frozen something. He set them on the table for everyone. “I call these Blushies. They’re vodka slushies.” Everyone took one, sipped, and moaned.
 

Maya laughed up at him. “You are so getting into the spirit, Mr. I-Don’t-Celebrate-Valentine’s-Day.”

“You asked for special drinks. I give you special drinks. I got one more.”
 

He went back behind the counter while the girls finished their vodka slushies. When he came back, he had two martini glasses filled with creamy liquid, one white, one with chocolate swirls in the glass. The rims were dipped in sprinkles in various shades of pink. “I give you the Cupcake Cutie and the Chocolate Cupcake Cutie.”

Maya sipped and passed, sipped and passed. “Where are you coming up with the names for these things?” she asked with a giggle.

“I got in touch with my feminine side. Are they good?”

Everyone nodded and gushed over how good they were.
 

“Jayce with a feminine side,” Janice said. “Who would have thought.”

Jayce took the empty glasses and walked back to the bar. “I was kidding. I don’t have a feminine side. I asked Sophie for ideas.”

Maya’s heart warmed. “Did you really?”

“Yeah,” he laughed. “The other day I was waiting for Mattie to get ready for the gym. She showed me your Pinterest board and helped me come up with ideas for girlie drinks.”

Maya watched him busy behind the counter, saying in such an off-hand way something that made a profound impact on her. It had been three days since they were last together. He’d hinted, but she’d turned him down. She’d rejected two kiss-attempts and he’d backed off of that, too. Now, he barely touched her, but he was still getting too close. The things he was doing for her, making friends with her kids, supporting her in every way…she needed to tell him that she didn’t plan to sleep with him again. Ever. As disappointing as that was to her lady parts, her heart just couldn’t take it.
 

After the meeting, everyone but Janice left, since she was opening anyway. Maya asked Jayce for a moment in his office. She didn’t have to work until five. He followed her in, closed the door behind him, and grinned. “Haven’t been alone with you in a while,” he said, looking her up and down.

“Three days, Jayce.”

“That’s three days too many, Maya.”

She smiled sadly. “I just need to clear the air about something.”

His expression went stony, like it did so often. The walls slammed up. “Sure. What’s up?”

“I just wanted you to know that as much as I’ve loved being with you—“

He laughed bitterly and turned away, going behind his desk. He sat down. “It was just sex, Maya. I told you. No big deal. You wanna do it again, I’m your man. If not? No big deal.”

She sat on the edge of the chair in front of his desk. “It’s just, you’re being so kind to me. I want to be up front about my feelings and intentions.”

“Your lack of feelings and intentions you mean.”

She swallowed.

He drummed his fingers on his desk for a moment. “Maya, I know where you are. You’ve been completely up front and honest all along. There’s no problem from my end, okay? We’re just friends having sex. I’m good with that.”

“It kind of feels like you’re…courting me.”

His jaw muscles ticked. “I’m not courting you.”

“You’ve been doing so many things for me. Things that a boyfriend might do. No…things that a husband might do.”

He shook his head and looked away.