Winning Dawn (8 page)

“I won’t cause any trouble. I just want to let the guy know what a gem he’s getting.”

“That’s not your place. I don’t appreciate it and neither will he.”

He stood, towering over her. “You look fantastic. I can’t recall the last time we dressed up and went out.” He glanced down at his tux. “It’s never too late.”

“Sometimes it is,” she said dryly. “Especially when one of us is going out with someone else.” She shoved him toward the door. “Leave.”

He turned the knob, but simply stood in the doorway. “I’ll always love you, Dawn, my baby.”

She didn’t think loving her would hurt him overly since loving her had never deterred him from being with other women. He took her hand and kissed it and then held it to his cheek. She tugged to get him to release her, but he wouldn’t.

“Don’t hate me.”

She didn’t want to waste anymore emotions on him. “I don’t hate you. In a way, in some miniscule corner of my heart, I will always love you.” His broad grin reminded her of happier times and then he was gone. She shook her head with a laugh. She wondered if Reggie knew the meaning of “miniscule.”

Chapter 8

“I will always love you.”

Those were the only words Evan heard and it was more than enough. Upon seeing the parking tied up in front of Dawn’s townhouse, he’d driven past and parked in front of one of her neighbor’s homes. He was a few minutes early for their date. Anticipating seeing her had had him on a high all day. He’d managed to finish the instruction manual he’d been writing for a piece of photo editing software at noon. Since then, he’d worked out and gone over to Josh’s old place to pick up the mail to fill time to prevent rushing over to see Dawn. He hadn’t wanted to appear too eager or desperate.

He’d begun to think that they could build something more. He liked Dawn. She was beautiful, funny and smart. He enjoyed being with her.

His track record with women should have told him better.

This entire time she’d been using him as substitute for that ass Reggie. He was nothing but a distraction for her. Josh had warned him that she always went back to him. But he’d listened to his cock instead of his brother’s sage advice.

Women! He’d never understand them. Why couldn’t she get over a man who cheated on her and always put himself first? Didn’t she think she deserved better?

Damn. Anger burned in him hotter than he thought possible. He’d been planning to go traditional for their first date. Dinner and a movie and dancing afterwards, if she wanted. He didn’t particularly care for dancing, but he enjoyed the feeling of having her in his arms. Whatever she wanted was fine with him as long as she was with him.

Evan climbed behind the wheel of his car and slammed his door harder than was necessary. Beneath all the anger was hurt and disappointment.

His grip on the wheel tightened as he recalled seeing Reggie backing out of Dawn’s door, her hand on his cheek. The ass was probably leaving so that she could have time to dump him once he showed up. Or going to pick up his stuff and move back in. Evan shook his head and started his car. Well, if that’s what she wanted in a man, she could have him.

* * * *

Evan was over half an hour late. Dawn frowned, beginning to get concerned. She opened her purse and pulled out her cell. He didn’t answer, but that was not unusual. He had a tendency to turn his ringer off. But tardiness was not normal for him. She hoped he was okay. She called several times more before he finally answered.

“Yes?”

His curtness caught her off guard. She assumed that he saw her name on the caller ID display. “Evan, you’re late.” She glanced at her watch. “By forty-five minutes. Did you forget our date?”

“No.”

Her brows rose. “Then you’re standing me up on purpose?” Silence greeted her. Dawn took a deep breath, trying to calm the flames of her impending temper. “Evan, you begged me for this chance and now you’ve changed your mind? What is it? Once I said yes, the challenge of being with me got boring? Or did screwing the black girl get old?”

“Don’t you dare try to use that as an excuse. I’ve been with black women before. I was there for our date. I was there early. And you were otherwise occupied.”

“Otherwise occupied?” She frowned before understanding dawned. He’d seen Reggie leaving her place.

“It’s okay. This thing between us was only temporary. I see you’re ready to go back to what you’re used to.”

“That’s not true.”

“Either you’re lying to me or you’re lying to yourself. Either way, I’m done. I don’t play games and I don’t want to be in the middle of your and Reggie’s shit.”

He was ending it. Her throat tightened painfully. Tears filled her eyes, surprising her and making her angry. “Fine,” she snapped, and hung up on him. She shook her head. She never should have agreed to go out with him. She wiped away her tears and stomped upstairs to change into her pajamas.

She’d had it right before. She was so done with men right now.

Chapter 9

Saturday morning she woke groggy. Her head ached and her brain seemed to be made of cotton. Crying did that to her. She kept telling herself that crying wasn’t going to fix anything, but the tears kept coming. So she was in no mood for the person who leaned heavily on her doorbell at eight in the morning. She took her time making her way downstairs in the hopes that whoever it was would leave. A quick glance out the peephole revealed a very light-skinned woman with long hair dyed a honey color and thick pink lips. She would have been pretty if she wasn’t wearing an exaggerated pout. Her pose screamed attitude. Next to her own car was parked a tiny, two-door fuel efficient vehicle in bright red. It looked like a wind-up toy next to her SUV.

Dawn opened the door. “Yes?” She was eyed from head to toe. Dawn returned the inspection with a bland look. She knew she didn’t look her best currently. Her eyes were puffy from crying over that damned Evan, a man that she hadn’t wanted to date anyway. Her hair was wrapped in a silk scarf. And the flannel pajamas she currently wore had been picked for comfort rather than flair. What did she expect? It was before noon on a weekend.

“Are you Dawn?”

“Yes.”

“My name is Tanika and we have a problem. You see, you can’t seem to leave my man alone, bitch. Now I’m here to tell you—”

“Na-uh,” Dawn cut her off immediately. “Reggie was my man first. So don’t come to me with this wronged woman shit. Believe me, I’ve been a master at it for more years than you’ve had your driver’s license. If Reggie doesn’t want you any more, don’t blame me. I’m done with his cheating ass. Now you turn around, get in your carlette, and get the hell off my property.” With that, she slammed the door in Tanika’s face. She locked the door and returned to bed all without checking to see if Tanika had left.

However, once in bed, she found the confrontation had left her too riled to sleep. With a curse, she slid from between the warm sheets and went to shower. She dressed and looked at her shoulder length hair in the mirror. Change was in order. Saturday wasn’t the best day to try to get a last minute appointment with a hairdresser. Fortunately, she was on a first name basis with her stylist. Since she was a regular, they might squeeze her in between other clients.

* * * *

“You cut your hair,” Alma Smith noted.

“Yes, Mama.” Dawn touched a hand to her new spiky pixie cut. It was shorter than she’d ever had it done. She loved it. She only wished she could have gotten the blue streaks like her hairdresser Andre had tempted her to do.

“Hmph.” Her mother turned away without opening the screen door. “It’s unlocked. Come on in before you let all the heat out.”

Dawn entered and followed her mother through the den to the kitchen. The smells of Sunday dinner filled the room. She sat at the table as her mother returned to the stove to stir collard greens in a large pot. She wiped her hands on her apron and turned back to Dawn. “Are you staying for dinner?”

“If you’ll have me.”

“You’re the one who stopped coming over. You were never unwelcome.”

She acknowledged her mother’s words with a nod. It was Reggie who had been unwelcome and she’d been too stubborn to come without him. “I’m sorry.” She cleared her throat and decided to get right to the point of her visit. “We broke up, Mama.”

Alma’s lips pursed. “Mm.” She turned the light on in her oven and peeked through the glass at whatever lay inside.

“I’m sorry about…ignoring your advice about him. He moved out the day after the rehearsal dinner. It’s really over.”

“And you’re just now telling me?”

Dawn studied her mother’s expression. It was at once exasperated and joyous. “I didn’t want to ruin Kayla’s wedding with talk of the break up.”

“Please! It would have been good news!” She rushed over and folded Dawn in her arms. “I like this new haircut. It suits your face.” She kissed her forehead and then pulled back. “Please tell me that you’re the one who ended it.”

She grinned. “Yes, or I’d be blubbering right now about your joy at my pain.”

“Hmph.” She released her and ran a lock of her hair through her fingers before patting her own graying curls. “Maybe I should get my hair cut like that. I haven’t really kept up with the latest styling trends since you stopped forcing them on me.”

“And how does Mr. George feel about that?” she asked of her mother’s long time beau.

Alma waved a hand. “He’s always telling me I’m beautiful. He’s good for the ego. That’s how he keeps me.” She smiled and winked. “He’ll be over for dinner in about an hour.”

Dawn rested her chin in her hand. Her mother and Mr. George had been keeping each other company since her last year of high school. They didn’t call it dating. Dawn suspected that it was out of continued respect for their late spouses. She knew her mother considered herself too old to want to remarry. She enjoyed the freedom of being single. It allowed her to be uncompromising when she wanted to be.

“Kayla will be home next weekend, right? I’m going to bake a cheesecake and I want you to take it to her place before she returns. It will be a nice surprise.”

“Sure. I can take it when I go to check her mail.” She longed to ask her mother what she thought of Kayla marrying a white man, but it didn’t matter. Her fling with Evan was over. She wasn’t likely to start dating another white man. Still, she couldn’t help but wonder…. “Mama, what do you think of Josh?”

“I’ve barely met the boy. Cat has accepted him so he must be doing something right.”

“You think they’ll make it even though he’s white?”

“From what I hear, he’s been obsessed with your cousin for years. And you know Kayla. She’s as loyal as the day is long. Even that crazed ex-girlfriend of his couldn’t break them apart.” She stirred her collard greens. “Now, if they withstood that
and
my sister Cat’s initial disapproval, they can handle anything.”

Dawn frowned, mulling over her mother’s words. That wasn’t exactly what she needed to hear. She sighed. “But what do you think of her marrying a white guy?”

“It’s none of my business. If she’s happy and he treats her right, then who am I to care?”

“And if I were to date a white guy?”

Alma turned slowly. “Are you dating again already?”

“Not really.”

“Got someone in mind?” Dawn sighed. She didn’t know how to answer that one without launching into the entire tale. Alma put her hand to her ear. “What’s that? I didn’t hear anything.”

“Not to worry, Mama, it’s over already.”

“My goodness, girl, you’re like
The Young & The Restless
. I’m going to have to buy
Soap Opera Digest
to keep up with you.”

She laughed. “My life is not nearly that eventful.”

Alma smiled. “I’ve missed having you over.”

Dawn felt her eyes fill with tears. “I’ve missed you, too.”

“And as to your dating a white guy, I don’t care if he’s purple, so long as he loves you and treats you like you deserve.”

Chapter 10

When she arrived at work Monday morning, Jenna Mae and Marshall were waiting at her desk. Dawn shook her head and laughed at the two of them. “You all are some nosey folks,” she declared before continuing on to her seat. “I’m sorry to disappoint you, but there’s not much to tell.”

Jenna Mae glanced at her empty ring finger. “Darn.”

“I said no. End of story.”

Marshall arched a brow. “This new man must be something special.”

“Nope,” she said, taking a seat and booting up her computer. She swallowed to speak past the lump in her throat. “That’s over, too.”

A second brow rose to meet the first. “Really?”

“You move fast,” Jenna Mae said. “Love the new cut, by the way.”

“Thanks. I’m learning to love it, too. It’s so much more manageable this way.”

“Well, I’ve got calls to make, e-mails to send, yada.” Jenna Mae waved. “Meet you guys for lunch?” she called over her shoulder.

“Sure thing.” She glanced up, surprised to see Marshall still standing there. “Is there something you wanted?”

“A date with you,” he said without preamble.

Her mouth dropped open. She’d always thought of Marshall as nothing more than an office buddy. She was barely aware that he was a man. He hung out with her and Jenna Mae so often that he seemed like one of the girls. When she’d discovered that he wasn’t gay, she’d assumed he was warming up to Jenna Mae. “Um….”

“Think about it, okay?”

She halted him before he could leave. “Marshall, I can’t.”

“Still hung up on Reggie?”

“No, not at all.” If anything, she was having regrets about Evan. If she hadn’t been so angry with him, she would have assured him that Reggie and she were history. “I really like you but—”

“You see me as only a friend.” She nodded and he sighed. “Okay, but you can’t blame a guy for trying.” He leaned over and dropped his voice. “Just so you know, the sex would have been out of this world.”

Her brows arched. “I’ll keep that in mind.”

* * * *

Friday evening saw her driving up to Kayla’s house with one of her mother’s classic New York cheesecakes, a bottle of champagne she’d picked up, and some fresh strawberries. She saw no reason for the couple to end their honeymoon the second they returned. She hoped to inspire some romantic moments.