Page 13 of Rejection Overruled

“Who you calling a coward?” Jamal asked.

“You are. You were a jerk in high school and now you’re a wuss,” I taunted waving him away. “Now run along.”

“Now look here...”

“You’re scared of me and that I might turn out to be more than just a fat girl. You were scared then and you are afraid now, Jamal. Being 93% makes one quiver a little, doesn’t it?”

Jamal puckered his brows. “93%?”

“Didn’t you know that’s what they call you?”

“What are you talking about?”

“Your nickname in our circle. 93% win.”

He chuckled and seemed unconcerned with the name. “That’s nothing to be ashamed about Brooke. You’re making a big deal out of nothing because you never lost a case.”

“I’m glad you know that. Now run along, that’s what you do best anyway.”

“You look here….”

“You’re a runner, Jamal Styles, you run from challenges. That bet in high school, you weren’t man enough to stand up to your friends. And the way you ran in the Anderson case?” I was on a roll and I was enjoying myself. “You knew that going to court on that Anderson case would be a sure loss for you going up against me, so you convinced your client to settle. I can bet any money that you’re now encouraging Dennison to settle out of court.”

“Isn’t my duty to give my clients the best option?”

“Then see you in court Mr. Styles. No need to be ashamed of running away from this date, I promise you I won’t tell anyone how much of a coward you were. Oh, and you have no need to feel like you’re being punished.”

I walked away, following after the Maître D. My plan was to taunt him to the point where he would feel challenged. If he was really a wuss, he’d leave the restaurant with his tails between his legs. But I knew Jamal Styles was not a coward. I knew his ego was too big for him to back off a challenge.

By the time I was seated, he was also pulling a chair across the table. We glared at each other while a waiter placed two menus before us. I stared unblinking into his eyes.

“I thought you’d be half way across LA by now,” I said. “Are you sure you can handle all this?” I swept my hands, indicating my body. “Are you sure that sitting here won’t be punishment enough for you? What will your friends think?”

Leaning forward, I was certain he was able to see my cleavage clearly. Cocking my head slightly to one side, I ran the tips of my fingers along my neckline.

“Are you that desperate for a date with me that you would challenge me this way?” he asked, his eyes following my hands. “Maybe you had wanted more than that kiss.”

“So you remember the kiss that made you want to gag so badly?” I challenged. “Perhaps you had felt more than you thought possible in that little kiss. Maybe you had wanted to be with me. Maybe, just maybe you were the one who felt rejected when I stopped you from getting to third base.”

“Don’t flatter yourself Brooke Owens,” he replied. “I don’t get hung up on rejection the way you do. I am a bigger man than that.”

I laughed. “Your ego is the biggest thing you’ve got, perhaps compensating for a lack of something else?” As I spoke, my eyes dropped to his crotch.

“I assure you, nothing is lacking in any department,” he replied as he sat and leaned his elbow on the table.

“All men say that, but we all know that the mouth can say anything when proof isn’t required. As an attorney, I always rely on evidence.”

11 - Jamal

Brooke challenged me and I was damn if I was going to allow her to get away with it. I agree that I was a jerk in high school and I could have handled the situation better, but there were circumstances surrounding that which I thought I had no control over. Calling me a coward now was just too much.

I knew what her game was. She was out for revenge, I saw it in her eyes whenever she looked at me. I was beginning to believe that this date was her idea. It was too much of a coincidence for it to be anything else. Now that I had accepted her challenge, it was now time to prove that I could handle her.

I had no idea what she expected from me or what she was going to do. All I knew was that I found myself relaxing as she brought up a conversation about soccer, which completely threw me off guard. I had no idea she knew so much about sports.

She was a good conversationalist. I had to give her credit for that. Dinner was surprisingly a pleasant affair, that I was completely lost in her company. It was strange to say the least that many of the women I’d dated knew nothing about the things I liked. Brooke was different.

By the end of the evening, I was sure we’d do this again, but I wasn’t sure how to venture the subject. When I walked her to her car, I was expecting another challenge. I was wrong.

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