Page 32 of Rejection Overruled

Now, that got me curious. It was Saturday, a day for relaxing and I had been tensed all week. This was perhaps her way of getting me to relax. I grinned. That sneaky little thing, surprising me with a girl’s day out. If I knew my best friend well, she’d ordered champagne, a beauty treatment and movies. Of course we could do those things at home, but doing them in one of the prime hotel suites – nothing could compare.

Champagne sat on a trolley in the center of the room along with snacks. The room smelled of fresh blooms, but there was no esthetician. I set my handbag down on the armchair and headed for the champagne. It was around eleven, a little early for alcohol, but never too early for champagne.

“Don’t touch that,” Sophia commanded.

I was about to protest when voices filtered through the room. I whipped around, expecting to see others there. We were alone. If I wasn’t confident that I was in my right mind, I’d have sworn I was indeed losing my sanity.

“What am I doing here, Robert?” A male voice said.

The voice was distinctly that of Jamal. I was confused as to why Jamal would be at the hotel. Sophia was looking quite sheepish as I expressed my bewilderment. It was then I noticed a small black device that looked like a radio sitting on the small table against the wall. I approached and confirmed what I had suspected. This was a transmitter and it had been placed there by my best friend. For what reason I was yet to figure out.

Before I could question her motives, another voice came through the device.

“Last night we never got to finish our conversation,” the male voice said. “I was shocked when you told me you loved that woman.”

“That woman has a name, Robert,” Jamal said.

Picking up my purse I was headed to the door when his next words stopped me in my tracks.

“Her name is Brooke, so don’t you forget it.”

“Look J, you’re my kid brother and I would never do anything to intentionally hurt you. All I wanted was for you to fit in.”

“That’s why you made me hurt the girl I cared about?”

“You should have told me,” Robert countered.

“I tried, many times, but you never listened. You told me to my face which girls I should never date. I was naive to have listened to you. And that stupid bet,” he paused. “Anyway, that’s water under the bridge.”

“You’re my baby brother, I was just looking out for you. I had no idea you liked the nerdy girl.”

My fist folded tightly at my side, my eyes closed, I counted back from ten. I needed to hear more from Jamal. Was this a part of his game? Someone touched my shoulder and I opened my eyes.

Sophia spun me around. “He doesn’t know you’re here Brooke.”

“What is this Soph?”

“I overhead a conversation with him and his brother at the function. I confronted Robert and confirmed that Jamal was coerced into joining his brother’s private jock fraternity. That bet was a part of his initiation. Jamal thought that he could appease his brother, join the frat and still go on that date with you.”

“No, this is all wrong.” I shook my head in disbelief.

But even as my mind was denying what was in front of me, my heart was saying something different. I remember the kiss from fifteen years ago. That soft growl in Jamal’s throat. I’d been telling myself for over a decade that what I thought was wrong. I had overheard their conversation.

“He deliberately lost the bet to go out with you Brooke,” Sophia was saying. “Think about it Brooke. A leopard doesn’t just change its spots overnight. Jamal must have had real feelings for you. How else would you explain this sudden attraction?”

“No.”

“You said what you shared was amazing, right? Amazing can never be faked Brooke.”

“I don’t know.”

“Brooke, you’re getting what you really want and more.”

“What do you mean?”

Sophia took my hand and led me to the two-seater sofa. “Think about it. You have nothing to lose. Here’s your opportunity to either prove that Jamal is indeed as evil as you make him out to be where you can dump him. Or this might be you shot at happiness.”

“What … I should test the relationship to prove whether he’s genuine or not and dump him if he’s using me?” I asked. “That’s a stupid idea.”

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