Page 15 of What She Deserves
6
Sipping a cosmopolitan at the bar, Layla waited impatiently for Rashad to arrive. Though she hadn’t anticipated having this conversation so soon, on the ride to the restaurant she ran through how to present her idea to him in a matter-of-fact manner.
Still, she was nervous. Her call to him had been impulsive, and she wished she’d had a chance to discuss her decision in detail with her girlfriends, but Rashad’s request to meet tonight had taken her by surprise and squashed her decision to wait. That was probably for the best. She needed to get this done, and besides, she didn’t think he’d turn her down.
When Rashad arrived, her gaze lingered on his long legs in worn jeans and the span of his shoulders beneath a striped sweater.
“Hi,” she said.
“Hi.” He sat down and twisted so they were facing each other, one arm resting on the bar.
It was late, and most of the guests were in the dining room, so the bar was fairly quiet and conversation would be easy. Only one guy sat on a stool at the end, looking like he was drowning his sorrows in the beer before him. A couple sat with their heads bent together at one of the bistro tables.
The bartender came over, a lively blonde with a ring in her nose. “What can I get for you?” she asked Rashad.
“Coke, light ice,” he replied.
“A Coke?” Layla said, raising her eyebrows in surprise.
“I already had a few drinks at Alex’s.”
The bartender placed a glass with a straw in front of Rashad.
“How is he?”
She was simply making polite conversation because she didn’t know Alex well and met him only one time, when she stopped by their office. Rashad had talked about Alex to her, so she’d been excited when she ran into both of them in the lobby of Newmark Advisors and Rashad introduced them. Unfortunately, she’d gotten the distinct impression that he hadn’t wanted them to meet. He’d come across hesitant and brisk, and had all but shoved her into the elevator after thanking her for lunch. She’d said goodbye, feeling as if she’d overstepped her bounds, crushed that once again he was obviously shutting her out of part of his life.
“Fine. He got married.”
“Really?”
“Yeah. Sherry, from the office.”
“She’s one of your financial advisors, right?” She vaguely remembered him mentioning her name before.
He nodded, his eyes trained on her face.
Layla took a swallow of her drink, taking solace in the effect of the cool liquid wetting her parched tongue. She’d expected the small talk to break the tension between them, but instead it placed a strain on the air and raised the temperature in the room.
“Well, I guess we better get to the reason why we’re here,” she said, tucking a strand of hair behind her left ear.
“You don’t have to feel awkward or nervous, Layla. We know each other, and we can go slowly, if you like—ease back into the relationship.”
Oh boy, she better hurry up and explain what exactly she had in mind before he said anymore.
“Actually, that’s what I want to talk to you about—the terms of our new relationship.”
Frown lines appeared in his brow. “Terms?”
“Yes. It’s true that I wanted to meet with you about us getting back together. I haven’t been able to stop thinking about the kiss we shared the other day.”
“Me, either.” His voice dropped low and melted over her like warm honey, heat sparking in his eyes.
Layla rushed on before he got carried away. “The sex was always—”
“Spectacular.”
Her inner thighs tightened, and she laughed softly. “Yes, that would be one way of describing it.”
