The Talk of the Town

Chapter Twenty-Nine

Halle drove onto her street right before eight that evening. After the chaos at the luncheon, she and Imani had spent the afternoon trying to console their friend. Tracey had been angry, that was evident from the way she’d tried to claw Bernard’s eyes out the moment she’d seen him kissing her employee. After the anger had died down, the pain had taken its place. No amount of wine or ice cream was going to heal the hurt of being betrayed, so Imani and Halle did the best they could to try to just let their friend have room to vent her feelings.

Bernard came back home around seven thirty and said he and Tracey needed to talk. Halle and Imani had offered to stay and help her kick him out if that was what she wanted. Tracey insisted that she was ready to talk, so they’d left.

Now, as Halle approached her house, she sent up a silent prayer for Tracey. No matter how much her friend had already assumed that Bernard was cheating on her, it wasn’t the same as actually finding out. And in such a brazen way. How could they be so bold as to kiss each other, no matter how brief, at a popular event at Tracey’s place of business? She hadn’t disliked Bernard, but she hadn’t been a big fan of his either. To know that he would do this to Tracey made her want to turn around and ram her car into the back of his.

Sighing, she pulled into her driveway. Her cell phone rang shortly after she got in the house. Quinton’s number and she remembered she’d asked him to be at her place at six.

She answered the call. “I’m sorry, I forgot about six.”

“Don’t even bother to apologize,” he said in a strong, supportive voice. “I know you were taking care of your friend. I just want to check and see if you were okay.”

She sighed. “I’ve been better. Do you still feel like coming over?”

“You still want to see me?” he asked, surprised.

She wanted nothing more than to be comforted and have someone with her right now. “Yes. It’s been a rough day. I could use a hug.”

“I’m on my way.”

The call ended and Halle smiled. She took a shower and changed out of the blazer and slacks she’d worn to the luncheon into gray loungewear. She’d just made herself a cup of tea when the doorbell rang. She left the tea on the kitchen counter and ran to the front door. Quinton engulfed her in a strong hug as soon as she let him in.

“Thank you,” she whispered against his chest.

He squeezed her tight. “What did I tell you?”

She smiled and pressed her ear against his chest. The sound of his heartbeat steady and calming. “That you’ve got me.”

“Even if it’s just to give you a hug.”

She pulled back and looked up into his handsome face. “Come on in. You got here quick.”

“I was downtown,” he said. “At A Couple of Beers.”

“Sit on the couch. Let me get my tea. You want anything?”

“Just you.”

She grinned from ear to ear and hurried to get her tea. A few minutes later she was settled on the couch next to him. “Was everyone in the bar talking about what happened?”

He shook his head. “Not everyone. Most people can’t believe Bernard was so dumb. Everyone except Brian.”

She frowned. “Why wasn’t he surprised?”

“Before the lunch Brian wasn’t happy to see Bernard there. He said he never liked him and that he treated Tracey wrong.”

“Did he know Bernard was cheating?” she asked incredulously. How could he know and not say anything?

Quinton let out a breath and rubbed her knee as if trying to calm her down. “I think he may have. He didn’t really say anything specific, but I think he knew Bernard was doing Tracey wrong.”

“Why didn’t he say anything?”

“He said he tried to warn her once, but she told him to mind his business.”

Halle sighed and sipped her tea. “I’m not surprised. Tracey and Brian would often argue in high school. She hated when people got into her business or talked about her family. If he had said something, then she would have pushed him away.”

He squeezed her knee. “Are you okay?”

“I’m good. Worried about Tracey.”

His gaze became serious. “Will we be okay?”

She raised a brow. “Are you sleeping with someone else?”

Quinton scowled and shook his head. “Hell no, but I just have to ask. All this made me realize I don’t know much about the guys you dated before other than Gregory. You ever been cheated on?”

She frowned and considered. “Not that I know of. Remember, I got pregnant through artificial insemination. I haven’t spent a lot of time in long-term relationships.”

“Why not? I can’t believe it was due to lack of opportunity.”

She grinned and sipped her tea before answering. “At first, it was grief after my parents. Then I became a parent. I didn’t want to bring anyone into Shania’s life if they weren’t going to be here long-term. Then I got used to just doing things on my own. I didn’t worry about a relationship, and I preached to Shania that it was important to be able to handle things on your own. All I wanted was to make sure Shania had a stable life.” She raised her brow. “What about you? Ever been cheated on?”

He nodded. “Once.”

Her eyes widened. “Who?”

“This girl in college,” he said easily. As if the hurt of that long-ago betrayal had long since faded. “It was around the time I donated. She found out my parents were about to be kicked out and that my draft chances were slim. I caught her giving head to one of my teammates with better draft chances.”

She sat up and put the mug on the coffee table with a heavy thud. “No.”

He nodded slowly. “Yes. That guy was drafted in the second round. They got married. Had two kids before he caught her with another teammate.”

“Damn, I’m sorry.” Sorry for Quinton, but not for the teammate.

“I’m not. I liked her, but after that, I was done. I donated, saved my parents’ place and was drafted at the end of the last round. Mr. Irrelevant. That’s what they call the person who gets my pick. But despite all of that, my life turned out okay, and I honestly don’t miss her.”

She was glad he’d moved on from that. “Obviously you didn’t stay irrelevant for long. You were dating some model when you first moved here, right?”

He nodded. “We’d been dating for a few years. When I retired, she understood, but she thought I would move to New York or Atlanta to be an anchor for a sports network. When I told her that wasn’t what I wanted, that I wanted to coach high school, she said she’d stick with me. But it didn’t work out.” Again, he spoke easily, no lingering resentment or pain.

“Why not?”

“She lives in New York. I live in Peachtree Cove. We grew apart and she knew the story of what happened with my girlfriend in college. She said she’d rather break up with me than cheat. So, we broke up.”

“I’m sorry.” Again, for Quinton but not for that ex-girlfriend. They’d let a good man go. Halle wasn’t about to make the same mistake.

He reached over and brushed a hand across her cheek. “Don’t be sorry. If it had worked out with either of them, I wouldn’t be here with you.”

“Well, when you say it that way, I guess it’s good.”

“I think everything worked out the way it was supposed to work out. Besides, when I first saw you at the school district meeting, I knew that I was going to be breaking up with her.”

Halle’s eyes widened. She stuttered for a second before blurting out the only thought in her head. “You’re lying.”

“No, I’m not,” he said with a straight face.

She pressed a hand to her chest. “You didn’t talk to me.”

“Because I was in a relationship, but I knew I was interested. When we broke up, I planned to approach you, but then I overheard your athlete comment. So, I kept my interest to myself.”

Halle blinked several times. Her brain still processing that Quinton had a crush on her while she’d easily dismissed him like a dummy. “You’ve really liked me for that long?”

He entwined their fingers and nodded. “Yes, Halle, I’ve been into you from the moment I saw you. Which is why I was patient while you realized Gregory wasn’t the one for you, and I’m patient while we figure out what to tell Shania about us because, Halle, if I have my way we’re going to keep this going for a while.”

The words were simple, nowhere near as explicit or erotic as what he’d said the other night on the phone, but they heated her body just as much if not more. Desire cut through her exhaustion and stress with almost painful precision. She squeezed her thighs together to try to take the edge off.

She leaned forward and brushed her lips across his. Quinton was as straightforward as usual. His large hand cupped the back of her head and deepened the kiss. They made love right there on the couch like they had the first time. Quick and fast as if each moment was stolen and precious. But afterward, when they were both breathless and tangled, Quinton carried her to her bedroom, and they cuddled beneath the sheets. Quinton’s hands ran lazily over her stomach and trailed down to the dampness between her thighs. Halle smiled and opened her legs.

“Stay the night,” she whispered. It was the first time she’d had a man in her bed. In all the years she’d dated, she’d either gone to their place or a hotel. Rarely had they come to her place and never had she brought a man into her bedroom or asked him to stay over. Her home was her safe place. A place where she didn’t want anyone to have access to her or Shania without permission. Tonight, she couldn’t imagine sending Quinton away.

His body stilled. Worry and embarrassment made her heart stutter and her cheeks flame. Was she expecting too much? He leaned in and kissed her ear. “You want me to stay the night?” The hand that lazily played between her thighs became more active, his finger slipping between her folds to push in deep.

Halle gasped, her back arching on the mattress. “Yes.”

“Good, because that’s exactly what I want to do.”