Chapter 3
Chapter Three
C laudia pulled her car to the front of the house.
“All right, girl, I’ll see you on Monday.” Audra pushed open the passenger side door.
“Did you have a good time?” Claudia asked before Audra could get out.
“I had a wonderful time. The best ,” Audra said with exaggerated enthusiasm.
“Audra.” Claudia stuck out her lower lip.
She laughed and pulled her friend into a one-armed hug. “I’m kidding! I had a great time. It was good to get out of the house for a bit.”
Claudia’s face brightened. “That’s better. I had a good time, and I have two phone numbers in my purse.”
“Uh-oh, watch out, Kent!”
Claudia tossed her blonde hair. “His loss. See you on Monday.”
“Bye, girl.” Audra climbed out, and Claudia honked on her way down the long driveway.
Audra climbed the stairs and let herself into the house. The house her stepfather had built for their large family was a big change from their life from before, when Audra’s single-parent mother had been struggling to raise three children after the death of her husband. Eventually, Audra wanted to move out and get her own place and was currently saving money for that day.
She closed the door and took the stairs up to her room. It was only a little after nine, so she was surprised by the quiet of the house.
Her bedroom was filled with candles and decorated in soft neutrals like ivory and camel. She was kicking off her shoes when the door behind her opened, and her free-spirited sister, Monica, walked in. Monica, tall and thin as a supermodel, had her hair pulled back in a ponytail and tucked under into a sleek bun.
Audra gasped when she saw her. “What the heck are you doing here?” she asked, pulling her sister into a hug.
Monica laughed and squeezed her back. “Can’t I come home to see my family?” She grinned and plopped onto Audra’s bed. She was in her last year of college at the University of Georgia in Athens.
“I didn’t expect you, that’s all.” Audra walked into her closet. “What’s been up?”
“Nothing much. Classes kicking my butt, but I’ll handle it. Where were you tonight?”
“One second.” Audra changed into her navy pajama shorts set. Returning to the bedroom, she pulled her thick hair into a ponytail and sat cross-legged on the bed to face her sister. “I was at a party.”
Monica arched an eyebrow. “A party? Since when do you party—although…” She checked her watch. “It’s still pretty early.”
“Well, it wasn’t a party-party. More like a get-together. I went with Claudia, and people were still hanging out when we left. Honestly, I didn’t want to go, but I’m glad I went. It was good to go out.”
“Why didn’t you want to go?” Monica asked.
“Because I knew there’d be a bunch of celebrities there. Not my scene.”
“Papa Ben and Ignacio are celebrities,” Monica pointed out, referring to their stepfather and stepbrother.
Benicio Santana had worked for years in the entertainment industry in Mexico, first as an actor and then as a director and producer. Ignacio was the only one of his sons to follow in his footsteps.
“That’s different, and you know what I mean. Anyway, I had a good time. I should definitely go out more.”
“Good for you.”
Audra plucked at the sheet, toying with the idea of telling Monica about Damon. “I also kinda sorta met a guy.”
“Kinda? Do tell.” Monica leaned closer.
Audra lifted her hands. “Wait, nothing happened. We didn’t exchange numbers or anything, but he was definitely… interesting.”
“Why didn’t you exchange numbers?”
“I didn’t want to give him my number.” Audra shrugged.
“The fact that you’re mentioning him means you were feeling him, so what happened?”
“I don’t know, Monica. I didn’t go there to meet a man, and besides, I have Kerilyn,” Audra said, referring to her daughter. “This guy I met, Damon, reminds me too much of—Kerry.” She wrinkled her nose, hating to say her ex’s name.
“Oh.”
“Yeah.”
She hadn’t dated anyone seriously since she broke up with her daughter’s father, and looking back, they had been in a one- sided relationship. She had been all in, while he had one foot out the entire time.
They had met when she was a senior in high school, and he’d dropped out of college to pursue his dream of making a living as a drummer in his Afropunk band. His wildness had matched hers. They were both young and a bit rebellious, but that changed when she became pregnant. She became more serious and wanted to be a good mother. Her daughter grounded her. Kerry, not so much.
He became scarce, barely a father or a boyfriend. While she dreamed of them living together as a family, he made it clear that touring and putting all his energy into the band was his priority.
They were off and on for a couple of years for Kerilyn’s sake, but Audra became tired of his excuses and lack of interest in both of them. The photos he shared online didn’t help. He was always hugged up with some woman, or a ‘fan’ was always draped over him like a human blanket while he grinned from ear to ear.
They never actually broke up, just drifted apart when she finally stopped trying to make something happen that was never going to happen. Her battered heart couldn’t take any more pummeling.
“Damon, huh?” Monica said.
Audra nodded. “He plays for the Atlanta Braves. They call him The Flash.”
Monica’s eyes widened. “Holy smokes, I know who he is! He’s hot, Audra. Are you sure?—”
“Absolutely not . If I get involved with him, I’m pretty sure my life will be filled with drama. I know his type.”
“Maybe, maybe not.”
“Well, it’s too late now. I told him I wasn’t interested, and he moved on. He’s probably laid up with one of the many women who were ogling him tonight.” Unexpected envy filled her.
“They might have been ogling him, but it sounds like he was ogling you.”
Audra blushed. “There will be other opportunities for me to meet a good man.”
“True, and you’re right. He’s famous—not only for baseball.”
“What do you mean?”
“You know how it is. He’s young, wealthy, well known—and he takes full advantage of all the women that come his way. He’s known as a bit of a player. I’m not sure I’ve seen him in a serious relationship.” She frowned as she thought.
“You know all this and still thought it would be a good idea for me to get involved with this man?” Audra demanded.
“You don’t have to marry him. He’d be nice for a quick fling,” Monica replied with a coy expression.
“I’m not you. My feelings get caught up easily.”
“True,” Monica said.
Audra thumped her arm, and Monica cried out, rubbing the spot.
The door popped open and in waltzed Audra’s six-year-old daughter in Minnie Mouse pajamas. Kerilyn was golden-skinned like her father and wore her hair in long plaits.
“Mommy!” She ran over, and Audra resettled on the bed, pulling her between her thighs to give her a hug and kiss.
“You missed me?”
“Yes!”
Audra plied kisses all over her face. “I missed you too, baby.”
“Did you have fun?” Kerilyn asked, gazing up at her.
“I sure did. I ate too much food and met new people. You didn’t give Grandma and Abuelo too much trouble, did you?”
“No. I was good.” Kerilyn climbed up on the bed to sit between Audra and Monica.
“I think she’s lying,” Monica said.
“I’m not,” Kerilyn insisted, laughing because she knew Monica was teasing.
“I don’t believe you,” Monica said.
She proceeded to tickle her niece. Kerilyn squirmed and wriggled, letting out gasping laughter until she scrambled to hide behind her mother.
Finally, Monica rose from the bed. “I’ll leave you two alone. I need to get dressed.”
“For what? Where are you headed at this hour?” Audra asked.
“It’s not even ten o’clock yet. I’m going out, and that’s all you need to know,” Monica said with a smirk.
“Okay, Miss Thang.”
Laughing, her sister left the bedroom.
Kerilyn flung her arms around Audra’s neck from behind. “Can I sleep in your room tonight?”
Audra kissed her daughter’s wrist. “Yes, you can. If you promise not to kick me in your sleep.”
“I promise!” Kerilyn said immediately.
“Okay, you can sleep with me,” Audra said, though she knew her daughter wouldn’t live up to the promise.
Later, as Kerilyn slept soundly beside her in the bed, Audra remained wide awake. She couldn’t stop thinking about Damon. Every time she saw him at the party, her eyes lingered. She liked to watch him walk. Considering he was called “The Flash,” he didn’t move quickly. His gait was smooth and graceful with a sprinkle of swagger.
“What the hell,” she muttered.
Succumbing to temptation, she rolled over and plucked her phone from the bedside table. She searched for information on Damon, clicking on article after article about him. She read about his prowess as a baseball player and his prowess as a ladies’ man. The images of him online were as intriguing as the articles. Whether wearing a suit or casually dressed in jeans, he was eye-catching. Sexy, with a self-assured white-toothed smile and a diamond stud in his ear.
As she perused the photos, the lower part of her stomach became warm. She was definitely attracted to him. There were lots of photos of him, many of them with women—holding their hand as he led the way, smiling beside them at a red carpet event, hazy pictures of him at dinner with another one.
She sighed. Monica wasn’t kidding. He was definitely a ladies’ man.
She replaced the phone on the table. If the gossip blogs, tabloids, and magazines were correct, she’d dodged a bullet by avoiding him.
He was probably worse than her ex because he was richer, more handsome, and better known.