Chapter 11
Chapter Eleven
“ H ow are things?” Claudia hung over the wall of Audra’s cubicle, one eyebrow arched in inquiry.
Audra didn’t have to ask what she meant. She knew right away that Claudia was inquiring about Damon. “Before I answer, how are things with you and Kent?”
Claudia blushed, looking very pleased with herself. “As you know, he’s been very attentive ever since he thought he would lose me to a baseball player. That really shook him up, and our relationship has blossomed ever since. I can’t complain. He bought me this.” She extended a hand to show off a shimmering tennis bracelet.
“That’s gorgeous. What was the occasion?” Audra asked.
“No occasion. He just wanted to surprise me.”
“Look at you,” Audra said.
Claudia giggled happily. “I can’t stop smiling. I really took a risk because you know how much I love that man, but I couldn’t continue with the way our relationship was going. He wasn’t considerate of my feelings. Now our whole relationship has changed. I guess I had to let him know what I’d put up with and what I wouldn’t, and that made him straighten up.”
“I’m happy for you.”
“Thank you,” Claudia said with heartfelt appreciation. “Now, what’s going on with you and Damon?”
“So far, so good.” The past few weeks had been magical as they grew closer together.
“So he’s nice and good to you?”
“Yes.”
“No drama?”
“No drama,” Audra confirmed.
Claudia lowered her voice. “Great in the sack?”
Audra paused. “We haven’t…”
Claudia’s eyes widened. “What? You’ve been seeing each other for almost two months now, right?”
Audra nodded. “We’re taking things slow.”
“Huh. No pressure, I guess.”
“No pressure, but...” Audra sighed.
Initially, she had thought that going slow was a good idea because she hadn’t been sure about Damon, but sexual frustration was now a constant companion. Every time she came into contact with him, her libido drove her to run her hands all over his delicious body. He reciprocated, driving her mad with teasing kisses and caresses. While her fingers trailed over the warm muscles beneath his shirt, his hands cupped her bottom and cradled her breasts. Every time they separated from each other, she was left wet, horny, and frustrated.
“I know. He’s so hot,” Claudia whispered.
Audra vigorously nodded, and they both erupted into giggles.
“Claudia, could you come here for a minute, please?” one of the managers called from his doorway.
“Sure thing.” Facing Audra again, she rolled her eyes. “He probably needs me to hold his hand while he makes a phone call.”
Audra swatted her hand. “Stop it, you’re so bad.”
Claudia gave an evil laugh. “Yes, I am. Lunch later?”
“Yes.”
“All right. See ya.”
Audra watched her friend saunter toward the manager’s office on the other side of the floor. She couldn’t blame Claudia for being annoyed. He was one of the needy ones.
Gently gnawing on a fingernail, her mind wandered as she worked on the report for her supervisor. She rested her chin on her hand and looked at the last text exchange between her and Damon. She wanted more of him.
“Stop being greedy,” she muttered to herself.
After all, each week they spent hours talking on the phone, especially when he was out of town. She had started going to his games, and when they were together, they made the best of every moment.
Dinner and dancing at an exclusive spot owned by one of his acquaintances, where they enjoyed themselves without the worry of someone taking photos or bothering him for an autograph. Then there was the private wine tasting at Chateau Elan, where they explored the winery’s offerings and then had a delicious meal that evening. They also had a couple of double dates with his famous friends and their partners. Each and every time, he put forth significant effort to create a unique experience.
Audra fiddled with her pen. She needed to do the same. She needed to show how much he meant to her, and it was long overdue. She’d been busy basking in his attention and hadn’t reciprocated the planning of their times together, partly because she was worried about doing too much.
That was her problem. She wished she were like her younger sister, Monica, carefree and determined never to marry. But Audra imagined herself as a mom with several kids, being a domestic goddess—cooking and decorating. It wouldn’t kill her to put forth a little more effort in the relationship. Stop taking and start giving.
Instead of working, she scoured the internet and came up with an idea. There was a retreat located thirty minutes south of Atlanta where she, Monica, and their mother had stayed before. Couples massages, farm-to-table cuisine, and quiet walks along the nature trails might be something Damon would enjoy. At lunch, she told Claudia about her idea, and she loved it.
By the time Audra arrived at home, she was excited about the trip for the next time Damon was free, but there was one more thing she wanted to do.
Her knowledge of baseball was practically nonexistent. Half the time, she didn’t understand what was going on at the games, and there had been conversations when Damon talked to her about the sport, and she had no clue what he was talking about. She needed to rectify that.
Audra knocked on the bedroom door of her youngest sibling, Maxwell, and then pushed her way inside. “I need your help,” she announced, standing in the middle of his room.
Unlike the typical teenager, her brother was a neat freak. His room was spotless—the bed made, his office supplies neatly lined up on the desk, all his clothes put away—and he knew when anyone had been in his room and moved an item.
The seventeen-year-old sat with his feet crossed atop his L-shaped corner desk and looked up from texting on his phone. His curls had grown long, coming down past his ears and falling across his forehead to touch his eyelashes.
“Ever heard of knocking first?”
“I did knock,” Audra said.
“You’re supposed to wait until I say you can come in,” he said pointedly.
Audra moved closer. “If you don’t want people coming into your room, lock the door.”
“I’ll be sure to do that. What do you want?”
“I need you to explain baseball to me.”
His brow puckered in confusion. “Why? Since when are you into sports?”
“Do you know who Damon ‘The Flash’ Foster is?”
“Of course,” Maxwell replied, sounding insulted. “He’s one of the most popular players on the Atlanta Braves.”
“He and I are dating, and?—”
Maxwell dropped his feet to the floor and placed the phone on the desk. “You’re dating The Flash? Since when? Did you know who he was when you met?”
“No, I didn’t, but I do now. Anyway, we’ve been seeing each other for a couple of months, and he and I are getting close.”
“Ew,” Maxwell said with a wrinkled nose. “I don’t want the details.”
“I wasn’t giving you the details, dork. Considering all the girls you mess with, you don’t need to be judgmental.”
He shrugged. “They say I’m charming.”
“Anyway, as I said, I need your help. I want to understand the game, and I need a crash course. I’ve been reading up on baseball, but some of it I still don’t understand, and I want to learn about Damon’s stats and what’s considered good and all that. Will you help me?”
Maxwell tapped his chin. “Hmm. You need my help.”
Here we go. Audra blew out a sigh of resignation. “What do you want?”
A grin spread across his face. “A signed jersey from The Flash—one that he’s actually worn.”
Audra’s mouth fell open. “Are you serious?”
“Yes. I need to smell his funky sweat all through the fabric.”
“What the heck for?” Audra demanded.
“It’s not for me! There’s this girl—Sharonda—and she’s a big fan of the Braves. She actually understands the sport,” he said pointedly, which made Audra glare at him. “She goes to every home game with her dad. I’ve tried to talk to her, but she won’t give me the time of day. If I give her a signed jersey from Damon Foster, maybe I’ll have a shot with her. Help a brother out?”
Resting her hands on her hips, Audra said, “You’re putting me in an awkward position.”
“You scratch my back, I’ll scratch yours. Or you can go back to reading Wikipedia or whatever you’re using to study up on the game.”
The silence stretched between them. Neither budged nor lowered their eyes.
“Deal.” Audra extended her hand, and they shook. “When can we start the lessons?”
“As soon as I get the jersey.”
“You’re not gonna help me before?”
“Nope.” Maxwell stood and walked toward his open door. “Get to work. You help me impress Sharonda, I’ll help you impress Damon,” he said, slipping out of the room.
Audra muttered curses under her breath. What was the point of having brothers when they were so difficult?
Shaking her head, she exited the room behind him.