The Pick Up Wife (2 page)

“No,” she said when she finally recovered her voice.

“Why not? You’re not dating anyone else, and if I’m not mistaken, you’re still in love with him.”

A spark of truth resonated in his words, but she didn’t want to acknowledge them. “That aside, the answer is still ‘no’.”

“Has it been five minutes?” LJ yelled from the other room.

19

Symmone chuckled, the tension easing from her shoulders. “And I have more important things to focus on right now.” She pushed her chair away from the table and stood. “Yes.”

****

Late in the evening, Symmone stood in the middle of the hall between her children’s bedrooms, the only two bedrooms in the house. She slept on the foldout in the living room and kept her clothes in a beat-up bureau that doubled as a TV

stand.

Ten years, two kids, and one failed marriage. Children she should’ve told Leo about by now. Symmone veered left into an ancient bathroom and flicked on the shower. Though in need of updating, just like the rest of the house, it served the occupants’ needs. Toilet, shower, sink.

20

That was all. Still, some days she would love the luxury of soaking in a large whirlpool tub, but right now she’d settle for a working showerhead. The water sprinkled from above.

Refreshed, dried off, and dressed for her second job, she paced the living room. Three nights a week she cleaned office buildings, in addition to working full-time at the café. And on those three days her cousin Melvin spent the night. Often he would suggest she cash one of the support payments, but that would be too much like taking charity. She refused to let Leo dismiss her, then throw money at her like some hollaback girl.

On her next pass in front of the TV, she reached out a hand and picked up the framed drawing. Why she felt the need to keep the picture after all these years, she couldn’t be sure. Tracing 21

the pencil line, a deep pang of regret resounded through her. Maybe it served as a reminder of all her broken dreams and promises. Or maybe it kept her focused on the future. Just a silly drawing of a silly house. With a sigh, she replaced the frame.

Twin beams of light sliced through the darkness and bounced off the window. The squeal of brakes signaled Melvin’s arrival. She breathed a relieved sigh. The second job wasn’t quite necessary, but it helped round out the rest of her household budget, and she could afford a few extras for her children.

She greeted him at the door. “Everything go all right?”

Melvin nodded. “Of course.”

“I should be back by three,” she said, shrugging her purse onto her shoulder.

22

“Well, don’t wake me.”

Chuckling, she closed the door. The warm, humid night slid around her. She glanced up at a star-laden sky. Despite the beauty of the evening a heaviness settled around her heart. It wasn’t until she arrived at the office building she was to clean that she realized what bothered her.

Leo.

23

Chapter Two

Leo loosened his tie and unbuttoned the top button of his dress shirt. He peered around the hotel room, which was more like a junior suite with its spacious sitting area and separate bedroom. He toed off his shoes, picked them up, and set them in the closet. The tie and cufflinks followed. He sat in a leather recliner and let out a sigh.

Seeing Symmone again was incredible. The moment he laid eyes on her, the love, the happiness, the attraction all came rushing back, and he could only stare, drinking in the delicious 24

sight of her. For a moment he forgot how terribly he had treated her.

When he’d decided to visit the café, he wasn’t sure if she would be there or not, so he stood outside watching, waiting. Then when she sashayed from the back of the restaurant his heart skipped a beat.

She’d let her hair grow. He longed to slide his fingers through her long tangle of ebony hair.

Would the strands be as silky as he remembered?

Could he even get close enough to find out? When he held her hand, he had the overwhelming urge to explore her satiny skin, relearn all the secrets her body held. A spark of lust flared to life, and he shifted his arousal to a more comfortable position.

The last real picture he had of her was their wedding day where she still had the fresh-faced 25

glow of innocence about her, but now… A moan hovered on his lips. Now she was all grown up, with the lush curves and sensuality of a woman he wanted to get to know. A woman he wanted in his bed.

He stood and crossed to the floor-to-ceiling window, drew back the curtain, and stared out into the deepening night. Headlights, streetlamps, and other luminary devices vied with the inky sky. Miles and miles of blacktop and concrete as far as the eye could see intersected with buildings of all shapes and sizes. Somewhere out there, Symmone was waiting.

Abruptly he pulled back. She wasn’t waiting for him; the way she’d looked at him earlier let him know exactly where he stood with her. She 26

wanted no part of him, but her honey-almond eyes didn’t lie.

He’d seen the quick flash of heat when he touched her. Regardless of the words falling from her delectable lips, she was still attracted to him, but would it be enough to gain him entry into her heart?

He huffed. Unlikely. The woman he’d seen earlier in the afternoon, while it may have seemed she has happy and carefree, left him believing she wanted more. And he wanted to give her more. He somehow wanted to make up for divorcing her ten years ago.

A huge, catastrophic mistake. The biggest, stupidest blunder of his life. The image of her tear-stained faced and wide-eyed shock haunted his dreams and every moment of his waking hours.

27

While pursuing his career had been fulfilling, without Symmone by his side to share the success his achievements were hollow victories. Why did he ever put his career before his marriage? Or think he would be better off without her? And for a while he believed the bull, until he came home to an empty house.

He twisted the plain gold band on his finger.

He’d been approached by one of the partners about the possibility of buying into the firm as a full partner, and to his surprise Dexter Greene had asked about his family. Greene wanted to meet Leo’s family before the final decision was made.

Family. Something he’d abandoned in pursuit of his career and the very thing he now needed to solidify his position with Greene and Banks Architects. If Symmone didn’t call him, Leo would 28

go to her job again. He was not leaving until he had convinced her he was still in love with her and he had mended the fence he’d so callously busted.

29

Chapter Three

Symmone poured a much needed cup of coffee the following morning. Cleaning the building had taken longer, thanks to three of the crew members deciding not to show. What was supposed to be a quick five-hour shift had turned into an all-nighter. She stifled a wide yawn as she doled scrambled eggs onto waiting plates.

“Breakfast,” she called and sipped her coffee.

Doors slammed and footsteps pounded across the floor until her twin terrors appeared in the doorway, babbling about the latest episode of

“Phineas and Ferb”.

30

She listened to the chatter flowing around her. No matter how tired she was, she loved listening to their young voices. Every decision she had made since they were born was for them. And she couldn’t sacrifice their well-being now. Not for anyone, and especially not for their father.

She had no more illusions of love, and any time a man could put his career or anything else before her, she was done with him.

“So can we?”

Symmone tuned into the conversation and found two like faces staring at her in earnest. Two pairs of soft brown eyes were filled with hope. She hated to let them down.

“Can you what?”

31

“Our class is going on an overnight to the museum in Detroit. Can we go?” Jewel said, shoving a forkful of eggs into her mouth.

“You promised the next field trip we could go.” LJ’s voice held a slight whine.

The field trip forms. “And I do my best to keep my promises.” Symmone looked from one face to the other. Whatever she had to do, she would do. “And you’re going.”

Squeals of delight split the air and she was engulfed in happy hugs and kisses. She returned the exuberance with a giggle.

“Okay, now make sure you finish eating.

Rinse your plates when you’re done. I have to get dressed.”

****

32

By the time Symmone entered the café, a few patrons dotted the tables, while several more lined the long eat-in counter. Next to the register sat a tall vase wrapped in florist paper, but a red petal or two peeked above the green and white wrapper.

“Morning, Donna.” She donned a fresh apron, tied the strings, and pointed to the arrangement. “That’s sweet. Your daughter send you flowers again?”

Donna was a quiet waitress in her mid-fifties, and while she didn’t need to work, she enjoyed interacting with the customers. Sitting at the register for the duration of her shift allowed her to do that.

“Actually, my dear, those are for you. Seems you have a secret admirer.”

33

Warm pleasure stole through her. No one other than her children ever gave her flowers. She crossed to the vase and pulled the paper down.

Two dozen long stemmed roses were arranged in a cut crystal vase. She savored the sweet scent of the bouquet before she plucked the envelope from the clear plastic fork and removed the card.

Until we meet again.

Trepidation made her heart pound a little harder. What did he want? She slid the card back in the envelope and dropped it into her pocket.

“Was it one of our regulars?” Donna drew her attention. “I’ve noticed a couple of the younger crowd eyeing you lately. You should really think about dating one of them, Symmone. Your kids are old enough to handle you dating.”

34

Symmone laughed and moved the roses to an empty shelf behind the servers’ station. “That may be true, but I don’t have time to date. Working and raising my kids keeps me busy enough.”

“Will you at least think about it? You’re still young and have the rest of your life to work like crazy.”

Nodding, Symmone grabbed a couple of menus and headed to a booth where an older couple were seated. She hadn’t given much thought to her social life, or lack thereof, until Leo walked in yesterday.

Until that moment she didn’t think anything was wrong with her existence. Sure, she worked two jobs, something she desperately wanted to stop doing, but dating? Nope. She shook her head.

Entertaining the notion of someone else when she 35

barely had time for her children now just wasn’t an option.

Flowers and dating were pushed from her mind as the café filled to overflowing. By the time breakfast blurred into lunch, her patience was thin.

Lack of sleep and cranky customers only added to her irritability. Thank goodness once her shift ended she could go home and be with her children.

Right after a nice long hot shower.

She thumped a glass of water on yet another table and removed her order tablet from her pocket. “I’m so sorry about the wait,” she said, infusing as much sincerity into her voice as possible. “What could I get to start you off?”

“Did you like the flowers?”

Warmth whispered over her, awakening nerves and desires she desperately needed to stay 36

dormant. Symmone snapped her attention to the speaker and groaned. “I really don’t have time for this today, so if you want something to eat, just give me your order.”

When Leo chuckled, a part of her wanted to hear him laugh again. She rocked back on her heels, refusing to admit to herself she was still attracted to him. She sniffed, her senses colliding with delicious musk, and stifled a moan of appreciation. The man always wore great smelling cologne.

A frown tugged at the corner of his mouth when his gaze drifted over her. “Do you treat all of your customers this way?”

“No, just annoying ex-husbands,” she said with a slight smile.

He nodded. “You look tired.”

37

“Busy.”

His frown deepened. “Symmone.”

She placed a hand on her hip. “Leo. I have thirty other people in this section who want to eat.

They don’t care if I’m tired, overworked, or sleep deprived and you shouldn’t either. Now what would you like?”

He shook his head. “I forgot how stubborn you could be.”

“Don’t forget a hindrance to your career,”

she said quietly.

“If you would just agree to go out with me, we could talk.”

“So now you want to talk?” she demanded.

“What’s changed? Have you lost your job?” She studied him a moment, taking in the red striped polo shirt with the image of a rhino emblazoned on 38

the breast and oversized Invicta diver’s watch on his wrist. “No. Maybe you need a pretty bauble on your arm to make nice at the office. I’m sure you can find some unsuspecting female for the event.”

Even to her ears the last statement sounded petty and mean.

When he tightened his jaw and pursed his lips a small shiver of satisfaction rippled through her, before guilt reared its ugly head. Yep, she definitely went too far, but he couldn’t yank around her emotions. She wasn’t some lovestruck teenager anymore.

She shook her head. “You know what, Leo, it doesn’t even matter why you’re here. I’ll put in an order for today’s special, bring you an iced tea, and comp you the meal. That way I don’t have to 39

worry about bringing you a bill and you don’t have to worry about a tip.”

He sat back, draped an arm over the empty chair next to him, and held her gaze. “You can do that, but I’ll be back tonight. Then tomorrow morning, and I will keep coming until you agree to have dinner with me.”

Something flickered in his chocolate eyes that triggered a sinking feeling in the pit of her stomach. He would be back. She couldn’t do this right now. With a sigh, she tapped a few screens on her tablet. “I’ll give you my answer when I get back.”

She walked away, shoving the tablet in her pocket. Dinner was definitely out of the question.