A Very Merry Temptation: 'Twas the Season\Mistletoe in Memphis\Second-Chance Christmas by Kimberly Kaye Terry

Author:Kimberly Kaye Terry
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Harlequin
Published: 2013-10-15T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter 7

“I think someone put a root on my boss!”

Carrot juice spewed out of Essence’s mouth. Her girlfriends, who were sitting with her in the corner booth in the Blues City Café, cracked up. They giggled so loud and snickered so long, they attracted the attention of everyone in the crowded café. Shooting Naomi a what-the-hell-are-you-talking-about look, Essence grabbed a napkin and cleaned her mouth. “I met with Lincoln last night to...to discuss his, um, dinner party on Saturday and he seemed perfectly fine to me.”

“That’s because you don’t know him like I do,” Naomi said, dismissing her words with a flick of her hand. “I’m not kidding, ya’ll. My boss is acting all kinds of crazy. Smiling for no reason, whistling Christmas songs and leaving work early. I’ve seen Mr. Davenport in expensive designer suits before, but now he’s dressing just like Diddy!”

“Wow, girl, you’re right, this is serious.” Chandra Rivers struggled to keep a straight face. “You better find a voodoo priestess quick!”

Their ear-splitting shrieks drowned out the country music song playing on the rusted old jukebox. The waiter returned, cleared their empty lunch dishes from the table and took off. The café was jam-packed, and the line that stretched out the front door snaked around the corner of Beale Street. Known for putting a little “South in Your Mouth,” the popular restaurant not only attracted tourists from all over the country but A-list stars, pro athletes and local entertainers. The staff treated patrons like family and the tin ceiling and eclectic decor only enhanced the establishment’s down-home Southern vibe.

“Maybe your boss is having a midlife crisis.” Avery Moreau took her cell phone out of her tan clutch purse and checked it for missed calls. “The same thing happened to my ex when he turned forty, except he wasn’t acting. He’s just crazy, ya’ll.”

Essence patted back a yawn, one that filled her eyes with tears. This is what I get for staying up late with Lincoln, she thought, suddenly overwhelmed with fatigue. I’m so worn out from our all-night lovemaking session, I can hardly keep my eyes open, and it’s only six o’clock.

“Essence, can you give me a lift to Meineke?” Chandra asked. “My car’s getting fixed, and since the shop is near your place, I figured you wouldn’t mind giving me a ride.”

“I’m not going home,” she said. “I have a date, I mean, an appointment.”

Her girlfriends exchanged a curious glance.

“Which one is it?” Avery questioned, raising an eyebrow. “A date or an appointment?”

Essence grabbed her glass of carrot juice and stuck the straw in her mouth. As she sipped what was left of her drink, she carefully weighed her options. She hated keeping secrets from her girlfriends, but she didn’t want them to interrogate her about Lincoln. Or read too much into their relationship. Just because they’d seen each other every day for the past three weeks, and made love more than newlyweds, didn’t mean they were going to ride off into the sunset. They weren’t.

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