Lean on Me (ARC) by Pat Simmons

Author:Pat Simmons
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: SOURCEBOOKS Casablanca
Published: 2019-07-31T22:08:09+00:00

Chapter 18

Sunday morning, Latrice didn’t wake Marcus with a phone call, but her voice and her request were revolving in his head, so much so that he couldn’t get back to sleep. When it came to helping people, Marcus’s pockets were deep. His employees, Tabitha, and Aunt Tweet were witnesses to that. Victor, on the other hand… He had to draw the line. It seemed like the more he pushed back on that request, the more Latrice got into his head.

Staring up at the ceiling, Marcus groaned. He told Demetrius he was going to get some rest, but it didn’t appear his mind was going to let him do that. He thought about Tabitha and remembered she was attending church with her family. Not that church was on his agenda, but wherever Tabitha was, he wanted to be near her. Why did the old Michael Jackson hit “Got to Be There” come to mind? Because you got it bad. He grinned. Yeah. He did.

Marcus wasn’t opposed to church, but it had never been a priority. After getting out of bed, he shaved and showered. He chose his brown suit and a light-colored tie—attire rarely worn to the office.

Tabitha had mentioned Aunt Tweet dragging her to church. Maybe Aunt Tweet had a hand in getting him there this morning too. He called Tabitha to let her know his intention but got her voicemail.

Not knowing the time service started, he drove to Tabitha’s, seeing her car was parked in the driveway. A playful thought came to him as he was about to ring the doorbell. She would see the humor of him perched on her porch. This scenario was how it all started for them—Aunt Tweet staking her claim on his property.

He perused their neighborhood: solid and unique-styled houses and groomed landscapes. “Old money” was one way to describe the neighborhood back in the day. Somehow, this suburban upscale neighborhood near the city limits had survived the white flight. The residents were mixed in ethnicity and income. One thing everyone had in common was commitment to preserving the historic value of their homes.

Not wanting to wait, Marcus opted to ring the doorbell. Seconds later, he rang it again. When the door finally opened, his jaw dropped, his heart pounded, and the scent of Tabitha’s perfume made its way to tickle his nose.

Tilting her head, she graced him a smile. “Wow, Mr. Whittington. You clean up real good, but what are you doing here, commandeering my porch?”

She got his joke. “Hey, it’s fair game.” It felt nice that they could tease each other about earlier incidents. He measured his steps until he towered over her. When her long lashes fluttered, he could feel his nostrils flare. “You’re the one who’s wowing me.” He scanned her from head to toe. The dress she wore looked femininely soft and flirty and curved around her hips.

Mesmerized, he leaned forward. “You’re gorgeous.” His heart rate still hadn’t recovered. He inhaled and exhaled without taking his eyes off her.

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