If I Were Your Woman

“Why you not answering ya damned phone?”

She released a sigh of relief. She buzzed the lobby door. Moments later Ann Marie was standing at her front door with a bottle tucked under her arm.

“How do you know I’m not busy?” Stephanie challenged as Ann Marie, barely reaching Stephanie’s shoulder, brushed by her.

“If you were, you wouldn’t have answered your door either.” She winked at Stephanie, took off her coat, and muttered something about the growing cold outside, then proceeded to make herself comfortable on the couch. “So…did you tell him?”

Stephanie averted her gaze. “No. I would have…maybe…but he was too tired to come over tonight. I figured it could wait.”

“Hmm,” Ann Marie murmured. “No more calls?”

“No.”

“Good. I know you may not like this, but I spoke to Sterling about it.”

Sterling Chambers was the man who finally captured the tough heart of Ann Marie Dennis and forever wrenched her away from the memory of her ex-husband, Terrance Bishop.

Stephanie rolled her eyes and shook her head. “Don’t you keep anything secret from that man?”

Ann Marie grinned. “Only where I learned some of my bedroom tricks.” She winked.

“You are terrible.” She sat down. “Well, since you spilled the beans, what did your live-in attorney say?”

“’Im say a restraining order is only a piece of paper and if someone really wants to get to a person a piece of paper won’t stop them.”

Stephanie’s brows rose and fell. “Gee, that’s comforting,” she said, full of sarcasm.

“That’s why me stop by, won’ make sure you’re okay.”

“Thanks, I appreciate it.”

“’Im also say, when a piece of paper fail, boyfriends, big brothers, and fathers can make a difference.”

“That lets me out on all counts…except for the boyfriend part. But I don’t want Tony going around threatening anyone.”

“No brothers?”

“No. Just me and Samantha.”

“What about your dad? I never hear you talk about ’im.”

Stephanie drew herself up. “Nothing to talk about, really. He’s been gone so long that if he ran me over with a truck I wouldn’t know who he was.”

“Oh, I’m sorry.”

“It’s okay. It’s been a long time. He was never in my life.”

“It’s hard on boys not having their pops, but it’s hard on girls, too.” She smiled sadly. “Your pops is a girl’s first love. I know not having her pop around affected Raquel. For years I felt guilty about taking her away from Jamaica and her family there. But it was either save myself or turn my soul over to Terrance. I chose to save my soul.”

“I always wondered if the decisions I’d made about men and relationships had anything to do with not having a father around.”

Ann Marie shrugged. “Could be.”

“Well, I’d prefer not to travel down that particular memory lane. What’s in the bag?”

Ann Marie took out the bottle of Alize and put it ceremoniously on the center of the smoked-glass coffee table. “I know it’s your favorite.”

“Let me break out the glasses.”

They shared a couple of glasses of wine and chatted about inconsequential things and about getting together on Friday before Ann Marie announced that she needed to be getting home.

Stephanie walked her to the door. “Thanks, Ann.”

Ann Marie looked up at Stephanie. “For what?”

“For coming by, bringing wine, being a friend.”

Ann Marie waved her hand. “Oh, chile, please, I was in the neighborhood and Sterling only drinks cognac.”

Stephanie smiled, knowing the truth behind the words. Ann Marie was really a good person beneath her tough girl exterior.

“Tell him I said hello.”

Ann Marie waved and walked out. Stephanie slowly closed the door. With the impromptu visit from Ann, the two glasses of wine, and mindless girl talk, she found herself actually feeling relaxed for the first time since she woke up. Maybe she’d get a good night’s sleep after all.

She turned out the lights in the front of the apartment and walked off toward her bedroom.

A light snow had begun to fall. From the car parked out front, he watched the lights go out. He’d seen Ann Marie when she went in, watched her leave, and assumed that Stephanie was now alone. He knew he shouldn’t have come here. He had no right, not after everything that had happened. Stephanie had every right to hate him. All he wanted was a chance to make things right between them—when the time was right. He’d learned how to be patient.

Sighing heavily but resigned, he turned on the ignition and headlights, then drove off.

Chapter 3

“Please tell me that was the last guest for the day,” Elizabeth said to Carmen, the part-time receptionist. She plopped down on the stool next to Carmen behind the desk.

“Yes, Mrs. Lewis.”

“Oh, please,” Ellie said with a chuckle, “don’t call me Mrs. Lewis. It makes me feel so old.”

Carmen grinned, flashing incredible dimples. “I’ll keep that in mind. Do you want me to close up?”

“No, I’ll finish up. I’m meeting someone in about a half hour.”

“Okay. The day’s receipts from the café are tallied and in the safe. I must have taken at least a dozen calls about membership. I put the list in the pending file.”

Elizabeth blew out a breath. “And the beat goes on, as the Whispers would say.”

Carmen frowned in confusion.