“Just catching up on some work.”
Faith was instantly contrite. He’d taken off half his workday for her. She got up and walked over to where he still stood in the utility kitchen. “I’m sorry. You took off work for me and now you have to spend your Friday evening working. By the way, what do you do?”
He hesitated briefly. ”I work for a home safety company. And, believe me, whether I’d worked half a day or a full one, my evening would have been spent doing the same thing. Actually, you’ve helped me out by allowing me to hang out with you tonight.”
She leaned against the counter. His abrupt answer made her wonder if he was having problems at his job. “Why are you helping me? Not that I don’t appreciate it, but, I mean, you’ve gone far above the ‘good Samaritan’ role.”
Brandon folded his arms across his wide chest and angled his head thoughtfully. “You’re a beautiful woman, no getting around that. But you have a great personality and a way about you that intrigues me. I like you, Faith. It’s as simple as that.”
“Um...wow. Okay. You’re very direct.”
His voice dipped an octave and his gaze trapped her. “Always.”
The heat swirled around them. To cover her nervousness, she took a step back and cleared her throat. “Well, I don’t want to be responsible for you being up all night, so...”
“Yeah. I’d better go.” Yet neither of them moved. After several charged moments, Brandon moved around her and walked toward the door.
Faith followed. “Good night, Brandon. And thank you again...for everything.”
“You’re welcome.” He turned the knob and paused.
Before she could blink, he bent and covered her mouth in a kiss so sweet it made her eyes close and her heart flip.
“Good night, Faith.” And he was gone.
Faith leaned against the door. She had come to LA for one reason and one reason only, and she would do well to keep that in the forefront of her mind. But thinking of that kiss, she guessed it might be harder than she’d expected.
Brandon was up at six Saturday morning, sitting in his home office going over reports. Thoughts of Faith had plagued him all night long and made it difficult for him to sleep, so he’d decided to make good use of his time. He came across a report from Khalil. His brother wanted specialized equipment for people with low vision or blindness. He picked up the phone to call.
“What’s up, big brother?” Khalil said when he answered.
“Hey. Just came across your report. You’re looking to add more equipment?”
“Actually, I want to create an area in the gym to put machines that have braille on the plates and install a special type of flooring that feels like a mat, but without the uneven surface.”
“Where do you come up with these ideas?” Khalil already had designated areas set up for individuals with disabilities, from wheelchairs that reclined flat to allow a person to lie under a weight bench, to machines that accommodated amputees comfortably.
Khalil chuckled. “My mind is always working, but I had a client with low vision and she mentioned there not being any gyms that allowed her to work out without a trainer, so I asked her what kinds of equipment she thought would be useful, added my own ideas and voilà. I have some sketches of what I want and can show them to you when you get here. You are still coming?”
“Yeah, I’ll be there.” Brandon and his brothers got together once or twice a month to play basketball and work out. The game had expanded to include his two brothers-in-law. Khalil typically played as a substitute or when he had time. “I’ll get there about half an hour earlier, if you’re available.”
“I can do that. I don’t have a client until later this afternoon.”
“I’ll see you then.” Brandon disconnected and finished reading through and making notes on the other reports.
The gym was crowded, as it was usually on a Saturday. He headed directly for Khalil’s upstairs office and knocked on the partially open door.
Khalil looked away from his computer. “Come on in. Let me finish logging in these fitness testing results and we can talk.”
Brandon took the chair across from the desk and nodded.
A few minutes later, Khalil retrieved a manila folder from a locked file cabinet and handed it to Brandon. “These sketches are still pretty rough. I’ll have better ones when I get ready to submit to the design team. I already purchased a handheld braille labeler, but I want the plates to be shaped differently so they’ll be a little more user-friendly with the labels.” He pointed out the details of each.
“You know you could have gone the art route.” Along with being a model and fitness buff, his brother was also a skilled artist.
Khalil shook his head and made a face. “No way. I didn’t want to get stuck having to draw fruit, abstracts I don’t understand and other crap I can’t stand. I’d rather draw or paint what I want.” He favored landscapes and people, but could also draw vehicles and, apparently, gym equipment.
Brandon laughed. “Well, just let me know when you’re ready and I’ll set up a meeting. Is this only for the second gym?”
“No. I’m rearranging some of the equipment here to create a space, as well. With two floors, I have a little flexibility.”
Brandon stood. “Okay. Are you playing today?”
“I don’t know. I have a few things I need to finish, but I may poke my head in the door. Are Malcolm and Omar coming?”
“I got a text from Malcolm yesterday and he said he’d be here. I’m guessing he talked to Omar.”
“Dad say anything else about when you’ll take over?”
“No.”
“What are y’all old men doing up here? We playing ball or what?”
Brandon and Khalil turned to find Malcolm standing in the door. Brandon said, “Who are you calling old?” He noticed Omar, Morgan’s husband, standing off to the side chuckling. “What’s up, Omar?”
“It’s all good,” Omar said, entering the office and doing a fist bump with Brandon and Khalil.
The men filed out of the office and went downstairs to the basketball court. They shot around while waiting for Justin to arrive.
“Do you think the Cobras will take it all again this year?” Khalil asked Malcolm and Omar. The LA Cobras football team had won the championship last season.
Omar sank a jump shot. “I think we have a good chance to repeat.”
“We still have our key offensive and defensive weapons, and my brother over here,” Malcolm said, gesturing to Omar, “is moving to the wide receiver position permanently this year. With Marcus Dupree at receiver on the right, we’ve got the two best in the league. Of course, with me at running back, what do you expect?”
Brandon shook his head. “No shame in your game, I see.”
Malcolm shrugged. “I learned from my big brothers.”
“What’s up, good people?” Justin strolled over to where the other men were and they went through another round of greetings. “Are we playing Horse today, since there are five of us?”
“That’ll