He had no clue about the future, which was unusual for someone who had always had a solid plan for his life. However, he was pretty certain about one thing. Knowing he’d see the lovely Laylah tomorrow helped him close his eyes and relax just enough to give his soul a break from all the terrible sorrow he felt.
Dressed in jade-green silk pajamas trimmed with pink satin piping, Laylah was stretched out across her king-size brass bed watching the ten o’clock news, dismayed that there still hadn’t been any clues or the least bit of news about little Ashley.
It was so disheartening for her to think of that precious little girl somewhere out there in the world desperately wanting to be at home with her loving mommy. Since everyone around the country was also praying for Ashley, she was filled with the hope that she’d soon be found. Prayer worked, lots of it worked even better.
Once the news was over, she surfed through the channels. When she didn’t find anything interesting to view, she turned off the television. Rarely did she go to sleep this early, but her body felt completely worn down after putting in serious hours at both her jobs. She wasn’t complaining. Working long hours kept her from being too lonely and helped to keep her mind off the fact she hadn’t a decent relationship in a long while.
Laylah wanted nothing more than to find Mr. Right and settle down in a nice cozy home, one a bit bigger than her current town house, and then eventually start a family. All the men she’d met over the past year had been totally into self. These guys could’ve cared less about her, let alone about her dreams and future aspirations.
When had guys stopped opening doors for women? Not to mention their refusal to occasionally spring for dinner and a movie. She had met some real pieces of work in the dating world. Some of these modern-day men seemed to be looking for a woman to take care of them and to enhance their lifestyle through monetary and material gifts.
Many of the guys Laylah had gone out with had been kind of disrespectful in general. Pulling out a chair for her to be seated in had rarely occurred. Most of her dates had been blind ones arranged by mutual friends. Never again would she go on a blind date. The last one had turned out to be a date straight from hell.
Maybe it was her, Laylah thought as she pulled the white and deep lavender comforter under her chin. Perhaps she simply didn’t fit the bill as Miss Right.
As the alarm clock crowed annoyingly, right at 6:00 a.m., Laylah moaned and groaned with displeasure. A couple more hours of sleep would work wonders for her fatigued body, but it was an impossible desire. Her schedule was full. Another hour of rest might have been doable had she not invited Chancellor over to tend her tiny yard.
All she had to do was hit the shower since she’d laid out her clothes the night before. Dragging her tail out of bed was done in dramatic fashion. After trudging into the bathroom, she turned the water on full blast and stepped inside the clear glass cubicle. Once she’d thoroughly washed her body, she reached for the thick white towel to dry off.
The doorbell rang at six-thirty, just as Laylah poured a cup of hot coffee. How the visitor had gotten through the gates was her first concern. If it was Chancellor, she realized she hadn’t told him about the security measures. After setting her mug down on the kitchen table, she ran toward the front of the house. A look into the safety window gave her a full view of Chancellor. He appeared to have cleaned up a bit, but his baggy jeans didn’t fit his powerful physique and his jacket wasn’t pressed.
Did she let him inside her private space or what? Laylah then realized she hadn’t thought everything through. Well, for sure, she couldn’t leave him outside. Praying she was doing the right thing, she put on a bright smile before opening up. “Good morning. Gee, you’re more than prompt. You’re about a half hour early.”
Smiling gently, Chancellor nodded. “I’d much rather be early than late.”
“I’m an advocate of promptness myself. Do you drink coffee?”
A look of surprise briefly flashed in Chancellor’s eyes. Her offer had shocked him. “I do, but are you sure you’re okay with that?”
“If I let you in, you’re not going to kill me, are you?” If only she knew how to hold her tongue. While Laylah had always had the nerve to speak her mind, she wished she hadn’t done so in this instance. Even if she had been joking, the comment was inappropriate.
“I’m not a dangerous person. You don’t know that for sure, so maybe I should just get to the gardening. Perhaps you can hand me a cup of java outside the back door.”
Laylah sucked her teeth. “That’s not happening. Come on in. Please.”
Feeling the awkwardness of the moment, Chancellor seemed reluctant to cross the threshold. This entire situation made him nervous despite that he’d never bring any harm to her. Only he knew that for sure. He in fact planned to warn her not to ever do something like this again. If she were to let the wrong type of person into her home, it might prove hazardous to her health. A male neighbor had let him in the walking gate.
Still regretful over her offhand comment, Laylah extended her hand to him. “It’s okay. Really, it is. Please come inside.”
Not wanting to hurt her feelings in any way, Chancellor took her hand for a brief moment. He then came inside. At her suggestion, he followed her back to the kitchen, where she gestured for him to take a seat at the table. Upon noticing where her mug had been placed, he sat on the opposite end.
He liked the feel of her warm, cozy kitchen. It was a cheerful place and was a comfortably accommodating size. Equipped with stainless-steel appliances, everything was shiny and bright. A stainless-steel bowl of sunny lemons and fresh limes served as a centerpiece for the round maple table and accompanying six chairs.
After filling another mug with steaming hot coffee, Laylah carried it to the table and handed it over to Chancellor. She then pulled out a chair and plopped down onto it. “How’d you do at the motel last night?”
“Good. The room was nice and clean. Thanks for asking.”
“You’re welcome. Glad you had a good night. Did you get to talk to Arlie?”
“Just for a minute or two. He seems like a nice guy. He also offered me work.”
“Doing what?”
“A few odd jobs, nothing major. I just happen to be a great handyman.”
“That will certainly work in your favor. How long have you been out there?” She couldn’t bring herself to use the “homeless” word to describe his situation, not to his face. In her opinion, the term itself was fraught with desperation.
“Not long. I’d imagine a minute or two is too long for most folks. Stuff happens.” Because she had been so nice to him, he wanted to share more of his story with her, but he didn’t think the timing was right. He lifted his mug. “You make a great cup of coffee.”
Laylah blushed slightly. “Thanks. Would you like some breakfast?”
“No, thank you. I’d just like to get to work before it gets too hot out there.”
“I know what you mean. If you want to bring your coffee along, we can step out the back door so I can show you what needs to be done around the place.”
Chancellor grabbed his mug. “Mind if I ask for a refill?”
“Not at all. I’d be happy to get it for you.” Laylah took the mug and marched right over to the stove and refilled it. She then again summoned Chancellor to follow her.
The small patch of lawn wasn’t even half the size Chancellor had expected. There were only a few ornery weeds in the flower beds, nothing overwhelming. Living in a town house offered limited space for a yard and such, but he could see that Laylah had made the most of what she had. All her plants and shrubs were evergreen, giving her greenery year-round.