Janae burst out laughing. “Girl, you are too crazy. Did you bring lunch?”
“Yeah. If you brought yours, we can eat in my room.”
“I did, so I’ll meet you later.”
After Karen’s departure, Janae’s mind drifted once again to Terrence. Alone, she admitted to herself that she did want to talk to him and see him again. In her mind, she recalled the rich, deep timbre of his voice and the effortlessly controlled movements of his body onstage. Automatically, her thoughts shifted to his kiss—how his mouth moved slowly but insistently over hers, and how his body felt pressed against hers. She shook herself mentally.
“Get it together, girl. That was a onetime thing—nothing more.” She rose from the table, returned the supplies to their respective places, then went to her desk to check emails.
She answered two from other teachers and one from a parent. Scrolling down, she read one from her brother Devin, and smiled. Four years her senior, he was the youngest of her three brothers and the one she was closest to. He wanted to let her know that he’d be by on Saturday, so she responded and exited her email as the bell rang. Her two paraeducators had yard duty and would escort the students to class. Janae made sure the visual schedules for two of her students with autism were posted on the wall near the door. The schedules helped them know what to expect throughout the day and minimized anxiety. Janae was grateful for her two assistants—their presence allowed the students to have core instruction conducted in small groups.
By the end of the day, Janae felt more than tired. Mondays were always harder for some of the students to get back into their school routine. She immediately changed into comfortable clothes when she got home, then went to sit on the terrace outside her bedroom. The late-May temperatures hovered in the mid-seventies, with a slight breeze. She inhaled deeply, feeling her body start to unwind after the long day. She leaned back on the lounger, closed her eyes and started to drift off.
She startled when her cell phone rang. Reaching blindly, she searched the small table next to her, picked it up and read the display. She jerked upright when she read Terrence Campbell. She let it ring a couple more times before she answered.
“Hello.”
“Hi, Janae. It’s Terrence.”
Was his voice this sexy before? “Hi. Did you make it back home okay?”
“Yes, although we didn’t leave until after five. How did your day go?”
“Hectic, but good. What about you?”
“Same as yours. I’m still at my office and will probably be here for at least three more hours,” he answered with a sigh.
Janae glanced at her watch and frowned. “It’s already close to five o’clock. That’s kind of late, isn’t it?”
“It is, but I have a lot to do. I miss you.”
Momentarily stunned silent, she sat holding the phone. He missed her? Didn’t they meet three days ago? How could he miss her without really knowing her?
“Janae, are you still there?”
“Huh? Oh, yes. I’m still here. I miss you, too,” she added softly. It might be crazy, but she did.
“What are you doing?”
“Sitting out on my terrace relaxing before I start dinner. Speaking of dinner, if you’re going to be working so late, when are you going to eat?”
“You sound like my grandmother. She always calls me when I’m on the road to make sure I’m eating. But to answer your question, I’ll have something ordered in.”
“Your grandmother sounds like a wonderful woman.”
“She is.”
Janae heard the deep affection in his voice. “It sounds like you love her a lot.”
“If it weren’t for her and my grandfather, I don’t know where I’d be.”
Janae sensed a story behind those words, one that held a certain degree of sadness. “So tell me about your middle name—Monte.”
“My grandfather is a huge fan of Negro League baseball, and his favorite player was Monte Irvin. Well, his actual name was Monford, but my dad liked Monte better, so they compromised, and that’s how I got my middle name.”
“Did your grandfather want you to become a baseball player?”
“No. He knows music has always been my passion. It’s been that way since I was a kid.”
“Well, I’m glad that music is your passion.” She laughed. “I like your music. You use real instruments, not to mention you have a great voice. There’s nothing like the sound created by the layering of those instruments, but they don’t overpower your voice.”
He cleared his throat. “Thank you. I’m glad you like it.”
“Aw, are you blushing?”
“Nah. Men don’t blush. Hang on a minute, Janae.” She heard muffled voices, and then he came back on the line. “I have to go.”
“Okay. It was nice talking to you, and don’t forget to eat.”
“I won’t. I enjoyed talking to you, too. I want to see you again...soon. We’ll talk about it next time. Bye, baby.”
“Bye, Terrence.”
Baby? Surely he didn’t mean anything by it, but her traitorous heart leaped just the same.
* * *
Terrence was still smiling when he hung up the phone. He glanced over to see Donovan’s smirk. “What?”
“Baby? You met her, what...two...three days ago, and now she’s your baby?”
Terrence picked up a folder and thrust it at Donovan. “Didn’t you need to talk to me about the upcoming schedule?”
Donovan snatched the folder and tossed it back on the desk. “That can wait. I want to talk about you and Ms. Simms.” He leaned back in the chair and stroked his chin. “Let’s see. I’ve known you since you were a dorky fifteen-year-old, and I don’t remember ever hearing you call any woman you were supposedly dating ‘baby.’”
“How do you know? You weren’t with me every second,” Terrence countered.
“I didn’t need to be, T. Even though you date, you always maintain this kind of distance. You treat women with respect and are very considerate, but I think they sense your inaccessibility. Think about it. Remember those women in Chicago, New York and Atlanta? One date, and you dropped them like a bad habit. Not to mention all the others—same thing. And, as far as public displays of affection, you’ve only been seen occasionally holding hands—maybe.” He leaned forward. “No kissing.”
Terrence frowned. “Damn, D. You need to get a life. Maybe you’re the one who needs a woman, or a hobby. And if you don’t have enough to do here, I can find something to keep you busy.”
Donovan merely smiled. “Oh, and all this smiling and laughing...you sure your system won’t go into shock?”
“You can be replaced, Donovan.”
Donovan’s laughter rang out in the office.
Long after his friend’s departure, Terrence sat thinking about Janae. Hearing her soft, sweet voice made all kinds of sensations swirl in the pit of his stomach. A strange reaction for him because, when it came to women, emotions were never a part of the equation. He had yet to figure out why this particular woman had him acting so out of character. And when he’d blurted out that he missed her... Terrence shut his eyes and cursed under his breath. Why had he said that? He had never missed a woman in his life other than his grandmother. He’d felt a moment of panic when Janae hadn’t responded,