Bachelor Unleashed - Brenda Jackson [24]
“So tell me, Ms. Byers. When did your friendship with Ms. Shaw begin?” Though the woman seemed surprised, Farrah knew why she’d asked the question. She intended to make them recall why they’d become friends in the first place, in hopes they’d realize their relationship was too important to give up.
Lori glanced over at Kerrie and smiled as if remembering. “It was my first year of high school. I was thirteen and the new kid in town since my parents had moved to the city over the summer. Kerrie lived on my block and invited me to walk home with her. We became best friends immediately, and—”
“Why are we rehashing all of that stuff?” Rudolph said in a snarl. “We need to be discussing the money and—”
“Rudolph, if you’re not happy with the way things are going here, you can leave!” Lori spoke up and said to her husband. It was apparent the man was surprised by his wife’s sharp statement, and like a spoiled child, he pushed his chair back and stormed from the room, slamming the door behind him.
Farrah waited a beat to see if Lori would run after him. Instead, the woman seemed to remain calm, and then after a few moments she continued the story of how she and Kerrie had met.
Farrah fought to hide her smile. Now she felt they would finally get somewhere.
Xavier glanced at his watch. It was close to three in the afternoon, and he hadn’t received a response yet from the text message he’d sent to Farrah earlier inviting her to a Broadway play tonight. He had decided against calling her since he hadn’t known the hours she would be tied up with the case she was mediating.
When his cell phone rang, he quickly picked it up and smiled when he saw the caller was Farrah. “Yes?”
“Xavier, it’s Farrah. Sorry I didn’t have time to text you back earlier, but I was in mediation sessions all day.”
“How did it go?”
“Rather well, actually. At least it did once the husband left. He was determined to cause problems. I spent most of the day reminding the two women why they became friends in the first place. I think another session will resolve things. That is if the wife doesn’t go home and let her husband’s manipulations undo all we’ve achieved today. He seems to have a lot of influence on her.”
Xavier nodded. “Are you still at work?”
“No, I just got back to the hotel and am about to take a long, leisurely bubble bath. I’m running the water as hot as I can stand it to unfreeze my bones. It’s still extremely cold outside.”
Xavier paused a moment and then asked, “Have you given any thought to joining me tonight for a Broadway play? The one I thought you’d enjoy is Hair. And I promise to keep you warm again if you do venture out.”
That’s what I’m afraid of, Farrah thought, sitting on the edge of her bed. The only reason she hadn’t swooned each and every time she’d thought of the kiss they’d shared in the car last night was because it had taken all of her time and energy getting Kerrie and Lori to stroll back down memory lane.
“Umm, I’ve always wanted to see Hair,” she said softly.
“Here’s your chance.”
Yes, here was her chance. Should she take it or should she let the opportunity drift in the wind because she didn’t trust herself around one particular man? Would he try kissing her again? She drew in a deep breath knowing he would and knowing she would be disappointed if he didn’t.
She had gone to bed last night with that hot and sizzling kiss on her mind and too many warm, touchyfeely emotions stirring in her heart. And she knew why. During the year she and Xavier had been bed partners, he’d had a way of making her feel special and had taken whatever time was needed to bring her as much pleasure as any one woman could possibly handle. He had been more attentive to her in that one year than Dustin had been during the four years of their marriage. She had missed Xavier’s attentiveness, his presence, his lovemaking and every