Her Little Black Book by Brenda Jackson

together. That’s why she’s so cynical. Why she refuses to believe we can make it work this time. We have to prove her wrong.”
    Ron scowled down at his plate of food. It was getting cold from him having this damn conversation. He didn’t want to leave town, not even for two weeks. His pecker had gotten spoiled. There were some things it needed on a regular basis, things Barbara wouldn’t deliver for two weeks in Hawaii. But he didn’t want to get her upset. He didn’t want her thinking there was a reason he wasn’t interested in leaving Orlando for a while. Surely he would be able to survive without a mouth down south on him for two weeks.
    â€œIf it makes you happy, then I’ll check with Elijah to see if he can cover those classes for me.”
    Barbara smiled. “Truly?”
    He nodded. “Yes, truly.”
    She reached back over across the table and took
his hand. “Thanks, Ron. I think it’s a good beginning for us.”
    If she said so, but personally, he wasn’t all that certain.
    Courtney sat on her screen porch and enjoyed the mixed drink she’d prepared. It had rained earlier, but before dusk had settled, the sun peeped out through the clouds again.
    She thought about her meeting with Jetrica. The girl was trying to make it unpleasant to continue mentoring her, but Courtney refused to give up on Jetrica. And then there was that extraordinary talent the girl had. She could be an awesome artist if she put her mind to it. What Courtney had told her earlier that day was the truth. That painting Jetrica had done and given her for Christmas was simply amazing.
    A few moments later, Courtney got up, went into her bedroom, and pulled her little black book out of the night-stand drawer. She was determined not to let what happened on her date with Harper deter her from seeking out another name. Besides, she had made Sonya a promise. She had marked out Harper’s name after that first night, and the next name listed was Don Woods.
    She reached for the phone, hoping her experience with Don would be better than the one she’d had with Harper.

8
    Don Woods was a brotha on the down-low.
    And it was a downright dirty shame, Courtney thought, sitting across from him and sipping her drink. She hadn’t picked up on it immediately, but it hadn’t taken too long to figure it out. He was handsome in a manly sort of way, well built and muscular. His voice was deep and husky. His mannerisms didn’t raise suspicions either … at first.
    But when she had looked up from studying her menu and caught him giving their waiter more than a cursory glance, the hairs on the back of her neck stood up. Something wasn’t right. To be fair, she hadn’t wanted to jump to conclusions, so for the rest of the evening she’d had to rely on her keen sense of observation. By the end of dinner,
she was convinced Don should be calling himself Dawn instead.
    â€œYou never did say where you got my number?”
    Courtney met his gaze across the table. When she had called him, unlike Harper, he had asked about that. She hadn’t told him then, and she had no intention of telling him now. “Why does that matter since you decided to meet me tonight anyway?” she asked, wondering what his response would be. Chances were, he wouldn’t argue the point.
    He smiled. “You’re right, it doesn’t matter. I’m here, and so are you. You are a very beautiful woman.”
    She scanned his face. “And you are a very handsome man.”
    Courtney could see that her compliment pleased him. It hadn’t been a hard one to make.
    From what he’d told her, he owned a limousine company that he claimed kept him pretty busy. He was an only child, and at thirty-five enjoyed a lot of outside sports, which was the reason he kept in great physical shape.
    Too bad she wasn’t one of those women who didn’t care if her man straddled the fence. Her