Chapter 7
Zarah felt as if she were being cornered. No matter how many times she tried to hide, Derrick was always right there. His green eyes watching her carefully while his large, male body trapped her whenever they were alone.
The morning following their swim in the lake, she was sitting in the coffee shop before work with Mary and Suzanne and several others. They were all laughing about men, their husbands or previous boyfriends and Zarah laughed at some of the stories Mary told of the men she met before marrying her husband. The woman really cracked her up.
She glanced down at the newspaper, not really interested in reading any of the news, just wanting to keep abreast of the international headlines. Suddenly, the laughter was gone and there was only silence in its place.
Within thirty seconds, all four other women picked up their coffees, purses and anything else they’d brought with them and were walking out the door. Zarah wasn’t sure what had happened, but she wasn’t in any rush, so she remained seated. Since her back was to the doorway, she had no idea that Derrick had just walked into the coffee shop. She glanced back down at her newspaper, about to fold it up and head over to the shop when a large body sat down next to her, trapping her in the booth and moving closer than she felt comfortable.
“Going somewhere?” he asked, looking down at her and putting his arm around the back of the booth. His shoulders were so broad that they actually blocked out the rest of the café.
She shifted uncomfortably on the bench, wanting to put some space between their bodies, but he only shifted again, plastering his leg back against hers.
“I should get to the shop. Mary needs my help,” she said, but it sounded all breathy and distracted. Her eyes dropped to his mouth, wishing they were in a place where he could kiss her.
“You don’t need to be there for thirty minutes. I just spoke to Mary as she was leaving.”
Zarah looked quickly at the exit and saw her best friend and her boss heading down the street with three other women, all five of them with their heads bent towards each other as if they were discussing something of great import. “Traitor,” Zarah said under her breath.
Derrick laughed but was delighted with her expression. “So what are you reading in the newspaper?” he asked.
Zarah glanced down, trying to remember which article she’d been skimming. “Nothing really.”
“The economy is getting better,” he commented, then lifted his eyebrows as if to tell her that the conversation was now in her court and she’d better pick it up.
Zarah couldn’t pull her eyes away from his. “That’s what the statistics are saying at least.”
“You disagree?” he challenged.
Zarah wasn’t sure how it happened, but within moments, they were in a heated argument over the best way to lead the economy out of this current mess. She rolled her eyes several times when he claimed one avenue to achieve financial success but she tossed back at him another option. Back and forth they argued and Zarah laughed at how much she admired his comments.
She glanced at her watch and jumped up. “I really have to go now. I’m late and Mary will be wondering where I am,” she said and pushed against his side so she could exit the booth.
She was relieved when he slid out, allowing her to leave, but she should have known that it wouldn’t be that easy. As soon as they were standing, Derrick pulled her into his arms and kissed her, uncaring that the rest of the patrons stopped and stared, some with their mouths hanging open as they witnessed a public display of affection by their one and only Duke and the new girl on the block.
After several heart stopping moments, he lifted his head and stepped back. With a wink and a nod, he walked out of the café ahead of her, sliding his hands into the pockets of his khaki slacks and whistling while he walked down the street in the opposite direction.
Zarah watched him, her eyes glaring at him but he never turned around so he didn’t realize that she was shooting arrows at his back.
Two days after that incident, she was busy closing up the shop after a crazy Saturday. They’d sold a great deal of merchandise, but the store was a mess! She and Mary were folding and straightening when a knock sounded on the locked door.
Zarah didn’t even bother to look up as she was bent down low picking up several belts that had fallen behind a display case. She stood up a moment later to see who had just walked in, belts in hand and a worried look on her face because Derrick was walking into the store, chatting with Mary about the sweet woman’s cat.
“What are you doing here on a Saturday night?” Mary teased as she hefted a pile of sweaters onto the table. “Shouldn’t you be in London at some fabulous gala so that we can read all about it in the society section tomorrow morning?”
He laughed and shook his head, his eyes zeroing in on Zarah. “I came to take your helper out for dinner and a movie, if she has the time.” He looked back down at Mary before he said, “but it looks like you two have a lot of work to do cleaning up around here. Maybe I should come around another time?”
Mary waved that aside. “Goodness, we can clean this stuff up any old time. You two go on and have a nice night.”
Zarah was already shaking her head but Mary was having none of that. “Don’t even go there, my dear,” she interrupted before Zarah could utter a word. “You’ve already told me that you’re facing a dull salad up in your apartment because Suzanne is out on a date tonight anyway. Might as well go out and have a nice dinner instead of that healthy stuff you’re always eating.”
Derrick looked back to Zarah who was obviously trying to frantically figure out a way to escape from his plans for her tonight. He didn’t say a word, just watched with amusement as she sifted through one excuse after another in her mind, discarding each because she knew they wouldn’t work.
“Fine,” she replied, grudgingly accepting his elbow.
“I love it when a woman is excited to be with me,” he commented and winked at Mary.
“Don’t let her fool you,” Mary called out. “She’s been jumpier than a kitten in a mouse factory. And I suspect it’s because she’s been waiting for you to show up again.”
Derrick laughed and pulled Zarah out of the shop. When they were outside, he simply bent low and kissed her open mouth, eliminating the possibility of hearing her contradict Mary’s assertion. He liked thinking that this little woman was just as eager as he was.