LITMIR.BIZ

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Yeah, a little fireball.

      Ann Marie returned to the front desk.

      “Wow, what’s going on with you two?” Elizabeth asked. “I almost got singed with the sparks.”

      “I barely know the man,” she tossed off.

      “It never stopped you before.”

      “Very funny.”

      “He seems to have a real interest in you.”

      “Maybe.”

      “Could be the one, you know.”

      “The one what?”

      “The one to take your mind off of Terrance.”

      Ann Marie drew in a breath. If only, she thought. If only.

      Chapter 6

      Barbara and Elizabeth closed up shop while Stephanie took inventory.

      “Did you work on a Sterling Chambers tonight?” Elizabeth asked innocently.

      Barbara arched her aching back. “Probably, why? They’re all becoming a blur at this point.” She flexed her fingers. “Where’s Ann Marie? I barely saw her all night.”

      “With that guy.”

      Barbara huffed. She hated it when Elizabeth grew cryptic. “What guy?” she asked, summoning her last ounce of patience.

      “Sterling Chambers, silly. Who did you think I was talking about?”

      Barbara flashed her a look. “Ann Marie is out with one of the clients?”

      Elizabeth nodded. “Not just any client. This one is gorgeous.”

      “Still no excuse. We all agreed.”

      “Sometimes things just happen and you have to make allowances.”

      “I don’t want this place turning into a male brothel, Ellie.”

      “It won’t. Anyway, from what I could gather, he came on to her. Said he’d met her briefly after the opening. He seems like a really nice guy.”

      Barbara huffed. “She better not make a habit of that. I don’t want clients getting the wrong impression about the staff.”

      “So do you remember him or not? Good looking, tall, athletic build, dark-skinned.”

      Barbara frowned in thought. “Sort of. Pull his information up.” She came around the counter to stand in front of the computer.

      Elizabeth typed in his name and all his information came up along with his picture that was taken when he signed up.

      “Oh, yes. I remember him. Great buns and thighs.” She grinned. She looked at his information. “Ellie look, he’s an attorney.”

      They both stared at each other as reality dawned.

      “Just what Ann needs,” they said in unison.

      “Did you have someplace in mind?” Ann Marie asked as they walked toward Sterling’s car.

      “Do you have a taste for something special?”

      “I’m not choosey. But Spoonbread is really good if you like soul food.”

      “I know the place, up on One-Sixteen.”

      “Yes.”

      “Spoonbread it is. My car is right over there,” he said, pointing to the black Mercedes.

      Hmm, nice.

      He helped her into the car then came around to his side. The passenger seat gently reclined when he turned on the ignition. Hmm, very nice.

      They drove the few blocks in an easy silence. The local jazz station 88.3 FM played softly in the background.

      “Do you live in the area?” he asked as he searched for a place to park.

      “On Morningside. What about you?”

      “Further downtown, off Central Park.”

      “Have you always lived in New York?”

      “Actually, I grew up in Queens.”

      “Craziest borough I’ve ever been to,” she scoffed. “Streets make no sense.”

      He chuckled. “That’s a common complaint.” He pulled into a space and shut off the car. The seat returned to its fully upright position.

      “But you’re not originally from here,” he said, turning to her.

      “Born in Jamaica,” she said, putting her accent back in place.

      He chuckled. “I’ve never been. I hear it’s beautiful.”

      “It can be.” She unfastened her seatbelt.

      “Do I detect a note of dissatisfaction?”

      “Old news, that’s all.”

      “Maybe you’ll tell me about it one day.”

      She kept her gaze averted. “Maybe,” she said softly.

      They entered the restaurant and were seated shortly thereafter.

      “So I understand from one of your co-owners that you’re into real estate.” He looked over the menu.

      “Yes. For a while now. It’s a booming business especially here in the city. I’ll have an iced tea,” she said to the waiter who came up to their table.

      “Make that two.”

      “Would you like to place your food order now?”

      “Can you give us a few minutes?” Sterling asked.

      “Sure.” The waiter walked away.

      “Do you have a specialty?”

      “Mostly commercial properties and, over the past few years, brownstones. Those are the really hot items now.”

      “I’ve been thinking of buying, but the prices are ridiculous.”

      “I know. But they’re beginning to come down. They have to. No one can sell properties they bought just two years ago.” She paused. “Were you thinking of a brownstone or co-op?”

      “Actually I’m more of a picket fence, backyard kind of guy. Guess it must be my Queens roots.” He grinned and she noticed the tiny dimple in his right cheek. “And I’m not sure I want to spend my declining years in New York.”

      She laughed. “Declining. You have a long way to go, I’m sure.”

      “I’ll be fifty in two years. It’s well past time for me to begin planning out the rest of my life.”

      “If you’re really interested I’m sure I can connect you with someone who can help with property out of state.”

      “I’ll keep that in mind. But for now, I want to spend my pre-declining years getting to know you.”

      She felt her face flush. She lowered her gaze to focus on her menu. “So what kind of law do you practice?” she said, changing the subject.

      “I’m a criminal defense attorney.”

      “That must be hard.”

      “It can be, especially if you lose. But now that I’m in private practice I can take on the cases that I want as opposed to the ones forced on me.”

      She placed her menu down and looked at him. She drew in a breath and let out what she’d been dying to know. “Can I ask you a legal question…?”

      “Sure.”

      “When I was sixteen I was sent by my mother to live in the Bishop household. Before the year was out I was married to Terrance

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