Chapter 21
“Somebody’s at the door,” Delilah yelled out.
Sheba rolled her eyes. Delilah was closer to the front door but didn’t move from the couch. How did she expect to walk better if she didn’t get her behind off the couch and move?
“You could have gotten the door,” Sheba said as she passed by the living room door and peeked out the window. “David, what are you doing here?” Sheba asked as she yanked the front door open.
“I came to check on Delilah. I heard she was staying with you,” he said.
“She is, but I know you didn’t come all the way to Shreveport to see my sister.”
“You must have forgotten that I have a company here. Now, are you going to let me in and let me see Delilah, or are we going to give your neighbors something to talk about because some handsome man is standing on your porch while your husband is away?”
Sheba wanted to wipe the smirk off his face. She moved over to the side and allowed him entrance. “You better be glad you’re my husband’s boss, or I would have slammed the door in your face.”
“I love a woman with pizzazz.”
“She’s in the living room.”
David remained standing in the same spot. “I’ve never been to your house before, so can you please escort me to your living room?”
“We don’t live in a big mansion like you. Just walk that way and you’ll see it.” Sheba pointed. She brushed past David, and he followed behind her. “Delilah, you have company.”
“I do?” Delilah swung her legs around and planted them on the floor. She quickly ran her hands through her hair. She tried to stand up but failed.
David rushed to her side. “Stay sitting. I just wanted to check on my favorite patient.”
“I’m doing fine. I go to rehab three times a week, and my sister is taking great care of me.” Delilah pointed in Sheba’s direction.
Sheba said, “I’ll excuse you two so you can talk. I need to go cook dinner.”
“Why don’t I treat you lovely ladies to dinner?” David asked.
“I’m really not up for getting out,” Delilah said. “But you and Sheba can go right ahead.”
“It’s probably best that I don’t leave her alone,” Sheba quickly added.
“Nonsense. I’m a big girl. I can take care of myself. Besides, I’m going to need you to bring me a doggie bag, because any restaurant he takes you to is probably going to be an expensive one.”
David looked at Sheba. “So what do you say? Can I treat you to dinner? It’s the least I can do.”
Sheba thought about it. David was right. He could treat her to dinner since he’d sent her husband across the globe. “You know what? I’m going to take you up on your offer. Give me twenty minutes, and I’ll be ready.”
“Great. That’ll give me and Delilah time to talk.” He winked at his accomplice.
Thirty minutes later Sheba followed David outside. “Surprised you’re slumming it today,” Sheba said as David held her car door open and she got inside the black SUV.
“What do you mean by that?” David was puzzled.
“No driver. You’re actually driving yourself somewhere. I’m surprised you even know how to drive.”
David didn’t respond. He closed the car door and walked around to the driver’s side. Sheba felt kind of bad for her rude behavior. She vowed to tone it down a little.
David started up the engine. “What do you want for dinner?”
“Italian. I love Italian.”
“There’s this Italian bistro near downtown that my employees have been talking about. Do you know where it is?”
“I sure do. We’ll need to take I-Twenty and then take the Fairfield Avenue exit.”
David followed her directions, and they were there in no time. Normally, patrons needed reservations, but David slipped the maître d’ some money and they were seated immediately.
“Times like these are when I enjoy the fact that I have a little extra money,” David said to Sheba.
They made small talk over dinner. They talked about the weather, the food, and the casinos. Sheba hated to admit that talking to David was like talking to any other person. She had this negative image about him in her head, and he was quickly erasing it. To her surprise she found he had a good sense of humor. He was no Mike Epps, but he made her laugh.
“Tell me who the real David is. Not the one the world knows, but when you’re not at the office. The person that hardly anyone gets to see.” Sheba stopped eating her dessert.
“What you see is what you get.” David threw his hands up halfway.
“So you’re this shrewd businessman who never turns it off? I’ve gotten to see a different side of you tonight. What else should I know about David?” Sheba asked.
“Like I said, what you see is what you get. I see something I want, and I go for it.” David stared directly into her eyes.
“Do you always get what you want?”
“For the most part. Some things are easier to acquire than others.” He winked his eye.
“I bet you were spoiled growing up, weren’t you?”
“Never that. I worked hard for everything I have. Don’t you see how hard I’m working now?” David laughed.
Sheba didn’t. She picked up her glass of lemonade. The only thing in it was ice and a few drops of lemonade. She didn’t care. She sipped on the straw until it started making noises. She needed something to quench the heat radiating from David’s eyes that was meant for her.
“I’ll be right back,” Sheba said. She eased away from the table and rushed to the restroom.
She paced back and forth in front of the sink. Sheba wet a paper towel and held it to her neck to cool herself down. “Get a grip,” she said to herself in the mirror.
What was she doing? David hadn’t made a pass at her. They were only talking. So why did she feel like she was doing something she had no business doing?