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JANAE STAYED THE NIGHT and the next day, in which the only clothes she wore was his various shirts. She didn’t get into her dress again until Sunday evening when they finally had dinner at the same restaurant. The food was delicious, and she enjoyed ogling Damond in his dress clothes. The man cleaned up like nobody’s business! He tried to get her to stay another night but she had her own work to do. Her book revisions had only been sent off to her editor recently, which put her behind on her class planning.
So after prying herself from his goodbye kiss, she went home. The month of May hit and they found themselves settling into a routine around her “Intro to Psychology” class which took place Monday, Wednesday and Friday. They usually met at least once during the week on one of her off days for lunch or dinner, often followed by some quality time. Every weekend found them shacking up at one of their homes. Damond had teased her mercilessly about her sunshine inspired bathroom the first time he’d seen it.
Along with classes and her relationship, she had spent weeks accepting and denying changes from the editor. That was before looking over the entire thing again to make sure her corrections hadn’t caused any new mistakes. A week and a half before June rolled in, she was sending the last draft off to the peer-review team and holding her breath for the outcome. She got the input back way quicker than she thought, but was thankful because that meant as June was ending, her book was finally complete and she was able to send it off to the printers. Dr. Janae Williams, Ph.D. had a solo book to her name!
Damond insisted on taking her out to celebrate.
Honestly, she would have preferred to stay home with him and relax with a movie. But she didn’t want to diffuse his enthusiasm and it was nice to have someone besides her family to celebrate her success like their own. This time she picked McVee’s, a place neither had to get really dressed up for. Though she put on a nice sundress that could work as casual or semi dressy. In the middle of dinner she flagged down their waiter and asked if they had any champagne on the menu. When it was brought to the table she turned to Damond.
“I want to make a toast.” She was a little buzzed off the cocktails and it was starting to show.
“You do? This should be interesting.”
“To us! Two authors who completed their books and didn’t kill each other or anyone else.”
“I’ll drink to that.” Damond clinked his glass against hers. “You know, that sounds like a good idea for a book.”
Janae couldn’t help rolling her eyes. “Everything sounds like a good idea for a book to you.”
“The price you pay for dating a writer. Plus, don’t act like I don’t see you taking notes from time to time on folks, me mainly. We’re fodder for each other’s work.”
“You’re right, but at least all my research subjects are protected. The lawyers insist on it.”
“Not mine. I’ve definitely killed off some real life folks in my books. Now back to this killer writer. Think about it, every time he gets writer’s block, he takes out his anger and aggression on some unsuspecting person. Or maybe only people who he thinks is stifling his creativity.”
Janae loved hearing the excitement in his voice when a new idea grabbed his attention. He was like a kid who’d just discovered a new flavor of candy.
“Okay, but why can’t it be a woman? I think she’d have more folks to be angry at. Her male competitors who don’t take her seriously, publishers who undervalue her stories. Maybe even fans of her genre that give her a harder time than her counterparts. I got it! It can be an unreasonable bad review that sets her off the first time, in addition to the writer’s block.”
Damond stroked his chin in thought for a moment, leaning back in his chair. Then suddenly sat forward grabbing her hands across the table.
“See this is why I keep you around. That is a great twist. You get into the “why” of the killer’s brain even more easily than I do.”
“Thanks for the compliment...I think,” she said drolly.
“Your welcome.”
Damond leaned over the table giving her a quick kiss, before sitting back down and pulling out his pad to start writing notes. Janae shook her head and smiled before standing up.
“Let me leave you alone with your mistress. Going to the bathroom, be right back.” Getting a nod in response she went off to do her business.
*
DAMOND KNEW JANAE HATED to see his notebook come out, but also knew she understood. Just like at the cabin he took it everywhere with him. He knew most authors used the recording function on their phones for spur of the moment ideas. Or even the notes app. For whatever reason, he preferred hand writing them down. At the end of the day it didn’t hurt, and gave him a chance to use that neat handwriting his mother had drilled into him.
The only time Damond was guaranteed not to let his mistress, as Janae called it interrupt, was when they were getting down. Once they started on that path nothing distracted him from her. He was feeling really lucky tonight to have found someone who got both him and his writing. While she may have thought a few things annoying, she made an effort to understand and accept that it was just part of his process. The total opposite of Veronica. That woman had complained about the time and focus his writing took from her, that the notebook made her feel in second place.
Their first serious “this might be the end fight” had occurred when Veronica had been sulking because he couldn’t take her out one night, while he was working on the last few chapters of a book. The ideas had been pouring out of his head damn near, not only for the current book but for the next one in the series. So he’d been going back and forth from his notebook to his computer nonstop, until his bladder feeling like it was bursting, made him get up.
Returning from the bathroom he’d gone right back at it. Until ten minutes later another idea for the next book popped up and he’d reached for his notebook. When he hadn’t been able to find it, all hell broke loose. Veronica had taken it and after some yelling and even a threat or two, she had finally told him it was in the trash. Damond had retrieved it, packed his computer and a gym bag full of clothes and got the hell out of there.
It was the first time he’d ever felt like putting his hands on a woman. He should have known it would never work between them, then and there. After two days in a hotel spent finishing the book and cooling off he’d come home, a fool who thought himself in love. She’d been contrite with tears and all. Promising to never do anything like that again and he’d forgiven her. Actually, that incident was why he took his notebook to the crapper to this day.
“Hey, Damond.”
What in the hell? Looking up he verified his ears had been right. Veronica in the flesh stood by the table.
“So I guess it’s true. People say you can think up the devil if you try hard enough.”
Veronica ignored his barb and dropped into Janae’s spot.
“How have you been? I noticed you over here and decided to come say hi.”
Veronica had noticed him alright, from when he first walked in with that woman. Had watched them all evening, eating off each other’s plates, laughing and sending teasing looks at each other. Had seen that toast and kiss too, before whoever she was had scampered off.
“You’ve said hi, are you happy now? Are you still with Mr. Richie Rich?”
“You mean Calvin...and yes I am. Why do you ask, you trying to see if I’m available?”
Veronica sent him a flirty open look. Yeah, she was with Calvin, and his pockets were still a bit fatter than Damond’s had been, but he lacked in other areas. Mainly the bedroom. Damond won in that arena hands down, and after more than a year and a half of doing without the good stuff, seeing him tonight had reminded her where to get a hit that was sure to give her a high.
“Only thing I’m trying to see is why this conversation isn’t over.”
“Oh, don’t be like that Damond. Are you saying we’d have more to talk about if Calvin wasn’t in the picture?”
“Hell no!” Damond scoffed and stood up, which forced her to slowly do the same. “You’re done with me remember? Gotta say that was the best decision you ever made for the both of us. I’m with someone else, which I have a feeling you already know.”
Janae rounded the back of the booth at that exact moment.
“Hope I’m not interrupting.” She asked the question of Damond, while keeping her eyes on the woman before her.
“Not one bit, she was just-”
“Wow...you are really tall.” Janae cut him off stepping a little closer.
“Excuse me?” Veronica sniffed taking offense.
Damond snickered. Veronica was one of those odd women who didn’t like their height. She had once told him she wanted to be shorter, more petite. He had chalked it up to her wanting to play the damsel in distress more convincingly.
Damond went to introduce them. “Janae this is-”
“Veronica. I’ve heard a bit about you, like the tall thing.”
“I see. He was just telling me about you...”
“I gathered,” Janae said curtly. “Are you here with a date?”
“No, just some friends. Actually, one of them pointed him out. They recognized him from the years we dated.” She let out a fake laugh. “I hadn’t seen him over here. Figured I’d come say a friendly hello.”
“Hello,” Janae said dismissively. “Goodbye. Don’t let us keep you from your friends.” Sliding around the other woman, Janae took her seat. Damond did the same, wisely not saying another word. Veronica gave a huff and flounced back to her table.
“That was interesting.” He deadpanned.
“What, the conversation you two had?”
“Yeah that too, but I meant you. I’m impressed with your level of petty and vindictiveness. We make a good match.”