You Sang to Me

“You’re the only woman who’s ever made me fly back like this.”

“And I suppose you’re looking for a reward,” she said.

“Any bone will do.”

Rising up on her toes, she kissed him, and it was all the incentive he needed to wrap her in his arms and drown.

They fed on each other with a lazy fervor that left them both breathless. He brushed slow heated lips over the warm scented skin of her neck and savored her soft gasps of response. As he blazed a meandering trail back to her lips, he knew that if he didn’t make love to her sometime tonight he might explode.

Beats of My Heart

Suddenly, he felt warm, gentle hands sliding over his rib cage as she pressed herself against his back.

Tristan felt his slow heartbeat begin to accelerate once again, as her busy fingers continued their exploration of his body. Using all the willpower he could muster, Tristan covered her hands to stop their slow progression, opened his eyes and looked at her beautiful reflection in the mirror.

As if sensing his question, Rayne said, “Tristan, I know what I’m doing. I want you.”

BEVERLY JENKINS

Beverly Jenkins is an award-winning African-American writer. She has lectured at such prestigious universities as Oberlin University, the University of Illinois and the University of Michigan. She speaks widely on both romance and nineteenth-century African-American history. Beverly was first published in 1994 and has published twenty-one novels. This is her first novella for Kimani Romance.

ELAINE OVERTON

Elaine Overton resides in the Detroit area with her son. She attended a local business college before entering the military, and serving in the Gulf War. She is an administrative assistant, currently working for an automotive industry supplier. She is an active member of Romance Writers of America.

Rhythms of Love
Beverly Jenkins Elaine Overton

www.millsandboon.co.uk

MILLS & BOON

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To my good friend Regina Belle—Beverly

Dear Reader,

I hope you enjoy Reggie and Jamais story. Although the school where she volunteered is fictional, the woman for whom the school was named was very real. Madame Sissieretta Jones was an icon of the late nineteenth and early twentieth century and sang all over the world. Billed as the Greatest Singer of Her Race, she was the first African-American woman to sing at Carnegie Hall. Although her name has been lost through time, she helped pave the way. In commemoration of Black Music Month this June, please honor her by learning more about her.

Thanks,

B

Dear Reader,

Thank you for taking the time to read Beats of My Heart. I hope you have enjoyed getting to know Tristan and Rayne. I love music and during the writing of this book, I swear I could almost hear Tristans soulful voice in my ears! I hope you can hear it, as well.

Beats of My Heart is my first novella, so I hope I was successful in expressing the love between the main characters and the obstacles they had to overcome in order to be together. Please feel free to let me know what you think—my e-mail is Elaine@elaineoverton.com.

Elaine

You Sang To Me

Chapter One

Regina, aka Reggie, Vaughn turned the key in her ten-year-old Escort and prayed the car would start. The plea was a daily ritual. The present state of her finances made replacing the aged vehicle impossible, so she relied on divine benevolence instead.

After two tries, the engine finally rumbled to life. The rusted green body shook and vibrated as if it was going to fly apart, but with her prayers answered, Regina backed down her grandmother’s snow-lined driveway and headed off to her job at one of Detroit’s most prestigious riverfront hotels.

She’d been on the hotel’s staff for five years. Initially, she’d worked at the concierge desk, but when the economy hit bottom two years ago, so did the hospitality industry. Her position was eliminated, and it was either be laid off or take any opening the hotel had. She found a spot in housekeeping. It was good honest work and she made a point of doing it well. However, being downsized also meant bringing home a smaller paycheck, one that didn’t pay enough to handle both her bills and college tuition, so finishing school had to wait. Having to withdraw had been disappointing, especially since she was just a few credits short of obtaining her bachelor’s in Music Education. She wanted to become a music teacher. In her heart she knew her dreams would come true, but right now, she was just glad to have a job.

At the hotel, she parked in the employee lot and entered the building. Housekeeping was run out of a small office in the basement. Ms. Harold headed the operation and had been doing so for fourteen years.

As Reggie entered and punched in, Ms. Harold called out, “Morning, Reg.”

“Hey, Ms. Harold. How are you?”

“I’d be better if Trina hadn’t called in sick again. You’ll have to cover her floors today. Sorry.”

Reggie wanted to jump up and down and throw a tantrum at the idea of all the extra work, but because she was twenty-seven and not seven, she said simply, “Okay. I’ll see you later.” Sighing, she left Ms. Harold and headed off to start her day.

On the way to the room where the housekeepers changed out of street clothes and into their uniforms, she gave a wave to the waiters, valets and other service employees she passed. The hotel’s underground hive was already up and running, and she felt good still being a member of such a dedicated and award-winning staff.

Trina, however, was another story. She was Reggie’s best friend. They’d been close as sisters since fourth grade. Where Reggie’s dream was to be a music teacher, Trina’s was to become a beautician with her own shop. Reggie rooted for Trina’s dream just like Trina rooted for Reggie’s, but when it came to work outside of a beauty shop, Trina was not the most diligent employee.

Reggie entered the changing room, pulled on the shapeless gray dress that was her uniform, buckled the shiny belt and went to grab one of the carts that held all the towels, bedding and other necessities she’d need to spend the next eight hours cleaning rooms.

Upstairs on the twenty-fifth floor, multi-award-winning music producer Jamal Reynolds checked himself out in the mirror. Tall and dark skinned, he knew he was a good-looking man, but that wasn’t what drove his personality. The simple black turtleneck and black slacks were expensive but made him look casual and comfortable as opposed to the millionaire the music industry knew him to be. He preferred it that way. He wasn’t into blinding people with bling or hanging so much gold around his neck that he had to walk bent over. His work was his focus and the only bling he cared about were the Grammys and Platinum awards he and his stable of artists displayed on the walls of their homes back in L.A. At present, he was on his way to a breakfast in conjunction with the fiftieth-anniversary celebration of Grady Records, one of the pioneering recording companies of R & B. At thirty-three, Jamal was too young to have grown up owning any of the Grady hits, but he and everyone else in the music business owed their careers to the tracks laid down fifty years ago by the great Charles Grady.

The hotel room’s phone rang. It was the front desk informing him that his hired driver and town car were downstairs. Grabbing his bag, he quickly left the room.

He and the driver were just about to pull away from the hotel when Jamal realized he’d stupidly left his phone in the bathroom. Offering a quick apology to the driver, he hurried back inside.

A maid’s cart was outside his room and the door was open. Not wanting to scare whoever might be inside, Jamal entered and called out, “Hello?”

In reply, he heard a woman singing an old Anita Baker classic in a voice so fine it stopped him cold. The pitch and intonation were perfect. The resonation, pure. His heart raced as it did when he heard a new talent, so he peeked into the bathroom and got the backside view of a woman in a shapeless gray dress on her knees cleaning the bathtub. Headphones were in her ears, and her voice was rising and falling as if it had been sent from heaven.

He listened intently. Not only did she have amazing range, but more often than not an untrained singer sang flat when wearing headphones and this woman was blowing. Fighting to keep the excitement out of his voice, he called a bit louder, “Excuse me? Miss?”

Singing away and in her own world, Reggie happened to look around and jumped, startled at the sight of the tall, good-looking man in the doorway. He was dressed in all black and the dark beauty of him almost knocked her over. All she could do was stare at how absolutely gorgeous he was. She finally shook her mind loose, hastily snatched off the headphones and got to her feet. She wasn’t supposed to be plugged in while working and she prayed he wasn’t a new member of the hotel’s security detail.

“Um, I forgot my phone,” he explained.

Relieved that he wasn’t security, she asked, “May I see your room key, please?” No matter how cute, the rules came first.

He handed it over. As she walked to the open door and stuck the key card into the lock, she could feel his eyes on her. She tried to ignore the silent scrutiny but found herself peeking over at him just the same. The speculative amusement in his gaze made her hastily turn her attention back to the door.

Satisfied his key was legit, she handed it back, then reached into the pocket of her dress and withdrew his phone. She handed it over. “I already called security about finding it, so make sure you let the desk know you have it. I don’t want them thinking I kept it.”

“I will.”

Reggie wondered why she couldn’t seem to move. He had his phone and she had a roster full of rooms to take care of but they were staring at each other like two people caught in time.

“I heard you singing,” he confessed.

“Please don’t tell anyone. I’m not supposed to have headphones on, but it makes the day go faster.”

“I understand. You have a great voice. My name’s Jamal Reynolds.”

“Nice to meet you.”

“I’d like to talk to you, if I could.”

“Concerning?”

“Getting you into a recording studio.”

That broke the spell. She rolled her eyes. “Yeah, right. Nice meeting you, Mr. Reynolds. Have a good day.” She moved back into the bathroom.

“No, wait. Here. Let me give you my card.” He reached into his pocket and pulled out a platinum-engraved card holder.

“No, thank you.”

“But I’m a producer.”

“And I’m a maid with a bunch of rooms to do, so you go produce and I’ll clean.”

For a moment he appeared to be confused, as if he wasn’t sure what to make of her. As if thinking maybe she wasn’t getting it, he stated plainly, “I’m serious.”

“So am I.” Reggie knew better than to antagonize a guest, but the last thing she needed was to start her day having to fend off some joker intent upon Lord knew what. “Do I go back to work or do I call security?” she asked gently.

“So I can tell them you were singing when I came in?”

“Now you’re threatening my job?”

He stiffened a bit. “ No. I just want you to hear me out.”

“And if I don’t, you’ll tattle like somebody in middle school?”

He stared. He didn’t seem to like the sound of that. “Look, I’m Jamal Reynolds.”

“You said that, but did you hear what I said?” she asked quietly and as politely as she could manage. “I don’t have time to listen to whatever it is you think you’re going to run on me, so just go, please, so I can get done in here.”

He looked exasperated, then sighed. “Okay, you win. I’ll leave, but I can make you a star.”

“Uh-huh.” She took the embossed card he was holding out, hoping it might speed up his departure.

“I fly back to L.A. tomorrow night,” he said, looking all the world as if he couldn’t believe she was actually turning down his offer. “Would you call me when you get off work, please?”

“Sure.”

“Promise?”

“Sure.”

“I’ll be expecting your call.”

“Okay, okay. Just go.”

So he did, and as soon as he disappeared, Reggie tossed the fancy business card into her trash can and went back to cleaning his room so she could move on to the next one.

At the end of the long day, she pulled into her grandmother’s driveway, turned off the engine and dropped her head wearily onto the steering wheel. Lord, I’m tired, she thought. Thanks to Trina not showing up, Reggie’s normal eight-hour workday had been lengthened to ten. There’d be overtime pay in her next check as a result, but at the moment the prospect of the extra money wasn’t enough to compensate her for the weariness plaguing every bone in her body. She’d made endless beds, cleaned endless bathtubs and vacuumed until her back begged for mercy. Now, all she wanted to do was crawl into a nice hot tub and soak until she turned into a raisin.

Inside the house, she found her pajama-clad grandmother chilling on the living-room sofa watching an old Western. Her long dreadlocks were piled neatly atop her head.

“Hey, Gram,” she said with a warm smile.

“Hey, baby. You look whipped. Long day, huh?”

“Too long.” Reggie plopped down into their worn green recliner. “Trina didn’t show up again.”

Gram looked over and smiled. “Good thing you love her so much.”

“I know. Otherwise I’d be tempted to kick her butt for having to cover for her again. How was your day?”

“Mr. Baines and I spent the morning riding through the Pointes looking at the rich folks’ homes. You should’ve seen the tulips on Lakeshore Drive. Absolutely beautiful.”

Mr. Baines was Gram’s current boo. They’d been together a few months but Gram wasn’t sure how much longer the relationship would continue. Being a retired English teacher, she thrived on intelligent conversation and that was not one of Mr. Baines’s strong suits. The Pointes, however, were a group of rich communities east of Detroit. You had to have large dollars to live there and the black families in the zip codes could be counted on one hand. Many Detroiters took pleasure in slowly driving past the big lakefront homes to look at the spring flowers, Halloween decorations and the lights hung during the Christmas holidays.

“What was Trina’s excuse this time?”

Reggie shrugged. “Who knows? I tried calling her to see if maybe she was sick but I got her voice mail.”

“Probably man related, knowing our Trina.”

“Probably. I’ll try her again later tonight.” A book could be written about Trina and her adventurous love life. She changed her men as often as she changed her hairstyle.

“At least you have the day off tomorrow,” Gram pointed out. “You can relax.”

“A little bit. The kids and I are having the final concert rehearsal tomorrow. Any errands you need me to run for you before then?” Reggie was the volunteer music director for a neighborhood elementary school.

“Nope. Mr. Baines and I got groceries today, so I’m set.”

“Good. Then I’m sleeping in.”

“Pancakes when you get up.”

“Deal,” Reggie replied with a tired smile and got to her feet. “Oh, I met a guy today who said he wanted to put me in the studio.”

“What kind of studio?”

“Music. Said he was a producer.”

“Did he give you his name?”

“Jamal something. Started with an R…Reynolds, I think. He was in one of the rooms on my route today, or should I say, Trina’s route. Gave me his card.”

“And you said?”

“No, thanks.”

Their eyes met. Reggie waited for her grandmother to reply, but when no words followed, Reggie planted a kiss on her cheek. “Thanks for not fussing. I’ll see you later.”

“Get some rest.”

Upstairs, Reggie took her bath, came down to eat, then went back up to her room and booted up her old computer. She Googled Jamal Reynolds. The picture of him on his Web site matched the handsome man she’d met at the hotel, and his credentials were impeccable. He’d produced some of the world’s most famous R & B artists; most of whom were her favorites. He had numerous Grammys to his name and, according to his profile, was single. Not that she cared. What mattered was that he hadn’t lied to her about his identity, even though his truthfulness didn’t change her decision to turn down his studio offer. Once bitten, twice shy, she said to herself. Her curiosity about Reynolds satisfied, she shut down the computer and crawled into bed.

She couldn’t go to sleep right away though, because one side of her kept asking why she didn’t take the man up on his offer. Especially now that she knew he was legit. At one time in her life, being a singer was all she’d wanted to be. Even after the tragic death of her mother, she’d kept her eyes on the prize. With her old boyfriend Kenny producing and writing for her, they’d hustled her basement-recorded CDs from Detroit to Chicago and Windsor and back, only to have a producer they were working with disappear into the night with a slew of Kenny’s best songs and the three thousand dollars Reggie and Gram had scraped together to invest in demos the man said she needed. Once bitten, twice shy, she echoed. Her heart had been broken, dreams shattered. Deep down inside, a small spark continued to burn for the hopes she once had, but she refused to take such an emotional and financial risk again. She told herself sharing her love of music with the kids at the school was enough. Another plus was that as soon as she finished her degree, the school’s directors promised to hire her full-time. But the voice inside that wanted her to reconsider going back into a studio wouldn’t leave her alone. Finally, she fought it to a draw and slid into sleep.

Jamal thought about the singing maid for the rest of the day—through the breakfast he attended, through the hour-long seminar he gave at one of the local high schools and during the black-tie dinner held that evening to honor Charles Grady’s life and vision.

When Jamal returned to the hotel, he hurried up to his room to see if maybe she’d left a number on the phone, but there was nothing. Frustrated, he looked down at his watch and saw that it was past midnight. If she were going to call she would have done so by now. He also realized that he hadn’t gotten her name. He called down to the desk and was told very politely that under no circumstances would the hotel reveal the names of its employees unless there was a complaint, and since Jamal didn’t have one, he hung up.

He took off his tux coat and pulled the tie free. Removing the gold cuff links from the wrists of his snow-white shirt, he wondered if he’d ever see her again. It wasn’t like him to be so driven after such a short encounter, but he was. Her phenomenal voice and attitude were more than enough to make her memorable but there was something else in the mix. He’d sensed chemistry, or had it been his imagination?

He hung his tux in the closet. Wearing a black silk undershirt and boxers, he padded barefoot over to the bed and climbed in. Picking up the remote from the nightstand, he turned on the flat screen and clicked through the channels. Nothing he saw held his interest, mainly because memories of the morning’s encounter wouldn’t leave him alone. What singer in her right mind would turn down Jamal Reynolds? he asked himself. Admittedly, he was a stranger and her skepticism was understandable, but his ego asked, how could she not know his name? Maybe she was what Marvin Gaye called a Sanctified Lady and didn’t do popular music, but she’d been singing Anita Baker, so that couldn’t be it. Whatever the reason he had to overcome it. The competitive producer inside didn’t want her to be discovered by someone else, and the man inside was curious to know more about her.

He paused to watch Sports Center for a moment to check out the basketball scores, but her face came floating back, along with her sassy attitude. In his world, aspiring singers threw themselves at the feet of producers like himself, but not Ms. Maid.

He turned off the flat screen and stared into the darkness. Frankly, he’d never run into a situation like this one before and he wasn’t really sure how to proceed.

Chapter Two

Jamal awakened the next morning with a plan. He would be flying home that evening, but was scheduled to spend the day checking out some of the local recording studios Detroit was so famous for. He got on the phone and moved the studio appointments to later that afternoon. He was going to work from his room and wait for the singing maid. All he wanted was an opportunity to have an honest conversation and prove to her that he was all business. The music industry was filled with scam artists, but he wanted to reassure her his intentions were honorable.

But he had to see her again first, so with that in mind, he called room service and ordered breakfast.

The meal arrived a short while later. While he was enjoying it and looking over some of the lyrics one of his singers wanted on her next CD, a knock sounded on the door, followed by a cheery female voice calling out, “Housekeeping.”

Taking in a deep breath, Jamal strode to the door and opened it.

“Morning,” the unfamiliar woman standing on the other side said. She had short spiky brown hair, light skin and freckles.

For a moment he was caught off guard. “You’re not her,” Jamal heard himself say.

She blinked. “What?”

“Sorry. I was expecting the woman who was here yesterday.”

“You mean Reggie?”

“Describe her.”

“Brown skin. About five-three, ponytail, cute little body.”

The description fit but to make sure he asked, “Does this Reggie sing?”

“Everybody in Detroit can sing, but girlfriend can sang, as we say here.”

He smiled. “Do you know how I can get in touch with her?”

“Why?”

“I’m Jamal Reynolds, and—”

“The producer?” she asked excitedly. “I saw you on the BET Awards.”

Jamal was glad somebody knew who he was.

“You want to produce Reg?”

“Maybe, but I need to talk to her.”

“Hold on.” She moved aside a stack of white towels piled neatly on the cleaning cart and took out a cell phone hidden beneath. “Do you mind if I come in?” she asked him while punching up a number and placing the phone against her ear. “Not supposed to be on the phone. I get caught one more time, Ms. Harold’s going to fire me for sure.”

Jamal, wondering how anyone could be so animated this early in the morning, stepped aside to let her in.

“She isn’t answering.” The woman listened for a few more silent seconds then ended the call. “Sorry.”

“That’s okay. Can I have her number?”

“No. You may be famous, but I don’t know you like that.”

He understood, and, truthfully, applauded her caution. “Can I ask your name?”

“Trina Maxwell.”

“Nice to meet you, Ms. Maxwell.”

“Same here. Does Reggie know how cute you are?” she asked slyly.

He laughed. “We didn’t talk about that.”

“And you didn’t get her number either?”

“No. I did give her my card. She promised to call, but didn’t.”

“That’s because no woman in her right mind keeps a promise to a stranger. You live in L.A.?”

“Yes.”

Jamal was accustomed to women hitting on him, and he could see Trina sizing him up. “What’s Reggie’s real name?” he asked.

“Regina. Regina Vaughn.”

“Will you let her know how serious I am? All I want to do is to put her in the studio, nothing more.”

“You must be blind then, because girlfriend is gorgeous, even though she refuses to work it.”

“No. Not blind. Just professional.”

“Okay. I’ll track her down and see if I can’t hook you up. Just remember I get to carry her moneybags once she gets famous.”

“Noted.”

“Good. I’ll come back and clean your room after you finish your breakfast. Ciao.”

“Ciao.” A pleased Jamal closed the door. He now had an ally.

Seated at the piano, Reggie stopped playing in the middle of the song and glared at the reason. “Shana Thomas, why are you singing with the sopranos?”

The nine-year-old tried to look defiant for a minute, but in the face of Reggie’s obvious displeasure seemed to think better of that approach and looked away.

Reggie sighed. “How many times do we have to do this, girl? You have a beautiful alto voice, please use it the way you’re supposed to.”

“Yeah, you’re making the rest of us sing flat,” ten-year-old Alta Wayne snapped at Shana.

Grumbles sounded from the rest of the twenty-five-member choir of the Madame Sissieretta Jones Elementary School of Music. It was unanimous; Shana was getting on everybody’s last nerve.

“Okay, settle down,” she warned the grumblers.

Shana’s twin, Shanice, gave her sister an impatient look. “Quit it, or I’m telling Mama.”

Good, Reggie thought to herself. Mrs. Thomas wasn’t going to be happy hearing that her joke-loving daughter was cutting up at rehearsal again.

“All right, let’s start over.” Reggie played the opening chords and the children raised their voices in the singing of “Peace Be Still.” The sweet angelic tones filled the old gym and the purity gave Reggie goose bumps. They were fine-tuning the gospel concert scheduled for tomorrow evening. “Beautiful,” she said quietly as she accompanied them.

Madame Sissieretta Jones, for whom the school was named, was one of the most famous singers of the nineteenth century and the first black woman to sing at Carnegie Hall. The staff’s emphasis on academic excellence and music had resulted in much praise, but like most big-city schools, it struggled to pay its bills. There were infrastructure issues, too. The old building they were using was in dire need of a new furnace. The staff and parents hoped tomorrow’s fundraising concert would help with the purchase of a new one.

The choir was in the middle of Kirk Franklin’s “Brighter Day” when Reggie noticed Trina’s quiet entrance into the gym. Trina waved and Reggie smiled in response, but the jaw-dropping sight of Jamal Reynolds entering on Trina’s heels almost made Reggie lose her place on the piano keys. How in the world? Focusing on the faces of the kids in an effort to calm herself, she did her best to concentrate on the music and not on the tall, dark and handsome man standing by the door, but it was hard.

As the rehearsal continued, Jamal and Trina took seats on chairs positioned a short distance away from where the kids were practicing. Sitting quietly, an enthralled Jamal watched and listened. He couldn’t decide which was more impressive, the voices of the choir or the musical skills of the woman seated at the piano. He knew her name now—Regina Vaughn. From a producer’s point of view, the name had a good sound. Trina had described her as about five foot three, ponytail, cute little body, and that was in her favor, too. He could already envision her draped in a gorgeous gown on stage. He noted the flawless autumn-brown skin and ran his eyes over her erect posture at the piano. He could tell by the way she was beaming at the students that she loved what she was doing.

This wasn’t what he’d expected when Trina invited him to tag along. She’d told him Regina volunteered at a school on her days off, and he assumed that meant in a custodial capacity. Was he ever wrong. He was blown away by her expertise on the keys and the way she directed the children’s intonation and pace. Regina Vaughn was multifaceted; something else he found surprising. Where he came from people were about one thing—getting that break and making it to the top by any means necessary. No one he knew had ever volunteered their time to work with an elementary school’s choir unless there was something in it for them, but that didn’t appear to be the case here. She seemed genuinely enthused.

He also noted that after initially making eye contact with him upon his entrance she hadn’t looked his way again, not even once. More accustomed to women clamoring for his attention, he was beginning to see that a man’s ego was not Ms. Regina Vaughn’s priority, and he kind of liked that. A rousing rendition of “Wade in the Water” ended the rehearsal. Before the children could disperse, Reggie stood and asked, “What time does the concert start tomorrow?”

Twenty-five kids answered as one. “Seven.”

“And what time are you supposed to report to the music room?”

“Five-thirty.”

She cupped her hand around her ear. “I didn’t hear you.”

Giggling, they shouted, “Five-thirty!”

“Great. I’ll see you tomorrow. You sang like angels today.”

The grinning kids grabbed up their coats and backpacks and headed out the door. Only after they were all gone did Reggie turn to Trina and Jamal. “Trina, can I talk to you outside for a minute?”

Trina told Jamal, “If she kills me, my flatirons go to my cousin down in Atlanta.”

Reggie rolled her eyes. “Will you excuse us for a moment, Mr. Reynolds?”

He gave her a nod and she led Trina out into the hallway.

“What the hell are you doing with him?”

“He wanted to see you again, so I obliged. All he could talk about was you. Promised him I’d hook you two up.”

“And suppose I don’t want to be hooked up?”

“Do you know who he is?” Trina asked as if she couldn’t believe they were even having this conversation.

And before Reggie could respond, Trina went on a two-minute tear, ticking off a verbal list of all the singers he’d worked with. “And that’s just the folks I know about from reading Essence and People. Not only is the man gorgeous, but he really can make you a star, Reg.”

Reggie sighed. “Trina, you know I don’t want anything to do with the music business.”

“I do,” she said with sincerity, “but I also know that you’re wasting what the good Lord gave you and it’s gotta stop. Think how much you could do for Gram if you had some real cash to work with. Think about this school. You owe it to yourself to at least hear him out.”

“No, I don’t.”

“Well, you’re going to have to. It’s not like you can snap your fingers and make him disappear.” Trina’s phone sounded and she fished in her big black tote until she found it. Opening it, she read the message and said to Reggie, “It’s Brandon. He’s outside.” Brandon was Trina’s current man du jour and owner of the building where she styled hair on the weekends.

While Reggie looked on, Trina texted him back a reply. Done, she looked up. “Gotta go. He’s taking me to dinner.”

“You’re leaving?”

“Yep.” Trina gave her a quick peck on the cheek, followed by “Love you,” and hurried down the hall in her high-heeled boots toward the doors. “Keep an open mind!’ she called back.

Reggie couldn’t believe this. Outdone, she glanced back at the gym doorway and there he stood, dressed in all black and looking like a man out of GQ magazine.

“Guess it’s just me and you, huh?”

His low-toned voice vibrated through her like a softly plucked bass string. His disarming smile didn’t help. She fought to keep herself focused. “Did the two of you plan this?”

“Not that I know of.”

Reggie understood that Trina thought she was doing the right thing by hooking this up but…

“I just want to talk to you, Ms. Vaughn. That’s all.”

“I thought you were flying back to L.A. today?”

“I am. Taking the red-eye.”

He was persistent, she had to give him that. Dark-chocolate gorgeous, too, an inner voice crooned. She pushed that aside. It was also obvious that he wasn’t going to go away until he had his say, so to hasten that, she said, “Okay. You can talk to me on the walk home.”

“How about we take my car. It’s out front.”

“You’re a stranger, Mr. Reynolds. We walk or we don’t talk.”

Tough lady, Jamal noted admiringly. She was right about him being a stranger, no getting around that. However, it was freezing outside. Being a Californian, he wasn’t accustomed to temperatures in the twenties, and he was not looking forward to being out in the cold, even for a short walk. But to allay her fears, and to keep her from rescinding her offer, he agreed. “We walk.”

“Fine. Let me get my coat.”

Moments later she returned wearing a long blue down coat, a bulky knit hat and gloves. He had a coat, too, but it was lightweight cashmere, more suited for show than warmth, and it was in the town car. “Mind if I get my coat?”

“Nope.” That said, she walked off down the hall toward the doors.

Shaking his head with amused amazement, Jamal hurried to catch up.

Jamal was freezing. So far, they’d only walked a short distance, but his feet in the fancy, black Italian tie-ups felt like blocks of ice. His hands and head were no better, and he got the distinct impression that she was enjoying his plight.

“So, talk,” she said as they rounded a corner onto a dimly lit side street lined with houses that had older model cars parked out front.

“How long have you been with the school?” he asked. By the look she gave him it was obviously not the question she’d been anticipating.

“Almost two years.”

“Not the question you were expecting?”

“No.”

“Good. Keeping you off balance is probably my best shot.”

“And why is that?” she asked, glad he wasn’t finding this easy.

“Because you’re different.”

“Used to women falling all over you, are you?”

“Something like that.”

“There’ll be no falling here.”

“Figuring that out.”

They didn’t need to look at each other to know they were both smiling.

He asked, “Do you enjoy being at the school?”

“I do. I’m hoping to finish my degree in Music so I can work there full-time.”

Another surprise. “How close are you?”

“Eight more credits. I had to withdraw when I lost my job at the hotel desk. Housekeeping pays a whole lot less.”

“Money from recording could help.”

“True, but I’m not interested.”

In spite of their not seeing eye to eye, walking beside her made Jamal feel like a kid in high school walking a honey home, although this honey was like no other. “Are you making this hard on purpose?”

“Yep.”

“Why?”

“So you’ll give up and go away, of course.”

He threw up his hands.

She laughed.

Jamal couldn’t believe how much he was enjoying her. “Woman, you are something.”

“I’m just a chick from the east side of Detroit.”

They’d stopped walking and were standing under a streetlight. She was looking up at him from beneath that knit hat, and he swore she had mischief in her eyes; there was a seriousness in them, too, as if she were trying to figure out who he really was. He told her softly, “I’ve never been turned down, and you’re not going to be the first.”

“Don’t be so sure,” came her softer reply.

In the drawn-out silence the urge to kiss her rose up in Jamal so fast and strong, it almost blazed past his defenses. Dragging his eyes away from the tempting curve of her lips, he stuck his hands in his pockets. “How much farther?”

“Just a little ways,” she told him. “You might want to use the buttons on that coat before you freeze to death. This is Michigan, not a photo shoot.” The front of his coat was open, revealing the black wool turtleneck, black sport coat and slacks beneath.

Shivering, he quipped, “Already there. Only thing missing is the undertaker.”

While she looked on, he attempted to do up the buttons with fumbling frozen fingers.

“Where are your gloves?”

“Don’t have any.”

She shook her head. “Pitiful.”

He chuckled and finally got the last button closed. In an instant, it made such a difference, he wished he’d done it earlier. “I’m new at this cold stuff. We never get this kind of weather in L.A.”

“Here, it’s as common as breathing.”

“So I’ve noticed. How much farther?” he whined mockingly.

“Lord.” She laughed in reply. “Come on. Almost there.” She walked off.

In spite of her misgivings, Reggie decided she could probably like him if she let herself do so. He appeared to be on the up-and-up, and he had a sense of humor, but she had her life already planned out and it didn’t include recording studios or a man who probably had women coming out of his ears.

“Trina said you two are best friends.”

They were in stride once again.

“From the day we met at her mama’s beauty shop. We even share a birthday. March 18.”

“She thinks the world of you, and your voice.”

Reggie went silent for a few moments. “I think the world of her, too. She thinks I’m wasting my gift.”

“Please don’t punch me, but I agree with her.”

“That’s because you don’t know how much money I lost the last time I said yes to someone like you.”

Even though Jamal was so cold he could no longer feel his ears, he stopped again and stared. “Trina never said anything about another producer.”

“Good for her.” And she struck out ahead of him.

Once again, he had to hurry to catch up, all the while wishing he was riding in the warm interior of the hired town car that was slowly trailing them. “When was this?”

“Ten years ago.”

“Who was the producer?”

“Man named Wes Piper, or at least that was the name he used. One day he was there, the next night he was gone.”

Jamal knew hundreds of people in the business but had never heard that name before. “How much did you lose?”

“Almost four grand. Most of which belonged to my grandmother.”

He didn’t know what to say, so for a while they walked on silently. “What if I offer to cover all expenses for demos and studio time?”

“No, thank you. I’m going to teach music.”

“But—”

She stopped in front of a small brick house. Its bright porch light illuminated the front door, showing three small panes and the old-fashioned sitting porch. A beat-up green Escort was parked in the driveway. “This is where I live. Thanks for the company.”

And, to his dismay, she slowly headed up the stairs. As she pulled open the outer storm door, he said, “Hey, wait.”

She turned back.

“You didn’t let me make much of a pitch.” He watched her study him for a moment and again wished he knew what she was thinking.

When she finally spoke it was not what he’d been expecting. “Good night, Mr. Reynolds.”

She disappeared inside.

Sighing his frustration, Jamal walked over to the car where the driver stood waiting beside the opened door, and got in. He’d never been so grateful for warmth. As the driver drove them away, Jamal realized this campaign to get her into the studio was going to be a whole lot harder than he’d initially thought, but at least he knew some of what he was up against. If and when he thawed out, he’d try to figure out what to do next.

Reggie watched the car drive away before she slid the shade back in place. As she hung her coat in the closet, she freely admitted that both Jamal Reynolds and his offer were tempting but she wasn’t risking her future on either one.

She found her grandmother in the kitchen washing collards at the sink. “Hey, Gram.”

“Hey. How was the rehearsal?”

“Interesting.”

“Meaning?”

Reggie told her about Reynolds’s visit.

“You should have invited him in. I would have like to meet him.”

“No, I shouldn’t have. You want help with the washing?” Reggie hoped the question would change the subject. The greens were to be part of the potluck dinner served tomorrow after the concert.

“No, I’m fine. You sit and tell me about Mr. Reynolds. Trina says he’s quite fine.”

Reggie froze. “When did you talk to Trina?”

Her grandmother transferred a large handful of dripping collards from one water-filled portion of the double sink to the other. “This afternoon. She called to confirm my hair appointment for Saturday, and to let me know she was taking Mr. Reynolds over to the school.”

“And you didn’t call to warn me?”

“Why on earth would I do that?”

“Because you’re my grandmother,” Reggie said, outdone by this well-meaning but making her crazy conspiracy.

Gram’s answering smile resonated from her heart. “I am your grandmother, and I’ve watched you grow and blossom and get beat down by life and pick yourself up again. Dorothy, it is time for you to put on your ruby slippers and step onto the yellow brick road.”

“Great. Now, I’m getting The Wizard of Oz.”

“If the ruby slipper fits.”

Reggie gently bounced her head on the tablecloth before raising it and asking, “Et tu, Gram?”

Her grandmother laughed. “Yes. Me, too.” Her next words were serious. “Reggie, sometimes God, the universe, fate, whatever you want to call it, sends us a door that we’re supposed to open and walk through.”

“And you think that’s what Reynolds is?”

She nodded and said, “It’s possible.”

“I can’t afford another scammer.”

“True, but can you afford to see where this leads so you don’t spend the rest of your life wondering what if? Has he asked you for any money?”

“No. He offered to pay for the demos and the studio time himself.”

“Then case closed, at least for me. You get to make the ultimate decision of course, and I can only imagine how hard it must be for you to even think about putting your heart and dreams back out there again.”

“No kidding,”

“Even so, it’s time for you to gather up Toto and get ready for the Emerald City.”

In spite of the silly allusions, Reggie knew her grandmother was right. She was also correct about how hard it was for Reggie to consider resurrecting her dreams. Granted, she’d been younger then, only seventeen, and hadn’t known that someone you trusted could rip the heart right out of you. Now, at twenty-seven she was well aware that life could run you over in the street and not care, and she didn’t want that to happen to her again.

Gram took a seat at the table and wiped her hands on her apron. “I’ll support you either way.”

“I know.” Gram, whose full name was Crystal Vaughn, was the world’s leading cheerleader of her granddaughter’s dreams, even when Reggie didn’t know she had any. Crystal had also supported the music dreams of her daughter, Brenda, Reggie’s mom. But Brenda’s had ended on the point of a needle in a fetid room in Copenhagen when Reggie was twelve.

“So, is he really as fine as Trina said?”

Reggie gave her grandmother a look. “You need to quit.”

“Come on. Answer the question, girl. Is he?”

“Yes, Gram. The man is fine. Quite fine, in fact.” She chose not to mention the sparks that had seemed to flare between them because she was certain nothing would come of them. She and Jamal were from two different worlds.

On the way back to his hotel, Jamal finally thawed out enough to raise his arm and check his watch for the time. He could easily make his flight home, but the challenge of Regina Vaughn made leaving town out of the question. Instead, he put in a call to his assistant, Cheryl, in L.A. She promised to take care of the flight changes and to get an extension on his hotel suite. Always grateful for her sunny disposition and amazing efficiency, he ended the call. Now, he’d be able to plot his next move. But first, he had to buy some gloves.

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