of making her feel like this. Get over it. Turning to her computer, she googled the lineup for the past New Orleans jazz fest and made notes of the artists who had performed there. She wanted to make sure they didn’t book the same people for the Atlanta event. Then an idea hit her. What if they used local bands? That would really give the Peach City its own thing. The food would have to be amazing as well. She then started searching some of the restaurants that Jamal had introduced her to that she enjoyed. As she thought about her dinner with him last week, she couldn’t help but laugh. They had been sitting on the patio at a new Peachtree Street eatery when a woman walked over to Jamal and threw a glass of water in his face.
She’d gone off on him for not returning her phone calls and proceeded to call him every name in the book. Then Jamal had dried his face with a napkin and stood up and handed her a dollar.
“Maybe this will help you buy a clue as to why I didn’t call.”
It had been funny to Michael, even as a part of her wondered if this was what it would be like dating a playboy like Jamal.
But they weren’t dating.
“What are you giggling about?” Mimi asked as she dropped her phone in her purse.
“Nothing as exciting as whatever Brent was saying to you.”
“He was reminding me that we shouldn’t be late for lunch.” The smile on her friend’s face told Michael that was not all he’d said. “Come on, MJ. Leave those files and let’s get moving. You know how traffic is around here.”
“Yeah. But you’re driving since you made me run this morning.”
“And we’re running tomorrow as well, so get ready for it.”
Michael groaned as she rose to her feet. “I never thought I’d say this, but I can’t wait for you to go back to New Orleans.”
“Whatever. You know you miss me when I’m not here. And luckily for you, once my travel series is over, I’ll be back in Atlanta full-time. That means we can run every morning.”
“No, ma’am.”
Mimi rose to her feet and told her friend that she and Brent would see her at the restaurant in about an hour. Before MJ could tell her friend goodbye, her phone rang.
Monday was actually turning into a busy day for her.
Finally, after she wrapped up her calls and reports for her clients about their marketing campaigns, it was time for lunch.
If it hadn’t been for the fact that Michael had been clamoring to try the new West End restaurant, Sunshine Café, she wouldn’t have agreed to be the third wheel on Brent and Mimi’s lunch date. She started to tell her friend not to become that married woman who was always trying to hook up her single friends.
Mimi and Brent were the perfect couple, in her opinion. He was the calm where Mimi was the storm and it worked for them. Her friendship with Jamal was a bit like that. The more time they spent together, the more she found things to really like about him.
The fact that he was a foodie and found the most off-the-beaten-path restaurants in the city always made her smile. She hoped that she could introduce him to a place for a change.
If only he wasn’t such a playboy...
Walking into the restaurant, she smiled when she saw Mimi waving for her. “Brent got held up on a case at work,” she said when Michael made it to the table. “This place seems really nice.”
“I know. I was hoping to tell Jamal about it, since he is always finding cool places for us to eat around the city.”
Mimi laughed. “Were you expecting him for lunch? Because here he comes.”
Michael turned toward the door and smiled when she saw him walking her way. Their eyes locked and Michael’s heart rate increased. Relax, she told herself.
Jamal Carver was a beautiful, yet rugged, man. His caramel-brown skin was smooth as silk and that goatee gave him the right mix of tough and sexy. His bedroom eyes gave hints of mystery and sex, and that brilliant smile just made her melt every time. Even if she tried to deny there was an attraction between them that went beyond friendship.
Then he had a body that seemed chiseled from mythological marble and wood, crafted by a sensual deity for pleasure and desire. But since she wasn’t the friends-with-benefits type, she kept her wanton thoughts under wraps.
“Hello, ladies,” he said when he reached the table, then leaned in and gave Michael a kiss on the cheek.
Mimi smiled. “Jamal, what are you doing here?”
“Thought I’d check this place out and I see that great minds think alike,” he said then winked at Michael as he took a seat across from her.
“And here I was hoping to scope it out and bring you someplace new for a change,” Michael replied.
“Have you all ordered yet?” Jamal asked.
“No, and I’m going to go,” Mimi said as she waved her phone, a peculiar gleam in her eye. “Brent wants me to meet him at the office.”
Jamal and Michael shared knowing glances. “Umm, huh,” Michael said. “I bet he doesn’t need you.”
“Anyway. You two enjoy—lunch, that is,” Mimi said as she rose to her feet and sauntered away.
“Were we set up or what?” Michael asked.
Jamal shrugged innocently. “I have no idea what you’re talking about. You know how I love new restaurants.”
“Sure you do,” she quipped. “How’s your Monday going?”
“It just got a thousand times better,” he said with a wink. Michael felt herself blush.
“Glad I could help,” she said. “Hopefully this place is as good as it smells.”
Jamal reached across the table and took her hand in his. “What are you doing tonight? I have something I want to show you.”
“What?”
“Why would I tell you now?” He stroked the back of her hand with his thumb. Shivers of delight attacked her spine as his fingers caressed her. It wasn’t as if he hadn’t held her hand before, but today felt different. She slipped her hand from underneath his, urging her heart to return to its normal pace.
“Because I hate surprises.”
“Too bad. About nine, meet me at my place.”
“Jamal, I... Okay.”
“Don’t get all excited on me,” he quipped.
“Oh, stop,” she said with a giggle.
A few moments later, a waitress appeared at the table to go over the day’s specials. Michael decided to go with the shrimp, chicken and grits, while Jamal was a bit more adventurous and chose a crawfish jambalaya pie.
“Wow,” Michael
