you.”
One by one, participants stood and approached Rashawn. Some of the younger kids even hugged him. Conversation was put on hold while tables were returned to their rightful place and chairs were stacked against the wall.
As the teens trickled out into the hall, Yasmin gathered her things. She wanted to talk to Rashawn privately but he was speaking to Tate and Brandon. Remembering that she had wanted to leave a note for the health nurse regarding the new date for the next health and nutrition clinic, she exited the room.
“You’re not leaving without me, are you, Doc?”
Yasmin slowed her pace and did a half turn.
“What’d you think of the session?” he asked, as they continued down the hall.
“I think you really connected with the kids.”
“I don’t know about all that, but I hope they give some thought to what I said. Far too many kids are getting killed and it’s up to us to put a stop to it.”
“I couldn’t agree more.” Deciding she would call the health nurse in the morning, she tucked a hand into her pocket and pulled out her keys. Rashawn pushed open the door, and her shoulder brushed his chest as she passed by. Yasmin felt like she’d been zapped with a stun gun. Her pulse quickened. She glanced at Rashawn and was surprised to find him watching her. He must have felt it, too, she decided, tearing her gaze away.
Outside, the sky was clear. It was quiet on Keeler Street, but Yasmin knew from experience that could change at any minute. A week earlier, a father of three had been mugged on his way to his night job. Luckily, some of the center’s volunteers had heard the commotion and come to his aid. Thanks to their bravery, he hadn’t been seriously injured.
“Bye, Dr. Ohaji.”
Yasmin turned at the sound of her name. A group of boys were standing on the curb, talking. Broken bottles, cigarette butts and food wrappers littered the sidewalk. Tomorrow she would have to ask the caretaker to clean up the mess. Waving, she smiled at the teens. “Bye, boys. Get home safe.”
“Catch you later, Bishop.”
“Bye, champ,” another hollered.
“See you next Thursday!”
Yasmin glanced at Rashawn. “You’re coming back?”
“Sure, why not?”
“I don’t know, I just thought this was a one-time thing. Mr. Santos should be back by the end of the week.”
“That’s cool. Then he can lead the discussion and I can listen in. I promised the kids I’d be back and I always keep my word.” Rashawn motioned toward the silver Volvo S80 parked beside his Mustang. “Is that you?”
“Yeah.”
“Figured as much.”
“What’s that supposed to mean?”
Rashawn chuckled. “It’s safe, practical and probably gets great gas mileage.”
“You’re right, it does.” Yasmin didn’t like him teasing her, especially when his car was decades old. She guessed the coral-blue two-seater was a late seventies model, and though it was in pristine condition with chrome wheels, leather seats and flashy front and rear spoilers, it was still old. “Do you have a minute? There’s something I’ve been meaning to ask you.”
“Go ahead, ask away,” he told her, leaning against the bumper of his car.
“How would you feel about emceeing the charity fund-raiser? I know this is short notice, but all my calls to other celebrities have been ignored. Your involvement could mean hundreds, if not thousands, of dollars raised for the center and—”
“Oh, I get it, I’m sloppy seconds. You couldn’t get Steve Harvey or Cedric the Entertainer so you decided to ask me.”
Yasmin was caught so off-guard by his remark, she didn’t notice the twinkle in his eyes. “No, no, it’s nothing like that,” she insisted, raising her voice. “If I had known how popular you are around Tampa, I would have contacted you first.”
“Sure, sure, Doc.”
“It’s the truth.”
“Why don’t we discuss this tomorrow when we have more time? There’s a boat leaving the pier at seven-thirty.” Rashawn leaned forward, his breath against her ear. “Let me take you out. You already know I’ll take good care of you.”
Yasmin resisted the urge to smile. The reference to how they’d met wasn’t lost on her. He was her knight in shining armor and she would always be grateful for what he had done that night at the Laurdel Lounge. Courage was damn sexy, and he personified the word in more ways then one. “Now’s not a good time,” she told him. “I have a lot of work to do for the fund-raiser and very little time. The program needs to be planned and I have silent auction prizes to organize.”
“We’ll brainstorm together. I’ve done this sort of thing before and it’s really not as hard as you’re making it sound.” Rashawn hoped Yasmin couldn’t see his nose growing. Aside from helping plan his mom’s surprise birthday party last year, he had never planned a major event like a charity fund-raiser. How hard could it be? As long as there was food, wine and music, it would be great.
“Why don’t we meet at the clinic?” she suggested, her tone light. He was flirtatious and straightforward, but in an unexpectedly disarming way. Going on a cruise was much too romantic and there would be other couples. The last thing Yasmin wanted was to be seduced by him in the presence of other people. Pleased that she had come up with a suitable alternative, she said, “I’ll order in some sandwiches from the deli up the block.”
“No offense, Doc, but your office is kinda stuffy. I want to go somewhere we can kick back and relax.”
“I’d be a lot more comfortable at my office.”
“Do you have a little old lady living inside you?” he joked, a grin on his lips. “If it’ll make you feel better we’ll call it a business dinner, okay?”
“I still don’t think it’s a good idea.”
“I do,” he countered, his eyes beating down at her with the intensity of the sun. “I read somewhere that Puerto Rico ranks as one of the happiest places on earth. Most people live below the poverty line, the crime rate is ridiculously high and the average family survives on just pennies a day, but you know why they’re so happy?”
Intrigued, Yasmin asked, “No, why?”
“The motto in Puerto Rico is simple, ‘Don’t take life too seriously. Eat, drink and be merry!’” Signaling the end of the discussion he strolled confidently over to the driver’s-side door. “I’ll pick you up at six.”
“No!” Yasmin coughed to clear the panic in her voice. There was no reason to overreact. This was a business date. Sure, they were going to be surrounded by candlelight, champagne and soft music, but that didn’t mean she had to get caught up in the magic of it all. “I’ll just meet you there.”
Grinning,
