SinSatiable Page 5

  Aisha felt stupid for being so short with Chandler. She didn’t know why this man made her stay in a defensive mode. “Oh, thanks Mr. Larson. I can come and pick it up if you’ll just tell me where. I’ve been trying to figure out where I could possibly have lost it. And when I went back to the coffee shop, no one had turned it in at the counter. I even looked around the table but I didn’t see it there either.”

  “Look, I don’t want you to have to come to my place. I mean, I live all the way across town. I tell you what I can do. Do you work in the area of the coffee shop? If so, we could meet up there or I could drop it off by your place of work. Whatever you say, I’m at your beck and call,” he laughed.

  Aisha couldn’t help but smile. Her defenses began to drop and she started to hear the kindness in Chandler’s voice. She felt like he was truly being sincere and just trying to help her out. But she was used to keeping up her guard when it came to men. She’d dated a few guys here and there but none seriously. Her dance studio took up so much of her time and when she wasn’t at the studio she was at church or trying to get in a little R&R between down times. A serious relationship was the farthest thing from her mind.

  “I tell you what we can do. My dance studio is about two blocks from that coffee shop. You can bring it there if you don’t mind.”

  “That sounds great. How about tomorrow around eleven?” he asked.

  “Eleven will be fine. The address is four fifty-seven East Bellevue. If things change you can call me and we can make some other arrangements. The number to the studio is 555.9877.

  “Okay, I’ve got it. And you do still have my card don’t you or did you throw it away?”

  Aisha was glad he couldn’t see her face as it turned a flushed color. She stammered. “Yea, yes I believe I still have it.” Aisha knew that she still had the card. She had looked at it a couple of times and for some reason she had decided to keep it. “If something comes up then I’ll give you a call too,” she answered. “Goodnight and thank you, Mr. Larson.”

  “Goodnight, Miss Carlisle. And look before I hang up can we cut the formalities. Just call me Chandler, okay?”

  “Okay, and you may call me Aisha. Goodnight, Chandler.”

  “Goodnight, Aisha.”

  CHAPTER 9

  Chandler expertly guided the black Infiniti into the parking space. His black trousers swayed with the wind as he maneuvered his long muscular legs down the parking lot corridor. The melon silk shirt wrapped around his chest outlined his massive chest. The black leather jacket hit his hips as the soft material protected him against the brisk wintry day. Snow was forecasted over the next couple of days and Chandler thought to himself that a leather jacket wasn’t going to cut it much longer. He pushed the elevator button for the second floor. When he stepped off he immediately saw the sign facing him. A-Carlisle Studio of Dance and Choreography. He turned the doorknob and walked inside, feeling a bit of nervousness at the thought of seeing her again.

  “Good morning, how may I help you?” The polite receptionist asked.

  “Chandler Larson, I’m here to see Aisha Carlisle.” Angie thought to herself how fine this Chandler Larson truly was. When Aisha told her that he would be coming by to bring her wallet, Angie had no idea he would be the knockout that he was. That was the one thing Aisha failed to tell her. “Ummph,” Angie moaned under her breath. If fineness was against the law, this brother would be locked up for life. “Let me get her for you Mr. Larson. Have a seat please.”

  “Thanks. And please call me Chandler.”

  “Oh, all right, Chandler. Aisha will be right with you.”

  Angie went into Aisha’s office and immediately saw how upset she was. She was on the phone and it was obvious she was pleading with someone. About what, Angie had no idea? She hated to see her boss in apparent distress.

  “Excuse me, just a minute please,” Aisha told whoever was on the other end. “What is it Angie? she asked rather curtly.

  “A Mr. Chandler Larson is in the lobby.”

  “Oh, dog, is it eleven already? Just get my wallet from him. No, on second thought, I’ll be out in a minute.”

  Aisha turned and resumed her conversation. “Look just give me a little more time. I’m doing all I can to come up with the money. I can’t lose this place. I just can’t. Talk to the owner and see if I can get any kind of extension. Please Thaddeus. “

  “Look, I told you. There’s no extension. This guy has to sell and he wants his money now. I know you said you had part of it and I’ll come by later this evening and get that but you don’t have much time to come up with the rest. I’m sorry, Aisha. I hate that it has to be this way. I’ll see you later.” Thaddeus hung up the phone and Aisha fell back into the cloth covered swivel office chair. She had to get herself together. No time for tears. She mouthed a quick prayer. “Lord, I need you to come through for me on this. I can’t do this without your help. You know how important this studio is to me.” She stood up, pressed her hands against her red leotards, smoothed out her matching red knit top and proceeded to welcome the stranger on the other side of the door.

  “Mr. Larson, thank you so much for coming by to bring my wallet. I really appreciate it.” She extended her hand to meet his and flashed a fake smile his way. He looked more handsome than she had remembered from the coffee shop and the Orpheum. It was as if she was seeing him for the first time. He stood towering over her, appearing to be almost six feet. She knew that he worked out from the way his clothes hung so perfectly over his chiseled body. His broad shoulders oozed manliness. His goatee and well-trimmed mustache accentuated his smile and his pearly whites. Be still my heart.

  “You’re quite welcome, Aisha. It’s all my pleasure. I believe this has to be fate, don’t you?”

  “I don’t know if I agree with that statement or not. And what makes you say that anyway.”

  “Because three times I’ve had the pleasure of running into you. Now here’s your wallet, and if you should ever lose it again, may I be so lucky again as to find it.” His smile spread even further.

  Aisha couldn’t help but blush. Again she felt a tingle run up and down the course of her spine. “How can I repay you?”

  “I have the perfect answer to that question, Miss Carlisle.”

  “And what is the perfect answer?”

  “May I have the pleasure of your company at dinner this evening?” he asked boldly. He thought he might as well go for it. After all, she asked how he could be repaid.

  “Well,” she hesitated.

  “Uh, uh, let’s not even go there. You asked what you could do to repay me. I promise not to bite you, Aisha. I just want to enjoy getting to know you a little better, that’s all. Nothing more, nothing less.”

  “Okay. Dinner will be fine. How does six thirty sound?”

  “Six thirty sounds great. Where do you want me to pick you up?”

  “Since you already know where I live why not come by my place. As a matter of fact, I have a great idea,” Aisha said.

  “What’s that?”

  “Why don’t I prepare dinner for you? I mean it’s the least I can do after all the trouble you’ve gone through to get my wallet back to me. And I have to admit that I’m an awfully good cook.”

  “That sounds even better. I’ll be over around six thirty. Before I leave, do you have time to give me a quick tour of your studio? From what I’ve seen already it’s truly state of the art. I’m quite impressed.”

  “Why, thank you, Mr. Larson.”

  “Why do you insist on being so formal? Call me Chandler, remember.”

  “Yes, of course I remember. Since I have a few minutes before my next class, I’d love to show you around – Chandler. Follow me.” Aisha was excited that he wanted to tour the studio. She loved it when others appreciated her work. She pushed back the memories of the problems she faced and instead concentrated her efforts on giving Chandler a full-scale tour.

  “Right around this corner and down the corridor is another practice room. I
use it for my advanced class. “

  “I see.” He clasped his hands behind his back and leaned forward to view inside the classroom.

  “This room holds about five to six students.”

  The next room is the dressing room. There’s a wardrobe area right across the hall.”

  “Wow, you have a fantastic setup here. I had no idea this place was as large as it is. You can’t tell when you first walk in.”

  “Yeah, I know. It’s deceiving isn’t it?”

  “Girl, you have it going on.”

  Aisha smiled. “Do you dance?”

  “Me, I don’t think you could call doing the electric slide dancing.”

  She released a giggle. “Come on, I know you have to know how to step don’t you? And what about slow dancing?”

  “Sure, in that case, the answer to your question is yes.” Before they both realized it forty-five minutes had gone by. He glanced at the clock on the mint green painted wall. “My, the time is slipping by. I’d better go and let you get back to doing your thing. Thanks for the grand tour.”

  “You’re most welcome.”

  “I’ll see you later this evening.”

  “Okay. And you did say lasagna would be fine, didn’t you?”

  “Yes, lasagna is fine. If you’ll give me a chance you’ll find out just how easy I am to please Aisha. Bye.” He strolled out of the door feeling exhilarated.

  Aisha blushed again and Angie smiled. Something’s starting to brew between those two. Maybe this Chandler guy will be the one to penetrate her boss’s shell. Just maybe.

  CHAPTER 10

  “The lasagna tastes superb,” Chandler complimented as he finished off a second helping.

  “I’m glad you liked it. It’s made from an old recipe that my grandmother gave me when I was a teenager.”

  “Tell me a little about yourself, Aisha.” He stared directly into her eyes, making her feel somewhat captivated by his magnetism. She had to admit to herself that she was really enjoying his company. It had been such a long time since she’d entertained a man and it felt good, especially with him.

  They continued sipping on a glass of red wine. Do you want dessert now? I made a raspberry cheesecake.

  “Lady, you’ve really outdone yourself. Maybe you should lose something else and let me be so fortunate as to find it,” he chuckled.

  Aisha returned the laugh with one of her own. “I love it when people like my cooking so I just might have to entertain that idea Chandler,” she joked. “Now, how about that cheesecake.”

  “Bring it on, girl. Bring it on.” The two of them laughed and talked for several hours. Aisha found herself telling Chandler how she started the studio, about the death of her grandparents, and all about her students. The one thing she didn’t mention was the financial trouble she was facing with the studio. In return, he told her about his so called job as a land developer, purposely failing to divulge that he was actually a detective in the Memphis Undercover Special Units division. There was no way he would tell her that.

  “Tell me, do you like doing what you do? You know building things.”

  “Yeah, I do. I’ve never thought of being anything else. My father was a land developer and for as long as I can remember, he taught me everything about it.” Chandler didn’t really consider himself as lying, not totally anyway. His father might be considered as a land developer to some. It didn’t matter that anyone else would have merely stated that his dad was a carpenter.

  “Wow, that’s interesting, but I know how you feel. I’ve dreamed of being a dancer since I was a little girl. My momma said I used to dance around the house as soon as I took my first step,” Aisha giggled.

  “It’s good to be able to live your dream, don’t you think.”

  “Yes, I do. I thank God every day that I’m living mine.” Aisha paused before asking him, “Do you mind if I get a little more personal.”

  “No, what is it.”

  “Do you have a special someone in your life?” She didn’t want to come off too brash, but she had to know. A man as fine as Chandler had to be involved with someone.

  “No, I don’t. I was serious about a girl back home at one time.”

  “Where is back home?” she asked him.

  “Montgomery, Alabama.”

  “I have a couple of cousins who live in Alabama.”

  “Is that right?”

  “Yeah.

  “See, we have quite a few things in common, Aisha.” He flashed his hypnotizing smile.

  “Come on. Finish telling me about this girl.”

  “We met in college and became serious. I thought she was the one I would spend my life with.”

  “What happened?”

  “It’s a long story, but to sum it up, I caught her, and I mean literally caught her and a good buddy of mine in the act.”

  “Oh, that’s terrible, Chandler.”

  “Tell me about it. After that I decided to move to Memphis, get a fresh start on things, you know.”

  “I’m really sorry that happened to you.”

  “I lost a lot of trust when that happened,” Chandler admitted to Aisha. A tinge of sadness began to overcome him as he reminisced about the break up.

  “It happens sometimes,” Aisha told him. “I don’t know what your religious beliefs are, but I know that whenever I’m facing a difficulty or trial in life, I turn to God. Without my faith, I know I wouldn’t have made it through a lot of situations that arose in my life.”

  “Yea, I know what you mean and I feel you on that. I don’t attend church as often as I should with my work schedule and all, but I do believe in the man upstairs, no doubt, no doubt.” Chandler emphasized.

  “That’s great to hear. Tell me, how’s the cheesecake?”

  “Heavenly, simply heavenly,” they both laughed.

  Aisha felt at ease and comfortable with him. She breathed in his manly aroma as they sat on the chocolate sectional. Finally, Chandler decided to call things to an end. He didn’t want to wear out his welcome. He wanted the chance to come back again. “Hey, it’s getting late and I have an early day tomorrow, so I’m going to get out of your hair. I can’t thank you enough for the wonderful dinner and the lovely conversation.”

  “The pleasure was all mine. You saved me from going through a lot of changes when you found my wallet and returned it. So the thanks goes to you. Plus I really enjoyed your company this evening, Chandler.” She admitted.

  “You see?”

  “See what?” she responded.

  “If you had been receptive to me from the get go then we would be good friends by now, little lady. But no, at the Orpheum and at the coffee shop you had to diss a brother like he had the plague or something.” Again a grin stretched across Chandler’s chiseled face.

  “Okay, you’re right. I’m a big enough girl to admit when I’m wrong. But you also know that in this day and age, a girl has to be careful, real careful. And men do too for that matter.”

  “Okay I’ll let you off the hook with that. But I do want to see you again. Can I see you again?” He asked as he moved in closer to her space. She felt her breath becoming somewhat heavy and her heart began to race as he moved within a hair of her body.

  “What do you say, Aisha? Can I see you again?”

  “I, I’d like that. But I want to warn you. I’m not interested in a relationship. Friendship, yes but if you have anything else on your mind, look elsewhere.

  “Ooh, aren’t we the testy little one. But I only had friendship in mind myself. I don’t believe in moving too fast either. But I also want to be honest. I am attracted to you. You’re a beautiful, sexy woman.” Chandler didn’t want to come on too strong. And part of what he said was actually true. He was definitely attracted to her. But he was looking for more than friendship. He wanted to take things a step further. But only in time. Only in time.

  She couldn’t allow herself to get romantically involved with anyone right now, no matter how attracted she was to Chandler. She ha
d to concentrate all of her efforts on getting the money for the dance studio. Maybe after she crossed that hurdle and if she and Chandler were still friends, then perhaps she could entertain the notion.

  Will you call me?

  Sure, I’ll call you. And Chandler.

  “Yes?”

  “Thanks for returning my wallet.” She stood on tiptoe and planted a soft kiss on his left cheek. He was taken aback but tried not to show it. He felt that the best way for him to respond was not to respond at all. Instead he wrapped his long thick fingers around the pewter doorknob and carefully opened it.

  “Goodnight. We’ll talk soon.”

  CHAPTER 11

  “Daddy, are you and Mom getting ready?”

  “Not yet, sweetheart. We have plenty of time. I know what you’re thinking. I may be a little slow but don’t worry, I won’t make us late for the gala. I know how important tonight is to you. It’s not every day you get to show off in front of the Mayor and his guests.”

  “You’re right about that, Daddy. Just make sure you and Mom make it on time. As for me, I’m going to hang up now. I need to get a shower and start getting ready. I told the girls to meet me two hours before the gala starts. We’ve already practiced a couple of times at the Cannon Center but I want to do a last minute run through.”

  “Girl, you know you work those girls hard. But anyway, okay, Aisha. We’ll see you later on tonight.”

  “Bye, Daddy.” Aisha hung up the phone and dashed into the oversize all white bathroom. She reached through the shower stall and grabbed the brass knob and turned on the shower while at the same time coming out of her clothes. The warm steaming water kissed every inch of her body. Aisha began to relax and let go of all of her pinned up anxiety over tonight’s gala. Without giving her any warning, her mind quickly turned to Chandler Larson. It’s been well over a week since he returned my wallet. I can’t believe he hasn’t bothered to call. But then again, I haven’t put forth an effort to call him either. I can’t help it if I’m not an aggressive girl. I like to be pursued. Well, what’s the big deal anyway? Suddenly, the script was flipped and Aisha’s thoughts of Chandler were replaced by her present dilemma with the building. How was she ever going to get the rest of the money to keep her studio? She’d looked at other perspective sites but none suited her. Plus, there wasn’t a bank or mortgage company out there that would give her the time of day with the kind of debt ratio she had. Her only hope of keeping the studio alive was to hold on to the building she was already in.