what am I wearing tonight?
The new pumps were already torturing her feet, so Tamara practically kicked them off.
“I’m working tonight so I need to be comfortable,” Tamara said as she pulled out another dress. She changed again, this time into a Vera Wang silk halter dress in a vivid emerald-green color.
Tamara put on a pair of silver and emerald jeweled thong sandals with straps that wrapped around her ankles. She added an emerald ring, white gold and emerald bangles with matching earrings to complete her look.
She undid her twists and fingered through her hair, combing through the waves. Tamara applied her makeup with a light hand and surveyed the results. Satisfied, she walked out of the bathroom.
How will Micah respond when he sees me again? She wondered. Will he be happy to see me?
Tamara was looking forward to seeing him again after all these years but didn’t know how she would handle seeing him with another woman.
Micah, his secretary, the event planner and the owner of the club walked from room to room, making sure that everything was exactly the way it should be. He was very hands-on and always liked to do a final walkthrough before any of his events.
“Where will our sponsors be seated?” Micah asked the event coordinator.
“Over here,” she responded, pointing to the right of where they were standing on the stage. “Just as you requested.”
He awarded her a smile. “Thank you.”
She glanced down at her watch and excused herself to make sure all the staff was in place for the event.
Micah felt that familiar sensation. He felt Tamara’s presence before he actually saw her.
He turned around to find her walking toward him.
Their eyes met, and Tamara broke into a beautiful smile. “Micah, it’s so good to see you. It’s been a long time,” she murmured.
“Ten years,” he responded. Micah couldn’t believe that she was standing in front of him acting as if she had not ripped his heart out.
“Can you believe it?” Tamara asked as if trying to lull him into a conversation. “We’ve been out of school for ten years.”
Although she was trying to hide it, Micah could tell that Tamara was very nervous. He heard it in her voice. She wanted to be all warm and fuzzy, but it was not gonna happen. Micah knew that it was only because she wanted this story on Justice Kane.
His heart thudded once and then settled back to its natural rhythm. She was even more gorgeous than Micah remembered.
“Tamara, you haven’t changed at all,” Micah stated. It was not meant to be a compliment.
“You’re so sweet for saying that, but I do own a couple of mirrors and they don’t lie.”
Their eyes locked as their breathing seemed to come in unison.
A tall leggy woman wearing a curve hugging, one-shoulder beaded mini dress with stellar results approached them, breaking the tiny thread that drew them like a drug.
Ignoring Tamara completely, she slipped an arm around Micah and said, “I’ve been looking for you, darling. Are you ready to sit down?”
Tamara was not about to just disappear into the woodwork. She held out her hand and introduced herself, saying, “Hi, I’m Tamara Hodges. I’m here to do a story on Justice Kane.”
The woman eyed her from head to toe, a smirk on her flawless face. “I’m sure you know that I’m Sunni. It’s nice to meet you.”
Tamara didn’t acknowledge one way or another. Instead, she glanced over at Micah as if waiting for him to say something, but it was Sunni who broke the silence.
“What magazine do you write for?” she asked.
“Luster,” Tamara responded.
“I was featured on their cover a couple months ago.” Sunni ran her fingers through her long spiral curls. “They couldn’t keep that issue in print.”
Tamara pasted on a polite smile. “I remember.”
There was no point in telling the deluded woman that the issue did not sell out because of her face on the cover—it was because it was a special fashion issue.
Slipping her arm through Micah’s, Sunni said, “Make sure you get lots of photos of me and Micah.”
Tamara glanced over at him, noting the amused glint in his eyes. He was enjoying this while Sunni was getting on her last nerve. Tamara took great delight in reminding her, “The story is on Justice, his life and music.”
Her cell phone rang.
“If you two will excuse me…I need to take this call.” Tamara walked away, leaving him alone with Sunni.
She stole a peek over her shoulder. Micah was gazing down lovingly at Sunni. Even from where she was standing, Tamara could see that he cared deeply for her.
She felt the edges of jealousy pulling at her. Kyra didn’t know what she was talking about—Micah and Sunni were definitely involved from the way they were acting.
Tamara, get yourself together, she silently chided herself. Why are you acting like this? You have no right to be jealous or possessive.
She stole another look over her shoulder and found Micah standing there watching her. There was something in his expression that indicated he wasn’t all that happy to see her again.
Tamara was even more determined to talk to Micah so that she could straighten things out between them. She was going to have to pry him out of Sunni’s viselike grip. The woman wanted to make sure that she knew they were a couple. Tamara did note that while he was very attentive to Sunni, he had never been a man who openly displayed affection but she could sense an intimacy between them.
She was so caught up in her musings that she did not notice that they had walked up behind her.
“Tamara,” he prompted, touching her arm lightly.
“Huh?” Embarrassed, she glanced up to find him and Sunni watching her.
“I’m sorry, were you saying something to me?”
His brown eyes met her hazel-green ones, probing to her very soul. “Tamara, I asked if you wanted something to drink.”
“A glass of white wine please.”
Micah signaled a waiter and placed their orders.
They stood for a moment in uncomfortable silence until Sunni stated, “I see someone I need to speak to, honey, but I won’t be long. Please excuse me.”
“I’m glad we have a few minutes alone,” Tamara began as she tried to force her confused emotions into order. “I would like to sit down with you and talk, Micah. There’s a lot I have to tell you.”
“So talk,” he responded, his expression a mask of stone.
Taken aback by the coolness of his tone, Tamara quickly noted that Micah was no longer the same man she knew all those years ago. He had changed.
“Micah, this is supposed to be a party,” she reminded him with a nervous chuckle. “I don’t want to do this here, but I do want to talk about this another time—maybe tomorrow if you’re not busy.”
He did not respond immediately.
Their drinks arrived.
He handed her the glass of wine.
“Thank you,” she said and took a sip. “Mmm…this is good.”
Again Tamara’s words were met with silence.
She released a short sigh of frustration. “Micah, will you please talk to me?”