Indiscriminate Attraction

“I can knock out this job in no time. Where do you keep the mower?”

“In the garage.” She pointed at a side door. “I’ll open it for you to get the mower out. All my other gardening tools are hung on the walls inside the garage. They’ll be easy enough to spot. Knock on the back door when you’re finished.”

“How much time do I have?”

“An hour and a half before I have to get off to work. Is that okay?”

“That’s ample time. There’s not that much to do.”

“Let me know when you’re finished.” She turned to go back inside, only to turn back around. “By the way, there’s plenty of bottled water and lots of other cold drinks in the fridge inside the garage. Help yourself to whatever you want.”

Overwhelmed again by Laylah’s generosity, he nodded his understanding. Other than his deceased grandparents and a few folks from their generation, he hadn’t run into too many people as kindhearted as her. In the dog-eat-dog world he had lived in, mostly everyone had looked out for number one, hardly ever caring about the needs of others.

Laylah felt hot all over by the time she finally opened the side door. What was it about this guy that had her acting so out of character, so insanely weird? She wasn’t the kind of person who lied to herself—and she wasn’t about to start now. She was hot for Chancellor, homeless or otherwise. The man made her pulse race and she couldn’t even put a name to what else occurred to her physically. She just knew she felt flushed all over whenever he was around. No one but no one had ever made her feel this out of control.

Laylah’s parents, semiretired television news correspondents Jack and Selma Versailles, would think their youngest child had totally lost her mind. Brandon, her television entertainment correspondent brother, would rib her unmercifully if he ever found out about the man she secretly admired. And her uppity, well-to-do sixty-seven-and sixty-nine-year-old aunts, Cora and Gertrude, might be stunned to learn that their niece was hopelessly infatuated with a homeless man.

“Tell Cora and Ask Gertrude” was the name of the newspaper column her two spinster aunts wrote, which just happened to be a write-in column to seek advice for the lovelorn. She was already entertaining the idea of anonymously writing in with her dilemma just to see what sagacious advice they’d offer her.

How would someone go about presenting a weird situation like this one to their very own family members? What would she say when questions were asked about Chancellor, like what profession was he in and where did he reside—and what were his future aspirations? Laylah knew this was much too serious a situation for her to continue making light of it. She was too smitten.

“Whoa!” Laylah suddenly began to realize she had gotten way ahead of herself…and way ahead of Chancellor, too. Sure she was wildly attracted to him, but was he even remotely interested in her on a romantic level? If so, she hadn’t seen an inkling of such. The man had been nothing but polite and friendly toward her, yet she had been going on and on in her mind about him since the first moment she’d laid eyes on him.

There was nothing at all in Chancellor’s demeanor to suggest he was hot for her, so she really needed to cool off. The only way she could find out for sure if he was interested in her romantically was to ask him, which was something she wouldn’t dream of doing. She was outspoken, frank and to the point, all right, but she wasn’t nearly as bold in speech and in deed as she’d like to be with men. She had already pushed the envelope by inviting him to her home under the guise of him working for her. She had gotten him there easy enough, but how was she to keep him coming back?

Laylah wailed inwardly as she anxiously peered out at Chancellor through the half-open slats in the plantation shutters covering the half window on the back door.

Slick with sweat, Chancellor’s muscled arms bulged as he easily pushed the mower around the small yard. His jacket had been discarded and thrown over the back of a lounge chair. Laylah couldn’t help wondering what the rest of his anatomy looked like naked. More than that, she had to wonder if she’d ever see him in the buff. No doubt it would be a mind-blowing experience.

Continuing to watch Chancellor’s every move, Laylah’s mind began to take her places she shouldn’t dare let it wander. A moonlight stroll in the nearby park seemed like an ending to a perfect night out on the town; what might occur after the stroll had her libido reacting wildly. Although she could only imagine those strong arms holding her close, she was sure he would treat her to an unforgettably seductive encounter.

The moment Chancellor turned off the lawn mower, Laylah knew she had to get moving. Although she was already dressed for work, she hadn’t done anything but watch and lust after him. The coffeepot needed cleaning and the table had to be wiped off. She didn’t want him to come inside and see that everything was just as it was before he’d gone outdoors. That would be embarrassing.

Laylah rushed around the room as she did her best to put it back in order before Chancellor knocked to say he was finished in the yard. After dumping the coffee grounds, she lifted the removable basket, carried it over to the sink and gave it a good washing. Sponging off the table with an antibacterial spray cleaner was done quickly.

Hoping Chancellor wouldn’t knock before she made it back to the kitchen, Laylah rushed down the hallway and sped into her bedroom, where she rustled through her purse to come up with enough money to pay for his services. She wasn’t sure if she should offer him twenty or thirty dollars for the lawn, but she was sure he could use whatever she paid him. She settled on thirty dollars in the next instant, hoping she wasn’t over-or underdoing it. The man had to eat, and he’d need another night in the motel.

Just as Laylah skidded into the kitchen Chancellor firmly knocked on the back door. Her heart fluttered wildly as she reached for the knob. Calm down. You need to stop making a fool of yourself in front of him. She hated talking to herself, but she had no one else she could trust with her deep secret. At least no one that wouldn’t think she was absolutely stark raving mad. Her best friend, Kelly, would think she had gone daft.

As though she hadn’t already observed his every movement, Laylah stepped outside the house. “You did a great job. I’m very pleased.”

“Thank you. As I said before, there wasn’t much to do. I’m pleased that you’re pleased.” He pointed at a row of hedges. “Those plants seem to have some sort of infestation. Probably mealy bugs. You might want to treat them. You can pick up something at Home Depot to take care of the problem. If you’d like, I could get it for you. I can then treat the plants whenever it’s convenient for you to have me come back.”

Without knowing it, Chancellor had just solved Laylah’s dilemma of finding a way to keep him coming back to her place. She really did want to get to know him better, almost sure that his personal story was a fascinating one. No matter how crazy it seemed, she was simply attracted to him…and she still didn’t know his last name.

Laylah quickly decided that she wasn’t going to try to fight her attraction to him. Nothing may come of it, but she wouldn’t know one way or the other if she didn’t explore the possibilities. “That would be great. Maybe we can go to Home Depot together since I’ll have to pay the bill with a credit card.”

Chancellor shrugged. “Whatever works best for you. I’m at your disposal.”

Thinking Chancellor should be mindful of his loose tongue, Laylah blushed at the very idea of having him at her beck and call. It certainly worked for her. “Thanks for taking care of things. If you’re looking for a job, you can keep this one until you get something permanent. You can do it weekly if you’re interested.” Though she’d been nervous about how to present him with the money, she went ahead and pressed it into his hand.

Chancellor frowned. “I can’t take this from you. You already paid for the motel last night. I did the lawn to try to show you my gratitude for your kindness.”

Laylah wrinkled her nose. “I wasn’t expecting repayment for the motel. That was a gift. This money is for the work you did. I won’t have it any other way.”

Suspecting that it would be hard to win an argument with Laylah, Chancellor rapidly decided not to go against the grain. Since she had also sounded pretty adamant about her decision, he’d let it go for now, but he had no intention of sponging off her. She’d definitely get it all back. “Thanks again. You’re too kind.”

“If I were down on my luck, I’d hope that someone would treat me with kindness. Some people in this world just aren’t caring enough. Glad I could help you out.”

“Glad you offered.” He stroked his chin. “Hope you’ll take what I’m about to say in the spirit in which I intend it. Never let a stranger into your home. I’m not a killer or rapist, but I could’ve been both. Promise me you’ll never do that again.”

“Not if it means I can’t let you in when you come back,” she boldly flirted.

Chancellor grinned. “You can make me the exception. You’re safe with me.”

Drats! She wanted to feel anything but safe with him—and in a delicious way. On the other hand, she’d love to find herself snuggled safely into his strong arms. Chancellor looked strong, as if he could make her feel protected in so many wonderful ways.

“I actually believe I’m safe with you. When can we go to Home Depot?”

Chancellor folded his arms against his chest. “When do you want to go?”

“I get off work around three. Is three-fifteen okay with you?”

“Fine.”

“I can pick you up at the shelter. Can you meet me there?”

“Three-fifteen. I’ll be there.”

“How’d you get here today?”

“Bus. By the way, I gained entry through a walking gate, by your neighbor.”

Interesting, she thought. “On my way to work, can I give you a ride somewhere?”

“You can just drop me off wherever you’re going. I can find my way from there.”

“Let me grab my purse. We can go out through the garage.” She bit down on her lower lip. “I’m sorry. I didn’t give you a chance to wash up. Would you like to do so?”

“I’m fine. I washed my hands off with the garden hose. I’ll clean up later on.”

“I’ll be right back.” Deciding she should tread lightly, she made direct eye contact with him. “By the way, what’s your last name?”

“Kingston,” he responded, smiling, hoping his name didn’t ring a bell for her.

“Chancellor Kingston.” The prestigious name sounded slightly familiar, Laylah thought as she rushed off to the back of the house, where the master bedroom was located. She quickly grabbed her purse off the bed and shot back up to the front.

“Ready?” she asked him, giving him a hundred-watt smile.

“Ready.”

Despite how busy Laylah had been, the day still dragged. She had accomplished quite a lot of work, but she had a lot more to do. The phone calls put through to her desk had been incessant, but she had handled each one with her usual aplomb. The woman was patient beyond belief and was known to have nerves of steel, more so in the face of adversity.

A quick glance at the clock let Laylah know it was time for her to wrap things up if she was to meet Chancellor on time. They’d have to hurry through their shopping at Home Depot so she could get him back to the shelter before the lines began to form. Because she had thought of that scenario before she’d dropped him off earlier, they had changed their meeting time to two o’clock. She had plenty of comp time on the books.

Just as Laylah pushed back her swivel chair from the desk, she caught a glimpse of a figure entering her office door. A slight turn in her seat brought her face-to-face with the formidable-looking March. What now? She had to wonder. As sure as she breathed air, he was there to mess up the end of her day. “You need something?”

“As a matter of fact, I do. You weren’t getting ready to leave, were you?”

Laylah knew that he knew, like everyone else in the office knew, that leaving was exactly what she was about to do. Anytime she planned to leave early, she gave as much notice as possible. While she hadn’t told March directly, news always traveled fast in these office suites. “What’s on your mind?” she asked, refusing to respond to his query.

“I have a phone interview I’d like you to conduct. It’s an assignment I planned on handling, but I’ve been called up to attend a special meeting with city council members.”

“What time is the interview scheduled?”

March lifted his hand and looked down at his wristwatch. “In ten minutes.”

How could he possibly prepare her for this assignment in such a short time frame? This was just another of his hateful ploys. “Who am I interviewing and on what topic?”

March handed her a sheet of paper with typing on it. “It’s all right here.”

“Whoopee,” she halfway snarled. “Nice to know you always come prepared.”

“Always prepared,” he said. Without further ado, he turned around and left.

Laylah wished that that was the case. March was the most un-prepared man she’d ever met. Calmly, she gathered up her belongings, along with the typed sheet of paper he had handed her. Humming a soft tune, she left the office and headed toward the exit.

March came running out of his office in time to beat Laylah to the employees’ exit. “Where do you think you’re going? I just gave you an important assignment.”

“I know,” she said blandly, stepping around him, looking down at her watch. “If you hurry, you won’t be late for your special meeting.” Thank God for cell phones.

Laylah planned to conduct her interview by cell phone. She was sure March hadn’t thought about that. If he had, he would’ve found another way to try to sabotage her plans. Since she was well seasoned at this sort of thing, it should be a piece of cake for her. Besides that, she had already interviewed this high school principal several times. Seventy-year-old Clara Holliday had just won another prestigious, newsworthy award.

March would more than likely call her on the carpet on Monday morning, accusing her of belligerence, but getting the assignment done was always the best revenge against an idiot boss. She would be ready for his tired behind, just as she always was. He’d never best her because he simply wasn’t the best.

Chapter 3

All finished with the Holliday interview, which had gone off as smoothly as a summer breeze, Laylah pulled her car up in front of the shelter instead of parking in the lot, her normal routine. She had made it there right on time. Upon spotting Chancellor, she quickly blew the horn, regretting it the moment lots of heads turned her way. She couldn’t help smiling broadly as he made his way over to the car.

Chancellor opened the door and slid into the passenger’s seat with ease. He looked over at Laylah and smiled. “How’s your day been?”

As Laylah thought about how it had made her day to best March at his evil deeds, laughter trilled in her throat. “Beautiful! And yours?”

“Pretty darn good, considering. You ready for our little shopping trip?”

“I am. I know people who’d give up a limb or two for the chance to go to Home Depot to shop for plant-pest spray.”

Chancellor roared with laughter from deep inside his belly. “That’s funny.”

“I thought so,” Laylah remarked, trying hard not to sound too flirty.

Wondering if she was trying to be cute or cocky, Chancellor gave her a wry look. He liked her sense of humor, but he didn’t care for artificially overconfident women, hoping she wasn’t anything akin to those types. Too much confidence in folks was hard for him to take, period. He had never been arrogant; he thought of himself as both humble and compassionate. “Do you always toot your own horn like that?”

Laylah seemed baffled. “What do you mean?”

“Your comment after I said you were funny was kind of arrogant.”

The look in Laylah’s eyes was sincerely apologetic. “It wasn’t my intent to come off like that. You’re the first person who has ever called me arrogant.” Well, that’s not quite true, she mused, suddenly recalling March saying that about her a time or two. She really didn’t like being referred to as such. She was very confident but never haughty. She had been pompous with her boss on a few occasions, which she hated to admit.

As Laylah pulled into the parking lot of the Home Depot, she quickly glanced over at Chancellor. “I’m sorry if I offended you in some way.”

“You didn’t. And I’m not insulted. I think I simply read you wrong.”

“I’m happy you’ve changed your mind about me.” She turned off the ignition. “I guess we’d better go inside so I can get you back to the shelter in time.”

“Why do you even care whether I land a bed there or not?”

“I just do. I’d like to see everyone get one. It doesn’t make me happy to know that our country is the greatest superpower in the world, yet it lacks compassion.” Laylah sighed hard. “If you’re wondering if I’ve taken a special interest in you, I have. I’m attracted to you, Chancellor Kingston. I know that may seem ludicrous, but it’s true.”

“Is an attraction to me ludicrous? Or is it ludicrous to be attracted to a homeless man? Which one is it, Miss Versailles?”

Laylah could easily refuse to answer that question, but she thought it might make her seem shallow. She was anything but superficial. “I guess I could say both. There are people out there who would definitely think it’s ludicrous to be romantically attracted to a homeless guy. To be real honest with you, I feel as if I’ve been acting a little insane over my attraction for you. What do you think of it?”

Chancellor grinned. “I think I like having you attracted to me. Despite you not being homeless, the attraction is mutual. The truth is, I think you’re pretty hot. I guess a guy down on his luck shouldn’t even be thinking or saying something like that, huh?”

Laylah blushed fiercely, something she’d done a lot of since meeting Chancellor. “I’m truly flattered. Thanks for the return honesty. I appreciate it.”

“You’re welcome. Now that we both know we’re attracted to each other, how do you suggest we handle it?” He was very interested in hearing her response.

Laylah gave a resigned sigh. “Wish I’d asked you that question first.”

They both laughed, seemingly content to leave the question unanswered for now.

Feeling less foolish than she had before her confession, Laylah slipped out from under the steering wheel. That Chancellor was just as attracted to her made her feel much better. How they’d go about establishing any type of relationship was anyone’s guess. This wasn’t an everyday situation. Nor was it an ordinary boy-meets-girl scenario.

Woman meets homeless man and falls head over heels in love. Go figure…That would definitely be one exciting story to write. Laylah laughed inwardly.

Chancellor located the item he needed to treat the plants right away. The formula came in a spray and a powder. When he couldn’t make up his mind which one might work best, Laylah made it up for him by tossing both items into her shopping cart.

As they proceeded to the checkout line, Laylah spotted an eye-catching lighting display. Because she had been looking for a new chandelier for the dining area, she began to look at the various ones for sale. She gave a few oohs and aahs before she came upon the perfect one for her formal dining room. “What do you think of this chandelier?” she asked Chancellor. She didn’t know why, but his opinion mattered.

Stroking his chin, he pursed his lips. “Beautiful. Are you in the market for one?”

“Have been for quite a while.” She chewed on her lower lip, thinking about who she could get to install it for her. A bright smile lit up her eyes as she looked over at Chancellor. “Do your handyman skills include working with lighting fixtures?”

“You’re in luck.” Chancellor winked at her. “They do. I’m very experienced in electrical work. Looks like I’m getting lots of chances to earn my supper.”

That’s not all you’ll get to earn. She quickly chided her devilish wickedness. “When do you think you can hang it?”

He put his forefinger up to his right temple. “I’ll have to check my calendar first.”

“Okay. Just let me know when.”

Surprised that she hadn’t caught his attempt at light sarcasm, Chancellor chuckled. “Whenever you need me to do it is when I can get it done.”

She could surely run away with his statement. She had a lot he could do for her.

Chancellor then thought about the place he had once used for all his lighting needs. “If you can wait a little longer, I’d like to take you to a place specializing in light fixtures. Light Up Your World has every type of lighting you can imagine.”

“Hmm, I think I’ve heard of the company. Pretty swanky place if I recall correctly. I have the weekend off. Are you free to take me sometime tomorrow?”

“I’m free.” Without all these heavy burdens he carried around, Chancellor would one day be as free as a bird. One day soon everything would, hopefully, be resolved.

He couldn’t wait for the topsy-turvy things in his life to return to right side up. He wished Laylah hadn’t revealed her attraction to him, since the timing for him to get personally involved with someone was not the best. If everything was the way it used to be, he’d be happy to sweep her off her feet and carry her off into the sunset. He sensed that she deserved a real live hero to enhance her life, a knight in shining armor.

Right now, Chancellor just couldn’t fulfill Laylah’s romantic needs. There was too much unsavory stuff on his plate. However, once he got his life back on track—and if she was still available—she had better look out. He planned to be hot on her trail.

Laylah thought it was strange that Chancellor had asked to be dropped off a block away from the shelter, but she had obliged him. As she drove the short distance to her destination, she had a chance to briefly think about some of what had transpired between them. Whether she had intended to or not, she had totally changed the nature of their relationship. For better or worse, she didn’t know. She had every intention of finding out.

Only time would tell.

Serving meals to a few dozen patrons had gone off without a hitch. Some evenings at the shelter were much easier than others, but rarely were there any without a single incident. Laylah was so grateful for how smoothly things had run, because she felt extremely tired. A hot bath and a couple of hours of reading would help rejuvenate her. Then she recalled it was Friday night. Open mic was something she loved to indulge in and hardly ever missed attending.

As Laylah was a woman who loved to write poetry, she also enjoyed sharing her creative works with others. Seated in the audience and listening to other poets was also a real blast for her. The majority of the poetry was spoken to music and someone might even hum or trill during the performance.

Bella’s Café was cozy, pretty laid-back—and the rules of the establishment cited no particular dress code. Most everyone wore jeans, sweats and other comfortable attire, as well as casual footgear. It was so easy to meet people at the event. Folks acted as if they were all one big happy family, as if they’d known each other their entire lives.

The very old jukebox was a favorite fixture. Hot wings and French fries, personal-pan pizzas and a few other fast-food items could be ordered. The only alcoholic beverage served was wine, but lemonade, iced tea and water were also available for purchasing.

Laylah looked all around the room until she spotted Chancellor. Wondering if she should ask him if he wanted to go to Bella’s Café with her was at the forefront of her mind. She actually thought he might enjoy it. It might also help him relax.

Then again, Laylah really didn’t know what Chancellor might or might not enjoy. She wanted to find out everything about him, though. Suddenly she was fearful about her chances of really getting to know him. It still bothered her that he’d earlier asked to be let out of the car before reaching their destination. Had he been trying to protect her from rumor and innuendo? That was a possibility. However, it hadn’t been necessary.