Taming Mr. Charming (The Taming Series Book 2) Read online

  I nodded, “I’m sorry. I just – you’re being so nice to me and I was awful to you.”

  He ducked his head, a sheepish expression on his face, “I didn’t give you a lot of reasons to want to be nice to me.”

  I shook my head, “No, you didn’t, but I wasn’t very graceful and mature about it either.”

  He shrugged, “Maybe we bring out the worst in each other.”

  I pretend to agree but inside, I doubted that. I was beginning to believe we actually brought out the best.

  CHAPTER EIGHT

  The next day, Melody visited after work. We hadn’t had a lot of time to catch up just the two of us so this was the first time she was learning about Charles. I hadn’t felt comfortable sharing that information when we were constantly around others.

  “Wait, back pedal for me,” My best friend lounged on my bed, her curly hair thrown back into her favorite messy bun. She wore an adorable blue sundress. I spoke as I carefully applied my makeup.

  “He came into the store wanting to buy a gift for his mother-”

  “Wait, I got that part. Repeat the part where he waited a whole week to call you and you still said yes when he asked you out.”

  I finished with my foundation and started on my eye shadow and eyeliner coverage.

  “Don’t,” I flicked the mascara wand over my eyelashes, “judge me.”

  Melody’s reflection frowned.

  “I’m not. I’m just… what do you know about the man?”

  I laughed, “Relax girl. That’s why I’m going on a date, so that I can get to know him better.”

  She remained unconvinced. I stood, selected a light pink lipstick, and applied it generously.

  “I’m not going to sleep with him if that’s what you’re worried about,” I assured her.

  Melody’s eyes widened.

  “I never said–”

  “I’ve been pure for five years, Mel. I’m a lot smarter than I used to be.” I interrupted whatever she was going to say.

  “I know. I know. I’m just worried about you. I wish we knew more about who Charles really was.”

  “You mean, like how well you knew Spencer when you jumped into a relationship with him?” I reminded her of her not so stellar beginnings with her boyfriend.

  “That’s not fair.”

  “I’m just keeping it real, Mel.”

  Mel shoved off of the bed. “Fine. You can do what you want, Mia.”

  I let her walk away. I needed a friend, not a preacher.

  My fight with Melody threw me off my game, and by the time the taxi dropped me off in the parking lot at Madison’s restaurant, I felt a ton of remorse. It was too late to cancel this meeting, however, and I did really believe that dating served the purpose of learning more about a person. But I understood Melody’s point of view and I knew it stemmed from genuine concern. Still, it really was not any of her business how I handled my personal life, especially if my decisions weren’t harming me or anyone else. With these thoughts in my mind, I stepped out of the vehicle and trotted toward the entrance of the building.

  As I stepped inside the Madison lobby, the cool air caressed me. I’d chosen a fitted red sheath dress which contrasted the dark tones of my skin quite well, along with my favorite peep toed black pumps. I felt like a million bucks and I hoped Charles appreciated the effort. The restaurant was located on the ground floor of the hotel. My heels clicked on the cold marble floor. I pushed open the glass door and strode up to the maitre’de.

  “Good evening, ma’am.”

  “Good evening, I’m here for Charles Engells?”

  The sophisticated forty-ish woman smiled grimly, “Of course. This way,”

  She weaved me past several tables. The Madison was one of the pricier eating establishments in Belize. The lighting was bright and the din of conversation comfortable. The ratio of tourists to locals was 2:1 in here. Usually (I hope this isn’t racist) most white people look the same to me and this place was filled with them. The thing was, I’d been spending a lot of time with a certain white guy so I spotted his particular auburn hair the minute we passed his booth. I gave that head of gorgeous hair the stink eye.

  Was Peyton here to spy on me?

  I didn’t have time to confront him because the lady led me to a table with a perfect view of Peyton’s head back. From my seat, I could see the clean angle of his jaw and the sculpted line of his European nose. Charles stood when I arrived. He was the ideal blend of dashing and daring. He wore a dark blue button-down shirt and black slacks. When he saw me, his eyes lit up with appreciation.

  “Wow, you look amazing,” his deep voice washed over me, reminding me of my attraction to him and dispelling thoughts of Peyton.

  “Thank you. You look nice as well.”

  He returned to his seat and I pulled in my chair.

  “So,” I began not sure where to start the conversation. My eyes strayed to the left. Peyton hadn’t looked my way since I’d come in. He was really good at the spy thing, so good, he didn’t even, look like he was spying.

  It must be an American skill.

  “So,” Charles repeated, bringing me back to my actual date, “Tell me about yourself, Mia Hamilton.”

  I complied, giving him the book jacket version: Twenty three years old, Associates in business, owned a boutique, youngest of four. Charles listened attentively but half of my attention was about twelve feet to the right. Did Peyton plan to sit in here subtly keeping tabs on me all night?

  “Mia? Mia?”

  “What? Sorry, repeat the question.”

  Charles cut me a questioning glance.

  “I was asking if you like basketball.”

  Before I could answer, Charles launched into a rousing one-sided conversation about the current NBA stats, pausing only to give the waitress our orders. I frowned when he ordered for me, but assumed that he either did so to show me his manliness or to keep me from ordering outside of the budget. I would have appreciated a heads-up, but I let it slide.

  “As I was saying, the NBA draft picks this year… blah, blah, blah,”

  I nodded at the appropriate points, but knowing that Peyton was here to scout me out drove me absolutely crazy.

  “Um, excuse me,” I blurted. Charles stopped talking mid-sentence, “I need to use the restroom.”

  That was a lie. I needed Peyton to get out of here so I could focus on my perfect date.

  “Oh, okay,”

  I daintily stood to my feet and walked primly in Peyton’s direction. When I was sure Charles couldn’t see me, I donned a determined expression and stomped over to Peyton’s booth. I slid in on the stuffed padded seat opposite him. Whoa, Peyton was dressed really well for a simple stake out. His strawberry blonde hair was combed and styled to perfection. The blue button-down shirt he wore complimented the blue of his eyes, which widened when he saw me. Fortunately, I could see right through the false innocence in his eyes.

  “Mia, fancy seeing you here.”

  “Cut the act, Lowry,” I hissed, “Why are you spying on me?”

  He sputtered, “Spying on you? Mia, are you alright?”

  I laughed without humor, “Melody sent you didn’t she? When will you guys realize that I’m not the woman I used to be and that I don’t need babysitting?”

  Peyton leaned forward, lowering his voice, “Mia, I can assure you, I’m not babysitting anyone. I’m actually here for a-”

  A voice cut through our heated discussion.

  “A girl runs fifteen minutes late and you replace her Peyton?”

  I winced, turning to face the newcomer. Some people are born with personality. Some people are blessed with physical beauty. Others are endowed with both. Peyton was one of those people who sipped from both cups. The minute I connected the voice to the face, I knew his date was too. Peyton stood.

  “Nicolette, I’d like to introduce you to Mia Johnson. She’s,” he paused, “a friend of mine.” I cringed again. I sure was not behaving like Peyton’s friend tonight. I
’d really messed up.

  I stuck out my hand, standing as well and praying that I could turn back the clock and not be such a big boob.

  “Hi, it’s nice to meet you. I’m actually here on a date, so let me get back.”

  I avoided Peyton’s blue gaze, dragging my mortification along with me like a reluctant shadow. I returned to Charles.

  “Everything okay?”

  “Dandy.” I said.

  Terrible, I just made a complete fool of myself.

  I wished I hadn’t gone to confront Peyton. I had never in a million years assumed that he would also be on a date. But now that I knew this little detail, I became even more aware of him. From my vantage point, I could clearly see the classically beautiful features of Nicolette. She had long black hair, straight and glossy. Her facial features were that of the local Spanish population, but her eyes, nose and lips were daintier, more regal. I envied her petite figure and thin shape. Peyton laughed at something that she said. I wondered if her comment had been that funny.

  I struggled to keep up appearances with Charles, wondering why it was so hard to do so. Charles was witty and well-spoken. He spoke as someone intimately acquainted with The King, which is always a plus. And he loved his mama. There was not much else on my list that he did not meet. His inability to cook was not a deal breaker. It was only curiosity that kept pulling me in Peyton’s direction. Nothing else.

  I have no idea how I got through that date without being called out on my inattentiveness. Half-way though my steamed fish, I genuinely contemplated asking to switch seats with Charles, hoping that out of mind was out of sight. Alas, I chickened out and spent the rest of the night with one eye on the Perfect Man and the other on the Obnoxious one. Just to clarify, the latter was Peyton. Unfortunately, my cock-eyed maneuvers of the evening left me with a striking headache, so when the date finally wound down, I was extremely relieved. Charles paid the bill and then led me past the various booths to the front door. I trained my eyes away from Peyton and his date as we walked. Finally arriving at my car, Charles admitted,

  “I had a really nice time tonight.”

  Really?

  “I had a great time too.”

  Liar!

  I opened my door, hesitating. The Kingdom Constitution didn’t have a section on dating. I couldn’t decide which move was an appropriate end to the night. Was it okay to kiss on the first date? Nope, too forward. I calculated the days since the kiss with Peyton. I needed at least two weeks for the memory of that kiss to wear off before doing anything with Charles. Assuming that I should be doing anything with Charles. It had been a while since I’d been with a man like this and my uncertainty was new and unwelcome.

  Thankfully, Charles decided for me. He stepped in and embraced me with his arms and gave me a hug. His cologne swirled around me as his arms engulfed me. The scent was unfamiliar, but nice. Peyton’s was a lighter musk…

  Whoa! I dragged my mind from Peyton territory and refocused.

  Charles. I’m with my African prince. I chanted silently.

  “Good night, Mia Johnson.”

  I smiled weakly. “Good night Charles,”

  Like a gentleman, Charles waited until I had gotten into a taxi before getting into his own vehicle. I berated myself the entire ride home. I’d gotten into a fight with my best friend, humiliated myself in front of Peyton and his amazingly gorgeous date, and totally zoned out on Charles. I was a total mess. I tightened my grip on my purse and spoke to the silence of the car,

  “Maybe I’m still not ready for dating yet, Daddy.” I confessed softly so that the taxi man wouldn’t hear me.

  No thunderbolts made cracks in the vehicle roof, but I felt heard. I felt settled. First things first, I needed to apologize to Melody and make things right. My girl was just looking out for me and I bit her head off in return. Ignoring the taxi driver, I pulled out my cell phone. I unlocked the screen and held down Melody’s speed dial number. It was barely 10:00 so I knew it wasn’t too late to call. She answered on the third ring.

  “Hello,”

  “Hi,”

  Pause and then,

  “I’m really sorry-”

  “I shouldn’t have–”

  We laughed.

  “Me first,” I insisted.

  “I know you have my best interests at heart, Mel, I shouldn’t have been so harsh.”

  “No, you were right. I didn’t go about things with Spencer in the right way. I have no place to tell you what to do.”

  “I love you girl,” I said.

  “Love you too. Now tell me all about your date. What’s he like?”

  And so I told her the facts, listing off Charles’ many good qualities like I was rating a toaster.

  “He’s smart, handsome, funny, kind,”

  “Sounds like a dog.”

  I twittered, “He’s really quite nice. He’s everything I’ve ever wanted in a man,”

  Melody pondered my words. I could hear her breathing softly over the phone lines, “So, why don’t you sound more excited or something?”

  I debated sharing the Peyton and Nicolette story but I knew that I would just be giving Melody more ammunition to tease me about Peyton. I replied instead,

  “I am excited. I’m ecstatic.” I assured her and myself, “Charles is “The One”. He’s everything your father warned us to look out for, you know. The way he treats me, the way he treats his mother, the values that he stands by, he’s what I want.”

  The car pulled up to my neck of the woods and came to a stop. I paid the driver and got out, holding the phone between my shoulder blade and ear. I quickly marched to my apartment and unlocked the door. “Are you still there” I inquired after a few more beats of silence.

  “I’m here, Mia.” Melody sighed, “Do you love him?”

  “Whoa,” I sputtered, “It’s way too early for that kind of language.”

  Mel giggled, “It’s not too early. Sometimes love creeps up on us when we don’t even expect it, but it seems that you’ve already made up your mind. So, do you love him?”

  “I don’t know.” I admitted, “I could,”

  I pictured Melody ingesting that information and nodding in that way of hers which always reveals when she really disagrees with what I’m saying but won’t say anything in order to keep the peace, “Look, I’m glad you’ve found someone who meets the criteria that you’re searching for in a partner.” Melody began, “But-”

  I groaned, “Please don’t tell me I have this Kingdom business all wrong and then tell me something that’s going to confuse me.” I pleaded.

  Melody laughed, “Aw, come on, I don’t confuse people.”

  “Really?”

  “Okay, maybe I can confuse some people,” Melody admitted, “But I just don’t want you to rush into something because everything looks good on paper.”

  “Girl, I’m not rushing,” I argued, “I’m taking things slow. I didn’t even kiss him,”

  Melody insisted, “Remember when we spoke the other day, about the different kinds of love?”

  I searched my mind to recall. Mr. Reyes, Melody’s father and my surrogate dad, loved to teach us life lessons. I grew up on his informal sermons the way some kids grow up on Bugs Bunny or Tom and Jerry cartoons. He was a wise man, but I was a stubborn girl. Sometimes, our conversations went on for hours. We always argued and I found distinct pleasure in opposing his views, even if I didn’t necessarily agree with what I was fighting for.

  Finally, I recalled the lesson. Mr. Reyes had pointed out three kinds of love: eros for sexual love, phileo which is a brotherly love, and agape which is a sacrificial love.

  “Yeah, I remember,”

  “The Big Guy didn’t make eros and phileo for nothing. I mean, yeah after marriage it’s all about agape toward our man, but don’t leave out the eros and phileo while you still have the power to choose.”

  I flung my free hand toward the sky, “And you confused me!”

  She laughed, “I’m sorry, g. Do your
thing. If you really feel this way about Charles, bring him around. I want to vet him.”

  I teased, “There is no way I am bringing that man around your family. I don’t want your dad to go off on Charles the way he went off on Spencer.”

  “Oh come on, the shot gun wasn’t even loaded,” Mel defended.

  “Whatever you say,” I teased, “Hey, I’ll say good night. Talk to you later,”

  “Night Mia!”

  “Night.”

  Talking to Mel about the Kingdom of God always messed me up. I was still so new to everything. I’d grown up in a religious family home. I knew all the right terms. I could sanctify you in the blood of Jesus Christ with the covering of the blood breaking every chain and not know what the heck I was saying. Hopefully, after a bit of research and study, this craziness about love would be a bit clearer. Unfortunately, I fell asleep before I could accomplish much.

  CHAPTER NINE

  The next day was a Murphy’s Law kind of day, anything that could go wrong… did. I’d forgotten that Alexi had a school retreat today. Plus, the website that Peyton’s friend had designed for me was up and running. I’d referred to it on my Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram and the buzz stimulated from the amazing website had created a flood of new customers. Feeling overwhelmed by the sheer mass of people in the store, I texted Melody.

  S.O.S. AT MIA’S DESIGNS. COME HELP PLEASE.

  Immediately, my phone buzzed with an incoming call. As I rang up the change for a customer I answered the cell, “It’s crazy over here. Please say you’re free to come help me today.”

  I could hear the remorse in her voice, “Spencer and I are heading to Xunantunich so he can tour the Maya ruins. But I’ll have him turn around…”

  I interrupted her before she spoiled her day for me, “No, no it’s okay. I’m sure things will quiet down after a while.”

  “I’m really sorry, Mia,”

  I breathed deeply and ended the call.

  “Excuse me, miss, I’ve been waiting for five minutes. You said you’d head to the back and pick out smaller size for me.”

  “Right. I’ll be right out with that.” I assured her.