"If They Don't Win It's A Shame." chap 3

Chapter 3

Andre sat back in his lawn chair and listened to Aria talk, he couldn't decide if it was her voice that kept him so captivated or those expressive eyes of her's. Either way, he could listen to her for hours, and he had. She'd told him about her job as a Neonatal Intensive Care Unit nurse. She didn't have to say how much she loved it, because he could tell by the excitement in her voice. In turn, he'd told her about the church and how he loved to preach. She'd admitted that she hadn't been to church in years, and when she said it, her eyes lost their sparkle. Something had gone amiss in Aria McKenzie's life. Something that she wasn't willing to talk about. Quietly, he resolved to pray for her to regain that love she'd once had.

"Are you thirsty?" the question brought him out of his thoughts and into focusing on Aria's smiling face again as she held a can of soda out toward him.

"Yeah, thanks." he accepted the can and popped the top.

She sat quietly beside him, it seemed with more on her mind that she told him of. Checking her watch every five minutes, she finally glanced up at him. "I need to get going, my father will need help to get into bed."

He frowned, "You have to go? Can I get your number or something?"

Watching as she collected her things and turned to him he felt as if a part of him was leaving.

"Oh..um..sure." reaching into her purse she withdrew a small tablet and pen and scribbled the numbers down. "I'll see you later."

"Yeah, I'll call." he assured her, watching as she nodded and then walked away.

His eyes followed her as she said good night to Jazzi and to the rest of his friends before leaving. He sighed and walked over to his friends, "I think I'm going to call it a night."

"You're leaving just because Aria left?" Lidia grinned at him and elbowed Jazzelle, "You were right, this one is going to work."

Andre groaned and just turned away. No use lying, it was the truth. His interest in the cook out was now gone as he thought back to Aria's sweet voice and sparkling personality. Something about that woman was different, and he didn't plan to let go of her until he was sure it wouldn't work.

--

Aria pulled the covers up over her father and kissed his forehead, "Good night, Daddy."

He smiled at her and grumbled a soft good night of his own before closing his eyes.

Sighing softly, she walked out of the room and left the door open a small crack. Her hands performed nightly routines of washing the dishes, cleaning the kitchen up, and getting ready for work but her mind spun with thoughts of Andre Harris. He was everything she'd never had in a guy, and everything she'd dreamed up. Sweet, charming, incredibly cute, and had a love for God. She wished that she had more time to date, because if she did he'd be the kind of guy she'd go for.

The phone rang shrilly in the silence of the kitchen and she rushed to grab the cordless receiver. "Hello."

"Aria?" the voice held questions.

"This is her."

"Hello, it's Andre Harris."

She involuntarily smiled at his voice and the mention of his name. "Hey Andre, how are you?"

"I'm good, I'd be better if you'd agree to go to dinner with my tomorrow."

Her breath caught in her throat, a date? "Sure.." the word rolled right off of her tongue before she thought about it.

"That'd be great, can I pick you up at six?" he sounded worried.

Aria nodded, "Six would be fine, you'll have to pick me up at the hospital though."

"Sounds fine, I have a visit to do tomorrow at the hospital anyway."

"Great." she smiled at the sound of excitement in his voice.

They talked for another half hour before Aria finally broke off the conversation because Brayden walked through the door. "I'll talk to you tomorrow, Andre."

"Oh, a man?" Brayden raised an eyebrow and chuckled.

She hung up the phone and shook her head, "Where were you?"

"Out."

Groaning she watched her brother walk to his bedroom, just when she thought things were going better between the two of them they worsened. Now he wouldn't talk to her again. Something had to be done about Bray. In the mean time, she needed to finish cleaning up so she could get to sleep. Tomorrow was a big day.

--

Jazzelle tossed another soda can into the garbage bag she held, "It's okay, you really can go home if you want."

"What if I don't want to?" Rachel's friend stared into her eyes in a way she found quite disconcerting. His smile showed her that he knew exactly what he was doing to her insides.

"Um...well, I'm unsure about that." shrugging she sat on the picnic table and looked at him steadily. "Why is it you're around so much?"

"Ever think that I might find you beautiful, intelligent, and madening all at the same time?" his eyes held her's as he sat next to her on the table.

"No, I didn't." she replied hoping that he'd leave soon. This wasn't like her to feel this way, no not at all.

"Alright, I'll leave then, but you'll see more of me. Our story isn't over." he smiled at her and walked toward the gate.

Heaving a sigh of relief, she stood to her feet and finished cleaning up the yard. Their story wasn't over yet? Maybe he was right.