The Comeback (BWWM Interracial Romance Book 7) Read Free Page A

had in abundance was time.
    She was a little ashamed of just how much effort she had put into preparing for the lunch date; in the past, with anyone else, she would have just thrown on something comfortable, maybe put on a little makeup, wrapped her hair up in a scarf and be done with it. Amber knew, deep down, that she was beautiful—she would never have gotten as far as she had in the music industry if she wasn’t. But the idea of going on a date for the first time since she had fallen from grace made her more nervous than meeting with producers to find someone to bring her next album to life. She styled her hair three different ways trying to find the best style that would somehow hit the balance between being glamorous enough to impress and not looking as though she was trying too hard to impress. She had gone through four or five different outfits; Treebeards, where they had agreed to meet for lunch, was not a formal restaurant by any means, but Amber had obsessed over just how informal she should be.
    Finally, knowing that she was running out of time—and that, more to the point, she was being a little ridiculous—Amber had decided on a deep blue skirt and a cream-white blouse with a yellow floral pattern, a pair of blue heels, and just enough accessories to look put-together without looking like she was showing off. She didn’t exactly think about why it was that she wanted to impress Brenton so much; if she had been meeting with Cara, she would have just worn jeans and a nice shirt, maybe a good pair of sandals. If she were meeting with a producer, she would have dressed a little bit more glamorously than she had for Brenton. The fact that she had a certain image to maintain was definitely part of her motivation; but the image she wanted to present to Brenton, who had known her long before she had ever even hoped of becoming a celebrity, was a little different. She told herself it was just because she hadn’t seen him in so long that she was obsessing over details—but the truth was, she didn’t want to disappoint him. She had a very real fear of coming across as a snob, and an equal aversion to showing up looking like a slob.
    When Amber spotted Brenton as he walked up to the front of the restaurant from wherever he’d parked his car; she felt herself immediately smiling, taking in the sight of him. His time in the military had given him a straight-legged, upright gait, on point and businesslike, as different from the meandering of the people around him as anything could be. Over the years they had been kept apart by their demanding careers, Brenton had put on muscle but he was still lean. Amber could see where his slim shoulders had bulked up a little, where his body was tougher under his clothes than she remembered him being in high school.
    He spotted her and Amber felt her cheeks burning slightly at the delighted smile that came over his face. “I can’t believe I’m late,” he said, hurrying to her side.
    Amber laughed. “You’re not late, I’m early.”
    Brenton hugged her quickly, kissing her on the cheek in greeting, and Amber felt her heart beating a little bit faster. It was silly, but after Kobe’s betrayal, it was nice—flattering—to have a handsome man be affectionate to her, even if he was just a friend, and even if it meant nothing. Brenton draped an arm around her and led her into the busy early-lunch crowd. “Normally I’m the first one to show up anywhere,” he said, giving her a bashful grin. “Military time—if they tell you to show up at 0800, you get there at 0745.”
    Amber rolled her eyes, grinning back at him.
    “I had to drop the baby off at her grandparents’ house,” Brenton went on to explain. “She had lots of questions for me about my famous friend.”
    “By the way, did you remember my CD?” Amber nudged his ribs. “That was the whole reason you had for coming to meet me.”
    Brenton laughed again. “I do have it with me, actually; nearly forgot it.”