When I’m With You (Indigo) Read Free Page B

“All your digits, huh?” He’d even given her his home address. She slipped the card inside her purse. “Thanks, but I’m okay.”
    It took a bit of persuasion, but Marcel finally convinced Caitlyn to grab a bite to eat with him at the restaurant across the street. It looked like a hole-in-the-wall, but they served the best burgers and fries in town. Marcel noticed during lunch that the uneasiness and nervousness she’d shown earlier had disappeared. Afterward, they enjoyed a couple of café mochas.
    He placed his cup on the table and looked across at her. “Do I detect a slight East Coast accent?”
    Her smile was soft, warm. “Darn it, I thought I’d lost it.”
    Shaking his head, he smiled back. “No such luck. So, where’re you from?”
    “Newark.”
    “Certainly not Newark, California.”
    She arched her brow. “There’s a Newark, California?”
    “You got it. About twenty miles or so from Oakland.”
    “Really? Well, my Newark is in New Jersey.”
    “So, what brings you to California?”
    She shrugged. “A lot of things.”
    “I see.” There was that evasiveness again. He decided to try a different approach. “So, what do you do?”
    “I run a youth center.”
    “Here in Oakland?”
    She nodded.
    “Which one?”
    “The East Oakland Youth Center.”
    Startled, Marcel felt his chest collide with the table edge. “The one on Webster Street?” He needed to confirm it was the same one he’d received the funding request from three weeks ago.
    “Yes. Do you know about us?”
    He nodded. “In a manner of speaking, I do.”
    Inclining her head sideways, her brow rose. “How?”
    His response was temporarily trapped in his throat as he observed her striking beauty. Her gorgeous ebony skin without a single blemish and the same shade as dark chocolate was alluring. It was so striking she looked like a priceless piece of onyx. His gaze drifted to her pointed nose and the lushness of her mouth. Forget attractive. She was absolutely exquisite.
    “I’ve worked with a lot of community programs over the years.” He propped his elbows on the table. “So, tell me more about the center.” Not only did he hope to find out firsthand about the center’s programs, hopefully he’d learn more about the beauty seated across from him.
    Placing her cup down, Caitlyn’s passion for her job burst forth, along with a smile as bright as the lights in Times Square. “We have a reading and literacy club for our elementary and middle school kids. Oh, and our investment club has taught the kids a lot about how to manage their money.” She clapped, threw her head back and laughed. “I think I’ll hire a couple of the kids as my personal investors soon. Anyway, we offer conflict resolution, and I’d love to add a mentoring program.”
    “What’s stopping you?”
    “Funding—or lack of, I should say.”
    “You enjoy what you do, don’t you?”
    She smiled. “Yeah, I really do.”
    “How did you get into this?”
    “I grew up in the inner city and spent a lot of time at the local youth center in my neighborhood. I saw firsthand the struggles that come from a lack of economic development in poor communities.”
    “So you decided to do something about it, huh?”
    “I didn’t initially start out doing this, but I’m happy with it.”
    “So, what did you do before this?”
    “Corporate philanthropy.”
    “Really? Why did you quit?”
    She sucked in a deep breath and released it. “Personal reasons.” Glancing at her watch, she reached for her purse. “I really do need to get back to the center.”
    Marcel didn’t want the time they had shared to end so soon, and his mind raced to think of a way to prevent it from happening. He inconspicuously inched his hand across the table until the glass of water in front of her tumbled over. “Oh, God—” He grabbed a handful of napkins from the holder. “I’m sorry about that. I guess I’m showing off my clumsiness today.”
    “It’s okay.” Caitlyn