Loves Redemption

after, Mark and Jordan called it a night and left the office, walking together to the
underground parking lot. “How is everything going with you and the doc?” Jordan asked as he stashed his gym bag in the back of his jeep.
Mark had been lifting the back hatch of his Expedition when he caught the question and
the subtle difference of inflection in Jordan’s voice.
He glanced around the hatch door as he lowered it back into place and answered.
“Learning more about one another, typical relationship things. You know.”
“I don’t know. We haven’t talked much lately. Want to go grab a drink at Hooligans?” he
asked with studied casualness, referring to their favorite sports bar.
It was a Wednesday night and although he and Maya hadn’t made any formal plans,
Mark had intended to call her as soon as he left the precinct. Over the course of their relationship he’d gotten into the habit of calling her first thing in the morning to start his day off right, he’d told her with a laugh.
Over the last few days, he hadn’t been able to reach her. He’d left several messages, but
she hadn’t returned his call. Today he and Jordan had worked early in the morning and he’d
missed calling her, and he’d left a message with Dalia for Maya to call him when she was free.
He tried not to think she was avoiding him. He’d planned to go by the House and see her as soon as he left the precinct. He glanced at his watch and thought he had enough time to grab a beer and still be able to go by Imani House for Maya.
“Man, if you and Maya have plans we can make it for some other time,” Jordan said with
studied casualness.
“No, we don’t have any plans. Tonight is her late night at the House. I’ll meet you at
Hooligans.”
On the drive to the bar, he made a call to Imani House in hopes of speaking with Maya.
His luck was with him when she picked up on her private line.
“Imani House, this is Dr. Richardson,” she answered on the second ring.
“Hey, sweetheart, it’s Mark. Remember me?” A smile of satisfaction crossed his face, in
automatic response to hearing her voice.
“Hey you, long time no hear,” she lightly teased back.
Mark breathed a sigh of relief. Although he’d picked up a slight hesitancy in her voice, at least she answered her phone.
They’d grown closer, and he was glad she found it easier to open up with him. He cared
about her feelings, and he tried to show her at every opportunity. He hoped she was starting to believe him when he told her he’d never felt as he did about her with anyone else. He just had to make sure she believed him.
“I told you about the FBI agent coming on board the investigation,” he began.
“He arrived?” she asked.
“Yes, we had our first conference with him and we’d like to have the two of you meet.
Whenever you have time in your schedule, I’ll arrange it.”
“If you can bring him to the House tomorrow, I’ll have some time.”
“That should be fine. I’ll check in the morning and let you know. Are you ready to wrap
up for the night? I worry about you driving home so late every night. I thought I’d come by to get you,” he turned the conversation away from the investigation.
“Actually I’m done with work for the night. I told you about our major fundraiser we’ve
had for the last two years? Well we’re doing it again, and I need to meet with Arlinda to start planning for it.” She mentioned the name of her college friend who donated the majority of the clothes for the show.
“Alright, baby. Jordan wants me to go and have a beer with him, and I’d plan to come by
afterward. I guess I’ll have to wait until tomorrow to see you.” Mark didn’t try and hide his disappointment.
“I would have liked to see you too,” she admitted. “You should go with Jordan and have
a beer. Where are the two of you going--to your house?”
He thought about saying yes because although Maya didn’t go out to bars she may have
heard of Hooligans, and he didn’t want her to get the wrong impression. It was a nice bar but had a reputation for being a meat market.
Deciding to compromise with the truth, he told her they were going to a sports bar,
without mentioning the name. “I’d better let you go. You be safe, okay? And call me when you get home.”
“Don’t worry about me, I’ll be fine. I’ll call you,” she promised.
After he hung up the phone, Mark shook his head in mock self-disgust, still amazed with
the depth of his growing feelings for her. And although she was affectionate toward him, he still wasn’t confident in how deep her feelings ran for him.
He hadn’t said the words I love you, but they were there; ready to spill. But he held back, frustrated as hell. He knew she wasn’t ready to hear them yet.
Maya hung up the phone with a smile lingering. Despite the doubts plaguing her, she’d
smiled more than she ever had in her life. The smile was still in place when her office door was slung open.
“Hey girlie! Ready to go out and have some fun?” Her flamboyant friend bounced into
Maya’s office.
Maya’s grin widened as she came around her desk to give her friend a hug. “What are
you talking about?” She released her friend and gathered her paperwork.
“Well I was thinking. When was the last time I bullied you into going out dancing with
me?” Arlinda asked with a gamine smile and a small shake of her hips.

CHAPTER 19
Maya couldn’t help smiling, but Arlinda brought the smile out of most people. Her
infectious smile and positive personality drew men to her like a magnet. Neither did it hurt that she was beautiful, Maya