The Way You Love Me

“Justin Lawson.”

“Hey, sweetie.”

Justin put down his pen. “Hey, Jasmine. I’m really busy right now—”

“I know. That’s why I’m calling. You’ve been working nonstop, and don’t think for a moment that Daddy hasn’t noticed.”

Justin’s jaw tightened.

“Anyway, sweetie, I made reservations for dinner tonight. You deserve it, and it will give us a chance to talk about us.”

Justin ran his hand across his face. “Jazz, I told you before, we can only be friends...a serious relationship won’t work for us.”

“If you’re worried about what Daddy is going to say, I can handle him,” she said, oblivious to what was really being said to her.

If he ever doubted for a minute before that this relationship with Jasmine was a disaster in the making, all of his doubts vanished. Jasmine’s selfish single-mindedness was impenetrable. All she saw and all she wanted was whatever it took to satisfy her desires. The needs and aspirations of others never entered her radar. In the beginning, he felt that her superficiality was all for show, and that once they got to know each other, she would allow him to see the real her—a woman with some substance. He was still waiting. He wouldn’t wait any longer.

“What time are the reservations and where?”

Jasmine giddily gave him the information.

“I’ll meet you there.”

“Sure. See you at seven...” She giggled.

“I’ve got to go, Jazz.”

“Sure, sweetie. See you tonight.”

* * *

Justin arrived home and was surprised to see his eldest sister, LeeAnn, tinkering around in the kitchen.

“Lee!” He dropped his briefcase at the entrance to the kitchen. “What are you doing here?”

LeeAnn turned from peering into the fridge and beamed a smile of delight in seeing her brother. She shut the door and crossed the room. “Hi, baby bro.” She reached up and kissed his cheek. He held her hand.

“Long way from your new home in DC. Preston here, too?”

“He should be soon.”

Justin frowned. “Everything okay?”

“Actually, everything’s great. Desi and Dominique are going to come by also.”

“Desi and Dom? Okay, spill it. What’s really going on?” He leaned against the island counter.

LeeAnn drew in a breath. “Well, I wanted everyone here so that we’d only have to say it once, but I guess I can tell you if you swear you won’t say anything until the rest of the family gets here.”

He ran his finger across his lips in a zipper motion.

But before LeeAnn could say a word they heard the front door and the near identical voices of Desiree and Dominique in animated conversation.

“Hello, good people,” Dominique greeted as she entered the archway. She kissed her brother and sister.

“What’s all the secrecy, sis?” Desiree asked. She placed her purse on the counter and hugged LeeAnn then Justin.

“Yeah, spill the tea, girl,” Dominique said.

LeeAnn grinned. “Can we wait for my husband to get here?”

“Well, I don’t know about y’all, but I’m starving,” Dominique groused. She headed to the fridge and pulled the door open then plucked out an apple. “Are you at least fixing dinner, Lee, since you got us all over here?”

LeeAnn had always been the great cook of the family, and they’d all come to expect her to whip up one of her special dishes whenever she was home. Being the eldest girl, she’d all but taken over caring for her siblings after they’d lost their mother, Louisa, and they all still looked to her for all the things that a mother would do.

“I hadn’t planned to, but I suppose I could put something together.”

Justin checked his watch. Jasmine was expecting him in an hour. The evening was going to be tough enough. He didn’t want to add being late to the mix. But, family first. Jasmine would have to understand. “I need to make a call.” He excused himself and walked into the front room. He pulled out his phone and called Jasmine.

The phone barely rang before Jasmine picked up.

“Hello, Justin,” she said.

“Hi. Listen, something came up here at the house. I’m going to be late getting to you.”

Silence.

“Jazz?”

“Fine. What’s late?”

“I don’t know, but I’ll call you when I’m done here.”

“We have reservations,” she whined.

Justin’s jaw tightened. “I know that.”

He heard her blow an exasperated breath into the phone. “Well, we can cancel, and you can come here.”

That was the last thing he wanted to do, but he also had no intention of dragging out the inevitable. “Sure. I’ll see you as soon as I can.”

“I’ll make it worth your while,” she cooed.

“See you later.” He disconnected the call, stuck his phone back into his pocket and returned to the family gathered in the kitchen.

“Everything okay?” Dominique quietly asked while she sipped on a glass of wine.

“Yeah.” He reached for the bottle of wine and filled his own glass. Of his three sisters, it was Dominique that could always read him. There was a closeness between them that often rivaled the relationship between her and her twin, Desiree. Dominique was the wild one, or so most people thought. But underneath her diva exterior, she was insightful, caring and wise beyond her years. Meanwhile, it was Desi that had a passion for the dangerous world of race-car driving. When that little tidbit of information got to their father, he nearly imploded.