The Ex Project by Nia Arthurs

Chapter Sixteen

“Are you going on a date?”

Yolanda turned and saw her son standing in the doorway of her room. His eyes were glued to his cell phone and the rapid bouncing of his thumb informed her that he was playing one of his games.

She threw a creamy blouse on top of her mattress and bit down on her bottom lip. How did she bring this up to Tay-Tay without him getting suspicious?

Her son was sharp as a tack. It would take serious finessing to keep her relationship with Coach Marden under wraps.

“No, it’s not a date.” She kept her tone firm because she was determined not to raise any suspicions.

Lord only knew how her son would react if he found out she was dating—were they dating?

Giddiness spread through her body, but she tamped it down. It was too early. She didn’t want to give it that label yet.

Slow. She needed to move slow. What if she got carried away, threw her heart at Duane and they broke up? It wouldn’t just affect her, it would affect her son too. No, she couldn’t put Tay-Tay through that.

“Mom?” Tay-Tay tilted his phone, half-paying attention to the topic at hand.

“It’s… your coach asked me to help him out with a favor.”

“Oh?” His response was distracted. “What was the favor?”

None of your business.“It doesn’t matter. What matters is that he wants to pay me back for that favor.”

“By taking you out on a date?” Tay-Tay’s attention remained fixed on the screen.

“He wants to take us both out today.”

That stopped Tay-Tay in his tracks. His head whipped up and excitement gleamed in his dark brown eyes. “The two of us?”

“Well, we are a two-package deal.” She picked her way over the dresses, skirts and blouses she’d discarded on the floor in a desperate attempt to pick the perfect outfit.

He whirled around. “I have to get ready! Coach hates when we’re late.”

By the time she blinked, Tay-Tay was already taking off. She could hear his heavy footsteps thumping down the hallway.

Yolanda felt a similar excitement. Falling to the edge of her bed, she pressed dark fingers to her mouth. Duane’s kiss had knocked her socks off. The warmth of it lingered even when she went to bed last night.

How could a man kiss like that? The skillful way he’d used his mouth—not only on her lips but on her neck and shoulder—told her that what was to come would be amazing.

Unfortunately, their kiss hadn’t shaken any memories of their steamy night loose, but she didn’t care. The way she felt when she was with him went beyond anything she’d experienced before. It was more than fluttery feelings in the stomach or tingles below the waist. It was warmth. It was strength. It was the instinct that she’d found someone solid and dependable.

Before Tay-Tay, she never would have thought things like predictability and integrity were sexy. Who would choose such boring traits over a flashy sports car and a man with swag?

But now that she’d matured a little, the things that turned her on were moving away from flashy traits to ones with substance. A man who kept his promises could have her any way he wanted her. And Duane, so far, fit that bill.

Her phone rang, tugging her away from her thoughts. Yolanda rummaged underneath piles of clothes until she located the cell.

A glance at the screen made her cringe.

It was Devon.

She sucked in a deep breath and reminded herself that he was Tay-Tay’s father. She was stuck with him for the rest of her life.

With a sigh, she forced her thumb on the ‘answer’ button. “What, Devon?”

“Morning to you too, beautiful.”

She almost rolled her eyes. “What do you want?”

“You’re alone, right? You didn’t let that shady coach sleep over with Tay-Tay in the house, did you? I know you have more sense than that, Yolanda. What kind of example would that set for our son?”

She dug her fingers into fists. Yolanda was never a fan of Devon’s possessive streak when they were dating and she certainly was not a fan of it now.

“You’re one to talk about setting an example, Devon. Should we start on all the ways you’ve endangered my child through the years?”

“Our child,” Devon responded in a smug tone of voice.

“What do you want?” she snapped, completely out of patience. “If you don’t have a good answer in the next three seconds, I’m hanging up.”

“I thought I should let you know. I’m picking Tay-Tay up from football practice from now on.”

“Football practice is tomorrow.”

“Yeah, but I’m telling you in advance. You always complain that I don’t give you enough of a heads-up, so I’m giving you one now.”

Devon was actually being mature? That was a first.

“Fine.” Then a thought hit her and she felt a lot less touched. “You’re not doing this just because of me and Duane, are you?”

“I’m not going to screw this up, Yollie.”

She laughed. That was basically a confession that he was.

“Seeing some other man sniffing around my family sucks. I don’t want to lose you. Either of you.”

His sincerity felt strange. Since Tay-Tay was born, Devon struggled with showing up on time or at all. Even when he had Tay-Tay in his care, he’d shove their son to one corner and spend little time with him.

Yolanda decided not to be angry at the turn of events. Wasn’t this what she’d wanted? To see her fake relationship jar Devon back to reality?

This was good.

Great, really.

But her sense of accomplishment was slashed with guilt. Yesterday, she told Duane that there was nothing going on between her and Devon. Although that was technically true, she was dangling a carrot in front of her ex’s nose. And she was the carrot.

Yolanda chewed harder on her bottom lip as her thoughts went in circles.

“Yolanda? You still there?”

“I heard you,” she said stiffly. “Make sure you pick him up. If I get a call that you left my son at the field for hours…”

“I’m different now. You’ll see. I’ll take care of Tay-Tay.” He paused. “And you.”

Yolanda decided to ignore that comment and hung up.

A little voice inside her head kept whispering that she should reassess her strategy. It wouldn’t take much to get caught in a tangled web of her own creation. But wasn’t Tay-Tay more important than any temporary discomfort? Didn’t he deserve to have his father be an active part of his life? And did she have to give up Duane to make that happen? Couldn’t they have both?

“I can do this,” she muttered to herself. Grabbing the first outfit she’d discarded, a loose, sleeveless dress with a braided belt, she headed to the bathroom.

By the time she’d finished getting ready, Duane was already outside—a fact that Tay-Tay seemed extremely stressed about.

“Mom!” Tay-Tay banged on her bathroom door. “Mom, coach’s car is outside.” More banging. “Mom, you’ve been in there for hours.”

“Just a minute.” Yolanda pulled the mascara wand over her eyelash extensions. She’d gone light with the makeup for the rest of her face but paid special attention to her eyes.

Tay-Tay’s footsteps thumped outside her door as he paced. His anxiety was making her nervous. She hustled to the bathroom door, yanked it open and stared down at her son.

“Great,” he said. “You’re ready. Let’s go.”

“I’m not ready.”

His eyes widened in horror.

“A lady needs time to put her look together.” She squeezed his chin fondly. “You need to start learning patience from now.”

“But coach…”

“Tell coach he can come inside and wait in the living room. I’ll be right down.”

“He’ll make you run three laps for being late,” Tay-Tay mumbled, stalking away.

Yolanda grinned. “I’ll let you run them for me.”

“You’re on your own,” her son announced, heading down the stairs. “I was ready on time!’

She laughed as she headed back into the bathroom to spritz perfume on her wrists.

Yolanda had never been a sporty girl, but she’d heard about how disciplined athletes had to be. Duane’s expectations on conduct in and out of the field extended to even the youngest team players and the fact that Tay-Tay was being influenced by it amused her unendingly.

She slipped her feet into low-heel sandals and flounced her ponytail. After one last look in the mirror, she beamed. Perfect. She looked light, summery and ready to go an adventure. Wherever the day would lead.

On her way down the stairs, Yolanda heard boyish laughter followed by a deep, manly rumble. She quickened her steps and saw Duane and Tay-Tay in the living room.

They were sitting on the floor, a spread of UNO cards in front of them. Duane was staring at the cards in concentration, while Tay-Tay was grinning from ear to ear.

“Come on, coach,” her son teased, his voice climbing in pitch. “Stop stalling. You have to play.”

“Not before I guess the color of the card in your hand.”

Tay-Tay leaned back and rocked with a fit of giggles. “I’ll never tell you.”

“Blue.” Duane massaged his temple and stared intently at Tay-Tay like a fortune-teller. “I think it’s blue.”

“Is that your final answer?”

“Yes.” Duane dipped his chin.

Her son frowned and a slow, victorious smile spread on Duane’s face before it was abruptly shattered when Tay-Tay threw his last remaining card down.

“I win! Sucker!” He wiggled his legs in a victory dance.

Duane hung his head. “Red was my second guess!”

Something rearranged in her chest when she saw Duane playing with her son. It felt like a puzzle piece clicking into place. Like something she hadn’t realized she’d been missing.

Duane looked up then and saw her. His eyes did a quick sweep of her outfit and his lips curled up in welcome.

“You look beautiful,” he mouthed.

She smiled in gratitude and then wiped the expression for a more severe tone. “Tay-Tay, what have I told you about calling other people ‘suckers’?”

“Yes, mom.” He pushed out his bottom lip.

Duane chuckled and the sound made her perk up like the first cup of coffee in the morning. He rose to his feet and looked down at her with a secret smile tugging his lips.

Yolanda tried to keep her eyes on one point of his face, but all of it was too gorgeous and she got greedy. Her gaze jumped from his blazing silver eyes, to his mussed hair, to his square jaw. He wore a simple T-shirt over jeans and sneakers.

It was not a flashy outfit and yet, because it hugged his shoulders and sat on his delectable body, it looked like he’d walked off a fashion shoot.

“Are you guys ready to go?” Duane asked.

“Where exactly are we going?”

“I saw the traveling carnival was in town.”

Tay-Tay’s mouth fell open. “Are we really going to the carnival?”

“If it’s okay with your mom.”

“As long as I don’t have to go on any of the crazy rides.”

“Deal!” Tay-Tay jumped so high he almost hit the ceiling.

Yolanda locked up her house and strode to Duane’s pick-up truck. Tay-Tay ran ahead, chatting about all the rides he wanted to try.

Duane answered her son to let him know he was being heard, but he slowed his steps so he was walking with her.

Without looking in her direction, he let his fingers brush against the back of her knuckles. Heat flared in her stomach and she bit down on her lip to hide her smile.