Independent Women - the Complete BWWM Romance Series Boxset by Lena Skye Page A

from her body, even though she didn’t want to. She needed exactly what she’d gotten and she didn’t regret a thing.

#Chapter7
     
    “I fucked Jin,”
    Tamika
     
    A few days later Kalena was in a cab and on her way to her lunch date with Joseph. He wanted to pick her up at her house, but she declined. She knew him, but she didn’t know him well enough to disclose where she lived just yet. Although, she was pretty happy to hear that he had a car. She knew a lot of men who didn’t own them, even if they had the money. New York City dwellers mostly depended on public transportation.
     
    She’d been enjoying her late night texting conversations with him. He was still corny and cute, and she loved every minute of it. He seemed really genuine and down to earth. Joseph didn’t play any games. It was clear that he liked her and he didn’t mind telling her exactly how he felt. She was partially excited about trying a new restaurant. She had wanted to try the Bogota Latin Bistro for quite some time, but she’d never really had the chance. She and her friends were creatures of habit and they frequented the same restaurants and the men that she dated usually just wanted American food. Sure, they didn’t mind tacos, but they preferred it from an Americanized chain restaurant.
     
    Kalena was about ten minutes away when her phone rang. It was Tamika.
     
    “Hello?”
     
    “Hey girl, what are you doing?”
     
    “Nothing major, about to meet someone for lunch.”
     
    “Oh, okay. Will you have time to talk to me before we meet up with Crystal and her guy tonight?”
     
    “Umm, yeah, but why?”
     
    “Nothing major, I just need to talk to you.”
     
    “Okay. Come by my place by five, we can talk, and then leave together.”
     
    “That sounds like a plan, so who are you going to lunch with?”
     
    “I’m not telling you.”
     
    “Come on, you know you can’t hide anything from me.”
     
    “I’ll tell you later, right now I just want to go out and have a good time.”
     
    “Okay, but I’m going to hold you to it.”
     
    “Bye girl.”
     
    “See you soon.”
     
    *
     
    Kalena didn’t know what she was enjoying more, the company or the food. Joseph was every bit of the gentleman that she remembered him to be and he was still looking as good as ever.
    “Thanks for coming to lunch with me, even though you were trying to get out of it.”
     
    “What?”
     
    “I’m just saying, you tried to weasel your way out of our date by saying that you were busy this evening. It almost hurt my feelings, but I had a backup plan and I’m persistent.”
     
    “Oh please, I didn’t hurt your feelings. Besides, you said that you were busy this evening remember?”
     
    “True but you didn’t know that, and I never said that our date had to be at night. I just asked if you would come out with me.”
     
    “Okay, you may have a point but I assumed that you meant in the evening. That’s when most dates occur, smart ass.”
     
    “Feisty, I like it.”
     
    “Well there is a lot more where that comes from.”
     
    “Good, I was hoping so.”
     
    Kalena shook her head and laughed. It felt good to be in his company. She needed a day out with a man that she genuinely liked. It was long overdue. “I don’t know what I’m going to do with you.”
     
    “Well, I have some ideas,” he said before he wiggled his eyebrows suggestively.
     
    Kalena’s eyes widened in with fake surprise, “Oh my.”
     
    “Too soon, huh?”
     
    “Maybe a little, you’re lucky that I’m a forgiving person.”
     
     
    “I sure am. But since you’re already in a forgiving mood, I’m going to go ahead and add this to my bill.” Joseph leaned over and gave her a quick peck on the cheek. Kalena lit up from the inside out.
     
    “You are just too cute, and I forgive you for that too.”
     
    “Thank you, Ma’am.”
     
    They shared a desert and ordered some drinks. An hour and a half later, their lunch date was starting to