Sophisticated Sophomore (Love 101 #2) Read online

  Bryan sounds like he knows more about Chris' past with Courtney than I do. "What exactly happened to them?"

  "Something about a faked pregnancy, and just pure crazy." He sighs. "My mother would have a fit if he was bold enough to get back with her. Especially after how Courtney threatened you." He pauses as if the story is finally coming together. "I'll ask him what's going on." Bryan asks me to consider seeing them, and then we hang up.

  For a few minutes I consider meeting up with Chris but then I put those thoughts out of my head when I remember the day he broke up with me.

  Stepping over my luggage, I rummage through my closet for an outfit for tonight’s dinner with Josh. My phone dings with a text message.

  Josh: I’ll be there in an hour.

  Laila: see you soon.

  I grab a black maxi dress and head for the shower. My mom stops me before I close the bathroom door. “Hey sweetheart, we are headed out.” A look of concern crosses her face and she asks, “Is everything okay?”

  “Yeah, I’m going out to dinner with Josh tonight.” I would expect her to smile at the sound of his name, but she frowns.

  “You know Laila, at first when I heard about you taking the internship in Jacksonville I was sad that you wouldn’t be home with us for the summer. But now I think it will be best for you to be away from both school and home. Maybe have time to enjoy yourself.” Her eyes glisten as her lips curl into a smile. “Enjoy being single.”

  I nod my head in agreement. “I think you’re right mom. I will take this summer to enjoy being single.”

  She reaches her arms out and I walk into them, resting my head on her shoulder. “I’m proud of you, Laila. Two years down, two more to go.” She kisses my forehead and releases me from her embrace. “Have fun tonight.”

  The doorbell rings and I check my hair one last time before answering. When the door swings open, the butterflies that were dancing in my stomach are put to rest. We stare at each other for a minute before Josh reaches out his arm and says, “Let’s go beautiful.”

  The restaurant is packed with couples waiting in the foyer to be seated. We approach the hostess stand, and I’m happy he called in a reservation.

  “You only have a week here before you leave, right?” Josh asks.

  Between bites I respond, “Yeah, then off to Jacksonville.”

  Thinking about his next words, he places his fork down. "I hope you don't have many plans. I don't start my job for a few weeks and I want to make the most out of this week before you leave."

  “What do you have in mind?” Hiding my smile, I continue eating.

  "Eating, the beach, go-kart racing." He pauses, cocking his eyebrow. "Remember the festival we went to summer before last?"

  How could I forget? That was the weekend Tanya lost her virginity to Devon. “I do.”

  “Think you’d be able to come home to accompany me this year?”

  “Sounds good to me.”

  Instead of walking back to the car Josh holds my hand and guides us to the beach. A cool breeze is blowing off the ocean and my body shivers. He wraps his arm around my shoulder, tucking me close into his body.

  We find a pavilion to sit under, and we sit, looking out at the ocean. “I never realize how much I miss the beach until I’m back here.”

  Josh rubs his hands up my arm, warming me with his touch. “Funny how that works. You don’t realize how much you miss something until you either lose it or are reconnected with it.”

  Josh tells me about his last year at A&T and we laugh about his teammate’s infatuation with Nicole. Apparently, he still asks about her on occasion.

  Dusk turns into dark skies and the moon casts a beautiful shadow over the ocean. The chill in the air is brisker, and I lean into Josh for warmth.

  “When you graduate do you think you’ll move back to good ol’ Fort Walton Beach?”

  Looking up at him I say, “I haven’t put much thought into it, but it’s always an alternative.”

  “I didn’t think I’d be back here.”

  “If you could be anywhere else where would you be?”

  “At this moment there isn’t anywhere else in this world I’d rather be.”

  We make eye contact and Josh leans in for a kiss. His lips are softer than I imagined, much softer than Chris’ lips, but our tongues struggle to find a rhythm and our teeth clank against each other. I laugh under my breath then reach behind his head and deepen the kiss.

  He turns his body towards me and the kiss becomes well tuned our tongues creating a rhythm unique to us.

  When we come up for air I say, “That was more than I expected and all I needed.”

  “I’ve been waiting on that kiss for a while now.” Josh's lids are heavy and he leans in for another kiss but I lean away from him.

  “Josh, I can't. I'm not over Chris, and this.” I point between us. “Deserves to be right. We've always had bad timing and I don't want to rush into it before I'm ready.”

  Josh looks away and when he looks back at me the lust in his eyes is replaced by hurt. He reaches for my hand and I allow him to hold on for as long as he needs. “Promise me one thing. If you and Chris don't work out you will give us.” He points between us. “A chance before dating anyone else.”

  I mouth, “I promise.” He leans in and pecks my lips then pulls away before the peck can become anything more. Our hands remain clasped as we sit and listen to the waves.

  ✩✩✩✩✩

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  Also by J. Nichole

  Freshmen Fifteen

  Summer Fling

  Grown & Sexy Senior

  Summer Fling Sample

  In a room of more than twenty interns, I’m the one and only black girl. There's a black male across the room. At second glance, he's brown. Maybe Hispanic. The intern coordinator is explaining our assignments for the first week, but listening to her is challenging.

  Going to L.U. has spoiled me with the pleasure of being surrounded by blacks of every shade. “If you have any questions you can email or call me.” The intern coordinator flips her blonde hair over her shoulder and walks around the room, passing out our instructions.

  “She didn’t mention anything about extra-curricular activities.” The guy sitting beside me sits back and smacks his lips. “All work and no play makes for a cranky Timmy.”

  I look at him and smile. His sandy brown hair is combed to the side, and his skin is damn near perfect. He's sitting with a straight back and his legs crossed at the ankles. "At least it's only an eight-week internship."

  He fans his hand in the air and says, "Eight weeks of hell if she expects us only to work." He reaches for my hand. "I'm Timmy. What's your name?"

  I shake his hand and say, “I’m Laila. Laila Jackson. Nice to meet you.”

  We receive our packets and flip them open. Scanning through the instructions, I realize we need a partner for the first assignment. Neither my j
ob last summer nor writing for the school paper required partnering with anyone. This should be interesting.

  Timmy taps my shoulder, grabbing my attention. “Partner?”

  Why not? If nothing else, he will make this entertaining. “Sure. Where do you sit?”

  The intern coordinator dismisses us, and Timmy tells me to follow him. His desk is on the opposite side of the building. The building has a few floors and more than three-hundred people working here. In the first couple of days, I’ve met the few people who sit around me, but I don’t expect to meet many of the employees here.

  Timmy speaks to a few people in passing, addressing them by their first names. He looks at me and says, “What’s your story, Laila? If we are going to be partners, we might as well get acquainted.” He points to his desk and grabs a chair, placing it next to his.

  “I just finished my sophomore year at Lee University.” His face lights up and he looks around the corner.

  “Do you know that fine man that works here? I met him the other day.” He rolls his eyes up as he thinks. “I think his name is Isaiah.”

  I chuckle and say, “Fine man?”

  Timmy smacks his lips. “Girl, as if you didn’t know.”

  Shrugging my shoulders, I smile coyly. “I don’t know an Isaiah. Does he go to L.U.?”

  “I think he said something like that.” Timmy types his password into his desktop, then looks at me. “What else should I know about Ms. Jackson? Are you single?”

  "As a matter of fact, I am. What about you Timmy?"

  “I’m single and ready to mingle. Oh, and I’ll be a senior next year at University of Florida.”

  We discuss our assignment, which is to identify annual summer festivals for the What’s Happening Jacksonville summer edition. The best articles will be published as a feature in the magazine.

  After working for a few hours, my stomach begins to growl, and Timmy insists we visit the cafeteria. The Hispanic guy I saw earlier is in line ahead of us. He turns to us and with a beautiful accent he says, "Hello, I'm Julian. Do you like it here so far?"

  We introduce ourselves to Julian and then order our food to take back to our desks. When I get ready to return to my desk, I hear someone say my name, and I see Timmy waving. He points to the man standing beside him and says, "Laila, this is Isaiah."

  Isaiah and I make eye contact and I faintly remember seeing him around campus. His dark skin and body seem difficult to forget, but when I see him smile, I remember where we’ve met. “We’ve met before. Right?”

  He squints and says, “I don’t think so. Timmy was just telling me you go to L.U.” He pauses then says, “Wait. Yes, I remember meeting you in front of the Econ building at the start of the year.”

  “Yeah.” I lift my bag of food in the air and say, “I don’t want it to get cold, I should get to my desk. Timmy, I’ll stop by your desk when I finish.”

  Isaiah walks beside me. “Mind if I walk you to your desk?”

  “No, I don’t mind.” I admire his fresh haircut and super casual attire. “I didn’t realize you were in journalism.”

  He shakes his head. “I’m not. I was an IT major. I work here in the IT department.” He smiles, showing his crooked teeth. “If I remember correctly, you were in a relationship.”

  “Was.” I look away from him. “I’m single now.”

  I stop in front of my desk and look back to Isaiah, who tells me, "You know, this place is a far shot from L.U. so if you need anything let me know." He reaches into his pocket and lays his card on my desk.

  I pick it up and wave it in the air. "Oh. Big shot. I'll take you up on your offer."

  The next few hours I spend researching summer festivals. There are a few new festivals that are noteworthy, but our assignment has a condition to only include festivals that have been around for at least three years.

  “This assignment is the worst.” I look up at Timmy, who is leaning on my cubicle. “Research fun but don’t have fun.” He looks at his watch. “I think it’s beer thirty. Ready to get out of here?”

  Laughing, I power down my computer and join Timmy. “And where will you be getting this beer?”

  He looks at me with a sneer and says, “Honey, I’m twenty-one. I can go to a bar, the liquor store, the gas station.”

  I shake my head as he continues to name all the places he can get his hands on a beer. “Lucky you.”

  “Don’t worry, Laila. I have no shame in contributing to minors.” He points across the parking lot. “I’m pretty sure your friend there wouldn’t mind me getting you liquored up either.”

  We stop in front of a fire red convertible Mustang. "Is this yours?"

  “Not at all.” He rubs the hood. “But a man can wish can’t he?” He looks up and smiles. “And here comes that fine piece of chocolate now.”

  “Where y’all headed?” Although Isaiah addresses both of us, he is staring at me.

  “Timmy here was headed out for a beer.” I look between the two of them. “I think I’m headed back to my room.”

  Timmy groans. "Such a buzz kill." He takes another look at the Mustang and says, "Catch you two in the morning. Laila, I'll stop by your desk."

  I wave at Timmy and continue walking to my car. Isaiah walks beside me. “It’s still the summer. You should enjoy your time here in Jacksonville.”

  "I should do a little more research on this assignment. It 'd be good to have the choice to return here next summer."

  Isaiah leans on my doorjamb. “What’s the assignment?” I cock my head at him. “I know I’m just an IT guy but maybe I can help you.”

  “Well, we need to find a few summer festivals for the summer edition.” I start my car and blast the air conditioner. Jacksonville’s temperature is nothing in comparison to the Tallahassee heat, but it’s still not pleasant.

  Isaiah taps his chest. "Well, I'm your man. I'm from Jacksonville. Have dinner with me and I can give you a rundown." He points to his car. "Follow me?"

  “Can’t beat a firsthand experience. Lead the way Mr. IT.”

  My phone rings and I answer without looking at the screen. “Hello.”

  “What’s up chick?” Nicole’s voice is laced with enthusiasm. Nicole is back in Georgia for the summer with her parents.

  "Hey, girl. Headed to dinner." I try to maintain a neutral tone to avoid any assumptions on her part.

  "To dinner with who?" Nicole was team Chris while we were dating but when he broke up with me unexpectedly, he was enemy number one in her eyes. Along with my other roommates, she is all for me being single.

  "This guy from work. He's a L.U. grad."

  “What happened to enjoying your new-found freedom this summer?” I’ve told anyone who has asked that this summer I will enjoy being single.

  “Being single doesn’t mean I have to do everything alone.” I turn into the town center behind Isaiah. “What’s happening in GA?”

  “Your girl has a boo. And before you can say anything, it’s serious, not just a fling.” Nicole has been known to run through guys. With a shape most women would die for and features she enhances with expertise, she catches the eye of many guys. With no shame, she doesn’t turn them down.

  “I’m glad to hear that. It’s about time someone calms your fast ass down.” The last guy she claimed to be in love with only held her attention for a few weeks.

  She snickers and says, “Whatever. He’s a cool guy. When you return from your dinner, call me, and I’ll tell you all about him.” We bid goodbye in time for Isaiah to open my door.

  We take our seats at J. Alexander’s and I glance over the menu. Not the most expensive place I’ve been, but certainly not what I had in mind for a weeknight meal. Jokingly I say, “You must have forgotten that I’m an intern making peanuts.”

  “Now what kind of man would I be if I invited you to dinner and expected you to pay?”

  “Helping with my assignment and paying for dinner? Mr. IT you may quickly become my favorite person here in Jacksonville.”
<
br />   “Maybe by the end of the summer I’ll be your all around favorite person.” He winks at me as the waiter approaches the table to take our orders.

  About the Author

  Debut author J. Nichole received her bachelor’s degree in Computer Information Systems from Florida A&M University and a master’s degree in Management Information Systems from the University of Illinois at Springfield.

  J. Nichole has spent the past ten years as an IT Consultant. She is married with one daughter.

  For more information:

  @by_jnichole

  byjnichole

  www.NotTheLastPage.com