Ties That Bind Read online

  She thought about what he was asking. She had heard stories about white men and their tongues. It was time she found out if what she’d heard was true. “Yeah, I’ll do it if you’re sure it will be for a good cause.”

  Dean Hightower’s lips tilted into a smile that reflected both gratitude and appreciation. “It definitely will be for a good cause, Angela.”

  She returned his smile. “Then, yes, I’ll do it.”

  Two

  Howard University

  “Aren’t you going to tell me about last night?”

  Jenna lifted her head from her book and looked across the room at Ellie. “What is it you want to know?” she asked dryly. She really did need to study. Tomorrow’s test would cover an entire segment on the Revolutionary War.

  “Everything.”

  “I don’t have time to tell you everything, Ellie, I’m trying to study. Can you be more specific?”

  With a definite frown on her face Ellie crossed the room and dropped down on the floor in front of Jenna. “I want to know about Randolph Fuller. You do know who he is, don’t you?”

  “Yes, he’s a nice guy I met last night and who walked me home,” Jenna replied, hoping that would be the end of the conversation but somehow knowing it wouldn’t be. Ellie was interested in her love life or lack thereof.

  “Randolph comes from a family of prominent attorneys. I understand his grandfather once dated Josephine Baker and is good friends with A. Philip Randolph.”

  “Umm,” Jenna said disinterestedly, returning her attention to her book.

  Ellie became annoyed. “Doesn’t that mean anything to you?”

  Jenna looked back up at Ellie. “No. I don’t measure a person’s worth by his family or his family connections. I thought Randolph was a nice person and appreciated him seeing me home safely. He was a gentleman to do it. That’s all there was to it.”

  “Are you saying you aren’t seeing him again?”

  Jenna thought about the football pass in her dresser drawer as well as their plans to attend the concert together. “Possibly. I don’t want anything or anyone to take my mind off school work.” And she knew Randolph could certainly do that. He was doing so already. She had awakened that morning thinking about him, and that thought made her a bit uneasy. Her main focus was finishing up at Howard and going back home to open her own business. Then she would be able to help her parents send her three younger brothers to college. All three had dreams of attending Morehouse.

  “Well, I wouldn’t put too much stock in anything developing between you and Randolph anyway if I were you.”

  Jenna met Ellie’s gaze, wondering why she would say that with such confidence and certainty. “I hadn’t planned on doing so but I’m curious as to why you would say something like that.”

  Ellie shrugged. “You and Randolph don’t fit. His grandmother is on the board here and I’ve seen her a few times at various functions on campus. She’s one of those women who’re the epitome of style, grace and elegance. I heard she’s handpicked Randolph’s brother’s girlfriend, who is a direct descendant of Frederick Douglass. She intends for them to marry when he finishes law school. The girl goes to some private all-girl college in Boston.”

  Ellie stretched out on the floor as she continued talking. “The reason Randolph was never on my list of eligible men is because his grandmother will probably pick out his future wife as well. And not to sound mean or anything, but I doubt you have a chance. Rumor has it she’s looking at Lena Weaver.”

  Jenna didn’t have to ask who Lena Weaver was. She was a stunning-looking girl; a senior on campus. Her grand-uncle, Robert C. Weaver, was rumored as being President Johnson’s top pick for secretary of Housing and Urban Development, a new cabinet position that been added that year. If Johnson chose him for the position, it would make him the first black cabinet official in U.S. history.

  “So if you’re interested in Randolph, you’re only wasting your time.”

  Jenna snapped her book closed, bothered by what Ellie had said and not wanting to hear anything about Randolph any longer. “I think I’ll go down to the Blackburn Center and finish reading,” she said quietly.

  Ellie stared up at her. “I hope you don’t think I’m being cruel by telling you this, Jenna, but I wouldn’t want you to be hurt by Randolph.”

  As Jenna grabbed her sweater and headed for the door, a part of her thought that she was already hurt, just a little. She had thought Randolph was different. Last night he’d acted like he was interested in her and all along he already had his future wife picked out for him. Her mother had been right. You had to be aware of smooth talking guys.

  The next afternoon Jenna sat on the bench in the park near campus studying the designs of the buildings she saw, jotting down information about each for her Architectural History and Theory class. As she glanced at the Washington Monument that loomed in the distance, she thought the nation’s capital was such a beautiful city. You could scarcely look anywhere and not see some historical building or landmark. Where most cities had skyscraper buildings that jutted discordantly into the sky, what you got in DC was a scene that resembled a rural theme park, complete with grassy fields and large reflecting pools of water.

  After finishing what she was doing, Jenna packed everything into her tote bag and began walking back toward campus. She thanked her lucky stars Ellie hadn’t been there when she’d gone to her dorm room after class earlier. Ellie had been spending a lot of time with Tyrone since Saturday night. He had come around yesterday afternoon to take her to a movie, and from what Leigh had said, he had shown up again today to take Ellie to the library so they could study together. The thought of Ellie studying was almost comical.

  “Is he the one she’s selected for her husband?” Leigh had asked, grinning when they had seen each other earlier that day. “Maybe she’ll get so wrapped up in him that she’ll stay out of our business.”

  Jenna doubted that, but she had kept her thoughts to herself since she knew how Leigh felt about Ellie.

  She had just reached the Aldridge Theater when she saw Randolph and Lena Weaver walking together on their way to class. Jenna’s grip tightened on her tote bag. At first she hadn’t wanted to believe Ellie’s allegations, but now she was seeing Randolph with Lena with her own eyes. She inhaled deeply, thankful they hadn’t seen her. Feeling the need to walk off her hurt and disappointment, Jenna headed in the opposite direction, not ready to go to her dorm yet.

  It was late afternoon when Jenna opened the door to her room just in time to hear the phone ringing. The private telephone in their room was a luxury that she, Leigh and Ellie had agreed to chip in and pay for for the convenience of not having to use the public one down the hall. She quickly crossed the room and picked it up, thinking it was probably Noah calling for Leigh. “Hello.”

  “May I speak to Jenna, please?”

  Jenna frowned, recognizing the deep, masculine voice immediately. “This is Jenna.”

  “Jenna, this is Randolph.”

  “Yes, I know,” she said, wanting to add, And I know you have a girlfriend, so why are you calling me? I saw the two of you together.

  “How did you do on your test today?”

  “I think I did all right. Thanks for asking.” Resist him! her mind screamed. Tell him good-bye and hang up! it screamed again. Tell him that you know what game he’s playing and you don’t want to be a part of it.

  “I forgot to ask what time you wanted me to pick you up for the concert next weekend.”

  Jenna swallowed. She had forgotten about their plans for the concert. “I’ve changed my mind about going. Maybe it will be a good idea for you to ask your girlfriend.”

  “My girlfriend?”

  “Yes, your girlfriend, Lena Weaver.”

  There was a slight pause then he said. “Lena is not my girlfriend. We’re just friends.”

  “Yeah, right. Look, I’m sort of busy right now. It was nice talking to you.” And with that closing statement she hung up, thinking h
e probably wouldn’t ever call her again.

  “So, you got short with Randolph Fuller because of what Ellie said?” When Jenna didn’t respond quickly enough to suit her, Leigh Murdock continued. “When are you going to learn not to take Ellie’s word as gospel? Most of the time she doesn’t know what she’s talking about, Jenna.”

  Jenna took a sip of her Coke. “But this time she did. I saw Randolph and Lena, Leigh. They were walking on campus together,” she said with a sad smile.

  , “Is that all? Noah walks to class with a lot of girls and they mean nothing to him.”

  “Well, it really doesn’t matter.”

  Leigh reached out and captured Jenna’s hand in hers. “Try telling that to someone else, Jen. We’ve been roommates for over two years and I can tell when something really matters to you.”

  Jenna knew Leigh was right. “Okay, it does matter,” she confessed moments later with a shy smile. “I kind of liked him.”

  “And you should. He’s a nice guy.”

  Jenna lifted her brow. “You know him?”

  “Not personally but I’ve heard nice things about him. Noah and Randolph’s brother, Ross, are best friends and share a house off campus. And from what I understand, Randolph isn’t going with Lena Weaver, so he wasn’t trying to pull a fast one over on you.”

  Jenna’s conversation with Leigh stayed in her mind as she got ready for bed later that night. She couldn’t sleep, since she couldn’t stop thinking about Randolph Fuller.

  Moments later when she finally drifted off, her mind was still filled with thoughts of the guy with dark eyes and warm smile who had walked her home from the party on Saturday night.

  Two days later Jenna glanced across the length of the Founders Library and saw Randolph at the exact same moment that he saw her. She suddenly remembered their last conversation and how short she’d been with him and wondered if he would simply ignore her.

  Then it occurred to her that he couldn’t ignore her any more than she could him. That same attraction that had brought them together Saturday night was pulling at them again with an intensity that almost scared her. A shudder rippled through her with his intense stare and a purely feminine unease settled deep within her when he began walking toward where she sat. Her heart skipped a beat when he stood before her table.

  “Hi, Jenna,” he said, smiling warmly at her. He was also looking deep into her eyes and the sheer power of his gaze made her tremble inside.

  “Hi.” She didn’t know what else to say.

  He glanced around and saw the librarian looking at them, to make sure they kept it quiet. He met her gaze again. “Is there someplace where we can go talk?”

  His voice was deep and throaty. It was also gentle, she thought, looking back at him. “Uh, sure.”

  After she gathered her things, they walked outside. Jenna was grateful she had brought her sweater. The weather had turned chilly since she had entered the library a few hours ago. For a few minutes they didn’t say anything to each other, they just continued walking. She was letting him take the lead and wondered just where they were headed.

  “You been doing okay?” he asked her moments later.

  “Yes. What about you?”

  “I’ve been doing fine. I’m just ready for this semester to be over.”

  She couldn’t help but smile. “It just started last month.”

  He laughed. “Yes, I know.”

  When they got to the Blackburn Center he held the door open for her. “I thought we could sit and eat something while we talk. You don’t mind, do you?”

  She shook her head. “No, I don’t mind.”

  “Good. It will be my treat.”

  “You don’t have to do that. I can pay for my own.”

  “I want to. Please let me.”

  She met his gaze and nodded. “All right.”

  They got a table near the jukebox and then he asked what she wanted.

  “A hamburger and a milkshake.”

  “What flavor?”

  “Strawberry.”

  He nodded. “Will you share an order of fries with me?”

  She smiled, knowing he was teasing her a little. He was doing the very thing he had set out to do from the first. Take her out. Anyone who saw them together sitting at the same table, sharing a meal, would assume they were dating or something.

  Before walking off he moved to the jukebox and selected a couple of songs. Her breath caught when “In the Midnight Hour” began playing. It was the song that had been playing the moment they had noticed each other in the yard Saturday night. She knew he had played it deliberately to make her think about that night. And she was thinking about it as she glanced around. There were a number of couples sharing food and talking. There were also people alone, sitting at tables studying. Usually she was one of them. But not today. Randolph had seen to that.

  Moments later he returned with their food. After he had spread everything out in front of them, and after taking a sip of her milkshake, she asked. “What did you want to talk to me about?”

  He took a sip of his soda before responding. “Your misconception that I’m trying to run some game on you. I meant what I said the other night, Jenna. I’m not going with Lena Weaver. Because of our families, Lena and I are friends, nothing more.”

  She nodded, holding his gaze. For some reason she believed him. “All right, and I apologize for sounding so cold the other night, but …”

  “You weren’t sure you could trust me?”

  “Yes,” she said quietly.

  “And that’s understandable. All I want is for us to get to know each other better. Is anything wrong with that?” he asked, whispering hoarsely.

  “I always thought there was. At least for me. My main focus is to concentrate on my studies and nothing else.”

  “Do you see me as a threat to that, Jenna? If you do then let me assure you that I’m not. Staying on top of my schoolwork is important to me as well. Uncle Sam is pulling men who aren’t making the grade out of college and shipping them off to Vietnam. I have no desire to go into the armed services any sooner than I have to.”

  Jenna nodded, knowing that was true. The draft deferral was good as long as a person was in school making good grades. Leigh had mentioned how hard Noah was working to keep his grades up, too. No one in their right mind wanted to go to Vietnam. Each day the news reports indicated that more and more American servicemen were losing their lives, and there were a number of demonstrations being held across the country protesting the war.

  “All I’m asking is that we get to know each other better by spending some time together. And just how much time we spend together will be your call.”

  Panic rushed through her with what he was saying. The only time he would share with her was what she allowed him. “Why?” she whispered, wanting to know why he was letting her set the conditions, the rules, the guidelines.

  “Because I care.”

  “And why do you care, Randolph?”

  For the longest moment he didn’t answer. He just continued to look at her. Then suddenly he slowly reached out and took her hand in his and then she knew. She felt the same thing he did. The current. The electricity. The charge. The passion.

  It flowed from his body to hers then back to his again. The feelings he experienced from touching her were gut-wrenchingly deep. Then there was the heat that flowed between them.

  “That night when I first saw you at the party, Jenna, the moment I looked at you, a part of me knew there was something going on between us that I couldn’t explain. I’m not crazy about it any more than you are, but I’m not going to deny that it’s there.”

  Jenna let out a shaky sigh. A part of her couldn’t deny it either. But then, she didn’t want to become involved with anything or anyone who could make her lose sight of her whole purpose for coming to college. Her parents depended on her to do the right thing. Her brothers depended on her to help make sure their dreams came true. There were others she had to think about more so tha
n herself.

  She met Randolph’s gaze again. His stare was unnerving. It made whatever it was between them, that neither of them understood, bigger than life. She had gone to bed each night since meeting him with thoughts of him on her mind. And tonight, at the library, a part of her had responded to him, against her will, against her desire and best intentions. The plain fact was that what they were experiencing couldn’t be normal. No attraction could be that deep. That intense. That volatile.

  She closed her eyes briefly against all the emotions she was feeling. They were the same emotions he was feeling too. And he was right. They owed it to themselves and to each other to find out where all this would lead.

  She opened her eyes and met a gaze that was holding hers with such intensity that for a split second she thought everything around them was at a standstill, except for the beating of their hearts. She finally dragged her gaze from his and took another sip of her milkshake. The cold substance felt thick, refreshing as it flowed down her hot throat.

  “All right,” she finally said, softly. “I prefer that we don’t see each other during the week but I’m okay with us going out occasionally on the weekends.”

  He nodded. “That’s fine with me but I can call during the week, right?”

  “Yes, if you’d like.”

  The slow smile on his lips indicated he would like. They finished eating the rest of their food. They had discussed what was happening on campus: the Vietnam War and how it was becoming more and more on everyone’s mind, and the civil rights movement and how some of the leaders working with Dr. King were getting impatient, annoyed and intolerant of the growing amount of racism they faced each day. They had begun questioning whether or not his approach of nonviolence was the way. And if it was, why was it taking so long for results?