Romance Backstage. Kim Shaw

“Why?”

      “I’d like to meet them,” he said as he began walking up the stairs.

      “Whoa…hold up a minute. Where’d this come from?” Raven asked, stepping up two stairs to face him.

      “Well, I was thinking on the way over here that we’ve been seeing each other for a while now and—”

      “Four weeks,” she interrupted him.

      “Six.”

      “Five.”

      “Okay, whatever. Point is, your parents will be moving soon—”

      “Next month. And?”

      “And, I don’t want them heading out of town having the wrong impression of me. I wouldn’t want them thinking that I’m just some guy trying to seduce their daughter or something.”

      “Oh, really, is that what you were thinking?”

      “Yes, as a matter of fact. So, I figured, why not meet them tonight?”

      Dru looked so satisfied with himself that Raven could not resist having a little bit of fun.

      “That’s all fine and good, Mr. Davis, but what makes you think that my parents even know you exist?” she asked.

      Dru looked at her, took a step back from her, raising an eyebrow ever so slightly. He glanced away from Raven and then immediately returned his gaze to her face. He moved in close to her again, closer than he had been before until his face was inches away from hers. He didn’t say a word, just held her gaze, his eyes burning into hers with an intensity that caused her breath to get caught in her throat. She lost all composure, brushed her lips back and forth across his. He didn’t budge. It was she who made the first move, seduced by his concentrated passion. She slid her tongue into his mouth, tickled his tongue, licked his teeth and sucked his juices.

      “Can I meet your parents now?” he asked breathlessly.

      He’d called her bluff, which wasn’t difficult to do. Dru knew how much Raven had come to mean to him in the short time he’d known her, and his ego would not allow him to believe for one second that he didn’t mean the same thing to her. He’d told his mother about her, his father and a few close friends. They’d all told him to slow down, assuring him that it was too soon for him to be all sprung over some chick. His boys were insistent that there was no way for him to tell how much he dug her until he’d gotten into her pants. However, he knew that Raven was not just some chick to be seduced. He’d never felt an ounce of what he was feeling for another woman, and he was smart enough to know that her greatest treasures could not be found between her legs.

      “Mom, Dad, I’d like you to meet Dru Davis. Dru, these are my parents, Lorraine and Allen Walker.”

      “How do you do, sir?” Dru said, shaking her father’s hand. “Mrs. Walker,” he said, turning to her mother.

      They ended up not going out that night. Instead, they sat in the living room eating the tossed salad and leftover baked chicken Lorraine had whipped up. They polished it off with some rum cake and herbal tea. Dru and Allen talked incessantly about basketball, football and any other sport that had the word ball attached to it. Dru reached over every so often, in between heated discourse about Kobe Bryant’s jumper and LeBron James’s hops to touch Raven’s hand or knee, or to nudge her gently with his elbow or smile at her. Two hours went by before Lorraine began to yawn and drag her husband to his feet.

      “We’re going to bed now. We’re not as young as you two, and we’ve got a lot to do tomorrow. Dru, it was very nice to meet you at last. Raven’s told us so much about you, but it was nice to get to know you for ourselves,” Lorraine said as she kissed Dru on the cheek.

      “Mrs. Walker, I really enjoyed tonight and that cake was amazing.” Dru smiled, the corners of his mouth turned up as far as they could go in that sexy way of his.

      “Make sure Raven slices you a few pieces to take with you when you leave. Come on, honey,” she said.

      “I’m coming, woman. Young man, drive carefully out there. And remember what I said about that History Channel documentary coming up next month. It’s going to be a good one,” Allen said, giving Dru a firm handshake and a hearty slap on the back.

      Raven watched her parents retire to their bedroom at the back of the apartment, shutting the door behind them. She plopped down on the smaller of the two sofas and Dru joined her.

      “That was nice,” she said.

      “Mmm-hmm. Your parents are cool. So, how about you fill me in on all the stuff you told them about me,” Dru teased.

      “Oh, quit it, you. You win. Yes, I’ve talked about you to my parents…a little bit. No big deal,” Raven snapped.

      “No big deal, huh? Come here.”

      Raven shook her head. “No.”

      “Come here,” he said again.

      Raven followed Dru’s command, leaning close to him.

      “You think you’ve got me right where you want me, don’t you?” she said softly against his mouth.

      “No. I hope I’ve got you,” he answered before closing his full lips over hers.

      He had her all right, and there was no way that she could deny it. Between Dru and the show, Raven had begun to feel like she had all that she needed and more. Almost. Despite the fact that things in her life were good, really, really good, there was still the gnawing little questions at the back of her mind, tugging at her and keeping from being entirely free to enjoy all that was happening. The little voice that screamed Who am I? over and over again would not be silenced. She’d fought to block it out, fought to keep those feelings of curiosity at bay. She’d focused her energy on the show and on Dru, telling herself that right now, nothing else mattered.

      Raven opened her eyes slowly, allowing the room to come into focus. Opening-night jitters were gone, and in their place was a feeling of supreme confidence. She would do her thing tonight and every night that the show ran. She would show the directors, the audience and her fellow cast members that she was a star. She would shine brighter than the Big Dipper and light the whole world with her brilliance. As she rose from the carpet, her cell phone began to ring, its sound causing a smile to spread across Raven’s already beaming face. Without looking at the phone’s display, she flipped it open.

      “Hey there, Mr. Producer. Are you all set for Broadway?”

      “Indeed I am, baby. How about you?”

      “I couldn’t be more ready.”

      “Are you sure you don’t want me to come and pick you up?”

      “Yes, Dru, I’m sure. You’ve got things to do. Right now, I want you to concentrate on being the producer, running things and all that jazz. Okay?”

      “I hear you. I’m trying to stay focused, but I can’t stop thinking about you. I can’t wait to see you up on that stage, under the lights. All those people are going to be watching you and enjoying you just as much as I do,” he said.

      “Boy, are you trying to make me nervous?” Raven asked.

      “Nah, baby. Don’t worry, you’re going to be great. Your parents have the tickets I sent them, right? Do they need a ride?”

      Raven giggled at the apparent nervousness in his voice.

      “Dru, baby, relax. Nobody needs a ride, and everything is on schedule. Your dad is going to love the show and he’s going to be so proud to see his son’s business skills at play. Promise,” Raven said, reassuring him.

      They chatted for a while longer before a call came in on Dru’s line. Raven sent a sweet kiss through the phone to him before hanging up. A short while later she headed out the door, wanting to get to the theater early to stretch and practice. Because all she could feel was excitement and adrenaline pumping throughout