Maybe More Than Friends

MAYBE MORE THAN FRIENDS: A sweet friends to relationship romance by Ruby James This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, events, or locales is entirely coincidental. Copyright © 2023 by Ruby James All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or used in any manner without the written permission of the copyright owner except for the use of quotations in a book review. For more information: [email protected]. Cover art by Melody Jefferies Edited by: Jennifer Haskins rubyjameswrites.com Dedication: This book is dedicated to my mother and father. Thank you for always believing in me. I miss you. Chapter ONE A rogue generic desk chair, laden with two clear plastic totes, barreled towards Addison Clarke. In hot pursuit was a brunette co-ed wearing a beige beanie, tight blue jeans, and a baggy hoodie. Maryland Tech and the town of Point Harbor, Maryland, received six inches of the fluffy white stuff two days ago. Light gray sky framed the historic brick and stone buildings on the campus and reminded Addison of a painting lost in time. Refusing to sacrifice her large Peruvian coffee to stop the errant piece of furniture, she stepped into two inches of debris-filled snow. Thank goodness for her boots. Addison let the chair collide with the snow-covered tree. The trim co-ed scowled as she hurried past and retrieved her belongings. The young woman dropped the containers back onto the chair and pushed them up toward the path that led to the dorms. “Thank you for not even attempting to help. I guess when you get to be your age, reflexes aren’t that quick,” the girl mumbled as she walked past. A comment was on Addison’s lips, but she thought better of it and instead laughed. She did, however, take offense to the comment of her age. Thirty-four wasn’t old, and she didn’t look her age. Her almond-hued skin was wrinkle-free. But making a rude comment wouldn’t do any good. She lifted her cup in greeting, wished the young woman a good day, then strolled up the concrete walkway to the administrative building. Addison nudged the automatic door opener with her hip and stepped onto the large blue and yellow college logo woven into the maroon carpet. Already wet and dirty from shoes coming in from the parking lot, she added to the mess and wiped her feet. “Glad you got out of the way,” Paul, the security guard, commented from his desk by the doorway. “Wouldn’t want nothing to happen to you on your first day back from vacation.” “You just don’t want something to happen to your supplier of sweets,” Addison teased and pulled a paper bag with a cellophane window that held a large oatmeal raisin cookie from the outside of her computer bag. “That too.” His dark-skinned hand reached for the treat. “Something came for you about fifteen minutes ago. Wilma came and got it.” Addison didn’t get packages at work, especially since she’d been on vacation for the past two weeks, visiting her sister and kids in Virginia for the Christmas holiday. “Could you tell what it was?” She asked as she stepped through the metal detector after putting her bag and purse on the side table. He tapped his chin. “I’d say it was a variety of flowers. Couldn’t make out which ones since I only know roses, tulips, and carnations. Those are the wife’s favorite.” Flowers? She rolled her eyes but couldn’t stop the smile that appeared on her face. Sebastian. “You got a secret admirer, or did you meet someone while you were away? Men know a good woman when they see one and will do what they can to get her to notice them.” Paul had been married to his wife for twenty years. His oldest was a sophomore at the college. Addison grabbed her bags. “If they’re from whom I think they are, we’re just friends.” She waved to Paul and hurried to the elevator. The communications department where Addison worked was on the second floor. When the lift reached her destination, she stepped off, greeted the receptionist, and headed to her small office on the left side of the floor. The motion sensor LED lights illuminated the space as soon as she stepped through the door. There, in the middle of her L-shape wood desk, was a bouquet of red snapdragons and white lilies. Seeing them left no doubt about who they were from. Addison sat her bags down and removed her wool coat, tucking her black hat in the pocket. The fitted charcoal gray sweater set and black jeans accented her curves, and looked great with her newly dyed dark purple curly afro. Her size sixteen, to society, would be fat, but it didn’t matter to her. She loved everything about herself. Before she could read the card, a knock sounded on her door, and two beaming smiles blocked the doorway. Her friend and co-worker, Wilma, stood next to her boss, Eli. “Welcome back! Who are the flowers from?” Wilma said in one breath as she stepped into the office. “Are they from you-know-who?” Wilma had told her about the cozy three-bedroom house Addison rented before Thanksgiving. She was there when her friends, including Bas, moved her in. After the death of her husband, Addison moved in with her best friend, Marley, for two years. She was thankful for her friend during her time of need but was glad to have her own space again. Eli rested his hands on the desk and sniffed the lilies. Addison gave Wilma a quick hug and snagged the card before her friend could. “I have ten bucks saying they’re from one of the professors,” Eli commented, then sat his long, lean frame in the chair. Wilma stuck her tongue out at him and took the other seat. Her bright, dyed, long red hair