Free Late Nights by Marie Rochelle Page A

never been a coward when it came to standing up for herself and she wasn’t about to start now.
    “Sasha, are you sure that you’re okay?” Akisha asked, frowning at her from across the room. “You have this troubled look on your face.”
    Groaning, Sasha tried her best to hold her tongue, but in the end failed. “Can’t you just be supportive and wish me luck? I’m going to give up a man I have been wanting for months tonight and it’s going to hurt like hell. I know that I’m not as close to you as Rachelle and Genise, but God, at least pretend you are hurting for me.”
    Akisha got up off the bed and came over to her. Bending down, her sister grabbed her hand and looked her directly in the eyes. “I’m not trying to be a bitch by telling you how to act on your date. I only want you to be happy. You are always so supportive of me and Genise, like Rachelle.
    “If Sterling apologizes, listen to him and think about giving him another chance. Men are so hard to figure out. One minute they don’t want anything to do with you and in the next breath they are trying to prove how much they care about you. Just don’t be blind to what could be right in front of your face.
    “I don’t want my opinion of Sterling to tarnish your views of him because I’m not the one who wants a relationship with him, it’s you. I still believe you can’t get all of your dreams from Mr. Hamilton. He doesn’t seem like a man who knows how to stay with one woman, but I might be completely wrong.
    “Anyway, I’m not to best person to give you advice when I can’t even get the man I want. I work with Ethan every day and he doesn’t have a clue how I feel. So, if you truly have a chance to try something with Sterling, do it. Don’t pay attention to any doubts I might have since I’m a little biased.”
    Was her little sister really trying to give her some sound relationship advice? If she didn’t know body snatchers weren’t real, she sure as hell would think something had taken over Akisha’s body.
    Sasha wasn’t sure if she should laugh at Akisha or be upset with her pointing out things she had already thought of herself.
    “Why can’t you apply the same thing you told me towards Ethan?” she questioned. “You’re head over heels in love with the guy and not doing a damn thing about it.”
    Akisha let go of her hand and eased away from her. “I don’t know what you are talking about,” she answered, pulling down her shirt.
    “Come on,” Sasha said.
    She couldn’t believe her baby sister was actually pretending like she didn’t know what she was talking about. “All of us know you’re in love with Ethan. Every single time you mention his name this look of happiness crosses your face. Don’t even try to deny it.”
    Sasha wasn’t about to stand by and allow Akisha to pretend that she was the only Williams sister interested in her employer. No, that wouldn’t work at all…not with her.
    “”You’re right, but Ethan is different from Sterling. He’s never once shown any interest in me. I’ve made a decision and I’m going to stick with it. I’m going to help him get this business up and running, then I’m going to quit.
    “It isn’t like he won’t be able to replace in the blink of an eye. At least, that is the comment he tossed in my face the last time we got in an argument over the design concept,” Akisha snapped, walking away from her. She went back over to the bed and took a seat on the edge, facing her.
    What was going on?
    Her big sister senses immediately kicked in when Sasha heard the pain in Akisha’s voice. The last time she talked to Akisha things seemed to be good between her and Ethan. Akisha even hinted that they might be going out on their first date pretty soon.
    “What’s wrong?” Sasha asked, pushing her earlier argument with her sister to the back of her mind. “Talk to me. If you need me to, I can cancel my date with Sterling after all. I will do it and stay here with you. I