The Nicest Guy in America Read online

  The Nicest Guy in America

  by

  Angela Benson

  First published by Kensington, Pinnacle, 1997

  Print Copyright Angela Benson, 1997

  EBook Copyright Angela Benson, 2011

  EBook Published by Angela Benson, 2011

  Cover Design by fiverr.com/pro_ebookcovers

  Cover Photo © Depositphotos.com/egorrr

  EBook Design by A Thirsty Mind, 2011

  Smashwords Edition, 2011

  All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, without permission in writing from the Author.

  This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents are either products of the author’s imagination or used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.

  About the Author

  Angela Benson is the bestselling author of fourteen novels, two novellas and a non-fiction writing book. Her most recent print work is Delilah’s Daughters (Avon, 2014). Her next print book, The Summer of Me, will be released by Avon in 2015. While you’re waiting for Angela’s new title, be sure to check out her backlist recently released in eBook format. Join Angela on the web at http://www.facebook.com/AngelaBensonBooks or http://www.AngelaBenson.com.

  Author Booklist

  Sweet Passion Contemporary Romance Series

  Friend and Lover

  http://www.angelabenson.com/friendandlover.html

  “. . . a sham engagement between two longtime attorney friends leads to the real thing just in time for New Year’s Eve in Angela D. Benson’s funny and engaging ‘Friend and Lover’.” —Library Journal

  The Nicest Guy in America

  http://www.angelabenson.com/thenicestguyinamerica.html

  Angela Benson, a veteran romance writer, has earned her “stars and bars” with this sensational, subtle and sensual battle of the sexes. —Romantic Times Magazine Top Pick! 4.5/5 stars

  The Way Home

  http://www.angelabenson.com/thewayhome.html

  “ . . . with THE WAY HOME, [Angela Benson] emerges as a writer of great depth, sensitivity, and unparalleled talent.” —Romantic Times Magazine Top Pick! 4.5/5 stars

  Bands of Gold (coming August 2014)

  http://www.angelabenson.com/bandsofgold.html

  Christina’s ambition has taken her to the top of her profession, but new employee Jackson makes her wonder if she’s sacrificed too much for her success.

  For All Time (coming September 2014)

  http://www.angelabenson.com/foralltime.html

  "FOR ALL TIME will touch every woman's heart with its pathos and passion as Ms. Benson takes a heartrending look at the stark realities of marriage after the honeymoon is over." – 4 stars –Romantic Times Magazine

  Between the Lines (coming October 2014)

  http://www.angelabenson.com/betweenthelines.html

  "BETWEEN THE LINES is author Angela Benson's latest romantic confection, with the heady flavor of an Amaretto Liqueur and the rich sensuality of smooth, sweet cream!" – 4 stars –Romantic Times Magazine

  Genesis House Inspirational Romance & Family Drama Series

  Awakening Mercy, Book 1, Genesis House Series

  http://www.angelabenson.com/awakeningmercy.html

  “Ms. Benson paints a fine picture of the trials of a couple who must rely on their faith to make a go of a relationship in this 4-1/2 star read. She is just as compelling a writer in Christian romance as she is in contemporary.” —Affaire de Coeur Magazine

  Abiding Hope, Book 2, Genesis House Series

  http://www.angelabenson.com/abidinghope.html

  “Christy Award nominee, Benson, continues the momentum she established in Awakening Mercy as she explores the lives of Shay and Marvin Taylor, the founders of Genesis House. . . Benson is a leading author of African American romances and Christian fiction, and her insight into God’s impact on our lives make her work a requirement for growing collections.” —The Library Journal

  The Amen Sisters, Book 3, Genesis House Series

  http://www.angelabenson.com/theamensisters.html

  “Christy Award nominee, Benson, continues the momentum she established in Awakening Mercy as she explores the lives of Shay and Marvin Taylor, the founders of Genesis House. . . Benson is a leading author of African American romances and Christian fiction, and her insight into God’s impact on our lives make her work a requirement for growing collections.” —The Library Journal

  Enduring Love, Book 4 (coming November 2014)

  http://www.angelabenson.com/enduringlove.html

  When she left, she took his heart with her. Now he wants to get it—and her—back.

  Single Title Inspirational Family Drama

  The Summer of Me (coming January 2015)

  http://www.angelabenson.com/summerofme.html

  The nationally bestselling author of Delilah’s Daughters and The Amen Sisters returns with a moving story about a single mother who discovers the woman she can be in one unforgettable summer.

  Delilah’s Daughters

  http://www.angelabenson.com/delilahsdaughters.html

  "...instead of Samson’s secret, it’s Delilah’s that threatens to destroy the spiritual foundation she and her late husband, Rocky, build for their three daughters...Delilah’s Daughters is a captivating story from the beginning to the breathtaking end." 4.5 stars (out of 5 ) — Romantic Times Magazine

  Sins of the Father

  http://www.angelabenson.com/sinsofthefather.html

  Sins of the Father is a powerful story of revenge, betrayal, and forgiveness. Benson uses three-dimensional characters to prove that regret, shame and hatred can give way to acceptance, forgiveness and love. The storyline will surprise you while the outcome will increase your faith in God. If you love reading about real life issues, this is a book that will keep you glued to the pages. –Real Page Turners

  Up Pops the Devil

  http://www.angelabenson.com/uppopsthedevil.html

  "Angela Benson writes a commanding and enthralling story on the power of salvation and how temptation works to unravel it. . .Benson’s writing is fluid and demonstrates her ability to incorporate biblical principle in everyday living." – RAWSISTAZ Reviews

  Showers of Blessings, a novella in A Million Blessings

  http://www.angelabenson.com/amillionblessings.html

  Assistant pastor Ronnie has a shameful secret: he's a compulsive gambler. And just when it seems he's run out of luck, he finds salvation in a miraculous win. But nothing can keep Ronnie from recklessly betting his family's future. His only way out is through renewed faith–and a desperate act of redemption.

  Nonfiction

  Telling Your Tale: The Beginner’s Guide to Writing Fiction for Print and eBook

  Telling Your Tale Workbook: The Beginner’s Guide to Writing Fiction for Print and eBook

  http://www.angelabenson.com/tellingyourtale.html

  “[Benson’s] writing advice is constructive and sincere; writers would be well-advised to follow her advice and practice their craft by completing the exercises in the book.” —WritersWrite.com on Telling The Tale (first edition)

  Dear Reader,

  Thanks so much for downloading The Nicest Guy in America, a full-length novel in my Sweet Passion contemporary romance series. In Nicest Guy, reporter Kimberla Washington must find the winner of her magazine’s Nicest Guy in America contest. Computer specialist Reggie Williams fits the bill but he’s more interested in Kimberla than any contest. You can find out about Reggie’s life before Kimberla in Bands of Gold (Book 4).

  The Nicest Guy in America is special to m
e for several reasons. First, the heroine in this story, Kimberla Washington, is named after New York Times bestselling author, Kimberla Lawson Roby. I had recently met Kimberla, who was a relatively new author at the time, and promptly fell in love with her name. Being the author that I am, I had to use the name in a book. For the record, the only characteristic that I copied from the real Kimberla was her name; everything else about the Kimberla in Nicest Guy is fiction. Second, Nicest Guy was inspired by several conversations I had with male friends during my college days. Most of these conversations began with them telling me how they wanted a nice woman, describing her looks, and then, after throwing in some afterthoughts about her character and personality, added, “Like you, Angela.” Men can be so dense at times! Third, Nicest Guy was a fun story for me to write. It gave me a chance to laugh at myself and my male friends and the way we approach relationships. I hope you find yourself on the pages and laugh a couple of times as well. Enjoy the ride with Kimberla Washington as she looks for and finds The Nicest Guy in America.

  Please keep in touch. You can reach me at http://www.angelabenson.com/contact.html. I love hearing from readers!

  Angela

  Prologue

  “But I’m a nice guy, Kim. Why do I get this kind of treatment? It’s like I always say, women don’t want a man who’ll treat ‘em right.”

  Kimberla Washington twisted the phone away from her mouth and turned her lips in a snarl. “Yadda, yadda, yadda,” she said after pressing the mute button. She didn’t know why Derrick Thompson thought she had nothing better to do than listen to his relationship problems. It seemed their friendship had turned into a Dear Abby saga, with her playing Abby. Well, she was tired of it and she was tired of him. She pressed the mute button again. “Look, Derrick,” she said, interrupting his sob story, “I’ve got work to do. I’ll talk to you later.” She hung up without waiting for his response. “I’ve got to get some new male friends,” she muttered. “I’m about tired of these nice brothers crying on my shoulders about how women don’t want a nice guy.”

  “What’d you say, Kim?” Jim Whittaker asked from the doorway of her office cubicle.

  Kim looked up at the short, balding man who’d hired her to work at Urban Style Magazine when she’d first moved to D.C. five years ago. “Nothing,” she said.

  Jim came fully into her cube and propped on the corner of her metal desk. A chubby man of about fifty-five, he didn’t seem to mind that his stomach rolled over the waistband of his pants as he made himself comfortable. “Didn’t sound like nothing to me,” he said. “And from the smirk on your face, it wasn’t nothing to you, either.”

  Kim sighed. Sometimes Jim was nosy—there was no other way to describe it—but she knew that if she didn’t tell him what he wanted to know he’d hound her until she thought she was going crazy. He was known in publishing circles as a bulldog, a moniker he relished. Word was that he’d been a helluva reporter before striking out and starting his own magazine. “I was talking to Derrick,” she explained and wasn’t surprised when Jim’s lips turned down. She and Derrick had started dating soon after she’d been hired at the magazine, so Derrick’s face had become a regular around the office. Unfortunately, their break-up a few short months later followed by their decision to remain friends had become fodder for office gossip. “He’s complaining again that women don’t appreciate nice guys like him. In other words, he got dumped. Again.”

  Jim rubbed the faint stubble on his chin. As usual, he’d been in such a hurry to get to the office that he’d left home without shaving. “This makes what—the third time this year?”

  Kim rolled her eyes toward the ceiling. “And it’s only April.”

  He dropped his hand from his chin and snapped his fingers. “Kimmy, girl, you haven’t been learning what I’ve been trying to teach you.”

  Kim leaned back in her chair and waited. She knew the twinkle in Jim’s eyes meant he had what he thought was a great angle for a story. “I’m waiting. What are you gonna teach me today?”

  Jim grinned and stood up. He framed his hands as if he held the headlines of a magazine. “Can’t you see it, girl?” he said, but he didn’t wait for her answer. “Why Nice Guys Get Dumped.” He grinned a smug grin. “The title alone will sell thousands of magazines.”

  Kim leaned forward as Jim talked through his idea. Okay, so the idea intrigued her a little—just a little. Her attention faded in and out as she thought through how she’d handle the story. Why did nice guys get dumped? She could think of a thousand reasons why nice guys like Derrick got dumped and she was getting excited just thinking about putting those reasons on paper and getting paid for doing it. Boy, did she have a lot to say on the subject.

  She’d start with the fact that nice guys like Derrick weren’t really interested in regular women. No, they wanted the Jet Magazine swimsuit types who wouldn’t give them a cold stare on a hot day. Not that she had anything against the women who posed in Jet. It was just that Kim knew that Derrick and guys of his ilk were more interested in beautiful faces and perfect bodies than in building committed relationships with real women. She’d been through enough of his type to be an expert.

  “Hey,” Jim shouted, drawing her attention back to him. “I’ve got it. A contest. We can do a contest. Kimmy girl, this is pure genius. We can sponsor a contest for the nicest guy in America. Only our nicest guy has to be nominated by a woman who’s dumped him.”

  “Wait a minute, Jim,” Kim began. She chastised herself for not paying more attention to Jim’s thinking out loud. “The article has some merit, but a contest? I think we’d be overplaying it with a contest.”

  Jim shook his head and his meaty jaws wobbled. “The Nicest Guy In America Contest. Kimmy, this idea is gonna make us a bag of money. Now you get on the copy for the contest. We can probably get it into this month’s issue.” He rubbed his fat hands together. “Then we’ll sit back and wait for the money to roll in. This oughta raise circulation. If we’re lucky, we’ll make a run at Upscale’s number three position.”

  “Jim,” Kim said again, but it was no use. He ignored her and walked to his office. She knew he was already counting the new subscribers he hoped to get.

  Chapter 1

  Late May, two months later

  “You’ve got yourself some losers here, girlfriend.” Kim’s longtime friend Leslie Montgomery tossed a black-and-white photograph on the mound of black-and-white photos covering Kim’s dining room table. “Thank God it’s Saturday and I have a date tonight. You two are about as boring as some of these guys here.”

  Kim rolled her eyes in the direction of her other friend, Tammy Williams. The three women had been friends since they were freshmen roommates at Spelman. Pledging Delta Sigma Theta sorority together their sophomore year had cemented what had now become a lifetime friendship.

  “Give it a rest, Leslie,” Tammy said with a sigh. “Kim didn’t force you to help out. If you want to go, just go.”

  Leslie got up from her seat directly across the table from Tam and stretched her lithe, five-foot-four-inch, one hundred ten pound body. Her orange shirt, which had been tucked in her short orange shorts, rose up and exposed her flat pale-brown stomach. Kim knew Leslie’s innocent stretch was a not-so-subtle taunt at Tam, who’d been in a losing battle with the weight monster since her divorce six years ago and she found her friend’s display offensive. Who did Leslie think she was pulling a stunt like that with them?

  “Yes,” Kimberla agreed. “Give it a rest, Leslie. If you gotta go, then leave. Don’t stay around here complaining all day.”

  Leslie made a production of pulling her top down. Then she reached over and grabbed her shiny gold shoulder bag that matched her shiny gold sandals, earrings and choker in typical Leslie fashion. “If that’s the way you feel about it—”

  “Please, Leslie,” Tam said. “You know you want to go so just leave.”

  Leslie turned and headed for the front door of Kim’s small one-bedroom apartment. “I’ll be sure to c
all you two and let you know how my date went. I did tell you he was a fine brother, didn’t I?”

  Kim shot another glance at Tam whose now-full face showed disgust and maybe something akin to envy. But Kim knew Tam wasn’t envious of Leslie. No, Tam was envious of the slender girl she herself had been back in college when all was right with the world. Feeling as though she was intruding on Tam’s private thoughts, Kim turned and watched Leslie sashay through the front door and close it with a whack.

  “That chick needs to learn some manners,” Tam said.

  Kim didn’t want to be put in the position of talking about Leslie behind her back, even though she agreed with Tam’s remark, so she turned the conversation back to the contest. “What do you think, Tam?” she asked. “Do we have any winners here or is Leslie right—they’re all losers?”

  Tam brushed her straight, shoulder-length dark brown hair back behind her ear in the self-conscious manner she’d adopted since her divorce. “I don’t think they’re all losers and I bet you don’t, either.” Tam shuffled the stack of photos in front of her. “Look at this one.”

  Kimberla took the offered photo and immediately recognized the dark, handsome face smiling back at her. Reggie Stevens. Goodness, he was a fine man. She guessed he was about six-foot-two and spent a great deal of time in the gym. The brother definitely had a buff body. Why in the world had so many sisters dropped him? She shook her head. Fine. Fine. Fine.

  “So, what do you think?” Tam asked.

  I think he’s so fine that I should take him for myself, she thought, but of course, she didn’t say it. Tam, though upset with Leslie now, would be on the phone within five minutes of leaving her apartment telling Leslie that Kim had the hots for one of the Nice Guys. “He seems like a real nice guy.”

  Tam picked up another photo and slapped Kim on the shoulder with it. “What do you expect, silly? It’s a Nice Guy contest.”