Newark native Bryant populates her hometown setting with clichéd characters and stock plot lines. Newly unemployed secretary Caress Coleman finds solace in the arms of successful photographer Julius Jones, but their one-night stand results in Caress's pregnancy. Mutual friends implausibly let Caress into Julius's apartment while he is away on business. Julius allows Caress to remain despite the requisite doubts about paternity and cohabitation with a near-stranger. Their close proximity refuels their attraction, until Caress asserts her independence by moving out when she gets a new job. A poorly dramatized birth, kidnapping and custodial lawsuit briefly raise tough issues of mistrust and responsibility that vanish in the abrupt resolution. Bryant's fans may be pleased by connections with 2001's Three Times a Lady, but there's little else to recommend this tired urban romance. (May)