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Why he drove around in pretty much a circle for nearly twenty minutes, he would never tell anyone. He couldn’t get her scent out of his head or the way she ran her tongue across her lips. He considered himself well educated, comfortable in any situation and articulate. But for the life of him he’d barely been able to string a full sentence together.
Finally, he wound his way back onto the right road leading out of town to his office in New Orleans. It was a miracle that he hadn’t run over someone’s cat.
He pulled into the angled parking space in front of the three-story brick building that housed his construction company. There are some things you know in life, and the one thing that he’d known since he watched his uncle Reggie, who was a carpenter by trade, hammer a nail, was that he wanted to build things. Once he was old enough he spent his summers as an apprentice on construction sites, learning the trade, working, sweating, getting his hands dirty and loving every minute of it. But as his uncle had told him over and over, having brawn wasn’t enough. He needed brains to go with it. So he went to school, got a BS degree in Construction Management and an MBA in Economics, both from Louisiana State University. Within two years of getting his construction management degree, he worked out a business plan, presented it to the bank and landed a small business loan that launched his first storefront office. At the time he was his lone employee, other than when he needed an extra set of hands, until Max came on board and signed on as a partner. That was nearly ten years ago. He was twenty-five and still wet behind the ears. Now he had a permanent staff of fifteen artisans, and subcontracts with dozens of other tradesman. He had one of the most successful privately owned construction companies in the state. He had more work than he could handle, but the one job he never turned away was his community service work, his way of giving back. Otherwise, he and Ms. Dominique Lawson would have never crossed paths.
Max Hunt was stepping out of his office door with a handful of blueprints when Trevor came in.
Max and Trevor had been best friends since grammar school. They liked the same things, sports, fishing, good music, hard work, a stiff drink and beautiful women. They’d been dubbed the Black Knights back in college, a reputation they seemed to have maintained into full manhood, matching each other stride for stride in the looks and sexual charm department except that Max resembled the clean-shaven Shamar Moore.
Max briefly glanced up then returned his attention to the blueprints. “Hey, man, how’d it go?” he asked, walking to the industrial copy machine.
Trevor took the camera from around his neck. “Pretty good.”
Max lifted the cover of the copy machine and placed the blueprints facedown. The machine hummed and began spitting out copies. Max frowned and turned his head in Trevor’s direction. “Pretty good. That’s it?”
Trevor shrugged slightly and took the memory card out of the camera. “Took a tour, she told me what she needed. Said we got the contract. I told her I’d get back to her in about a week with some design ideas.” He shrugged again. “That’s it. Nothing to tell.”
Max gave him a sidelong glance. “Yeah, right, my brother. What really happened?” He half smiled.
“What are you talking about? That’s it.”
“What did she look like in person?”
Trevor’s eyes flashed for a moment but he couldn’t stop the smile that slowly moved across his mouth. “Edible.”
Chapter 4
Dominique spent the rest of the morning with her leg propped up on a short step stool beneath her desk with a plastic bag of ice on her knee, while she read over the latest inventory reports. Although her family, her father and oldest sister, Lee Ann, in particular, used to ride her relentlessly for her insatiable desire to shop, it was an obsession that was paying off with style in her business. All those days of racking up the charges in boutiques across Louisiana, and as far away as Milan and Paris, and cooing the sales reps, shop owners and up-and-coming designers, Dominique had, unbeknown to her, been building a foundation. Now it was all paying off in major ways. Her contacts were more than happy to accommodate her with their overstock, sample items and huge discounts for her non-profit organization.
The women who came to First Impressions with their heads down walked out turning heads. And now she was ready to take her business to the next level and offer an education component that would include GED classes, financial management courses and interview preparation.
She turned to her computer screen and brought up the spreadsheet that included the staffing that she would need, along with the list of vendors that would supply the materials for the courses. If Trevor Jackson was on target with his completion date she would have to begin interviewing for instructors sooner rather than later.
Trevor Jackson. She leaned back in her seat. For the past hour she’d done well in casting him to the back of her thoughts. But much like a thunderstorm that was on the horizon, as much as you wanted to, you couldn’t ignore it. You knew it was coming.
“How’s your knee feeling?”
Dominique glanced up at her assistant, Phyllis. She smiled wanly. “Better thanks.” She lifted the ice pack off of her knee and noticed that the swelling was all gone. Gingerly she lowered her leg from the step stool. “How’s everything up front?”
“Good. The five new referrals will be here shortly.”
Dominique checked her watch. It was nearly one. “Great. Let’s order lunch and we can set up in the conference room.”
“Anything in particular?”
“How about some wraps and salad?”
“I’ll put in the order.” Phyllis paused for a moment. “So, how did the meeting go?”
Dominique glanced up for a moment then looked away. “Pretty good. I plan on giving him the contract. Mr. Jackson is going to work on some designs and get them to me next week.”
Phyllis nodded slowly, noting that the very direct Dominique barely looked her in the eye. “So, you think he’s the one?”
Dominique’s head snapped up as if she’d been caught stealing. “Huh?”
“I mean do you feel he’s the right person for the job?”
Dominique swallowed. “Yes. Why? Is there something that you know that I don’t?”
“Hmm, nope.” She tugged lightly on the hem of her suit jacket. “I’ll go put in the lunch order.” She turned away to hide her smile.
“Phyllis, wait.”
Phyllis stopped at the door. “Hmm.”
“You’re always so good at first impressions—no pun intended—what…do you think of him?”
Phyllis folded her arms beneath her ample breasts. “I think if his work is half as good as his looks, the addition will be a real showstopper.”
Dominique chuckled. “That’s the best answer you could come up with?”
“First impressions, right? Well, that honey was my first impression. The rest is up to you.” She gave Dominique a wink and walked out.
Dominique leaned back in her seat, tugging on her bottom lip with her teeth. Phyllis had been straight with her from the day they first met when she’d come to First Impressions needing a dress to attend her daughter’s graduation. Even though she was in need, there was an assurance and a dignity about her that made Dominique feel that Phyllis was the one doing something for her and not the other way around. She reminded Dominique of her mother with her directness, warmth, plain words of wisdom and her ability to make everyone feel special.
They’d hit it off that very first day and while they talked and searched for the perfect dress, Phyllis subtly organized shelves and lined up the clothes on the racks as she moved through the space, answered the phone when Dominique was with another client and even showed a few around the establishment while Dominique was discussing inventory with one of her vendors.
“Seems like you could use a little help around here when it gets busy,” Phyllis had said while Dominique wrapped up her purchase.
Dominique tilted her head to the side. “Are you busy?”
“As a matter of fact I have nothing but free time on my hands. I’d be more than happy to come in a couple of hours a day—just to help out,” she’d added.
The couple of hours had turned into full days in no time, and quicker than that Phyllis had become Dominique’s right-hand assistant. She came to depend on her for more than help with running the business. Phyllis had begun to halfway fill the shoes that the loss of her mother had left empty.
Which was why Dominique was perplexed by Phyllis’s vague response to her question. Phyllis may be a lot of things, but ambiguous was not one of them.
As much as she wanted to dwell on Trevor Jackson, she didn’t have time. The women would be arriving shortly and she needed to be focused so that she could provide each lady with the attention that she deserved. But no matter how hard she tried to stay on point during the next two hours, images of Trevor kept popping up in front of her.
* * *
Trevor loaded the images from his camera onto the twenty-seven-inch iMac. He pointed out the major problems to Max and they both took notes. Trevor explained what it was that Dominique wanted and for the next few hours they worked on a series of sketches for the revised layout of the two floors.
“I want to give her at least two options for each floor,” Trevor said. He raised his arms over his head, stretching out the tight muscles in his back.
“By the looks of the walls and the plumbing issues that you mentioned, the problem isn’t going to be in the design but what we find behind the walls,” Max said.
Trevor nodded. “Exactly.” He closed the screen that showed the design plans and pulled up the file with their subcontractors. “We’re going to need a lot of hands on this one.”
“Shouldn’t be a problem. The guys like working with us. At least they know when they come to T. Jackson Contracting its not going to be a one-day job.”
“And this will definitely last a few months. I think we should get Ray for the plumbing and Joshua for the electric. They’ve done good work for us before and have solid teams.”
“As soon as the plans are approved I’ll start looking into supplies and getting the permits in order.”
“Cool.” Trevor pushed back from his seat.
“Don’t think I forgot about your comment, my brother.”
Trevor’s thick right brow rose. “What comment?”
“You know damn well what comment… Edible. You really think I’m going to let that one slide?”
Trevor half smiled. “Just an observation, that’s all.”
“Man, I know you better than you know yourself. When was the last time some woman had you at a loss for words? You could barely put a sentence together when you got back.”
It had been a while since a woman had lit a match inside of him. Five years to be exact and her name was Vallyn Williams. To this day, simply thinking about her knotted his stomach. Vallyn had burst into his life and took him on a roller-coaster ride that he’d never wanted to end. He should have known better. They came from two different worlds. She was the daughter of a judge and her mother sat on every board in the state of Louisiana. She grew up vacationing at Martha’s Vineyard and the Hamptons. Her college graduation gift was a six-month trip across Europe.
“Trust me, it’s nothing but an observation. End of story.”
“Hmm, yeah, okay.” He gathered up his notes. “Got any plans for later? I feel like hitting a club, listening to some music, checking out some ladies. You game?”
“I’m down. Say around nine?”
“Yeah, I have some stuff to take care of at the house. I’ll give you a call around nine and we can figure out where we wanna hang.” He tucked his drawings under his arm and checked his watch. “I’m heading out. I want to check up on the crew over at the Jennings job.”
“We should be ready to turn the house over to the family pretty soon.”
“If everything is up to par, I figure by next week.”
The Jennings family had been victims of Hurricane Katrina. For the past five years they’d been living in a trailer with their three kids. Those were the projects that Trevor was most proud of. Seeing the faces of the families whose homes he’d restored or built was worth every ounce of sweat.
“That’s what I like to hear. Okay, you take care of that and I’m going to put some finishing touches on these design proposals then head out.”
“See you later.”
Trevor opened the design program and reviewed the tentative layout. He could almost see Dominique walking through the renovated space and the expression on her face when she saw the transformation. He shook his head. Thinking about a woman like Dominique Lawson in a role other than employer would bring him nothing but trouble. That was the one thing he was sure about.
Chapter 5
Dominique put her key in the door and was gripped with the feeling of regret. She probably should have moved out of the family home a long time ago. With both her sisters gone, her father in Washington most of the year, Rafe doing his own thing and Justin busy with school and work, she felt like a fish out of water rambling around in the big house. So, she could have not been more surprised when she walked into the kitchen and found both of her sisters seated at the island counter chatting like they’d done as teenagers.
“Oh, my goodness!” She dropped her bag on the table and ran to her sisters.
The trio kissed and hugged and giggled in delight.
“What are ya’ll doing here?” She glanced from one to the other in amazement as they took seats around the counter.
“This is a big legislative week on Capital Hill. Preston is working almost twenty-four hours a day. I told him I was going home for the weekend and he nodded and waved,” Lee Ann said, laughing. “I still don’t think he realizes I’m gone.”
“And what about you, Mrs. Hampton? You’re still a newly, newlywed, girl. I’m surprised Spence let you out of the bed.”
Desiree blushed and flashed a secret smile. “I know.” She giggled. “Well, you know Spence is opening a third club in the D.C. area. He’s meeting with contractors and visiting sites all weekend. And I wanted to see my sisters. I called Lee Ann and here we are.”
Dominique felt tears well in her eyes. She’d had no idea how much she missed her sisters until this moment. She sniffed. “Then we have to make every minute count. No telling when we’ll get a chance to hang out again.”
“Exactly,” Desiree agreed. “So, what’s the plan? You’re the party girl.”
Dominique’s eyes crinkled with mischief. “Ladies, my list is long and varied, so be prepared for anything. And put on your dancing shoes,” she added, hopping up from her seat.
“Sounds like…a Dominique plan,” Lee Ann teased.
“Just be ready by nine,” Dominique warned, waving a finger at her sisters.
* * *
“You think I’ll have time to get some racing in this weekend?” Desiree asked as they started off toward their rooms.
Dominique and Lee Ann groaned in response.
* * *
The sisters-only weekend didn’t seem nearly long enough. But the trio had squeezed in as much time together as they possible could. Friday night they drove into New Orleans and visited three clubs in the Quarter. Up with the sun the following morning, they headed for a full day of pampering at their favorite day spa, Body Envy, that came complete with facials, a full body massage, manicure and pedicure, and lunch with champagne spritzers. And what would a day be without shopping on the list?
By the time they returned to the Lawson mansion on Saturday, the sun had set, but they’d been coddled and primped and loaded down with shopping bags.
“I should have gotten that pair of gray suede boots,” Dominique complained as she balanced her bags under one arm and propped on her raised knee while she stuck the key in the lock. “They would have gone perfectly with that jacket.”
“Sis, you have enough shoes to outfit a foreign empire,” Lee Ann teased as she struggled through the door with her own bags.
“Maybe a tiny empire,” Dominique tossed back. “Not a big one.”
“You do need another zip code for your shoes,” Desiree added, depositing her oversize bags near the foyer table.
Dominique turned to her twin. “I’m surprised that you needed more than a tote bag, Desi. Everything you bought was no more than a few colorful frilly strings tied together to look like an outfit.” She shrugged out of her cropped leather jacket and hung it in the closet.
Desiree blushed and feigned embarrassment. “Can I help it if Spence only wants to see me in next to nothing when we close the bedroom door?”
“Girl, don’t start,” Lee Ann added. “I swear Preston has gotten worst since we’ve been married. He’s totally into garters and those little demi bras now.” She giggled. “I have an entire drawer full.”
Lee Ann and Desiree laughed and chatted and laughed some more about the myths of married sex life, something that Dominique could in no way relate to. They oohed and ahhed about the feel of waking up each morning with someone you loved, being eager to see them at the end of the day and never worrying again about your “date” for a big event.
Dominique sat at the table and nodded and smiled in all the right places. For the first time in her life she felt like the outsider, the fifth wheel, the tagalong. When it came to the Lawson sisters she was always the center of attention, the diamond that sparkled the brightest. She was the party girl, the one that the men flocked to and fell over. She was the one with a suitors’ list that was the Who’s Who of Louisiana. She was never without a date or a man to warm her bed at night. But sitting there listening to her sisters made her life suddenly seem vapid and pointless. Did you really need a man to make you complete? She’d never believed that before and wasn’t sure if she did now. Yet, as she listened to her sisters, two of the most free-thinking, independent women she knew, talk about the men in their lives, it was as if they had suddenly bloomed to life under the sun of their husbands’ gazes.
Lee Ann and Desiree jumped at the sound of Dominique’s palms slapping down on the table. “Enough, okay.” She cut a look from one sister to the other. “I get it. You’re both in love and can’t stop talking about it.” She pretended to gag.
Lee Ann leaned back in the swivel stool and folded her arms. “Is that jealousy I hear coming from Ms. ‘nobody is going to tie me down?’” she asked, her right brow rising every so slightly.
