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“She’s everything you said she was,” he responded with a smile. “She has drive, and she’s ambitious.”
“Zaire is also very beautiful.”
Tyrese looked at his longtime friend. “You and I go way back, Pilar. You know everything about me, even what happened in Chicago. You also know that I can’t go back down that road.”
“I’m not saying that you should hook up with Zaire,” Pilar stated. “But you do need a life outside of M.G.”
“I’m fine with the way things are,” he said softly. “It’s probably better that I stay single.”
“What happened in Chicago was not your fault, Tyrese. She lied to you. You can’t stop living your life because of your past.”
“I don’t want to talk about it.” His tone was firm and exact.
“Okay.” Pilar’s smile did not indicate compliance. She continued, “So, let’s talk about our plans for expanding M.G. I believe that New York is the perfect location for our East Coast division.”
“Marshall doesn’t want to relocate?” he asked.
“No, he doesn’t.” She sighed. “Tyrese, he’s asked me to marry him.”
“I hope you said yes.”
Smiling, Pilar held out her hand to show him the four-carat princess-cut diamond solitaire on her left hand. “We’re getting married in six months. We both want a big wedding, and we’re having it at the boathouse in Central Park.”
“I’m really happy for you, Pilar.”
“So what do you think about a New York division of M.G.?” she inquired.
Tyrese broke into a grin. “Let’s do it. M.G. is just as much yours as it is mine. You worked as hard as I did to make this a reality.”
“Are you serious?”
“Yes. You’ll run the East Coast division, and I’ll oversee operations out here.”
“I can’t put into words how much this means to me, Tyrese. I love you dearly.”
He smiled. “I love you, too. It’s because of you that I never missed out on having a sister. You have always been there for me.”
“I feel the same way about you. I will never forget the day you went after those boys who stole my bicycle. They nearly beat you to a pulp, but you didn’t give up. You brought my bike back to me.”
Tyrese laughed at the memory. “It didn’t belong to them. I was not going to let them keep it. It took two days for me to steal it back.”
“You are such a wonderful person, Tyrese,” Pilar murmured. “I just wish you’d open your heart. Let someone love you.”
He shook his head. “Let’s not go there.”
“Tyrese—”
“No, Pilar,” he said. “Don’t worry about me. You focus on yourself. As for me, there is no room for romance in my busy schedule.”
They finished lunch and headed to the office.
The very moment that Pilar and Zaire saw one another, they embraced and settled down in her office to catch up.
Tyrese had a feeling that he wouldn’t see Pilar for a few hours.
Smiling, he made his way to his office. He would catch up with Pilar later that evening. They were having dinner together at his house.
* * *
“We feel confident that the Willow Creek Ranch can provide one of the most successful experiences ever for your group....” Zaire said as she paced back and forth across the floor of her office.
She turned around to find Tyrese standing in her doorway. Strangely, it came as no surprise to see him there.
“I was practicing my presentation.”
“You have nothing to worry about,” Tyrese said. “You’re a natural.”
Zaire rewarded him with a smile. “How long have you been standing there? Did you hear my whole presentation?”
“Pretty much,” he admitted.
She folded her arms across her chest. “So what do you think? Honestly.”
“You did a good job,” Tyrese said.
“But I want it to be great,” Zaire responded in earnest. “What can I do to really make this shine?”
He pointed to her laptop. “Don’t use visual aids as a crutch. Strategically place visual aids in your presentation to highlight the major points. Trust me—your style and personality will have much more impact.”
“Anything else?” she asked.
“Don’t let him conclude the meeting with the idea of getting back to you, Zaire. We want him to determine the next steps right then before life gets in the way.” He smiled at her. “You are going to do a fantastic job.”
“Thanks. Will you or Pilar be here for the meeting?”
Tyrese nodded. “We both plan to attend, if you don’t mind.”
“I welcome it,” Zaire told him with a smile. “I’d like to see your friendly faces in the room.”
He was so handsome in his navy suit that her breath practically caught in her throat. Zaire swallowed tightly as she averted her gaze. She needed to maintain her focus and mentally prepare for her meeting with Bill Daniels.
Chapter 5
Zaire paced back and forth in her office again. The meeting with Bill Daniels and his team was in an hour. She had gone over her presentation all the previous evening and then again that morning.
“You’re going to wear a hole in the rug,” Max said. He walked into the office, carrying a mug of something hot. “I brought you some herbal tea. I thought it might soothe your nerves.”
“Thank you, Max.”
“I have everything set up in the conference room. As you requested, I ordered lunch and it will arrive promptly at noon.”
“Great,” Zaire murmured. “I can’t wait for this to be over.”
“You’re going to do fine,” Max assured her.
She sat down at her desk. “I’m so nervous.”
“You shouldn’t be. You are going to nail this—you’ve worked out a perfect weekend retreat.”
Max’s predictions were correct.
Bill Daniels enthusiastically clapped his hands at the end of Zaire’s presentation, which prompted his partners to do the same. “I have to say that it takes a lot to impress me, but you have managed to do so. You’ve planned the retreat with an emphasis on a healthy lifestyle for our company.”
“Then we should get it on the calendar,” Zaire stated. “I don’t want you to miss out on your preferred dates. I can book the ranch this afternoon.”
“Sounds good,” Bill said.
Max arrived with lunch for everyone.
“In keeping with your goals for health and wellness, I’ve ordered a light lunch of grilled chicken and spinach paninis, vegetarian BLT wraps and a delicious antioxidant salad for lunch.” Zaire stole a peek at Tyrese, who gave a slight nod of approval.
After lunch, Pilar came to Zaire’s office.
“Bravo,” she said. “Tyrese and I thought the presentation was outstanding.”
“Thank you.”
“Zaire, I wanted you to know that I will be relocating to New York, but I am only a phone call away if you ever need to talk to me. We are making the announcement soon. We’re opening another office.”
“Congratulations, Pilar. This is wonderful for you, although I had hoped you would become my mentor.”
“I can still be your mentor,” she assured Zaire. “I have to meet with Tyrese shortly, but I wanted to stop by and congratulate you. Let’s plan to have lunch one day next week.”
The telephone rang minutes after Pilar left the office.
Zaire answered it.
“How did it go?”
“Kellen, it went great. Better than I ever expected, actually.”
“I’m proud of you, sis.”
She broke into a grin. “Thanks. So what are you up to?”
“Just got home from the library. I have a date later on.”
“When do you not have a date?”
He laughed. “Hey, don’t hate.”
“Whatever...”
“Well, I know you’re still at the office, so I won’t keep you on the phone. I’ll give you a call one day next week. I may need your help with my thesis.”
“Okay. Just let me know.”
Zaire hung up, grabbed her purse and left for the day. She felt like celebrating.
* * *
Saturday morning, Zaire was up early, helping her mother prepare for the cookout.
“I need to find a place of my own,” she announced as she retrieved a covered pan laden with raw fish from the refrigerator and set it on the counter.
Barbara glanced up from her cooking. “You don’t have to be in such a rush to find an apartment, dear.”
Zaire sat down on one of the barstools at the breakfast bar and opened up the classified section of the newspaper. “I know, Mama, but I really want my own place. There are some really cute apartments not too far from the office. I really need to do this for me.”
Barbara nodded. “I understand. You’re ready to leave the family nest.”
“I am,” Zaire confirmed. “Kellen and I have lived together for three years and now I’m back home with you and Daddy. I’m ready to find a place that’s totally mine.”
“Do you mind if I help you look?”
“I would love it, Mama.”
Two hours later, Zaire opened the door for Ari and his family. All of the family except for Kellen would be joining them for a weekend of fun and food.
Eyeing her sister-in-law’s swollen belly, she asked, “Natasha, how are you feeling?”
“I get tired a lot, but I’m fine.”
Sage and Ryan arrived a few minutes later.
“I thought Blaze and Livi would be here by now,” Ari stated as he opened the subzero fridge. “They were leaving around the same time we left.” He grabbed a bottled water and opened it.
“They’ll be here shortly,” Barbara announced. “I asked Blaze to stop by the store to pick up some barbecue sauce and more eggs.”
Zaire moved about the kitchen, helping her mother apply the finishing touches to the meat. Ari carried it outside to the grill.
Livi entered the kitchen, carrying a shopping bag.
Barbara relieved her of the burden. “Thank you, dear.”
Zaire left the women in the kitchen to join her nephew on the basketball court. “What’s up, Joshua?”
“Nothing.”
