by Terra Little
“Excuse me, Laurent?”
He looked up at the sound of Raji’s voice. “Yes?”
Raji stood against the rail from the mezzanine level looking down at Laurent with a smile on his face. “We’re ready to resume.”
Laurent bit his lip and tried not to read anything into that smile. He slipped his phone into his pocket and headed back to the conference room.
Chapter 18
Friday night Tracee wanted to let her hair down and get Laurent off her mind. She hadn’t answered any of his calls, nor listened to his voice mail. His father had helped her realize how hard she’d fallen for him in such a short time. She’d even admitted it to Kyla and Corra, something she wished she hadn’t done. Now the three of them sat in the pizzeria, eating, drinking and doing whatever she could to get Laurent off the brain.
“Would you like to dance?” A voice came from behind Tracee.
She turned around, and a young man all in black with a mustard-colored jacket and an array of heavy chains around his neck smiled at her. A college student. She smiled back. “Sure.”
Before getting up, she turned to Kyla and Corra, who’d been nursing the same drink for the last hour. “It’s time to have some fun, ladies.” When she turned around, the college guy took her hand and led her to the pizzeria’s small dance floor.
As it turned out, he was a pretty good dancer, and the DJ’s selection of hip-hop music was good as well. But neither one could keep Tracee from thinking back to her birthday night when she’d danced with Laurent. He invaded her every thought while she fought hard to concentrate on her dancing partner. It was time to turn it up.
* * *
Laurent rang Tracee’s doorbell a couple of times before giving up and getting back into his car to head for the bed-and-breakfast. Since she wouldn’t answer his calls, he’d have to track her down. He hit his second strike when Tayler informed him that Tracee had gone with Corra and Kyla to their favorite Friday night spot—the pizzeria.
Minutes later, he walked into the pizzeria and found Corra and Kyla sitting at a pub table with a half-eaten pizza propped in the middle.
“Did you save me some?” he asked as he approached the table.
Surprise! Corra looked up at Laurent with her mouth wide-open. Kyla, on the other hand, slowly turned up the corners of her mouth, as if she’d expected him to show up.
“If you like veggie pizza, help yourself,” Kyla said as she pointed to the leftover slices.
“Mind if I join you?” he asked.
“Please do.” Corra turned her stunned expression into a soft smile.
Laurent pulled out a chair and sat down.
“I’ll pass on the veggie pizza, but I will take a look at the menu.” He hadn’t eaten since breakfast, because he hadn’t really had an appetite. “Where’s Tracee?”
The women gave each other wide-eyed looks before Kyla turned her gaze to the dance floor.
Laurent followed her gaze, and that’s when he spotted Tracee. She was working up a sweat with what looked like a group of young college kids on the small dance floor of the pizzeria. He could tell she was enjoying herself. Her curls were loose, big and bouncing freely all over the place.
“Here you go.” Kyla handed him a menu. “Their calzone’s good.”
Laurent looked the menu over but couldn’t concentrate on anything he read. When he glanced up at the dance floor, the music had changed, and Tracee was still dancing.
“So, Laurent, Tracee said you may be leaving soon. Is that true?” Corra asked.
“Yes, in a few days. But I’ll be back soon, though.”
“Oh! Good news?” Kyla asked.
Laurent gave the ladies a little smile. “Yeah, that’s actually what I want to talk to Tracee about. If she’s not too upset with me.”
As if on cue, Tracee danced her way over to the table without making eye contact with Laurent. “Ladies, you have to get out there—the music is good and there are plenty of dance partners. Those guys belong to a fraternity at Centre College.”
Laurent looked at Tracee and wondered how long she was going to keep pretending she didn’t see him. After a few beats, he concluded she was going to be stubborn.
“Hello, Tracee,” he said, above the music.
She turned to him with cold eyes, clenching her jaw. He wanted to walk over and put his arms around her. He wanted to take away any pain that he or his father had caused.
“Hi. I thought you’d be on your way back to California by now,” she said before picking up her drink and playing with the straw.
He slowly shook his head. “No, not yet.”
“Uh-huh,” she muttered before turning away. “So, ladies, why so quiet? Let’s order another drink. Where’s the waiter?”
“None for me,” Corra said.
“Me neither,” Kyla added.
Laurent forgot about eating and focused on what he’d come here for. He set the menu down and stood up. “Tracee, can I talk to you a minute?”
She looked up with a polite smile on her face. “I think your father said enough for the both of you.” With her drink in hand, she turned her back to him, giving her attention to the dance floor.
He leaned into the table and said, “Excuse me, ladies,” to Corra and Kyla before walking around to get Tracee’s attention. She sipped her drink, and her gaze wandered everywhere but on him.
Laurent leaned into her, placing his hand on the table behind her and his mouth close to her ear. “I’m sorry. I didn’t know he was coming, but give me a minute to explain what happened.”
Tracee threw a hand up, palm out. “There’s nothing to explain. I totally understand and I won’t interfere with your business.”
He wrapped his hands around hers, getting her attention. “Can you follow me, please, so we can talk?”
“Tracee.”
The both of them turned at the sound of Kyla’s voice.
She held out Tracee’s jacket. “It’s kind of loud in here,” she said with a wink.
Laurent let go of Tracee’s hand in order for her to put her drink down and accept the jacket from her sister. He wanted to thank Kyla. When Tracee turned to him, he stifled a smile and gestured toward the door. He placed his hand at the small of her back as they exited the restaurant.
Once outside and a few steps away from the door, Tracee whirled around on Laurent. “I’m not supposed to be distracting you,” she said with her hands on her hips. “Your father and I have an understanding, or didn’t he tell you?”
Laurent rolled his shoulders and let out a heavy sigh. “That was an asshole move by my father, but he doesn’t speak for me.”
“He seems to think he does. Or maybe it’s the business’s best interest he had in mind.” She shoved her hands into her jacket pockets.
Laurent reached out to touch her, but she pulled away. “Okay, I’m so sorry my dad showed up and showed out like that. His presence here surprised the hell out of me, too. He wanted to meet with Mr. Patel, and as far as I knew, after the meeting on Wednesday he went back to Lexington, which is where he was staying. I had no idea he even knew who you were, let alone that he came out to the bed-and-breakfast. He’s gone now. He and my stepmother took a flight back to California this morning.”
Tracee zipped her jacket up all the way and turned up the collar. “Your father’s a grown man—no need to apologize for him. He spoke his mind. Did he tell you he came to see me?”
“No. I ran into Kyla yesterday at a gas station.”
“She shouldn’t go around telling my business.”
“Well, I’m glad she told me, since neither you nor my father were likely to say anything. Tracee, I know he didn’t mean it.”
“No, maybe he was right, and I was right. Maybe you did use me and it backfired on you. The same way your research backfired on you.” She crossed her arms and stared
him down.
Laurent wanted to pull her into his arms, but he didn’t want to get smacked, so he kept his hands in his pockets. He hoped the good news he was about to share with her would turn her attitude around.
“Tracee, it’s cold out here. Let’s get in the car and talk?”
She looked over her shoulder toward the parking lot, and then back at him. He could see the conflict going on in her head. She wanted to be with him, but she wanted to continue to be mad at the same time.
“Please. I have something I need to tell you.”
Surprisingly, she didn’t protest. They walked over to the Elantra, and he opened her door. She held on to the door and looked up at him. “This won’t take long, will it?”
He shook his head and grinned. She was stubborn. “Get in the car, Tracee.”
Again she complied without an argument. He closed the door and walked around to the driver’s side to climb in. She sat there with her arms crossed looking straight ahead. As much as Tracee tried to put on a brave front, Laurent knew she was hurt. He’d seen it in her eyes, and it was killing him. He started the engine.
“What are you doing?” she asked, unfolding her arms.
“Turning on the heat. You’re cold.” He reached over and stroked her arm while taking a deep, calming breath. “Tracee, I want you to pay close attention to everything I’m about to say. I never intentionally used you. I don’t care who says otherwise. From the moment you fell into my arms at the hotel, I was eager to meet you and find out who you were. Yes, I called you for a tour after my discussion with Mr. Patel, but I could have chosen another route to get information on the town. I chose to call you because I wanted an excuse to see you again.”
He reached over and placed his hand under her chin, turning her head to face him. “I kept calling because I wanted to be with you. You inspire me. You’re a talented, determined, beautiful woman with a bright future. And if you let me, I want to be a part of your growth. I want to lift you up and support you in any way that I can. Not that you actually need my help, because the fire you have inside you will take you wherever you want to go, I’m sure of that.”
She unzipped her jacket, and he reached over to turn the heat down. She looked like she wanted to say something, but he stopped her. He had a lot to say before he told her the outcome of his deal.
“Tracee, I want you to be that special woman in my life. Maybe I wasn’t looking for a woman on this trip, but I thank the Lord that I found you. You brighten my day, and I think we’re good together.”
Her posture had relaxed, and her hands rested in her lap. He had her full attention now. A need to touch her and make love to her again consumed him. The sexy way she bit her lip and glanced up at him was more than enough to make him want to take her back to his hotel room and make love to her, but he had news to deliver.
“You know, when my father offered me this deal I jumped at it. I admit I wasn’t excited about it being in Danville because I didn’t think there was anything here. But I was wrong. My future is here.”
Tracee let go of her lip and shook her head. “Laurent, don’t do this to me. I know you’re going back to California.”
The look on her face was squeezing his heart. “Hey, I don’t know how we’re going to work this out, but we will. Tracee, if our love is meant to be, and I think it is, I know we’ll find a way.”
“So, you’re not going back?”
“I am, but I’ll be back real soon. I closed the deal with Mr. Patel this morning. Martin Enterprises just purchased all four of the Rival Hotels.”
Tracee’s mouth fell open, transforming her sad face into a beautiful smile. “Wow! That’s wonderful, Laurent.”
She must have forgotten all about being mad at him, because she leaned over and gave him a big hug. He didn’t want to let her go, but he did.
“Despite my father’s interfering ways, Mr. Patel said yes to my deal. So you’re looking at the new owner of the Rival Hotels.”
She brought a hand to her mouth. “Oh my God, does that mean what I think it does?”
He nodded. “It means more than you think it does. I’ve planned for a café in the new hotel.”
She blinked several times and looked confused. “You’re doing what?”
“When I agreed to broker this deal, my father promised me sole ownership of a single hotel of my choosing. This is fulfillment of a lifelong dream for me. I get to have my jazz club, and you can have your café. I’m renovating and I’ve planned on space for your café. Or, how about a café by day and a music spot by night? That is, if you’re still interested in working with me?”
Laurent thought Tracee was going to pull him from the driver’s seat, she reached out and wrapped her arms around his neck so hard. He heard her crying before he felt the tears against the side of his face. “I guess that’s a yes!” he said.
She released him and sat back, wiping her eyes. “That’s a hell yes! The minute it seemed as if everything in my life was falling apart, I got down on my knees and prayed. I prayed you’d get the hotel and that everything would work out between us. Lord knows I wasn’t ready for you to walk out of my life.”
“Tracee, we’re just getting started.”
She cleared her throat. “What will your father say?”
Laurent laughed. “My father won’t be a problem, you’ll see.”
“I don’t know, Laurent. He did ask me to stay away from you.”
“And I’m asking you to stay with me. To become my partner in business, and in life, so we can fulfill our dreams together.”
“Laurent, this is more than I could have ever imagined. Are you sure you want to do this?”
“I wrote it into my proposal. I’m sure.”
Someone tapped on the window, startling the both of them. Laurent looked behind Tracee to see Kyla and Corra peering into the car.
“Is everything okay in there?” Corra asked.
Tracee released his neck. “Can I tell them?” she asked.
He nodded. “Sure.”
The car door flew open, and Tracee jumped out. “I’ve found my new partner!” she screamed.
Epilogue
Six months after Thomas Martin had asked Tracee to stay away from his son, he was now sitting at the dining room table of the Coleman House bed-and-breakfast with his wife and son enjoying Sunday brunch. Today’s brunch was reserved for family. Rollin had added a leaf to the dining room table in order to accommodate Tracee’s parents as well as her siblings. She looked around the table and couldn’t keep the smile off her face. They were like one big happy family—husbands, wives and children.
Laurent’s parents had flown into town for the grand opening of their son’s new hotel, Hotel Nicholas. With the opening of the hotel, Laurent had found another way to honor his mother, who’d given all of her boys the same middle name—Nicholas.
After the deal closed, he’d spent the last six months renovating the old Rival Hotel into a piece of artwork that the whole town was excited about. He’d had a soft opening two weeks ago in order to make sure everything was perfect for the grand opening. But first, Laurent had insisted his father spend some time getting to know Tracee and her family.
“Laurent, did I ever tell you my parents had a little garden out back when I was growing up?” Thomas Martin asked.
Laurent arched a brow and turned to wink at Tracee before answering. “No, that’s news to me.”
“Yeah, my old man liked to grow his own food as well. I guess you could say we had our own organic farm. He grew lettuce, tomatoes, onions, cucumbers, potatoes and some other vegetables. I’d almost forgotten about that.”
“Everybody had some type of garden back in the day,” Tracee’s father added.
Tracee felt Laurent squeeze her thigh under the table. She reached over and found his hand. They held on to one another, expressing how happy they were
at the moment. In a few hours, they would be celebrating the achievement of dreams come true.
The kitchen door swung open, and Rita, followed by Tayler, entered the room carrying with them platters of what smelled like heaven on earth.
“Um, something smells wonderful,” Laurent said.
“That would be my multigrain blueberry pancakes,” Rita said as she placed two platters in the middle of the table. “This here’s family style, so help yourself. We got more coming.” She returned to the kitchen for more food.
Rollin said the blessing, and then everybody dug in as Tayler and Rita returned with more plates. Tayler came around with pitchers of iced tea and water.
“Sir, would you like tea, water, or can I fix you a mimosa?” Tayler asked, standing next to Mr. Martin.
Tracee sat directly across the table from Laurent’s father, who when he glanced up at her looked embarrassed and a little ashamed. They’d spoken once since the last time he entered the bed-and-breakfast, and all he said then was, “Hello, it’s nice to see you again.” Laurent told her he’d had numerous conversations with his father about her over the last six months. His father had apologized to Laurent for his behavior and promised to make it up to Tracee. She was waiting on that apology.
“I’ll have some sweet tea, thank you,” Thomas Martin said to Tayler, before flashing a smile toward Tracee.
Plates were clinking and glasses were being thumped against the table. Then silence filled the room while everyone enjoyed their food too much to engage in conversation.
Minutes later, Thomas Martin broke the silence. “These are the best pancakes I’ve ever had. And I don’t know the last time I’ve had grits, but they’re wonderful as well. I need to fly a few of my chefs in for cooking lessons. We might need to add a little southern flair to the menu.”
The fact that Laurent’s father had eaten in some of the best restaurants in the world, yet he praised Rita’s cooking, pleased everyone on the Coleman staff. Tracee loved the beaming smiles on Rollin, Corra and Tayler’s faces.