Bands of Gold

by Angela Benson

  “Mr. Duncan, I’m sorry you had to wait. Miss Marshall can see you now.”

  Jackson followed the woman back to Christina Marshall’s office. When he entered the office, he was surprised to see the woman he had watched crossing the street earlier. She sat at the desk with the phone to her ear.

  “Look, George,” she was saying, “something is wrong with the car. Cars don’t stop on the interstate for no reason at all.”

  The woman looked up and motioned Jackson to a chair in front of her desk. She went back to her conversation as he took a seat.

  Jackson used the opportunity to get a good look at Christina Marshall. For some reason, he had never imagined how she looked. Until now, he had thought of her in sexless terms as an executive much like himself. This Christina Marshall was a lot different from him—in all the right places. She was a knockout in a nontraditional way. She was tall, about five foot ten. She wasn’t overweight, but neither could she be called skinny. He liked her fullness, the roundness of her shape, especially her breasts. The breasts he had noticed as she’d crossed the street were no longer bouncing, but they looked as soft as pillows. He wondered how it would feel to rest his head on them. His gaze moved from her breasts to her strong, inviting neck and on to her face. Her face was hard to describe, but Jackson liked it. It was delicate, yet it had strength. The full lips were colored with coral lipstick that accentuated her honey-brown complexion. He imagined kissing away every speck of the color. As he was thinking of the words to describe her silken black hair, Jackson realized he was having a physical reaction to Miss Marshall that could prove embarrassing to them both.

  To stop staring at her and to stop the rush of blood to his groin, he got up and pretended interest in the art hanging on her office walls. It was no use. He could no more stop his mind from thinking about her than he could stop his body from responding. Giving her a glance and pointing toward the door, Jackson left her office for an emergency run to the bathroom.

  He couldn’t believe what was happening to him. He hadn’t had such an immediate physical reaction to a woman since he was fourteen years old. You are here to work with her on Optima while you wait for your promotion, he reminded himself. Starting something with Miss Marshall would be a mistake.

  Finished in the bathroom, Jackson made his way back to Christina’s office. If Mona is any indication, there are plenty of women here in Atlanta, he reminded himself, so stay away from the boss.

  ***

  “I can’t talk about this any longer, George,” Christina said. “Call me after you repair the car.”

  Christina placed the receiver on the hook. She was glad she had been on the phone when Jackson arrived. She couldn’t believe he was the man she had noticed briefly in the lobby. She’d been aware of him and his good looks and she knew that he’d been watching her. That knowledge boosted her self-confidence. Remembering her conversation with Liza about going after what she wanted, she had considered making eye contact with the man and giving him a smile. Yet, she had checked herself with the reminder that she was late for an appointment. Besides, she knew nothing about him. Anyway, she didn’t want to start considering every man she met a possible prospect. She wasn’t that desperate. Yet.

  She admitted she’d been shaken when the man had walked into her office. She had intentionally kept the conversation with George going longer than necessary. She needed the time to compose herself. For a moment she had wondered if her mind was playing tricks on her, but no, that was Jackson Duncan. Her secretary guarded her door with a warrior-like force. Jackson Duncan would be the only man to walk through it.

  None of her research prepared her for meeting Jackson Duncan in the flesh. He was a very attractive man, from the closely cropped wavy black hair to—

  His return to the room stopped her thoughts. As he strode purposefully toward her, she came around her desk and extended her hand.

  “Please forgive the delay. My car broke down this morning. That was my mechanic on the phone. Can we start over, Mr. Duncan?”

  He took her hand and squeezed it briefly before letting it go. “No need for that, Miss Marshall. And, the name is Jackson.”

  “Jackson it is, then. I’m Christina. Would you like to sit over there?” She pointed to a sitting area with two wing chairs and a small table.

  “That’s fine with me,” Jackson answered.

  After they were seated, she asked, “So, what do you think of Atlanta so far?”

  “I could get to love it here. It’s a beautiful city. Beautiful, and inviting.”

  Christina felt Jackson was talking about more than the city, but she didn’t dare inquire. Using her most professional tone, she asked him about the work he had done as managing engineer. He gave her details of his two most recent projects. Although she already knew about them from her research, she wanted his description of his contribution.

  He spoke with animation. Christina knew from the cadence of his voice and the twinkle in his eyes that he enjoyed his work very much. He wasn’t selfish in his praise either. He noted the contribution of others without downplaying his own.

  “Did they brief you on Optima and your role should you decide to accept the position?”

  He nodded. “I talked with Walter Thomas about it and Rosalind flew out to LA to convince me to take the job. I’d like to get your view, though. Walter and Rosalind tend to give only enough information to get you to do what they want you to do.”

  Christina found his observation amusing and accurate, but she didn’t comment on it. “Optima is aimed at manufacturing facilities. We plan to write the software for each customization to meet the specific needs of individual customers without massive rewriting. Because of your previous assignments, I’d want you to lead the planning effort. This project has been on the drawing board for two years now. It’s time it became a reality. Your job would be to get it off the drawing board, to get the specifications into the hands of Liza Randall. Liza will be on board in about six months, and she’ll be in charge of implementation.”

  “How would my role change during that phase?” Jackson asked.

  Christina was impressed with the question. Jackson Duncan looked ahead. “I envision more planning. By the time Liza comes on board, we should have our first customers identified. You would interface with those customers to assure that our implementation met all their needs. It might be more accurate to describe your job as planning and deployment and Liza’s as development and implementation.”

  He seemed to be deep in thought.

  “Do you have any other questions?” she asked.

  Jackson didn’t hesitate. “How do you describe your management style?”

  Christina smiled. “You mean, of course, am I going to give you the space to do your job, or will I micro-manage you?”

  She thought she saw respect flash in his eyes.

  “Yes, that’s what I meant,” Jackson answered.

  Christina described her management style and gave her expectations for how the two of them would work together. They agreed to meet weekly to assess project status.

  “When do I start?” Jackson asked.

  Christina stood. “Two weeks from Monday, if possible.”

  Jackson got up. “Sounds good to me.”

  “Now that the hard part is over, why don’t I show you around the place? I’d like you to meet and talk with a few members of the staff before you leave today.”

  ***

  Christina took Jackson to lunch at Montclair’s on Peachtree, the place of choice for midtown executives for lunch. While they ate, Jackson gave his first impressions of the project and the people.

  Christina smiled. “I’m glad we meet with your approval.”

  Jackson put his fork down and looked at Christina. “Don’t get me wrong. That wasn’t a negative comment. I’m genuinely pleased with all the people I’ve met. I didn’t mean that I didn’t expect to find good people. I’m only giving my impression of the staff.�
�

  “You’ll learn, Jackson, that I have very thick skin. You’ll have to try hard to insult me.”

  Jackson smiled then. “I’ll remember that.”

  Where did the man get such a wonderful smile? Christina wondered. His smile made her want to smile back. She hoped she wasn’t grinning at him like an idiot.

  ***

  After lunch Christina left Jackson with one of the senior engineers and went back to her office. The lunch had rattled her. There was something about the way Jackson looked at her. She had stopped herself from covering her breasts a couple of times. Yet it was nothing he did. It was how he made her feel.

  When he laughed, something tingled down her spine. When he accidentally bumped against her arm, she felt every hair stand on end. It was electric. And his smile. When he smiled, she felt at home. There were times during the lunch when she felt as if she had a huge grin on her face. She had to pinch herself under the table to get control of her emotions.

  “God, Christina. Listen to yourself think. You sound like some moonstruck teenager. Jackson Duncan is only a man—nothing more, nothing less.”

  If you say that enough, maybe you’ll believe it, she thought.

  Christina forced herself to stop thinking about Jackson as she read the latest Optima report. At the end of every paragraph, she saw his smile.

  ***

  Jackson was just as deeply affected by lunch with Christina. His only memory was of the sway of her hips as she’d walked away, leaving him to talk with the senior engineer.

  A man could get hooked on a woman like Christina, he thought. But it wouldn’t be him. He had seen first-hand what that could do to a man. His father had been hooked—too much—on his mother. Jackson wondered if his father had felt for his mother what he himself was now feeing for Christina. He never understood the hold his mother had over his father. He swore that no woman would ever control him the way she had controlled his father. Ironically, that was part of his appeal to women. They viewed his aloofness as a challenge. Each woman felt that she would be the one to change him. Jackson had proved them all wrong. That was why he didn’t understand his reaction to Christina.

  ***

  Jackson stopped Christina as she entered her office his second week on the job. “I need to talk to you for a few minutes.”

  “Sure, Jackson, come on in. Have a seat.” Christina settled into a chair. “What’s on your mind?”

  At that moment Christina’s breasts were on Jackson’s mind. He could see the tops of them as she leaned forward to speak to him. Did she realize how she looked in that red silk blouse? “I may have to go to Boston,” he said. “The Optima transition team is dragging its feet. I have people here who are ready to work, and I can’t get Boston to turn over all the plans.”

  Christina dropped her pencil on the desk. “I was afraid this would happen. Do what you have to do and keep me posted. If you don’t get some cooperation by the end of the week, let me know.”

  Jackson flashed a smile. “Thanks, boss. I’m going to give it one more day before I make the trip.”

  His smile was contagious. “It’s good having you on board, Jackson. Have you found a place to live yet?”

  “Thanks and no. I’m living in a furnished apartment now.”

  “Feel free to take some time off to get settled if you need it,” Christina offered.

  “I’ll remember that,” Jackson replied and left the office.

  ***

  Jackson Duncan had arrived at CL-Atlanta and every woman on the staff knew it. Christina noticed that the women always had something to say to Jackson. And Jackson always had time to listen. There was always a smile or a laugh involved and Christina noticed a touch or two. There was a visible electric charge between Jackson and any woman with whom he spoke. Christina began to wonder if the man had enough work to do. She certainly didn’t have time to flirt with every man in the office. How, then, did Jackson find time to flirt with every woman?

  With shock, Christina realized she was jealous. Jackson wasn’t flirting with every woman in the office. He was flirting with every woman except her. In the short time he was on staff, he didn’t even engage in light banter with her. For him, everything between them was strictly business.

  ***

  Jackson stopped by Christina’s office Friday morning. “It wasn’t necessary for me to make the trip to Boston. The transition team released the plans Wednesday. Our guys are working with them now. We should have some results in the next two weeks.”

  “That’s good news. Do you have an estimate for the staff you’re going to need?”

  “I’ve worked up some numbers for you, but they won’t be ready until late this afternoon. Can we postpone our regular status meeting until then?”

  Christina checked her calendar. “Four-thirty okay?”

  “Four-thirty it is.”

  Christina didn’t get out of her meeting until six. Jackson was waiting in her office when she got there.

  “I’m sorry I’m so late, Jackson,” she said with a smile. Her heart took a leap to see him looking so incredibly handsome in a blue Armani suit. “I didn’t expect you to wait, but I’m glad you did.”

  “I wanted to go over these numbers with you while they were fresh in my mind.” His real reason for waiting was that he wanted to get one final look at her to last him the weekend.

  “Give me a second to recover from that meeting. We were there for five hours. It was a killer.” Christina closed her eyes and leaned back in her chair. She began to turn her head from left to right as if to remove tension.

  She looked so sexy sitting there with her eyes closed and her lips slightly parted. Jackson had often resisted unbidden thoughts of her like this. But for some reason he couldn’t stop them today. Something about Christina Marshall made her image fill his every thought. With that in mind, Jackson moved behind her chair and began to lightly massage her neck and shoulders.

  It startled Christina at first, and she knew she should stop him, but she said nothing since it felt so good and she needed it so badly.

  Jackson stopped and Christina opened her eyes. He had moved and now stood in front of her. His face reflected naked hunger.

  Something inside Christina responded to that hunger and she wanted to reach out and touch him. As she moved to do just that, her phone rang. She looked at Jackson and she looked at the phone. She answered the phone.

  When she finished her call, Jackson showed her the numbers. He had projections through the next year. Since he fully supported each request, she gave him the go-ahead for the additional staff.

  As Jackson gathered his papers, he casually asked, “It’s late. How about getting a bite to eat?”

  Christina didn’t answer immediately. The question took her by surprise. She knew that Jackson and other members of the staff ate dinner together when they worked late. She had gone with them once or twice, but Jackson made her uncomfortable, so she had stopped going. “Tonight’s not a good night. Maybe another night.” That was a good answer, she thought.

  Jackson wasn’t fooled. She wanted to pretend that nothing had happened between them, and he wasn’t going to allow it. Not tonight. “We can’t deny what almost happened, Christina.”

  She lowered her eyelids to hide her surprise. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

  Jackson faced her. “You do know what I’m talking about. I’m talking about what almost happened before your phone rang a while ago.”

  Christina turned away. “Mr. Duncan—”

  Jackson spoke to her back. “Don’t Mr. Duncan me. It’s too late for that. I’m attracted to you, Christina, and you’re attracted to me. If your phone had not rung, you would have kissed me.”

  Christina didn’t deny it, but she didn’t admit it either. She turned around to face him. “You seem pretty confident of that.”

  “God, Christina, the tension between us is so strong that you can practically see it.”


  “I’m not saying you’re right, Jackson. But even if you are, there can never be anything between us.”

  “Why? Because we work together? I had the same reservations, but—”

  Christina interrupted him. “We don’t just work together, Jackson, I’m your boss. You report to me. A less trusting person might suspect the motivation behind your interest.”

  Jackson rubbed his hand across his head. “Christina, I’m very attracted to you. I’m attracted to your smile, your eyes, the way you move, the way you handle business. And I think you feel the same way about me. I’m not using you to further my career. Do you think I need to do that at this stage in my career?”

  No, she didn’t really think that, but she couldn’t think of anything else to say. “Don’t act so surprised. It wouldn’t be the first time it’s happened.”

  “You mean something like that happened to you before?” he asked.

  He was getting it all wrong. “Not to me, Jackson. I’m talking about in general.”

  “Generalities don’t interest me. I’m only interested in you and me.”

  “It’s not that simple. I’m your boss. That’s a complication.”

  “It doesn’t have to be. Your position doesn’t threaten me and I don’t need to use you to get ahead. We both know that I’m already established here.” He grinned. “And, as for you being the boss, there are benefits to a woman taking charge.”

  She rolled her eyes. “Be serious, Jackson.”

  “I don’t want to be serious. I don’t want you to be serious. I only want to see if what we feel is real.” He took her hand and pulled her to him. Looking into her eyes, he asked, “Aren’t you even the tiniest bit curious about it yourself? Don’t you want to know?”

  God help her, she did want to know. Jackson captivated her. He was so handsome, and he showed such sincerity. Being close to him felt good. She relaxed in his arms, then spoke so softly he had to lean closer to hear. “You know what they say about curiosity, don’t you?”

  “Tell me, Christina,” he whispered. He was so close she could feel his breath on her face.