by Rebecca Lynn
After that, she wiped her hands on her pants to try to lessen the nerves she felt and went to her desk to go over questions she wanted to ask Carly. Thankfully, the task distracted her until she heard the knock on the door.
She looked up to see them through the window. Carly was beaming from ear to ear, and Drew...Drew stared holes through her, giving her a once over with his eyes.
She swallowed and put on a happy confident face, then walked to the door to let them in.
“Hey there,” she said smiling, stepping back so they could enter.
“Hey,” Drew said quietly. His eyes continued to peruse her face then drifted down the length of her body as if trying not to forget one detail. Tiffany was doing the same, memorizing the dark jeans, his tan boots, and pale lavender button down shirt with a plaid buttoned vest and blazer over it. He looked stylish and scrumptious. The two of them enjoyed their moment until Carly cleared her throat loudly. Tiffany looked over to her, embarrassed.
Carly smiled at her. “Don’t let me interrupt.” Her eyes twinkled and immediately she engulfed her into a bear hug. There was such a positive and lively energy surrounding her. “It’s so great to finally see the place.” Both she and Drew had the same look on their faces she hoped every person would have when they entered.
“Holy shit,” Drew said finally looking around, just as Carly whispered, “Wow.”
Tiffany gave them their moment which stretched into two full minutes until finally they both turned to her, big toothy grins on their faces.
“We’ve got to bring Deidre here. Could you imagine? She’d go nuts,” Drew said.
“It’s awesome, Tiffany. Lord, what a thing to design. This is amazing,” laughed Carly. “I want to live here.”
Tiffany bit her lip to stop from giggling, but she couldn’t help but smile broadly at their reaction. “It’s great, isn’t it?
“That’s an understatement,” Drew said, still looking around. He was still shaking his head and then finally looked back at her with such pride in his eyes. “They have no idea what they’re getting with you.”
Carly reached for Tiffany’s hand and squeezed it affectionately. “As I said last night, Drew already told me about the foundation. But looking around, it’s almost a shame that only girls will be able to experience it.”
“I know,” Tiffany agreed.
“I was just thinking the same thing,” Drew said.
“That thought entered my mind more than once,” Tiffany continued. “I’m tossing around ideas, hoping we can open it to both boys and girls later on. Or opening another place for just boys? I don’t know. I’m still thinking it all through. I know my brother would love to be a part of that.”
“I would too,” Drew said.
“Or we could welcome boys here eventually, and change the name from Renaissance Girls to Renaissance Kids? But there’s a part of me that would want to design differently for the boys,” she shrugged. “It’ll be a work in progress. Let’s see how this goes first, but I’d love to start laying the groundwork for it.”
“I can see what Drew meant when he first told me about you.” Carly gave Tiffany a look bristling with sisterly approval.
Tiffany raised an eyebrow in question. “Which was?”
“He said you were innovative with a heart of gold. And that you would make our mom proud. He speaks very highly of your capabilities,” she said pointedly.
Tiffany tamped down the joy she felt at her words and glanced over at the very man being talked about. “Well, he speaks highly of you, as well.”
“That’s because I pay him well.”
“You haven’t sent me that last installment actually,” Drew said dryly.
“You should’ve signed up for the direct deposit.” Carly winked at Tiffany. “So show us around. I’m so excited for you and I’m thrilled about brainstorming with you.”
“I’m so grateful for your time. Really. Dinner is on me tonight, I insist,” Tiffany said, already knowing that Drew would balk.
He did. “That’s not necessary,” he began.
“No, it’s not, but we’ll let her pay anyway,” Carly swatted at her brother. “She’s a liberated woman and she wants to thank me. Don’t take that away from her.” She patted his arm and smiled, then turned back to Tiffany. “Thank you for the offer. That’s sweet of you. So. Give us a tour! I need to touch that cave over there.”
For the next hour they walked the space and talked shop. Both Drew and Carly were extremely complimentary, oohing and ahhing over every little thing with the updates, finishes, and designs. By the time the tour was over, they ended up in the lounge area on the sofas and talked even longer about developing new ways to bring in more money.
“I’m toying with using a consulting firm for the development position. What do you think?” Tiffany asked Carly.
“That’s certainly one way to go. I also have two girlfriends who may be interested. Very qualified and both live in the City. They’re freelancers, but I’d be happy to give you their names if you want.”
“That would be great. Thanks for that,” Tiffany said excitedly. “I’m almost finished with putting together the board, so I was hoping whomever I used for development would take a position on it.”
“I know you want to hire someone, but in all honesty, you can probably handle a lot of the logistics. Just from talking to you, and knowing what Drew’s shared about you, you may be able to do a lot of this yourself to save some money.”
“I know. But I’m still learning how to write grants, and it would be great to have another set of eyes.” What had Drew shared with her? She’d certainly not been at her best these last few months, but apparently she’d made enough of an impression for him to compliment her to his sister. “I can probably swing a lot of it, but with the day to day running of things I just want to make sure I’m not forgetting anything crucial.”
Carly’s phone rang, interrupting them. She looked at it. “It’s Pop. Excuse me for just a sec.” She answered. “Hey, Pop. Everything okay?” She listened for a bit and her lip quirked up. “How bad are we talkin’ here? She is a drama queen.” More silence. “What’s that supposed to mean? I wasn’t that bad.”
“Yes, you were,” Drew said with brotherly sweetness.
It was obvious their father had just compared his granddaughter’s theatrics to Carly.
“How high is it? Hmm…well, okay. Let me talk to Drew. Maybe I’ll head home tonight, then.”
Drew and Tiffany looked at Carly.
“Is she sick?” Drew asked.
“She has a fever. Pop’s a little concerned. He gave her some medicine a bit ago, but it hasn’t gone down yet.”
Drew took the phone from her. “Hey, Pop, it’s me. What’s going on?” He walked away to ask questions.
“I’m sorry she’s sick.”
“She’s fine, I’m sure. Kids get fevers all of the time and hers isn’t even that high. But given the history of our mom and my little brother, my dad gets overly protective when one of us gets sick.” She cocked her head, saying, “Do you know about my mom and brother?”
She nodded. “I’m so sorry. About both of them. Your brother...I’m so sorry for your family’s loss. It must have been devastating.”
She looked at her with a warm, but strange look. “I’m glad he shared that with you. He never talks about it.” She looked over at Drew still on the phone. “I’m wondering if I should head back so Pop’s not dealing with it.” She bit her lip while she wrestled with the decision. “I know he’ll be worrying and I don’t want to put him through that, even if it’s just for the night. I was heading back tomorrow morning anyway, but–”
Drew walked back over. “I told him you’d call him back after we talked. I think she’ll be fine but if you want to head back, I understand. Especially given how Pop gets.”
“Kids,” Carly sighed dramatically. “I was really looking forward to gettin’ it on with Chris Martin tonight.” She sighed again and thought some more.
“If I go back,” Carly began and looked thoughtfully at Tiffany, “Tiffany can take my ticket. You’re not doing anything tonight, are you?”
The suggestion caught her off guard. There was nothing she’d like to do more than go to a Coldplay concert with Drew. But she hesitated and sent him a look.
He cleared his throat. “Are you? Doing anything tonight?”
“No, but –,” she let her voice trail off. She was about to ask about Katrina.
“Katrina’s still in LA with her mom,” he looked over at Carly as if wishing her from the room. Carly, however, stood there with an amused and inquisitive look, watching the scene unfold.
Her eyebrow went up. “Katrina? Who’s Katrina?” She appeared to relish the discomfiture of her brother.
“His girlfriend,” Tiffany explained.
“What?” Carly screeched. “Since when do you have a girlfriend?”
Drew rolled his eyes in brotherly annoyance. “You know Katrina. My friend from the hospital from ages ago.”
“That Katrina? When did this happen?”
“A few weeks ago,” Tiffany answered for him, also enjoying his discomfiture. She knew all about brother/sister dynamics and bit her lip to stop from smiling.
He pressed his lips together. “Apparently I’m not needed for this conversation.”
“Oh, yes you are. What are you dating Katrina for?” Carly asked seriously.
“What’s wrong with Katrina? She’s a sweetheart,” he said matter of fact.
Tiffany tamped down her annoyance.
“Of course she is. I just didn’t think you liked her that way.”
Drew looked between the two women, both of them waiting to see how he’d address the statement. Instead of saying anything, Drew looked at Tiffany with a glare.
“Don’t look at me,” Tiffany groused. “You never shared why you were changing your relationship status with me.”
“Uh, huh,” was all he said.
“Ooh, this looks like a story I need to hear. But I have to call Pop first. Don’t say anything until I’m off this phone.” She quickly dialed. “Hey, Pop. I’m coming home, ‘kay? No, no. It’s okay…I was able to find another date for Drew.” She wiggled her eyebrows at them as she spoke. “Some hot number he’d rather spend time with over me anyway,” she barked with a laugh. “So I’ll see you in about four hours. I’ve got to get my stuff from Drew’s place then I’ll be on my way…No, I’m not there right now. Remember that woman Drew told us about who’s starting the foundation for girls in Harlem? Yeah, I’m at her place in the City right now…she’s the one going to the concert. Yeah, I’m already way ahead of you on that…Yeah, I know Pop, I’m on it.” She wiggled her eyebrows again at Drew.
Drew rolled his eyes again, and shook his head. Meanwhile Tiffany tried not to laugh at his family’s matchmaking.
His sister only smiled brilliantly, said goodbye to her father, and then crossed her arms over her ample bosom. “Alright, let’s head back to your place and you can spill the beans about what I’ve apparently been missing in your life.” She turned to Tiffany. “I’m not saying goodbye to you because I know I’ll be seeing you again. But I am going to say I’m thrilled I finally got to meet you.” She gave Tiffany a huge hug and whispered, “You’re perfect for him.”
Tiffany was sure Drew heard it, so she tried to cover up the conversation with “I’m thrilled I got to meet you, too.”
“I’ll text you my girlfriends’ contact info. I’ll get your number from Drew.”
“Will do. And next time you’re in the City, I owe you a dinner,” Tiffany smiled.
“You got it,” Carly smiled back.
“I hope your daughter’s okay.”
“Trust me, she’ll be fine. But thanks for the sentiment.” She turned to Drew, then paused. “Actually, why doesn’t Tiffany just come with us? I’ll get my stuff, then you two can grab a bite to eat before the concert like we’d planned.”
“How have I ever remained single with you around?”
“I have no idea. It hasn’t been for lack of trying on my part, that’s for sure,” Carly said in a droll tone.
Drew continued shaking his head. “I’m capable of taking care of the details from this point on, thanks.”
“Just helpin’ a brother out,” Carly smiled.
Drew looked over at Tiffany who was enjoying the banter but nervous as hell, wondering how the evening would unfold.
“Do you want to go tonight?” he asked quietly.
“I’ll just go get us a cab,” Carly chirped and walked out the door leaving them alone.
Tiffany’s nerves ratcheted up now that the silence surrounded them. “I don’t want to put you in an awkward position tonight,” she said.
“I know Carly is like a bull in a china shop, so if you’re not interested, that’s okay. Plus, I wouldn’t want to cause any problems with you and the architect.” His look was dry.
Tiffany couldn’t help but hear the sarcasm. She crossed her arms. “What about Katrina? She won’t be upset that you’re going to a concert with another woman?”
“We’re going out as friends. I’ll explain the circumstances and she’ll understand.” He paused and smirked. “What about Todd?”
“I told you last night, it’s casual.”
“Good then. Do you want to go tonight?”
Carly knocked on the glass, letting them know that a cab had arrived.
“It’s not a difficult question, Tiff. Unless you’re afraid I’ll make a bigger impression than the architect.” His lazy grin made her want to either kick him or kiss him.
“Not at all, Doc. I’m fine with going. Do you want to?”
“I think it’ll be fun. And you can tell Todd not to worry. I plan on being a perfect gentleman with you tonight.”
Well, that’s too bad.
She gave him a look and said while she was grabbing her things, “I remember all too well you’re feelings about being a gentleman. I’m paying for dinner, by the way.”
“We’ll see,” he shrugged, as they headed out the door and Tiffany locked up.
The cab ride was filled with lively conversation as they headed to Drew’s place. The two of them were peppered with questions regarding Drew’s dating history, which he was close-lipped about, and how excited Carly was about Tiffany being able to enjoy a night out with Coldplay.
Once they arrived to Drew’s apartment, Carly quickly packed, gave them both bear hugs, then jumped into her car to head back home, leaving Tiffany and Drew alone in his living room.
Again, the silence settled around them, and their eyes finally met as Drew stood by the door. He leaned back casually along its frame, watching her intently. To alleviate some of the tension she was feeling, Tiffany walked around, looking at his place. It was nice, with clean lines and masculine furniture and a very open floor plan. His taste was casual but expensive, with leather pieces and beautiful but massive wood furniture.
She finally turned to him and took a deep breath. “So. I’m just going to be honest. I’m feeling weird being here because of Katrina,” she said, her hands fluttering slightly. “I don’t think she’d be happy to know you had another woman at your place.”
She now recognized that look in his eyes with its innocent yet sarcastic glint, and a smirk sat on his lips. Pushing off the wall, he began walking slowly to her. “Would you prefer not to go tonight? You seem uncomfortable.”
“I guess I –,” she began, trying to think of what to say, then her mouth just took off. “We’re going as friends, I know. Obviously we’re going as friends. But I don’t ever want to be seen as the other woman. I know you said you’d tell Katrina we were going out tonight, and maybe she won’t even care because I’m sure she feels secure with your relationship because you are dating her and you’re obviously happy with her, and I’m the one who’s overthinking this. It’s certainly presumptuous of me to think you have feelings other than o
nes for her and I just want to make sure she’s okay with us going out because –”
“Tiff,” he said quietly, effectively stopping her words. He’d somehow made his way over to her during her tirade and was standing before her. “Sit down, okay?”
She let out an inelegant breath, then shook her head. “Ridiculous,” she muttered. She absolutely hated how nervous he made her.
He chuckled. “What is?”
That you make me so friggin’ nervous!
“Nothing,” she grumbled.
He watched her with an amused look, then got serious. “I appreciate the fact that you worry about how it will look to her. I promise you I’ll call her and explain the situation.”
“And she’ll be okay with it? I mean, does she know –?” She stopped.
“Does she know what?” There was that damn innocent look again. He wasn’t making this easy for her.
She glared at him. “Does she know that we, you know, kissed? That we went out?”
He nodded, still staring at her with that amused smile on his lips.
“Oh.” And she would be okay with them going out? She didn’t know if she liked that thought. Why wouldn’t she be upset? “Well,” she harrumphed. “Okay, then.” Then she added, just to see his reaction, “Maybe I should call Todd just to be sure it wouldn’t bother him.”
“If you think it’s necessary. Given how casual you said it was, and his lack of impression on you,” he said getting up, “it probably won’t matter, right? But don’t let me stop you. I’ll go give Kat a call and I’m going to change real quick. Be back in a couple of minutes.”
He disappeared down the hallway and Tiffany sat, grumbling to herself about his lack of reaction at her mention of Todd. He didn’t show one iota of jealousy. And why wouldn’t Katrina be upset? The woman knew they’d gone out and had kissed, and she wouldn’t be upset that they were going out? She was either really secure in herself, or really secure in her relationship with Drew. Either way, it pissed her off.