Small Sensations

by Crystal V. Rhodes

  CHAPTER 10

  “These dogs are killing me!” CeCe fell back in her chair and slid her feet out of the heels she had been wearing.

  Davia took a sip of her soda, letting it wash down the remainder of her sandwich. She looked at CeCe unsympathetically. “It serves you right for wearing heels to the shopping center. You’re the only person I know who gets dressed in heels to go shopping. You’re going to be short, no matter what you wear.”

  “I ain’t thinking about you, girl. I do not go out of the house looking bad, even to go shopping. That’s a no-no.” CeCe bit into her own sandwich with relish, chewing as she spoke. “I am starved to death. Spending your money is hard work.”

  Davia rolled her eyes at her friend. Justin had called and asked her for a third date this Saturday and she had accepted. Unfortunately, CeCe had been in Davia’s office when the call came. Overhearing the conversation, she had insisted that Davia shop for something new to wear on her date. CeCe had picked her up this morning and whisked them to so many of her shopping haunts, Davia had lost count.

  Shopping was an activity in which Davia rarely indulged. CeCe, on the other hand, thought of it as her patriotic duty. This was the day that Davia was to go out with Justin, and she and CeCe had spent half of it in shopping malls. Although she had grumbled at first, Davia had to admit that she was having fun. She liked taking time to do simple things. For too long, she had been busy working, following her dream, acquiring the material things that she thought would make her life perfect. It had taken quite a while for her to realize that absolute perfection was a futile pursuit. The lesson had cost her dearly. But she was changing and she was beginning to appreciate the results.

  “Hello.”

  The deep timbre of his voice startled her out of her pensiveness. She had come to recognize Justin’s voice as readily as she had come to recognize those gorgeous gray-green eyes that now stared down at her. Unable to conceal her surprise, or her pleasure, she smiled up at him.

  “Hello.”

  Her heartbeat accelerated and silently she berated herself for her reaction. Her mind was still trying to resist her attraction to Justin, but her heart knew it was useless. He stirred something inside of her buried long ago. It was frightening because she didn’t know what to do with the feeling.

  Glancing across the table to see CeCe’s reaction to Justin’s sudden appearance, she discovered her usually animated friend sitting frozen in place. Her sandwich was suspended in midair. Her eyes weren’t riveted on Justin but on the man standing next to him. Davia glanced at him briefly. He was almost as tall as Justin and just as well built. He was a rich chocolate brown, with penetrating black eyes, a broad nose and well-defined lips. His head was shaved and a diamond stud pierced his left earlobe. He was a handsome man, and CeCe was making it obvious that she thought so, too. Acknowledging his presence with a nod, Davia returned her attention to Justin.

  Justin’s grin could have lit up Mt. Everest as he stood basking in Davia’s smile. Clark’s eyes moved from Justin to the dark-skinned beauty smiling up at him, then back to his friend. Slowly it dawned on him what was up with Justin, what was really up.

  He had wondered about his friend’s sudden urge to shop this afternoon after their one-on-one basketball game. Unlike himself, Justin was not a shopaholic. Although just as fastidious about his dress as Clark, Justin used the same tailor that his father had used. Rarely did he buy off the rack. So when Justin had claimed that he was turning to Clark for his assistance, Clark knew something was afoot. Now here she was in the flesh, and she wasn’t alone.

  “Won’t you gentlemen join us?” CeCe asked, giving Justin a dimple-cheeked smile while eyeing Clark speculatively.

  “Sure.” Justin’s answer was casual but he was barely containing the excitement he was feeling at seeing Davia. He took a seat in the empty chair next to her, while Clark sat down next to CeCe. Justin made the introductions. “Davia Maxwell, Charlotte Green, this is my friend, Clark Gaston. Clark, Davia and Charlotte.”

  “Call me CeCe.” Her eyes twinkled as she held out her hand to shake Clark’s. Neither Justin nor Davia noticed the sparkle in Clark’s eyes. They were each too entranced with the other.

  “We’ll have to stop meeting like this, Ms. Maxwell,” Justin teased.

  “Like what, Mr. Miles?” she retorted with an impish grin.

  “By accident, Ms. Maxwell. If I didn’t know better, I’d think that you were stalking me. I know I’ve been stalking you.” He winked and settled back in his chair as she blushed.

  “That’s some way to break the ice, man.” Clark chuckled, taking note of the smitten expression on Justin’s face. “Declaring yourself a stalker.” He turned to the petite CeCe and shook his head slowly. “I can’t take the man anywhere.”

  CeCe gave him another dimpled smile and Clark felt like a snowflake melting in the heat of summer. He’d thought Justin was in trouble! He’d been at the table two seconds and was going down for the count. Trying to appear calmer than he felt, he returned his attention to Justin. “Hey, man, if the ladies don’t mind us joining them, let’s go grab something to eat.” He looked at CeCe, praying that she didn’t show that dimple again until he regained his senses. “You ladies don’t mind if we share your table, do you?”

  His prayers weren’t answered. CeCe flashed that smile. “Of course not.”

  Clark made a fast retreat. An amused Justin caught up with him as they surveyed the choices of eateries. “Is something wrong, my man?” He couldn’t keep the teasing out of his voice.

  Clark ignored the implication. “I was going to ask you the same thing. Why haven’t I heard the name Davia before? It’s obvious there’s something going on between you two.”

  They stopped in front of a gourmet hamburger stand. “Yes, there is. We met a couple of weeks ago and we’ve been out twice. As a matter of fact, we’re going out again tonight.”

  Clark smiled. “I see, so that’s the sudden interest in upgrading the wardrobe.”

  Justin didn’t deny it. “Man, this woman has put the whammy on me, hard and fast. I can’t even explain it.” He glanced over at CeCe, then returned his attention to Clark. “I think you know what I mean.”

  Clark couldn’t deny it. “Yeah, maybe I do.”

  At the table an excited CeCe addressed Davia. “Girl, we’ve got to get those two hunks out of here quick before these sophisticated heifers stomp us into the ground making their plays.” She glanced around the eating area of the upscale mall at the women whose eyes were firmly fixed on Justin and Clark. “We’ve got to come up with a plan.”

  Davia was amused at CeCe’s demeanor. Her normally unflappable friend was flappable after all, and it was obvious that Clark Gaston was doing the flapping. She could relate. “I don’t know what your plans are, but mine are already made. I’m going out with Justin in about…” she checked her gold wristwatch, “…seven hours.”

  CeCe glared at her. “I know you’re gonna hook a sister up.”

  Davia laughed. “From the way that man was looking at you, I don’t think I have to do any hookup.”

  CeCe leaned across the table and whispered accusingly, “Why didn’t you tell me about Clark? He’s gorgeous!”

  Davia agreed. Clark Gaston was cute, but Justin—he defied all of her preconceived notions about men. His mere presence turned her on, and that was proving to be a problem. She didn’t know what to do about it, or how to react. In her thirty-four years of living, self-preservation was the sharpest instinct she had honed. It was the only thing she knew. She had protected herself with it all of her life, but with Justin, she felt the armor she wore was in serious danger of being penetrated.

  She answered CeCe’s inquiry. “He mentioned Clark as being his best friend, but I hadn’t met him, and I don’t know that much about him.”

  CeCe wiggled her eyebrows. “Then I’ll just have the pleasure of doing some hooking up by myself. Ssshhh. Here they come. Just sit back and watch the master at work.”

/>   “You don’t have to pour it on too thick. He’s obviously interested.”

  “Interest and pursuit are two different things, sweetheart.” CeCe giggled wickedly. “I mean to encourage pursuit.”

  Justin and Clark reached the table and were sitting down when Davia’s cell phone rang. She answered it. Leroy was on the other end.

  Her table companions watched her intently as her demeanor changed. It was clear that the news from the other end wasn’t good.

  She answered tightly, “I’ll be there shortly.” Terminating the call, she noticed the expectant looks on the faces of her companions. “I’m sorry, I’ve got to get down to my office. It’s an emergency.”

  “Nothing serious, I hope?” asked Justin.

  Davia gave him a grateful smile. “Nothing that can’t be handled.”

  “Who was that, your assistant?” CeCe sounded concerned.

  “It was Leroy.”

  Justin felt a lurch in the pit of his stomach. Why would Leroy Platten call Davia on a Saturday? Didn’t she get time to enjoy herself? How much did he rely on her? He heard himself saying. “If you didn’t drive, I’ll take you to your office.”

  She looked surprised at the offer. “That’s nice of you, but I rode with CeCe and she’ll…”

  “Make sure that Clark gets home,” CeCe completed her sentence. “I assume that he was riding with you?” Although her comment was directed at Justin, her eyes and her smile were on Clark.

  “Yeah, you’re right,” Clark quickly answered for Justin. “I’d appreciate the ride.” He turned to Justin, his eyes daring him to say a word. He didn’t.

  Wrapping his burger to go, Justin stood and held his hand out to Davia. “That’s settled. Shall we?”

  * * *

  Justin sat in Davia’s spacious office, pretending to leaf through a magazine while discreetly watching her as she took care of business. What he saw was impressive.

  A large shipment of clothes had been lost in a trucking accident. The Small Sensations truck driver had been seriously injured. The client to whom the clothes were being shipped had a large backlog of orders for Small Sensations apparel and was unsympathetic to the unforeseen accident that was holding up his order. A small fortune in merchandise had already been lost and an even larger fortune would be sacrificed if the matter wasn’t settled to the customer’s satisfaction. With astute efficiency, Davia settled the matter.

  As he watched her, Justin’s admiration and respect for the woman’s prowess grew by leaps and bounds. Was there nothing she couldn’t do? She was raising her granddaughter with love and complete devotion. She handled business with the skill and finesse of a person twice her age, and she had captured his heart with little effort, a feat he couldn’t have imagined for any female a few short weeks ago.

  Right now she sat at her desk talking on the telephone to the wife of the injured truck driver, assuring the woman that she shouldn’t worry about a thing. She reiterated that he would receive full pay during the time needed for his recovery. Her voice was soft, soothing, sympathetic, and, for Justin, arousing.

  How many company vice presidents would take the time to make such a personal call? Her kindness and consideration opened a place for her in his heart that he doubted could be easily removed. He liked everything about this woman and wanted her to know it. He wanted her to become part of his life and wasn’t going to wait any longer to tell her so.

  Tossing the magazine aside he focused his entire attention on her. She sat in the oversized swivel chair with her blue jean-clad legs crossed as she rubbed her brow, which was furrowed in worry. Her beautiful face was etched with weariness. He wanted to hold her, caress her, and take the weariness away. They’d been in the office over six hours and he had resisted every attempt she had made to get him to leave her. The time that their date was to officially begin was in less than an hour, but she was exhausted. It would have to wait until another day. The best recourse was to see that she ate something and then get her home where she could get some rest.

  Davia took the telephone headset off and disconnected the call. She felt as if she had done battle with a two-ton elephant. She was tired down to her bones. Placing the headset on her desk, she looked up to see Justin staring at her. She could feel the sexual tension emanating from him clear across the room. She wanted to dismiss his heated stare, but she didn’t. Instead, she returned his gaze with one that held just as much fire.

  Justin rose from his seat and stole across the room. Davia didn’t move as their eyes locked. As he drew closer, his eyes darkened with growing passion while hers widened with uncertainty.

  Rounding the desk, he turned her chair to face him and braced his palms on each arm of it. Their faces were mere inches apart.

  “I’ll never hurt you, Davia,” he whispered in answer to her unspoken doubts.

  His words brushed across her heart like a summer breeze. She closed her eyes to enjoy their essence and then opened them to dispel their myth. “Men always hurt me.”

  Her words were filled with such torment that Justin drew back against their assault. Just then the door to Davia’s office opened, and Leroy burst into the room.

  “Davia, thank goodness you got here. I was…”

  He stopped short as Davia and Justin jumped apart at the unexpected intrusion. The older man’s expression was one of confusion at the sight of Justin. Then it gradually turned to one of recognition.

  “Hey, I know you.” He snapped his fingers, trying to make a connection. “You’re…you’re…”

  “Justin Miles,” Davia said. “Justin, this is Leroy Platten.”

  Leroy pumped Justin’s hand eagerly. “Yes, yes, Katherine Miles’s son. A friend of mine pointed you out to me a couple of weeks ago at the Black Chamber of Commerce Awards Banquet. I wanted to come and introduce myself then, but didn’t get the opportunity. It’s very nice to meet you.”

  “It’s nice meeting you, too, Mr. Platten.”

  “Call me Leroy.”

  “And I’m Justin.”

  Leroy nodded agreeably. There was an awkward silence as he glanced at Davia, expecting an explanation for Justin’s presence. Receiving none, he returned his attention to the visitor. “Well, to what do we owe this honor?”

  “Uh, he…” Davia was tongue-tied. Justin came to the rescue.

  “I ran into Davia at a shopping mall earlier today with her friend, Ms. Green. The three of us were talking when you called her. Since Davia hadn’t driven, I offered to bring her here to the office so that Ms. Green wouldn’t have to interrupt her day.”

  The explanation was short and to the point and Davia was grateful. She didn’t know why she was at such a loss to explain his presence. She owed Leroy no explanations, but for some reason she felt like a kid being caught with her hand in the cookie jar.

  Leroy nodded. “Oh, I see. I didn’t know you two knew each other.”

  Another awkward silence filled the room. Leroy’s years of life experience told him not to pursue the course of this conversation. He retreated to safer ground.

  “That was certainly nice of you, Justin, to give her a ride.” He turned to Davia. “I cut the meeting in Savannah short to come back and see what I could do to help, but I should have known that you wouldn’t need me. I called the client from the limo coming here from the airport, and he couldn’t say enough good things about you.” He turned back to Justin. “I’m telling you, this woman is a miracle worker. She’s the best thing to happen to me since water and sunlight!”

  Going to Davia, Leroy pulled her up from her chair and hugged her. He then planted a kiss on her cheek. “You’re one great lady.”

  Justin stiffened as he noted Davia’s acceptance of Leroy’s affection. She didn’t recoil from his touch. Instead, she patted the man affectionately on his back. Leroy could hold her. He could even kiss her, but she won’t let me do either!

  Happily rubbing his hands together, Leroy turned from Davia just in time to see the jealousy that Justin was trying to c
onceal. Leroy fought the smile trying to force its way to the surface. So that’s how it was? Davia had finally found someone special, and from the look of it Justin was about two seconds away from kicking his tail. It was time to make a hasty retreat and let nature take its course.

  Leroy headed toward the door. However, he decided to provide a little reassurance before he left. He didn’t want those silly rumors about him and Davia to get in the way of progress.

  “I’ve got to get home to the little woman. I can’t wait to see her. Two days away from her is more than I can stand.”

  He offered Justin his hand. “Nice meeting you.”

  Justin shook his hand. “Same here.”

  Leroy squeezed the younger man’s hand and looked him in the eye. “Good luck.” His words were sincere, but the look transmitted to Justin made it clear that if he hurt Davia, he was going to need more than luck.

  Both approval and warning had been communicated in their polite exchange. Justin had nothing to worry about here. The older man cared about Davia and he wanted her to be happy with the right person. The two men exchanged knowing smiles.

  Justin returned the man’s steady gaze. “Thank you.”

  Leroy closed the door behind him, leaving a satisfied Justin and an upset Davia behind.

  “You two must think I’m stupid!” she fumed as she came from behind the desk. “I saw what was going on between the two of you. You were standing here in my office going through some little testosterone thing. I saw him giving his approval of your being here, as if I want or need his approval.”

  Justin chuckled. “So you peeked at that little exchange, did you? Like you, I neither need nor want his approval, but I can tell that you respect him. So, I’d rather have him on my side than vice versa.” Slowly, he began to advance toward her.

  She pointed a finger at him. “You hold on. Stop right there, mister!”

  With his hands clasped behind his back, Justin stopped right in front of her and gently kissed her fingertip. Startled, Davia snatched her hand away.