“I’ll be doing my job, Mr. Jamison. So, yes, I would.”
“Don’t you think that’s a little extreme?”
Lyric Evans narrowed her eyes. “What’s extreme is risking people’s lives in your club because of faulty wiring or there not being enough toilets in the ladies’ restroom in case—”
“There won’t be that many women patronizing this club,” he interrupted.
She lifted an eyebrow. “Are you saying that you’re opening an all-male club? Are you discriminating?”
Tanner felt a tension headache coming on. “What I’m saying is that this will be a private-membership, men-only club—however, men can invite women as their guests any time they want.”
“I just bet they can.”
Trying to keep his agitation under control, Tanner said, “And there is no way we can compromise?”
“None,” she said, tearing off a slip of paper and handing it to him. “Have a nice day, Mr. Jamison.” Then she turned and left.
“Have a good day, my ass,” he muttered, watching her leave. And speaking of ass, he couldn’t help noticing she definitely had a pretty nice one.
* * *
“REWIRING? MORE STALLS in the women restrooms? Are you kidding us?”
Tanner had known the news wouldn’t go over well with his two business partners. “I know. I know. I don’t like it, either, but that inspector, she’s a real hardnose.”
“Hell, Tanner, you’re known to charm the panties off any woman,” Wyatt Bannister said. “What happened?”
Tanner rubbed his hand down his face in frustration. “I tried, but like I said, she was a hardnose.”
“Let’s call in a second opinion,” Wyatt suggested.
“We can do that,” Blade said, “but we’re racing against time if we want to have the club open for New Year’s Eve. Already we’ve reached membership capacity, and we do want people kept safe.”
“Fine. I’ll let you guys know the additional cost after I get an estimate,” Tanner said.
After his call with Blade and Wyatt ended, Tanner moved around his condo, skirting boxes he had yet to unpack. There wasn’t too much since the place was furnished. But just knowing he hadn’t unpacked was pathetic. He’d had a date every night since arriving in New Orleans, and he smiled as he thought that, considering how each night ended, he truly couldn’t complain.
His mind immediately went to Lyric Evans. There was something about her that had got to him. Yes, she had pissed him off, but she’d also gotten to him in another way, as well.
Curiosity propelled him to the laptop he’d set up on his kitchen table. Once it was booted up and ready, he went to Facebook to see if Lyric Evans had a Facebook page. He found hers immediately, since the name Lyric wasn’t that common. There was a timeline photo of her and three other women. Lyric Evans was wearing a short dress with a pair of stilettos. Now he was seeing a pair of gorgeous legs that he hadn’t seen today. He felt his groin tighten just looking at her in that outfit.
He studied the photo and it appeared to have been taken on a cruise ship. Tanner noted it was a private Facebook page so he couldn’t see any other photos and her posts were hidden. Unfortunately, there wasn’t any information about her available. Just as well, since the woman was bringing out an irregularity in him. Here he was stalking her Facebook page, a first for him. He’d never been this taken with a woman before, so why was he so interested in her? He wasn’t a man who let a nice face and a luscious body go to his head, and he wouldn’t start doing so now.
Tanner was about to click off the page when something captured his attention. Her profile picture, with the name of a gym on her T-shirt. Evans’s Gym.
CHAPTER TEN
“AUDRIA. I UNDERSTAND you’ve been trying to reach me,” Roman said when she answered his call.
“I have. I would think you would be checking your messages more.”
Roman came close to saying he had been checking his messages, and he’d returned calls to those he’d wanted to talk to. Instead, he asked, “So what’s up? Mint said it sounded urgent.”
“I think you and I should talk.”
“Why? What do we need to talk about?”
“Dad told me about your meeting with the senate majority leader and what he suggested about your marital status.”
Roman frowned. “And this affects you how?”
“Because I’m the best person to be by your side. I’ve been groomed to be the wife of a politician.”
He’d heard that before from her. Several times.
When he didn’t say anything, he assumed she figured he was thinking about it, because she then said, “I have an idea—tell me where you are and I can join you to talk about it. We also need to make plans to attend that ball together.”
“There’s nothing to talk about. I told you months ago how I felt about things. You should not have alluded to us being a couple with marriage plans in that magazine article.”
“Surely you can understand why I said that, because we were a couple at the time.”
“Right. Well, we aren’t now. Nothing has changed for me, Audria. We won’t be seeing each other again as a couple, which means you won’t be attending that ball as my date.”
“You’re making a mistake, Roman. I can help advance your career.”
“I appreciate your offer, but I’ll advance my career on my own. Thanks, and goodbye.”
Being a gentleman, he waited until she had clicked off before ending the call.
* * *
AN ANGRY AUDRIA paced her bedroom a few times before snatching her cell phone off the bed and placing a call. A man picked up on the third ring. “Miller Investigators.”
“John, this is Audria. I just got a call from someone and I want you to trace where the call came from.”
* * *
SITTING AT WITHERSPOON CAFÉ Wednesday morning, Victoria’s heart skipped a beat when she glanced up to see Roman walk through the door. If it was his intention to keep his identity well disguised, then he was doing a good job. With his bearded chin, long hair, flip-flops, jeans and a T-shirt proclaiming Nothing Beats Fishing, he looked even scruffier than usual. Scruffier, but in her book, even more handsome.
She hadn’t seen or talked to him in two days. He smiled when he saw her and although they shouldn’t have been, her senses were on full alert and her body tingled with full awareness. The last few nights, she’d dreamed about him—Roman, not Tanner. If Tanner intended to win her heart, he needed to stop messing around and step up his game. Otherwise, when he did decide to seek her out, it would be harder to make her come around to his way of thinking.
“Good morning, Victoria. May I join you?”
Why did he have to sound so good? The deep and sexy sound of his voice oozed over her like sweet honey. And she loved honey. “Good morning, Roman, and yes, please join me.”
She tried not to stare when he slid his tall frame into the booth seat. When he caught her staring, she tried to look away but couldn’t when he said, “I was hoping to see you today.”
Her heart skipped another beat. “You were?”
“Yes.”
At that moment, Bryce Witherspoon-Chambray came to take Roman’s coffee order. Before walking off, she looked at Victoria, gave her a cheeky smile and winked. Victoria chuckled.
“What’s so funny?”
She glanced over at Roman. “Nothing.” Then she decided to be honest. “At least I think it’s nothing. That’s Bryce Witherspoon-Chambray. Her parents own the café. I might have mentioned Bryce to you at one time. She’s the one who found the place where I’m living now.”
“And?” he asked, as if he knew there was more.
“And Bryce and I became friends.”
There was no need to mention about the time, after Bryce’s kidnapping, that she’d agreed to do a one-on-one special tel
evision taping with Victoria regarding the ordeal, to help other women who might one day find themselves in a similar situation. That show had received high ratings. Victoria was certain that was one of the reasons she’d gotten promoted to the noonday show.
“Remember the three couples I introduced you to that night when we were leaving Lafitte Seafood? Sawyer and Vashti Grisham, Ray and Ashley Sullivan and Isaac and Donna Elloran?”
“Yes, I remember them.”
“Well, when Bryce and I became friends she introduced me to them. They are all close friends of hers. When Bryce married, about six months ago, I was invited to the wedding. It was a beautiful Valentine’s Day wedding. Since then she’s always smiling and thinks marriage is bliss and there should not be any single people on earth. Sometimes I find humor in it because her attitude is so different from my brothers and single male cousins.”
He nodded. “I see.”
She wondered if he did really see. Most bachelors didn’t. Deciding to change the subject, she asked, “So why did you hope to see me this morning?”
“Because I missed you the last couple of days.”
Victoria knew his words should not have an effect on her, but they did, anyway. “You miss having someone to fish with?”
He chuckled as he glanced up from his menu. “Yes. The silence was unnerving.”
She tilted her head. “Roman Malone, is that your way of saying I’m talkative?”
“No, it’s my way of saying you have a knack for keeping things lively. Besides, I think the fish like you, which is why they hang around the boat. I haven’t caught a single thing in the past two days.”
“Change locations.”
“I’ve tried that and still nothing. So you know what that means, right?”
Her eyes twinkled with a teasing glint. “No, what does that mean?”
“I need you for my fishing partner again this weekend. You game?”
“Yes, I’m game.”
“Good.”
At that moment Bryce returned with his coffee and to take his breakfast order. He ordered eggs, toast and Cajun shrimp and grits.
“Are you hungry this morning?” she asked him when Bryce walked off.
“Just a little,” he said, grinning. After taking a sip of his coffee, he said, “By the way, I caught your show several times and enjoyed it.”
“Thanks. I enjoy working with Debra Morris and Icelyn Crews on Talk It Up. I’m learning a lot from them. We have fun every day with our guests.”
“I can tell. And you look good every day.”
“Thanks.”
He took another sip of coffee, then asked, “Are we still on for the rest of this week? To view the fireworks from my boat?”
“Yes, I think that will be awesome.”
“I do, too, and I’m looking forward to spending more time with you.”
His words made her feel good inside. At least he was willing to spend time with her when Tanner wasn’t. It was then that she decided to ask him something. “Roman?”
He looked at her. “Yes?”
“Why is it so hard for men to accept their fate?” He didn’t say anything for a moment, and it was as if he was giving serious thought to her question. She appreciated that because his answer was important to her.
He finally said, “By accepting their fate, I assume you mean falling in love?”
“Yes.”
“You want straight facts and not BS?”
She nodded. “Just straight facts.”
“It has to do with our makeup. Most men, but not all, are realists. Whereas most women are idealists. Most men are practical, sensible, levelheaded, and we like to think we’re rational. We see everything in black or white. We like to think for ourselves and don’t want others thinking for us.”
He took another sip of coffee. “We never go looking for love. In fact, love isn’t on our radar. It’s our attitude that if it happens, it will happen. If it doesn’t, it won’t. We don’t worry about biological clocks ticking.” He grinned, then added, “As long as certain body parts are still functioning, we’re good. Whereas most women are romantics, dreamers and visionaries. They are optimistic, and falling in love comes natural for them.”
She nodded, pretty much agreeing with what he said. “Thanks.”
“You’re welcome. But just keep in mind that although it might take a man longer to fall in love, when a man does, he often falls harder than the woman. That’s why heartbreak could be devastating to a man. Most men don’t handle pain of any kind very well. And pain to their heart is something they rarely get over and seldom want to try love again. Whereas a woman will eventually get over it and move on.”
He didn’t say anything for a minute and then said, “Take my sister Summer, for instance.”
Victoria knew he had twin sisters, Summer and Spring, who were older than him by a few years. Both were successful physicians living in California and, as far as she knew, were still single. “What about Summer?”
“She met a guy last year and fell head over heels in love. They broke up. I’m not sure why, but when she came home for Christmas, we could tell how unhappy she was. That was less than a year ago. I talked to her last week and she’s met another guy who she really likes. Of course, she’s being cautious with her heart, but at least she’s willing to try love again, whereas most men would claim to be one and done.”
Victoria sipped her coffee. “I can understand Summer being cautious. I dated a guy in college. In fact, Karl McDowell was my best-kept secret, at least for a while. We dated seriously for a little over six months and no one—not even my brothers and older male cousins—knew I had a boyfriend. I preferred it that way since the males in my family can be overprotective. In a way I wish I had told them about him after what happened.”
At that moment, Bryce appeared with Roman’s breakfast and a refill on coffee and blueberry muffins for her. As soon as Bryce walked off, Roman asked, “And what happened?”
“I discovered he was nothing more than an opportunist. When he suggested going home with me for spring break to meet my family, I told him that wouldn’t be a good idea because I hadn’t told anyone about him, and he would be subjected to intense interrogation by my brothers and older male cousins. Instead of appreciating me for looking out for him, he got angry—angrier than I’d ever seen him before. In that anger, he told me the only reason he was dating me was because of my family’s name and the doors he felt the connection could open for him.”
“He actually told you that?”
She could hear the anger in Roman’s voice on her behalf and appreciated it. “Yes. He’d been drinking and practically confessed to everything.”
Roman reached over and touched her hand. “I’m sorry, Victoria.”
She liked the feel of his hand on hers. Though it felt comforting, at the same time, his touch sent quivers up her spine. “Thanks. His admission was hard, and I went home on spring break with a broken heart. So much for my best-kept secret when Nolan came upon me crying my heart out one night, and I told him everything. Needless to say, he threatened to show up on campus one day and break every bone in Karl’s body.”
“Did he?”
She grinned. “No, my other brothers and cousins were able to talk Nolan out of it. The important thing is that I eventually got over it—and him. And like Summer, for a long time I operated on the side of caution where men were concerned.”
“And now?” he asked, removing his hand to take another sip of coffee.
She felt a sense of loss when he pulled away. The rough texture of his hand had felt warm on hers, stirring something within her she only felt when around him. “I’m still cautious and less of an idealist,” she said.
“Is Karl McDowell the reason why you’re okay with your great-grandmother choosing a husband for you?”
Did she detect bitter
ness in his tone? He wasn’t looking at her, but was sprinkling salt and pepper on his eggs, so she figured she must have imagined it. “Yes, that’s why I’m okay with it. Like I told you, she has a pretty good track record, and if she thinks Tanner is my guy then I guess he’s my guy.”
“And what do you think, Victoria?”
Now he was looking at her with dark, intense and unblinking eyes. It was as if her answer was important to him. Why was she assuming that? And why were sensations curling inside her stomach? Why was an awareness of him filling every one of her pores? “To be honest, I think that although I know Mama Laverne has vetted Tanner well, I’m getting annoyed with him with every day that passes.”
“Why?”
She swallowed. There was no way she could tell Roman that she was beginning to have feelings for him because of the time they were spending together—feelings she should be having for Tanner and time that she and Tanner should be spending together. But Tanner was apparently too practical, sensible, levelheaded and rational. Her brother Nolan was the most levelheaded person she knew...until Mama Laverne had made it obvious he was next in her matchmaking shenanigans. Then he began panicking like the dickens.
Knowing she owed Roman an answer, she said, “I am getting annoyed because I don’t have the patience of Job, unfortunately. And while Tanner’s off somewhere, probably in some woman’s bed, while trying to come to terms with Mama Laverne’s future plans for us, I’m losing patience. At some point he has to stop avoiding me. Or else...”
“Or else what?”
“Or else when he does come around it might be too late.” She licked her lips and then nervously added, “Who knows? I might have fallen in love with someone else by then.”
“Is that possible?” Roman asked.
She felt her pulse kick with his question. “I don’t know. He’s supposed to be my true love, like I’m supposed to be his. But like I said, he’s probably out there sowing his wild oats until he comes to his senses.”
“Does the thought of that bother you? That instead of spending time with you, he’s spending time with other women?”
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