Lara crossed her arms. She didn’t need this third degree from Cara. Not now when things were still so new. “Weren’t you the one who was telling me to be adventurous? Now you’re backtracking? Make up your mind, Car.”
“I just want to make sure you know your mind. I was all for you jumping in the sack merely to take the edge off. But doing the family thing, hanging out over there, getting to know them—hiring his sister, for Pete’s sake… That’s going beyond scratching an itch.”
Which ironically hadn’t gotten scratched last night.
Lara took a deep breath. She’d missed him.
“Next thing you know, you’re going to be packing up a picnic lunch and taking it out to his job site.”
Now there was an idea… “Considering he’s in Jeff’s neighborhood, I don’t think so.”
“Oh yeah. I forgot about that. Wouldn’t it be a hoot if he ran into McMonster? Can you see Jeff dealing with all that raw masculinity in his little Stepford world?”
“Wow. You really don’t like Jeff. Why didn’t you ever tell me?”
Cara made a half-hearted attempt to straighten the mess of papers. “You were so happy with him I figured there had to be something to him that I didn’t see. Who was I to rain on your parade? Plus, would you have listened to me?”
Lara shook her head. She wouldn’t have. She’d been head-over-heels.
“Exactly. So I decided to suck it up and be here for you if it went bad. Which I thought it would. He wasn’t the right guy for you.”
She’d found that out the hard way.
“I hate that I’m right.”
Lara shrugged and grabbed a couple more sheets of paper off the floor. This was all water under the bridge. “I’d rather not rehash the disaster that was my marriage, if you don’t mind. Why don’t you think about hiring Missy just to get that mess straightened out? It’ll save your sanity, my ears, and a couple of trees who won’t have to end up as pulp.”
Cara took the papers, giving them the Evil Eye. Lara snatched her hand back; she’d heard too many stories about that Evil Eye—she didn’t want to get burned if the papers suddenly erupted in flames.
“Fine. Text me her phone number and I’ll give her a call.”
Lara went back to the kitchen and grabbed her cell.
Miss you. - G
She hadn’t heard the message come through at—she checked the time—six. That’s because she’d been sound asleep dreaming about him.
It’d been quite the dream. She might not have physically brought him home last night, but she had in her dreams. And, oh, had he brought her home… Over and over again. She’d woken to twisted sheets, a sheen of perspiration on her body, and a throbbing between her legs that she’d had to take care of before getting out of bed.
It was nothing like having Gage there with her, but it was the best she was going to get until their schedules could get in sync.
There were probably had better odds of a meteor hitting the earth.
Miss you, too. Have a great day. –Me
Okay, so it wasn’t the most romantic text, but at least he’d know she was thinking of him.
She couldn’t stop thinking about him. Gage was turning out to be more than she could have ever hoped or imagined for herself after the debacle with Jeff.
Forget the physical; the emotional connection he had to his family was enough for her. The love between his sister and him, the caring and concern for his nephew, the special way he made her feel… Add in the fact that he turned her blood to liquid fire and could turn her on with just a look—hell, even that silly nickname made her feel special—Gage was almost too good to be true.
Chapter 24
Not everyone thought Gage was wonderful.
Lara was sitting at the monthly Chamber of Commerce meeting, listening to Gage address the assembly about a venue for his guys, and all he kept getting was pushback from the other members.
Lewd, disgusting, sexist, pornographic… She couldn’t believe the words being tossed around. And the attitudes… She was seriously tempted to stand up and ask everyone exactly which decade—no, which century—they were in because it certainly wasn’t the twenty-first.
“We would monitor the door the same as any other club. Twenty-one is the legal drinking age, and since we’d serve alcohol, patrons would have to be twenty-one to enter. Legal adults. We’re not into corrupting minors.” Gage maintained his cool behind the podium, but because she knew him, she could see the effort it was costing him.
She wished she’d arrived early tonight, but she’d had to put the last-minute touches on the Henderson cake before Jesse left to deliver it—which was why she’d been able to make the meeting in the first place. Cara usually did it, but tonight was the only time Missy could get someone to sit with Connor, so Cara was off training her.
If Lara had known Gage was going to be here, she would have gotten up an hour earlier this morning and finished Mrs. Henderson’s cake in time.
He looked good up there in his golf shirt and khaki pants. Like a businessman, which was what he was. Not the sleaze they were trying to portray him to be.
“You’ll incite riots,” said one of the Council members. John Somebody. Who looked utterly jealous that Gage could incite a riot.
“We give people a good time and it’s closely monitored by security. It’s no different than any other club with live performers, whether they’re dancers or a band.”
“Bands don’t typically remove their clothes.”
“Oh no? You’ve never seen a drummer or guitarist whip off his shirt and throw it into the crowd? I have. We, at least, try to keep hold of our clothing. Costumes cost money.”
“What about private rooms?” asked an older woman. “I’ve heard clubs like yours are just fronts for prostitution.”
The muscle in Gage’s jaw tightened. Lara saw him swallow and his eyes narrowed. “I do not run a prostitution ring. Besides being illegal, it’s morally reprehensible to me.”
“Yet stripping isn’t?”
Gage exhaled. Nice and long and loud. “The guys are exotic dancers. What they do or don’t take off is up to them, but I can guarantee you that there is never any full frontal nudity. That violates decency laws and I’m a law-abiding citizen.” He gripped the edge of the podium until his knuckles turned white. “My partner and I run a clean show, full of good entertainment with an eye to public safety. In that regard alone, we should be granted a business license for the Craft Street venue.”
Craft Street was two blocks over from her bakery, and a little tingle fluttered in her belly at having him that close since their interaction these past few days had been only texts and phone calls.
The Inquisition went on for another fifteen minutes, with Gage maintaining his professional bearing the entire time.
Funny, but she remembered the one time she’d attended their neighborhood Homeowners’ Association meeting with Jeff. He’d wanted to widen their driveway, but the ordinance had said they couldn’t without HOA approval. It was sad how quickly Jeff’s self-entitled arrogance had turned them all against him, and not only hadn’t they been granted the variance, they’d been fined for installing the granite block edging along the driveway, which was also something they should have gotten HOA approval for prior to its installation.
She’d left mortified; Jeff had been indignant with self-righteous anger.
Needless to say, she’d been more than happy to sell the house and move out after the divorce. Now, at least, her neighbors had no issues with her.
The interrogation was over at last, and Lara grabbed her purse, fully expecting to follow Gage out and talk to him, but he surprised her. He took his seat in the front row and stayed for the rest of the meeting. Not that there were any more big issues, just a few measures to pass about how reports were distributed, but Gage made sure his presence was known.
She didn’t know how anyone—any woman—could fail to know he was in the room.
And not one woman did, appare
ntly, as all of them flocked to him once the meeting was adjourned. Including the old biddy who’d brought up the private rooms.
She’d probably wanted to get him in one.
Lara tamped down the jealousy. It wasn’t Gage’s fault that women were fantasizing about him. Well, not now. On stage? Whole other story. But even then, it was a job. Just a job.
He did the necessary schmoozing, and if she hadn’t seen the wink he’d given her when he’d caught sight of her as she’d approached, she would’ve thought he was sincerely interested in every woman he talked to. He had a way of making each one feel as if she were the only woman in the room, a feeling Lara was all too acquainted with—
What if he didn’t mean it any more with her than he did with those other women?
Her steps and her smile faltered.
Oh God, she was being ridiculous. Of course that wasn’t true. He did care about her. She was being paranoid.
Damn Jeff. She used to have self-confidence when it came to guys. When it came to anything.
She’d found that self-confidence when it came to the bakery; why couldn’t she find it when it came to Gage?
He shook the last woman’s hand and came over to her with a quick peck on her cheek.
“Boy, are you a sight for sore eyes.” He took his time drinking her in. “I’ve missed you.” His voice was low, sending shivers all over her skin. “I’m glad you’re here.”
“I didn’t know you were going to be.”
“I didn’t either until I got a notice in the mail today telling me my application for Craft Street had been denied. I had to come plead my case.”
“I think it was very effective.”
“I don’t know about that. Opinions are hard to change and people do think we’re all about the sex trade. It’s pretty disheartening.”
“Why didn’t you mention why you’re doing this? For Connor, I mean.”
He ran a hand over his mouth. “I thought about it. I did. But this isn’t just for Connor. I mean, Con’s why I’m doing it, but all the guys have their own reasons. This is a viable business. Profitable. The taxes we’d pay should have given us the approval, but the prejudice against it is spiting their budgetary nose, the short-sighted idiots.”
“So now what are you going to do?”
“I don’t know. If they don’t approve Craft Street, they’re not going to approve any other location. That place has been standing empty for over a year. I would’ve thought they’d be thrilled to have an eyesore taken care of. It looks like we’re out of luck.”
Lara was about to offer a comforting shoulder when she caught sight of the man across the room. “Um, maybe not.”
Jeff’s boss. For all that Jeff had idolized the man, Mr. Davis had been disgusted at their divorce and had clearly let her know that he would be more than happy to help her out if she ever needed it. Not in any inappropriate way; the man had been married to his childhood sweetheart for over fifty years. He believed in marriage and fidelity and had been ready to fire Jeff on the spot until he’d decided to make him partner so Lara could get more alimony. He’d even directed her to the lawyer she’d hired to represent her. Jeff had cursed under his breath at every meeting they’d had.
Mr. Davis had chuckled about it every time he saw her. “Payback,” he’d said. And even with the partnership, Jeff was still the low man on the partner totem pole and Mr. Davis planned to make sure he stayed there.
Oh, yes, Weatherington Davis was a power to be reckoned, and she planned to do just that.
“Excuse me, will you, Gage?”
“Lara, what are—”
She slipped out of his hold. “Trust me. I might be able to help.”
She made a beeline for Mr. Davis. His face lit up when he saw her.
“Lara. How good to see you.” He reached for her hands and gave her a peck on the cheek. He smelled of lavender soap—his wife’s—and cigars—his—with a touch of wood smoke, something completely out of place in the hot summer weather, but that was Mr. Davis.
“Hi, Mr. Davis.”
“Now, now, I thought we’d gotten past that. I’ve told you time and again to call me Weathers. All my friends do.”
Jeff didn’t. For that reason alone, Lara went for it. “Thank you, Weathers. How have you been? How’s Mary? The kids? I heard you have a new grandchild.”
“Ah, yes, little Candace. Spitting image of her mother. My oldest, Susan. I don’t think you’ve met Susan.”
She’d only been to his house twice for the firm’s Christmas party and both times only his youngest son had been there. “No, I haven’t, but if that baby looks anything like Mary, she’s sure to be a beauty.”
Flattering Mr. Davis’s, er, Weathers’s, wife was a sure fire way to his heart. It’d always warmed Lara’s heart to see how much he’d adored his wife.
She wanted someone to adore her like that.
She glanced back at Gage. She’d felt his eyes on her the entire walk over here and the whole time she’d been talking. It was a nice feeling to know he was watching her.
And, yes, so maybe she’d put a little extra sashay into her step.
“I’ll tell Mary you said that. She always did enjoy your company.” Weathers glanced at the two men standing on either side of him. “Well, boys, let’s discuss this tomorrow, shall we? I have a feeling Miss Cavallo has something she needs to speak to me about.”
The men nodded and walked off.
“Now, my dear, what’s on your mind?”
“Why would you think I have something on my mind? I can’t see an old friend and come say hello?”
“Lara, I might be old, but I’m not senile. I’m also nowhere near as good-looking as your man over there, so I’m thinking there’s something you need to speak to me about that concerns him or you would have brought him with you. And since I did hear his impassioned speech from the podium, I have a fair idea what it is you want to talk to me about.”
She smiled and shook her head. “There’s a reason your firm is so successful.”
“No thanks to your ex-husband. I don’t know how you stayed married to him for as long as you did. I only have to put up with him on an eight hour basis—and not even that—and I want to divorce him.”
“I’m hoping you soon can.”
“Oh?”
“It’s my bakery. Mine and my cousin’s. I’m hoping to make it profitable enough that I won’t have to take Jeff’s alimony anymore. Then you can let him go.”
“And lose my gopher? Are you kidding me? And why on earth would you want to stop taking money from the man? You’re entitled to it, and God knows he needs to be held accountable for what he did.”
“I appreciate that, Weathers. I really do. But I don’t like being beholden to him. I hate having to take his money. I want my own.”
“So you can rub it in his face.”
She cracked a smile. “Something like that.”
“Ah, girl, I knew you had spunk in you. Sure, you were downtrodden by what he’d done, but I knew you had it in you to rise from the ashes.” He steered her out of earshot of the people who’d been gravitating toward them as they’d talked.
“Now, what can I do for you? You want me to put pressure on the Chamber to give him his business license?”
“I do. It’s a good business. Fair, profitable, on the up and up. Gage and his partner have worked really hard to build it and it would help them a lot to have their own space. Put down some roots and grow the company. They’ll give back, both in the form of taxes and creating jobs, plus the place is abandoned right now. They’re going to fix it up. That’s good for urban development, right?”
Weathers regarded her for a few moments, his ice blue stare that had won him many difficult cases, assessing.
Then he smiled. “It does my heart good to see you like this.”
“This?”
“In love.”
Lara’s eyes bugged open. She wasn’t in love with Gage. A severe case of like, yes. High in the throe
s of passion, sure. But love? They’d barely been together enough to fall in love.
And she wasn’t doing love. Not now. It was too soon since Jeff, and entirely inconvenient.
“I’m not in—”
“Don’t try to tell me you’re not. I’ve been in that same state for over fifty-five years, ever since Mary and I were thirteen. I know what being in love looks like.”
Lara put her hands on her cheeks, certain they were blazing red right now. “Mr. Davis—”
“Weathers.”
“Weathers. Really, it’s not what you think.”
“Ah. I’ve embarrassed you. I’m told I’ve gotten worse with age.” He adjusted his collar. “Okay, let’s put this talk of love aside. You’d like me to lend my support for your man’s business. I agree with you that what he’s proposing is a good business decision and the asinine comments made by the board only strengthened my resolve to do so before you even showed up. But I’ll take your gratitude any time.”
He smiled when he said it and Lara didn’t know what she’d done to deserve to have him on her side, but she was very glad she’d done it.
“Thank you so much, Mr., er, Weathers. I really appreciate it and I know Gage will, too.”
“Gage is not appreciating that you’re still here talking to me, so I think we ought to say our goodbyes. Tell him to check his mail. I’m certain that, by next week, he’ll find the license he needs.”
She gave Weathers a kiss on the cheek, laughing heartily when he gave her a coy little look, and hurried back to Gage.
“Who was that?”
She explained who Weathers was.
“I don’t need anything from your ex-husband’s boss. I can do this on my own, Lara.”
“Really? Because it didn’t look to me that you were doing such a good job, Gage, since they turned you down. And what does it matter how you get the license as long as you get it?”
“Because your ex-husband is involved.”
“Only peripherally.” She went on to explain Weathers’s positioning. “So you see, the only reason Jeff still has his job is because Weathers wants to make sure I have alimony. Well, that and so that they can all boss Jeff around. We both get what we want.”
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