“Excuse me. I have that information you requested.” Kara handed off a paper to Lucas.
“What information?” Gavin’s head pivoted between them.
Lucas cut him a hard look, to which Gavin shrugged as he rose and went to the side bar for coffee. The man knew when not to push his luck.
“I’ve also e-mailed the information to you.” Kara stepped back as Lucas stood and moved past her to his desk for his iPad.
Reviewing the data, a half grin formed. “This is good.” Not only did Kara pin down where Sienna worked during the day from her LinkedIn profile, she’d prepared a report that listed Sienna’s home address, her e-mail, cell phone number, and the college she’d attended along with a host of other useful information. There was one particular fact about Sienna that stood out. Lucas retrieved the paper from his desk that Kara had given him earlier, listing the names of the artists participating in the art expo. Sienna’s name wasn’t on it. “Perfect.” He smiled. “I’ll pick the artist. Have Isaac in front in ten.”
Kara whipped out her cell phone.
“Lucas, what’s going on?” Gavin asked. “One minute you’re chewing my head off, and now you stand there grinning like a school girl winning at hopscotch.” He looked at Kara and was met with silence as she left the room.
With his iPad in hand, Lucas grabbed his cell phone off his desk, strode over to Gavin, and planted a firm hand on his buddy’s right shoulder. “We’ll catch up later, my man.” Smiling, he slapped Gavin on the back and walked out.
Chapter Ten
“I believe she’s here.” Lucas rose from his chair.
Widening the door, Sienna stepped into the office and drew up short in obvious surprise. Linking her hands behind her back, she tilted her head slightly, giving him an inquisitive, pronounced stare before addressing her manager. “Mrsss. Blake.” She placed stress on the Mrs. “You asked to see me?”
A rush of blood flooded Patricia’s face as though she’d been caught with her skirt up. In a way, she had. Lucas gave a glance at the woman’s skirt, which she’d skillfully bunched up to expose an ample amount of upper thigh as she recrossed her legs.
“Sienna, Mr. Marx would like to speak with you. He’s welcome to use my office and to take as much time as he needs.”
Turning to Lucas, Sienna said, “Good morning,” and extended her hand.
Lucas looked away from the woman that had been sizing him up like a prized cut for the past ten minutes to address the lady of interest. “Good morning, Miss Keller.”
He displayed a smooth grin that had her eyeing him curiously. She then said to Patricia, “I have two tours on the schedule this morning, and my ten thirty has arrived early.”
“This won’t take long, Miss Keller.” Lucas turned to Patricia. “Mrs. Blake, thank you for the use of your office. It was a pleasure meeting you.”
“Please call me Patricia.” She smiled and stood up. With her eyes never wavering from his face, she said, “I’ll have someone cover for you, Sienna.”
Retrieving her business card off the desk, Patricia took a step forward, narrowed the space, and handed it to him. “By all means, Mr. Marx, please stop by anytime.” Her tone dropped in register, sweetly seductive. “I would be happy to give you a personal tour of the gallery.”
Lucas stuck the card into his inside coat pocket. Now feeling inclined to reciprocate, he reached into his suit coat, made certain it was his white business card instead of his black personal card, pulled it out, and handed it over. “I’ll keep that in mind.”
Another gleam of white teeth. “I’ll hold you to it.” She fanned her flushed cheeks with his stiff card stock, then shook his hand, adding pressure while holding on several heartbeats longer than what one would consider respectable before releasing it, and left the room.
When the door closed, Sienna took the seat Patricia vacated and Lucas sat back down.
“She’ll give you a personal tour all right. I thought she was gonna combust from the heat she was pumping out at you. The woman should be ashamed of herself. You do realize that ring she’s wearing means she’s married.” Giving him a sideways look, her lip turned up. “I’m betting that doesn’t faze you.”
“Do you always say what you think, Sienna?” Lucas kept his tone inflectionless, but his fixed gaze suggested that she tread lightly.
“It has served me well thus far,” she returned with poise, meeting his stare, looking completely unfazed.
Keeping in mind his purpose for seeing her, he sat back casually, releasing the buttons of his suit coat, his legs spread as though they were two friends about to chat it up. “Thank you for meeting with me.”
“Sure. So, Lucas, to what do I owe the pleasure? I won’t even ask how you found out where I work now that I have the four-one-one on you.”
“Is that so?”
She crossed her legs and released a bored breath. “It is. According to the Internet, you’re some sort of ridiculously rich investment mogul.”
He shrugged. “I see you’ve checked up on me. I’ll cut to it then. Are you familiar with the annual art contest that’s held at the National Art Gallery?”
“Yes. Why?”
“I’d like to sponsor you.”
She casually rocked her crossed leg and studied her neatly manicured nails as she replied, “First, I submitted my application again this year and was rejected, so that’s not possible. And second, the deadline for submissions was weeks ago. I’ve tried for the past three years to compete in the event, and each year I receive a rejection letter. Try again next year. The damn letter always ends the same.
“Anyway, I heard that part of the contest was rigged. Most of the sponsors have already seen their chosen artist’s work well before the event. They’re not supposed to, but they do it to set the stage to win.” Realizing what she’d said, she looked up from her nails.
“Hence.” Lucas grinned.
She sat up and eyed him warily. “You want to sponsor me? Why? You don’t even know me or my work. Bailey told me just this morning that you’re likely to buy one of my pieces, but I haven’t even gotten it from storage, which means you haven’t seen it.”
“Bailey said I would purchase your art?” Lucas found Bailey’s confidence in her perceived ounce of authority over him intriguing.
“Well, she said you’d have to approve it, but she feels that this particular piece would look great in your home and that you would agree once you’ve seen it. She hasn’t spoken to you about it?”
“No. I’m scheduled to meet with her tomorrow afternoon.”
“Then how do you know that I would be interested in the art competition?”
Dismissing the question, he pulled out his wallet from his inside coat pocket, grabbed a pen from the desk, and wrote out a check for four thousand dollars, then handed it over. Several ticking seconds went by with her staring at his outstretched hand.
“Earth to Sienna.”
Her gaze fluttered to his face. “What’s that for?”
“I’m paying you for the artwork.”
“But you haven’t seen it.”
“You said Bailey feels it would suit.”
“Just like that?” Cockiness gone, she didn’t mask her flabbergasted expression.
“Just like that,” he replied coolly, still holding the check out to her.
“Okay, but four grand simply because Bailey said so?”
To make his point, Lucas reached back into his wallet, withdrew several bills, and extended it out to her with the check. “Six thousand should cover it.” She rapidly shook her head back and forth and reared back. “Whoa, that’s ... that’s, Lucas, I can’t take that.”
“Think of it as a small investment.” He smiled.
She finally reached for the money, but paused and returned a shrewd grin of her own laced with caution. Studying him, she asked, “This is for my artwork ... nothing else, right? I don’t want you coming back saying I owe you favors or some shit later simply because you purchased my
painting and somehow managed to get me in and sponsored me in the art competition.”
“You can provide a receipt if you like.” He winked lightheartedly. It did nothing to erase her wary stare.
“I believe I will.” She took the money and the check.
“There is one small thing I do ask of you.”
“See, I knew it.” The funds were extended back to him.
Ignoring her outstretched hand, he leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees. “You are not to tell Bailey we had this discussion and that I have entered and intend to sponsor you in the art competition.”
“Now see—” She shook her head again, seemingly not on board with it. “She’ll know something’s up because she’s already aware that I wasn’t accepted again this year.”
Lucas returned a light shrug. “Say the rejection letter was a computer glitch. Someone called you to correct the mistake.”
Shaking her head more rapidly, she was beginning to look like a Bobblehead doll. “I don’t know.
“Here, take this back.” She moved to the edge of her chair and shoved the money and the check at him with determined force, but he merely maintained his smile.
“Sienna, if you tell her about this, she may play more into it than me simply using my influence to help you out. Like you said, the event is rigged to some degree.”
“Maybe. You really like my girl?” She studied him with a scrutinizing eye.
“I’d like to get to know her if she would let me. There’s one more thing I’d like you to do.”
“Seriously!” Sienna exhaled an exaggerated breath. “I don’t think that I can take one more.”
“I want you to encourage Bailey to go out with me.”
Her brows pinched. “I can’t force Bailey to go out with you.”
“I said encourage, not force.” With a grin, Lucas sat back, adding, “You could tell her that I seemed like a nice guy.” In a blink, his expression grew a bit stern. “There’s a lot I can do for you, Sienna, both domestically and on an international scale. This art event is nothing compared to the connections I could offer you.” He studied the play of emotions that crossed her attractive, smooth, cinnamon-brown features: They seemed to go from excitement over the possibilities, to concern over her devotion to her friend, and settled on wary of his intentions. “I only have to encourage her to go out on a date with you, not try to convince her to sleep with you ... that I won’t do,” she told him firmly.
“I can manage that on my own.” Her eyes rolled upward. “She’s dead set on not getting involved with me because she thinks I’m seeing her boss.”
“Well, are you?” Narrow arms crossed beneath her small breasts, and her gaze upon him held firm. “If you are, this shit ends here.” She flapped the bills at him. “And you can keep your money.”
“Like I’ve tried to explain to Bailey, Sandra and I were only together for a short time.”
He pulled out his card and handed it to her. “In case you need to reach me.”
“The card you gave Patricia was white.”
“Yes, the white card is my business line. You have my personal number.” A nod. There seemed to be a small look of reassurance now brimming her eyes.
“All right, I’ll try to encourage Bailey to go out with you.”
Lucas held back a grin. “Remember, not a word to her about any of this. I don’t want her to get the wrong impression that—”
“That you manipulated her best friend into helping you catch her by dangling the art competition.”
“I wouldn’t put it quite like that.” They shared knowing looks; both understood that it was indeed precisely that.
“What if she still says no?” Her eyes fixed on him as he rose from his seat and buttoned his suit coat.
As he opened the door and looked over his shoulder, those dark orbs zeroed in.
“You won’t disappoint me. Enjoy your day, Sienna.” He strolled out the room.
• • •
Bailey grabbed her things from her locker. She looked over her shoulder at Sienna seated on the bench, staring out in space. “You’re mighty quiet. Sie?” she called when there was no fired back wisecrack in response. With her backpack on her shoulder, she turned around, and waved her hand in front of her friend’s face. “Hey you?”
Sienna blinked and looked up. “What’s up?”
“What’s up with you? You’re quiet. It’s not like you.”
“Long day. Just tired and ready to go home.
“I hear you, same here.”
“Uh, a rep from the art expo called me today to say I was accepted to compete in the contest this year.”
“Oh my God, Sie, that’s wonderful!” Bailey dropped down next to her on the bench. “I thought you said your application was rejected.”
Sienna bent forward and retied her sneaker. “Yeah, they ... uh ... they said it was a computer glitch.”
“Sie, that’s fantastic! I’m so happy for you. Look at us. I get my first design project, and now you get a chance to show the world how great of an artist you are.” Bailey hugged her. “Let’s get out of here. I’m sure you have a lot to do. I have to work on my design for Lucas’s kitchen as well as put together some fabric swatch samples for his sofas. I’m meeting him at his home tomorrow afternoon. He’s a stickler. I want to be prepared.” She stood up.
“About Lucas.” Sienna cleared her throat. “I’ve been thinking. Would it be so bad to go out with him? What if he’s telling you the truth about him and Sandra? I mean, we all have a past, right?”
Two of their coworkers entered the break room. Sienna stood up. She and Bailey said good night to them and walked out. They made their way through the dining area and exited the café.
“I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t attracted to Lucas, but I can’t jeopardize my job by seeing him. Sandra is hell-bent on getting back with him. She knows a lot of people in the interior design industry.” Bailey unlocked the car, and they climbed in. She pumped the brakes a few times and started it up, saying as she drove off, “Sandra could make my life hell. I wouldn’t be able to find a job anywhere if she found out that I was with Lucas. She can be vindictive, Sie.”
“The man obviously doesn’t want her ass,” Sienna scoffed. “Why should you have to turn all of that big, strong, male hard body away?” She met Bailey’s smirk and raised brow with her own. They both laughed. “I’m just saying why not get yours, if you know what I mean. If you ask me, you’re due.”
Bailey tried not to laugh, but failed. “Stop it.” Her friend was right to some degree. When it came to the opposite sex, she was somewhat on the shy side. Prior to college, she’d only had one boyfriend.
Her parents were very strict with her to the point that they didn’t even want her to go away to college. She still had a strained relationship with her dad for not returning home after she graduated.
“I just think Lucas seems like a cool guy, is all. He’s definitely hot, that’s for sure.”
“I don’t know.” Bailey glanced over as she merged into the beltway traffic. “This morning you were in support of me keeping things professional with Lucas, even ready to deny yourself a sale of your art after what I told you about him and Sandra. By the way, I need to get that art piece from storage tomorrow. Why the change? With me seeing Lucas, I mean?” She glanced over at her again.
“I’ve been thinking, if Lucas is interested in you and you’re attracted to him, then why not? When was the last time you went out with a man? Or even got some for that matter?”
Bailey drove along quietly, not wishing to discuss her love life or the lack thereof. She also knew that Sienna wouldn’t let up until she answered.
Exiting the beltway, they traveled several blocks, turned into their apartment complex, and parked. The engine coughed out a sputter before shutting off.
“Well, when? And don’t say Kevin because I know you didn’t sleep with him.” They both shifted in their seats to face one another. “And please don’t say And
rew was your last because that would be really sad.”
A sigh, Bailey answered, “You already know about the fiasco with Andrew.” An even weightier sigh. “I wouldn’t even call what we did sex.” She shook her head over the memory. “My goodness, it was my first time. I was so nervous, and it was so quick and awkward afterward because I asked him if that was it. He got really pissed, which is likely one of the reasons why he got with Faith.”
Sienna sucked her teeth and waved a dismissing hand. “Pish, Andrew’s weak ass. A ten-second screw to take your virginity doesn’t count as sex. Quite frankly, Faith saved you the disappointment of having to screw that loser again. But I know it wasn’t Kevin either.”
“No, not Kevin. He was the last guy I would say that I dated. Before him, I dated Craig for a short time, remember? We know how that turned out also. He got what he wanted, cheated, and poof ... gone.”
A soft, warm hand enveloped hers, giving it a gentle squeeze. “That bastard wasn’t worth the four months you wasted on him. Glad you had his ass wait three of those before you slept with him. I recall you saying he wasn’t any better than Andrew.”
“True.” Bailey nodded. “There was Bruce Davidson last year, but that was only one date. We didn’t have sex,” she admitted. “He tried, but I wouldn’t sleep with him, which is why it didn’t go beyond the one date.”
“Damn, since Craig? Let’s see,” tucking her left leg up underneath her in the seat, Sienna brought up her fingers and started calculating, “that means the last time you had sex, or a version of it anyway, was what, two years and—”
“It’ll be three years next month,” Bailey murmured with palms rubbing back and forth along the sides of the steering wheel in obvious embarrassment.
Sienna’s eyes widened. “Double damn, girl, that long? I know I’m in a six months’ dry spell right now, but nearly three years? How are you even able to function? I’d be climbing up the walls.”
Bailey delivered her a playful punch on the shoulder, and they both laughed at her pathetic love life.
“You said you left Lucas’s home sometime after ten o’clock the other night. How on earth did you not jump his bones? That man oozes sex appeal.”
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