Irresistible You

by Celeste O. Norfleet

  “No,” Taylor interrupted. “The deal is for you to handle this personally. Trey can handle the final paperwork.”

  “Mom, Trey’s company is far more experienced and capable in investigating personnel for acquisitions than E-Corp. We just don’t have the time or the expertise.”

  “Find the time, and I’ll trust your expertise.”

  “Okay, I’ll put someone from legal and auditing on it first thing.”

  “I said personally, J.T. That means you.”

  “That’s impossible Mom. I told you before that I don’t have time to babysit a former ballerina.” J.T. shook his head adamantly. “It’s my first few weeks in the office on a permanent basis. We’re right in the middle of a product launch, we’re developing a new encryption system for the voice activated recognition software prototype and we’re in talks to acquire another company’s satellite lease. I need to stay on top of everything.”

  He paused and waited for her to shown signs of relenting, but she didn’t. The expression on her face was unmistakable. She wasn’t going to budge on this one.

  “I’ll have the company’s best…” he began, then stopped short seeing Taylor’s brow rise as she steeled her gaze on him. “Okay, fine,” he said, throwing his hands up in the air in surrender. “I’ll handle it, personally.”

  “Good.” Taylor smiled brightly as she stood. She reached into her purse and pulled out a ticket, a playbill and an invitation. “You can begin this evening, there’s a charity ball and private fundraiser. Juliet Bridges will be performing Carmen. That alone is worth the evening. Afterwards, there’ll be a fundraiser in the main hall of the arts center. Lena will more than likely be attending the performance and charity event.” Taylor came around behind his desk and placed the ticket, invitation and performance playbill in front of him. “Lena Palmer, you can meet her at the fundraiser.”

  He stood. “What if I already have plans for this evening?”

  Taylor turned, smiled and winked. “You’ll work it out.”

  “Do I really have to be there?”

  “Yes, E-Corp is sponsoring tonight’s performance and fundraiser. A representative from the company must attend and as newly named CEO. That means you.”

  “But,” he began as she raised her eyebrows and continued.

  “…It’s in your job description, read the fine print. It’s right under six figure salary, company car, stock options and use of the company jet.”

  J.T. laughed. “I must have missed that list of perks, I’m sure I would have remembered the jet.”

  “I’ll speak to you this evening,” she said.

  “By the way, I don’t have a job description.”

  “You do now.” She waved as she exited. “Don’t be late.”

  J.T. slowly sat back down shaking his head. He looked at the computer screen and for the first time saw nothing he cared to see as the computer’s code of zeros-and-ones seemed to blur in a jumble of confusion. He automatically saved it and logged off. Shaking his head, he stood and went into the bathroom. He turned on the faucet and let cool water run. He grabbed a towel and dampened his face. As he looked up he caught a glimpse of his reflection in the mirror.

  He squint his eyes and leveled his chin from side to side then stroked his clean shaven jaw. A shadowed rim drifted just below his eyes. He looked tired. He’d been working too hard again. Apparently twenty-hour workdays had begun to wear on him. But his impatience and stamina had always driven him and usually rewarded him lucratively.

  This time his focus had been on a new software system with a build-in firewall and an interior and exterior security system. The idea of a self sufficient, completely secure software was revolutionary. And in another two years he intended to have it on the market under the Evans Corporation name. E-Corp was already a multibillion dollar corporation that had turned research and development ideas into innovative software products that had garnered the company a significant share of the computer industry.

  J.T. tossed the damp towel on the sink and walked out. As he stood at his desk he looked down and picked up the ticket his mother had left. “A million dollars,” he said aloud, and shook his head slowly. Something definitely didn’t feel right about his mother’s sudden interest in real estate. J.T. had always relied heavily on his gut instinct and it told him now that there was something else going on.

  His mother had always had a passionate interest and been an ardent supporter of the arts, and for her sake he had relented and given generously, but enough was enough. As an accomplished painter, she had exhibited her work in the finest galleries here and abroad.

  Her work was still extremely popular. It sold at auction houses and galleries for generous sums. Although she seldom painted now, she was still very involved in the visual and performance arts. But this sudden investment was totally uncharacteristic of her. She’d never been interested in anything like it before, so why now?

  As the cultural liaison and representative for Evans Corporation, she was member of several boards. She had been the benefactor of the company’s generosity and community involvement and the E-Corp had a great reputation for charitable work because of her efforts. Without realizing it, she was by far the most successful spokesperson for the company.

  Mamma Lou was his mother’s partner in the new acquisition, which gave him pause. If she was involved, he had a feeling that matchmaking was still the primary focus, but to whom? And exactly who was his mother’s other partner, Lena Palmer? Maybe she was the one Mamma Lou wanted to match him up with. “Of course,” he smiled delighted that he’d figured out her plan so quickly. Gotcha!

  He looked down at the ticket and playbill. A stylized graphic of a woman posed seductively instantly got his attention. There was something familiar about the woman’s figure.

  The cover read: Peter Flemings presents Juliet Bridges as Carmen. Juliet Bridges, he’d remembered that his mother had mentioned the name earlier.

  He picked up the playbill and flipped through the pages. Biographies and photographs flew past his fingertips as he fanned the pages to the end. Then he stopped. His heart jumped as he quickly flipped through the pages of the playbill again more slowly this time. It couldn’t be.

  One by one he slowly turned the pages until a picture of the star performer’s smiling face appeared. His heart pounded again, beneath the photo read, Juliet Bridges, prima ballerina. He couldn’t believe his eyes. He read the notation again, then quickly read the short biography only half-believing what he’d just read. How was it possible? After all this time she was right here all along.

  Her biography was impressive and read like a celebrity profile of a ballet dance, even to his limited knowledge of the dance world. She’d danced with Alvin Alley, Dance Theatre of Harlem, The American Ballet Company, in Moscow, Paris, London, Sydney, all over Europe and Asia, and practically every state in the nation. She’d danced before kings and queens, dignitaries, diplomats and presidents.

  The last notation in her bio announced Juliet’s official retirement at the end of the current season and her final stage performance, which had been sold out since its announcement.

  J.T. noted the dates listed in the brochure. Ten months ago, when they’d met in New York, she had just returned from a six-month tour and performances in London, Paris and Milan. Apparently she was on her way to D.C. when the blackout occurred.

  J.T. shook his head in disbelief. Dozens of trips to New York, seeing dozens of Broadway and off-Broadway performances, searching for the one woman who had captured his heart and here she was right here in his own backyard.

  He sat down slowly still not believing his eyes. He reread the biography twice more. The photo was slightly grainy, but he was sure that it was the same Juliet. Never giving up his quest, he had been searching for her for months. He knew that she was out there, that she’d said she was a dancer, but she never mentioned ballet and he never would have guessed.

  But he should have seen it—her perfectly posture, her elegant poise, a
nd her graceful movements. It was all there and he missed it. He smiled and nodded as he reached over and pushed the intercom button on his desk. His secretary answered immediately. “Clear my schedule for the rest of the afternoon and evening. I’ll be out of the office until tomorrow.” He waited for her acknowledgement then placed his laptop case on his desk. He paused then pressed the intercom again. “One more thing, get my cousin Trey on the phone for me.”

  Chapter Two

  “Send him in,” Trey said as he stood and walked over to the door. He’d cleared his last few appointments when his cousin, J.T., asked to see him as soon as possible.

  It had been at least seven months since Trey had seen J.T. The executive had been on the road for E-Corp for nearly six years straight. In that time he had generated a sizable reputation as a force to be reckoned with and a master of negotiations. Never living in one place for long, he had called New York City his home up until a month ago when Jace had announced his semi-retirement and persuaded him to return to the D.C. area permanently.

  J.T. had decided that it was time to stop living out of a suitcase and settle into the new corporate offices in Northern Virginia. And three weeks ago, he did just that. He leased his apartment in Manhattan and moved into the Ritz Carlton hotel temporarily.

  “Come on in, have a seat,” Trey said after he greeted his older cousin and ushered him into his office. As close as brothers, Trey was delighted to hear that J.T. was returning to the area. Everything Trey had learned to make his business a success he learned from his cousin. And everything he had learned about women, he also learned from his cousin.

  “Welcome back home finally. It’s been what, like six years since you’ve settled down in one place for more than a few months. That’s a long time to be on the road.” He began handing J.T. his beverage of choice—coffee, black.

  “Thanks, it’s good to be back, but I’m sure I’m gonna miss being out on the road.” He absently picked up the latest edition of Barron’s sitting on Trey’s desk and flipped through the pages.

  “I hear you’re staying at the Ritz.”

  J.T. nodded. “For the time being until I find a place, although Tony offered me his place in Alexandra now that he’s living in Philadelphia. But hotels have always seemed more like home to me.”

  “Have you settled in yet?”

  “Pretty much.”

  “How’s Madi and the baby.”

  “I haven’t seen her in a while, not since Raymond and Hope’s wedding reception. But I hear she’s getting big and that she and Tony are still in the soon-to-be-parents stage.” He tossed the magazine down and sipped from his cup.

  Trey shook his head. “Raymond got married. I still can’t believe it.”

  “Tell me about it. Marriage and settling down is the last thing on my mind at this point in my life. I agree with Keni. I need my freedom.”

  Trey nodded his concurrence. “And how is Kennedy these days?”

  “She’s still hiding out in Africa. I spoke with her the other day. She said that she intends to be there indefinitely or at least until Mamma Lou finds a new target.”

  “It’s a good thing Mamma Lou isn’t our grandmother, we’d all be in serious trouble.”

  A moment of silence elapsed as both men thought about their lives, assured that they were happy as bachelors for life.

  “Dennis’s engagement blew me away,” Trey finally added. “How did that happen, I though Mamma Lou was just concentrating on Raymond?”

  “No one saw it coming, least of all Dennis.”

  “Sounds like Mamma Lou is really good,” Trey said. “I gotta give her her props. She’s made some good matches so far,” Trey confessed.

  J.T. arched his eyebrow. “Are you interested in being next?”

  “Me? No way man! I’m way too young for that. I’ve got my whole life ahead of me and I intend to keep it that way. I have no intention of being shackled down ‘til I’m eighty or ninety years old,” Trey said decidedly. “You on the other hand…” he chuckled leaving the statement open.

  “…Have no intention of finding myself walking down the aisle anytime soon. I just don’t have time for a wife and family yet,” J.T. said.

  Trey continued to chuckle. “Famous last words, I believe Dennis said the same thing. Now look at him. He’s meeting with wedding planners, picking out china patterns and choosing invitations.” Trey shook his head sadly at his friend. “I tell you man, this is totally unacceptable.”

  J.T. smiled his understanding. “That’s right, you two used to run the clubs together. Now you’re on your own.”

  Trey shrugged. “No biggie, just means that there are more lovely women out there for me.”

  “Until Mamma Lou turns her attention in your direction,” J.T. said as he pointed across the desk to Trey.

  “It’ll never happen. I’m way too smart for that. You forget who you’re talkin’ to. I am the man when it comes to side steppin’ that commitment thing. My record is clear, never even been challenged,” Trey said boastfully.

  “I suppose that’s due to another one of your famous theories no doubt.”

  “No doubt,” Trey added. He stood and cleared his throat. “You see you gotta know how to move on before the commitment thing even becomes an issue. Therefore your opponent loses the element of surprise. That’s what gets you caught, the “oops I slipped and fell in love” surprise thing. Once the surprise thing happens, you’re lost.”

  Deciding not answer, J.T. gave his cousin a you’re-out-of-your-mind look. And the look said it all. Both men laughed with the anxious uncertain knowledge that Mamma Lou wouldn’t be interfering in their love lives.

  “So what’s on your mind,” Trey asked as he slouched down behind his desk.

  “Actually believe it or not, it’s Mamma Lou. I’m not so sure she’s isn’t up to something. She’s coming to visit this weekend and staying the week with Mom while Dad and Colonel Wheeler go fishing and that can only mean one thing.”

  Trey looked at him sympathetically and nodded. “Matchmaking,” they replied in unison.

  “Exactly, I think she’s using Mom’s love of the arts to throw me off guard.”

  “So you are next.” Trey burst into laughter as he hit a few keys on the keyboard bringing up a betting grid. “I need to check the stats to see who had you going down in six months time.”

  “Not so fast. I’m not down that aisle just yet.”

  “So what do you intend to do?” Trey found it difficult to wipe the grin of his face.

  “Beat her to the punch. I think Mamma Lou might try to set me up with a woman named Lena.”

  “And you want me to run interference while you slip out of town?”

  “Good plan but not feasible. I have too many things on my plate right now to leave town. Plus I need to get her off my back once and for all.”

  “How?”

  “I don’t know yet. It’s a shame I can’t make a preemptive strike like Sun Tzu’s The Art of War.”

  “Now you’re talking,” Trey agreed. “The Art of War should be the playbook for all relationships. It’s a war out there man. And our side’s loosing.”

  “Not another theory.” J.T. shook his head.

  “I’ll tell you about that one later,” Trey promised. “What do you mean preemptive strike?”

  “I mean go on the defense before she makes her first move.”

  “Why don’t you?” Trey said.

  J.T. smiled broadly and nodded. The idea had merit. The tactic would put her totally off guard and just might put her off her matchmaking game for good, or at least for the time being. “It can’t be that difficult.” He paused.

  “Do unto others…” Trey added.

  “…Before they do unto you.” J.T. nodded his head as an idea began to formulate. His mind whirled with possibilities. Then it came to him. It was absolutely perfect. All he needed to do was throw her off guard by already having a woman in his life.

  “A good charade ought to do it, but jus
t long enough to get her off my back. A few days should work. Surely Mamma Lou wouldn’t interfere with true love. She’s too much of a romantic at heart to do that.”

  “A charade,” Trey questioned.

  “A rope-a-dope,” J.T. replied.

  “You intend to do a Muhammad Ali and punch her out.”

  J.T. looked at Trey, who was chuckling. “Of course not, the rope-a-dope involves letting your opponent think that they have the upper hand. Then, when your opponent is worn down, you turn the whole thing around so basically I’ll be showing one hand while the other hand does all the work.”

  “You completely lost me,” Trey said as he leaned into his desk.

  “What you see isn’t always what you get.”

  “Alright,” Trey threw his hands up, “enough of the cryptic rope–a-dope stuff. What do you have in mind?”

  “Advertisers and magicians do it all the time, think of this as the old bait and switch. All I need is a pitchman to help set it up and a pawn to play the part of someone willing to be in love with me for a few days.”

  “That’s perfect. I can do the pitchman no problem. But who you gonna get to be the pawn?”

  “Good question?”

  “It has to be a pretty convincing act. Everything is going to have to hinge on the person playing the role.”

  “Exactly, I’d need someone already in town to make it look more convincing. She doesn’t necessarily have to be my type. But nothing too drastic or it’ll raise suspicions. She needs to be beautiful, independent, sophisticated, intelligent and sexy.”

  “Yes,” Trey agreed readily. “She also has to be an excellent actress able to pull this off.”

  “Agreed, but not a working actress and certainly not someone I’ve already dated for a while. The last thing I need with this is more complications.”

  “True,” Trey agreed.

  J.T. pondered a few moments then smiled and chuckled. “I’ll have to give this some more thought. The right person is crucial if this is gonna work.”

  The room went still for a moment as J.T. calculated the possibility of his pawn. In his mind, he went over all the women he knew, but came up negative. Trey mentioned a few women he knew that might fit the bill, but they finally decided that they needed someone new, someone without previous ties to either of them.