“Why?”
“We’ve got something to celebrate.”
Linking my arm with Gigi’s, I led her across the room, where a huge gong hung on the wall. I mean, the thing was massive. The gong was the first thing I bought to decorate the office and I loved it.
Gigi picked up the mallet and swung it hard, striking the gong in the center and causing deep musical notes to fill the open space. Our 12 employees, all women except for Elliott, stopped what they were doing and looked at us.
“That’s right guys! We’ve got another one!” I called out. “Cheryl Rogers and Joey Bapp got engaged this weekend.”
Everyone erupted into cheers and applause. We made a big deal about the engagements of our clients. It was proof that the business worked, and it kept morale up.
After the reverberating tones died away, I hurried to the center of the room, where I had personally painted a big hopscotch board onto the floor. Kicking off my shoes, I began to play. My arms were outstretched to maintain my balance as I hopped along on one foot. Soon, Gigi joined me.
Chapter Four: Meeting
“You should ask Judy to help you,” Hayden suggested, and I raised my eyebrows in surprise.
“Why?” I asked. I slid my suit jacket on as I moved to exit my office. Hayden trailed behind me.
“She’s Gigi’s best friend and the maid of honor. You could use her help with this.”
“It’s an engagement party,” I said as we waited at the elevator. “I’m sure I can handle it.”
“Yeah, because you’re known for your excellent party planning skills,” Hayden rolled his eyes.
“What’s that mean?” I asked, wondering why he was pushing this so much.
“Nothing,” he raised his hands in a defensive gesture. “I just think you could use a woman’s touch is all. Who else could you ask? Gigi’s busy planning the actual wedding. Sabine is nesting right now, and you don’t want to stand between a pregnant woman and a house she thinks needs deep-cleaning. What other women are you friends with?”
The elevator doors opened, and I stepped in, leaving my brother behind. He did have a point. Damian had told me that only close friends and family would be invited to the wedding. This engagement party would be the public celebration of their union. I had volunteered to throw the party for them as the best man, but I had never planned something like this before. As the face of the company, Damian usually took it upon himself to plan events for SXz. I kept my own get togethers confined to super bowl parties and the occasional backyard BBQ. Maybe I had bitten off more than I could chew.
As the elevator doors opened, I made my way across the lobby and toward the parking garage. I slid into my Aston Martin Rapide and started the engine. It positively purred and I let out a grin. This car was my baby.
Activating the sound system, two tweeters rose from the dashboard. I cranked up the volume on my music and pulled out of the garage, heading toward So Good, which was only a fifteen-minute drive in light traffic.
I pulled up to the renovated warehouse. There were five expensive cars in the parking lot that indicated the other investors were already there. Straightening my tie, I got out of the vehicle and strode into the building.
I looked around. The place reminded me so much of Judy with the bold decorations that hung on the walls and from the ceiling. I was sure they were all hand-picked by her.
“Mr. Stallworth, good to see you,” Elliott, Gigi and Judy’s executive assistant, greeted me as I walked in. His desk was nearest the door.
“You too, man. How have you been?”
“Livin’ the dream,” he shrugged. “I was about to make a coffee run. Do you want anything?”
“I’m good. Everyone in the boardroom?”
“Yep.” Elliott replied as he headed to the door.
Inside the boardroom, Judy, Gigi, and 5 other men were waiting for me. I took a seat on the far side of the table. I noticed that Judy was sandwiched between two men that were sitting closer than I thought was necessary. Telling myself that it didn’t matter, I put my cell phone on silent and focused on the meeting. I was a professional, after all.
* * *
An hour later, the meeting was wrapping up. We had discussed the top ten national markets and how So Good planned to break into them. The marketing department joined the meeting briefly to lay out a comprehensive short-term plan that extended over the next year. I slipped the financial reports Judy had prepared for us into my briefcase, snapping it closed. When I looked up Gigi was exiting the room, leaving only Judy and I behind.
She was straightening chairs and I watched her for a moment. The dress she wore covered her body but was tight enough to leave little to the imagination. Her hair was down in loose curls that obscured her face from view since her head was tilted down, focused on her task. My fingers twitched with the urge to step forward and tuck her hair behind her ear, but I didn’t move.
As if sensing my eyes on her, she suddenly looked up. I grabbed my briefcase off the table, hoping she didn’t realize I was staring at her. Hayden was right, I thought to myself, I was being a creep.
“Oh, hey. I didn’t realize you were still here,” she said.
“I wanted to talk to you.”
“What’s up?” she asked, leaning her hip against the table and folding her arms in front of her chest. The action made her breasts look bigger, straining against the stretchy fabric of her dress. I swallowed hard and forcefully kept my eyes away from that area.
“I’m throwing Gigi and Damian an engagement party. You know that I’m the best man?”
“Yeah. And Gigi asked me yesterday to be the maid of honor,” she beamed.
“Of course she did. Do you want to help me? I guess I’m a little clueless about how to go about this,” I said, remembering Hayden’s words.
“Yes!” she said excitedly, surprising me. I supposed this party was a bigger deal than I had thought. “Where do you want to have it? When?”
“Uh, I haven’t thought too much about it, yet.”
“No problem. I have a ton of ideas. I assume you’re paying for everything?” she asked, smiling mischievously.
“Yeah. Go crazy.” What was the point of having so much money if I didn’t go all out for something like this?
“It should be outside. This is a great time of the year for it.”
“Okay. Let’s do it in three weeks,” I added, trying to contribute something.
“Okay, but we have to get started right away then,” she nodded to herself and I could almost see her brain working, making party plans. I was already glad to have help.
“I can clear my schedule for tomorrow afternoon. You want to get together and start planning then?”
“Yeah, I can move a few things around,” she said, picking up some paperwork left on the table from our meeting and heading toward the door. “I’ll text you later with a meeting time and place.”
Then she was gone. I left the building, happy with the results of my visit to So Good. On my way through the office, I noticed a few of the women watching me. Gigi and Judy employed mostly women, which was quite unique for a tech company.
I was used to women showing interest in me, and these few were sweeping their eyes over my frame suggestively. It was flattering, but I didn’t return the gesture. I just wasn’t interested in any of them.
* * *
Returning to the office, I took my suit jacket off and flung it over the back of my chair. Rolling up the sleeves of my shirt, I hunkered down and got to work. My mind was swimming with the beginnings of an idea that needed to be flushed out.
The afternoon flew by, as I got lost in my work. Creative thinking was my specialty and I could lose track of everything when really digging into a project. When my phone rang that evening, I jumped in surprise.
“Hello?”
“Hey,” my father voice came through the line. I frowned.
“What do you want?” I asked, glancing at the clock and realizing with a shock that the da
y was just about over.
“I’ll be in town next month. I’d like to see you.”
“I don’t think so.”
“Come on, J.D. Can’t you just have dinner with us?”
“Us?”
“Trudy and I,” he replied. I assumed that was his wife. I had never bothered to learn her name.
“I’ll pass.”
“Why? Hayden has agreed to come, you can’t be busier than he is, you work together.”
“Oh, rest assured, it’s not because I’m busy.”
“I want to see you. I want to hear about how you’re doing.”
“Then ask Hayden.”
“Don’t you think it’s time you got over the past?” he sounded irritated. Well, too bad.
“You know, this is all very cat’s in the cradle and I don’t have the patience for it. Bye, dad.” I hung up the phone without waiting for his reply.
What a bad end to a good day.
Chapter Five: In the Rain
I parked my car and pulled a compact out of my purse to check my makeup. I tried not to think about the fact that I was wearing slightly more makeup than usual or that I had used the perfume I knew J.D. liked.
That doesn’t mean anything, I told myself as I put the mirror away.
It was when I was zipping my purse shut that a loud bang sounded next to my head, making me jump and let out a scream. Whipping my head around, I was met with J.D.’s laughing face on the other side of my car window.
“Damn it, Justin Daniel!” I shouted as I threw the door open, causing him to leap backwards and out of the way. I had used his full name to annoy him, but he just chuckled and shook his head. “You scared the shit out of me!”
“Really? Gross,” he said, wrinkling his nose. I rolled my eyes and grinned in spite of myself.
“You’re such an ass,” I said, but with no harshness to my voice. I gave him a quick once over. He was wearing weathered jeans, probably bought that way, tennis shoes, and a blue sweater that accentuated his lean build. The man could wear the hell out of a suit, but I preferred him like this. The casual clothing made him seem so much more relaxed and comfortable in his own skin.
“You love it.”
I didn’t respond, just started walking toward the small brick building in front of us. It was a charming little bakery known as The Sweet Stuff.
“What are we doing here?” J.D. asked as we neared the building.
“It’s a party, we have to feed people.”
“And we’re starting with dessert?”
“Of course, we are! You should always start with dessert and build the meal around that,” I said seriously. J.D. stared at me.
“You’re so weird.”
“Thanks,” I quipped.
We entered the bakery and a small bell above the door chimed, announcing our presence. The smell of cinnamon wafted through the air. I inhaled deeply and felt my mouth fill with saliva. Whatever was currently in the oven smelled amazing. Glass cases were set up along the counter to our left, while small wrought iron tables and chairs were arranged to our right. There was an older man seated at one of the tables with a piece of coffee cake and his eyes glued to his newspaper. We were the only other customers.
“Judy! How lovely to see you,” Monica said as she walked out from the kitchen and caught sight of us. She was the sole proprietor of The Sweet Stuff and made all the desserts herself. A woman in her early forties, Monica was as sweet as her desserts and always had a warm greeting for me.
“Hi, Monica. This is my friend J.D.” I gestured to him. As they shook hands I got right down to business. “We’re here to place a big order.”
“Let’s get to it then!” She clapped her hands together briskly and brought out a binder full of dessert options. Catering was a huge part of her business.
Half an hour later, J.D. and I were seated at one of the tables laden with small cake samples. I didn’t hesitate to plunge my fork into a white cake with raspberry filling and buttercream frosting. A small moan escaped my lips as the flavors exploded in my mouth.
“Oh my god, it’s like an orgasm in my mouth.”
“I can’t believe you just said that,” J.D. said, chuckling.
“Try it,” I said, filling my fork once again and holding it out to him. “It’s amazing.”
J.D. leaned forward, wrapping his lips around my fork. His eyes met mine as he started to pull back slowly. The atmosphere inside the bakery, which had been harmlessly comfortable a second ago, now seemed charged with electricity. I couldn’t seem to look away from J.D.’s eyes as he tasted the cake, letting out a low moan of his own.
“It’s good, right?” I asked, my voice soft. J.D. nodded.
“It might be the best I ever had.
I exhaled in a rush. The fire in his eyes gave that statement weight and I didn’t know how to respond. The sudden crinkling sound of a newspaper reminded me of where we were and that there was another customer in the room.
Clearing my throat, I finally broke eye contact. J.D. picked up his own fork and sampled the double chocolate cake. I dove into the spice cake. We needed to get back on track. I wrecked my brain for something innocent to talk about.
“Do you think you’ll ever get married?” I asked him without thinking. I knew the answer was no and that it was definitely not a safe or innocent topic between the two of us. If I wanted a return to the casual air we had been enjoying moments ago, this was certainly not the way to go about it.
“I don’t think I’ll ever have a traditional wedding,” I continued, not giving him a chance to answer. No point in letting things get awkward. “I could see myself as one of those people that say their vows while skydiving or underwater in scuba gear. Something like that.”
“Really?”
“Oh yeah. I want it to be memorable. And I want my reception to be fun. Forget all that formal stuff. I want to split into teams and have a paintball fight!”
“Wow.”
“Too much?”
“No, actually. I think it sounds great.”
“How are we doing over here?” Monica asked, appearing behind us.
“Amazing!” I exclaimed. We had tried all the cake while talking, easily finishing off the delectable samples. “I’m thinking we should go with the chocolate caramel and the raspberry vanilla cake. Is that okay with you?” I asked J.D.
“Perfect. And let’s do cupcakes. It makes serving easier.”
I smiled. He was really getting into this party planning. I was surprised at how interested he seemed in the process. I was sure most guys would be bored stiff.
“You heard the man. Cupcakes it is,” I told Monica. She made notes in her binder.
When we left the shop ten minutes later, it was with full stomachs and smiles on our faces. The day was looking cloudy, but the temperature was comfortable. We walked toward J.D.’s car, deciding to ride together and leave mine behind until later.
“Do you come here often?” he asked, inclining his head toward the bakery.
“That sounds like a bad pick up line,” I giggled.
“You know what I meant.”
“Yeah, I stop in every few weeks at least. Monica is a genius in the kitchen and I have a sweet tooth,” I shrugged. The Sweet Stuff was a hidden gem in downtown San Francisco and I happened upon it by mere chance a couple years ago, right after it opened.
“Where to now?” he asked, opening his car door for me. I slid into the leather seat and relaxed.
“Well, that depends. I have tons of party ideas, but what do you think of setting up a wine tasting for the party?”
“I think that sounds like something Gigi would love.”
“Right you are. Might be pricey though. I assume money is no object?” I asked him with a raised brow. He just shot me an amused look and started the car. With someone as rich as J.D., money was hardly even a consideration until you got up into the millions.
I directed him to a wine shop on the edge of the city. It was a bit of a drive, bu
t my research had told me this place was the best for events, and they had a great selection. By the time we arrived, it had started to rain.
“Oh, hell. I don’t have an umbrella with me,” I said, peering out the window.
“I have one in the glove compartment. Can you grab it? We’ll have to share.”
Without further ado, we got out of the car and huddled together under the umbrella. I could feel the lines of his firm body pressed against my side and the warmth he was exuding through my clothes.
With quick steps, we hurried to the small cottage that housed the alcohol. It was a rustic-styled, squat building that looked like something you would find in the Italian countryside. It was, in a word, charming.
As we neared the entrance, my eyes were trained on the winery. I didn’t see the rock in my path until was too late. I stepped right on it and lost my balance. It was too unexpected to recover from easily and I started to fall forward. My eyes squeezed shut and I thrust my arms out in front of me, hoping to break my fall.
A strong grip abruptly wrapped around my upper arm and stopped my descent to the ground. I let out a breath I didn’t realize I had been holding. J.D. pulled me upright again and steadied me, looking at me with concern. His brown eyes searched my own blue orbs. I didn’t know what he was looking for, but the worry on his face, combined with the relief when he realized that I was okay, made my heart skip a beat.
We were standing so close that I could feel his breath on my face. My gaze flickered down to his lips quickly before returning to his eyes. His tongue darted out to wet his lips and he shifted toward me a fraction of an inch.
Heart racing, I tilted my head slightly and closed my eyes. Slowly, I leaned forward and sensed him doing the same. Our lips were nearly touching when the sound of a door opening reached my ears, sending me crashing back to my senses.
Simultaneously, we stepped away from one another, avoiding eye contact. Clearing my throat, I turned away from J.D., greeting the man waiting in the doorway of the shop.
Tech Titans: The Complete Billionaire Romance Series Page 23