I followed Rhys to the workspace. It was a small, cramped studio with a tiny desk shoved up against one wall and cartons of the latest in lotions and potions stacked everywhere. Coco sat in front of her laptop typing furiously. Rhys patted her shoulder and she said, “Not now. I’m on a roll.” I spied over her shoulder. She was working on an article of some type. The headline read, “How Sex Wards Off Aging.”
Rhys cleared his throat. “Someone’s here to see you.”
“Tell those high maintenance lovelies to hold on a sec.” She stopped typing, and when she gazed over her shoulder and saw me, her eyes grew wide and she snapped the laptop shut. “Oh!” Her face turned the slightest shade of pink and she wiped her hands on her skirt. She stood up quickly, the chair nearly toppling over before she righted it. The three of us stood in silence a few seconds. “Rhys, this is Dominick. He’s … he’s helping me with … I mean, I think you must know him, he owns the Psychic Surfer business, you know that cute little house with the sign out front and … I mean, I’m sure you’ve seen the place, or maybe heard about it around town, and have I mentioned that I’ve gotten some readings?” She stopped babbling and cocked her head. “Dominick, this is Rhys.”
“We’ve met.”
Coco ran her hands through her hair. Rhys stared at Coco, then at me, then at Coco again. “Well! This is a nice surprise,” Coco said.
“I’ve been meaning to check out your shop and—”
Rhys brightened. “Are you looking for a present for your girlfriend? We’ve got some lovely bath products, maybe a body scrub? The ladies love having smooth skin.”
I shook my head. “Nope. No girlfriend.”
Rhys and Coco looked like the cat had their tongues and none of us said anything as uncomfortable seconds ticked past. Finally, I smiled at Coco. “Do you have someplace we can talk? I need to ask your advice.”
Rhys’s eyebrows shot up.
“Um, sure, okay. Rhys, can you take over while I take Dominick upstairs?”
“Sure thing boss.”
Coco stumbled over an open carton. Her hands stretched out in front of her, and she grabbed the table. “Let’s go.”
I followed Coco up a cramped spiral staircase, her shapely ass snugly fitting into her tight skirt, her athletic calves flexing with every step. We reached the top of the stairs, and Coco spread her arms. “Welcome to our kitchen.”
“Wow. This is some setup you’ve got here.” Hardwood floors gleamed underneath my feet. On the right stood a kitchenette complete with stove. On the left were floating shelves jammed with an impressive display of glass jars filled with herbs, roots, and powders. Directly in front of us, a sliding glass door led out to a deck that overlooked the sparkling Pacific Ocean. A long farm table stood in the center of the room. I walked over to the jars and touched one. “What do you do with all this stuff?”
Coco ran her hand nervously through her hair. “Oh, it’s just a little hobby. I’ve been studying holistic herbs through an online course. Wish I had time to go to a real school. They have one over in Catalina, but who has time?” She gestured toward the store. “The shop keeps me busy.” We stared at each other. Her blue eyes contrasted with her dark hair and dark eyebrows, her long lashes batting slowly. She placed a warm hand on my arm. “Can I get you a drink?”
“Sure. Water would be great.”
“Make yourself comfortable.”
I sat at the table and watched as Coco floated to the fridge where she opened the door and bent down to retrieve two bottled waters from the lower shelf. The way she leaned over made me want to spread her legs, hike her skirt up, place my hands on her gorgeous ass, pull her panties aside and feel her deliciousness with my mouth and cock. I shifted uncomfortably.
“Here you go.” She handed me the water and sat down. “Well. This is a pleasant surprise. So, what’s up?”
I set my copy of Surfer magazine on the table, unscrewed the water bottle, took a sip and set the drink down. “Do you know anything about energy drinks?”
She cocked her head. “How do you mean? Like Energy Boingo? Only that they’re no good for you.”
I stared into her eyes. “Do you know anything about healthy energy drinks?”
Her eyebrows knit together. “I’m not following.”
I leaned forward. “There’s this contest put on by one of the surf companies. They’re looking for a new formula for their energy drink.” I scratched my head. “They think the public can help and my daughter wants me to enter.”
My hand caressed the magazine. “Let me show you.” I opened the issue to the dog-eared article and Coco leaned in for a look. “Lola thought you’d be the right person to ask for help.”
“Ah, Lola. She’s the sweetest little thing.” Coco scanned the information and entry form, her eyes growing larger.
“It sounds simple, right?”
She clapped her hands together. “This is fantastic!” She jumped out of her chair and began to pace. “Ginseng stimulates physical and mental activity. Blue-green algae is one of the best nutrient-dense foods on the planet. Yerba mate is high in polyphenols.” She trotted to the kitchenette and extracted a large volume from a collection of cookbooks. She slammed the book onto the table. The cover read: Encyclopedia of Herbal Medicine. She sat down, opened the book and turned pages furiously.
“So you’ll help me?”
She brushed a curtain of her hair aside and placed a hand on my forearm. “Of course I will.” Her ruby lips formed a smile. “This is only the most exciting thing that’s happened all week.”
We gazed at each other, and I realized I was falling into dangerous territory. Coco was a lot different than I’d originally thought. Not only was she gorgeous and sexy, she owned her own business, and she had a brain between those perfectly shaped ears. Damn. I wanted to nibble on her earlobes and make her shiver. “Great. So, where do we start?”
“We start, Mr. Cortes, by coming up with our winning formula.”
Chapter Fourteen
Dominick
I pointed to the magazine. “It says here all we need to do is list the ingredients we like and come up with the artwork and name.”
She leaned back in her chair and crossed her arms. “You know what would be even better?”
Coco’s enthusiasm was hard to resist. “I can’t wait to hear.”
She squealed, stood up and trotted over to her kitchen counter. “Here’s my Vitamix.” She gestured toward the blender just like a model on a game show. “To heck with just listing the ingredients. We’ll make our own formula.” Her smile was slow. “The deadline’s almost two months out. But we’ll get ours in early. We’ll experiment with recipes until we come up with a winner.” She clenched her fists and hopped once. “You, me and Lola, we’re going to win.”
I stood up and moved to her side. “I like your confidence meu amor.”
Her face turned the slightest shade of pink. “Do you have time to start now?”
I moved a step closer. “Do you?”
She glanced over her shoulder toward the shop. “Rhys’ll take over.”
Coco and I were all alone in the loft. I took another step forward. God, I wanted to kiss her. I forced myself to concentrate. I stepped back and slid my hands into my pockets. “Then I think we should start.”
She moved to her stereo and hit the power button. The funky groove of Maroon 5 came to life, a song with a beachy serenade filling the room. “Mood music.”
I laughed. “That’s Lola’s favorite band.”
“No way. Mine too.” She swiveled her hips in time to the music. “Let’s get this party started.” She placed her hands on hips, and when she looked at me, her eyes were alive with passion. “You ready to win?”
She donned a frilly pink and black apron, and we set to work. She bustled about the loft, moving from the kitchenette to the herb-filled glass jars. “We’ll need sparkling water, organic honey, organic lemon juice, maybe some green tea.” She stopped and clapped her hands together. “Let
’s definitely put some guarana in. That’ll give it an energy kick.”
As the music boomed and the ocean breeze wafted in from the open sliding glass doors, I followed Coco around like a lovesick kid. Her black hair flew behind as she worked efficiently. I was entranced by her knowledge of herbs. “How long have you been interested in this stuff?”
She threw her hair over one shoulder and poured the sparkling water into the blender. “All my life. My mom was a hippie.” She stopped working, gazed at me and touched my bicep. “You look like you know your way around healthy muscle enhancers.”
When her hand branded my skin, heat flooded my body. “Actually, I do. Not the same way as you, but athletes do what we can to get an edge.” I chuckled. “You and I have the same ideas. Kindred spirits, right?”
“You’re the one who knows about spirits.” She winked and picked up the jar labeled “Guarana.” “This is still in herb form. I’d imagine when they manufacture they’ll distill it.” We worked together, Coco instructing me which ingredients came next, then she threw in ice. “Grab a couple of glasses out of that cabinet, will you babe?”
Babe? I set the glasses on the counter like an expert bartender. My voice purred. “I’ll take a double of whatever you’re pouring, minha flor.”
She blended the drink, poured two generous portions and we clinked glasses. “To your health.”
We bolted back the drinks, and I slammed mine down on the counter. “Whoa! That’s enough to put hair on my chest.”
She raised her glass. “You, Dominick Cortes, are a hoot.” She grimaced. “I’m not sure I like the way that guarana mixes with the lemon juice.” Her eyes flicked toward the store. “Can we work on this more maybe next week? Rhys can’t survive the onslaught of a Saturday crowd without my expertise.”
“Sure.”
She looked at me and laughed. “Look at you. You’ve got honey on your fingers.”
I wanted to ask her to lick it off, but I kept my comments to myself. I lifted my hands. “I would say this makes a great appetizer, but no. Can I wash my hands?”
Coco turned on the faucet and moved close to me. “Here. Let me help.” She snuggled her warm body in next to mine, and before I had a chance to protest, she slathered vanilla scented body wash over my hands. “Hands under the water, please. We’ve got to get every nook and cranny.” Her hands were erotic masterpieces as she massaged, kneaded and worked the soap over every finger. She smelled of expensive perfume, and she’d washed her hair with some kind of lemony scented shampoo. She was close enough that her breasts rubbed against my arm and I felt myself getting rock hard. My heart sped up, and I forced myself to calm down by taking a couple of Goff’s big wave preparation breaths. When she was done, she dried my hands. “There. All better.” She gazed at me. “Hey! I almost forgot to thank you.”
“For what?”
“The flowers.”
“I wish I could say you’re welcome, but I have no idea what you’re talking about.”
Her mouth hung slightly open. “You mean you didn’t leave flowers? Somebody left a bouquet of roses on my front stoop.” She described the flowers along with the note. “There was a big red heart written. It said, love D.”
My mind scrambled, and I remembered Lola taking a pair of scissors to our rose bushes the day of Coco’s last appointment. “Did they by any chance look like home grown roses? Maybe like the ones in our front yard?”
She nodded.
I hit my forehead with my palm. “I think Lola left them.”
She let out a precious giggle. “Why would she do that?”
“My daughter thinks I need a girlfriend.”
She toyed with her necklace and my gaze strayed to her full breasts. “Ah well, that’s sweet of her. She’s a love.”
“She can be a handful. Like I told you, she’s the one who begged me to enter the contest. Hey, do you want to come over on Monday after Lola’s done with school? We can work on the drink name and artwork. Lola’s pretty good with colors.”
When she smiled, the entire room lit up. The ocean breeze tickled my nostrils, and Coco’s perfume intoxicated my brain. “I would love to.”
When I bade her goodbye at the front door, Rhys rushed to shake my hand. “Great meeting you.” He stared into my eyes. “Stop by anytime. I’ll bet you’ll be needing some body soap.” The way he dragged out the word “bet” made me wonder if he had a speech impediment.
I threw my head back and laughed. “I will keep that in mind.” When I pushed through the door, I glanced over my shoulder. Rhys smiled and waved. Coco’s face was beet red.
Chapter Fifteen
Dominick
“Brazilian Bomb. Bionic Blast. Stoke Energy.” Lola clapped her hands together. “I know! Psychic Spritz.”
Lola stared at the laptop, fingers poised on the keyboard as she wrote, Coco on her right, me on her left.
“Hey, that’s clever. How’d you learn to put words together like that?” Coco said. “Psychic Spritz. That’s cute.”
“She knows,” I said, “because Lola is the smartest kid in class.” I took a sip of the herb tea Lola had prepared for our meeting. “You should’ve seen the way she gave the kids in class a run for their money at the spelling bee.”
Lola graced me with a megawatt smile. “I’m more than a pretty face, you know.” The three of us burst into laughter.
“Now,” Lola said, “What do you guys think of those names?”
Coco twirled a long strand of luxurious black hair. “I like Bionic Blast.” She crossed her legs and my gaze strayed to her ankles and calves. I snapped my head back to the computer screen.
“I’ve got an idea.” I picked up Lola’s notebook and sketched a drink can with the letter X centered on the can. “You know how a lot of trendy drinks use short names or numbers?” Next to the X my pencil drew a small number 2. This I followed with the letter C. I held up the notebook. “See. We can call it X-2C. “The girls stared at me. “You know, kind of a play on the word ‘ecstasy.’”
Lola grabbed the notebook out of my hand and socked me over the head as I did my best to protect myself. “Daddy stop. People are going to be expecting something weird to happen if they drink it.”
“Yeah? Like what?”
She shrugged. “I don’t know. Like maybe they’ll fall in love or something.” She looked at Coco, then at me, then at Coco again. “Maybe not a bad idea.”
Coco erupted in a girlish, high-pitched giggle. “It’s good Dominick. But I kind of like Bionic Blast.” She touched Lola’s shoulder. “What do you think sweetie?”
“I think we should come up with a really pretty design.” Her fingers flew over the keyboard as she opened her artwork program. Lola understood this high tech stuff while the best I’d accomplished was mastering my Etch-A-Sketch as a kid. “My favorite color is purple. How about we start with that?”
Coco’s eyes widened. “That’s my favorite too. Deep purple or lavender?”
Lola rolled her eyes. “Deep purple.”
Coco and Lola high-fived. “Atta girl,” Coco said. “Dominick, why didn’t you tell me your daughter has great taste?”
I stretched my legs out in front of me and spread my arms. “She’s my daughter, right?”
Lola and Coco leaned into the computer and went wild with colors, fonts, and designs. “Humor your dad and make one with his X-2C will you?” Coco said.
Lola created several mockups with vibrant colors—blues, yellows, reds and one in a rainbow hue that she promptly deemed “So bright it’ll sear your eyeballs.”
I sat back and marveled at how well the girls worked together.
“Don’t trash that one,” Coco said. “I like the colors.”
“How about a surfboard?”
“Or a breaking wave.”
“I want a leaf. You know, an herbal leaf.”
“How about a setting sun?”
“A robot.”
“I’m putting on some tunes,” I said.
I d
rifted to the stereo to play my favorite Brazilian songs, but neither of them seemed to notice I wasn’t helping anymore. What an odd feeling. None of my girlfriends had ever lasted long enough to meet my daughter. Girlfriend. What was I doing using that word in my thoughts? Coco was a client, nothing more. An extremely attractive and alluring client. So what if she got along with my daughter so well? So what if she had interests and a successful business? So what if she blended in to my home like she belonged here?
I walked into the kitchen and busied myself with washing out my tea mug. Their voices drifted, and I heard their pealing laughter and girlish banter. It was good for Lola to have someone other than the kids from school and me. Family friends were important to a young lady with no mother. That’s all Coco would be. A family friend.
I stood in the doorway separating the kitchen from the living room, and Coco’s head was thrown back in laughter at something Lola had said. She leaned into the screen showing Lola her lifestyle blog. “You might think I’m crazy, but writing keeps me sane.” The headline read: “Can Love Keep You Young?”
I walked up and cleared my throat. “Hey. Remember me?”
Coco covered her mouth. “Oh. Hi, Dominick.”
“Daddy, wait till you see all the cool stuff we came up with.” She clicked to the artwork and proudly displayed the various designs.
I peered at the screen. “I like how you’ve got the deep purple background with those jagged letters for Bionic Blast.”
“That’s my favorite too,” Coco said.
I sat down. “Let’s take a look at the entry form again. See the guidelines for the artwork.”
“Listen to you talk,” Lola said. “You sound so formal. Loosen up.”
Lola pulled up the Mystic Seaweed homepage.
My gaze scanned the page and swept all the way down to the comments section where the entrants battled it out with their macho talk:
WaveKook58: Got my entry in and feeling lucky. Trip to Indo anyone? That’s where I’m heading after my win.
Hang10Dude: Hey WaveKook, don’t be making your plane res just yet. My wife’s a graphic artist. :D
Sea of Seduction: A Single Dad Sports Romance Page 8