by Rhonda Bowen
Chapter 2
On most days Derek and his sister agreed on most things. It was probably the whole sharing a womb, born-three-minutes-apart twin factor. They might do things differently but where it really mattered they were on the same page. It was what had made starting Solid Step so easy - their visions and ideas seemed to just fit together like pieces of a larger picture that had been cut up and scattered but were just waiting to be assembled. Yes, most days Portia and Derek thought as one.
Today was not one of those days.
As Derek stared as the pretentious woman mentally listing his flaws with her eyes he could still remember the conversation he and Portia had had on the drive over. It was the same conversation - or disagreement - that they’d had ever since the name Chrysalis had been mentioned.
“This is silly and you know it P. We’re a shoe company not a political party. We don’t need image consultants.”
“We do if we’re going to be serious about taking this company public,” Portia responded from the passenger seat of his Audi where she was touching up her eye-makeup for the hundredth time. “People believe what they see and they have to belive that what they see when they see us, the heads of Solid, is worth investing in.”
“You’re not going to be able to see anything if you put anymore of that stuff on your eyelashes,” he grunted.
“Oh stop. You know I look cute.”
“I’ve actually forgotten what you look like seeing that I never see you without that mask anymore.”
Portia wacked him with her left hand without turning away from the mirror. Derek just shook his head. It boggled his mind the amount of time and effort women put into making themselves look like someone else. Sure, sometimes the end result was beautiful but he always had the apprehensive feeling that what he was seeing was not what he was getting.
“I really wish women would wear less make-up.” He frowned. “You all would look so much better without it.”
Portia let out a laugh. “That’s what all men say until it actually happens. Then it’s all ‘hun why don’t you doll yourself up like you used to’.”
“For the record, your lame boyfriend Barry...”
“Ex-boyfriend,” Portia corrected.
“...is not most guys,” Derek finished as he took the exit off the freeway. “I for one would prefer a woman who didn’t wear make-up.”
“Would you also prefer if she didn’t shave her armpits and dry-washed her hair?”
“Hey,” Derek held up his hand. “Let’s not get carried away now.”
Portia laughed as she slipped her compact back into her purse.
“Why not?” She reached over and touched his past-due-to-be-done cornrows. “You don’t seem to comb yours.”
He batted her hand away. “I haven’t had time. Besides I spend all day in a backroom designing shoes or playing sports to test them out. No one cares what I look like.”
“They will when you stand in front of them for shareholders meetings which we will have to if we go public. Hence why we’re going to the image consultant.”
Derek snorted. “That’s so shallow, basing judgment of someone’s capacity on the outward appearance. God looks at the heart and that’s what we should be aiming to do.”
“Maybe,” Portia slipped on her sunglasses. “But that’s just a goal. Right now we have to deal with reality. And the reality is that you walking around looking like Cousin It, is not going to help Solid Step grow. You need to shave and cut those dang cornrows out. Or at least get them redone.”
Derek grumbled some more but his sister had already tuned him out. He could tell by the fact that she was flipping through a magazine.
“Ooh! Here she is!” Portia sat up suddenly.
Derek glanced over at his sister before turning his eyes back to the road. “Who?”
“Morgan Cox. She’s the top image consultant at Chrysalis and one of the best in the city. I hear she’s worked with a whole bunch of movie stars. She practically made Deacon Hill when she reinvented his image before his first album. Now he’s a multi-platinum artist known internally,” Portia sighed. “She’s got the touch.”
And as Derek sat at the round conference table a couple hours later glaring at Morgan Cox sitting a few seats over, he couldn’t help but agree with his sister. Morgan had the touch alright. The touch of arrogance. He saw it the moment he stepped on the elevator with Clay when she scrunched up her tiny nose up and backed away from him like he was carrying Anthrax.
Sure she was beautiful. He guessed you had to be to do a job like this. After all who would believe she could make them beautiful enough to boost their slaes if she herself didn’t look like a black barbie. Flawlessly smooth mahogany skin, large cocoa eyes, cheekbones as high as mountain peaks and lips that belonged in a lip gloss commercial. For sure, she wouldn’t have walked past him on the street without pulling a second look. But that’s all it would be - a look. No turn around, no ‘hey what’s your name’ and definitely no upper level game. Not with all that arrogance swirling around her. Derek rubbed his generous beard. If what the Bible said about pride going before a fall held true, Miss Cox better pack herself a parachute.
Other Books by Rhonda Bowen
City Girls Series
Under Covers
March 2015
Naomi Savoy is five days away from marrying Jordan Lennox, the man of her dreams, when she is faced with her worst nightmare. Her sister is missing. When her search for her sister sets her on a path into her past, she is forced to ask for help from the last person on earth she ever wished to see again - Garth Duhaney - a man she has both loved and hated for most of her life and whose power over her she has never been able to break.
Jordan Lennox knows his wife-to-be is hiding things in her past. But his love for her keeps him believing that one day she will come clean. But when the secrets force him on a trip across the ocean only days before their wedding, he begins to question whether love is really enough.
Will love keep them together or will it all fall apart when everything is uncovered?
Under My Skin
June 2015
The moment Image Consultant Morgan Cox walked into the conference room Derek Wynters knew he had a problem. There was no way he would be able to work with this over-styled, overconfident, over-involved woman. Leaving her in charge of the image of his million-dollar footwear company was definitely out of the question. But the instant she slipped one of her gorgeous feet into his custom designed high tops he knew his real problem wasn't that she was shaking up his company, but that she was shaking up his heart and he was falling hard.
Morgan’s only goal is to help Derek and his company have the best image as they prepare to go public. But when their attraction pushes their relationship past the professional boundaries the company is not the only thing up for public inspection.
As their lives go on display for the world to see Derek and Morgan must both make important decisions about how committed they are to the new relationship growing between them. Are the emotions that keep pulling them back to each other real or are their feelings only skin deep?
Under My Rules
March 2016
Portia Wynters has finally gotten her life under control and she is not letting anyone take that away from her. Not the financial analysts and their predictions for her company; not her brother and his bad business decisions; not the voices in her head; and definitely not Khai no-last-name, even if he did get rid of her stalker neighbour and is too handsome for his own good. No. She is absolutely never ever dating Khai. At least not again…
There’s not a problem that Khai can’t fix. Except when it involves getting Portia to go out on a second date with him. The beautiful, generous, headcase of a woman is everything he wants. But having her means facing a faith he has spent the better part of his life running from. Khai tries to resist, but it turns out God wants Khai’s heart even more than Khai wants Portia’s. And neither is willing to take no for an answer.
Isaacs Family Series
Get You Good
March 2013
Sydney Isaacs has two priorities: her family, and Decadent, the gourmet pastry business they founded almost three generations ago. But both are in jeopardy when her brother, Dean, marries conniving Sheree Vern. Worse, when Dean inherits ownership of Decadent he and Sheree decide to sell it to finance his dreams of becoming a music producer—or so Dean believes…
Thanks to Sheree, Dean’s plans, the business, and his marriage, soon implode in ways he never expected—leaving Sydney determined to salvage whatever she can. Her only solace is her romance with Hayden Windsor. But Hayden is Sheree’s half brother, and Sydney can’t help wondering if Hayden knew about Sheree’s scheming all along? Soon Sydney carries out a deception of her own to discover the truth—until the consequences threaten to destroy everything she values most—including her faith. Overcome with guilt, can she make things right with her brother, with Hayden, and with God?...
Hitting the Right Note
March 2014
JJ Isaacs' dream of becoming an R&B star has come true, and it's all thanks to Rayshawn, her amazing producer--and secret lover. But as JJ enters the spotlight, the relationship gets harder to disguise. And the more she hides the truth, the more distant she feels from her faith, and from her family's approval. But support may come from an unexpected place...
When JJ finds herself helping her estranged sister-in law, Sheree, through a difficult pregnancy, she discovers a surprising ally. But she also becomes enthralled with Sheree's doctor. Simon Massri is world renowned--and scheduled to leave the country. The more time JJ spends with Simon, the more she questions her choices--in love and in work. Now she'll have to face some tough decisions. Can she make peace with an uncertain future--if her heart is in the right place?...