by Katie Dowe
“Do you mean a woman in the general sense or the fact that I am a black woman in charge of a company?” she challenged him.
“I mean a beautiful woman like you,” he corrected her. “Women in business find it very hard to make it to the top. What is it like?”
“I am sure you have women in management positions at your company,” she pointed out. “How do you see them and what about their performances?”
He considered for a little bit. ”My mother sits on the board. Aside from her there is one other and she holds a minority share in the company. She has been friends with my parents since they were very young and was in charge of accounts until she retired. There are two other women in management positions there: Magda is the head of sales and Dianna is head of PR. I think they do very well.”
“There you go,” she said with a wave of her hand. She sipped her water slowly. “I fought hard to get where I am today and I had to deal with a lot of obstacles but I was determined not to let it get in my way. I am an advocate in women’s rights and equalities and I believe that women are making a difference in so many areas that had been solely male dominated.”
He listened to her talk. He hated the fact that they had to pause because their meal had been delivered to the table. He felt as if he knew her all along and found himself hoping that this was going to be the beginning of something wonderful!
*****
“I drove myself,” she told him as he walked with her outside. It was a nice balmy night with the slight breeze stirring their clothes. September had come in with rain on the very first day, quietly dispelling the heaviness of the heat. She turned to him and held out a hand. “It’s been quite a wonderful evening. Maybe we could do it again sometime.”
He took her slim hand in his large one and wanted to do more than shake it. “How about next Saturday?” he asked her casually, wishing the evening did not have to end just yet.
She tilted her head to one side and considered. “I will let you know,” she told him with a smile. Suddenly, she leaned in and kissed him on the cheek. “You are not so bad for a rich, white guy.”
He held her hand a little bit longer than necessary. “And you are not too bad for a beautiful woman of color,” he said soberly.
“It’s okay to say black, Steven,” she told him with a tinkling laugh.
“I thought it was politically incorrect.”
“Not with me.” She pulled her hand away as the valet came forward and handed her the keys. “Your ride is not here?”
“I called my driver. I was thinking of maybe stopping by the club on my way home.”
“Ah. The rich man’s club.”
“I would like to take you there sometime,” he told her. He knew he was delaying her leaving, but he could not help it. “They do allow women there as well.”
“Nice to know and I will definitely take you up on the offer. Goodnight, Steven.”
“Goodnight, Alicia. It’s been a pleasure.”
******
“We had dinner and a very adult conversation.” Donna had called her the minute she got home. She had looked at the time and realized to her surprise that it was a little after eleven. The time had flown by so quickly!
“Did he kiss you goodnight?”
“No,” she said firmly. “If he had I would not be telling you of the wonderful night. I would be telling you that I had to set him straight.” She took off her shoes and rubbed her insoles. “Now I am going to bed. We can rehash my evening tomorrow at a reasonable hour.”
“Okay, honey, see you tomorrow.”
Alicia hung up the phone and went into the bathroom. She really had fun!
Chapter 3
“You have the scrumptious Mr. Hughes on the line, honey.” Allen’s lofty voice sounded over the intercom. It had been a week since their very strange date and she had thought of him once or twice but had not followed up on a second date. She had been too busy! They were launching a new flavor at the company and she had been rounding up the troops to get it done.
“I have a lunch meeting at Maize’s and I am running late.”
“I already told him that you will take the call.”
“I thought I fired you several days ago.”
“You know that is just talk, honey,” he said airily. “I am putting him through.”
“Is this a bad time?” His deep voice sounded unhurried and gave a visual of a calm in a sea of storm.
“When is it never?” she asked with a laugh. “I am sorry I have not gotten back to you, Steven.”
“I read the papers and see that you are coming out with a new flavor. That’s a pretty big deal and I have to assume that it keeps you pretty busy.”
“It’s a madhouse around here,” she admitted.
“Okay, so I will get straight to the point. I would like us to go to dinner on Saturday. How about it? Or if you prefer we could have dinner at my place.”
“Your mother lives there, right?”
“It’s a veritable mansion. Trust me, she will not know we are there.”
“I live alone so I was thinking my place. I have to warn you though, I don’t cook, period.”
“That’s okay. I love takeout.”
“Good. I have all the restaurants on speed dial.”
“So it’s a date. Want me to bring anything?”
“Wine maybe and a dessert. I adore chocolate.”
“I will bear that in mind. See you on Saturday, say eight?”
“That’s fine. Bye, Steven.”
She hung up from him and grabbing her keys and pocketbook she headed for the door. If she hurried she will just make it.
“I suggest the Italian place a few blocks from your apartment. I have been reading up on that dreamboat and realize that he is part Italian.”
Alicia stopped in her tracks and stared at the man. “How many times have I told you to stop listening in on my calls?”
“Too many times to count. Go, honey! You are going to be late!”
*****
“Another date, huh?” Donna plopped down on the sofa next to Elaine as she stared at Alicia. The girls had come over as soon as she had called and told them that she had heard from Steven. “That’s a good sign. It means you guys hit it off.”
“Please don’t read anything into it,” Alicia said with a pained look on her face. “I am a grown ass woman over forty and you are making this into something that sounds as if we are still in high school.”
“Age has nothing to do with it, honey.” Elaine lifted her glass to her friend. “Donna and I intend to live vicariously through this budding romance.”
“It’s not a romance,” Alicia insisted. “Even though I invited him to my apartment where I will be alone with him for the night, it does not mean anything.”
“He is coming here?” Both girls exchanged looks. “You did not tell us that.”
“Yes, Donna. We are two very mature people and we are going to spend the night having dinner and then sitting on my small balcony enjoying the breeze. This is the twenty first century. Having a man over at your apartment does not mean getting laid.”
“I hope it does,” Elaine said with a glint in her brown eyes. “I hope he spreads you out on that massive bed of yours, strips you down to birthday suit, and screws you long and slow and I hope you have orgasm after orgasm and I also hope he stays the night.”
Her friends stared at her for a moment and then burst out laughing. “Peeking at porn again?” Alicia asked her as soon as she stopped laughing.
“I cannot help it! Calvin has not had sex with me for two weeks and I am going stir crazy and incredibly horny! My period finished a week ago and still nothing.”
“Isn’t he still recovering from the almost deadly flu?” Donna asked her.
“And?”
“I am assuming that Donna is thinking that the poor man is probably exhausted and weak.”
“If he can have an erection then he can perform. I will do all the work,” Elaine retorted.
/> “You have way too much time on your hands,” Alicia told her. “You said you were going to go back to work as soon as the children were grown. Honey, you are a very good nurse, why not go back?”
“I will!” Elaine sighed dramatically as she sipped her wine. “It’s just that I think I stayed home way too long. Olivia is turning twelve and not to mention Orlando who turns fifteen in November and told me and his dad the other day that he needs a car and get this: he has a girlfriend! I threatened him against turning me into a grandmother before time.”
“Now I am decidedly depressed.” Alicia poured some more wine. “Here you are talking about grandchildren and I am yet to hold a baby in my arms.”
“You held my two children when I had them at the hospital,” Elaine teased her.
“And you held Tiffany when she had the fever. She threw up on your very expensive green wool sweater, remember?” Donna supplied.
“Thanks for the reminder. Maybe it is being around your children that turns me off. Orlando would never stop crying and Olivia clutched my hair so hard she tore out strands of it. I am still bald somewhere in the middle.”
“Don’t worry, honey,” Elaine said with a laugh. “When you marry Steven and you have children, we will be here to help.”
******
“”Does your mother know what you are up to?” Marjorie asked Steven as soon as he came in the next morning.
“Not yet.” Steven took the folder from her and glanced through it. “Have I told you who she is?”
“No. Who is this woman?”
“Her name is Alicia Barnett.” He waited for the reaction and was not disappointed.
“Alicia Barnett, the COO of ColaCo? She is gorgeous!”
“She sure is!” he said with a small grin as he went around his desk. “And we have another date on Saturday at her place.”
“I am impressed.” She went to pour him a cup of coffee from the coffee machine in the corner of the room.
“Does that mean you approve?” he asked as he took the cup from her.
“Wait! Why does a woman like her need to do something like that for?” she demanded.
“For the same reason I am doing it. We are too busy to go through the normal channel.”
“What is this world coming to?” Marjorie said with a sigh. “I wish you all the best, but if it does not work out I have the perfect woman in mind.”
“Who?”
“I have no idea why I never thought of it before. My sister Lacey is still single,” she said with a grin.
“And over fifty,” he said dryly. “Get out there and actually do what I pay you to do.”
Steven leaned back in his chair and sipped his coffee thoughtfully. He was actually looking forward to seeing her again. He had spent the week following the night of the date thinking about her and wondering if he should call her but had not worked up the courage until the other day. He was intimidated by her and he had to admit it. She was strong and confident and very beautiful and she could hold her own. He was shy and socially awkward even though he could make it through the night and hold a conversation. He had had the practice since running the company and the many meetings he had to go through for the week, not to mention the functions. He much preferred sitting behind his desk or at home working on the latest discovery or ironing out some glitch in a software, that was where he was most comfortable and he did not like to leave from that. That was probably one of the reasons he had remained single for so long. But with her it had been different. Even though he was intimidated somewhat, he had found that he liked talking to her and liked looking at her. He swallowed down his coffee and booted up his laptop. He had to stop dreaming, he had work to do!
*****
Alicia stepped into the sunken bath right after she tested the temperature. She had poured in the orange pekoe flavored body wash and the scent of it wafted throughout the beautiful orange and blue bathroom. She sank down and rested her head on the cushion, closing her eyes for a moment to appreciate the warmth of the scented water floating around her skin. She could feel the weariness dissipating into thin air as her body started to relax. With a sigh she opened her eyes and reached for the glass of wine. It had been crazy at the office as usual! After her luncheon meeting she had comeback to have several meetings in office. The new strawberry flavor was taking off and distributions had stepped up. It was partly due to the advertising campaign that the PR department had going on. She lifted her head and sipped the wine thoughtfully. Her mother had been so proud of her when she had make the promotion from the head of the PR department to COO of ColaCo. Her hard work had paid off! And she had worked hard! She had put in more hours than even the two men who founded the company. Getting in early and leaving late. Her only regret was that with all that hard work she had missed out on spending time with her mother. But she had been so proud of her! She had defied the odds and became the first black woman to be made COO of a company like ColaCo and she was damned proud of it! Her salary was pretty large and the perks allowed her to vacation wherever she wanted to. She drove a black convertible BMW, the latest series, and made no apologies about it. Her apartment was her pride and joy and she bought enough clothes and shoes to fill up a small store. She loved shoes and she indulged and she rather thought it was her right. She gave back to charity, not because she felt guilty about earning so much but because she had been poor before and wanted to alleviate what she could. She remembered living in a tiny apartment where her mother would sleep on a fold out cot in the living room and she sleeping in the tiny bedroom with the broken down bed. She had been content and had made the quiet vow that one day she was going to buy a massive bed of her own so that she could roll from one end to another and she had done so. She grinned and toasted herself before drinking down the rest of the wine. She put away the glass and reaching for the sponge, ran it the length of her thighs. Her mind drifted back to the conversation she had had with her friends. “I like him,” she had admitted.
“How much?” Donna had demanded.
“He is sweet and a good conversationalist and he does not lord his wealth over me.”
“Honey, that’s because you are not too rusty in the finance department yourself,” Elaine had said dryly.
“What I earn is like peanuts compared to the net worth of Hughes Software,” Alicia had said with a laugh.
“Still, you are not a pauper,” Donna had said dryly.
She sank down into the water and closed her eyes as it covered her head. She was actually looking forward to seeing him again!
*******
“Come on in.” Alicia opened the door wider for him. “Did you have any trouble finding the place?” She took the bottle of wine from him and walked towards the kitchen.
“Not at all.” He looked around the spotless kitchen. “This is very nice,” he murmured.
“Thanks.” She reached for glasses for the wine and started to open the packages. “I ordered Italian. I hope you are up for it. Chicken Parmesan and mushroom risotto.”
“I brought a bottle of Chardonnay,” he told her with a smile as he unscrewed the cork.
“Perfect.” She had come home and taken a quick shower, putting on simple faded denims and a black silk blouse. Her hair was caught in a ponytail and swung each time she moved. She did not have on makeup and looked very youthful. She shared out the meal into chinaware and placed a plate in front of her. “I thought we would eat here unless you want to go to the dining table.”
“This is fine,” he told her.
“Good. I usually eat here anyway. I hardly eat dinner at home unless it is on the weekend when I am not working.”
“Do you do that often?” he queried as he dug into his meal.
“Do what?” she asked, looking over at him.
“Work on the weekends?”
“Don’t you?” she asked him with raised brows, her fork suspended.
“I try not to.”
“What do you do on the weekends?”
“I usua
lly spend time at the club unless I am traveling. I also like to take my boat out when it’s nice.”
“You have a boat!”
“I do. A yacht actually,” he told her with a sheepish smile. “I love to be alone and been out on the sea relaxes me.”
“When was the last time you took it out?” she asked him curiously.
“Two weeks ago. I went as far as the island in the middle of the ocean and got off there. It’s a tiny place with several fruit trees there.”
“I hear it’s owned by some politician or the other.”
“It is actually owned by my family.”
“You own an island?” She looked at him in surprise.
“I am afraid so.”
“What do you call it? Hughes Island?”
“No.” He laughed at that. “Tropical Isle. It’s not exactly an island. It is very small and it is not occupied.”
“What do you do when you get there?”
“I sit beneath one of the trees and just relax. There is no cell phone service or anything so it is very peaceful and absolutely gorgeous.”
Alicia looked at him for a moment and then getting to her feet she went to get the salad she had prepared. “I am going to be absolutely honest with you,” she murmured as she poured the wine.
“Please.”
“I am not sure I am up for a relationship,” she told him. “I like you, Steven Hughes. I am rather surprised that from the first time I met you I really like you.”
“But?”
“No buts.” She hopped back onto her chair. “I am straightforward and I like to get things out of the way. I thought inviting you here would set the tone of whatever this is. My friends told me that I need to find myself a man but I do not think I need a man to complete me, maybe I am wrong, I don’t know-”
“You don’t need a man to complete you,” he interrupted her softly.
She looked over at him and then smiled. “Thanks.”
“Let’s put this into perspective.” He put aside his wine glass and faced her squarely. “I have never done this before and I fully expected to be uncomfortable but I am not. Let’s just take this one step at a time and see what happens. How about that?”