"I told him I wanted to stop seeing him socially and he said no."
"And what did you say to that?"
"I told him my reputation was at stake and I wasn't willing to put it on the line for him."
"How did that come up?"
"People at work are talking."
"So?" Dee chugged lemonade, while Feechi wanted to hit her.
"I care what people think about me and I don't want it said I'm getting special favors because of him."
"So what if you are? You're going to give up on a good man because of what people might be saying?"
"Like I've told you so many times, I'm happy as I am. Carsten would just complicate matters and Jack—"
"Likes Carsten and wants to see more of him."
When Feechi didn't say anything and wouldn't look at her, Dee rubbed Feechi's feet with her own. "Hey, I know Dennis did a number on you, but you can't spend the rest of your life focused on the past.
"At some point you have to let it go and turn a new leaf. So you made a mistake. Are you going to spend the rest of your life paying for it?"
"No, but I can certainly try not to go down that road again."
"Carsten doesn't need anything from you, so you have nothing to fear."
"Why do I feel offended by that?"
Dee laughed, a throaty sound that tickled Feechi's funny bone.
"Sorry, hon, I said that as if there's nothing about you that could possibly attract Carsten. What I meant to say is that he's not the kind of man who's likely to be thirsty, so he wouldn't be desperate for what you can give him."
"That still doesn't sound right, but I understand what you mean."
Dee bumped Feechi's feet again and waited until they were both serious before she said, "Forget about Dennis and enjoy what Carsten is offering. He's a good guy."
She touched her chest. "I feel it here and you know I'm great at sniffing out the wasters."
"Yeah, I'll give it some thought."
"Over to you, Sis." Dee finished her lemonade and shook the ice in the glass. "It's your turn to clean up."
They got up from the table, and Feechi poked her head into the living room. Max lay on Jack's feet, while the two of them watched television. She turned back into the kitchen without disturbing them.
Jack had enjoyed their time with Carsten and now that she put some thought into it, she realized her son didn't have a father figure in his life. She'd never admit aloud that it was perhaps something he needed, but what they didn't have, they could live without.
Five minutes later, when she stood at the sink washing the dishes, her thoughts returned to Jack. With Christmas only a month away, she decided to get him a tablet and fill it with games. He'd like that.
Her mother would probably say she was spoiling him, but he deserved to have her splurge on him because he never complained when she couldn't buy him the things his classmates and friends took for granted.
It was too soon to think about it, but she needed to do something about the pile of metal parked at their gate. The last round at the mechanic had already confirmed what she knew. The Subaru needed to go on a scrap heap, but one thing at a time. Now that she had this job, she could get something on hire purchase early next year.
After the kitchen was clean, Feechi homed in on Jack.
Dee had gone to her room and Jack was still watching the cartoon characters onscreen.
She sat next to him, bumping him with her shoulder. "Can I get some Mommy time?"
He smiled and pushed back at her. "Of course."
"So what happened today?"
"School was boring and I wanted to come home and be with Max. It would be fun if he could come to school with me."
Max looked up at them from the carpet and rolled onto his side.
"You know they don't allow dogs in school, so you can forget about that."
"I know, but did you decide yet if we're going to keep him?"
"Suzanne might come back in January, you know that—"
"But if she knows you want Max, she won't come for him."
"You knew from the start Max was only here for a time."
"But Mommy, this is his home now and he probably won't even remember Auntie by the time she comes back."
Jack's lips drooped and he went silent, keeping his eyes on the television.
With each moment that went by, Feechi felt as if she had denied him something necessary to his survival. Of course, a dog wasn't a vital necessity but just as she feared, he'd grown too attached to Max.
As if he knew what was going on in her mind, the dog sat up and cocked his head like he was asking a question.
Feechi got off the sofa, grumbling. "Dunno why you're looking at me like that."
"Did you say something, Mommy?"
"Just that it's almost time for bed, I'm going to turn back your sheets. Go brush your teeth."
"Okay, come on Max."
Jack wriggled off the sofa and padded toward the bedroom with Max at his heels.
Feechi continued toward his bedroom, the smallest room in the house. In no time, she had the sheet pulled back and his pajamas on top of the pillow. Then, she popped into the bathroom to help him brush his teeth.
Jack resisted her efforts to assist him, as always, but she convinced him by telling him it was easier for her to reach the certain places.
She didn't need to help him because he took his time and did a good job. Sometimes, she overcompensated for the things she hadn't been able to give him by doing simple things for him and spending time with him.
After he rinsed his mouth, they went down the passage to his room, where she let him change his clothes and then tucked him under the sheet.
Max lay at the foot of the bed waiting and watching.
Feechi knew as soon as she settled in for the night, he'd climb into Jack's bed and lay on his feet. The only way to keep him out of the room was to close Jack's door, but he protested each time she banished Max.
"You're ready to say the Our Father?" she asked.
Jack nodded, and together they said the prayer that had become a nightly ritual.
She switched off the bedside lamp and lay beside him, kissing his cheek.
When he turned on his side, she closed her eyes waiting for him to fall asleep.
"Mommy?"
She opened her eyes to find Jack peering at her in the darkness. "Hmm?"
"When is Uncle Carsten coming again?"
"I'm not sure, hon. Why d'you ask?"
"I like him and Max likes him too."
"That's nice."
The silence settled around them again and when she thought he was asleep, Jack dragged her out of a snooze.
"Can I have a daddy?"
Feechi's eyes popped open. "What?"
"I asked if I can—"
"What about Max, didn't you want to keep him a few minutes ago?"
"My friends have dogs and daddies, so I'd like a daddy too."
"Hon, you know you can't just get a daddy."
Jack yawned and blinked hard, trying to stay awake. "Well, how do we get one since I don't have one?"
"You should be sleeping, maybe we can talk about this tomorrow."
"You promise?"
"Yeah, we'll talk about it then."
His eyelids closed and he curled his hand into a fist against his cheek, mumbling. "G'nite, Mommy."
"Nite, hon."
As she waited for him to drift off, Feechi hoped he'd forget about his sudden daddy thirst. Jack could be persistent, and she had no idea what to tell him if he started asking more questions. If he followed his usual pattern, it wouldn't be too long before he'd start asking what happened to his father.
Chapter 15
Feechi had done her best to ignore Carsten all evening, and he let her. She sat at the desk in the tiny room behind the main auction area processing payments for the lot of antique furniture.
Classy, as always, she gave away nothing as she completed transactions worth millions of Jamaican
dollars. When she smiled and engaged in small talk, she charmed his customers who left happy.
Her elegant, yet understated dark blue suit had a Chinese collar that gave her an even more remote air, plus she'd put her hair up in a sleek bun. He imagined if she looked at him, he'd get a warning to keep away. Only the Lord knew why he was chasing a woman who didn't see the need for a relationship.
Before Feechi, he'd been perfectly content with his life. Now, she'd crept into his head and he wasn't content to drift along with no aim in view as he'd done with other women. He'd known her barely a month and yet he didn't doubt she could keep him happy.
He was convinced mainly because of the way he felt when he was with her—as if he'd come home. The attraction was there and he had no doubt they'd be passionate together. Her quiet determination and sassiness were intriguing, and to top it all, she was beautiful. To him, anyway, but to hell with what anyone else thought. His parents still had a strong relationship after all this time and he wasn't prepared to settle for less. The woman across the room would give him a good run for his money, but he was game. The thought made him smile.
For the first time, he was caught on the back foot, chasing a woman who was attracted to him but wasn't sold on his way of thinking, but he was up to the challenge and didn't doubt he could change her mind. He just had to find the right way.
She handed an older man a sheet of paper and turned her head so Carsten was in her line of sight. Their eyes met, and her nostrils flared.
He would have smiled, but knew it would tee her off so he let his eyes do the job.
When she cut hers at him, he grinned. Surely, she had more arsenal than that? Did she think a bad look would accomplish anything with him?
Now that the customer had cleared off, he walked over to the desk.
She made him wait before acknowledging him. "Carsten."
"I'm sure you got the message I left today."
"I got busy with the arrangements for this and forgot to call."
Of course, he could have taken her to task for lying, but didn't. They both knew she'd been avoiding him.
He glanced around before asking her what he'd been dying to know since he got to the hotel. "Why are you doing this?"
Her eyes went wide and her breath came out in a huff.
"I mean sitting here, doing this job."
"Oh." Her shoulders slumped, and he hid his amusement. She didn't know him at all if she expected him to buttonhole her about private matters in public.
"I waited too late to ask and didn't want to inconvenience anybody, so I thought I'd handle this one myself."
"I could have assigned someone."
Her gaze swept his face. "I know, but … "
"It's that gossip business."
She nodded, and he sighed.
"How did that prevent you from getting another pair of hands?" His tone softened. "You could have talked to me."
Her guilty expression made him smile. "But you were still mad at me so that was a no-no."
He leaned on the desk with both hands. "Next time, please ask for help. You'll be no use to me if you overwork yourself until you're sick."
"I'm fine."
"I know you are, but from a practical point of view the work you've done here is too much for one person."
She was about to protest, but the stern expression he wore kept her quiet. Giving her one more intense stare, he stepped away from the table.
A few stragglers held conversations in the auction area and suddenly, Carsten was impatient for them to be gone. He didn't doubt that Feechi didn't want to be in his company, but with the balancing and handing over at the end of the night, she didn't have a choice.
He rubbed the back of his neck and skimmed the room once more. Only two customers left. Marise, the employee who'd registered the buyers was on her feet clearing the table.
Within half an hour, Feechi would be ready to leave and he didn't intend for her to leave without him. On his arrival, he'd scanned the parking lot and hadn't seen her car, which pleased him since he could offer her a ride.
When he thought about it, it irked him that he had to make excuses to be with her but whatever it took to be with her was what he'd do. He strode across the passage to the men's room and by the time he used the stall and washed his hands, the message tone on his phone sounded.
He got it out and swiped the screen.
Feechi.
Need to see you, please.
He stood before the mirror straightening his tie, more as a delaying tactic than anything else. If he'd read Feechi correctly, she was ready to make a speedy exit, but there was no way she could have tallied the sales already. The lot had only been thirty-five pieces, but it would still take time to finalize the numbers.
He crossed the aisle again and, on his way to Feechi, bid goodbye to the moving team—James and Manny. The heavy breath he let out before opening the door between him and Feechi surprised him.
The last time he'd been anxious about interacting with any woman was too far back to remember. His lips twisted as he mocked himself. Now was the time to grab hold of himself, otherwise he wouldn't be at his best and he needed to be if he was to have his way with Feechi this evening.
She raised her head when he entered the room and again, he was distracted by her intense gaze. Her stare was expressionless and yet he knew she had things going on which she didn't want him to see.
"You summoned me?"
Her smile reminded him of a mischievous child who was up to something and he hoped it meant she'd changed her mind about him.
"Yes." She pointed to the plastic storage box on the table. "I'm finished and wanted to hand this stuff over to you."
"You couldn't have balanced already."
"Yes, I have. I was keeping a running tally."
He folded his arms and freed the smile pulling at his lips. "And why would you do that?"
Her skin flushed and her eyelids fluttered, but she avoided him by sliding the box closer and putting the clipboard on top.
"The cash pan is inside."
He dipped his head once, but didn't give any other indication that he heard her. His manual addition verified Feechi's total within a minute. Holding the clipboard by the bottom end, he handed it to Feechi. "Seems fine to me. If you have any problems, talk to me in the morning."
He picked up the box and wedged it under his arm. "Are you ready to go?"
"I'm calling a taxi."
"Why?"
"Because I left my car at home."
"Is something wrong with it?"
"No. It's easier to just get a cab."
It didn't make sense to him since he knew she didn't have money to throw around, but he didn't want to make an issue of her transportation arrangements or her reasoning.
"Can I offer you a ride?"
She licked her lip and avoided his gaze. Then to his surprise, she nodded. "Yes, thanks."
He waited for her to move from behind the desk and took her arm, leading her toward the lobby.
"Wait here," he said, when they stood outside the hotel entrance. He walked away with the box under his arm, crossing the parking lot quickly. After getting inside the van, he placed the box on the floor behind the passenger seat and then drove to where Feechi waited.
She waved at him through the window and hopped in when he started to get out of the van.
"I'm fine, no need to go out of your way for me."
He shut the door on his side and reengaged the seatbelt. "I wasn't going out of my way. I was being me."
"That’s considerate of you. Thanks."
"You're welcome."
She sighed softly, which stirred something in him. She'd done an excellent job for her first solo attempt. Softly, he said, "You should come in late tomorrow."
"Why?"
"Isn't it obvious?"
She swept him with her eyes. "Are you coming in late?"
He laughed. "No, I'm not."
"Then explain to me why I should."
<
br /> "I was simply being considerate. I have an early meeting, which is why I'm going in."
"Oh."
"Didn't your mother ever tell you never to look a gift horse in the mouth?"
"Maybe, but she also told me to always pull my weight, especially when I'm in a position of responsibility."
"Smart woman, but I'm the boss and I say you deserve to take a few hours to yourself. Like I said last time, you're like a lucky charm. We sold the entire lot."
"Yeah, that's great."
They drove in silence until he pressed a button on the dashboard, flooding the van with soothing reggae instrumental that had the sound of steel pans.
Feechi let out a soft chuckle. "You like this kind of music?"
"Why wouldn't I?"
"People in your position tend to lose touch with the common man and the things they appreciate."
"Is that so? Speaking for myself, I'd say my taste hasn't changed much and if I put on any airs, my mother would slap them right out of me."
"I like her already and I haven't met her. Sounds like a strong woman."
"Yeah, she had to be, raising us kids. We all had a mind of our own."
"Tell me some more about your family."
After the briefest hesitation, he entertained her with stories about his brothers and sisters and their life in the country.
She was laughing when they pulled up to her gate. "I bet you miss them being this far away."
"Not really, since I make the time to go and visit at least once each month." After switching off the engine, he added, "You should come with me on my next trip."
"You'd invite a stranger along to visit your family?"
"You're not a stranger."
"But we're not exactly friends."
"Aren't we?" He unsnapped the seatbelt and twisted in the seat. "I consider you a friend."
"You do?"
"Yeah, I know you mean me no harm and you've only helped me so far." He lowered his voice so she almost had to lean toward him to hear his words. "But, we could be so much more if you'd let yourself relax."
She took a deep breath and let it out, sinking against the seat. "Don't you think our relationship now is challenging enough without trying to make things worse?"
"I don't see how things could be worse when you have the potential of being the best thing that's happened to me lately."
Sold!: A Holiday Romance Page 10