by Naomi Chase
“Brandon?” Cynthia prompted.
He glanced up from putting on his shoes. “The prayer breakfast is on Saturday, remember?”
“Of course I remember.” Cynthia smiled. “You’re giving a speech, and it’ll be our first time appearing together on the campaign trail. Every TV station in town will be there.”
Brandon grimaced. He prayed to God that Tamia wouldn’t see any of the coverage.
“Anyway,” Cynthia continued, slipping on a pair of cotton panties, “after the prayer breakfast, I was thinking we could go house hunting.”
Brandon froze, staring at her. “House hunting?”
“Yes.” She frowned at his startled tone. “Don’t get me wrong, Brandon. I love your condo, but surely you don’t expect us to stay here after we get married? We’ve got a baby on the way, so we need a bigger place. The sooner we move into our new home, the sooner I can set up the nursery.”
Brandon’s chest felt suffocatingly tight. “You’re not due for several months. What’s the rush?”
Cynthia snorted. “Spoken like a man who doesn’t have to worry about planning the wedding of the century while harvesting another human being inside his body.”
Brandon frowned. “Wedding of the century?”
Cynthia laughed. “That’s what our mothers are calling it,” she explained, making her way to the closet. “You should see how giddy and excited those women are over this wedding. You would think they’d never planned anything in their lives. And I swear the guest list gets longer every day.”
Brandon rose from the bed and crossed to the dresser on leaden legs. As he slid on his platinum TAG Heuer watch, Cynthia kept up a steady stream of chatter from the closet.
“I’m going to ask Shanell to hook us up with her Realtor. He’s absolutely amazing, Brandon. He’s sold properties for a lot of celebrities who are from Houston, including Loretta Devine. Shanell says he’s in such demand that he only takes referrals, but I’m sure he’d love to have us as clients. I mean, we’re practically royalty in this town.”
Brandon went still.
Cynthia’s words had triggered a memory—a memory of the very first time he’d met Dominic Archer. He and Tamia had been having dinner at a restaurant when Dominic appeared at their table. After Tamia had nervously made the introductions, Dominic had given Brandon a surprised look.
Chambers . . . Any relation to our lieutenant governor and the bigwig federal judge?
They’re my parents.
Your parents? Wow, man. You’re practically royalty.
Brandon frowned. We’re practically royalty in this town....
Cynthia poked her head out of the closet. “So?”
Brandon met her expectant gaze. “So what?”
“Are you up for house hunting on Saturday?”
He was silent, studying her through narrowed eyes.
Her smile wavered. “Why are you looking at me like that?”
“No particular reason.” Brandon calmly picked up his wallet and smartphone, then started from the room. “I’ll let you know about Saturday.”
“Wait, where are you going?” Cynthia called after him. “I thought we were riding to work together.”
“Not today. You’re not ready yet, and I don’t wanna be late for my meeting.”
“But—”
“I’ll see you at the office.” He closed the bedroom door on her protests and headed from the apartment.
A few minutes later, as he climbed into his car and started the engine, his phone rang.
His pulse quickened.
He foolishly hoped it was Tamia calling to tell him that she had no intention of sleeping with any man until she and Brandon could be together again.
But one glance at the phone’s display screen dashed that hope.
It wasn’t Tamia.
It was Dre’s mother.
Brandon frowned. He considered ignoring her call, but he knew he’d have to deal with her sooner or later. He might as well get it over with.
Clenching his jaw, he pressed the talk button. “Hello.”
“Hello, Brandon. This is Renay Portis.”
“Ms. Portis,” he said coolly. “What can I do for you?”
“Oh, goodness. I don’t even know where to start.” She let out a nervous breath. “First of all, I wanted to apologize for what happened the other night. I didn’t mean to make you feel uncomfortable.”
“Really?” Brandon countered sardonically. “How did you think I’d feel when you came on to me?”
“Well, I was hoping you’d feel flattered. Turned on.”
When Brandon didn’t laugh, she heaved a resigned breath. “The point is, I was way out of line for trying to seduce you. I’d had a few glasses of wine before you arrived, but that’s no excuse for my behavior.”
“No,” Brandon agreed, “it isn’t.”
“It’s just that . . . well, I get lonely sometimes. It’s hard to meet good men nowadays—men who are handsome, confident, financially successful. Real men who are about something . . .” She trailed off with a wistful sigh. “Men like you don’t come around every day, Brandon. But that’s not your fault. I’m sorry for coming on to you. Do you think you can forgive me?”
Brandon stared out the window, shaking his head. “Please don’t do anything like that again, Ms. Portis, or you gon’ have me in therapy. I’m serious.”
She laughed.
He surprised himself by chuckling.
After a few moments, Renay implored, “I hope you won’t tell Dre about this. He’d be furious with me.”
“Yeah, he would.”
“You’re his best friend in the world, Brandon. I’d never forgive myself for causing a rift between you two. Please promise me you won’t say anything to Dre.”
Brandon hated keeping secrets. He knew all too well that secrets destroyed lives. But sometimes they were necessary.
“I won’t tell him,” he promised.
Renay gave a sigh of relief. “Thank you, Brandon.”
He nodded, though she couldn’t see the gesture.
“Well, I won’t keep you any longer. I’m sure you’re on your way to work to make that paper.” She paused for a long moment. “If you ever change your mind about my offer—”
Brandon scowled. “Good-bye, Ms. Portis.”
He hung up on her naughty laughter.
Ain’t that some shit?
Shaking his head in disbelief, he shoved on a pair of sunglasses and backed out of the parking space, making a mental note to stay the hell away from his best friend’s horny-ass mother from now on.
Chapter 16
Tamia
Dominic met Tamia as she stepped off the elevator, sleek bob bouncing against her cheekbones, leather briefcase swinging at her side.
“Good morning.” Dominic looked her over and grinned broadly. “You look amazing. Red is definitely your color.”
“Think so?” Catching her reflection in the lobby’s mirrored wall, Tamia smiled. She was rocking a fitted skirt suit that accentuated her curves and hinted at her plump cleavage. She looked damn good, but more important, she felt good—about herself and her future.
“Are Mr. and Mrs. Ehrlich here?”
Dominic nodded. “They’re waiting in the conference room.”
Tamia smiled. “Lead the way.”
It was Thursday morning, and she was meeting her potential new clients at the downtown offices of Archer Foods International.
As she and Dominic stepped through the double glass doors leading into his company’s reception area, the receptionist stared at Tamia in openmouthed shock.
“I take it you haven’t told your employees about our partnership,” Tamia muttered to Dominic.
He chuckled. “Not yet.”
As they passed the reception desk, he said to the stunned woman, “Melody, please bring Miss Luke some coffee.”
“Um, that’s okay,” Tamia interjected. “I’ve already had my morning caffeine fix.”
Domini
c glanced at her. “You sure?”
“Positive.” The way the receptionist was frowning at her, she didn’t trust the heffa not to spit in her drink.
“All right.”
Dominic guided Tamia to a spacious conference room that overlooked the downtown skyline. Seated at the long table was an attractive, middle-aged white couple talking quietly and sipping coffee.
As Tamia and Dominic entered the room, the man and woman set down their cups and stood.
“Mr. and Mrs. Ehrlich, I’d like you to meet Tamia Luke.”
Tamia smiled, striding forward with an outstretched hand. “Pleasure to meet you both.”
They smiled affably as they shook her hand.
“Thank you for meeting with us,” Grace Ehrlich said. “Mr. Archer hasn’t stopped singing your praises.”
“Is that right?”
Dominic gave Tamia a lazy smile. “I’ve only been speaking the truth.”
Out of the corner of her eye, Tamia saw Buddy and Grace Ehrlich exchange knowing smiles. She wondered whether they, like most Houstonians, had followed her criminal trial. Though Tamia had been acquitted of Isabel Archer’s murder, she hadn’t exactly come away smelling like roses. Her scandalous affair with Dominic—a married man—had undoubtedly left a bad taste in many people’s mouths. But if the Ehrlichs had a problem with her, they wouldn’t be here, right?
Tamia briskly cleared her throat. “Shall we get started?”
She was surprised—and slightly annoyed—when Dominic sat at the end of the table instead of leaving. Just because he was funding her business didn’t mean she needed handholding.
When she arched a brow at him, he drawled, “Don’t mind me. I’m just killing time before I have to attend another meeting. Pretend I’m not even here.”
Tamia eyed him a moment longer, then cleared her throat and turned her attention to the Ehrlichs.
“I had an opportunity to review your Web site,” she began, removing her iPad from her briefcase. She powered it on, then propped up the portable device so that everyone had a clear view of the screen.
“The good news is that your bed-and-breakfast is gorgeous with scenic views, and the location is perfect. Being ninety minutes outside of Houston, you’re far enough away to provide a welcome break from the city and make couples feel like they’re on a real vacation. At the same time, they’re close enough to home to be able to rush back in case of an emergency involving their kids.”
The Ehrlichs nodded, absorbing her feedback.
“What’s the bad news?” Buddy asked cautiously.
“Your Web site isn’t as functional and inviting as it should be. The design is somewhat sterile, and it takes too much clicking around to access basic information.” Tamia demonstrated on the iPad. “You’re in the hospitality business, so your Web site needs to reflect that.”
Grace nodded grimly. “We both retired from corporate America, so it’s hard to break that corporate mentality.”
“I understand,” Tamia soothed. “It doesn’t happen overnight. That’s why I’m here—to see how I can help you. Redesigning your Web site should be one of our top priorities. But that’s only one component of your business. We also need to build your presence on social media. I’ve worked with several companies that have successfully leveraged the power of social networking to reach their target customers. There’s no reason you can’t do the same.”
The Ehrlichs traded hopeful glances, which further boosted Tamia’s confidence. She was in her element again, doing what she loved, and it felt good.
Grace smiled ruefully. “Since Buddy and I were both successful in our careers, we underestimated how hard it would be to run our own business. When we retired and decided to open a B and B, we mistakenly subscribed to the notion ‘If you build it they will come.’ But that hasn’t been the reality.”
“It seldom is,” Tamia remarked sympathetically. “Not without some help. How have reservations been this month?”
“Slow,” Grace admitted with a grimace. “We figured since it’s the holidays—”
Tamia shook her head. “The holidays are the busiest time of year in the hospitality industry. With Christmas right around the corner, you should be booked solid by now.”
Grace sighed. “I wish.”
Tamia pursed her lips, tapping her manicured nails on top of the iPad. “Since cruise ships sail out of Galveston, most Houstonians naturally think of going on cruises during the winter holidays. But what about those who can’t afford one, or who only need a few days of relaxation somewhere close to home? Those are the people you want to target.”
The Ehrlichs nodded in agreement.
“You can advertise on local radio and TV stations and hold contests to give away complimentary stays. It’d be great if you could also get a celebrity endorsement.”
“A celebrity endorsement?” Grace repeated.
“Yes. If you had a famous couple who stayed at the B and B, they could be featured in promo ads. That would do wonders for publicity.”
“I’m sure it would.” Grace exchanged wistful glances with her husband. “But we don’t know any celebrities.”
Tamia couldn’t help thinking of Brandon’s friendship with Beyoncé and Jay-Z. A glowing endorsement from the powerhouse couple would have people flocking to the Ehrlichs’ B and B, turning the rustic retreat into a status symbol—except regular folks would actually be able to afford it.
If Tamia and Brandon had still been dating, she might have asked him to hook her up. But that wasn’t an option anymore.
Pushing the thought aside, she said to the Ehrlichs, “I’ll think of something. Anyway, do you conduct guest surveys?”
“We do.” Buddy grimaced. “But we’ve found that some people aren’t completely honest with us.”
Grace elaborated, “One couple gushed about what a great time they’d had and how they were going to recommend our B and B to their family and friends. Imagine our surprise when we found a scathing review from that same couple on Travelocity.”
Tamia winced. “Ouch.”
Grace laughed. “Tell me about it.”
“I have an idea.”
Everyone turned to stare at Dominic. He was leaning back in his chair, a thoughtful expression on his face as he tapped one long finger against his lips.
Tamia narrowed her eyes. It was bad enough that he’d hung around for the meeting. Now he wanted to offer suggestions?
“I’m just thinking out loud here.... What if Tamia and I spent the weekend as guests at the bed-and-breakfast?”
Tamia raised a brow. “Excuse me?”
Dominic smiled at her. “We could pose as an engaged couple, which would give us an opportunity to interact with other couples who are there. We all know that guests will say things to other guests that they probably wouldn’t say to their hosts. If they have any complaints—big or small—we could pass them along to Buddy and Grace.”
Tamia frowned as the Ehrlichs exchanged considering glances.
“You know,” Buddy mused, “that’s not a bad idea.”
“And it’d be a great way for Tamia to personally experience the B and B,” Grace added.
Tamia’s frown deepened. She had no desire to spend the weekend holed up with Dominic at some romantic retreat. They’d have to share the same room . . . and the same bed.
Hell to the nah!
When three pairs of eyes swung toward her, she nervously wondered if she’d uttered the objection aloud.
“So what do you think, Tamia?” Dominic prompted.
“I don’t know,” she hedged, trying to be diplomatic. “Going undercover as a couple to befriend the other guests is a bit . . . unconventional.”
“Come on,” Dominic cajoled, his eyes twinkling with mischief. “Where’s your sense of adventure?”
Tamia glared at him. If he’d been sitting closer to her, she would have kicked him under the table with the pointy toe of her pumps. Damn him for putting her on the spot like this.
; “I don’t think we’d be able to pull it off,” she asserted. “Anyone who’d followed the trial would recognize us.”
“That’s what disguises are for.” Dominic winked. “Come on, Tamia. It’ll be fun.”
She pursed her lips, darting a glance at the Ehrlichs. They were watching her expectantly. She couldn’t believe she was the only one who thought this was a horrible idea.
“I’ll think about it,” she reluctantly conceded.
Dominic smiled, looking satisfied.
“Well, we’d better head back to the ranch,” Grace announced, rising from the table. “We left our eldest daughter in charge, but we want to be there to greet the guests who are arriving later this afternoon. But before we leave”—she removed a check from her purse and passed it across the table to Tamia—“here’s a retainer for your services.”
Tamia wanted to do cartwheels. “Does this mean I’m hired?”
“Absolutely,” Grace said warmly. “We look forward to working with you.”
After the meeting, Tamia and Dominic escorted the Ehrlichs to the elevator.
As soon as the doors closed behind them, Tamia squealed and stomped her feet in excitement.
Dominic laughed. “Congratulations on landing your first client. Looks like you’re officially in business.”
“Looks that way.” Tamia beamed with pleasure. “This is amazing.”
“You were amazing,” Dominic told her. “The way you commanded the room, the things you were telling them. You really know your stuff, Tamia. I was very impressed.”
Tamia smiled, not immune to his praise. “Thank you, Dominic. For the money, for the client referral—”
He waved off her gratitude. “You don’t have to keep thanking me. I wanted to do this for you, Tamia. I believe in you.”
Her smile softened. “I appreciate that.”
They were standing close together, closer than she’d realized. Dominic wore one of his tailored dark suits with a pinstriped shirt and a silk twill tie. The precise trim of his goatee drew her gaze to his full, juicy lips. She found herself wishing—for the millionth time—that he wasn’t so damn foine.