Be My Valentine: The McClendon Holiday Series, Book 3

by Sean D. Young

  The wildly merging traffic and the heavy falling snowflakes cautioned him to drive carefully as he pulled onto Lake Shore Drive. Although he had a short distance to get back to his sister’s place, he could tell that the roads were slippery as soon as he pressed the brake and felt the back wheels of the car slide to the right.

  It was apparent no matter how determined Patrice was there was disappointment on her face, the light going out in her eyes when he’d responded to her list. He’d let her down and it bothered him. But he hated to agree to something like creating a fragrance with a person he barely knew, especially with such a short timeline. He couldn’t think of another answer to give her for there was so much at stake for him. He needed to find out more about Patrice and the business before committing to assisting her. The first thing he needed to do was call his attorney to see what he could and couldn’t do. After all, he’d been telling his sister how bored he’d been and this would allow him to do what he loved—create.

  Suddenly, the traffic came to a screeching halt and Jacques was relieved that the speedometer hadn’t gone past twenty miles per hour. His mind was preoccupied and if he’d been going any faster, he would have surely hit the car in front of him.

  While the vehicles were all standing still, he called his attorney’s cell phone. Immediately, the deep bass in Mr. Friedman’s voice boomed through the line with a message that he was in court all day and would return the call later. Jacques was a bit disappointed, but left a message anyway.

  A blaring horn startled him and Jacques threw the phone on the passenger seat, looked up to see that the traffic was finally moving. He checked his rearview mirror and saw a man in the car behind him had lifted his middle finger at him. Jacques stifled the curse word that was on his lips. He realized that the person wouldn’t be able to hear him anyway, so he released the brake and continued on his way. As soon as he got home, he had some research to do on Ms. Patrice McClendon.

  Chapter Four

  As soon as Jacques’s eyes opened the next morning, he grabbed his phone and called his attorney. He didn’t want to continue to leave Patrice hanging and wanted to give her a definite answer as to whether or not he was going to be able to help her. The voicemail engaged right away without the phone ringing even once.

  Placing the phone beside him, he grabbed his laptop from the side table and turned it on.

  Logging onto his computer, Jacques immediately typed in the web address to his favorite search engine, then added Good Scents Aromatherapy and Day Spa and hit the “enter” key on his keyboard.

  As he scanned the search results, he clicked on a link, which provided him with Myra McClendon as the name of the principal owner of the business and he saw Patrice McClendon as the Chief Operating Officer. Clicking through other entries from the search results, he read as much information as he could find about the business. He even found links to all of Patrice’s social media pages and was pleasantly surprised when he came across images from the family’s New Year’s Eve Charity event.

  He admired the photos of the family seemingly having a good time at their charity ball. Jacques clicked on the photo so that it would take him to the actual webpage. He came across a photograph of a couple cutting into a tall cake. The young lady looked similar to Patrice and Jacques had never thought to ask her if she was married. He hadn’t seen a ring on her finger, so it wasn’t obvious if she was or was not. He clicked on the photo on the McClendon Gives website to enlarge it and read the caption.

  Jennifer McClendon and Simeon Baker celebrating their wedding at the event. Jacques figured that Jennifer was Patrice’s sister and once he clicked the mouse to go to the next photo on the site, he saw a photo of the entire McClendon family. He couldn’t help but smile as he spotted Patrice in her long flowing gown, her face glistening and the wide smile on her face.

  “Beautiful,” he whispered.

  Now, Jacques really wanted to see Patrice again so that he could talk to her. He looked at the clock before grabbing his wallet. He opened his leather billfold and retrieved the business card she’d given him. He ran his fingers across the gold script. “Good Scents Aromatherapy and Day Spa, immerse yourself in luxury,” he whispered in the air before picking up the phone and dialing the number.

  He thought he was going to end up listening to her voicemail greeting in order to hear her voice after the phone had rang four times, but was pleasantly surprised when he heard her voice.

  “This is Patrice,” she said.

  “You sound like you’re out of breath. Is this a bad time?”

  “No, I was trying to answer before it went to voicemail. My phone was down in the bottom of my purse,” Patrice responded.

  “Patrice, Jacques Germain here.”

  “How are you?”

  “I’m well.”

  “Great,” she said.

  “Listen, I’m calling to invite you to dinner tonight if you don’t have other plans.”

  “No, no, I don’t have any plans. Where would you like to meet?”

  Jacques didn’t want Patrice to meet him, he wanted to pick her up, but didn’t know how to tell her. “If it would be okay with you, I’d like to pick you up.”

  “Pick me up?” she repeated.

  “Yes, I don’t want you out alone trying to meet me somewhere. I think I should escort you.”

  He heard her giggle. “Are you laughing at me, Ms. McClendon?”

  “Of course, I am Jacques. And what’s with the ‘Ms. McClendon’. At first you called me Patrice and now it’s Ms. McClendon.”

  She was definitely not afraid to speak her mind; Jacques could see that right away. A woman like her would keep any man on his toes. “Well, Patrice, I would like to pick you up at around seven o’clock.”

  “Can we make it eight since I need to be here at the shop until we close today?”

  “So you want me to pick you up at your place of business?”

  “Yes,” she responded.

  “That will be fine then. I’ll see you at eight o’clock.”

  “Thanks, Jacques,” Patrice said before disconnecting the call.

  As soon as the call dropped, his phone vibrated as he held it in his hands. It was an unrecognizable number, but it was a 212 area code. He answered quickly, curious as to the identity of the caller.

  “Jacques Germain speaking.”

  “Mr. Germain, this is Detective O’Bryan from the NYPD.”

  “Yes, detective, what can I do for you?” Jacques didn’t want to jump to conclusions, so he would stop his mind from racing right now, so that he could find out what the man wanted.

  “We would like for you to come down to the station and answer a few questions.”

  “Concerning?”

  “The incident at Fairchild Ltd.”

  “I’m out of town. I told Roger Fields and the board everything I knew before leaving the building. Can this interview be done over the phone?”

  “No, we need to question you in-person.”

  For a split second, Jacques’s heart pounded loudly in his chest. But once he took a deep breath, he calmed down because he realized that he hadn’t done anything wrong.

  “Detective, exactly what kinds of questions will I be answering?”

  “We just need you to come in to give a formal statement and answer a few questions. I’d rather not talk about them over the phone. We can set it up for some time tomorrow.”

  Jacques released a sigh. There wasn’t anything he could say to change the detective’s mind. It didn’t make sense to continue to debate with him for it was better to make a voluntary appearance than to be summoned. “I will be there sometime tomorrow afternoon detective along with my lawyer. You have a good day now.”

  Jacques pressed the “end” button and immediately dialed John’s cell phone, hoping that it wouldn’t go to his voicemail this time.

 
“John Friedman.”

  “John.”

  “Jacques, you were on my list to call. How are things up in the Windy City?”

  “Looks like I’m coming back to the Big Apple.”

  “You’re ending your vacation early?”

  “No, I just got off the phone with the NYPD and they want me to come in for questioning.”

  “Really, so when do they want you to come in?”

  “Tomorrow.”

  “What? Okay, then I’ll meet you there and will guide you through the interview.”

  “Are they going to charge me with something, John?”

  “We’ll have to see what they say, Jacques. Honestly, I’m not sure what’s going on. They may want to fingerprint you or something. I don’t know.”

  The more Jacques tried to make sense of it all, the more confused he was about the process of catching the thief. “If they’re looking for my fingerprints, they’re all over the lab. It’s my lab, I’ve worked there for the last six years.”

  “Let’s not jump to conclusions. That’s the reason I’m going to be there. So, have you checked on flights yet?”

  “No, I immediately called you.”

  “Is this why you were trying to contact me yesterday?”

  “No, I have an opportunity to collaborate with a small business here in Chicago to create a scent for Valentine’s Day.”

  “I knew that you were lying when you said that you were going to Chicago to relax. I don’t think you know how.”

  Jacques wasn’t offended by his attorney’s opinion since they’d been friends since meeting at an Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc. regional meeting. They hit it off and had been friends ever since.

  “I tried, man, I really did.”

  “I feel you, man. I can’t do it either; at least not fully. I can rest a couple of hours, but then I’m ready to get back to work.”

  “Will the Fairchild investigation hinder me from working with others?”

  “You don’t have an exclusivity clause in your contract, right?”

  “No, I don’t.”

  “You were an employee of Fairchild Ltd.?”

  “Yes. Plus I had been suspended anyway before I gave them my resignation.”

  “That’s true, but we don’t want them coming after this small business if whatever you’re helping them create is a hit.”

  Jacques rubbed his temple. He didn’t want to involve Patrice in his mess. He sincerely wanted to help her not harm her. “Maybe I should just forget it. I really wanted to help this woman.”

  “How did I know a woman was involved?” John asked.

  Jacques chuckled. “Man, you know me too well.”

  “Okay, tell me about her, then.”

  “She’s really smart, ambitious, and very beautiful.”

  “I see. Does she know that you are the Mack Man?”

  Jacques hadn’t heard that phrase in years. He couldn’t help it if the ladies liked being around him. “I’m going to ignore that last comment.”

  “You know I’m telling the truth. You get more women than the law allows. Now, you’re in Chicago slaying the ladies.”

  “I wouldn’t say all that. Let’s get back to the question. Can I help this girl or not?”

  “As long as you don’t have an exclusivity clause, I don’t see why not. You’ve got to make a living.”

  “Yes, and if it’s one thing I know how to do well, that’s create a wonderful scent.”

  “I say go for it,” John said. “Text me your flight information once you’ve made the arrangements.”

  “Of course, I’ll hit you up.”

  “Jacques, I’m telling you right now that I don’t want you to lose your temper.”

  “No, no, don’t worry about it. I’m cool. I’ll see you sometime tomorrow.”

  Jacques ended the call. Hitting his cell phone against his wrist, he wondered if he should try to contact Harlan Lowe, who worked in the lab with him, to see what he knew about the investigation. Now that he was gone, Harlan was now second in command, so he should know something.

  As soon as he’d pressed all the numbers, he changed his mind. He didn’t want to look guilty in anyone’s eyes, especially not those who worked closely with him. It didn’t make sense to take that kind of risk and potentially get Harlan into trouble for speaking to him. Harlan was a good guy. They’d hit it off from the first day Harlan came to work in the lab almost five years ago. Before Fairchild gave Jacques the budget for a full staff it had just been he and Harlan. Now there were a total of five. He put his phone down and picked up his laptop. Opening a browser window he typed in the airline’s web address and went through the process of purchasing his ticket. He had a feeling that this trip would only be the beginning.

  * * * * *

  Jacques’s deep voice captured Patrice’s attention right away and she was relieved that she answered before it went to voicemail. She’d tossed and turned the night before wondering if he would ever contact her again. She googled the other people on her list and even sent an email to those who had contact information online. But in reality she had no candidates for the position of perfumer. All she had was that chance meeting with Jacques.

  After hearing his reluctant answer the day before, she thought she was probably back to square one. But once she heard his smoky deep voice today, she wondered why it sounded so intimate when he asked her to dinner. Or maybe it was just her imagination.

  She’d just gotten off the phone with one of her aroma girls who worked the front counter. Nikki Howard called to tell her that she couldn’t come into work today. Patrice tried not to sound upset when she called her at the crack of dawn with yet another excuse. But truthfully, Patrice was mad as hell with Nikki for leaving her short-handed. It was the third time in a month that she didn’t come to work. Patrice wanted to purely focus on her new project along with her other duties, not work the front counter.

  The only reason Patrice hadn’t fired her was because she knew that Nikki had a young daughter. It reminded her of Jennifer, her sister, who until recently was a single mother of twins. Patrice had sympathy on Nikki because of it, but if the absences continued, she would have to sit her down and have a long talk with her.

  Patrice had to finish getting dressed and out the door so she could open the boutique. It would also mean that she would be doing two jobs, especially if the shop got busy.

  Patrice had worked the counter in the boutique since she was tall enough to stand behind it, so she wasn’t worried about not knowing what to do. Learning every aspect of the business, she soon found that her heart was in creating in the lab. Unlike the kitchen stove her mother used when she started Good Scents, they had graduated to a more sophisticated setup to create new products. Unfortunately, she wouldn’t be working in the lab today.

  Patrice found herself rushing and when she stepped out of her apartment building, she noticed the pavement shined like glass. She took her time getting to her vehicle and dreaded driving in the winter. Folks didn’t heed to the elements and continued to drive in the snow, sleet and rain like it was still ninety-eight degrees instead of minus eight.

  Still, she had to pick up her pace because she didn’t want Fantasia, the other aroma girl, to be sitting outside in the cold waiting. So, when her phone started buzzing, she was right in the middle of traffic. After her conversation with Jacques, she was more enthusiastic than ever about her decision to expand the Good Scents product line. When she first laid eyes on him yesterday, something told her that he was the one and she really and truly hoped that he wasn’t going to let her down.

  Excited about the meeting, she turned up the radio after she heard the first few bars of Pharrell’s “Happy,” came through the car radio. She sang along with the mid-tempo, neo soul song, drumming the steering wheel with her gloved fingers.

  Patrice finally tu
rned into the small parking lot on the side of the building at Good Scents just as Fantasia Russell was pulling in behind her. Both Fantasia and Nikki sold the products, ensuring that every customer had an in-depth consultation to make sure they were getting the right products for their needs.

  Climbing out of her late model Infiniti, Patrice wanted to get inside as quickly as possible before she froze to death. Fantasia got out as well.

  “Good morning, Patrice,” Fantasia said.

  “Tasia, how are you feeling today?”

  “Nikki must be out again?” Fantasia commented.

  Patrice only nodded because she could tell by the look on Fantasia’s face that she was ready to tell her something personal about Nikki. Patrice had always prided herself in not talking negatively about one employee to another.

  “I’ll be working with you today. I have a feeling that we’re going to be very busy,” Patrice said as she moved toward the door to unlock it.

  Patrice glanced at Fantasia’s expression. She wasn’t sorry that she wouldn’t gossip about another person. It was the right thing to do.

  She pushed the key into the lock and hurried inside so that she could disengage the alarm system. She waited until Fantasia moved past her and then she followed. The scent of jasmine wafted in the air.

  “Fantasia, is that jasmine I smell on you?” Patrice asked. She loved working with the jasmine flower as it had such an exquisite scent.

  Fantasia blushed. “Yes, it is. Remember, I asked you if I could try a couple of the small soap samples we had out yesterday?”

  “Yes, I remember and it smells wonderful on you,” Patrice commented and then smiled. Every couple of days or whenever she came up with something after playing around in the lab, she would put out samples for the customers to try. She would usually get feedback when they came back in for a spa treatment or to purchase products.