“That would give us time to go over some things.”
“Yes, because I wanted to talk to you about the business arrangement before we get started on the actual project.”
“Where do you make your aromatherapy oils?”
“I have a small lab in the building.”
“Great, that’s where we’ll have our meeting.”
There was a slight pause before Jacques spoke again. “You know I thought about you as soon as the flight attendant said, ‘Welcome to Chicago.’”
Patrice didn’t respond. She didn’t know how, she just looked down at her melting ice cream. “See you in the morning, Jacques.”
“Have a good night, Patrice.”
Patrice ended the call, smiling as she picked up her spoon and scooped up some of the creamy goodness then went to her bedroom. She didn’t know what it was about his voice, the way he spoke to her or why her body always reacted to him, but they were both getting to her. She hoped that this wouldn’t continue so that she could work with him in peace but she had a feeling that her body was going to betray her again. Who knew what was going to happen when she was standing next to Jacques for hours at a time, five days a week.
Chapter Seven
The next morning when Patrice arrived, she hurried to the front and looked out. Jacques was sitting outside in his car waiting. She unlocked the front door and stuck her head out so that he could see she’d arrived.
As cold as it was outside, Patrice was too busy watching Jacques get out of his car to notice as she was standing with the door wide open and letting the cold air envelope the place. Her eyes roamed his body and she studied the way his legs went out to the side slightly as he walked the short distance to the front door. The man was sexy as hell, even with a wool cap on his head, but the collar was flipped up on the coat, giving the illusion of his coolness. Patrice grinned at him and he smiled back at her as he walked past her and inside the boutique. She relocked the doors and turned to him.
“Good morning,” she said cheerfully, watching him shrug out of his coat.
Jacques kissed her cheek. “Good morning, Patrice.”
He’s winning points already. Patrice smiled. “Let me show you to the office,” she said walking in front of him.
“I thought we were meeting in the lab,” Jacques said, following behind her.
“We should talk first and my office is a good spot,” she said as they moved down the hallway.
Both she and Jacques sat in the two chairs behind her desk, facing each other.
“Where do you want to start?” he asked.
“I spoke with Angela yesterday and we agreed to have the attorneys talk through the details of the contract. I just need to know what your expectations are for creating the scent.”
“I don’t expect any more than the standard rate and I’m sure your lawyers will find out what that is. When they come to the table with the agreement and it’s acceptable then we will move forward. Is she lending her name to your fragrance or are we just doing this for her?” Jacques wanted to know.
“Both. She is lending her name and we can sell the fragrance in our store.”
“So this is going to be exclusive?”
She didn’t want to pretend she understood what he meant because if there’s something else she needed to know, she wanted to find out now before she got in too deep. “I know what exclusive means but is there something different when it comes to celebrities and fragrances?”
“You know what, let’s see what the lawyers come up with, but in the meantime, I have something I have been working on that I believe would fit the personality and persona of Angela Simpson. Has she given you any indication of what type of fragrance she is looking for?”
“Something that is sweet, fruity, and sensual.”
“That should be easy,” Jacques said. “Let’s take a look at your lab and see what kind of equipment you’re working with there.”
“Okay,” Patrice said, getting up from her chair. She was confident that they had the facility to make the product since she’d just upgraded the equipment and the technology in the lab. She was anxious to show him her workspace. She led him down the hall to the last door at the end.
Jacques turned to her. “What’s back there?”
“That’s the supply closet, washer and dryer, break room/kitchen area.”
She waited patiently as he scanned the room and then went around assessing the equipment.
“Do you have a fragrance wheel?” he asked.
Patrice glared at him. She then went over to one of the drawers and pulled it open. “I have something called an Aroma Wheel, which I use all the time.” She removed the circular color-coded cardboard and handed it to him.
Jacques looked at it and nodded. “Yes, this is very similar to what I’m speaking of. The one that I use was created by perfume expert Michael Edwards,” he said, pulling his cell phone from his pocket. “Come here, so I can show you.”
Patrice stepped closer to him and watched him pull up a site called Fragrances of the World. He clicked on a link and a colorful circular diagram appeared. “See, there are fourteen families and it shows the relationship between them. So if you look closer, the floral family change its color to a light pink and it becomes soft floral and it tells you how to get to the next family by blending ingredients.” He looked at Patrice. “You see what I mean.”
“Yes, I do. This is even more interesting and complicated than I realized,” Patrice said, meeting his gaze.
Jacques continued looking around. “Do you make your essential oils yourself or do you order them?”
“I’ve tried creating them myself but most of the time I order them.”
Jacques nodded. “Okay, it appears that everything is in place except for some essential oils that I get from a particular source.”
“So, what I have isn’t good enough? I use these oils every day to create my products.”
“I’m not saying that, Patrice. My source provides me with only the purest oils.”
Patrice frowned and he took her by both hands, pulling her to him. Her eyes met his just as his head descended and he kissed her softly on the lips. The gesture was so sweet that all of her negative thoughts disappeared.
Patrice opened her eyes, looked directly into his and the next thing she knew, he was lowering his head again. This kiss was soul-stirring and she could feel her body betraying her yet again. She took two small steps forward, making them even closer than they were before. Her arms went around his neck and she could feel her feet leave the floor with only the tips of her toes on the ground.
Once he released her, he stood back. “When we were at dinner the other night what did I tell you we were going to do?”
Patrice was still reeling from the kiss. “You said that we were going to make a fragrance and love.”
“We don’t need a contract for this part,” Jacques said before kissing her again.
Patrice could feel the moisture between her legs. Jacques’s manhood was pressed against her and she didn’t know what to do. If she followed the way her body felt, they would end up on one of the counters.
“Hello,” someone called out from the hallway.
Patrice scrambled, moving away from Jacques, quickly adjusting her clothes as she did so. She had to get her thoughts together.
“To be continued,” Jacques whispered before another brief kiss.
Patrice loved the way his lips felt against hers. She could quickly get used to this because it made her feel so good. She followed him to the door and opened it. He kissed her once more. “I’ll call you later.”
Stepping into the hall, she watched him walk down the narrow aisle as one of her employees walked toward her. She figured the woman would have a sad story, so she prepared herself. But she couldn’t believe that of all the times that Nikki came to work ea
rly it had to be today. Maybe it was a good thing that Nikki interrupted she and Jacques because who knew what would have happened between them had they been left alone.
* * * * *
Nikki Howard had glowing creamy brown skin, long dark brown hair that she usually wore in a ponytail and a shapely figure. She wore a navy blue cashmere wrap dress and black high-heeled leather boots. In Patrice’s eyes, the twenty-two year old single mother was a beautiful young woman who needed a bit of guidance.
The closer Nikki came the more concerned Patrice was about her appearance. She knew that Nikki loved wearing makeup but something wasn’t right. It looked like she’d overdone it this morning.
“Patrice, there you are,” Nikki said, turning away as soon as they made eye contact.
“So, you decided to bless us with your presence today, Ms. Nikki,” Patrice said.
Nikki dropped her head. “I’m really sorry, Patrice. There is just so much going on in my life.”
Patrice thought that she was making excuses again. “That’s the way life goes and everybody has things to be concerned about.”
“You aren’t going to fire me, are you?” Nikki asked.
Patrice jerked her head in the girl’s direction and frowned. “What gave you that idea?”
“I know that I’ve been missing work lately.”
Patrice wrapped her arm around Nikki’s shoulders. “Talk to me.”
Nikki’s eyes filled with tears and Patrice figured something was really wrong.
Squeezing her shoulders, Patrice said, “Don’t cry, just tell me what’s going on. Let’s go to my office.”
As they walked down the hall, Patrice got the feeling that Nikki’s problems were more serious than she first thought. For her to come to her in person instead of calling on the phone as she had the last three times, there had to be more going on than she’d told Patrice. Once they were inside, Patrice closed the office door and offered Nikki a seat. “Do you need something to drink?”
“Nope, I’m good.”
Patrice stared at her with her head bowed and pulled her legs underneath her, crossing them at the ankles. She went around on the other side and took her seat.
Looking up, Patrice could see the tracks where tears had run down Nikki’s face, exposing a bruise under her heavy makeup.
Before she could catch herself she blurted out, “Nikki, tell me what happened to your face.”
“He hit me.”
Patrice leaned forward so she could hear Nikki’s responses better. “Who hit you?”
“My daughter’s father.”
Patrice’s eyes narrowed. “What?” Patrice couldn’t fathom the hell she had probably gone through.
“This has happened before, hasn’t it?” Patrice asked. It would make sense because Nikki had been calling off work quite regularly over the past several months. Her boyfriend was probably the reason. Not waiting for a response, she got up out of her seat. “Where is he?”
Nikki raised her shoulders slightly. “I don’t know. At work I guess.”
“Have you called the police?”
“No.”
“Why not?”
“It was my fault.”
Patrice had heard that most victims go through the stage where they think they deserved to be mistreated. “What do you mean, it was your fault?”
“It seems that I do things to make him angry.”
“Nikki, there is no such thing. This is typical abuse and what I’m going to do is assist you in seeking help.”
“I don’t want to get him in trouble.”
“Sweetheart, don’t worry about his trouble. You’re in danger and this kind of treatment could lead to serious injury or he could kill you. Then what’s going to happen to your daughter?”
Patrice inhaled deeply before she released it. These types of situations were very serious and before she jumped in she wanted to be sure that the young mother didn’t have anyone else she could lean on for support. “Nikki, where are your parents?”
“My mom died a few years ago. Even though my parents divorced when I was six, I got a few phone calls from my father until I was ten. He made a lot of promises, telling me that he was going to send for me, but it never occurred. I’m not sure what happened to my dad. I don’t know where he is, what he’s doing or even if he’s still alive.”
Patrice now understood that Nikki had no support and the only person she depended on was her no good baby daddy, Terrance. “I want to help you but only with your consent.” Patrice couldn’t turn a blind eye to Nikki’s situation. She had to help her, so she hoped Nikki would say yes.
“Okay, I appreciate it, Patrice.”
Patrice stood and opened her arms and Nikki got up and went into them. She held on to Patrice as if she was holding on for dear life. Patrice could hear her sniffles and she knew Nikki needed to release her pent up fears. She probably thought she had no one to turn to. Patrice rubbed her hair. “I don’t want you to worry now. I’m going to find someone to help you.”
“I can’t thank you enough.”
Patrice stepped back. “Now, you go on in the restroom and fix your makeup and get the displays ready so that we can open the store. I’ll come and find you when I hear something.”
“Please don’t say anything to Fantasia.”
“I won’t betray your confidence,” she said, grabbing Nikki’s hand, squeezing it gently for reassurance.
Patrice followed Nikki to the door. She peeped out and watched her walk slowly down the hall with her head bowed. Being alone in the world had to be a frightening thing. That thought made Patrice even more grateful for her family. Even though they may not see eye to eye about things, she was assured that if anything ever happened to her, there was no doubt that her family wouldn’t come to her rescue.
She hurried back into her office and picked up the phone so that she could call her mother. As soon as Myra answered the phone, Patrice rushed to tell her Nikki’s story. By the time she’d completed the call, her mother gave her word to have some information to Patrice by the end of the day. It was important that Nikki not go back to the house.
Chapter Eight
By the time Patrice made it home, she was beat. She took off her shoes as soon as she closed the front door to her spacious three-bedroom apartment. She picked them up, carrying them into her bedroom. She placed them back on the rack inside her closet before flopping down on the bed. Today had been emotionally exciting and then draining as she dealt with the domestic issue of her employee.
The day started out hot and heavy with Jacques making moves on her in the lab. He was bold and courageous, which made her smile. She was surprised at how quickly she reciprocated his advances and even made some of her own. His body felt good against her and his lips pressed against hers were delicious. When she tried to take a breath and his tongue searched her mouth, she thought she was going to lose her footing.
Her body yearned for more of his touch and that amazed her. She didn’t know if it was because she was getting older. Thirty wasn’t old, but it wasn’t young either. She’d heard as a woman aged, their sex drive increased. Of course, she didn’t know if it were true or not, but one thing she did know was that she wanted Jacques Germain.
Soon, Patrice’s smile disappeared when she thought about how she and Jacques were interrupted. Any type of violence was serious but domestic violence was even greater because usually the women didn’t have the means or the courage to fight back against her abuser—a person who claimed to love them. She was afraid that that was Nikki’s situation in a nutshell.
Padding barefoot into the bathroom, Patrice removed all of her clothing and pulled her silk robe from behind the door. Turning on the shower, she heard her phone ringing. Rushing to close up the robe, she moved swiftly over to the cordless phone on her bedside table.
“Hello.”
&nb
sp; “Treecie, I tried to get the young lady on the phone, but she didn’t answer. I called the number that you gave me and it went straight to voicemail.”
“You should have called me, Mom,” Patrice said, sitting on the edge of the bed, worried and confused as to what to do next. “Do you think she and her baby are okay?”
“You did give her my message, right?”
“Of course. As soon as we hung up, I went and told her to call that number you gave to me.”
“Listen, Patrice. I spoke to Nikki earlier today and told her to be down at Trinity House by four o’clock and she didn’t show up. I only found out fifteen minutes ago that she never arrived.”
Patrice shook her head at the lengths they’d gone through for Nikki. She didn’t want to jump to conclusions because Terrance might have been the reason that she didn’t show up. But just having that thought concerned Patrice even more. What if Nikki was in trouble and couldn’t contact her?
From everything that Patrice had heard, Trinity House was an excellent place for battered women and children. They provided job placement and assistance, educational programs and day care. “I’m so sorry Mom that she left you guys hanging.”
“It’s not your fault. To tell the truth, I’m not surprised. Most women who are abused are in denial and go back to the abuser. In a lot of cases nothing happens until it’s too late. But then there are some who are successful in getting out and staying out.”
Patrice let out a long breath. “She probably went back to him then.”
“I’m sure she did, but hey, we tried and we can be there for her if there is a next time.”
There wasn’t much else Patrice could say. “Good night, Mom. Thanks for letting me know.”
“Good night, sweetheart. Try not to worry so much.”
Patrice didn’t know much about domestic violence since she’d never seen it in her own family. She figured Nikki was probably afraid, so no matter what happened today, Patrice prayed that both Nikki and her child were doing okay.
* * * * *
Jacques had gone back to his sister’s house and worked from there in order to prepare for work the next day. He made a list of supplies for the fragrance but the fact that they hadn’t signed a contract still bothered him. Working with celebrities could get very hairy because of all the legalities and other parties involved. He hoped that Patrice knew Angela well and that it would be a smooth process. He didn’t need any more legal issues as he was still waiting to hear back from his attorney.
Be My Valentine: The McClendon Holiday Series, Book 3 Page 8