Lucas (Members From Money Book 20)

by Katie Dowe

  “Is meditating one of your practices?” he asked curiously.

  “Yes. It keeps me balanced and calm when I’m dealing with uncertainty and hardship,” Chanel said.

  The comment made her think of her current situation and the frequent times that she had visited the rotunda of late. Chanel knew that she would have to tell him of her expectancy. She didn’t know where this new friendship was going but he needed to know before making a move that he might later regret.

  “I enjoy meditating as well. I believe in shutting off your thoughts and being completely silent,” he said.

  “That is when you truly hear God’s message. But remaining silent is difficult to do. My head is jammed pack with thoughts all the time,” she smiled.

  “True. So is mine. But practice makes perfect. We should have a picnic by the river and meditate. Would you like to do that?” he asked.

  Chanel hesitated. He’d just invited her on a date which was a fairly good indicator of where he wanted to go with this relationship. But she still wasn’t ready to tell him. She decided to just go with the flow and see what happened next.

  “Yes, I would like that,” she smiled.

  “Good,” he grinned and exhaled. Wesley had not realized he’d been holding his breath while waiting for her answer. When she paused before answering he thought she was trying to think of a way to let him down easy. “How about this Saturday? We could go early to snag a good picnic spot under a tree.”

  “Sounds like a plan,” she smiled.

  “I’ll pick you up at nine o’clock. Is that too early? You may want to sleep in,” he asked.

  “No, that’s fine. I’m an early riser even on the weekend. I’ll text you my address if you give me your cell number,” she said.

  Chanel took her cell phone out of her purse. He gave her his phone number and she texted her address to him.

  “Got it,” he said when the text came through.

  They sat a little while longer and talked on a variety of subject. Chanel found Wesley to be a great conversationalist. He well smart, humorous, intelligent and a good listener. Pretty much everything Chanel liked in a man. It was refreshing not having to carry the conversation like she often had to do with her ex-boyfriend, Louis. Wesley was witty and charming which made it easy to converse with him. They had been at the rotunda was quite some time and Chanel suggested that they check out some of the other points of interests. They sauntered into the Riverwalk Marina and went into several shops. Wesley bought a Georgia Bulldog’s cap and grinned.

  “When in Rome….” he laughed.

  “And much safer than wearing a Gator’s hat. That’s asking for trouble,” Chanel giggled.

  They walked into the plaza and Wesley was enthralled with the fantastic water feature in the middle of the circle.

  “I’ve never seen anything like it. It’s spectacular,” Wesley said in awe.

  “Come on, Wesley. In all of your international travels I know you’ve seen comparable if not superior water fountains,” she said.

  “Call me Wes. And maybe the water features were bigger but that doesn’t mean that they are better. This one is truly remarkable,” he said honestly.

  “Well on behalf of the citizens of Augusta, I thank you for the compliment. It is one of our proudest accomplishments,” Chanel smiled.

  It brought a smile to her face knowing that Wes appreciated the various elements that made up Augusta. That meant a lot to her for Augusta was her home and she couldn’t imagine living anywhere else. They went into a café and had an early dinner while listening to a live band.

  “They’re pretty good,” Chanel said.

  “They are. It brings back the days when I played sax in college,”

  “You play the saxophone?” Chanel asked with interest.

  He nodded.

  “Yeah. I had to earn money to pay living expenses. Dad would only pay for my tuition and apartment. Anything else was on me,” he explained. “It was his way of teaching me responsibility. So I joined a band and played gigs at night.”

  “That must have been fun,” she said.

  “It was. And it taught me that anything worth having is worth working for. It was a very valuable lesson,” he smiled.

  “You must play for me,” she said.

  “I’m not really that good,” he demurred.

  “I’ll be the judge of that,” she grinned. “I bet you’re a lot better than you’re letting on.”

  He shrugged and looked at the band. He would happily play for her if it meant he could spend more time in her company. It had been unexpected good fortune to run into her in the parking garage. It had allowed him the opportunity to get to know her a little better. Chanel was an interesting, honest and fun person to be around. He needed that kind of good energy in his life. After the fiasco with Tasha Ramsey he craved a no drama relationship. Chanel Cambridge seemed to be the person that could provide the tranquility that he wanted—and a whole lot more. Chanel was unassuming but sexy as hell. The way she walked, talked and behaved was alluringly provocative. But she had no idea of how tempting she was; which made her even more enticing. He knew he keeping a tight rein on his desires would be a challenge. But she was worth the effort. He looked across the table at her profile while she watched the band. She was gorgeous. All he wanted to do was caress her creamy brown skin and kiss her seductive lips. She must have felt his stare for she turned to look at him. There was a question in her light brown eyes. They were like a pale gold with specks of green. Her eyes were amazing.

  “You have beautiful eyes,” he said softly.

  She ducked her head at the compliment. Surely she must be used to people praising her eyes.

  “Thank you. They’re just brown,” she mumbled.

  “They are far more extraordinary than just brown. They’re full of light. I’m drawn to them like a magnet,” he said softly.

  “Well you have lovely eyes yourself. I feel like I’m looking into the sky every time I look into them,” she praised.

  “Thank you. But I’m positive you have the monopoly on beautiful eyes,” he grinned.

  She laughed.

  “If you say so,” she chuckled. “I think I’d better be getting home. Are you ready?”

  “Sure,” he said.

  He rose and pulled out her chair. Chanel was pleasantly surprised by his gentlemanly behavior. No man had ever been so chivalrous; especially Lionel. They walked back to the Unique Designs’ parking garage and stood next to her red Mustang.

  “I like your car. It’s you,” he observed.

  “Thanks. And thank you for dinner. That was very kind of you,” she said sincerely.

  “It was the least I could do after the wonderful tour you provided,” he returned.

  Chanel beeped her car unlocked and opened the door. He held the door opened as she turned to face him. Chanel was effectively trapped with his large body in front of her but she didn’t feel imprisoned or uneasy. She felt secure and cozy. It was a nice feeling.

  “I had fun today,” he said.

  “So did I. I’ll be your tour guide any time,” she quipped.

  “I will hold you to that,” he smiled.

  Chanel knew she was being bold but she couldn’t stop herself.

  “I hope you will,” she said sassily.

  He chuckled.

  “Remember our picnic on Saturday,” he murmured softly.

  “I won’t forget,” she responded quietly.

  Chanel got into the car and he closed her door. She buckled up and started the car then backed out of the parking space. She waved to him as she drove out of the garage. Wes returned the wave then got into his own Porsche. He smiled as he pulled out of the garage. He thought they were off to a very good start.

  Chapter 2

  The rest of the week flew by and before Chanel knew it Saturday morning dawn sunny and beautiful. She had been in such a good mood at work the days following her time spent with Wes that her co-workers took note. They had teased her
mercilessly. Chanel recalled Pam’s sly remark.

  “Only a hot man could put that kind of smile on a woman’s face. Who is he, Chanel?” Pam laughed.

  Chanel had laughed but revealed nothing. Her friendship with Wes was too new. It was too early in the game to speak about. Chanel wanted to keep the friendship private for a while; at least until she knew where it was going. Chanel dressed in red shorts and a yellow crop sleeveless top. Today was going to be another scorcher and she wanted to be as cool as possible. She wondered if she should put on a swimsuit underneath. They were going to the river and many would be swimming to cool off. Chanel wasn’t a great swimmer but it would be nice to play in the water. She quickly removed her short and top and donned a two piece white swimsuit. Then she re-dressed in her shorts and top. She had just finished applying light makeup when her doorbell rang. She quickly ran her hand through her short highlighted brown curls and patted them into place. She sighed for she knew the breeze coming off of the water would demolish her hairstyle. Oh well, there was nothing she could do about that. She left her room and ran down the stairs to answer the door.

  “Hi,” she greeted him when she opened the door.

  “Hi,” he answered.

  “Come in,” she said as she stepped back to allow him entry. “I’m almost ready. By chance do you have swim shorts with you? You might want to swim at the river since it will be so hot.”

  “I do. I was about to tell you to bring a suit,” he smiled.

  “Great minds think alike,” she said. Chanel was in the hall closet trying to pull her beach bag from the shelf.

  “Need some help?” he asked.

  He stood closely behind her. A sheet of paper could not have slid between them. Chanel was on her toes trying to reach the bag. Wes extended an arm above her head and lifted the multi-colored beach bag.

  “Here you go,” he said as he offered the bag to her.

  Chanel turned to face him. He had not moved back from her. Chanel was trapped again with him. She looked into his glimmering sea blue eyes. She could easily drown in their depths and enjoy every minute of it.

  “Thank you,” she murmured as she took the bag from him.

  Wes wanted nothing more than to cup her face and kiss her tempting mouth. He stared at her lips as if they were water and he a thirst deprived man. She licked her lips in nerves and it was almost his undoing. With strength of will he never knew he possessed he moved away from her. He looked around her home and found that he liked it. It was warm and cozy with cream colored walls with dark brown crown molding. The furnishings were royal blue with yellow, red and tan color accessories. Her art work was new age and ethnic. The house was a definite reflection of her which was probably the reason he liked it so much.

  “I like your home. It fits you just like your car,” he observed.

  “Thank you,” she said.

  “Do you live here alone?” he asked.

  “Yep. All by my lonesome,” she answered casually.

  He frowned.

  “You should get a roommate. Then you wouldn’t be alone,” he said.

  “I’m fine. I have friends and relatives over all the time. And I enjoy my privacy,” she returned.

  He didn’t particularly like the idea of her living in this house all by herself. He knew women lived alone all the time but he was already more possessive of her than he probably should be. He wanted her to be safe and not be harmed in any way. He was still living in a hotel but needed to find an apartment soon. Living here would be ideal but he knew it was way too early in their relationship to talk about that arrangement.

  “I just want you to be safe,” he replied honestly.

  “I am very safe here. And I’m careful and alert as well,” she smiled. She liked the idea that he was concerned about her.

  “Make sure you stay that way,” he advised seriously. “Are you ready?”

  She clutched the wooden handle of her beach bag.

  “Yes. Ready when you are,” she said. “Oh, wait! I packed a few sandwiches. I’ll go get them.”

  He caught her arm before she could walk away.

  “Don’t worry about it. I have lunch in the car,” he said.

  “You do?” she said in surprise.

  “Of course. You didn’t think I would invite you to a picnic and not bring the food. I’m disappointed in you, Chanel,” he said in feigned disillusionment.

  “I….uh…I didn’t…I mean—

  “”No explanation is necessary. I know what you thought,” he sighed dramatically.

  “Oooh! You wretched man! Stop pretending,” she scolded. “How was I to know you would bring lunch?”

  He pulled her close to him and looked into her clear golden eyes.

  “You wouldn’t. But now you know that I always take care of my lady,” he whispered.

  “That’s good to know,” she smiled.

  They left the house and Chanel pulled her key from her pocket and locked the door. He escorted her to his midnight blue Porsche and settled her into the car. Then he went around the car to get in. Chanel reveled in the luxury of the tan leather seats of the sports car. She had always loved the Porsche but never thought she would be riding in one. She looked at the appointments of the vehicle and was duly impressed.

  “Your car is fabulous,” she complimented.

  “Thanks. It’s one of my toys that I favor,” he smiled.

  “Ah! So you’re a car guy,” she grinned.

  “Most definitely,” he laughed. He gunned the motor. “Hold on.”

  He zoomed down the road off like a bullet.

  “Whoa!” she laughed. “I believe you.”

  After a moment he slowed and grinned at her.

  “I see you’re the sedate type,” he teased.

  “I like my rush of exhilaration in moderate doses. I just prefer not to die today,” she scoffed.

  He chuckled. She smiled at him. She liked his sense of humor. In fact, she was finding it hard to dislike anything about him. Her instincts had been right when she’d met him in New York. He was a nice guy. He turned the radio to a jazz station.

  “Do you like jazz?” he asked.

  “Yes. Very much,” she replied.

  They talked about music, movies, travel and a variety of other things. Chanel found that they had a lot in common. They arrived at the river and the parking lot was filling up even at such an early hour. Everyone wanted to stake claim a shady spot. Wes unloaded the trunk and carried the basket and blankets. They selected the perfect spot under a huge shady tree. They spread the blankets and Chanel pulled small pillows from her oversized beach bag. They settled on the ground and engaged in great conversation. After a while they went into the river for a swim. Wes was an excellent swimmer. He challenged Chanel to a race which he won easily. Chanel threw water on him when he boasted over much of his victory.

  “You’re a sore loser,” he teased as he wiped water from his face.

  “You’re a conceited winner,” she returned.

  He dove underwater and came up behind her. He grabbed her about the waist and dunked her. She came up sputtering and outraged. He laughed at her comical expression and she splashed more water on him. They played for another twenty minutes then returned to their blankets. He sat on the blanket and Chanel tossed a towel to him. He pretended to dry his hair and eyed her covertly as she stood there to dry off. He watched as she bent to toweled her shapely calves. He sucked in his breath when she patted her thighs and waist dry. Damn she sexy! And she hadn’t a clue of how she affected him. Or maybe she did know and was being deliberately seductive. If that was the case, she was playing a dangerous game. He shifted his gaze as she sat down. Chanel pulled the basket toward her and began to open it.

  “What goodies do you have in here?” she asked cheekily.

  “Hopefully, things you will like,” he answered.

  She brought lobster salad, turkey salad, fried chicken, green salad, dressings, French bread, fruit, nuts, wine and sparkling water.


  “Oh my goodness! This is a feast,” she exclaimed. “You didn’t have to do all of this.”

  “I wanted to. I may have gotten a bit carried away but I was hoping to hit on a few of your favorites,” he said a little sheepishly.

  Chanel saw the hopeful look in his eyes. He wanted to please her and he certainly had. She leaned across the blanket and kissed his cheek.

  “Thank you. I love everything here,” she said softly.

  Their eyes met and Chanel saw the hunger blaze in his baby blues. She knew the look. It pleased and troubled her simultaneously. She wanted their friendship to go to the next level but she was afraid of his reaction when he found out that she was pregnant. Should she tell him now? She mentally shook her head. No. She would not spoil their day together. But she would have to do it soon. He wouldn’t wait long to accelerate their friendship.

  “I’m glad.”

  His words broke into her thoughts. She smiled and fixed a plate for him while he uncorked the wine.

  “Turkey or lobster salad?” she asked.

  “Turkey,” he replied. “Les Nuages Loire Sauvignon Blanc. My favorite.”

  “A fine white wine from the green grape,” she admired. “An excellent complement to seafood and salads.”

  He raised his eyes.

  “You know your wine,” he remarked.

  “A little. I’m sure my palate is not as refined as yours but I appreciate a good wine,” she smiled as she laid a plate down in front of him. “I’ll have the sparkling water.”

  “We have to go wine tasting. Maybe I can get you drunk and have my way with you,” he said slyly as he gave her the water.

  She laughed.

  “Don’t hold your breath waiting for that to happen,” she giggled. “The last thing I want to do is explain the demise of the CEO’s favorite son.”

  “Now that would a difficult conversation. For I am my dad’s favorite son,” he grinned as he stuck his fork into his turkey salad.

  She frowned playfully at his conceit and took a bite of her lobster salad.

  “Mmm! It’s delicious,” she murmured happily.