Chapter 2
David’s date for the evening was a tall brunette named Majorie Logan. “I wish you would look at me like you’re looking at her,” Majorie whined.
David stopped staring at Sheba, the beautiful woman who captivated him the moment he saw her in the shower, and gave Majorie his full attention. “What, Majorie? You got my attention. You want to dance, too? Come on.”
Before she could protest, David pulled Majorie onto the dance floor. She could dance, but her body didn’t seem to have the smooth rhythm of Sheba’s. David found himself stealing a glance in Sheba’s and Uriah’s direction. To his disappointment, they were no longer on the dance floor.
After finishing out the song, David grabbed Majorie’s hand. “I think I’ll sit this next one out.”
Majorie kept up his pace. When they became stationary, she said, “David, this has been fun, but I know when it’s time for me to bounce. Good luck.” She got on her tiptoes and kissed him on the cheek.
“Majorie, you don’t have to.”
She placed her index finger over his lips. “Shh. No need to apologize. I’ll have your driver drop me off at home.”
David escorted her outside. “Bye, Majorie,” David said.
“Good-bye, David,” she responded right after entering the limousine.
David waited until the limousine had driven away before returning inside. He got a glance of a silver dress going toward the restrooms. He would know that body anywhere. He looked around for Uriah. Uriah was nowhere in sight. Instead of going back to the ballroom, David went in the opposite direction and headed toward the restrooms.
He pulled out his iPhone and sent Uriah a quick text message. He wanted Uriah to keep some of his investors entertained until he returned. Once he received confirmation back from Uriah that he’d received his text, David placed his phone back in his inside jacket pocket.
A young lady who worked for the hotel walked in his direction. When it appeared she was going into the restroom, David stopped her. “Can you tell the woman that’s in there that someone’s waiting for her outside?”
“Sure,” the young lady responded.
David slipped her a crisp one-hundred-dollar bill.
The young lady looked at him. “Do you need me to do anything else?” she asked.
“No, that will be all,” he responded.
A few minutes later Sheba exited the restroom and looked around. She paused when she saw David. “Is everything okay? Where’s Uriah?”
David responded, “Uriah’s fine.”
Sheba sighed. “I thought something was wrong. Are you the one who sent the girl into the bathroom for me?”
“Guilty as charged,” David admitted. His hand flew up to his chest in a bashful manner.
“Why? Where’s my husband?” Sheba’s forehead wrinkled.
“He’s handling some business for me right now, so he’s occupied.” A mischievous grin was plastered on David’s face.
“Fine. I’m about to head back and wait for him at our table.”
“Why don’t you walk and talk with me for a minute?” David asked as he walked closer to her.
Her floral fragrance filled his nostrils as he inhaled her scent. He had to stop himself from reaching out to her. He placed his hands in his pockets as they walked to the opposite end of the hotel.
“Uriah’s one of my best employees. Hiring him was one of the best decisions I ever made.”
“He enjoys working for you.”
“That’s good to hear. He’s done a great job overseeing my Shreveport affiliate.”
“I will have to let him know to keep up the good work.”
David opened the door leading to the balcony. “After you.”
“Maybe I should get back,” Sheba said as she stopped in front of the door.
“Uriah’s still busy. Enjoy the view.”
Sheba stood and thought for a second and then followed David out onto the balcony. The other people on the balcony went back inside the hotel. David watched Sheba from the corner of his eye as she leaned on the rail. They both stared in silence at the beautiful view of downtown Dallas .
David eased near Sheba and said, barely above a whisper, “Sheba, I have to be honest with you. I find you to be a very attractive woman.”
Sheba turned to face him. “I’m also happily married. And I do stress the word happily,” she said.
“You didn’t look too happy at the dinner table earlier. I could tell you two were having some type of disagreement,” he said.
“That’s what married couples do. We sometimes disagree. It doesn’t mean we’re unhappy, though.”
“What if I told you I could make your money problems go away?” David had overheard Uriah speaking with Sheba earlier about their finances. David knew he was crossing the line, but he had to have Sheba.
“Cool. That means I can tell Uriah that you’ll be giving him a raise.” Sheba batted her long black eyelashes.
David laughed. “That’s not exactly what I meant.”
“Well, what exactly did you mean, Mr. King?”
Before David could respond, his cell phone vibrated in his pocket. “Hold that thought.” He glanced at the phone. “That’s one of my Hong Kong buyers. I need to take this call.”
“Good-bye, Mr. King,” Sheba said as she quickly retreated from the balcony, leaving David alone.
David wanted to protest, but duty came before women. That had always been his motto, and he wasn’t going to disregard it, no matter how much he wanted Sheba. David spent the next thirty minutes putting out fires at his Hong Kong office. Once he was satisfied that the vice president of operations could handle the rest, he ended the call.
When he returned to the ballroom, Sheba was nowhere to be found. “Uriah, where’s your beautiful wife?” he inquired, after approaching his employee.
“She was feeling tired, so I told her I would meet her in the room.”
“Thank you for talking to those investors for me. Look for a bonus on your next check,” David said as he patted Uriah on the back.
“Thank you, Mr. King.”
David remained in the ballroom until everyone had left. He didn’t feel like going home to his empty mansion, so instead he checked into one of the executive suites. He poured himself a glass of apple juice and sat back in the huge plush chair in the living room area. He leaned back and closed his eyes, not to sleep but to meditate.
“Lord, I know that your word says in Proverbs six not to ‘Lust not after her beauty in thine heart; neither let her take thee with her eyelids.’ Well, Lord, it’s too late. Bathsheba Richards has gotten under my skin, and I don’t know what to do about it.”
David heard a whisper. “Yield not to temptation.”
David’s eyes popped open. The room was empty.