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Joshua Davis sat upright behind the long wooden table in the private room of La Trattoria. This was his first experience dining at the upscale Italian restaurant, and everything he ordered from the mouthwatering ossobuco to the silky pannacotta lived up to its fine reputation. But enjoying the authentic Northern Italian cuisine wasn’t the highlight of his evening. It was what was about to transpire within the next few minutes.
At any moment, he was about to be introduced by his good friend Mary Turner as the new musical director of Women of Grace, a hot women’s choral group that was making waves in the contemporary Christian music world. It was a position any of his colleagues would have died for. But God dropped the opportunity into his lap, and nothing could sway him from working with four of the most beautiful women singers in the industry.
Joshua’s resume boasted impressive work experience with several well-known solo artists and church choirs back east. But this would be his first experience working with an all-girl group in California. It was an opportunity he had dreamed and prayed about over the last year, and now he had the chance to show off his talents and skyrocket Women of Grace to new heights of fame. His attention turned to the tall blonde with red lipstick at the head of the table.
“And now this is the moment we’ve all been waiting for. He’s a musical director boasting an impressive resume of Christian artists including Kingdom Bound, Saving Grace, and Susan Grant. He’s taken a big step by relocating here all the way from Boston. Our competitors would die to have him, but we are fortunate enough to have him as our new musical director. I’ve known him in the music industry for over ten years, and he’s become a very dear friend. Everyone, let’s give Joshua Davis a warm welcome.” Mary motioned for him to stand as the room erupted in applause.
Joshua set his red napkin on the table and stood in his grey cashmere wool suit before waving to the intimate crowd. “Thanks Mary for the wonderful introduction. Hello everyone. Never in a million years would I have imagined myself standing here as your new musical director. When Mary first called to offer me the job, I thought she was joking. But when I found out she was dead serious, it was an opportunity I couldn’t pass up. I always wondered what it would be like to lead a band of beautiful women in praise for the Lord, and now I’m lucky to get that chance. Charles did a great job, and I’m hoping to continue where he left off. I have new ideas and great plans for the group, and with God’s help, we’ll take the music world by storm. Thanks for welcoming me.” Joshua gave the crowd one last smile before taking his seat.
“Joshua, I know you’ve met some of members of the band, but I’m going to introduce you to the rest of the girls.”
Mary went around the table and introduced the other sopranos, Stephanie Morales and Rachel Williams. Nicole Chan, who sang alto was the last to be introduced. Joshua let his gaze linger on each woman as he took in their breathtaking beauty. Compared to their album covers and concert footage, the women looked even more gorgeous up close, and for a moment, he hoped one of them might still be single.
He had taken a six-month break from dating after terminating a serious three-year relationship that was headed nowhere, and now he was ready to find the woman of his dreams. But dating a band member posed a dilemma. He knew Mary frowned upon romantic involvement with any of her girls, especially after what Charles did to her. She had also made known her fears that if a relationship turned sour, it would disrupt the emotional stability and dynamics of the group. And that was something she couldn’t let happen.
Joshua could appreciate her reasoning, but his God-given nature couldn’t resist the challenge of winning over the heart of a beautiful woman. It was something he was subconsciously drawn to, and the opportunity was too good to pass up. His gaze roamed over each woman’s face until it stopped at Nicole. Her features and shoulder length hair reminded him of a famous actress, and there was something about her that intrigued him. He hoped she was still single.
When Mary finished introducing the rest of the band, Joshua made it a point to acquaint himself with each singer. It was important for him to know their strengths so he could help them maximize their full singing potential, especially with Nicole.
But before he could catch her alone, the trio of women surrounded him.
“Well, Mr. Davis, we’re so excited to have you join our group.” Stephanie slowly teased a finger down his arm and lingered for a moment as she gave him a pearly white smile. “You must be very talented if Mary speaks so highly of you. But she didn’t tell us you were handsome too.”
Joshua couldn’t help being mesmerized by the Spanish beauty next to him. She had soft brown eyes, a flawless fair complexion, and shiny brown hair that cascaded down to her shoulders. There was no doubt in his mind she could have easily passed as Miss Spain in a pageant. He smiled and reached out to place her hand between his. “It’s an honor to be working with such beautiful women.”
“I’m sure you’ll be spending lots of time teaching us new things, right?” Stephanie batted her eyes coyly at him.
“Of course. That will be my first agenda.” Joshua started to caress her hand but was interrupted by a set of polished pink nails that wrapped firmly around his other arm.
“That means equal time for all of us, right?” Joshua diverted his attention to the cocoa skinned beauty opposite Stephanie. Rachel pushed a strand of wavy dark brown hair behind her ear as her striking hazel eyes gloated over him. For a moment, he forgot about Stephanie and lost himself over the African beauty’s pouting lips.
“Yes ... yes you’ll definitely get equal time ...” His words trailed off as he dreamed about what it would be like to kiss her.
“Never mind, Rachel.” Stephanie distracted him from his reverie. “She doesn’t need any help. It’s I who could use your amazing knowledge.” She nudged closer to him and wrapped an arm around his.
“Don’t be selfish. You can’t have him all to yourself,” Rachel countered by matching her girlfriend’s tactic.
Joshua held his hands up. “Alright girls, there’s no need to argue over this. There’s plenty of me ... I mean, I’ve got plenty of tips for both of you.”
The two women glared at each other as if they were contestants on a dating show.
“Look at you two. You should be ashamed of yourselves. Where’s your dignity?” Nicole interrupted as she took a step toward Joshua. “I’m sure such a fine man like Mr. Davis already has a woman in his life.”
The trio focused their attention on the woman with soft almond eyes and midnight black hair. Now that he could smell Nicole’s perfume, he could see how flawless her porcelain white skin was. He could instantly tell she was a woman with class and dignity, one that wasn’t easily impressed by lame pickup lines. Winning her respect and approval would test his skills, but Joshua was more than ready for the challenge and a chance to date the Asian beauty.
“That was kind of you to say that, but there is no woman in my life right now.” Joshua smiled and gazed deeply into her eyes until she broke the connection. “But that could change anytime.”
“None?” Rachel’s eyes widened at his revelation.
Joshua shook his head. “But I know she’s out there. Maybe you women can help me out. I could use some pointers.”
“Well, between the three of us, I’m sure we can help you solve that problem.” Stephanie pulled him closer and gave him a wink.
Nicole rolled her eyes and shook her head.
Mary took hold of Joshua’s hand and led him to safety. “Girls, girls. Can you give Mr. Davis some breathing room? He hasn’t even started with us yet, and you’re trying to be his matchmaker. Let the man get acclimated with everything before we worry about fixing his dating life.”
Joshua could hear the cries of disappointment behind him as he followed Mary out of the room.
“You’ll have to excuse them. Working long hours and touring on the road most of the year doesn’t leave them many opportunities for dating. And the fact you’re an eligible bachelor reminds them of that fact. So what do you think of my girls?”
“They’re all beautiful women. I’m very lucky to be working with them.”
“I saw the way you were looking at Nicole. You like her, don’t you?” Mary persisted.
Joshua shuffled his feet before answering. “I must admit Nicole does seem fascinating.”
“Don’t even think about it,” Mary replied without hesitation. “Look Joshua. You and I go way back, and you know how I operate. Work is work, and you know I discourage any kind of romantic relationship on the job. Look at what happened between Charles and me. There is no way I’m going through another disaster like that again. It would destroy whatever harmony and trust is left in the group.” She looked at him with steely eyes. “Do we have an understanding?”
“Yes, of course.” Joshua had seen that expression on her face several times in the past. When Mary set a firm rule, no one dared to cross it unless they wanted to be kicked out of the group. “You know you would look a whole lot cuter if you weren’t so serious all the time,” he said with a playful tone.
The tension on Mary’s face softened. “And things might have been different between us if you had made spending time more of a priority.”
“You know you were different than all the other women. Not only were you classy, you were the sharpest woman I knew.”
“That obviously wasn’t enough. Isn’t that why you chose Emma over me?”
Joshua pressed his lips together and said nothing. He had met Emma while working at CMO Music Group, and even though he knew Mary was a respectable woman who had a crush on him, he was distracted by Emma’s flirty personality and irresistible sex appeal. While he later regretted his decision to pass up Mary, the damage to their friendship had been done, and it was obvious she still harbored a grudge against him.
Mary placed a hand on his shoulder. “Look, I don’t want to rehash the past between us. We agreed to put it all behind us. Tonight is the beginning of a new and profitable future. Go home and get lots of rest tonight. Practice starts tomorrow morning at eight sharp. We have a lot to go over.”
“Don’t worry about the past. You know I’m dedicated to my work.”
Mary gave him a thin smile. “Yes, I know how passionate you can be about everything, especially work.”
Joshua gave her a hug and said goodbye to the other women before leaving La Trattoria for his home in Corona del Mar. As he drove home in his Lexus sports sedan, his mind replayed the warning Mary had given him.
There was no doubt that he was mesmerized by every woman in the group, including Mary. But the co-founder and he already had a rocky past together, and that was something they agreed to set aside for the sake of work. But he couldn’t help feeling drawn to win the smiles and affection of the other women. It was an irresistible urge for him. And even though he kept a fine line between his professional and personal life, he couldn’t help wondering how much he could get away with if he played his cards right with Mary.
