Chapter 3
Lamar Pierce checked his watch when he heard the sound of an approaching vehicle. He smiled. She was on time. His client’s fiancée had called the day before to ask whether he would be available to show her the new construction to the rear of the property she wanted as a loggia for al fresco dining, and he had quickly rearranged his schedule to accommodate her.
When Cameron Singleton introduced Jasmine Washington as an interior decorator and his fiancée, Lamar hadn’t been unable to conceal his surprise. It was the latter that had taken him aback, because he was well aware of Cameron’s reputation as an eligible bachelor. Subsequent to their meeting, Cameron had contacted him and asked him to save the date for his wedding and not share the news with anyone, because he wanted it to be a surprise. Lamar wanted to tell him it would be more than a surprise to those in the Big Easy. It was certain to shock those who hadn’t expected the wealthy, very eligible certified financial planner to marry, and definitely not to a woman of color, because Cameron’s taste in women tended to extend to blondes and redheads.
He walked over to the gleaming, late-model pearl-white Honda Odyssey parked along the curb behind the construction crews’ vans and pickups. Lamar opened the driver’s-side door, extended his hand, and assisted Jasmine out of the vehicle. She looked nothing like the woman he’d met for the first time in the private dining room at the Louis LaSalle hotel. Then, she’d appeared very businesslike in a pantsuit and with her hair styled in a twist off the nape of her neck. He’d commissioned the interior decorator for a personal project and was astounded by her artistic flair and attention to detail. Today she wore a loose-fitting floral-print top with a pair of navy leggings and matching peep-toe booties. A loose ponytail had replaced the chic twist.
Lamar extended his hand. “Good morning.”
Jasmine smiled and took his hand. “Good morning. Thank you for making time for me.”
“It’s . . .” His words trailed off when he saw the petite woman with a wealth of dark curls floating around her shoulders emerge from the passenger seat of the minivan. His eyes met a pair of hazel ones that were almost an exact match to his. Lamar’s mother had drilled into him that it was impolite to stare at someone, but at that moment he completely forgot his home training. If he was staring, then she was also. Lamar didn’t know why, but she reminded him of the illustrations of fairy-tale princesses in the books he read to his daughter.
“Lamar, I asked to meet you because I wanted to show Nydia the property before it’s completely renovated. Nydia, this is Lamar Pierce. He’s project engineer responsible for turning this place into a showplace. Lamar, Nydia Santiago.”
Nydia offered Lamar her hand. “It’s nice meeting you.”
Jasmine’s introduction shattered his silent entrancement with the woman with delicate features and a flawless taupe complexion He grasped the small hand, which disappeared into his larger one. “My pleasure, Ms. Santiago.”
She smiled. “Please call me Nydia.”
His eyebrows flickered slightly. “And I’m Lamar.”
It took Herculean strength for Lamar to pull his eyes away from the slender woman with eyes that reminded him of semiprecious gems and a generous mouth that probably had men fantasizing about kissing her. As soon as the notion entered his head, he chided himself for entertaining licentious thoughts about a woman whom he knew nothing about except her name.
“Please wait here,” he said. “I’m going to get some hard hats from my truck.” Lamar knew he had to put some distance between him and Nydia if only to deal with his unexpected reaction to her; it had been more than ten years since a woman had enthralled him within seconds of his meeting her, and that woman was one he’d eventually married.
* * *
Nydia exchanged a look with Jasmine as Lamar walked down the block and opened the door to a black pickup. “We have the same color eyes.”
Jasmine nodded. “That’s what I thought when I first met him. However, yours have more green, while his have glints of gold.”
“Something about him bothers me.”
“How, chica?” Jasmine asked.
“Although I’m flattered by his staring, he also made me feel uncomfortable.”
A hint of a smile touched the corners of Jasmine’s mouth. “That’s because he likes what he sees.”
A frown settled into Nydia’s features. “Oh hell no, mija. What he likes and what he gets are entirely two different things. Did you not see the band on his left hand? The man’s married, and I’m not one to entertain another woman’s husband. My mantra is if I can’t be the entrée, then I’m not going to be the appetizer or the dessert. At least when Cameron couldn’t take his eyes off you, some woman didn’t have papers on him.”
“I think you’re being a little too hasty in—”
“Hasty!” Nydia said, cutting her off. “Please, Jazz. I don’t want to talk about Lamar Pierce.” Once Nydia ended her relationship with her ex she had purposefully put up a shield to keep all men at a distance, and had given herself a year of not dating anyone to assess what she wanted for her future.
A beat passed before Jasmine said, “Okay.”
Nydia exhaled an audible sigh of relief as she glanced up at the building, set behind a massive wrought-iron door. “This place is huge.”
“It used to be a warehouse where bales of raw cotton were stored before they were loaded onto ships and transported to New England or European cotton mills.”
“Why did Cameron decide to buy a warehouse?”
“He said although he finds it convenient living in a hotel, he claims he wanted a place where he could entertain clients, friends, and family without reserving a room at the LaSalle.”
“I haven’t even seen the inside, but I’m willing to bet it’s as large the DuPont Inn.”
Jasmine nodded. “It’s about the same.”
“Coño, mija. I can’t believe it’s only going to be you, Cameron, and that little muffin cooking inside you living in this mansion. After you have your baby, you need to wait for your six-week checkup and start working on another one. A house this big needs the patter of a lot of little feet.”
“That’s not happening, Nydia. If Cameron and I decide to have more children, then we’ll adopt. And speaking of babies, I’d be honored if you’d be godmother to this one.”
Nydia stared wide-eyed, unblinking. “Are you sure?”
“Of course I’m sure. I wouldn’t be asking if I wasn’t sure.”
Unexpected tears filled Nydia’s eyes, and she was suddenly overcome with a swell of emotion. She had wanted to be godmother to one of her nieces, but when it didn’t happen she dismissed it as her sisters-in-law’s choice to make. “Thank you, Jasmine. I’m really honored you asked me.”
“No more talk about the baby,” Jasmine said sotto voce. “Lamar’s coming back.”
Nydia reached into her cross-body purse for a tissue and touched it to the corners of her eyes. She rarely exhibited public displays of emotion, but Jasmine asking her to become godmother to her son or daughter was an honor she would cherish forever. If only a few people knew about Cameron marrying Jasmine, even fewer knew that he was going to be a father.
Lamar handed each a bright yellow hard hat. “Please put these on, and watch where you step once we’re inside.”
Nydia ignored Lamar’s furtive glance as she put on the hat. She had to concede he was extremely attractive, but she found his features rather delicate for a man. She estimated he was at least forty or close to it despite his close-cropped prematurely gray hair, which was a striking contrast to his unlined sable-brown complexion. High cheekbones and a hint of the cleft in his strong chin all made for an arresting face. He was casually dressed in a pair of khakis, a navy-blue golf shirt, and tan work boots.
Lamar put on his own hard hat and unlocked the wrought-iron door leading to a cobblestone walkway that opened out into an expansive courtyard. Several dumpsters and construction equipment took up two corners of the open space that was an emerald jungle with trees, flowering shrubs, and ferns growing in abandon. There was also an enormous fountain in the middle of the enclosure with a marble cherub holding a pitcher from which water would flow if operable.
“Can you imagine holding a cookout here?” Nydia whispered to Jasmine, unaware that Lamar had overheard her. “I thought St. John’s backyard was big, but this is incredible.”
Jasmine nodded. “If the house had been completely renovated, I would’ve convinced Cameron to have the ceremony and reception here.”
“I saw the video from Tonya’s wedding, and the courtyard where they exchanged vows made it look like a fairy-tale wedding.”
“I’m sorry you missed it.”
Nydia hadn’t experienced a lot of disappointment in her life, but not being able to attend Tonya’s wedding was one. She’d been confined to a hospital bed with pain and antibiotic fluids running through an IV and into her body while her friend was marrying a man with whom she had been given a second chance at love. Nydia knew even if she hadn’t delayed seeking medical attention with the onset of pain in her side, she still wouldn’t have been cleared to travel in time to attend Tonya and Gage’s nuptials. However, she was given the opportunity to attend another wedding two months later as Jasmine married Cameron.
She wasn’t able to conceal a gasp of astonishment when Lamar opened another oak door to an enormous street-level space with stone floors and brick walls. The sounds of hammering, sawing, and drilling could be heard over the distinctive voice of Michael Jackson’s “Billie Jean.”
“Watch your step,” Lamar cautioned as he led the way to the rear of the property. Several men nodded to him before going back to concentrate on their tasks.
Nydia pulled her eyes away from a trio of staircases leading to the upper stories. She carefully wended her way through sawhorses, wheelbarrows, stacks of bricks, cinder blocks, coils of wire, and copper piping. When Jasmine had informed her that Cameron had bought a house, she thought it would be similar to the ones featured in the French Quarter with shuttered windows and decorative wrought-iron balconies, and not one where intercoms were essential in order to communicate with one another.
Nydia and Jasmine expelled audible gasps at the same time when they stepped out onto the loggia with the cross-beamed ceiling supported by brick columns and terra-cotta flooring. It was the perfect place to begin and end the day.
“I hope it meets your specifications,” Lamar said to Jasmine.
Her smile mirrored approval. “It’s perfect and beyond my expectations.” She pressed her palms together. “Thank you again for taking the time to show me what you’ve done with the loggia. I hope to see you again at my wedding.”
Lamar smiled, the expression making him appear rather boyish despite the gray hair. “Of course. I wouldn’t miss it.”
“By the way, Nydia’s going to be my maid of honor.”
Lamar angled his head as he gave Nydia a direct stare. “I hope you’ll save a dance for me?”
Nydia narrowed her eyes. “I will, but only if Mrs. Pierce doesn’t mind you dancing with me.”
Throwing back his head, Lamar laughed loudly. “The only Mrs. Pierce I know is sixty-five and lives in Baton Rouge with my sister and her grandchildren.”
Nydia’s eyelids fluttered, her breath quickened, and her cheeks became warm from embarrassment; she was angry with herself for assuming Lamar was married. Well, dammit, she thought, he is wearing a wedding band.
She curbed the urge to stick out her tongue at him. It was something she’d done as a child when she felt the need to punish someone. “Yes. I will save you a dance.”
Lamar’s smile was still in place when he inclined his head. “Thank you.”
Nydia looped her arm through Jasmine’s as they turned to retrace their steps. “I’m going to get you for that,” she said under her breath, speaking Spanish. “Why didn’t you tell me the man’s not married?”
“I tried to tell you,” Jasmine replied in the same language, “but you cut me off saying you’ll never be a married man’s appetizer or dessert, but the main dish. He’s a widower,” she added.
Nydia rolled her eyes. “Why the heck is he still wearing a wedding ring?” she continued in Spanish.
Jasmine smiled. “You can ask him that when you dance with him at my wedding.”
“No entraré en el negocio personal del hombre.” Nydia had no intention of getting into the man’s personal business. She would dance with him, and leave it at that; it did not matter if she did find Lamar attractive, he would become an acquaintance and nothing more.
Her friends and family members had told her repeatedly to stop dating Danny, and there were occasions when she had. However, that was short-lived, whenever he called begging that he loved and missed her. It had all come to an end when she moved out of her landlady’s house, leaving no forwarding address and blocking Danny’s number. That day in November she’d made herself a solemn promise not to date anyone for a year. And she’d come to learn a lot about herself over the past nine months. Not only hadn’t she needed a man to complete her, but she also liked her own company.
She’d invite her cousins and a few friends she’d grown up with in her old neighborhood over to the apartment where they’d spend hours eating, drinking, laughing, and talking about what was happening in their lives. The get-togethers reminded Nydia of the camaraderie she’d shared with Tonya, Hannah, Samara, and Jasmine when they’d set out on their road trip from New York City to New Orleans. And she continued to marvel at how quickly she had bonded with her coworkers, and what she had to decide before the end of October was whether to renew the lease or give notice that she was vacating the apartment before January 31.
* * *
“I like this swagger wagon,” Nydia said, as Jasmine maneuvered the minivan into an empty space at the rear of the bridal salon.
Jasmine laughed. “I’m beginning to like it, too. The automatic sliding doors make it hands-free for loading and unloading.”
“Do you miss your Denali?”
“Not really.”
“Why didn’t you call your ex and ask him if he’s willing to buy it from you?” Nydia teased.
Jasmine shook her head. “You know you’re wrong, chica.”
“No I’m not, because you know damn well your leech ex-husband was ready to fight you tooth and nail for that vehicle so he could ride that woman and her tribe of kids around in it.”
“Well, he’ll never get it, because I transferred the title to my cousin.”
“Isn’t it funny that aside from a larger share of your design business the two other things he wanted most your cousin has: the condo and the Denali?”
Jasmine went completely still as she stared out the windshield. “When you say you’re so over Danny it’s the same with me, Nydia. In less than two weeks I’m going to marry a man I never believed I could love. And hopefully before the end of the year we’ll move into our new home and then ring in the new year with a child I never thought I’d ever have.”
Unbuckling her seat belt, Nydia leaned over and hugged her friend. “You deserve everything coming to you, and some.”
Jasmine held onto Nydia’s forearm. “What about you, chica? Don’t you think it’s time for you to have a happily ever after?”
“What makes you think I’m not happy? I don’t have ex-husbands or children like you, Hannah, or Tonya, but that doesn’t mean my life is fraught with angst or filled with bad memories. Danny was my first real serious boyfriend, but at no time did I ever allow my heart to overrule my head.”
“What attracted you to him?”
Nydia extricated her arm from Jasmine’s and pressed her head to the headrest. “His positive attributes are he’s extremely talented and he didn’t cheat on me. But it was his refusal to become gainfully employed that was a continual source of contention between us. He earned just enough working as a part-time waiter and singing with a Latin band on the weekends to pay for studio time. I got tired of telling him that all the men in my family worked and supported their families, and I expected the same from him. Even if I had greater earning power I wouldn’t have held that over his head.”
Jasmine patted Nydia’s hand. “Don’t beat up on yourself, chica. You gave him more chances than he deserved.”
“You’ve got that right. Now before we go in, do you have any idea of what type of gown you want?”
“I told the owner I wanted a gown with an empire waist because it would de-emphasize my waistline.”
“You’re not showing.”
“I’m getting thick in the waist.”
“Let’s go, mija. We need to pick out a gown for you and one for me, along with all of the accessories.”
* * *
Nydia settled down on the loveseat, picked up the remote device, and flicked on the wall-mounted flat screen. She blew out an audible sigh. It felt good to just sit and relax. Jasmine had extended an invitation for Nydia to join her and Cameron in their suite for the evening meal, but she’d declined and ordered room service.
Earlier that morning it had taken her and Jasmine almost three hours to pick out their gowns. The salon owner and her staff were patient and gracious, offering them water, juice, and freshly prepared fruit and green salads for a light snack during a break.
Unlike Jasmine, who knew exactly what style and color she wanted, it wasn’t the same for Nydia, who’d always found herself in a quandary when it came choosing between more than one garment. It wasn’t until she’d resorted to the nursery rhyme eeny, meeny, miny, moe that she had finally selected her bridesmaid gown. Fittings followed, and the seamstress set a date for them to return several days before the wedding for a final fitting.
Nydia turned the television to a popular entertainment channel and became suddenly alert when she heard the correspondent mention her ex-boyfriend’s name. More than two million hits on Danny Ocasio’s YouTube video had landed him a record deal with a major recording company. A publicist from the company had predicted Danny was certain to become a Latin crossover artist with the sensuality of Enrique Iglesias and a voice comparable to Marc Anthony’s.
Nydia’s cell phone chimed a familiar ringtone; she picked up the phone after the second ring. “I just saw it, Millie,” she said to her cousin.
Milagros Baez’s distinctive laugh came through the mouthpiece. “Can you believe it? He finally made it!”
“Good for him.”
“I know you had your ups and downs with Danny, but you don’t sound excited that he’s going to be a big star.”
Nydia closed her eyes. What did her cousin expect her to say? Danny had worked hard to get a recording contract, even if it meant forfeiting a relationship with her. “I’m happy for him, Millie. He deserves every good thing coming his way.”
“Danny called me a couple of days ago to let me know the segment was airing tonight,” Milagros continued. “He said he wanted to personally share his good news with you, but you’d blocked his number.” A beat passed. “He wanted me to tell you that he still loves you and would like to see you in person. Of course I didn’t tell him where you were, but said I would pass along the message.”
“You can tell him I’m out of town and I’ll contact him once I return to New York after the Labor Day weekend.” Nydia didn’t tell Millie that she had no intention of reviving her relationship with Danny because emotionally she had moved on.
“I’ll let him know. How are you feeling, prima?” Milagros asked.
“I’m real good.”
A slight twinge on her right side was a reminder of her recent surgical procedure, and Nydia realized it would take time before she healed completely. She muted the television and listened to her cousin, who updated her about the latest love of her life. Nydia smiled as Millie rambled on about the too-good-to-be-true man she’d met on a dating site. She was happy for the woman who’d had her share of heartbreak.
Ten minutes after answering the call, Nydia hung up. She’d planned to stay up and watch a movie but changed her mind. After turning off the television, she adjusted the thermostat, and then walked into the bathroom to shower and brush her teeth. The glowing numbers on the bedside clock displayed 8:01.
I’ve become my abuela, she thought. Nydia’s eighty-five-year-old grandmother had established a routine of going to bed at eight o’clock every night to get what she called her beauty sleep. She had to acknowledge her abuelita, who never smoked, rarely drank, except for a glass of coquito during Christmas, could easily pass for a woman at least ten years younger.
Nydia knew the heat and humidity were responsible for her lethargy, and it would take at least a week to acclimate her body to the tropical-like weather.