Chapter Ten

The conference room grew warmer. Simeon glanced at his watch. The meeting needed to come to a close. Nothing would keep him from dinner with Asa. Not even the potential to make more money. He stacked his papers then signaled with his hand to get everyone’s attention.

He cleared his throat. “We have to table the remaining agenda items until our next meeting.”

“I think we’ve covered the important details. The funds for front-end loading of the planned community are secure. Delaware Wrecking has our schedule and the demolition date is set. The leases for the strip mall are being prepared. I’ll follow-up on the details of the grant and shoot you an e-mail tomorrow,” said Brad Stevens as he placed his papers into the folder.

“Fine.” Simeon stood up and nodded to the committee. “Brad, I’ll need you to run down the questions on the lot size for the center. I don’t want any surprises.”

“Sure thing.” Brad scribbled a note.

When he reached his office, Catherine’s clean desk signaled she was gone for the day. He picked up the phone and dialed Asa’s number.

“I just want to be sure we’re still on.”

“Of course. I’m getting ready.” The tender sound of her voice ricocheted to his heart, reinforcing his draw for her.

“See you shortly.”

He rushed into his Italian marbled en-suite bathroom. After a quick shower, he dressed in a dark suit. The elevator descended to the lobby. He caught a glimpse of his crooked tie in the mirror and made the necessary adjustment.

His Mercedes had been cleaned as requested and gleamed in the designated spot in front of his building. He backed the car out of the parking space. All day he’d played with the words to let Asa know he wouldn’t change the project. No matter how he put it, she wouldn’t be happy. There was no way to have his project and Asa, too.

He eased the pressure on the accelerator before shifting into the right lane. His heart thumped fast making it difficult to focus on the drive.

The site for the planned community sat just ahead on the right. On schedule, construction was set to begin in a few weeks. His mother didn’t smile often, but the day he told her about the project her face lit up like an excited child. He drove by the huge Harper Enterprise sign. Elation bubbled in his stomach.

He cruised several more blocks before turning onto Excalibur Drive. The Conroy house was the only house on the block with the porch lights on. The sun hadn’t begun to set, but the street had a picturesque glow.

After shutting off the car he surveyed the block. The quiet street used to be the liveliest in the neighborhood. Tonight it didn’t look as intimidating as it when he was a teenager. He shrugged. In a few weeks the whole block would be a pile of rubble.

He stepped out of the car. With his hands shoved in his pockets, he glared up at the house. Asa walked past the upstairs window, her silhouette moved back and forth across the room in a flurry of activity. Then she stood motionless for several seconds. Even in the shadows, he detected her gracefulness; her fluid motion resembled a ballerina. His attraction for her had never diminished, maybe it was stronger.

When she extinguished the light, he reached into the passenger seat and removed the neatly wrapped gift. At the sound of the shrill doorbell, the dog barked.

She opened the door. “I wondered how long you were going to stand outside and stare at the house.” Scruffy ran out. After a thorough sniff of Simeon’s shoes, he wagged his tail.

Without addressing her question, he drew her into his arms. His body stiffened as he found the warm sweetness of her mouth. Years of longing faded. Her crisp, floral cologne hit his senses with a force to strong for him to resist. He pulled her closer, lifting her feet off the ground.

She released his mouth before he wanted. “Wow, Simeon. I wasn’t expecting that.”

“What were you expecting?” He looked down at her.

“With you, it’s hard to say.” She was teasing him and he liked the banter.

“I’ve been thinking about doing that all day.” He grabbed her by the waist, pulled her into his chest and kissed her again. “You look so good, I couldn’t help myself.” The strapless maxi dress she wore exposed the golden hue of her shoulders. He traced his finger along her collarbone and down her arm. “You saw me from upstairs?” He responded to her original question while his finger lingered on her warm skin.

“I did. Why were you standing there, like that?” She searched his eyes.

“I was falling for your magic.”

“You know it’s crazy for us to go out when we have such opposing ideas.”

“I do it all the time when I’m negotiating with clients.”

“Do you kiss them, too?”

He shook his head. “Not usually.”

“Then you kissed me to what, to divert my attention away from my goal?”

“Is it working?”

“Nope.” She dropped her head. “I remind myself every day of my purpose for moving home and all the things I need to get done.” She pulled her pocketbook onto her shoulder.

“I hope I’m on that list and I’d like to get you in my bed, soon.”

“I pray you’re not getting your hopes up either.” She batted her long lashes.

“Touché.”

She motioned to Scruffy to go outside.

While they waited on the dog, he handed her the gift.

“What’s this?” Her smiled strengthened his resolve. “I didn’t know we were doing presents. I don’t have anything to give you.”

“I wasn’t expecting anything. Go ahead, open it.”

She ripped the paper off and released a squeal that pierced his ears.

“I don’t believe you bought me a CD player!” She turned the shiny red player over in her hands. “It’s exactly like the one my father bought me. How could you remember the color and the make? You didn’t need to do this.”

“Oh, yes, I did. You were right. I broke the first one. I was an angry teenager that adored you and was jealous of you all at the same time. The least I could do was buy you another. I know no one listens to them anymore...”

She rose up on her toes and brushed her soft lips against his cheek. “Thank you very much. I have a few disks I still enjoy. Thank you.” Her fingers lingered on his cheek.

“You look stunning as usual. Nice dress.” He needed to break the trance before he was swallowed up by his attraction.

“You like it. It’s from my collection.” She pivoted on her toes. “I’m thinking about including it in my Fashion Week show, but I’m not sure if I like this knit.

“Fashion Week, huh? I’m impressed.”

“You should be, buddy.” She nudged him before closing the door behind the dog. “I’ve been trying to get in for several years. This year I finally got my invitation. Do you have any idea what this could lead to?”

“Success,” he kissed her forehead.

She accepted his arm and together they walked to the car.

They drove several blocks without talking. He adjusted the music. Taking her to dinner was flirting with fire. He needed to manage an entire meal without giving in to what she wanted. Damn. His loins tightened every time he looked at her.

He pulled into the valet lane of the Hotel DuPont. An attendant rushed to open the door for Asa. “Please leave my car parked here on the street.” He motioned to an empty space in front of the hotel before handing the attendant a large bill. With his hand on her back he guided her inside.

§ § §

Asa caught Simeon’s eye as he led her across the ornate lobby to the restaurant. A mixture of excitement mingled with trepidation ran down her spine. She could envision Mim’s disappoint if she knew instead of fighting to save the house Asa was flirting with the enemy.

Two women seated in the lobby stopped talking and stared as they made their way to the restaurant. One woman pushed her nose in the air when Asa caught her eye. Asa suppressed her grin and gripped Simeon’s arm a little tighter.

“Friends of yours?” Asa tilted her head at the women.

Simeon chuckled. “Do you think I know every woman in Delaware?”

“Well, they look like they would like to get to know you. I think the blonde is actually drooling.”

He planted a kiss on her cheek and slipped his hand around her waist. “That ought to send her a message, don’t you think?”

“Uh huh.” Asa fought the blush warming her face. Every kiss pulled her closer to surrendering the resistance she was trying to hold on to. Dealing with the studio, the house, and her feelings for Simeon was almost more than she could manage. But she would. No way could she allow her emotions to derail her plans this time.

The aroma of garlic and butter drifted past her nose. Asa took a deep breath, savoring the rich scent. “Where are we going? The restaurant is that way.” Asa pointed beyond the bank of elevators.

“We’re having dinner in a private dining room, upstairs. Since I stood you up I thought I would make this dinner a special one.”

Asa’s legs began to tremble. If he wanted to sweep her off her feet, his plan was working. “I’m impressed.”

He gave her a wicked smile. “And you haven’t even tasted the meal yet.”

She gave his arm a playful slap and then cut her eyes at a young couple in front of them waiting for the elevator. “We’ll talk about this later, in private.”

The young girl wasn’t much older than twenty; her incessant giggles reminded Asa of falling in love, when the relationship was still in that sweet spot, where everything was grand and new. Too bad, relationships didn’t stay in that zone forever.

The young couple stepped into the elevator and held the door open for them.

“We’ll catch the next car.” Simeon waved them on.

Before the doors closed, Simeon leaned close. “Isn’t young love refreshing? Don’t you wish you were in love like that again?”

“No, thank you, I’ll pass,” Asa clasped her hands.

“Oh, come on, doesn’t every woman want to find true love?”

“Is there such a thing as true love or soul mates? It’s all a crock. It’s a story men tell us to get to the goodies.” She stepped closer to him. “You might as well admit it. I’m onto you.”

“Umm, I don’t know if I can answer for all men.”

“Then answer for yourself.” She studied his face, waiting for his reply.

An empty elevator arrived. He guided her in and then stood so close she thought he might hear her heart beating. The attention from him was exciting, but she wouldn’t wallow in fairytale land. Not again. He had something she wanted and the minute she forgot her purpose she could lose everything.

He must have read her thoughts. With no preamble he wrapped his arms around her waist and peered into her eyes. “I can’t get enough of you. I think I’m becoming addicted.” He pressed his mouth to hers.

Her body came alive with his touch. Yielding to the desire, she pressed her breasts, her stomach, and her thighs against his body. Her brain screamed for her to stop. His hands roamed across her bare shoulders, blazing a steaming trail she didn’t want to abandon. His solid body felt like hot steel in her hands.

The bell sounded when the elevator reached the second floor and the doors opened. Instead of releasing her, Simeon continued to weave warm, wet circles around her tongue. Forget dinner, she wanted to move to dessert.

“Excuse me, is this your floor?”

Simeon gave her a final peck before addressing the well-dressed hotel patron. “Yes, it is, sorry if we’ve delayed you.”

Simeon released her, grabbed her hand and led her out of the elevator. She giggled while matching his long strides.

“The private dining room is just down the hall on the right.” His voice sounded as giddy as she felt. A small table sat in the middle of the quaint, dimly lit private dining room. A single white tapered candle sat in a crystal holder in the center of the table.

“Very nice,” Asa entered the room. The appointments were as elegant as those in the main restaurant.

“I hope this means you forgive me.” Simeon held out the chair and gave a gallant bow.

“Yes, I forgave you the first time you asked.”

A server materialized from a side door and Simeon stepped away to talk with him.

Asa took a deep breath and exhaled through her mouth. So far, this was the most romantic thing anyone had ever done for her. He could be the right person, but this was the wrong time. She placed her hands in her lap and closed her eyes. Focus.

She didn’t have time to get involved with anyone. Certainly not Simeon, they shared too much history—most of which was negative—to forge a serious relationship. His numerous rejections still scorched her ego. The next man in her life needed to show interest in her from the day they met.

Simeon was sophisticated and handsome as hell; but she did not intend to fall for that again. Fashion week was in a few months. She needed to focus on the final pieces. Chaos best described the state of her studio plans and the house. Keeping her focus on all of that should be enough to help her ignore his charm. But it wasn’t.

Simeon returned to the table and slid his chair closer. “So you’re not interested in settling down and finding true love?” His velvety voice scrambled her thoughts. He had to be trying to knock her off her game.

She examined his face. “Are we still on that conversation? No, right now I’m not thinking about any of that.”

His eyes widened. “Is that right?”

Asa rested her chin in her palm and peered into his eyes. Something twinkled in the dark pools. “Are you looking?”

“No. No I’m not.”

“Why not? Too busy enjoying your bachelor status?” She wanted to take the attention off her.

“There’s that sharp wit again.” He laughed. “No, my business keeps me pretty busy. I don’t have the time to devote to a serious relationship.”

“Surely, there is no shortage of women that would like nothing better than to tie you down on your terms.”

“I haven’t found the right woman yet.”

“Are you looking, or do you expect her to fall in your lap?”

Simeon reached for her hand. “When she falls into my lap, you better believe I’ll never let go.”

His baritone voice sounded convincing, but a man with everything going for him wasn’t single unless there was a glitch. Something must be wrong with him.

Asa swallowed hard. “Interesting. You sound convincing.”

“So, tell me, what went wrong with your marriage.” Asa shifted in her seat. Her hand trembled when she reached for the water goblet. Should she tell him the truth or give him the rehearsed version? She wanted to be honest.

“In the beginning things seemed wonderful, but maybe we were too young or maybe marriage wasn’t as exciting as he thought it was going to be. After two years he found more fun in anything and everything but me. He’d rather watch paint dry than spend an evening at home.”

“Ouch.” Simeon winced. “The man was crazy. What could be more exciting than you?”

“Well, let’s see; Yvonne, Marcy, Stacy, and a little redhead named Rebecca.”

“If this is difficult you don’t have to talk about it.”

“No...no, I don’t mind. I’ve moved on.” She paused for several moments. “I haven’t told my sisters all this yet. I blamed myself. My parents didn’t want me to get married. They wanted me to wait. But you know...youth, love, and all that stuff made a dangerous combination. I thought marriage would make me happy, improve my life.” She relaxed her shoulders, the tension eased.

“What was wrong with your life? Why did it need improving?”

She shrugged. “Something was missing.” Asa looked beyond Simeon at the gold flecked wallpaper.

“Did your parents know your marriage was in trouble?”

She dropped her gaze. “No, I tried to make it work. I never told them. My parents came for a visit the year before they died. I think my mother could see the stress in our relationship. She asked lots of questions.” Asa picked up the salt and pepper shakers and set them back down. “I remember the big cheesy smile I gave her when I told her Eric and I were doing just fine. I was belligerent, accusing her of wanting my marriage to fail when she continued to ask questions. Eric couldn’t even fake it for the week my parents visited. On their last night in town he didn’t even come home.” Asa ran her hand over the tablecloth. “I could see disappointment in my mother’s eyes, but she never said anything.”

Simeon covered her hand with his. “I’m sure your mother wanted the best for you.”

“Let’s talk about something more upbeat. That time is behind me. I want to forget it.”

“Fine. Then why don’t you tell me what’s on your mind tonight?” He added, “As if I don’t already know.”

Before she could respond, the server showed up. Simeon ordered a bottle of Cabernet Sauvignon. When the server walked away, Simeon folded his hands on the table and stared at Asa, waiting on her reply.

“We talked a little bit the other night about the house. I hope you’ve given it some thought. Maybe we can come up with ideas so the house doesn’t get torn down.”

He opened his mouth and closed it again. He released her hand and laid his palms on the table. “Asa, I know you want to save the house. I really don’t think there’s anything I can do at this stage to divert or change the project.” He spoke slow and measured. “The neighborhood needs access to affordable goods.”

“By tearing down the houses? Then there won’t even be a neighborhood.”

“This project will do a lot of good for a lot of people. It will create jobs.”

“Not everyone thinks it’s such a good idea,” Asa countered.

“Before we approached any investors we did our research. We performed several surveys. Your sister, Melissa gave us the okay. Neither of your sisters raised any objections at the time. Why is this becoming a major issue this late in the game?”

Their server cleared his throat and asked if they were ready to order dinner. Asa accepted the menu. She stared at the words until they blurred. Maybe if she had been straight with her sisters about leaving Atlanta and opening a shop in Delaware everything would have turned out differently.

The server listened to their dinner request without jotting down any notes. Afterward he nodded and walked away.

Asa sipped her wine, happy to take a moment to gather her thoughts. Simeon gazed at her over his glass. She would lose the battle for her house and for his love. The urge to flee swept over her.

That first night when he stepped on her porch, he tugged at her heart. Since then an inferno seized her. She was still in love with him. Pretending anything else was useless. She dropped her eyes, picked up the pepper shaker and moved it across the table.

“There’s nothing I can do. If our due diligence turns up nothing, we have to move forward.” He held his hands in midair.

“What if I wasn’t the only one that wanted that block left alone?”

“It wouldn’t matter.”

Moving back to Bristol was the right thing to do. Even without the house, living here made her happy and, content. She wouldn’t run away.

The server returned with their dinner. Simeon’s rib-eye steak sizzled in butter on his plate and the aroma of her seared sea bass made her mouth water. Without replying to Simeon’s comment, she tasted a piece of the flaky fish. Instead of talking about the house they chatted about some of their classmates. If she couldn’t work with Simeon to save the house, then she would work around him.

“The other day you offered me use of an office in your suite. Is it still available?”

“It’s all set up. All you have to do is show up.” He placed his knife and fork across the plate.

“I’ll be there tomorrow.”

“I’m looking forward to having you around.”

She suppressed the pang of excitement, his words stirred in her stomach.

After their plates were removed from the table, Asa surveyed his face. The dimples that showed up when he smiled and the high cheekbones make him even more handsome. Too bad they couldn’t seize the opportunity years ago when they had the chance.

“Why didn’t you like me in high school, Simeon?” She hadn’t planned to ask that question, but now she needed to know. Was her timing with men always off? Did Simeon have a reason for ignoring her; ditching her hopes even before they were fully formed?

Shock registered in his eyes. “Err...I...I...” he muttered.

“It’s not a hard question. You had to know I had a crush on you. I followed you around like a lovesick puppy. No matter how hard I tried to get your attention you ignored me. I just want to know why.”

“I didn’t know that...I was always trying to...” He reached for his wine and took a long swallow. “You were the girl that lived on the right side of the tracks. I lived on the wrong side. Girls like you didn’t date guys like me.”

Asa laughed at his reply. “What are you talking about? You’re kidding me, right?” She continued to laugh.

He looked at her and shook his head. “We were the poor family. My father made us the laughing stock of the city. Everyone knew Nolan Harper, the town drunk, and his tattered family.”

She stopped laughing and stared at him. Could he be serious? “We were all poor. I didn’t look down on you. You were the cutest guy in school. You were smart and so serious. Unlike the other guys in our class, you had a solidness about you that I liked. Besides, no one could have been poorer than my family.”

He cleared his throat and looked away. “It doesn’t matter.” He removed his napkin from his lap, folded it into a neat rectangle and placed it on the table. “I think it’s time I take you home.”

“Wait a minute.” Her eyes widened. “What about my house?”

“I think I know what you want.” He stood up. “I told you I can’t make any promises.”

“Have you at least thought about other options?”

“I have. Give me a few weeks.” He reached for her hand to help her up.

“Do I have a few weeks?”

“You do if I say you do.” Because this time I’m in control.