by Emery, Lynn
“Tell you what; one more night sitting all alone is not going to help.” Evan crossed to him and placed a hand under his elbow. “You’re coming with me. No blind date,” he added cutting Alex off before he could speak.
“Great. I’m going along on your date,” Alex mumbled.
“I care about you, but not that much,” Evan said with a laugh. “My date is tomorrow night. I’m meeting a couple of friends at Jazz It Up.” He turned off the computer and lights in the office.
“I’m not exactly a fun guy these days.”
Alex usually would have been enthusiastic about going to the popular nightspot. It offered the best in traditional and new wave jazz. Still, he did not offer resistance to being led out the door.
“Trust me; you will be in another hour or so.” Evan walked behind him. “Keep going. I’ve got your retreat cut off.”
“All right.” Alex grinned at him. “You’re not such a bad guy after all.”
“Hey, that’s what I keep telling my ex-wife.” Evan chuckled at his own joke.
Alex followed Evan’s BMW wondering if he’d made the right decision. By the time they pulled into the parking lot, he’d convinced himself he should go home. It must have shown on his face. Before he could speak, Evan literally dragged him from the car.
“I’m doing this for your own good.” Evan pushed him through the door. “Look, there they are.” He waved.
Alex frowned when he saw two women seated at a table. “You lying—”
“Toni’s friend Meisha is waiting for her boyfriend. He happens to be my cousin. We’re expecting a couple of other people to stop by after work.”
“Oh. Sorry.” Alex swallowed the string of insults he’d been prepared to spew out.
“Aren’t you ashamed? Attacking me like that.” Evan looked like a true innocent.
“Don’t try it. I know your tricks.” Alex pointed a finger at him. “And I’m watching you.”
Evan lost the playful expression. “Seriously, I know how you feel. Sometimes a break from the mad drama of relationships is just what a brother needs.”
Alex knew he was talking about the one big hurt he’d suffered. Though he rarely talked about it, Evan still had scars from his divorce. Eden had been his high school sweetheart.
“Thanks, man. You’re being a real friend and I keep growling at you.” Alex gave his arm an affectionate pat.
“Forget it.” The twinkle came back to Evan’s coffee eyes. “Now smile and act nice, even if you don’t feel like it. You’ll get better at it eventually.”
Alex followed him to the table. Evan was right. It was time to get back into life.
***
“I’m glad you decided to meet me for drinks.” Ken Hargrove wore an ingratiating smile.
Lanessa wanted to toss the ginger ale in his face but returned his smile instead. “Such a nice, out of the way place.”
At his suggestion, Lanessa had agreed to meet him at Dusty’s. It was a secluded lounge and restaurant across the river from Baton Rouge in West Baton Rouge Parish. Those who wanted their afterhours socializing to be discreet came here. Lanessa was sure most of the couples were people married to. Dusty’s was known to have a tolerant atmosphere. Definitely not a family place. The owner, Dusty Destrehan, made a tidy income on folks who wanted to break at least five of the Ten Commandments. Lanessa exactly why Hargrove had chosen Dusty’s. The lighting was always very dim. The entrance was narrow, almost cavern like so that those seated at tables or booths near could see those entering before they would be seen. Newcomers would have to go around a curved bar first. Yet it was no dive. Rich dark woods made up the décor.
The waitress placed a tray of appetizers on their table. Small smoked oysters and hot wings. Ken gave her a generous tip.
“Thanks, Ken,” the waitress said with a grin and winked at him. She cast a fleeting unfriendly glance at Lanessa before she flounced off.
“Guess I don’t have to ask if you come here often.” Lanessa raised her glass and sipped.
“Oh, that.” Ken lifted a shoulder. “They feature great local talent on weekends.”
“Uh-huh.” Lanessa let her expression say what she thought of that explanation.
“Yes, I like to get away from the country club crowd now and then.” Ken leaned both elbows on the table and cupped his glass of Chevas Regal. “With their talk about LSU football and family connections.”
“Excuse me but didn’t you play football at LSU in the eighties? And you have big time family connections.”
“But I don’t need to talk about that stuff constantly.” Ken dismissed his own social set. “There’s so much more to life.”
“Is that right?” Lanessa wanted to laugh in his face. He was trying to convince her that he could blend into other cultures, that he was in tune with black folks.
“Me, I want my life to be like a big bowl of spicy gumbo. Full of all kinds of tasty things.” Ken sipped his drink and looked at her over the rim. “You know?”
“Be careful you don’t end up with a bad case of heart burn.” Lanessa brushed back her hair.
Ken’s gaze followed the movement of her hand. “I have a strong constitution.”
Lanessa grew uncomfortable with this dance. Ken was on the verge of reaching for her thigh underneath the table. “You wanted to discuss business with me.” She shifted her legs just a few inches farther away from him.
“You seemed very interested in the plant, like you didn’t quite believe what we told you.” Ken sat back.
“It’s just y’all were so secretive about it and secrets intrigue me.” Lanessa was on alert now. She gauged the timbre of his voice and his every gesture. Did he know she’d been digging deeper than they wanted?
“Yeah, well we’ve got competitors that would love to find out some of those secrets.” Ken wore a confident look. “We’ve got a quite a track record when it comes to profit.”
“So I’ve read.” Lanessa lifted her glass to him.
“Quite a few people have made good money dealing with us. Charles Metoyer and Clifton Franklin for example.” Ken looked at her.
Lanessa fought hard to control her breathing. She decided to play a risky card. “Actually Charles Metoyer owns Franklin Enterprises.” She tensed while she watched his reaction. When he merely nodded with no change in his expression, she relaxed a little.
“Franklin sold him controlling interest three years ago. It’s common knowledge in certain circles.”
Lanessa nodded as though she was accustomed to being in that particular inner circle. “Yeah, right. It has something to do with industrial byproducts and gases.”
Hargrove looked around to make sure no nearby was paying attention. “Franklin Enterprises is a sub-contractor for some of the big plants around. Their products are used in making valuable high tech components… and other things.”
“Such as?” Lanessa lost her disinterested expression. She sat forward.
“Let’s just say we stand to make millions in certain foreign markets.” Ken spoke in a low voice. “And you could get in on it.”
Lanessa was still trying to sort out his oblique response when his knee rubbed against hers. His hand soon followed. She’d acted on reflex before she realized, shoving him away with one sharp jerk of both her legs.
“Oops, you startled me,” she mumbled. To cover her disgust with him, she raised the glass to her face. When she lowered it she had plastered a greedy expression on her face. “I was imagining stacks and stacks of money. You said something about me?”
“I sure did.” Ken put his hand back on her knee. “I could use good research. Lots of it. And your eyes and ears down at the legislature.”
“Sounds interesting.” Lanessa did not move this time. “Tell me more.”
“I’ll pay you a monthly retainer to work for me. Seven thousand okay?”
Lanessa was amazed at the money he casually tossed at her. “You have money to burn, Mr. Hargrove?”
“As I said, I’m
a good performer.” Ken gave her thigh a pat then pulled his hand away. “Of course you could only have two or three other contracts. I’d expect to get most of your attention,” he said in provocative tone.
“Naturally I can’t make such an important decision tonight. But I can say you’ve definitely got my attention right now.” Lanessa signaled the waitress.
“I understand.” Hargrove gazed at her with satisfaction. He seemed self-assured that his combination of charm and money had worked. “I think we’d do great things together.”
Lanessa ordered another ginger ale. The waitress barely acknowledged her. She picked up Ken’s glass, cleaned the table in front of him with care then left. Lanessa waited until the young woman was gone.
“I’m already familiar with the Des Allemands project. I could—”
“We have all we need,” Hargrove interrupted. “No, this is something completely different. You know about nutria, right?”
“Big over grown rats that drive people nuts.” Lanessa was puzzled at the strange turn of this conversation.
“Jefferson Parish is desperate to get rid of them. We might find a market for their pelts and oils from their glands,” Hargrove said.
“But they’re repulsive and they stink.”
“Look what George Washington Carver did with the lowly peanut. There are fortunes to be made in the most unlikely ways.” Ken wore a condescending smile. “And seven thousand a month will make them look absolutely cuddly after a while.”
“I doubt it.” Lanessa wrinkled her nose.
“You wouldn’t have to catch the darn things, Lanessa. You’d be far from the dirty work.” Hargrove leaned until their shoulders touched. “A nice suite of offices in the American Bank Building. You could even have a view of the river.”
“Wow,” Lanessa murmured. She put the right amount of awe in her voice.
Far from what Hargrove was thinking, Lanessa was excited for a very different reason. She must be close to the truth. Hargrove and Dawson must be worried to try this payoff gambit. But was Dawson in on this sordid seduction plan?
“Your boss gives you a lot of authority if you can make such an offer.” Lanessa noted the way his jaw tightened at the mention of Dawson. “He’s quite a remarkable man.” She put a purr into her voice. Let him think she was power hungry enough to go after bigger game.
“He’s obsolete,” Ken snapped in obvious irritation. “Dawson isn’t the future of Paxton-Waite. His reputation far exceeds reality.”
“I didn’t mean to touch a nerve.” Lanessa dropped her voice. “He does seem a bit behind the times. I mean, why move so slow on Des Allemands?”
“Exactly,” Ken said promptly. “You know how things work in this state. If you’ve got the right support, no amount to protesting can stop a plant.”
“And you really don’t have organized opposition anyway. Unless there are other reasons.” Lanessa encouraged him to go on.
“We’ll be moving important cargo that we don’t want tampered with too much. Our customers are a little jumpy.” Ken sipped from his class before continuing. “Certain items are time sensitive.”
“You mean it might spoil?” Lanessa did not have to pretend she was riveted by his words.
“Not exactly.” Ken seemed to think better of going on. He looked at her with a cocky smile. “Let’s not talk about boring stuff like shipment schedules.”
“You’d be surprised at what I’m interested in,” Lanessa answered in a distracted manner. Her mind worked on what she’d learned so far.
Ken put his mouth close to her ear. “Water pipes and engine wires aren’t my choice of topic with a beautiful woman.”
Lanessa moved away from Ken and studied him. He was lying of course. Lanessa knew such simple products would not generate this kind of caution. With great effort, she mastered the craving to question him more. She let her face relax into a mild expression. It was better that he think his judgment of her correct.
“Why thank you,” she said with a bat of her eyelashes. “Extravagant compliments and a sweet business offer. What an evening.”
“And we’re just getting started.” Ken reached under the table for her thigh again.
Lanessa grabbed his hand instead and held it. “I prefer to be massaged by a professional and definitely not in public.”
“I have magic fingers.” Ken rubbed the palm of her hand. “Believe me you’ll be quite refreshed when I’m through.”
“Moving a bit fast, aren’t you?” Lanessa said pitching her voice low to sound alluring.
“How slow do you want me to go?”
Lanessa put her face inches from his. “I’ll let you know,” she murmured.
Ken was breathing hard now that she let loose the full force of her act. Lanessa released his hand but did not sit back.
“You have lovely brown eyes.” Ken seemed poised to pounce. He gazed at her body open lust. “And the rest of the package is…”
“Better get a frozen margarita to cool down.” Lanessa chuckled. Mr. Lover folded all too easy. “You’ll set off the fire alarm in a minute.”
“I like the heat,” he mumbled.
Lanessa placed a hand on his chest to block a move to kiss her. “I’m not for sale,” she said in a curt tone.
Ken was not perturbed by the change. “I never meant to imply you were. But we’re attracted to each other. And we have a lot in common.”
“Such as?”
He sat back and straightened his silk tie. “We’re both smart and can help each other make a lot of money. It’s only natural that we get together.”
“Hmm, that’s one way to look at it.” Lanessa drank the last of her ginger ale.
“I can take you to another level, Lanessa. One you’ll like very much.”
“Well you’ve given me a lot to think about.” Lanessa considered all the sources she could track even as she smiled at him.
“Let’s forget business for now.” Ken put an arm around the back of her chair.
“Lanessa affected a faint expression of regret. “I’m afraid I have to leave. More business unfortunately.”
“Can’t you cancel it?” Ken gazed at her from head to toe. “I really would like to get to know you better.”
“Sorry, that’s not possible.” Lanessa fought to hide her eagerness to leave.
“Maybe we can meet again soon. I think I can convince you we’d be good together, in business and otherwise.” Ken clamped a moist hand on her thigh again.
It took great control not to twist his wrist until it snapped. Instead she tapped his hand until he released her. She smiled sweetly. “Don’t be impatient.”
“I like a woman who makes a man wait. I’ll call you soon.”
“Goodnight, Ken.” Lanessa stood up.
“Have a good evening, Lanessa.” Ken wore an arrogant leer. He was sure of himself.
Lanessa was glad to get out away from him. She’d had her fill of Ken Hargrove. Yet stroking his ego, repulsive as it was, had produced results. Now she needed to act quickly. Hargrove would not be put off much longer. He might be a jerk, but he was no fool.
“Almost eight. I can get takeout and go back to the office. What else do I have to do?” Lanessa muttered.
Far from what she’d led Ken to believe, she had no plans. Lanessa steeled herself against a plunge into self-pity. She tried not to think of Alex, the way his arms felt around her body and the taste of his kiss. For the past three nights Lanessa had stayed out late until she was past exhaustion. Yet she always ended up alone with her thoughts of him.
Now she used sheer will to turn her mind back to Paxton-Waite. After a few moments, she was successful. She knew was she close to finding the answer that would make sense of it all. After getting Chinese takeout from a popular restaurant, she headed for her office. For some reason, she felt as though she would put all the pieces together tonight.
“I’ve got better things to do with my time than feel sorry for myself,” Lanessa said out loud. “Like sp
oil Metoyer’s fun and show Ken who I really am.”
Yet a small internal voice whispered she was kidding herself. Lanessa gritted her teeth and set out to prove it wrong. She would not think about Alex this night. It was time she got over him for good.
Chapter 15
“Sorry to hear about your breakup, son. But you knew she wasn’t a stable young woman.”
Joe St. Romaine settled into a padded lounge chair on his patio. A babbling waterfall flowed into his swimming pool. He sipped from a tall glass of tea with a dash of whiskey. After a sigh of satisfaction, he looked anything but sorry.
“Don’t you start, too.” Alex wore a grimace.
“Your mother loves to cackle ‘I told you so’, doesn’t she?”
“Oh yeah,” Alex said. “She wasted no time.”
“Yvonne is not one to hide her feelings. She even tried to get me to help her keep you two apart. I don’t have to tell you it brought back unpleasant memories.”
“She did what?”
“Tried to get me in on some scheme to break it up before you got too involved. Obviously all she had to do was be patient. Not one of her qualities, though.” Joe glanced up at Alex. “Oops, shoulda kept my big mouth shut.”
“I can’t say I’m surprised.” Alex was furious all the same. “Damn! Why does she do this stuff?”
“Control. And her strong conviction that she’s always right,” Joe said.
“You know what else she did? Invited me over and had Karin waiting to talk to me.” Alex stared at the waterfall but was in no way soothed by the gentle sound.
“Is this breakup with Lanessa because of something your mother did? If so, then I’ll have a serious talk with that woman. It’s one thing for nature to take its course, but if she’s interfered—”
“No, our relationship self-destructed without any outside help. As usual,” Alex said with bitterness.
“What did she do this time? Back to drinking and partying, I suppose,” Joe said. He did not pull punches.
“No, not exactly. She’s not drinking again. It’s just she can’t make time for anyone else these days.” Alex looked to his father for support.
