Spark of Desire ; All for You

by Sheryl Lister

  “Okay.” They, along with four other workers, continued laying the floor and had made good progress by late afternoon. Confident the crew could handle the rest, Cedric and Lorenzo headed out. They had a late meeting with a land developer and then planned to stay longer to discuss finances.

  At the office thirty minutes later, Cedric took a shower and changed clothes. Installing showers in their personal bathrooms had been one of his and Lorenzo’s best ideas. They’d pitched the concept a few years ago when their fathers were still in charge, citing the need to present their best face to prospective clients, among other things. It hadn’t taken long for the elder Hunters to see the benefits, as well. When Cedric finished, he walked down the hall to Lorenzo’s office. His cousin had done the same and was pulling on a shirt.

  “They here yet?”

  “No.” Cedric sat in one of the chairs across from Lorenzo’s desk, pulled out his phone and checked his emails. He deleted the junk first and wondered how these people kept getting his email address. He came across one and instead of hitting the delete button, accidentally clicked on the link. It happened to be one of those Groupon offers, and as he read, he was glad he hadn’t sent it to the trash. Cedric had been trying to come up with something unique to do for a date with Randi and he thought he might have found it.

  “What are you smiling about? Did Randi send you some sappy message?”

  He shot Lorenzo a look. “I know you’re not talking about me when I’ve caught you damn near having phone sex with Desiree.”

  Lorenzo spread his hands. “Hey, what can I say. When it’s good...”

  “Anyway, no, she didn’t. I happened to open this Groupon offer for glassmaking. I have no idea how they got my email address. Anyway, it says you can make a paperweight to take home. I’ve been looking for something cool for my next date with Randi and this might be fun.”

  “So you’re all into this relationship thing now. I said you were going to go down hard.”

  “Who said anything about going down at all? We’ve only been going out about a month.” Even as Cedric said the words, he knew they were a lie. He’d been falling from the moment he looked into her eyes.

  Lorenzo chuckled. “Whatever you say. I think Desiree might like to do something like that.”

  “Yeah, especially since she’s so creative.” Desiree owned a bath and body shop in Old Sacramento and made all of her products.

  “We could double-date like we used to in high school.”

  Cedric grinned. Those had been fun times. However, now it would have a far greater meaning. Although Lorenzo had already met Randi, that had been in a professional capacity. This would be considered introducing her to family, a totally different story. Was he ready to go that far? Yes. He checked the available dates. “Randi will only be available on weekends. Will Desiree be able to leave the shop?”

  “I’m sure she can if she has enough notice. She’s hired two more part-time employees, so that’ll give her a little more flexibility.”

  They discussed which date would be best, and then Cedric sent Randi a text asking if she would be free. He didn’t say where they were going because he wanted it to be a surprise.

  The intercom buzzed and Lorenzo hit the button. “Yes, Tanya.”

  “Mr. Green is here.”

  “Thanks. Please escort him in.” They both stood and greeted the prospective client. Lorenzo gestured him to the small conference table. “Please have a seat. Would you like some water, tea or coffee?”

  “No, thank you.” Mr. Green took a seat and placed a folder on the table.

  Cedric and Lorenzo followed suit. For the next hour, Mr. Green outlined his vision for a three-story office complex, shared drawings, specifications and scope-of-work documents and discussed the bid-submission date. After seeing the man out, Cedric closed the folder. “Well?”

  “Seems pretty straightforward. We have a little time to get the bid done, so we’ll be able to decide if it’s something we want to take on with everything else.”

  “I agree. I want to wait until I know for sure how much extra time the strip mall is going to take.”

  Several minutes later, Desiree poked her head in the doorway, and Lorenzo was up and across the room in a flash. “Hey, baby.” He placed a kiss on her lips. “What are you doing here?”

  Desiree held up a bag. “I knew you and Cedric were working late, so I brought dinner.”

  Cedric came over and kissed her on the cheek. “Thanks. How’re things at the shop?”

  “Good. You should bring Randi by sometime. You might find something to spice up one of those date nights.”

  He laughed. He and Randi had no problems in that department. A vision of him drizzling that chocolate syrup over her body and taking his time licking it off surfaced in his mind. No, they didn’t have any problems.

  “Ced, you should try some of the edible massage oil. And get the four-ounce size. You’ll need it.” Lorenzo wrapped an arm around his wife. “Trust me.”

  Desiree elbowed him and lowered her head in embarrassment.

  “It’s too late to be embarrassed now,” Cedric said.

  She thrust the bag at Lorenzo and tried to hide her smile. “You two eat before it gets cold. I’m going home.”

  “Thanks, sweetheart. I should be home by eight thirty at the latest. Oh, do you think you can get away from the shop next Saturday around one for about three hours? And before you ask why, it’s a surprise.”

  She divided a glance between Lorenzo and Cedric. “What are you two up to?”

  “Something good. I promise.”

  “Probably. I’ll let you know tomorrow.” She came up on tiptoe to kiss Lorenzo. “See you later.” She hugged Cedric. “I hope I get to meet Randi soon.”

  “We’ll see.” His phone rang and he saw Randi’s name on the display.

  “That must be her,” Lorenzo said to Desiree. “See the goofy smile on his face?”

  Desiree giggled. “Leave Cedric alone. I’m glad she makes you smile. Hurry up and answer the phone. You don’t want to miss the call.”

  Cedric shook his head, turned his back and answered. “Hey, baby.”

  “Hey. I got your text. I should be good to go for Saturday. What are we doing?”

  “I can’t tell you.”

  “What do you mean you can’t tell me? How am I supposed to know how to dress or what to bring?”

  “Casual, and you don’t need to bring anything except your sexy self.”

  “You know I have ways of getting it out of you,” Randi said suggestively.

  “You can give it your best shot, sweetheart, but I’m not telling. I have a few weapons in my arsenal, too, so two can play at that game.” He opened his mouth to say something else, but remembered he wasn’t alone. “I’ll call you when I get home later.”

  “Why didn’t you tell me you were still at work? I’m sorry.”

  “You don’t need to apologize. I’d take talking to you over work anytime.” Cedric turned slightly and met the amused smiles on Lorenzo and Desiree’s faces.

  “Aw, see, that’s why I like you,” Randi said. “The next time I see you, I’ll show you just how much. I’ll talk to you later.”

  “Yeah, you will.” He disconnected and noticed that the two were still staring at him. He pointed to the bag. “The food’s getting cold. And I don’t want to hear one word.” He hadn’t seen Randi since their Friday night date and all he needed was an excuse. They were supposed to be going slow, but that was feeling more and more like a losing battle.

  * * *

  No matter how many times Randi asked or how many erotic promises she made, Cedric wouldn’t budge on the surprise. She glanced over at the smile on his face as he drove. “I can’t believe you still won’t tell me where we’re going.”

  “You don’t trust me?”

  “I trust
you fine.” She’d said the words without thinking, but realized she did trust him, even though they had known each other only a short time. It usually took her much longer to let her guard down. She hadn’t figured out why he’d been able to slip so easily beneath the barrier around her heart.

  Cedric’s eyes left the road briefly. “I trust you, too.”

  She focused her attention on the passing scenery. A few minutes later, he parked in front of a house in a South Sacramento neighborhood. “This isn’t one of your family members’ houses, is it?” Surely he wouldn’t bring her over to meet them blind.

  “No, baby.” He leaned over and kissed her cheek. “I’d let you know if you were meeting my family. However, Lorenzo and his wife will be joining us. And she probably nagged him the whole way, too, because he didn’t tell her, either.”

  Randi shifted to face him and narrowed her eyes. “What are you two up to?”

  He laughed. “That’s the same thing Desiree asked.” He pointed. “There they are.” He got out, came around to her side of the car and helped her out.

  She observed the proprietary way Lorenzo held his wife and the look of adoration on his face as he listened to whatever she was saying.

  Cedric and Lorenzo greeted each other with a fist bump, then Cedric kissed the woman on her cheek. “Desiree, this is Randi Nichols. Randi, my cousin-in-law, Desiree. And you’ve already met Zo.”

  “Good to see you again, Randi,” Lorenzo said.

  “Same here.” Randi felt somewhat awkward seeing him in a nonprofessional capacity. “It’s nice to meet you, Desiree.” Desiree stood a couple of inches shorter than Randi and had a beautiful face and easygoing smile.

  Desiree reached out and hugged Randi. “I’m so glad to finally meet you.”

  The gesture caught Randi by surprise and she shot a quick glance Cedric’s way. He merely smiled.

  “Okay, you two,” Desiree said. “Whose house is this and why are we here? The suspense is killing me.”

  Randi smiled. She liked Desiree. “Me, too.”

  Cedric grasped Randi’s hand. “Come on.”

  They walked up the driveway and Randi noticed a sign on the side door that said “glass studio,” with an arrow pointing toward the backyard. Cedric held the gate open for her and Desiree to enter first. A few people were milling around, looking at a variety of custom glass items, from goblets and pumpkins to vases and bowls. “These are gorgeous. Are we picking out pieces?” Randi picked up a blue goblet with swirls of black and white, marveling at its intricacy, then set it down.

  “Nope. You’re going to make something,” Cedric said.

  She whipped her head around.

  He stroked a finger down her cheek. “You haven’t said it, but I can tell this case is wearing on you, sweetheart. In your line of work, you see fire cause so much destruction. I wanted you to have a chance to see some of its beauty.” He placed a sweet kiss on her lips.

  Emotions welled up inside her so strong she couldn’t utter a word. Randi never cried, but she was on the verge of doing just that and blinked back the tears that threatened to fall. She threw her arms around him, not caring that they had an audience. “Thank you,” she whispered.

  “You’re welcome.”

  Lorenzo started singing, “I’m in the money...”

  She divided a glance between him and Cedric.

  Cedric said, “Ignore him.”

  A woman approached, smiling. “Are you here for the paperweight experience?”

  “Yes,” Cedric answered. He gave their names.

  “Great. Follow me.”

  They crossed the yard and went into an area set up as a workshop. She introduced them to Sheila, the creator of the glass art. On one side of the workshop was a huge furnace with a sliding panel in the front. A bench with metal pipes resembling armrests bracketing each side sat several feet behind the furnace. To the right of the bench was a metal table. The other side of the space held two more metal tables and a cabinet with numerous small drawers.

  “This is so cool,” Randi said.

  Desiree came and stood next to Randi. “I totally agree.”

  “I’m glad you like it,” Sheila said. “If you’re ready, we can get started on your paperweight. Which of you is making it?”

  Cedric and Lorenzo pointed to Randi and Desiree. Lorenzo said, “They’re both making one.”

  “Okay.” Sheila led them to the cabinet and pulled out a few drawers. “We need to pick out some colors. Who’s first?”

  Randi raised her hand in excitement. She’d never done anything like this and had never considered herself to be very creative. She left that to Iyana. She moved closer and saw what looked like very thin, colored dry spaghetti or angel-hair pasta. “What are those?”

  “Glass rods called cane. When you finish, the colors will be swirled in the paperweight.”

  Randi studied the variety of canes. “How about purple, royal blue, emerald green, black and...red?”

  Using wire cutters, Sheila cut a few pieces of each color into two-inch lengths, took them to the table across from the furnace and arranged them in a pattern. She picked up a six-foot metal pole with a rubber handle and beckoned to Randi. Sheila slid the furnace panel open a few inches and Randi immediately felt the heat, even though she stood a good distance away.

  “Wow, that’s hot.”

  “Yep, about two thousand degrees. That’s why I only open the door a few inches and stand five feet back. Now, grab the end of the blowpipe so you can gather some molten glass.”

  Randi handed her phone to Cedric. “Here. I need you to record this.” Following Sheila’s instructions, Randi tilted the pipe into the glass. A small blob of glass appeared on the end, then she withdrew the pipe.

  “Randi, keep rotating the blowpipe so the glass doesn’t cool, and come on over to the marver and pick up your color.”

  Randi rolled the glass in the rods and they stuck out like spikes. Sheila directed her back to the furnace and she placed the blowpipe just inside the door, rotating it and watching as the rods curled around the glass. They went back to the table and rolled the ball back and forth, then to the furnace to gather more molten glass. Randi repeated the process twice more. A big smile on her face, she glanced over her shoulder to where Cedric, Lorenzo and Desiree stood watching. “Are you getting all of this, Cedric?”

  “Every second,” he answered with a chuckle.

  “Do you want to have the appearance of bubbles inside?” Sheila asked.

  “Ooh, yes.”

  Sheila put the rod inside a pineapple-shaped mold, then gathered a little more glass. Next, she had Randi sit on the workbench and retrieve a ladle-like object from a bucket of water. Sheila laid the pipe on the bench rails with the glass in the block and guided Randi’s hand as she rolled the pipe back and forth. Randi replaced the block in the water, got a pair of long tweezers called jacks and did the same thing. The paperweight glowed bright orange and yellow as the round shape took hold.

  “All right, Randi. I’m going to finish it. Cedric, would you like to help?”

  “Sure.”

  Randi traded places with Cedric, took her phone from him and watched in fascination as they completed the process. At last, Sheila stood and held the blowpipe vertically, still rotating it. She carried it over to a small table covered with layers of a heatproof material, where she rested the paperweight end of the blowpipe. After a few minutes, the glass cooled enough for Randi to see the swirl of colors and bubbles emerging. Sheila held the blowpipe up with the paperweight hovering, and with a cylindrical metal piece, tapped the pipe about six inches from the end. The paperweight dropped onto the cloth.

  “Randi, there are some brands in that box. You can choose one if you like.” Sheila used a blowtorch to heat the top surface and used the end of the metal cylinder to flatten a small area. She heated it again and ges
tured to Randi.

  Randi selected a double heart and pressed it into the glass. She smiled up at Cedric and he leaned down and planted a brief kiss on her lips.

  “You did a good job,” he said.

  “Thank you. That was so fun.” She couldn’t get over the experience of seeing simple glass transformed into something so beautiful, and all by fire. Cedric had been right, and she would never forget this day. He’d given her such a precious gift and as she gazed up at him, she knew she had fallen completely in love with him.

  Chapter 14

  Monday evening, Cedric stuck his earbuds in, cranked up the music and started his run on the treadmill. Unlike the last time he came to the gym, tonight he’d be working out alone. He’d considered asking Randi if she wanted to come but changed his mind. She was back on call and he didn’t want to chance their workout being cut short. His mind went back to Saturday and a smile curved his lips. Her show of emotion had taken him completely by surprise. She always seemed so tough, but the tears glistening in her beautiful eyes told a different story. He’d fallen a little harder in that moment. Cedric had asked Lorenzo to record it on Cedric’s phone, while he did the same using Randi’s. He’d played the video at least a half a dozen times since then. From her bright smile and sparkling eyes, to her biting her lip in serious concentration, he had been totally captivated.

  The sounds of old-school R&B filled his ears and he increased his speed. Several televisions were mounted from the ceiling, showing everything from sports to politics. Cedric scanned the monitors, checking the scores in the baseball game and the basketball playoffs. His gaze went to the next monitor and he momentarily froze, causing him to miss a step. He cursed under his breath and quickly recovered. He disconnected the music and listened to the news report. The mayor had held a press conference about the fires earlier in the day and the news was showing the replay. He saw Randi standing to the far side, and her expression said she clearly didn’t want to be there. Cedric’s ears perked up when he heard the mayor mention her name.