Opal lifted her chin. “I dress professionally.”
“Of course you do, but I want you to spruce up your outfits a little more. What can it hurt?”
“My bank account.”
Colleen laughed. “Hey, with all that extra money you’re making from the overtime, you can afford to put a dent in it.”
As soon as Colleen went back to her office she got Opal’s sisters, all three of them, on the phone via conference call. “I need the three of you to help.” She then explained the situation.
“Opal’s going to San Francisco?” Amber said excitedly. “That’s really cool. Wish it was me.”
“Me, too,” Pearl said. “There are several recording studios and well-known restaurants I’d love dining at.”
“I would concentrate on hitting the stores and then take a ride across the Golden Gate Bridge over to Sausalito,” Ruby said thoughtfully.
“Well, I’m sure all of us have ideas of what we would like to do in San Francisco, but my major concern is Opal. You guys might be right. Although she denied it, I think she might have a crush on her boss.”
“And you sound like that’s good news,” Ruby said tersely. “The man is a tyrant.”
“Maybe,” Colleen said. “And, given time, if anyone can change him, Opal can.”
Everyone agreed with that.
“Okay, what do you need us to do?” Amber asked.
“I want you to help me coax Opal into going shopping for more clothes. I mentioned it, and she was against the idea.”
“And, while we’re at it,” Pearl was saying, “what about persuading her to do a complete makeover? It’s time she stopped wearing that friggin’ bun on her head. She has beautiful hair. I’ll schedule her an appointment at my hair salon.”
“Umm, and a manicure and pedicure wouldn’t be so bad, either,” Ruby was saying out loud.
“Okay, then, we’ll all make this a group effort and, no matter how much she tries to fight us on this, we will remain a united force, right?” Colleen asked.
“Right,” the sisters said simultaneously.
“Good. This will be Operation Opal. When D’marcus Armstrong sees her on Monday morning he won’t believe his eyes.”
“When Opal sees herself on Saturday evening, she won’t believe her own eyes,” Amber said giggling. “I can’t wait.”
And neither could the others.
On Friday Opal received a call from Amber at work telling her she needed to talk to her about something important. Since it was the one day D’marcus had decided they wouldn’t be working late this week, she immediately arranged to meet with her sister at a café in town. When she arrived, she not only found Amber waiting for her, but her other two sisters and her cousins, Colleen and Paige, as well.
She lifted a brow. “What’s going on?” She immediately thought the worst. Was Amber going to break the news that she was pregnant? And, if that wasn’t it, she thought, was someone sick?
Ruby evidently saw the look of panic on her face and quickly said, “Nothing is wrong, Opal. We just want to talk to you about something.”
“About what?” Opal asked, taking a seat.
“About your trip to California,” Pearl said.
“What about it?” Opal asked, crossing her arms over her chest. If her sisters were going to try and talk her out of going, they’d better think again. She’d figured out how much she would be making on the trip, and that car she wanted to purchase at the first of the year would be a dream she’d make into a reality, after all.
“We’re happy you got the opportunity,” Ruby was saying. “And we want to send you in style.”
Opal lifted a brow. “In style?”
“Yes,” Amber said excitedly. “You’ll be representing all of us and we want you to look good.”
Opal glanced around the table at everyone. “Meaning?”
It was Ruby who answered. “Meaning, in the morning, we will be picking you up for a day of beauty.”
Opal frowned. “A day of beauty?”
“Yes,” Paige said smiling. “You’re getting the works.”
Opal narrowed her eyes. “Define the works.”
Ruby waved her hand. “You know, everything. New clothes, a new do, nails, pedicure, the works.”
Opal leaned back in her chair. “And what if I don’t want the works?”
Colleen chuckled. “Sorry, babe, you’re outnumbered. The six of us will enjoy a wonderful dinner together tonight and tomorrow we split up and take turns making sure you have the works, starting with me and Ruby tomorrow morning. We’re taking you shopping. Then at noon we’ll turn you over to Pearl and Amber. You have an appointment with a hair stylist. And then Paige will get you to the spa for a manicure and pedicure.”
Opal glanced around the table at everyone. She had known her sisters and cousins long enough to know that, when they got together and made up their minds about something, there wasn’t any changing them. “Okay, fine, but just as long as you know I’m not going to like it,” she grumbled. “I’m going to be miserable.”
Colleen smiled. “You might be miserable, sweetheart, but the five of us will have the time of our lives, and I have a feeling by Saturday afternoon you will be thanking us.”
Opal doubted it.
Chapter 6
“You look simply beautiful, Opal.”
Opal glanced over at Amber and saw the tears in her sister’s eyes before she looked at herself in the mirror. She wasn’t sure she looked beautiful, but she certainly looked different.
She noted her other two sisters and cousins staring at her, too, and she said jokingly, “Hey, what was I before? An ugly duckling?”
Ruby spoke up. “No, but I got so used to seeing that friggin’ ball on your head that I’d forgotten what beautiful hair you have. This style certainly highlights it. It definitely becomes you.”
Opal glanced back in the mirror. Yes, it certainly did and the change in her hair would be the one thing she’d have to get used to the most. Long, luxurious medium-brown hair flowed down her shoulders in soft feathered waves. She even had bangs, something she’d never worn before. They stopped on her forehead just above her newly arched eyebrows.
But what really stood out was the makeup that had been applied to her face. Light, yet at the same time, dashing. Even the shade of lipstick seemed to have been made just for her skin color. Something could definitely be said for a makeover. She might not have been an ugly duckling before, but it was obvious she had never fully capitalized on the assets the good God had given to her. She looked like a totally different person, although she felt the same.
“The only thing left now is your nails and pedicure,” Colleen broke the silence by saying. “And promise me, once you get your nails done, you will stop biting them.”
Opal made a face at her cousin.
“And please,” Pearl threw in, rolling her eyes, “no ugly faces. You’re too beautiful now for that. I can’t wait to see D’marcus Armstrong’s expression when you show up at the airport on Monday morning.”
Opal decided not to mention to her sisters that she and D’marcus wouldn’t be meeting at the airport. He had called that morning to get her address. He would be picking her up at her apartment.
She glanced at her watch. “Okay, the five of you have dominated my entire day. I’m giving you another hour and that’s it.” But Opal had to admit she’d had fun. This was the first time in a long while that she and her sisters and cousins had spent together. Although she had been the victim, she felt it had been worth it and it reminded her of when they had been teenagers and almost inseparable. That was before death had claimed her mother and Colleen and Paige’s within a year of each other. That had definitely put a gloom on the Lockhart and Richards households.
“Come on,” Amber said. “We can’t keep the spa waiting. I had to work wonders to get you in. You’re going to love this place. A girlfriend of mine works there.”
With her sisters’ and cousins’ help, Opal grabbed
her many bags. She had purchased a lot of new outfits and she had to admit that, once she had got into the swing of shopping, she was more than pleased with her purchases.
As they left the beauty salon, she couldn’t help but ponder Pearl’s statement. Exactly what would D’marcus think when he saw her on Monday morning?
Later that same night, D’marcus sat across the table from a woman, thinking he had made a grave mistake. All week, anticipation had clawed at his insides, and then there was that intense sexual desire that had almost gotten the best of him, nearly driving him over the edge.
He had looked forward to tonight and hadn’t been disappointed when he had arrived at Priscilla’s house. She was a looker, and the outfit she wore did wonders for her body. And he knew that had he pushed, they would have ended up making love before leaving for dinner. But he hadn’t pushed.
Now he wished he had.
At least that would have given her something to talk about other than herself…which seemed to be her favorite topic. The woman had been talking nonstop since he had walked her out to his car. And she was still talking. The only time she had taken a break was when they were eating, only because she had the decency not to talk with food in her mouth. But now it seemed she had gotten a second wind. He didn’t remember her being a talker of this magnitude before, and it was getting to him big-time.
“So, will you be spending the night, D’marcus?” she asked in a sultry voice.
He was hard up, but apparently he wasn’t as hard up as he’d thought. He refused to find sexual solace with this chatterbox. “No, I need to go home and start packing. I’m leaving town on Monday.”
She leaned closer across the table, giving him a good look at her cleavage. “In that case, maybe I should go over to your place and help you pack.”
Not hardly. “Thanks, Priscilla, but I can handle things.”
Beneath the table he felt her rub her foot against his leg. “So can I,” she all but purred.
He sighed and took a sip of his wine. Their date wouldn’t come to an end fast enough to suit him. He had thought all he had to do was find a woman and relieve some of his sexual pressure, but this woman wouldn’t do. In fact, there was only one woman who could probably do what he needed, and she was the same woman he blamed for this madness he was in—Opal Lockhart. Lately he had found himself comparing every woman to her, and none could size up.
“So, what about it, D’marcus?”
“Not tonight, Priscilla. You’ll be a distraction I don’t need,” he said, and that was putting it nicely. What he had stopped himself from saying was that she would get on his last nerve. At this point, any woman would…except for Opal.
He sighed inwardly, deciding to be totally honest with himself. The reason he was turned off by Priscilla had nothing to do with her being a chatterbox, and everything to do with her not being Opal. He could come up with any excuse he wanted to, but the bottom line was that he would find any woman other than his administrative assistant undesirable. More than ever, that realization didn’t sit well with him, and it definitely didn’t do anything to help his current sexual state.
He didn’t fully understand how it had happened, but it had. Opal Lockhart had gotten under his skin.
Opal’s cell phone rang at precisely seven o’clock on Monday morning. “Hello?”
“Ms. Lockhart, this is D’marcus Armstrong. I’m entering your apartment complex now.”
She thought he had a very sexy phone voice. “I’m ready.”
He ended the call, and she glanced around at her luggage. It was more than she’d planned to take, but her sisters had come by last night to help her pack and they’d claimed she needed everything she was taking with her.
She heard a car pull up outside and knew it was D’marcus. Inhaling deeply, she headed for the door when she heard the bell. She couldn’t wait to see his reaction to her new look. Her tongue flicked over her lips in anticipation, reminding her of the beauty consultant’s guarantee. “This brand will stay on all day—unless your man should lick, eat or kiss it off.”
She took another deep breath then slowly opened the door. “Good morning, Mr. Armstrong.”
D’marcus stared at Opal. Speechless.
Gone was the knot of hair on top of her head. Instead, her hair hung loose, framing her shoulders with a mass of feathered waves that capitalized on her high cheekbones, straight nose and oval face. Her beautifully arched eyebrows emphasized her dark eyes and long lashes, something he hadn’t noticed before. And she was wearing makeup that was so light you barely noticed it was there, but it seemed to make her features that much more striking.
He inhaled deeply. In his opinion, Opal Lockhart had always been an attractive woman, one who’d definitely gotten his attention at times when he’d wished otherwise. But now he found himself in really deep trouble. Whatever she’d done had only enhanced what had always been there. This new Opal had him totally mesmerized.
It didn’t help matters that things hadn’t worked out as he’d planned with Priscilla this past weekend. The real gist of his problem was that all of his sexual frustrations were centered on one woman. The one standing right in front of him.
“Ms. Lockhart,” he said, clearing his throat. “You look different.”
Opal tried not to frown. Was that all he was going to say? She nodded, thinking maybe she should be grateful. After all, he was her boss and not her boyfriend. She wouldn’t want him checking her out too much. But she was dying to ask, “Different how?” Instead, she took it as a compliment and said, “Thank you. My bags are over there.”
She stepped aside when he entered her apartment. He glanced around before crossing the room to where her three bags sat. “Nice place.”
“I’m moving in a few weeks.”
He glanced back at her over his shoulder. “Why?”
“Too much noise. I’m sandwiched in by party animals and I’m not getting sufficient sleep at night.”
“Oh.” A vision suddenly flowed through D’marcus’s mind. He would love having her sandwiched between him and his mattress and she wouldn’t get sufficient sleep then, either. He glanced down at her luggage. “You’ll only be gone four days, Ms. Lockhart, not four months,” he said jokingly.
She heard the teasing glint in his voice and relaxed. She hadn’t been sure what type of mood he was in, although, since promising to improve his attitude, he had done a good job. “I know, but I’m not one to travel light. Besides, don’t you know that a woman always takes more than she needs?”
“That’s what I’ve heard. If you want to make sure everything is locked up, I’ll start loading your luggage in my trunk. And, if I suddenly develop back trouble,” he said as a smile touched his lips, “I’ll have my attorney sue you.”
His smile almost made her heart miss a beat. “All right, you do that. But I may as well tell you that I have limited funds, so you won’t be getting any money out of me.”
She moved around the apartment and checked to make sure everything she needed turned off was and that a message was on her answering machine. Her family was fully aware that she was going to California on business, as were a couple of her church friends, including Reverend Kendrick. She didn’t want anyone to panic when she didn’t show up for prayer meeting on Wednesday night.
When she returned to the living room, she found he had taken out all of her luggage and was standing in the middle of the room holding a framed photograph of her and her sisters. She could go off on him as he’d done her that night in his office when she’d picked up the photograph off his desk, but she quickly recalled that he had apologized for his behavior.
“I gather these are your sisters with you,” he said, studying the photograph.
“Yes.”
“There’s a strong family resemblance. The four of you have the same eyes.”
She smiled as she crossed the room to where he stood. “Yes, we have our father’s eyes.”
D’marcus nodded. “Is he still living?”
/> She shook her head. “No. Both my parents are deceased. My father was a police officer and died in the line of duty when I was ten. And my mother died of cancer five years ago.”
“I’m sorry.”
“Thanks. So am I. My sisters and I were close to Mom. She did a good job of raising us after Dad died. She was our rock.”
For a moment, neither said anything as he continued to look at the photograph that had been taken just last year. “Which one is the sister who thinks I’m a tyrant?” he asked, glancing over at her.
She chuckled. “That’s Ruby there,” she said pointing her out to him. “She’s the oldest. And that’s Pearl and Amber.”
He glanced over at her and raised a brow and smiled. “Ruby, Opal, Pearl and Amber. Are you sure you’re not a member of the Stone family?”
Opal released a startled laugh. He’d made the connection that she and her sisters’ names were precious gem stones. Not everyone caught on to that. “It was my Dad’s idea and Mom went along with it. It was because my mom’s name was Emerald.”
D’marcus nodded as he placed the photograph back down and checked his watch. “It’s time for us to leave if we want to make it to the airport on time. I checked in with my pilot earlier and he’ll be ready to take off when we get there.”
“Will it be a straight flight?”
“No. We’ll need to refuel in Dallas, but I can almost guarantee it will be a pleasant flight. Lee is good at what he does. You aren’t afraid of flying, are you?”
She shook her head. “I haven’t flown all that much but, when I did, it didn’t bother me.”
“Good. Ready to go?”
“Yes.” Opal took a deep breath as she walked out of her apartment.
D’marcus clicked off his cell phone, ending the conversation he’d had with another of the Chargers owners and glanced at the woman sitting in the seat across from him on his private jet. She had fallen asleep reading some document he’d given to her. Evidently, it had been hard for her to remain awake, given the smoothness of the flight as well as the brevity of sleep the night before.
In Bed With Her Boss (Kimani Romance) Page 5
