The Only One for Me

by Toni Jackson

  Dani knew he was right. Dressing up and mingling with people was not one of her strong points. Her love was creating art, molding and shaping things. She belonged in the studio…not chitchatting at cocktail parties. So far, she managed to get out of the shows, which had created an air of mystery about her, but Clayton insisted she attend this one.

  Her face took on an innocent expression. She loved teasing Clayton. When it came to art shows at his gallery, he was more of a perfectionist than Dani.

  “Well that about answers your question then doesn’t it?” said Dani.

  “You can be such a bitch sometimes.” Clayton said moodily as he crossed his arms and stared at her.

  “I know,” she said smiling. “Isn’t it wonderful?”

  Clayton rolled his eyes and walked over to draping himself across the small couch Dani kept in her work area in case exhaustion drove her to take a much needed a nap.

  “Anyway,” Clayton said after he got comfortable, “guess whose office just contacted me for an invitation to come to the showing?”

  “Who?” Dani asked absently as she began sanding down the chisel marks on the statue. Her mind was already back on her work.

  “Sean Davenport!” Clayton squealed, clapping his hands, barely able to control himself. Dani looked at him blankly. The name didn’t ring a bell.

  Clayton sobered.

  Dani looked confused. “Who’s Sean Davenport? An art critic?” She frowned. Dani left it to Clayton to keep track of the critics. They were worse than little kids with their temper tantrums. Dani didn’t have the time or patience for them.

  Clayton shook his head and sank back against the couch. “God girl, we have got to get you out more! Sean Davenport, of Davenport Corporation?”

  Dani shrugged and turned back to the statue. “Sorry, the name means nothing to me.”

  “Genre Technology? Baker’s Dozen? None of this rings a bell?” Clayton crossed his arms and used one perfectly manicured finger to tap on his lip. “On second thought, that might work in our favor. If you don’t know anything about him, then you have no cause to be nervous when he shows up. Works for me!” Clayton jumped up. Danielle marveled at the amount of energy Clayton exhibited before a showing.

  “I’ve got to run past the gallery and make sure Tina has everything in place for tomorrow night.”

  Dani laughed. “You know she’s still pissed that you’re making her work the coat check.”

  Clayton waved his hands at her. “She’ll be all right. That’ll keep her out of trouble. Last time after she cornered poor Mr. Gleason and his wife came after her….that was not pretty.” He started for the door then turned.

  “And…don’t forget to bring those insurance papers with you when you come this evening.”

  Frowning, Dani crossed her arms. “I still don’t understand why you need a policy on me. Isn’t it enough to insure my work?”

  “Sweetie, if Tina Turner’s legs can be insured for a mill, then so can you. It’s just a precautionary measure.”

  “Fine.” Dani rolled her eyes.

  “I’m serious. You and Tina’s legs, Dani,” Clayton called out to her as he walked out the door.

  Dani laughed and waved.

  Glancing at her watch, Dani looked back at the statue. “Maybe I have time to sneak off for a new dress, since some big shot’s coming,” she muttered.

  Dani put her tools on a small tripod table near her sculpture. She closed the studio door behind her and went into the house for quick shower. As the water pelted down on her, she wondered about Sean Davenport. What type of person was he? Dani’s contact with the privileged set was limited to what she read in magazines. Since she only read Art magazines, her world was very limited.

  Although it was tempting to stay in the shower until all of the hot water ran out, Dani cut her shower short and stepped out to dry off. She grabbed underclothes and her standard uniform of jeans and a T-shirt. Sticking her feet into a pair of tennis shoes, she glanced at her watch to see how much time she had left.

  Good, she had at least three hours to find a dress before the mall closed. Taking a deep breath, Dani grabbed her jacket and car keys.

  “All right, here goes nothing,” Dani mumbled to herself. She drove over to the nearest mall in the hopes of finding something appropriate to wear. Clayton would kill her if he knew she had not taken the time to get her dress yet.

  Clayton had staged small showings before, but nothing the size of this one. Dani knew he wanted everything to go perfectly and was doing her best to do her part. Even though the last thing she wanted was to dress up and go out.

  Dani stepped out of the car, walked inside the mall and cringed. Shopping was not her strong point. After walking around lost for twenty minutes, she spotted a store on the second level displaying slinky, sexy dresses in the window. Feeling bold, she headed in that direction, only to find her hopes crushed as she began to check the price tags. Good God, they expensive! She ran into the same problem, store after store.

  “There’s not enough fabric here to be three hundred dollars,” Dani muttered as she handled one dress that could have fit a three year old. Dani was about to give up and go back home when she noticed a small boutique tucked away in the corner of the second level. Strolling through the shop, a simple black dress at the back of the store drew her attention.

  A saleswoman emerged, seemingly from nowhere, in a beautiful floor length multicolor dress. The woman reminded Dani of the gypsies she had seen in movies when she was younger.

  “You could really do this justice with your shape,” the woman said, taking the dress off the rack.

  Dani eyed the dress with a dubious look. “You think so?” She had always been self-conscience of her generous curves.

  “Oh yes. I should know. I made it.” The woman’s smile brightened at the expression on Dani’s face.

  “You’re kidding.” Dani looked at her in disbelief.

  The saleswoman shook her head. “Here, go try it on.”

  Dani’s hands itched to grab the dress, but she drew back. “I would, but…I’m on a tight budget and I don’t see the price tag.”

  The woman just smiled and held the dress out towards Dani again. “Don’t worry about that. Just try it on.”

  Dani took the dress into the fitting room and put it on. She was amazed by how well it fit. It could have been made for her. She stepped out of the dressing room to model it.

  “See?” said the woman, beaming. “I told you it would fit perfectly.”

  “Okay.” Dani turned to look at her, grimacing. “Now what’s the punch line?”

  “No punch line,” the saleswoman said, then named a price that had Dani’s eyebrows rising.

  “That’s all?” Dani asked in amazement. “No catches?”

  The woman smiled at her while shaking her head.

  “What are we waiting for then? I’ll meet you at the register!” Dani tossed her hair over her shoulder as she went to take the dress off.

  When Dani got home an hour later, she was exhausted, but happy. She took one of the two-inch heeled pumps she had just purchased with all the money she saved from the dress, out of the box and sighed. After all this, this guy had damned sure better buy something.

  Dani laid the dress across the old faded armchair in her bedroom, then turned and looked at her hair. Oh, God! When was the last time she had gotten it done? At least three months, she guessed glancing at her split ends.

  Dani’s quasi-hair stylist, Shelia, came to mind. Dani did not frequent the shop enough to consider herself a REAL client, but because the two women got along well, Shelia always made room for Dani. Dani dialed and prayed that Sheila had not left the shop to go to Bingo, one of her favorite pastimes. She was light-headed with relief when Sheila answered. After promising to create a small Afrocentric statue for the front of Sheila’s shop, Sheila agreed to come into the shop before normal hours the next morning to style Dani’s hair. A satisfied smile spread over Dani’s face as she ticked off ano
ther item on her checklist for tomorrow evening’s gala.

  Dani glanced toward the studio, wanting to go back to work. However, if she was going to make it to the hairdresser’s on time in the morning, she needed to get some sleep. After debating for a minute, she headed towards the studio to finish the last stages of her sculpture. She could always sleep under the hairdryer at the salon.

  Sometime around two a.m. Dani made her way into her bedroom, exhausted.

  CHAPTER 4

  Sean walked into the gallery Friday night, surprised to discover a rather large crowd milling around several sculptures. Impressed, he surveyed the room. His eyes paused on a show-stopping statue whose long smooth lines gleamed with life. As a rule, he did not go for the modern styles that passed as art these days, but something in this particular piece called out to him. Maybe it was the fact that the woman in the sculpture held a child close to her breast.

  The piece symbolized everything Sean wanted.

  A mother and a child.

  A family to make everything complete.

  A child that he could groom and set in place to take over his legacy.

  If he stared at it long enough, he could picture the face of the woman that would bear his child, her arms cradling…his legacy.

  Out of the corner of his eye, Sean noticed a slim man dressed all in black walking towards him. The man was so slight, Sean could imagine the lightest breeze carrying him away.

  Stopping in front of Sean, the man held out his hand before speaking.

  “Hi, I’m Clayton Thomas. Sean Davenport, right?”

  “Right.” Sean nodded and clasped the stranger’s hand. The frail man’s grip surprised Sean, causing him to change his first assessment of Clayton as a dismissible PR agent. A quiet strength resonated from Clayton, whose eyes were clear and direct.

  “Well, thanks for coming and welcome to my gallery,” said Clayton.

  Sean watched Clayton’s expression shift when he observed Sean’s interest in the statue.

  “I could not help but notice that this piece has captured your attention. It’s one of my favorite works, also. We call it The Madonna.

  Sean studied the sculpture. Clayton had wisely positioned it under a soft light, giving it an otherworldly appearance.

  “How much does something like this go for?” Sean asked. The question about the price was a distraction. Sean had already decided to buy it.

  “This one is ten thousand.” Clayton shrugged at Sean’s raised eyebrow. “Granted, it’s a little steep for a first showing, but there’s just something about it that seems to draw a person in.” Clayton motioned towards the other statues strategically positioned in the room. “Would you like to view some of the other items?”

  Sean shook his head and smiled. “No. I want this one.” Reaching into his pocket, Sean pulled out his wallet. Clayton’s eyes brightened considerably when he recognized the platinum credit card between Sean’s fingers. “Put it on this and have it delivered to my house,” Sean said smiling.

  “Certainly, Mr. Davenport,”

  Clay nodded, gleefully waving the card. “I’ll be right back.”

  Normally, Sean left art purchases to his operations manager. However, Sean intended to have this statue occupy a special place in his home.

  Sean watched as Clayton tried to look casual working his way across the room, when his body language showed he wanted to run to the scan the card. Sean scrutinized Clayton as he paused to talk to a beautiful brown-skinned woman who stood surrounded by a small crowd. Dressed in a sleeveless black dress that left little to his imagination, Sean let his mind drift free with possibilities.

  Every curve of her body was defined and outlined by the black dress; it was more sensual to Sean than seeing her completely naked. His body tightened. He wanted to slide the silky material slowly down her body. As she turned around to face him, Sean was surprised to see the woman from the photos.

  Danielle Knox.

  Sean’s eyes locked with hers as she smiled and walked towards him. He took his time studying her. Jet-black hair fell below her shoulders in casual curls that framed her face. The front of her dress scooped low, revealing the tops of the firm, full swell of her breasts. The rest of the dress emphasized her flat stomach and her gently flaring hips, with a slight teasing flare at the bottom.

  His breath caught in his throat when Danielle, during a slight interruption, turned to speak to someone behind her. It was then that he noticed the dress had no back. Danielle’s delicious chocolate skin lay exposed. The slinky fabric did not pick back up until it caressed her tiny waist and ample thighs just before draping to the back of her thighs.

  Danielle’s pictures, though beautiful, were a complete contrast to the sexy woman before him.

  Sean’s sexual interest sped past aroused and straight to possession. He wondered what Danielle wore beneath the dress—if anything. When she turned towards Sean again, he continued his open perusal, wondering how well they would fit together. Sean calculated that without the heels Danielle’s head would just reach his shoulder.

  Their eyes locked as Danielle finally reached Sean. She stopped a few inches away and smiled broadly. The subtle cologne she wore caressed his senses and lured him closer.

  “Clayton couldn’t wait to tell me that you’d purchased one of my pieces. Thank you. I’m Dani Knox,” she said. Sean’s body jumped in response to her deep, husky-toned voice.

  Sean took the hand she extended to him and felt a jolt of electricity race through his anatomy. He just stopped himself from wrapping his arms around her and pulling her flush against his body. Instead, he lifted her hand to his lips and kissed the soft skin inside her wrist.

  “Sean Davenport. It’s beautiful. Like its’ creator.”

  A delicate blush spread across Dani’s cheeks that only managed to increase her beauty. “Thank you, again.” An impish grin appeared on her face. “Since you seem to be in the mood to spend, can I show you some of my other works?”

  “What I’d really like,” Sean said moving closer to whisper in Dani’s ear, “is to take you to a late supper.”

  He was disappointed when Dani stepped back, her smile dimming. “I don’t know. Clayton made me promise to mix and mingle for a couple of hours before disappearing.” A hint of her smile teased him. “Even though a late supper does sound nice.”

  At that moment, Clayton breezed up to hand Sean his receipt just as Dani finished speaking. He stage whispered, “Girlfriend, this guy just dropped ten grand for your sculpture within five minutes of walking in the door. The least you can do is have a late supper with him.”

  Dani rolled her eyes at Clayton before stage whispering back. “You’re such a tramp.”

  “Go.” Clayton waved her away. “Enjoy yourself. You deserve it.” Clayton turned and walked back down into the crowd after proudly placing a sold tag on the Madonna statue. Dani turned back to Sean laughing.

  “I guess I’ve been given permission to leave. Let me go and get my coat.”

  Sean watched Dani’s hips swing back and forth as she walked away towards the coat check. Danielle Knox had turned out to be a very intriguing woman. Sweet and seductive instead of a calculating Barbie doll, the type Sean knew all too well. How refreshing.

  As Dani approached the coat check, he noticed a redhead staring past the artist to check him out. She was very attractive, but for some reason she did not capture his attention like Dani. Sean had a feeling he was going to enjoy this night very, very much.

  CHAPTER 5

  Dani felt the heat of Sean’s gaze as she walked over to the coat check where her best friend, Tina Diaz, was working. Tina’s long dark red curls were pulled back off her face in an attempt to make the sexy woman look innocent and professional. Unfortunately, it was not working. All night men had been trying to find excuses to go to the coat check and try their luck at asking her out.

  Men loved Tina’s full, pouty lips and hot, sexy Latin looks. Her dark, smoky eyes and curvaceous figure never failed
to attract attention. The biggest contrast in her appearance was the red hair she inherited from her Irish grandfather. The combination stopped men in their tracks.

  Noticing Tina straining to check out Sean, Dani smirked.

  Tina’s eyes narrowed as she looked at the smirk on Dani’s face. “Girl, who’s that?” she said, nodding to were Sean stood waiting.

  “That, my dear friend,” Dani took a moment to glance back at Sean flirtatiously, “is the infamous Sean Davenport that Clayton was going crazy about.”

  Tina’s eyes widened. “Of Davenport Corporation? Multimillion dollar tycoon? One of the most ruthless businessmen to ever walk the face of the earth?” Her friend was suddenly on the alert. One thing Tina knew was men. Especially rich men.

  Dani laughed. “I don’t know about all that. I just know he bought the Madonna.”

  “The Madonna? Whew! So what’s he doing on this side of town?”

  Dani wondered the same thing when Clayton told her Sean Davenport was coming to the show. For the amount of money this man made in a day, he could have been at some exclusive event where the patrons were served thousand dollar bottles of champagne while some anorexic size two blond in skyscraper heels fawned over him. Not here, where a few lukewarm bottles of Chardonnay and some meat and cheese platters from the local deli was the most they could offer for hors d’oeuvres. Tina asked a question and pulled her from her reverie. “Is he slumming?” she asked.

  “Don’t know, don’t care,” answered Dani. She shrugged. “I just know that the house note is paid for the next six months.”

  Tina rested her cheek on her hand while she checked Sean out. “He is a sexy beast though, isn’t he?”

  Dani turned to look at Sean. He was patiently watching them from the lobby. It was difficult to tell what was running through his mind. His expression gave nothing away.