Still the Best Woman for the Job

by Sharon C. Cooper

  “Hmm, that is good to know. I’ll have to talk with my new cousin-in-law, but right now, I still can’t believe you got married before me.” Jada crossed her legs, her coral five-inch rhinestone embellished sandal dangled from her foot revealing the red bottom. “I’m the one who spends an arm and a leg making sure I look like someone from Life Styles of the Rich and Famous. Yet, you’re the one who lands a Prince Charming. Hell, you didn’t even want to get married.”

  Toni laughed. Her gaze landed on her new husband who stood across the banquet hall talking with a few of the groomsmen from their wedding only hours earlier. Jada didn’t miss the way Toni’s face lit up each time she glanced at Craig, and she couldn’t ever remember seeing her cousin this happy.

  “It’s not that I didn’t want to get married, I just never thought I ever would.” Toni’s gaze dropped to the table where she absently fingered a cloth napkin and then lifted her sparkling eyes to Jada. “This has been a long exhausting day, but it has been one of the best days of my life. I’m so excited that I get to spend the rest of my life with the most amazing man I’ve ever met. It’s like a dream. Add having his baby to the mix and I feel as if I’m living someone else’s fantasy life.”

  Jada reached over and squeezed Toni’s hand. She was happy for Toni, or TJ as most of the Jenkins family called her, but she couldn’t help but be a little envious. TJ was three months pregnant after believing she could never have children, and now she had married cutie-pie Craig Logan, an all-around great guy who was madly in love with her cousin. Jada wondered if she ever would experience the type of love and joy that radiated from Toni.

  “I wish you years of happiness, Cuz.”

  “Thank you.” Toni leaned over and hugged Jada. “And thanks for all you did pulling the wedding and reception together. Everything turned out wonderful.”

  Jada shrugged. “My pleasure. Just be ready for my big day, whenever that might be!” Jada returned her attention to the small group of men standing with Craig near the bar. “I guess it’s true what they say. Beautiful people hang out together.” All the men were as tall as Craig, at over six feet, and just as good looking in their black tuxedos sporting cummerbunds and bowties that matched the bridesmaid dresses.

  “It looks that way, doesn’t it?”

  Jada nodded and then turned to Toni. “Okay, answer this, what do I have to do to get a man as fine as yours, one who worships the ground I walk on, but someone who is crazy wealthy?” She rolled her neck and slapped her hand down on the table. “I’m talkin’ stinkin’ rich as in lunch on the French Riviera and dinner at La Vague d'Or in Saint Tropez.”

  Toni shook her head, and a wide grin tilted the corners of her rose-colored lips. “I know suggesting that you lower your standard is out of the question. So I won’t bother. I will say though, when the right man comes along, it’s not going to matter if he’s downright fine and stinkin’ rich. All that’s going to matter, or should matter is that he treats you right and loves you unconditionally.”

  “Uh, well, yeah, it is going to matter if he’s fine and rich because if he isn’t he won’t be able to hang with me.” Jada ignored the way Toni’s perfectly arched eyebrows slanted in a frown. “Now what’s the scoop on the hunks that just walked up to your new hubby? The one on the far right looks as if he could carry a small car on his back.”

  “Those are the guys he grew up with. Actually, today might be your lucky day.” Toni perked up, a mischievous glint shined in her eyes as she adjusted the hem of her beaded lace wedding gown. “Craig’s bringing Zack over.”

  “How does that make it my lucky day?”

  “Because he’s single and he’s gawking at you.”

  Jada sized him up as he approached. At least six-one, broad shoulders that tapered down to a narrow waist, dark, spiked hair, and a powerful stride - he was a walking billboard for everything masculine. “Mmm, I don’t think so. He’s definitely a cutie in that Channing Tatum kind of way. But I like my men like I like my chocolate – dark and exceedingly rich.”

  “Is that right?” Toni placed her soda on the table and sat forward in her chair, her elbow on the table and amusement danced in her eyes. “Well, did I happen to mention that he’s a professional football player who plays for the Cincinnati Cougars and has just renewed his contract for nine-point-five-million?”

  Jada’s mouth dropped wide open.

  “Oh, and that’s only for one year.”

  “Damn!” Jada smoothed down the front of her bridesmaid dress that stopped just above her knees and ran her fingers through her long auburn streaked curls. She quickly pulled a tube of lipstick from her strapless bra and ran the Coral Berry over her lips, and then took another glance at Craig’s friend. “It’s a good thing I’m switching over. I hear white chocolate, like milk, does a body good.”

  “What?” Toni narrowed her eyes. “I’ve never heard that before.”

  “Oh, hush up and tell me if I have any food in my teeth.”

  Toni shook her head and laughed. “Girl, you’re a mess!”

  “Hey, baby, are you feeling better?” Craig bent slightly and brushed Toni’s bangs away from her forehead. “Did the soda help?” He extended his hand to help her to her feet and rubbed his large palm over her barely-there baby bump.

  “Between the soda and the crackers you hunted down for me earlier, I’m feeling much better. You take such good care of me,” Toni said in a baby-like voice.

  “That’s my job. I plan to spend the rest of my life taking very good care of you, Mrs. Logan.” Craig lowered his head and his lips brushed against Toni’s.

  Jada rolled her eyes when the newlywed’s lip-lock grew more intense and Toni’s arms snaked around her husband’s neck.

  “You guys have a lifetime to play kissy-face.” She turned her gaze to the man standing next to her cousin-in-law and had to admit he was even sexier up close, and then he smiled. Oh my God he has dimples. Her knees weakened and the once steady beat of her heart now pounded double-time. Her hand hovered over her chest as she struggled to fill her lungs with air. Okay, just breathe. She told herself over and over again.

  “Are you all right?” the sexy gift from God asked, his hand at the small of her back sent a spark of desire shooting through her veins. “Can I get you something to drink?”

  “Uh, no. No, I’m fine.” She definitely had to pull herself together. Never has a man seen her sweat and she sure as hell wasn’t going to let a cutie with a nine-point-five-million dollar contract see her off her game.

  “Obviously we’re invisible,” Craig’s friend said and removed his hand from her back. His voice intoxicatingly deep sent an exciting shiver up her spine. “I’m Zack Anderson.”

  Craig abruptly broke off the kiss with Toni. “Ah man, sorry you guys. Zack, this is Toni’s cousin, JJ. I mean Jada Jenkins. JJ, this is one of my best friends, Zachary Anderson.”

  “Nice to meet you, Jada.” Zack kissed the back of her hand and held on to it while he stared into her eyes. “I’ve heard some nice things about you.”

  Jada swallowed hard and tried to throttle the dizzying current that raced through her body. What the hell? She’d been in the midst of plenty of good-looking, wealthy men but never had one affected her like this. She eased her hand from his grasp and ran sweaty palms down the side of her dress as she regrouped, quickly plastering a flirtatious smile on her lips.

  “Nice to meet you, Zachary.”

  “Please, call me Zack.”

  “Listen you two,” Craig said from behind them, his arm around Toni. “My beautiful wife and I are going to greet our guest before the send off, and Zack,” he leveled his friend with a pointed look, “behave yourself.”

  “I always do.” Zack’s piercing blue eyes roved and lazily appraised Jada, taking in all of her as if trying to memorize every intricate curve of her body.

  Normally Jada would revolt against a man who openly gawked at her the way Zack was doing. Instead, she had the urge to stand perfectly still until he was don
e. Damn, something is definitely wrong with me for enjoying the way he’s sexing me up with his eyes.

  “Excuse me.” Steven Jenkins, Jada’s grandfather and the patriarch of the family jarred Jada out of her trance. He gave a quick nod to Zack before turning to her. “Your Highness, you’re the only one of my granddaughters I haven’t danced with yet. What do you say about cutting a rug with your old grandfather?”

  “Oh, Grampa, there is nothing old about you and we don’t say cutting a rug anymore. We just say dance.” Jada grinned up at the man who had first given her the nickname Your Highness and the only man who had ever made her feel as if she were the most precious gift he’d ever received. Jada looped her arm through her grandfather’s bent arm. “Stick with me. I’ll keep you in the know.”

  He threw his head back and released a hearty laugh. “I don’t know what I’m going to do with you.”

  Jada turned to Zack, still intrigued by the blue-eyed-dimpled god. “Grampa, I don’t know if you’ve met Craig’s friend Zack Anderson.”

  “Zack Anderson,” Steven Jenkins repeated and extended his hand to Zack. “We haven’t officially met, but of course I know you’re one of the league’s top-scoring running backs. I’m a big fan. Nice to meet you, I’m Steven Jenkins.”

  “It’s a pleasure, sir.” Zack shook his hand. “Craig mentions you and your family often in conversation. I’m glad to meet you and the other members of your family,” he said to Mr. Jenkins, but his potent gaze wandered to Jada.

  “Well a friend of Craig’s is a friend of ours. Whenever the Cougars have a bye week, make sure you have Craig bring you to the house for Sunday brunch. We’d love to have you.”

  “I’d be honored.” He bowed his head slightly and diverted his attention back to Jada.

  She ignored the giddiness fluttering inside her stomach. “It was nice meeting you,” she said, still awed by the dimples that winked at her each time he flashed his million-dollar smile. “Hopefully we’ll get a chance to chat before the reception ends.” She cast a gracious smile and batted her eyes knowing the combination of the two always got her what she wanted. And she definitely wanted to get to know Zachery Anderson better.

  “It looks as if you have another admirer,” Jada’s grandfather commented as they danced to John Legend’s latest release. “He’s a hell of a football player, and he seems like a nice young man.”

  Jada glanced over her grandfather’s shoulder at Zack whose enticing gaze held hers captive. “Yes he does seem like a nice young man, doesn’t he?”ckname Your Highness,know.h me,emale cousins referred to him. An all around great guy who absolutely loved her cousin.ed cutie-

  ***

  Zack stared at Jada and her grandfather as they twirled around the dance floor in perfect sync. She sure as hell doesn’t look like any sheet metal worker I’ve ever seen. Intoxicating brown eyes that hinted of mischief and lips that were designed for kissing left him mesmerized.

  He first spotted her at the church and immediately found her captivating. At five-feet-five with full breasts, curvy hips, and long toned legs, it was no wonder the men in attendance couldn’t take their gaze off of her. The gracefulness of her stroll down the aisle and the gentle sway in which her hips moved in the fitted bridesmaid dress was hypnotic. Thankfully the Cougars were playing in town this weekend, otherwise he would have missed the wedding altogether. Craig had mentioned the Jenkins family, and the granddaughters who oversaw the day-to-day operations of Jenkins & Sons Construction, but he was going to have to talk to his long-time friend. The way Craig described the stunning Jenkins women hadn’t done Jada justice.

  Zack watched as the elder Jenkins moved his granddaughter smoothly across the dance floor as if dancing was something they did together all the time.

  “She’s way out of your league man. Besides, I can look at her and tell she’s high maintenance and everyone knows how you feel about high maintenance women,” Donny Caldron, a friend of Zack and Craig’s from the old neighborhood said, and lifted his glass to his lips.

  “Nah, I don’t think she’s high maintenance.” Zack continued to observe her on the dance floor. He smiled to himself. She seemed to put a little extra hip action in her moves each time her grandfather released her hand. “She definitely has some sass, but I bet she’s a real sweetheart once you get to know her, which I plan to do.”

  “Okay, so which one is she anyway? The carpenter? The electrician?”

  “That’s Jada. Can you believe she’s a sheet metal worker?”

  “Nope, but I can’t believe any of them work construction. They make me want to tear down a house, just so I can have them build it back up, brick by tantalizing brick.”

  Zack threw his head back, and his laugh rippled through the room. While growing up, Donny was always the one who kept everyone laughing. With his laid-back attitude, many people would be surprised to know that he was the CEO for one of the city’s largest pharmaceutical companies.

  Zack shoved his hands into his pants pockets and rocked on the balls of his feet. “Well, I don’t plan on tearing anything down. All I need is one date with her and she’ll be mine.”

  Donny fell out laughing. “I think you’ve had one too many knocks upside the head out there on that football field because you’re definitely talking crazy. That woman is not going out with your country ass,” he joked. “Besides, I thought that since you’re looking to retire next year you wanted to meet someone to settle down with. If that’s still the case, you need to look elsewhere. She’s not the one”

  Donny always called him country despite the fact that they all grew up in Columbus, Ohio. “I’m no more country than you are and why do you think she’s not the one for me? I beg to differ. Since she’s a sheet metal worker, she clearly doesn’t mind getting her hands dirty. I bet she’s the outdoorsy type and enjoys hiking, biking and probably even fishing. Hell, she’s exactly the type of woman I’ve been looking for - someone who’s not too prissy to wear an old pair of jeans and a T-shirt, but someone who cleans up well and is classy enough to wow my family and friends.”

  Donny’s brows drew together as he shook his head. “Apparently we’re looking at two different women. I would bet my paycheck that the woman you just describe is nowhere near the woman we’re watching dance with the old dude. I don’t care how many women have told you how fine you are or how many cater to your every desire once they find out how much you’re worth. You don’t stand a chance with her man. She’s too much woman for you.”

  “Whatever, dude.” Zack nudged him in the shoulder. “Why don’t we put a wager on whether or not she’ll go out with me?” He removed a wad of money from his front pocket and started counting off bills.

  “Man, you know I hate taking your money.” Donny smirked. “But if you insist. I bet you a thousand bucks she turns your ass down cold.”

  “Yeah, we’ll see about that.”

  ***

  “Grampa I’m impressed,” Jada said. “You still have some moves. You’re putting these young dudes to shame.”

  “Hey, I have to be able to keep up with all you kids.” He spun her around and then pulled her back into his arms. “Your grandmother and I haven’t seen you lately. What have you been up to?”

  “Working. Grampa, I know you put Peyton in charge for a reason, but that girl has been working me like a slave.” Her cousin Peyton (PJ) Jenkins was an electrician by trade and the senior construction manager for Jenkins & Sons Construction. “Do you know how many times I had to get my manicure touched up this week? Three times,” Jada said without giving him a chance to respond. “I am so ready to find a wealthy husband, quit my job, and live happily-ever-after.”

  “Sweetheart, are you sure you’re ready for marriage?”

  She leaned away from her grandfather and frowned. “You know I am Grampa. I’m sick of working and don’t get me started on taking out my own trash and making repairs around the condo. I’m tired of doing everything for myself, and more importantly, I’m sick of the dating scene.
I want to marry someone who is crazy in love with me and enjoys taking me out on the town. And Grampa, did you see this scar on my face?” She slowed her steps and pointed to the one-inch scratch under her jaw, near her chin. “I can’t afford to get any more marks on my body from lugging sheet metal around all day.”

  Her grandfather hesitated and Jada groaned. She dropped her head on his shoulder, regretting all that she’d shared, knowing she had just earned herself one of his famous lectures. Before she could retract her statement, he spoke.

  “Your Highness, I know we have spoiled you and led you to believe that the world revolves around you, but let me explain something.” He spun her around and then pulled her back into his arms. “It’s not all about you. When some lucky young man finds you, and not the other way around, your main goal should be making sure that he’s the man you want to spend the rest of your life with, not the man who can buy you the latest Hermès Birkin handbag.”

  “I know Grampa,” Jada responded, surprised her grandfather knew anything about Hermès.

  “Do you?” He slowed his steps and pulled back. His eyes narrowed and his gaze bored into her. “Because what I’m hearing from you is a lot of me, me, me, but sweetheart marriage takes work. Your parents, and your grandmother and I, might make marriage look easy, but we work hard to make our relationship work. Life, and marriage for that matter are not like Burger King, you can’t always have it your way.”

  Jada shook her head and laughed. “I know Grampa. Don’t worry I get what you’re saying.” She wrapped her arms around his neck and placed a kiss on his cheek. “When my Mr. Right comes along, I’ll remember not to make everything all about me.”

  It was then she noticed Zack heading her way and her breath caught at his seductive, confident gait. Mercy, this man personifies sexy.

  “Excuse me. May I cut in?”

  All You’ll Ever Need – Available April 2014