Man at Work

by Chanta Jefferson Rand

  “Okay,” she capitulated, “I’ll tell you my secret.”

  Candace told Toye all about her erotic encounters with Gabe, starting with the helicopter ride and ending with last night’s date at the Miami Dolphins game. As she spoke, she watched the expressions on Toye’s face rollercoaster from comical to shock to finally disgust and reproach.

  “You need to be careful,” Toye admonished. “You’re vulnerable right now. You have too much going on to let your guard down with some guy you barely know. Don’t forget the last man you trusted ripped you off.”

  “Hold up. Gabe owns Sampson’s. You said he was a good guy.”

  “I didn’t say that. Ronnie said that. Besides, dogs come in all shapes and sizes.”

  “Dogs? I think he’s different. I really like him.”

  Toye leaned backwards against the countertop and folded her arms across her chest. “That’s just horniness talking. Do you know how long it’s been since you’ve had a good fuck?”

  “Of course I know!” Candace snapped. “It’s my vagina.” Candace was sorry she’d ever confided in Toye about her celibacy.

  “I’m not here to be Debby Downer. I’m just stating the facts. You can’t go around having flings with strangers.”

  Candace glared at her cousin. “Gabe is not a stranger.”

  “How often have you been to his house?”

  “Never.”

  “Has he introduced you to anyone in his inner circle? Friends? Colleagues?”

  “No.”

  But in fairness, she hadn’t introduced him to anyone besides her immediate family. So what if Gabe wasn’t ready to show her his place yet? So what if they wanted to keep their late night romps private? They were grown, and it was nobody’s business who they chose to screw.

  “If he wasn’t rich, would you have slept with him?” Toye asked.

  Candace felt like the wind had been knocked from her. She took a deep breath as she tried to rationalize the recent decisions she’d made. Gabe was the best thing that had happened to her in a long time. She felt complete with him. But was she feeling a false sense of security? In her heart, she knew her cousin had a point. Why had Candace allowed this lie to continue? Why hadn’t she spoken up about knowing Gabe’s true identity? Maybe because she was having a good time and she didn’t want to spoil it.

  You’re making excuses for him—just like you did with all the other men in your life.

  “You’re right, Toye. Maybe it’s time to pull back from Gabe. I’ll call him tonight and let him know.”

  # # #

  Toye walked along the glossy concrete floors of Sampson’s. Dressed to kill in a tight black mini dress and black, stiletto ankle booties, she made her way to the back of the store to the classroom where she knew Gabe’s class had just ended. She was single-minded in her sole purpose to speak with him.

  Earlier, she’d listened to Candace’s confession of her fling with Gabe. Toye couldn’t believe their illicit activity had been going on under her nose all this time. Yet, she should have known. She’d seen the way Gabe snuck looks at her cousin. Candace was too naïve to recognize what was going on—or so she had thought. Now that the cat was out of the bag, Toye knew the whole story. In the span of a few short hours, she’d made her mind up about what she had to do. She wondered how Gabe would respond.

  He was alone when she entered the room. He was so engrossed in putting up supplies that she was able to watch his biceps ripple with each movement he made until he finally noticed her.

  His wide-eyed gaze swept over her. “Toye! What a surprise.”

  She sauntered in his direction, smiling when she noticed how his eyes followed the pendulum sway of her hips. She had a sexy walk and she knew it. “A pleasant surprise, I hope.”

  He grinned. “It’s always good to see you, Toye.”

  She hugged him, breathing deep to inhale his scent that mingled with the wood shavings on the floor. She lingered a little longer than necessary, her fingers raking over his strong shoulder blades.

  He pulled back, putting some distance between them. “Is Candace with you?” he asked.

  Candace! Why was Gabe so preoccupied with her?

  “No, she’s not with me. In fact, she doesn’t even know I’m here. I wanted to talk to you alone.”

  “Okay, what’s up? Problems with the flip?”

  She placed a perfectly manicured hand on his wrist. “No, Gabe.” She pressed against him. “This is not about the flip. This is about me and you.”

  His whiskey colored eyes connected with hers. “Excuse me?”

  “I’ve been thinking about you a lot lately, Gabe. I can’t get you off my mind. I wanted you to know that.”

  She draped her arms around his neck. Her heart thundered in her ears, but she wasn’t backing down. Gabe was a good man, and it was time she had a good man—in every way. From what Candace described, he was a romantic, and better yet, phenomenal in bed. Toye wanted that same affection. She deserved it. She could be just as freaky as Candace. She could make Gabe like her. She was so tired of being lonely. This was her chance at happiness.

  Gabe peeled her arms from his neck. “I’m flattered, Toye, but you don’t want to do this.”

  “You mean because our working relationship will suffer?”

  “No, the job is over. It’s because of your cousin. How do you think she would feel?”

  “Frankly, I’m more worried about how you feel, Gabe. I’ve got what you’ve been missing.”

  She plucked the hem of her dress and pulled it over her head, revealing only her lace bra and panties. This was her ‘come get me’ lingerie. If Gabe didn’t fall for this, there was something seriously wrong with him.

  Gabe backed away, holding his hands up in surrender. “Stop, Toye.”

  “Be honest. You don’t want me to stop.”

  “Yes. I. Do.”

  She smiled. “I can tell you want me. I see your signals.”

  “Stop!” he thundered. Toye’s mouth dropped in shock. She’d never seen Gabe angry. “I’m sorry,” he said, softening his voice. “But I haven’t given you any signals. If you felt that way, it was only something you imagined. Candace is the one I want.”

  Toye’s bottom lip trembled as she stood shame-faced in her undergarments.

  I will not cry. I will not cry.

  “I’m willing to forget this happened, Toye. Let’s just go about our ways and we don’t ever have to speak of this.” He resumed stocking supplies. Apparently, she was dismissed.

  “What does she have that I don’t?” Toye demanded.

  “I’m not going to have this conversation.”

  She watched him move about the room. God, he looked so good. Perfect body. Wealthy business owner. It wasn’t fair. “Please. Just tell me. It would help me in my next relationship.”

  Gabe visibly took a deep breath as he faced her. “I can’t explain it, Toye. I’ve been asking myself that too. Candace is strong. She’s beautiful. She’s ambitious. She’s determined. I enjoy her sassy attitude and her conversation.” He shrugged. “I don’t know what more I can say. You share a lot of the same qualities. You’re smart and pretty. You’ll find the right guy. Just like Candace found me.”

  The fact that he was letting her down so nicely made her even madder. Why couldn’t he be an ass about it? He was so smug standing there rattling off a list of Candace’s good qualities. He really was a good man—Candace’s man. The sting of his rejection hurt.

  She wanted him to feel the embarrassment she felt. “Candace ain’t perfect, y’know?”

  He stared at her, his gaze emotionless. “Nobody’s perfect, Toye.”

  “You are. You’re good with your hands. You have a good heart. And as the owner of all the Sampson’s chains, you’re one rich dude. It doesn’t get more perfect than that.”

  Surprise registered on his handsome face, but to his credit, he quickly regained his composure. He gave her his full attention. “What do you want from me, Toye?”

&nbs
p; “You’ve made it quite clear there’s nothing you can offer me. Since you’ve been so kind to me, I wanted to reciprocate.”

  Bitterness brewed inside her. Didn’t Candace already have enough? Good looks. A prospering new business. A contract with a prominent realtor. And now, she had the attention of a millionaire. It was all too much.

  “Candace told me she’s been sleeping with you,” Toye continued. “She’s been playing the role of her life. She doesn’t really like you, Gabe. She’s only using you because she found out you’re rich. Before then, she wouldn’t give you or your beat up truck the time of day. I just thought I’d let you know.”

  The man was a master at masking his emotions. The only response he gave Toye was a narrowing of his eyes. “Thank you for your concern, Toye. You can leave now.”

  She’d definitely outworn her welcome—permanently. She left, her head held high, but her spirits low. If Gabe didn’t want her, he couldn’t have anyone in her family.

  # # #

  Gabe slammed the bottom of his fist against the marbled bar top at O’Malleys. “How could I have been so blind?”

  “You should have told Candace the truth.”

  “She knew the truth all along. It wouldn’t have mattered. Her cousin said she was using me.”

  Gabe tossed back a tumbler of scotch and swallowed the contents whole. Then he signaled the bartender for a refill. The atmosphere was the opposite of how he felt. The festive lights strung up reminded him of the stars in the sky that night he took Candace on the helicopter ride. He’d planned that as a romantic gesture. He’d called in a favor at the last minute from a friend of his who owned the heliport. What good had it done?

  “Call her and give her a piece of your mind,” Phil suggested.

  The two sat next to each other on a pair of leather barstools.

  “No, I don’t want to talk to her,” Gabe answered.

  “You should call her. Tell her…that was a lousy…thing she did.” Phil’s words were slurred. Gabe’s buddy seemed to be taking it harder than him.

  “I don’t know what was worse. Having to fend off Toye or hearing that Candace had no interest in me.”

  Phil puffed on a cigar. “Never seen you this upset over a woman.”

  The cloud of smoke from the cigar was exactly what it felt like in Gabe’s head right now. “I’ve never fallen this hard for a woman.”

  “Call her,” Phil insisted.

  “Nope. The best punishment I can give her is not to call. I’ll leave her wondering.”

  In reality, it was best for him not to hear her voice. He didn’t want to grovel. Or worse yet, get angry and let her see how much she really mattered to him. Toye said her cousin was a great actress. He just couldn’t believe the way she responded in bed was acting. Were her orgasms scripted? Were those whimpering noises she made in his ear fake? Was the way she wrapped those long brown legs around him a lie? And the way her nipples hardened in his mouth? She might have been lying, but she made him feel real. Every time she kissed him. Every time she stroked him. Every time she made his dick hard as a rock.

  He looked Phil squarely in the eye. “You think she was using me?”

  Phil shrugged. “Never know with women. I don’t understand ‘em. That’s why I date older chicks. They’re already established. Don’t need my money. Just want my body.”

  Phil was able to coax a half-hearted smile from him. Gabe could always depend on his best friend for a dose of reality.

  At that moment, his cell phone rang. His heart lurched when he saw Candace’s number flash across the screen’s display.

  He glanced at Phil’s frowning face.

  “Answer it,” Phil ordered.

  Gabe shook his head and then powered the phone off. The bartender arrived with a fresh drink. Gabe could only think of one thing that could make him forget Candace Jones and her lush curves. “I have a better idea,” he said. “Let’s get drunk.”

  TEN

  Candace sighed. Her call to Gabe had gone directly to voicemail. Maybe he was in an important meeting. She’d left three voicemails already. She didn’t want to seem like she was hounding him. Why wasn’t he answering? She’d expected him to show up at the final inspection today, but he hadn’t. She wondered what was going on.

  A few of the guys from Sampson’s had come just in case anything wasn’t up to code. Of course, she needn’t have worried. She passed with flying colors. Gabe had seen to everything. He’d been here every day without fail—except today. But where was he? She absently chewed on the fingernail of her index finger. Had Gabe lost interest? Was he deliberately ignoring her?

  Now, that he’s got the coochie, is he dumping me?

  “I have half a mind to go up to Sampson’s to see if he’s there,” she told Toye.

  The four women stood in the middle of the kitchen. They’d all worked hard to help Candace get to this point.

  “I wouldn’t do that if I were you,” Toye warned. She collected a stack of papers and stuffed them into a manila envelope. “I didn’t want to say this, but I think you got the Bump and Run treatment.”

  Candace’s mouth dropped. “What? You think I was just a pit stop?”

  “You can’t trust men. He probably only wanted to get in your pants.” She shook her forefinger at Candace. “I told you to be careful.”

  “I can’t believe it.”

  “I don’t know why not.”

  Ronnie offered a sympathetic nod. “Cuz might be right.”

  Candace turned to Marlowe. “What do you think?”

  Marlowe shrugged. “He seemed genuine to me.”

  “What do you know?” Toye asked Marlowe. “You think Nicki Minaj can sing.”

  Marlowe crossed her arms over her chest. “She does have some pretty dope raps.”

  Luis, one of the burly guys from Sampson’s, made an announcement from the kitchen doorway. “Miss Candace, we’re leaving now. Congratulations on passing inspection.”

  “Thanks, Luis. By the way, have you heard from Gabe?” Candace tried to sound nonchalant, but she was on edge wondering where the man was.

  “Nope. Not all day. But that’s no surprise. Sometimes he gets involved in his work.”

  There was a time he was involved in me. Guess I’m just another passing project.

  “Okay, thanks. I’ll catch up with him later.”

  Her gut told her something was wrong. She waited for Luis to leave the room before announcing to the other ladies, “This is ridiculous. I’m calling him.”

  “Uh, you just did,” Marlowe pointed out. “Repeatedly.”

  “And,” Ronnie added, “He wasn’t here for you on one of the most important days of your professional career.”

  Her sisters were right. Candace hadn’t wanted to admit it, but her feelings were hurt. This was a big step for her. It was more than disappointing that Gabe wasn’t here. Maybe it would have been different if they hadn’t slept together. If they’d kept their relationship professional, she probably could have cared less whether Gabe Hunt showed up at her inspection or not. But he’d been more than a business acquaintance to her. And she’d hoped she meant more to him. With each passing second, it appeared she’d been wrong about him.

  She glanced at Toye. Her cousin didn’t have to confirm her worst fears, but she did.

  “Face it, Candace. You had a good ride. It’s over.”

  # # #

  Area 31 was a restaurant located in a busy section of Downtown Miami. People were drawn there by the live bands, outdoor seating, and beautiful waterfront views. Under any other circumstance, Candace would have kicked back, relaxed, and let her hair down with a few strawberry daiquiris. Tonight, she was conducting business. Leap of Faith Industries had a reputation for wholesome family values. She didn’t want to do anything to give them the impression she wasn’t capable of the same. She sat at a table near the front door and sipped her cup of hot herbal tea.

  “Everything looks to be in order, Miss Jones. We’re delighted the projec
t came through on time.”

  “And on budget,” she emphasized.

  “Yes, that’s always a plus.”

  Candace watched as Roland Edwards, Senior Account Representative of Leap of Faith, gave her a friendly smile. She tried not to gawk at the comb over fighting for her attention on top of his near-bald head. Staring was just plain rude.

  She wished her sisters could be here to see this. Ronnie would have one hell of a laugh. Marlowe would try to fix him up with one of her co-workers at the architectural firm where she temped. Marlowe thought everyone had a perfect soul mate. Candace doubted that Mr. Edwards, with his unique hairstyle and fancy bowtie, would have any woman beating down the door to get his phone number.

  “I brought the contracts,” he said as he pushed an envelope with the company’s signature logo embedded on the front. “Of course, I know you’ll probably want your attorney to look it over. Take your time.” He smiled again. “But don’t take too long.”

  Candace smiled. “No pressure.”

  Truthfully, she didn’t need much time. Her lawyer was already on standby waiting to approve the contract. Once Candace signed on the dotted line, she was going to be able to breathe a lot easier. This deal was going to change her life. She couldn’t believe it had been two weeks since the inspection. Two weeks since her dream had become reality. Two weeks since she’d seen or heard from Gabe.