by Tina Martin
“I appreciate that, Gianna, but it goes deeper than that.” Felicity sighed. Gianna wasn’t aware that Demontae had left her with a baby—a baby no one knew about. A baby she gave up to the system. A baby that now she desperately wanted to find.
“What’s on your mind, Felicity?”
“It’s just that I didn’t see it coming. I thought Demontae loved me. Like genuinely loved me, but I was wrong. I can’t trust my own judgment when it comes to men. My mother tried to warn me back when she and I were still on speaking terms, but I didn’t listen. But anyway, I don’t feel like I’m missing out on anything because I don’t have a man in my life. I—I’m fine.”
“And you’re still not talking to your parents?” Gianna probed.
“No. My mother hasn’t been the same since the divorce, and my father—well, he remarried a year and a half after the divorce and angered my mother even more which added to her claim that men were no good and they were all the spawn of Satan.”
Gianna chuckled. So did Felicity.
“She hasn’t brainwashed you with her negative views, has she?”
“No. If that were the case, I wouldn’t be in my line at work.”
“Then be honest—have you ever met a client you were interested in? One who was so handsome you didn’t want to set him up on any dates? One that you wanted to keep for yourself?”
“I’m not going to lie—there have been a few. I’ve had a couple of men who flat-out asked me if I was an option to be in the running, but I’m focused on work Gianna. I really am. I’m fine. I don’t need a man. ”
“Well, with Beth being at the bakery with me now, you can have your Fridays back. That should help with your time constraints.”
“I know, but I like coming by the bakery to hang out with you. It’s my escape. I actually look forward to it.”
“Aw,” Gianna said putting a hand over her heart.
“Stop being all sentimental.” Felicity stood up, her arms stretching for the ceiling.
“Hey, where are you going?”
“Girl, I gotta take this forty-five-minute drive home.”
“You’re not staying for dessert? Carson made a strawberry shortcake.”
“I’ll have to take a piece to-go.”
“Let me get it for you,” Gianna said, springing up from her chair. Moments later she came back with a piece of cake in a small Tupperware container. “Here you go.”
“Thanks, girl.”
“You’re welcome. Come on. I’ll walk you to your car.” Gianna followed Felicity outside The front yard was illuminated nicely by the porch light, and ground lamps. “Please call me tomorrow and let me know how it goes with Regal.”
“I’ll try. I’ll probably be so drained by the time he’s done with me, I won’t be able to drive myself home.” She grinned.
“It won’t be that bad.”
“I hope not.” Felicity embraced Gianna. “Thanks for dinner.”
“You’re welcome. Text me when you get home.”
“Yep. See you later.”
“Okay. Drive safe.”
“You know I will.”
Chapter 4
Tuesday morning proved less eventful than Monday. Felicity wasn’t in a rush today since Zandra was there bright and early.
“Good morning, Zandra.”
“Mornin’, Felicity. Your coffee is on your desk.”
“Ah...thank you, Zandra. You’re a lifesaver.”
Zandra followed Felicity to her office to help her with her briefcase and purse. She placed her purse on the desk and opened her briefcase for her.
“What’s on the agenda for today?” Felicity asked.
“You have one appointment with Noah Whitman to discuss his questionnaire and then I expect you’ll receive a call from Lucas Porter. He was in yesterday, right?”
“Yes. That reminds me—I have to send his matches off this morning.” Felicity scribbled a quick reminder note for herself.
“Also, I’m sure Brayden Clark wants to talk about his most recent dates.”
“Right. Brayden…almost forgot about him. Okay. That doesn’t sound too bad. I think I can handle it. Oh, and by the way, I think I’m going to take on a new client.”
“Who?” Zandra asked. “I didn’t see a new file.”
“I know. He doesn’t have one yet because I’m still on the fence about it. His name is Regal St. Claire.”
“Why are you on the fence about it? Is he a pain?”
“Girl, aren’t they all?” she said then giggled. “But seriously, he really is and I’m trying to keep an open mind about it but I don’t know.”
“Alright,” Zandra said. “You call the shots. Just let me know what you decide to do and I’ll roll with it.”
“Thanks, Zan.”
“No problem. I’ll let you know when Noah arrives.”
Felicity took a sip of coffee and combed her fingers through her hair. Her conversation with Gianna last night had her thinking more about how she hadn’t tried dating again after Demontae. But dating wasn’t supposed to be on her radar at the moment. She had greater concerns, like her daughter. Where was her little girl? Was she adopted or living in a foster home? Was she happy? Healthy?
When Donald McConnell stopped by yesterday, he said he would be brief and he was, leaving her with a cliffhanger about her daughter being somewhere in Charlotte. The news made her happy and overly anxious and since she began this journey of locating her daughter, she wasn’t as focused on work as she’d typically be. She had to get that focus back. Donald had scheduled a lunch appointment on Wednesday to go over more details with her, something she welcomed at the time, especially since one of her clients – Lucas Porter – had shown up. That would give her the day to check off items on her to-do list and make an attempt to tame Regal.
She opened her email inbox and her eyes landed on an email from Regal. Why was he emailing her? She clicked on the message and begin reading:
To: Felicity James
From: Regal St. Claire
Subject: My Wifey
Are we still on for dinner tonight, Ms. James? Please advise at your earliest.
Two fingers up. Your new client,
Regal St. Claire
Senior Architect | St. Claire Architects
___________
Felicity shook her head. Several things irked her about this email, beginning with the subject line, My Wifey. Wifey? Really? It added to her belief that he wasn’t ready for marriage. He still had too much foolishness tied up inside of him. Then he’d asked if they were still on for dinner in a way that made it seem like they had date plans when this would be nothing close to a date. And lastly, he signed his email with your new client as if she’d already accepted him as a client.
She hadn’t.
She decided to reply back:
To: Regal St. Claire
From: Felicity James
Subject: Re: My Wifey
Let’s not get too ahead of ourselves, Mr. St. Claire. I still haven’t accepted you as a client, and yes, we are still meeting this evening to discuss matters to that end. May I suggest Reid’s over here in South Park? They have good food. I can meet you at 6:30 p.m.
Thanks,
Felicity James
Certified Matchmaker | Wedded Bliss, Inc.
___________
After sending her response, she sipped coffee and read through the profile of one of Lucas’ potential matches. Lucas was a well-rounded man. Pretty straightforward. About his business. She could handle clients better when she knew they were serious about this journey. Regal, on the other hand, not so much.
She looked at her inbox again and saw a reply from him:
To: Felicity James
From: Regal St. Claire
Subject: Re: My Wifey
Sounds good, WB. See you @ 6:30 sharp. Don’t be late.
YOUR NEW CLIENT,
Regal St. Claire
Senior Architect | St. Claire Architects
_________
__
In the confines of her own office, she hid a smile when she saw that he’d typed your new client in all caps. A dinner meeting with him would prove to be interesting to say the least.
“Felicity, that was Noah on the phone,” Zandra said peeping into her office. “He said he was running late, but he’s on the way.”
“That’s fine. He’s the only one coming in today, anyway so we have some wiggle room.”
“Alright.”
“Thanks, Zan.”
“Welcome.”
Felicity rested her elbows on the desk and closed her eyes, rubbing her temples. How was she going to concentrate on work today? All she could think about was her daughter. Like so many times when she closed her eyes, she imagined what her little girl looked like. She’d gotten to hold her precious baby girl only once after she was born and for that brief moment, she had considered keeping her. But she came to the same conclusion that she’d come to throughout the pregnancy – that someone else could give her a better life. And she wouldn’t have to explain to her daughter when she grew up that her father didn’t want her. Now, she found herself in the same circumstance. How was she any better than Demontae? If she did find her daughter again, how would she explain the absence from her life?
That’s much of what slowly ate away at her for the past four years which had a direct effect on her inability to trust men or to want to be in a relationship. She would always have the fear of being humiliated, lied to, abandoned and heartbroken. She couldn’t handle that again. Even if she did meet a standup guy – a decent man with dignity and morals – would he want a woman who gave up her own child? A woman who gave up, period?
“Mr. Noah Whitman is here,” Zandra said peeping into Felicity’s office.
“Okay,” Felicity said. Her eyes were still closed as she rubbed her temples. “I’ll be out in a moment.”
Zandra stepped into Felicity’s office and closed the door. “Boss Lady, are you okay?”
Felicity opened her eyes and smiled just barely. “I am.”
“I’m not convinced. You look tired and stressed out.”
“Tired. That’s what I am, but no worries. I’m always tired. I’ll live.”
“Are you sure? I can reschedule Noah if need be.”
“No. Don’t do that. I’m good. Let him know I’ll be right out.”
“Yes, ma’am.”
Felicity stood up and took a few steps down the hallway to the restroom to shake and mold her hair back into place. Zandra was right – she did look tired and stressed. She ran cold water on a paper towel and pat it on her eyes to help herself wake up.
You can do this, Felicity. Just drink your coffee and get on with it.
Leaving the bathroom, she sucked in a breath, straightened her posture and held her head up high when she walked down the hallway toward the waiting room. With the cheeriest of expressions, she said, “Mr. Whitman, I’m glad you were able to make it.”
“I am, too,” the dark-skinned, tall man said as they shook hands. “Please pardon my late arrival.”
“It’s no problem. Come on back.”
Chapter 5
Regal arrived at Reid’s fifteen minutes early. He wanted to get a feel for the place since he’d never been there before. He was surprised to see that the eatery was not only a restaurant but a deli-style restaurant attached to a grocery store complete with its own wine hub. He liked the concept.
A waiter showed him to a table and while he waited for Felicity to arrive, he sipped on water and checked his phone. He saw a missed call from Romulus at 5:49 p.m. and now it was 6:21 p.m. Since he had a few minutes to burn, he decided to call him back.
“Regal—”
“What’s up, Rom? I just saw that I missed your call.”
“Yeah. I had gone by your office. Imagine my shock when I realized you had actually left before six.”
“I had to…got some business to take care of. Why were you looking for me?”
“It’s nothing urgent, but I do need you to swing by my office tomorrow morning.”
“For what, man? What’s up?”
“We’ll discuss it tomorrow. I’m beat—just now packing up and have to pick up some soup on the way home for Derra.”
“Is everything okay with her and the baby?”
“Yeah. She’s good—just a spell of morning sickness that arrived in the evening. She’ll be alright after I get there.”
“Look at you being super husband.”
“Ay, you do what you have to do to take care of your woman.”
“I feel you on that.”
Romulus chuckled. “Regal, the only thing you know how to take care of is a plate of food and a box of cupcakes.”
“A box of Gianna’s cupcakes. Get it right.”
Romulus was still laughing. “I’ll see you tomorrow, man.”
“Yep.” Regal placed his phone on the table and looked up to see Felicity heading his way. He didn’t blink but stared hard and pensively as she walked toward him. Her hair danced around her shoulders. In the pale yellow pantsuit she had on, she was the brightest thing in the room. And it fit her so well – hugged her hips and the jacket clung to her top, showing off the perfect shape of her breasts. She didn’t have on heels today, he noticed – one of the few times he actually saw her without them. He bit down on his lip at all the beauty approaching.
He quickly reshuffled in his chair and settled himself. It still baffled him how this intense attraction to her snuck up on him. He could usually tame his testosterone induced urges, but when it came to Felicity, he found it becoming more of a challenge. That bothered him. While he recognized the fact that he was physically attracted to her, he wanted more of a connection that went far beyond physical attraction. He wanted to know what made the woman tick.
“Look at you walking up in here looking like a banana fudge popsicle.” He chuckled. “Would you be upset if I licked you?”
Felicity was too tired to roll her eyes. She simply said, “How are you this evening, Mr. St. Claire?”
Regal stood up to get her chair.
“That’s not necessary,” she told him. “This is a business meeting.”
“I’m aware of that, but I’m still getting your chair, so have a seat.” Before I lick you.
She raised her brows in a whatever kind of way then he sat down again.
“To answer your question, I’m doing well. I’ve been anticipating this meeting all day.”
“Have you?” she asked, staring at him.
“I have. I can’t wait to get to know my wife.”
Felicity smirked. “You’re jumping ahead of yourself again, Mr. St. Claire. I don’t have any potential matches to share with you just yet. I haven’t reviewed your questionnaire.”
“Oh. Right.” He smiled.
She lifted a brow. What is he smiling about?
“How was your day?” Regal asked.
“Hectic, but nothing I couldn’t handle.”
“Are you sure about that?”
“Yes. I’m sure. Why wouldn’t I be?”
Regal shrugged. “You look exhausted, and I just assumed that since you’re wearing flats today, you must’ve been extraordinarily busy.”
Felicity looked down at her feet. Sometimes, she’d change into flats just to ensure her comfortability at the office. Today, she was so in a hurry, she’d forgotten to switch back to the gold pumps she wore to match her outfit.
She looked up at Regal, seeing the lazy smile on his face. He was observant, she noted, and she liked that ability of his to pay attention to detail. She wondered what else he’d noticed about her.
“I was in a hurry. I forgot to switch shoes before I left the office. But, enough about that. Let’s order some food. I’m starving.”
“Yes, ma’am.” Regal flagged down a waiter while Felicity eyed the menu.
“Yes, Sir,” the waiter said.
“We’re ready to order.”
“Okay.” The waiter brought his hands to a s
ingle clap. “What would you like?”
“Ladies first,” Regal said, gesturing toward Felicity.
“I’ll have the kale berry salad with grilled shrimp. Also, let me get a glass of Carpe Diem Cabernet.”
“Yes, ma’am, and for you, Sir?” he asked Regal.
Regal was staring at Felicity while she ordered and even now when the waiter was requesting his dinner choice, he was still looking at her. “Oh. Food—right. Let me get the aged ribeye, cooked medium-well with a side of collard greens.”
“Yes, Sir. Would you like a glass of wine as well?”
“Yes, please—same as what the lady is having.”
“Perfect,” he said collecting the menus. “I’ll get that right out to you.”
Felicity interlocked her hands, then looked at Regal, determined not to let him throw her off of her professional game. As it was, she had to be careful not to stare too long into his burnt brown eyes and marvel at the magnificence of his sculptured jawline and handsome appearance. He had on another fly suit today with some cologne that made her forget what day of the week it was.
Is it Monday?
No, it’s not Monday because I didn’t wake up with a sense of dread today and it’s not Tuesday—no, wait—it is Tuesday.
Yeah. Tuesday.
Is that your final answer Felicity?
Yeah.
Tuesday.
“How did you find this place?” Regal inquired as he looked around.
