Sinergy

by Iris Bolling

  “It was a matter of survival.” He smiled. “This is my dining room, where I hope to someday have large family meals in front of the fireplace. After which we could then move into the living room and enjoy the same fire and lively conversation.”

  Nicole loved the double sided fireplace. However, she was amazed by the view from the living room more. She pulled away and walked over to the window. Below was the community and the courtyard. “It’s magnificent.” She turned to him and their eyes held. Passion blazed so strong she could feel the heat from where she stood. She looked away breaking the spell.

  “Not to mention a football game or two,” she stated at the sight of the sixty-two inch television mounted on the wall opposite the fireplace.

  “Of course, or a quiet moment in front of the fire with a special lady.”

  His eyes were captivating and Nicole was finding it difficult not to stand there and stare into them. She smiled and exhaled. “I’m sure there have been many.”

  “Only you.” He turned, took her hands and pulled her behind him. They walked down a hallway passing a bedroom and an office. At the very end of the hallway was a set of double doors. On the other side was a walkway with a walk in closet on the right and a bathroom suite on the left. An archway led into the sleeping area of a bedroom that covered the entire front side of the building. Walking under the arch, downtown Richmond appeared before her through the wall length window. In the far distance, she could see the James River, with its deep history shimmering beneath the water surface.

  “This, as you can see, is my sanctuary. Everything I could possibly want is in this room.”

  Nicole walked over to the windows and looked out at the city skyline. “You have a taste of suburbia at one end and the bustle of the city on the other.” She turned to him. “It seems you have the best of both worlds.”

  Xavier could not resist the urge any longer. Standing in his bedroom in front of the windows, the outside light radiated a mesmerizing glow upon her. She had to be the most beautiful woman he had ever seen. She was barely five feet, six inches tall in three-inch heels. If she weighed one ten it would surprise him, however, everything about her was just right. From the short curly hairstyle to the luscious subtle fragrance of her cologne she was wearing.

  Walking toward her it seemed she was in control, but her eyes told another story. There he could see the same confusion he was feeling. There had been women in his life, but never one to capture him so thoroughly. He stopped in front of her and could see the anticipation in her eyes. He put his finger under her chin and gently brought her lips within inches of his. He wondered for a moment what happened to his declaration on monogamous relationships. There was something about this one staring up at him, that made him forget the declaration.

  “I’m going to kiss you, Nicole Brooks. If you have an issue with that, now is the time to speak.”

  Speak, hell it was hard to breathe with him that close to her. Nicole breathlessly whispered, “No issue.”

  A smile began at the corner of Xavier’s lips. He may not know much about this woman, but he knew that she had no problem expressing what she wanted. Their lips tenderly met in a sweet, sensuous kiss that touched the very soul of each of them. No other part of their bodies touched, but both, with a gentleness that neither could explain, felt the caress.

  Xavier slowly pulled away knowing he had just had his last first kiss. He said a silent prayer that she realized it too.

  “I believe I need to feed you.” He smiled as he swiped a curl from her face. “If we stay in this room, we may not eat for days.”

  With her head tilted, she noted that the gold flecks in his eyes had lightened, making them look more sensuous. “I had a big breakfast.”

  He laughed, took her by the hand and began walking out of the bedroom. “For future reference, if you bait me like that again, I will rise to the occasion.”

  ***

  The sound of a text message coming through on his phone caused Isaac to look up from the report he was reading. The message read. Brooks-Urgent: Email forthcoming. Touching the screen on his computer, Isaac opened his email. There was an arrest report on Nicole Brooks that was less than four hours old. He opened the file and read the report. He sent a message back. I expect a full report on Trish Hargrove by nine a.m.

  Isaac sat back contemplating how he could use this incident to expedite his plans.

  Chapter 3

  Sunday

  Richmond, Virginia

  Sunrise was shining brightly through the window as the automatic drapes opened. Xavier did not move even though the view of the city appearing before him would normally stimulate him, but not today. The vivid image of Nicole standing by that window played across his mind. He lay there with his hands behind his head contemplating how the events of the day before had changed his life.

  Twenty-four hours earlier he was cursing his sister-in-law, Diamond, for involving him in the event. Since he was the lone bachelor in their company, he was the logical choice to participate. Diamond had used the company status within the community and connection with their project as the reason why someone from Davenport Industries had to participate. ‘It’s good public relations to have a representative in the event.’ She’d said. Now, he had to kiss her. If it had not been for her persistence, he would have never met Nicole, the woman who mesmerized him.

  His mind wandered to one or two concerns. What woman in her right mind would shell out fifty-thousand dollars on a whim? Even for a good cause like the recreation center. The next questioned he pondered while taking his shower. If she could drop fifty-thousand, how rich were her parents? As he sipped his second cup of coffee, the most difficult problem came to mind. Was Trish being vicious, as he knew she could be, or was what she said true? Did Nicole prefer women to men? It was her business if she did, however, it did cause a problem for him. He had a serious sexual attraction to her. Just thinking about her was getting a rise out of him. His gut told him no woman could kiss a man the way she’d kissed him if she preferred women. His cell phone buzzed. He had turned the ringer off during the auction and had forgotten to turn it back on. The caller ID indicated it was Grant calling.

  “Early on a Sunday morning, this should be good.”

  “X-man,” Grant laughed into the phone. “You my friend have the world talking.”

  “About?” He sat back in his chair as he listened to his friend’s laughter.

  “You, Trish, the auction, some woman.”

  “Ha ha.” Xavier grinned. “Only you could find humor in something so barbaric.”

  “Two women fighting over you? That’s not barbaric, it’s a man’s dream. So tell me, is she the one?”

  “She who?”

  “The woman whose fist met with Trish’s jaw.”

  Xavier stood, sat the empty plate in the dishwasher and thought for a moment.

  “Yes.”

  Grant was speechless for a moment. “And you know that, how?”

  A seductive grin appeared on Xavier’s face as he thought about the word they created the night before. “Sinergy.” He laughed as he disconnected the call.

  Xavier glanced at the clock above his fireplace, it was almost seven. Whenever they could, he and his brother Zackary would meet at the downstairs gym to work out in the mornings. Dressed in sweats, t-shirt and sneakers he was picking the keys up from the table next to his bedroom entrance when he heard the elevator open. He stepped into the foyer to see Zack walking through the door with two cups of coffee and the newspaper under his arm.

  “I was on my way to meet you at the gym.” Xavier smiled.

  Zack, who was taller and thicker than he, walked into the kitchen He placed a cup of coffee on the breakfast bar, then took a seat. “I think the gym is going to wait today, Xavier.”

  Xavier knew his brother well. If he came in calm there was definitely something wrong. That was a concern for he never wanted to disappoint his brother, who had sacrificed so much for him. There was nothing Xavi
er would not do for his brother, because there was nothing Zachary had not done for him.

  When their father passed away, Zack left college to raise him. Never once complaining about giving up his life to ensure his little brother was cared for. Zack began working for a construction company and when the time came, he sent Xavier away to college. Xavier received a degree in Engineering and minor in Architecture and began designing homes, small communities and shopping malls. Together, they formed Davenport Industries. Xavier designed the communities and Zackary built them. They were recently featured in Black Enterprise magazine as one of the fastest growing African-American firms in the country. They were not rich, according to some standards, but they both knew how to work hard to acquire a good life.

  Zackary and his wife Diamond lived in a beautiful home in Davenport Estates, the first development they’d built together. Xavier once lived in the penthouse of the condominium there, but now lived in the penthouse of their latest community, Davenport Circle, which was less than ten minutes walking and five driving from his brother’s home. His number one rule was to never design anything he would not live or work in.

  If something was up, Diamond would have given him a heads up call. He hadn’t spoken to her, therefore, he had no idea what was on Zack’s mind. However, he knew something was up because his brother had called him Xavier, not X-man.

  “Something wrong, Zack?” Xavier asked as he took a seat across from him at the breakfast bar.

  Zack opened the paper. “There’s an article in the paper this morning about a fifty-thousand dollar man.” He looked over the top of the paper at Xavier. “Any idea who he may be?” The cup Xavier held in his hand froze midway to his lips. Zack looked back down at the paper. “Nice picture, too.”

  Xavier snatched the paper from his brother’s hand and began reading the article. He stood as he continued to read. “Oh, man, she is probably freaking out.”

  Zack watched his brother pace back and forth between the foyer, the kitchen and the living room reading the article. His brother hated publicity of any kind. He preferred staying in the background. Once he was scheduled to receive an award for his design of the Ward Community, he sent Diamond to pick it up because the event was being covered by local television. He wondered why X-man, as he called him, was not upset about his picture, but was upset about Nicole Brooks’ picture in the paper. Xavier walked back into the kitchen and sat at the bar.

  Zack, who had fought hard as hell on his drive over, not to laugh at his little brother’s predicament, was finding it increasingly difficult to hold it in. When X-man looked up at him, he had to let it go. His laughter roared throughout the penthouse.

  “Okay, man, let me get this straight. You received a bid of fifty-thousand dollars at the charity auction. What in the hell did you do to get that kind of bid?” He continued to laugh. “Wait, wait, its gets better,” Zack pulled the paper from Xavier and searched for the statement. “Immediately after being granted the winning bid, Ms. Brooks was approached by Trish Hargrove and an altercation ensued. The two millionaires involved, both from McLean, Virginia, were visiting Richmond for the charity event.” He put the paper down and looked at Xavier. “You had two women fighting over you. X-man, I have to tell you, if I had thought growing my hair long would have garnered that much attention, I would have stopped going to the barber years ago.”

  “Ha ha, I’m happy I could amuse you and Grant early this morning. There’s one correction. It’s her parents who have money, not Nicole.” Xavier replied, throwing the paper at his brother who seemed to be getting a kick out of an embarrassing moment in his life.

  “That’s true for Trish, but not for Nicole Brooks, my brother, she has money.” He gave him the bio on Nicole Brooks he had pulled from the internet after initially reading the article. “Yes, her parents are filthy rich, but at the age of twenty-one each of the children received control of their trust funds.” Zack noticed the crease in Xavier’s forehead. “She also heads up the real estate division of Brooks International, in New York. In fact, we applied for a grant from them to fund the recreation center.”

  Xavier thought for a minute. “No, I’m sure Trish said she was spending her daddy’s money.”

  “Trish maybe spending her daddy’s money, but Nicole Brooks has her own.” Zack stopped laughing when he saw the expression on Xavier’s face. “What is it, X-man?”

  “Nothing man. I just…” He hesitated. “I liked this woman. We connected. You know.” He exhaled. “We are supposed to go out next weekend.”

  “What’s stopping you?” Zack asked.

  Xavier stood and exhaled then said a little agitated. “I planned to take her to Shenandoah to spend the weekend at the Martha Washington Bed and Breakfast.”

  “Sounds like a nice weekend. What’s the problem?”

  He sneered. “Can you imagine a multimillionaire spending a weekend in Shenandoah?”

  “Man, if you are with the right person, it doesn’t matter where you are or what you are doing. Besides, I have never known you to renege on a deal. The woman paid fifty-thousand dollars for a weekend with you. The least you can do is show up.” Sensing Xavier needed some time alone. Zack hugged his brother. “Seems liked Nicole Brooks made an impression on you. The woman can’t help that she has money. You need to find out if the woman behind the money is worth having.” He walked over to the elevator. “Look at it this way,” he said as the doors opened, “If it doesn’t work out, you always have Trish.” He stopped, then walked back over to Xavier. “Oh, one more thing, before I go. Would you mind logging into your computer?”

  There was a smirk on Zack’s face, which caused Xavier to frown. “Okay.” He logged in then stepped aside.

  Zack pulled up the Internet, then keyed in a few words. He turned the computer to Xavier. “You've gone international.” Zack hit Xavier on the shoulder, laughing as he walked back to the elevator. He was still laughing when the doors closed.

  Xavier looked at the monitor. He could not help but laugh at the picture of Trish’s legs up in the air. “There should be a ban on cell phones with cameras.” He began reading the blog.

  Rumor Has It

  Can you say catfight? Well, I would normally begin with rumor has it, but, darlings, this is fact. Billionaires Nicole Brooks of Brooks International, you know the Real Estate mogul, and the daughter of millionaire Teddy Hargrove, Trish, literally let their claws out at a charity event of all things. It seems society darling Trish had issues with the elusive Nicole stepping in to take the winning bid on a man in the auction. The two came to blows when Trish insinuated Nicole did not indulge in men. Gasp!

  Picking up his cell, Xavier dialed the number Nicole put in his address book a few hours earlier. She answered groggily. “Hello.”

  “Good morning.”

  “Xavier,” she purred as she sat up in bed. “Good Morning…again.”

  “Well, I’m not sure if it is a good morning for either of us. Have you taken a look at this morning’s paper or the internet?”

  Nicole threw the comforter to the side and stepped out of bed. “No, I’ve learned not to read the papers or the internet after they published my report card freshman year of high school.”

  “I take it you are used to your face being on the breakfast table of strangers?”

  Not sure where his feelings were on the matter, Nicole held her tongue. She liked this man and wanted an opportunity to get to know him. However, not everyone could deal with the publicity that comes along with being a Brooks.

  “Is it that bad?”

  “Let’s say the camera and Trish were up close and personal, with her legs spread eagle.”

  Nicole shook her head. “I’m going to have to write a big check for this one.”

  “You handle things by writing a big check? Have you ever tried a simple apology?”

  “I’m not in the habit of buying people, if that’s what you are asking. For normal people an apology would do. I am a Brooks. People don’t accept apologi
es from us unless a check is attached.” She hesitated and then added. “That’s a way of life for me, Xavier.” Nicole held her breath for his response. The last thing she wanted to do was frighten him away. Nevertheless, he needed to understand what baggage came along with her. “Xavier, like it or not, people target us for money. Not everyone, but enough for us to understand how the game is played. What you’ve experienced this morning is probably lightweight. The more time you spend with me, the heavier the coverage will get.”

  Xavier liked her frankness. The press comes along with her. Could he handle that? “Someone with a voice so sensual it caused my pulse to race is worth having to put up with the press. Try the apology without the check and we will talk later.”

  Nicole fell across the bed kicking her legs in the air and giggling. “Really?”

  He smiled at her giggled response. “I just found you. I’m not ready to give up, yet.”

  “It seems we are on the same page, Mr. Davenport. Just so you know, it’s the crooked grin of yours that got me.” Nicole smiled as she disconnected the call. She breathed a sigh of relief and thought about the events from earlier that morning.

  It was about four am when Xavier brought her to James’ house. She had to drive his vehicle because Vernon had his license. That, in itself was an experience to remember. He drove a Lincoln Navigator, which appeared to be the size of a small house to her. For the last few years, she had been chauffeured around New York. A car would take her to work and home when she was ready or she would simply walk home. Driving a Navigator was a stretch. Xavier had to pick her up to set her inside. Her skirt moved up exposing a good portion of her thighs. He kissed both thighs, sending shivers up her spine and then tugged the skirt down. His lips were tantalizing, his smile enticing and his eyes dangerous.

  A knock on the door interrupted her thoughts on the charming, braid wearing brother that had her captivated. “Come in,” she responded.

  Vernon walked through the door. “Good, you are awake. Your father has summoned you home.”