Be My Valentine: The McClendon Holiday Series, Book 3

by Sean D. Young

  “You know I added a drop of rose oil in with it,” Patrice said matter-of-factly. In her research, Patrice discovered that jasmine, along with roses, were used in many expensive fragrances.

  Fantasia smiled widely. “I thought so. As an aroma girl, I thought I’d try all the new products so that I could give my honest opinion when working with the customers.”

  “That’s giving excellent customer service, Tasia,” Patrice said. She loved Fantasia’s enthusiasm about the items they offered at Good Scents. She could see her going beyond working the front of the boutique.

  “Let’s get in here so we can open the store on time,” Patrice said.

  The three-story brick building that housed Good Scents Aromatherapy and Day Spa had been renovated over the years. It combined a retail store with boutique treatment rooms, transforming the space into a refreshing and inviting place to shop for luxurious body products and to relax.

  The boutique was situated in the front area on the first floor. The fresh scent of lavender greeted customers as soon as they stepped inside, which helped to give a sense of relaxation. The ivory and green décor gave the space a classy look. Patrice rearranged the glass shelving, so that the new branding could be seen from the doorway. There was a full line of aromatherapy products including reed diffusers, candles and essential oils. With the help of her sister Renee, who assisted with the new design, they created a more up-to-date look for the fantastic products.

  The spa was right next door, which had three spa rooms that ranged in classic facials and de-stress treatments, a manicure and pedicure room as well.

  As she and Fantasia prepared the displays for the day, Patrice could see Tyra the masseuse coming to the building on the other side. That was the moment when Patrice felt it was much too quiet in the room, so she went to flick the button and soon they had smooth jazz floating throughout the building. Getting the mood right in a store like hers was important. She walked to the front door and flipped over the open sign. They were now ready for business.

  As she walked back to the counter, she looked around the space and a wide smile grew on her face. She imagined what the new fragrance line was going to do not only for her as an entrepreneur, but for Good Scents, her family’s legacy.

  * * * * *

  For the next hour, the other employees who worked in the spa were coming into the building. Once they noticed that Patrice wasn’t in her office in the back, they came up to the front to greet her.

  Since the morning was going a bit slowly, Patrice went back to her office to check her email and open the stack of mail that she’d left the day prior. Turning on the computer, she picked up a long instrument from the container so that she could open the various colored envelopes on the desk.

  After studying the letter, she laid it aside and noticed the red light on her desk phone. She picked up the receiver and listened to the message. There was a woman calling about having a gift basket created and shipped to a relative. A wide smile slowly grew on Patrice’s face. What an awesome idea to offer that type of amenity to the customers. She grabbed a stack of Post-it notes, restarted the message and scribbled down the woman’s information.

  Excitement bubbled over within her and she couldn’t wait to share with Fantasia some options for the basket. She would then return the woman’s call and work out the details. If this worked well, she would add this as a permanent option for her clients. Computer forgotten, she sprinted out of the office, headed toward the front of the shop.

  As she approached, Patrice stopped to watch Fantasia work with a petite older woman with caramel-colored skin and silver-colored hair. She was standing with a tall, dark-haired woman who Patrice assumed was related. They were engrossed in whatever Fantasia was saying about the product. Patrice could see how enthusiastic Fantasia was with the women explaining the benefits of using the oil. Patrice didn’t want to interrupt, so she went on the other side of the floor and rearranged the shelf that they’d just finished adjusting earlier. She wanted to see how the transaction was going to end.

  Patrice pulled out a small pad from the shelf and started jotting down the questions she had for Jacques. She wanted to be sure that she didn’t miss anything when he took her to dinner. There were so many things she didn’t know about creating a new perfume, but she hoped he would be able to help her in that area.

  A moment later, Patrice looked up from her paper and saw a sleek black sports car pulling up in front of the building. She watched intently as a woman got out of the vehicle and made her way to the door. As she stepped inside, the bell over the front door chimed loudly. Patrice couldn’t believe her eyes and blinked several times because she thought she was in a dream.

  “Angie?” Patrice said, dropping her pen on the counter and moving from behind it. Even though the woman wore huge black sunglasses, Patrice could tell it was Angela Simpson. They’d known each other since third grade, but hadn’t seen each other since their ten-year class reunion the year prior.

  Angela slipped the glasses from her face. “Treecie,” she said opening her arms.

  Patrice hurried over to her, enveloping her. “It is so good to see you, Ange,” Patrice said, stepping back and looking at the woman. “You haven’t changed a bit,” she said.

  Angela pushed her designer glasses down inside her barrel-shaped designer bag. “I heard you were balling out here in the Chi, taking over the family business,” Angela commented.

  Patrice smiled brightly. “I’m trying, girl, I’m trying. I heard your new joint on I-Heart Radio. Love it.” She took her friend by the hand and led her to the side so they wouldn’t block the walkway for other customers.

  “Are you performing this weekend anywhere?” Patrice asked. Angela Simpson was known as a triple-threat because she was an excellent singer, actress and dancer. Always the lead in the school plays since junior high school, Patrice knew that her childhood acquaintance was headed for superstardom.

  “No, I’m actually here to visit my mother.” The voluptuous performer was wearing a fancy long coat and high-heeled ankle boots.

  “I’m sure your mother is beside herself having you home.”

  “She just got home from the hospital. I couldn’t come while she was in there because of some engagements that I couldn’t get out of but I’m here now.”

  Patrice could see the sadness in Angela’s eyes. “How long are you going to be here? I know my sisters Renee and Jennifer would get a kick out of seeing you.” Patrice didn’t ask any more questions about Angela’s mother. She didn’t want her former classmate to think that she was prying.

  “I’ll be around for a couple of weeks. I want to be sure that Mom is really on the mend. Are you and your sisters still singing?”

  “Yes. We do a lot more now since my sister Faith moved back to Chicago.”

  “We’ve got to get together then. But hey, let me ask you a question.”

  “Shoot.”

  “Do you create these yourself?” she asked, lifting the small bottle of oil from the shelf.

  “Yes, I make them all in-house,” Patrice said, lifting another one from the glass. She was so proud. Having someone like Angela acknowledge her creations made her feel good. “My sister Renee created the packaging for us.”

  Angela opened the bottle and took a sniff. “I really like this scent. Do you make fragrances as well?”

  Patrice couldn’t believe her ears. This was confirmation that taking the business in this direction was the right decision.

  “Yes, we just added fragrances to the line. Is there anything in particular you’re looking for?”

  “I was young when I first started putting on my momma’s perfume and have been wearing it ever since.”

  “I remember when we met in elementary, you always smelled like roses,” Patrice added.

  “Could you put something together for me and my fiancé?”

  “Fian
cé?” Patrice asked looking for an engagement ring, but not seeing one.

  “Yes, I’ve been seeing this movie director for several years now and we just made it official a month ago.”

  Patrice didn’t want to state the obvious. She always thought celebrities wore those nine-carat rings on their fingers, but Angela’s was bare. She was surprised that she was asking her to custom-make a perfume for her. It was a huge request. “I can’t promise, but I’ll try.”

  Angela looked at her watch and started digging down in her purse. “Well, Treecie, how can I get in touch with you? I want to get as much of the business aspect done before I go back on the road,” Angela said.

  Patrice didn’t think she would be able to get it done that fast, but once she spoke to Jacques, he could help her with a plan. “Do you have any ideas on what type of fragrance you want?” She pulled a card from the holder in front of her on the glass counter and jotted down her cell phone number before handing it to Angela. “Call me later on so we can talk about the details.”

  Angela pushed her sunglasses on her face and pulled her coat together before opening her arms to Patrice. They hugged before Patrice watched her friend walk out of the store and get into her car. When she turned in Fantasia’s direction, she noticed that the sales girl and the two women she had been talking to were just staring at her.

  Patrice stifled a laugh because all three women looked star struck. She was happy that no one came over and interrupted them while she was talking to Angela. Being a star wasn’t always easy with people interrupting all the time, wanting to take a photo with the superstar.

  Still stifling her laughter, Patrice walked over to customers. “You ladies find everything okay?”

  The women nodded.

  As Patrice walked around to the other side of the counter, Fantasia leaned over and whispered, “Wasn’t that Angela Simpson?”

  “Yes, she went to high school with me and my sister Renee.”

  “I had no idea that you knew a big-time celebrity,” Fantasia commented.

  “I guess,” Patrice said, returning the products that were on the counter back into the display case.

  “You go ahead and ring up the ladies’ purchases and then I need to talk to you about something,” Patrice said.

  Fantasia completed the women’s transactions and walked them to the door. Patrice could tell that Fantasia was anxious for her to tell her what was on her mind.

  “What did you want to talk to me about?” Fantasia asked.

  “I need you to close up tonight because I have an appointment.”

  She could see Fantasia’s shoulders slump in disappointment. Patrice couldn’t fathom what the girl thought she was going to tell her. Unless, she thought she had some juicy gossip about Angela, and if that was it, she was sadly mistaken.

  It wasn’t that Patrice didn’t gossip from time to time, but she only did it with her sisters. That way she knew that whatever she said, it stayed between them.

  Patrice laid her hand on the young woman’s arm. “I think you do a fabulous job with the customers.”

  Fantasia ran her hand across her forehead. “I’m glad you think so because they wore me out. They didn’t know what they were looking for at first then found something and changed their minds again. I just decided to explain to them the difference between the vanilla bean shampoo, soap and scented oils and the rain oil trio.”

  “We are going to be making some changes around here soon and your knowledge about the products will come in handy,” Patrice said, before checking her watch. It was getting late, so she needed to check in with Marla in the spa before Jacques arrived.

  “Tasia, I’m going to talk to Marla for a quick minute,” she said, walking toward the glass door on the other side of the room that led to the spa.

  As she crossed the threshold to their new modern spa, she saw Marla walking in her direction. “I was just coming to talk to you,” Patrice said.

  “What about?”

  “Just checking in to see how your day has gone. I usually check once every couple days, but I’ve been so busy and I had to help Fantasia up front today.”

  “Let me guess, Nikki was a no show today. She is always calling off,” Marla commented, shaking her head.

  Marla Hamilton was a dark-skinned heavy-set young woman with smooth and rich-looking skin. She had been working at Good Scents for the last two years on recommendation of Nikki. Patrice found that Marla was good at what she did and had never given her any trouble, unlike her friend Nikki.

  “Now that you mention it, did you know that she was going to call off today?”

  Marla looked in the other direction.

  “Marla, now if you know something about her then you need to tell me. I don’t have time to play games. She told me that she was under the weather and had a bad toothache. Was she lying to me?”

  Marla’s silence gave Patrice her answer and she was pissed but couldn’t show it. She didn’t want Marla to go back and tell her friend that she’d caught on to the game she’d been playing. Instead, Patrice plastered a smile on her face and decided to handle Nikki and not drag her friend into the situation.

  Patrice went back to her office to return the customer’s call about shipping products. By the time she got that squared away, Jacques should be there. Suddenly, nervous butterflies settled in her stomach. She was excited to tell him about Angela’s request, hoping that it would convince him to help her.

  Chapter Five

  Jacques was relieved that Cecilia came home from work early so that he could talk to her before he went to pick up Patrice. He knew if he missed her, he wouldn’t see her the next morning since he booked an early flight to New York. Leaving a message on her voicemail that he is going to talk to investigators would only make her worry about him more. He was appreciative to her for allowing him to interrupt her life for the past week.

  He closed the lid on his laptop and went into the living room as he heard her stirring around.

  “Cee Cee, I’m glad you’re here,” he said, walking over to the couch where she was sitting, sorting through the mail.

  “What’s up?”

  “I’ve got to fly back to New York in the morning,” Jacques said, watching the frown appear on her face. He reached over and grabbed her hand. “Wait before you get too excited. I’m going to answer some questions for the investigator.”

  “Did you tell him you were out of town?”

  “Yes, I did, but they want me to come in person.”

  Cecilia gave him an under-eyed look. “Are they trying to set you up? I thought you told them everything you knew about the formula being stolen.”

  “I did, but I told Roger, not the investigator. I’m not the only person that they are questioning. Everyone who worked or had a key to the lab is being put under a microscope.”

  “Is John going with you to this interview?”

  “Yes, he is. Cee Cee, there’s really nothing for you to worry about. I just didn’t want to leave and not tell you where I had gone.” Jacques had no idea what was going to happen, and yes he was concerned, but the last thing he needed was to put that burden on his sister.

  He caught her staring him up and down. “What’s wrong?” he asked, patting his chest and looking down at his brown shoes.

  “Where are you going all dressed up?”

  “You think I’m dressed up?” He walked over to the full-length decorative mirror on the wall. “I’m taking the woman that I told you about last night to dinner.”

  Cecilia raised her eyebrows. “You must be trying to impress her with your outfit. So I take it this is not a working dinner.”

  “No, I want to get to know her better before jumping into a project with her.”

  Cecilia lifted her purse from the floor and Jacques followed her. “Okay, Jacques, whatever you say. But I see that look in your eye…I thin
k you like this woman.”

  “Please, Cee Cee. I don’t even know her.”

  “That’s okay, I know what I see. You haven’t had a girl in quite a while. At least not one that you’ve openly talked about.”

  Jacques didn’t want to tell his sister that she was right—he was attracted to Patrice. But time would tell if it would go anywhere beyond attraction. He stood. “I’m going to get out of here now. I’m picking her up at her shop.”

  “Good Scents Day Spa?” Cecilia asked.

  “Yes, that’s what she told me,” he said, pulling out the business card. “Have you ever been there?”

  “I can’t say that I have but now I’m going to have to stop in and meet Patrice.” Cecilia giggled and turned away from him. “See you later, Big Bro.”

  Jacques walked back into his room and grabbed his coat. He didn’t want to be late. He was really looking forward to seeing Patrice.

  Slipping his coat on as he walked toward the door, he heard Cecilia scream. He raced down the short hallway to her bedroom. “What’s wrong, Cee Cee?” Jacques asked, standing next to her bed.

  Cecilia was holding her electronic tablet in her lap. She turned it around so that he could see the screen. “What is that?” he asked.

  “TellItAll. You know, it’s one of the largest celebrity gossip sites,” she said.

  “I’ve never heard of it.”

  “It’s just like TMZ,” Cecilia said, handing him the device. “Read what the headline says, Jacques.”

  Surprise wasn’t quite the word Jacques would use to describe what he felt after reading the bold letters at the top of the screen. “Fairchild Ltd. Trade Secrets Scandal.”

  “Are they crazy?”

  “Somebody from the inside leaked this story, Jacques. I don’t believe anything different.”

  But why? “Would they get paid for doing something like this?”

  “I wouldn’t trust them,” she responded.

  Jacques could hear his sister talking but couldn’t comprehend anything she said because he was busy reading the small article.