by Yvette Hines
“A long time ago. It’s in the past,” she rushed on, cutting Vincent off. She didn’t know what he would have said, but she was already fighting her own memory of what once was and never could be again without him revealing more to the ten people in the room.
“Hmm,” was Peter’s only comment. Chelsi knew from that one sound she would be getting a car full of questions on the way back to the studio.
Vincent’s thumb brushed along the back of her hand, and she was unprepared for the shiver that raced up her arm, causing every fine hair in its wake to stand on end. Barely suffocating the small gasp in her throat, she noticed the devastating smile Vincent gave her as he released her hand, letting her know he caught her reaction.
“Well, you all have waited long enough for me.” Vincent took his seat at the head of the long, polished mahogany table between Peter and Rudolph Humphries, the Division Director.
“I’m truly anxious to see what you all have designed.” Vincent opened up the tan leather legal pad size portfolio. “It’s in your hands, Mr. Densa.”
“Peter is fine.” Appearing completely in his element, Peter captivated the room with his light humor and charm. He gave packets of information to the team regarding the materials, expense, production, and site of manufactures and seamstress teams. “One thing that Rudolph let us know, Mr. Poindexter—”
Vincent waved his hand in the air. “Vin.”
Chelsi watched her boss as he spoke and noted Peter was two shades away from a full blush at Vincent’s words. She didn’t know if her boss’s response was due to attraction or not. Peter was gay and had plans of marrying his partner next year so she assumed his reaction was due to being accepted into the close honored circle of those able to call Vincent Poindexter by his nickname.
Clearing his throat, Peter continued. “As I was saying, Vin, I understand that Point Corporation stands firm by ensuring their products and services are American made. Densa Fashion stands by that as well. Since you are not looking for bulk mass products but more elite designs for distribution, it is something we will be able to manage rather well.”
Vincent asked pointed follow-up questions, and Chelsi admired how he allowed Peter to speak as the expert and at different times even asked his advice on specific clothing and material issues. She couldn’t help but grin at Peter’s wide smile which confirmed her boss was in hog heaven. Vincent gave Peter all his attention, only breaking eye contact with him when he was taking notes. Chelsi wondered what he jotted down since there was a black man in his mid-twenties who had been steadily annotating information on the packet as well as entering it into a laptop.
She’d watched and listened to Peter as well, but she had been unable to keep herself from stealing a few glances at Vincent. It was fascinating to view him in his world, in his element. To her, he appeared both commanding and brilliant. A part of her pride was a little wounded because he never glanced in her direction. Their gazes never clashed even by accident.
Evidentially, his desire to have dinner with her and catch up on old times had passed. Taking a silent, deep breath, she reminded herself that it was better that he had moved on. It was easier for her mind to be reassured, but her heart wasn’t convinced.
“I’ll turn the next portion of the presentation over to Chelsi.” Peter slipped back into his seat as she stood and signaled to the gentleman at the laptop. “I will show you all the designs we have for the pregnant mothers as well as the infants and children up to two. Then when I finish I’ll bring in the models with the samples of our designs so you all can see them. I also have some swatches I’ll be passing around during the presentation for you to feel these as well as other fabrics and materials.”
Chelsi kept her gaze moving around the room as she spoke, making a point not to address Vincent by any name. She didn’t want him to tell her to call him anything familiar. Keep your distance, she repeated her mantra.
When she finally glanced in his direction, she noticed his focus was now centered on her. His gaze left her face and did a slow stroll along her frame. She was sure he was taking in her look which was drastically different then the last time. When his blue-eyed gaze returned to her face, he wore a pleased smile. The approving look made her heart flutter. She glanced away quickly and began talking to the other people in the room and trying to disregard Mr. Boss Man.
“Ladies and gentlemen, we listened to the information Mr. Rudolph gave us regarding what your company was looking for concerning the elite maternity and child line for your store. We pulled several ideas together from our design team. One of the things you’ll notice about our clothing is that everything we’ll be showing is not only the highest of quality in craftsmanship but also has the ability to grow with the mothers and be used after delivery.”
“The children’s apparel can be worn from infancy to toddler years or toddler to preschool age. Even though you all are marketing your store for middle-class Americans who can afford to get clothing solely for pregnancy, we at Densa Fashions are conscience of the financial times now. People are trying to get the maximum use out of everything.”
“How does Densa propose to do this, Chelsi?” said a woman who introduced herself as Monica when they first arrived. “I don’t know if you’ve ever been pregnant. Most maternity clothing becomes too stretched out by the end of pregnancy and can’t be worn after delivery stylishly.” The black woman in her camel-colored suit didn’t sound or appear to be condescending in her questioning, just business-minded and matter-of-fact.
“I’m glad you asked.” Chelsi had anticipated this question. “Densa has added a hidden adjustable tab inside of all of their clothing. Most mothers are used to this type of adjustment in children’s apparel, but we have now brought it to maternity wear. It will also aid in keeping away the muumuu look that most motherhood styles offer.” Her statement caused the eyebrows of the three women in the room to lift.
Chelsi instructed Mike to begin the PowerPoint presentation. During the slide presentation she showed them how the hidden straps were embedded in the small of the back of the dresses. She flipped through photos of babies and toddlers wearing the different clothing they had designed as well as showed them the few outfits that were mom/baby matching sets for both boys and girls.
She continued to answer questions about the fabrics used for the garments as she passed around swatches for people. Since it would have been rude of her not to start with Vincent as she handed out the assortment of materials, she moved from the projector screen and crossed the room until she was close enough to hand him the small bundle.
Instead of Vincent stretching his hand out across the gap to take them from her, he barely extended his arm, leaving an opening between their hands. He stared at her, issuing a challenge, intense and evident in his beautiful gaze.
In order to give them to him, she would have to move closer. For a moment, her gaze darted over to the glossy tabletop and she considered setting them on it; that way she wouldn’t have to be near him. She gritted her teeth at her own pettiness. In such a professional and important moment for her and Densa, she couldn’t afford to let her emotions overrule her good sense.
Fixing a large smile on her face, she took a step towards him, almost bringing the toes of her heels in contact with his dress shoes. Her plan was to set them in his hand and quickly move back to her safe zone by the screen, but evidently Vincent had different ideas. When she placed the cloths in his hand, his long strong fingers seized her hand. His tight hold didn’t hurt, but feeling his strength made her knees weak. The butterflies in her stomach that stirred the moment he walked into the room were doing flips inside of her.
“Thank you, Chelsi.” He let her hand go.
Speechless, she shuffled away from him in haste as she rubbed her hand in an attempt to stop the tingling she was experiencing. The hold was only a matter of seconds. It wasn’t like Vincent had held her for an inappropriate amount of time, and most people in the room probably barely noticed it. However, every inch of her
body registered it.
“At this moment I would like to pause and bring in some of the models who are wearing six of our signature designs.” Going over to the door, she stepped out in the hall and called the first woman inside.
“As Maria strolls around the room, I would like you all to pay attention to the cinches in the lower part of the back of the outfit. Even though it only appears to be a small gathering of material, as I showed you in the slide presentation, it moves through the entire back of the garment. The great thing about that is others will not be able to see this when expanded for pregnancy comfort or after.” Chelsi paused for a moment to allow the model to cruise the room, turning one direction of another when asked.
“This dress Maria is wearing is our collar-drop handkerchief cut dress in violet,” Chelsi informed the group. “Densa Fashion wanted to bring four things to the maternity apparel; elegance, comfort, longevity of wear, and sexuality. The last one is something that usually is not paired with pregnancy.”
There was a lot of nods and words of agreement around the room from the seven men and three women. It didn’t escape Chelsi’s notice that Vincent didn’t show any signs of agreeing or not; he continued to keep his gaze trained on her.
When Maria got to Vincent, Chelsi heard him ask the woman about the comfort of the outfit, the feel of the material, and if anything felt tight or constricting. He even questioned whether the garment made the woman too warm.
Impressed, Chelsi wondered how Vincent knew such questions to ask a pregnant woman. She couldn’t lie to herself. The thought weighed heavy on her mind, making her feeling very certain that he was married with children of his own.
Maria exited the room and Veronica, a small-statured blonde, came in.
“Veronica is draped in our Bedazzled Tunic. The royal blue crushed silk is enhanced around the deep u-shaped neckline by gold backed crystals. As you can see, the hem on Veronica’s dress is very short, allowing for the display of the full length of the woman’s legs. The same jewels on the bottom seam help to weight the dress and keep it in place.”
After Veronica finished, Janice came in wearing their crisscross single-shoulder tied dress in gold that left one arm and shoulder bare as it covered the other. Janice worked the room in her knee length ensemble. The model was only three months pregnant and barely showed.
When the woman moved closer to Vincent. it didn’t escape Chelsi’s noticed that Janice stood by him a long time. Even after Vincent asked the same standard questions to her as he did the two previous ladies. Janice blushed and batted her eyes at him.
Chelsi watched the exchange, and her blood boiled. Especially when she noticed that when Janice offered Vincent the chance to feel the chiffon fabric the other woman raised the hem to him, lifting it higher than necessary. She was blatantly flirting with Vincent. Unbelieveable.
Vincent’s gaze never lowered past Janice’s face as he told her no.
Chelsi bit the inside of her lip to keep down the growl pushing up from her chest to her throat. “That will be all, Janice. Please ask Madison to come in. Thank you.” Chelsi didn’t waste a moment to analyze the bite in her words as she dismissed the woman.
The first trimester woman cut her eyes towards her, but Chelsi could see the quick mental reminder Janice must have given to herself, recalling the reason she was in Vincent’s handsome presence. With a tight smile, Janice inclined her head to Chelsi then exited out of the room. The flirty woman wasn’t far enough along to have her fingers swelling, and it didn’t escape Chelsi’s notice that Janice wore no wedding ring. The hot woman probably saw Vincent as a rich meal ticket to be her child’s stepfather. Not.
Shooting her gaze at Vincent, Chelsi saw him now leaning his elbows against the table with his hands linked, hiding his mouth. By the light playing in his blue eyes, she was sure he was laughing at her.
Madison and Tisha came through and modeled their dresses in a professional manner with no issues.
As Tisha made her final pass around the room, Chelsi began, “Stephanie is our last model, and she will be showing you one of the designs from our Passionate and Plump lingerie line.”
Stephanie walked in the door and moved deeper into the room, her bright red hair hanging loose down her back.
“She’s only wearing a thick, flannel house robe. There’s nothing sexy about that.” Kendall, the marketing head for the new store, called out.
Not answering him, Chelsi instead nodded to Stephanie. Smiling, the model untied her outer garment and allowed it to slide down her arms. Chelsi wanted to cheer at Stephanie’s dramatic effect.
Three gasps came from the women in the room, and the gaping stares of the men told Chelsi exactly what she wanted to know. The lingerie was a hit. The smoke gray apparel was a sheer charmeuse with a stretch lace bodice that cupped and caressed the woman’s full breasts. Below, Stephanie wore matching lace maternity high-cut thongs.
A few men cleared their throats as Stephanie, a swimsuit model by trade, progressed in a leisurely walk around the room. As a long-time model, Stephanie wasn’t shy about exhibiting her body, even when blossomed with pregnancy.
The lingerie was one of Chelsi’s favorite designs. It was sexy and beautiful. She couldn’t help but imagine herself in the outfit. However, Vincent was the only person she imagined in the room watching her.
Sneaking a peak at him, she was surprised to be caught in his intense gaze. His eyes were so dark they appear black and lost among his thick ebony lashes. To rapid for her to stop it, her mind conjured up the thought that he was seeing her wearing it, too.
Taking a deep breath, she reclaimed control of her thoughts and thanked Stephanie as the model pulled her robe back on and tied it again before going out. After a few follow-up words, Chelsi was happy to turn the remainder of the presentation back over to Peter.
Slipping back into her seat, she sent up a million prayers that the meeting would end soon so that she could flee Vincent’s presence. Being around him was making her feel things she hadn’t experienced in years and hope for things she had no right to anymore.
Chapter Three
“When do you foresee making your decision in regards to the designer you will be selecting, Vin?” Peter snapped his briefcase shut then gripped the handle as he migrated towards the door.
“I’ll meet with Rudolph and the rest of the management personnel for this project and finalize some things. You should be hearing from Rudolph in the next few days.” Shoving his hands deep in his pocket, Vin followed them to the door as he eyed Chelsi who was quickly pulling her stuff together as if she were trying to become invisible. If she only knew that would never be possible for her, not in his presence. She had been a beautiful teenager and had grown to become an even more striking woman.
“Perfect.” Peter said as Chelsi aligned herself beside him to head out. “Densa Fashions appreciates the opportunity to present our offer and look forward to hearing from Rudolph.”
Acknowledging the man’s words with a nod, Vin watched Chelsi hurry towards the door.
“Chelsi, may I please have a moment of your time?”
Two steps away from Chelsi beside Peter, Vin watched Chelsi’s spine stiffen at his words.
Now, that he had throttled her escape, he could almost sense the internal war inside of her. Just like at the grocery store, he could clearly see she didn’t want to spend a lot of time around him. Why that was plagued him to no end.
He wondered if she knew this was his company before she showed for the meeting. It wasn’t a secret. If she did know, why did she come when it was evident she no longer wanted a relationship of any kind with him, not even friendship?
That knowledge caused an ache in his chest. He hadn’t realized how much he missed Chelsi until he’d seen her at the store, and since that moment, she had stayed in the forefront of his mind. Making him desire and want things long past.
When he walked into the board room and saw her sitting at the table in her burnt orange skirt suit that hug
ged all of her curves and a chocolate silk blouse that conformed to her breasts, he just wanted to order everyone out and take her on the table. By her disdainful looks she’d given him from the start of the meeting, he didn’t believe that was going to be possible. Pity.
“The models have already headed back to the studio, I can wait in the lobb—” Peter began.
“No, Peter, I’m sure Mr. Poindexter wants to speak with both—” Chelsi had grabbed a hold of her boss’s arm, and the pleading tone in her voice was another indicator she didn’t want to be around him.
“Peter, my discussion with Chelsi is of a personal nature.” Vin announced, cutting them both off. “You don’t need to wait.”
“We rode together,” she declared.
“I promise to get her back to work safely. I’ll arrange transportation or bring her myself.”
Chelsi gaze snapped toward him, shooting daggers. Most likely she didn’t appreciate his high-handed manner. Tough. He allowed her to get away from him once; he wasn’t about to let it happen again.
“Oh…” Peter allowed that single word to trail on.
“I really have work to do, Mr. Poindexter.” Chelsi spoke through gritted teeth.
He didn’t like the sound of his last name coming from Chelsi. If she called him anything he wanted to hear Vincent rolling off her tongue. In the throes of passion would have been better.
Waving her comment away, Peter chimed in, “We’ll be fine until you get back.”
Vin watched the visual exchange of communication between Chelsi and Peter. Even without words, she was pinning her boss with a disgruntled stare while Peter smiled at her in return, wiggling his eyebrows.
Two things were evident to him—Chelsi was angry her boss had removed her option of escape, and Peter was up to a little matchmaking. Maybe Peter thought Chelsi being around him would impact their contract bid in a good way. But the contract was the last thing on Vincent’s mind. That decision was already settled.
