by Emery, Lynn
“Oh, right.” Darlene fiddled with the hem of her cotton shirt. Erikka might have been distracted by her own problems a couple of weeks ago. Not now.
“We really need to get started. That week will go by fast,” Kelvin put in with a frown. “What do you think, Erikka?”
“We could meet next Thursday instead. I—”
“Doggone, I’ve got a lodge meeting that night,” Kelvin broke in quickly. “Darlene and I could get together. Just for a few minutes. If you have time to make some preliminary notes for us.”
Darlene made a point of not looking at Erikka. “Maybe we should wait until Erikka can meet with us.”
“I could just sketch out a draft of some projects I did before for nonprofits. Then we could get together right before the meeting. Like Kelvin said, we’re in the early stages. It’s not as if you would present a final plan.” Erikka watched Kelvin closely as she spoke.
“Okay, I guess we could do some of the grunt work. We’re not the experts naturally. You sure it’s okay with you?” Kelvin said to Erikka. “We could put this off if you’re not comfortable with it.”
“Oh, no. You two meet without me. I can see how anxious you are to get something started. For the Senior Center,” Erikka added.
“I know how much that place means to the old folks that use it. I’ll see you tomorrow Darlene.” Kelvin’s voice dropped to a bass note when he looked at her.
“Right. I’ll be ready.” Darlene looked at Erikka sharply and cleared her throat. “Erikka and I might even put some stuff down on paper tonight.”
“Excellent. I better get going. Y’all have a good evening.” Kelvin flashed a smile that included them both. He bounded to his car, got in, and waved once before he drove away.
Darlene watched the Lincoln pull onto the road and slowly pick up speed. A mile away he turned left, headed in the direction of his home. She wondered about his life there with Carolyn. All she knew was that he was desperately unhappy. Kelvin was such a sweet-tempered man. How he got hooked up with Carolyn was a mystery. Not that Darlene had given Kelvin much notice back in the day. In high school Kelvin had seemed too nice, which translated into boring. Tame and uneventful was exactly what she should have gone for instead of with her two ex-husbands. Erikka’s emphatic throat-clearing jerked her attention back to the front porch.
“He seems nice,” Erikka said.
Darlene glanced at her. Erikka looked off into the distance. “You mean Kelvin? Yeah, he’s okay.”
“Very conscientious about giving to the community,” Erikka went on in a casual tone.
“He’s been on a lot of boards. That’s how we first met.” Darlene warmed at the memory of how they’d clicked so quickly serving together on committees. “Kelvin is civic-minded.”
“Uh-huh.”
Darlene waited for her to say more. Minutes passed, and all she heard was the soft creaking sound of the wooden rocker. She knew Erikka was searching for a way to get the real story. Darlene wanted to share the emotions boiling inside her, but was hesitant. Erikka had enough of her own life complications. Besides, Erikka had always looked up to Darlene. Her niece was probably wondering just who was Darlene to lecture her. She felt guilty for using the center to sneak around with Kelvin. Not guilty enough to give him up. That was the problem.
***
Monday, Erikka arrived at Gabriel’s workshop promptly at ten in the morning. Now she waited anxiously. She’d been attuned to every nuance, every vibe Gabriel gave for the last two hours.
“How does it feel?” she asked.
“I’m getting the hang of it,” Gabriel said. His dark brows were bunched together as he moved the mouse around.
“You don’t have to learn it all in sixty seconds you know.” Erikka resisted jumping in to help when he clicked the wrong icon. Seconds later he corrected his mistake.
“Like you said, this is kids’ stuff. You’re too busy to babysit me.” Gabriel nodded when he successfully generated a report of his expenses for the previous month. “Damn!”
“What’s wrong?” Erikka leaned over his shoulder.
“I spent way too much on supplies. I need to comparison shop. Trouble is I hate shopping.” Gabriel scowled at the numbers.
“Browse the internet. I can show you how.”
“First I’ll master turning this thing on and off,” Gabriel replied. He squinted at the figures as though he saw more unpleasant surprises.
“You’re a bit past being that much of a tech dummy,” Erikka joked. “Are you this intense about everything?”
Gabriel leaned forward and scrolled through two pages. “Sorry, did you ask me a question?”
“You answered it. Relax. Let’s have some more delicious coffee.” Erikka strolled over to the automatic pot. A red light indicated the coffee was ready.
“In a minute,” he said, without stopping his examination of numbers.
“I tell you what; you can work in my office anytime. I’ve never tasted coffee this rich.” Erikka poured the smooth, dark liquid into a mug. “The secretary at the office where I worked made awful sludge.”
“Colombian. I get it from a gourmet shop in New Orleans. Order by phone.” Gabriel hit a key and his laser printer spit out a sheet.
“Bet they have a website.” Erikka savored a sip. “Wow, that’s good stuff.”
“I think I finally get it. Oh-oh, should have kept my mouth shut.” Gabriel jerked his hands away from the keyboard.
“You need to take a break. Here, let me look. Just hit the ‘undo’ icon. Remember, as long as you don’t save it the basic form won’t change.” Erikka moved the mouse with one hand and kept the mug of coffee in the other.
“Whew, close call. Thanks for being patient with me.” Gabriel tapped out more commands more slowly.
“That’s what you pay me for, boss.” Erikka saluted.
“But the perks are even better.” She tasted more smooth Colombian roast liquid heaven and sighed.
“You’re a coffee lover I see.” Gabriel finally relaxed against the chair back.
“Mostly just chug it down to get going in the morning. I’m loving every bit of this.”
“I’m glad.” Gabriel seemed about to smile, but the corners of his mouth never quite lifted. His expression stayed impassive instead.
“Uh, listen, I kinda put my foot in it the last time I was here and—”
“Don’t worry about it,” he broke in and turned to the computer again.
“No, wait. I don’t want you to think that I believe any old trashy gossip. Hell, I’ve been the subject of some juicy talk myself lately and—”
“I said it’s okay, Erikka.” Gabriel made the desk chair swivel around again until he faced her.
“Okay.” Erikka cleared her throat as his golden brown eyes bored into her.
“So you’ve got a past, too, huh?” Gabriel said. He continued to gaze at her.
“If you call a Driving While Intoxicated conviction and a brief stay in a psycho ward a past. I call it sowing wild oats,” Erikka wisecracked. She wondered why the truth had spilled out so easily.
“I see.”
“Don’t worry. I haven’t been convicted for embezzling. I was, I am a top accountant,” Erikka went on defensively. She searched his expression for any sign that he was judging her.
“Don’t worry, I never thought otherwise despite the talk about you,” Gabriel replied mildly.
“Yes, I—Wait a damn minute. You heard gossip about me?” Erikka put her empty mug down with a thump.
“My Aunt Therese is a twenty-four-hour news bureau all by herself.”
“So much for keeping my business out of the street, at least around here!” Erikka grimaced. She would feel naked now each time she set foot outside Darlene’s house.
“Bother you?” Gabriel said quietly.
She glanced at him then forced a grin. “Nah, not really. I don’t care what these country folk think.”
“Right.”
“Maybe a little. In
New Orleans you can keep a low profile among the millions. Here you sneeze and five people show up with a box of tissues within seconds.”
Gabriel’s laugh flowed out as rich as the Colombian brew he’d made. Erikka liked the sound just as much. His baritone voice generated just as much heat and twice the zing, too. He crossed in front of her on his way to the coffee pot. She inhaled the subtle scent of sandalwood aftershave lotion.
“Welcome to your new goldfish bowl life, Erikka. I had to get used to it again when I came home.” Gabriel filled his mug.
“You moved away?” Erikka settled in a chair.
“Don’t tell me you didn’t get the full story.” Gabriel’s eyes sparkled over the rim of the mug as he sipped coffee.
“Apparently not.”
“Neither did I. Aunt Therese didn’t know about the, what did you call it? Trip to the psycho ward?” Gabriel tilted his head to one side.
Erikka suddenly regretted her leap into self-disclosure. She squirmed beneath the gaze, and then looked away. “Yeah, something like that. As you’ve probably guessed, the accident is how I got these.” She pointed to her left cheek before turning away.
“Got what? I don’t understand” Gabriel said.
“Thanks, but you don’t have to.” Erikka’s throat tightened. Pity from him would cut too deep. She got up to leave.
He followed her. “I’m sorry if I said something wrong.”
“The scars.” Erikka faced him. Might as well get it over with now.
“I saw them even with the makeup. I also saw a bright, funny, and pretty lady underneath that makeup,” Gabriel said in a muted voice. He looked at Erikka until she got busy gathering papers.
“Thanks. Anyway, I’m out in the swamps to clear the cobwebs and let the heat cool off,” she quipped.
Gabriel sat on the windowsill and drank more coffee. He seemed to put distance between them so she could be at ease. “I see. I came home after six years of cooling off time, for me and everybody else around here. I grew up almost overnight back then.”
Erikka felt a kinship with him. She’d been poked and probed enough in the last few months by doctors, social workers, the judge, and more. She looked through a glass window in one wall of the office that gave a view of Gabriel’s workshop. He’d built beautiful things and fashioned a world where he felt comfortable. Erikka did not want to disturb the serene atmosphere. Somehow she felt they’d both said enough for now.
‘To maturity.” Erikka lifted her mug. “About damn time. I’m speaking for myself, of course.”
Gabriel laughed and lifted his mug. “Me, too.”
Erikka gave him a playful grin. Gabriel’s lips curved up only a little. She stared at his mouth a full minute before her gaze went to his golden brown eyes. He not only understood, but he cared. The promise in them left her bewildered. And afraid. She was in danger of reading too much into his kindness. Paradise found could lead to paradise lost.
Erikka swung the chair around to face the computer. “Hey, you better crack the whip on me. I’ll goof off on your time all afternoon if you let me. This software is good, but it won’t put in the numbers all by itself.”
“Right. More numbers, more spreadsheets. Tell me this will get easier. Please.”
“You’ll be absolutely amazed at how easy it will be.” Erikka glanced at him over her shoulder.
“In other words the software is idiot-proof,” Gabriel teased.
“Let’s just say this application is designed for people without an accounting background. In other words, it’s not full of the mumbo jumbo we use to impress our clients,” Erikka joked back.
“Exactly what I suspected. Accountants are like lawyers—you like to keep us normal folks confused.” Gabriel stretched out his long legs and watched Erikka work.
“Do you really want to navigate workman’s comp, benefits packages, and the IRS on your own?” Erikka set up a simple method for him to calculate his self-employment tax using the software.
“God no.” Gabriel put a palm over his heart in mock terror.
“Then show some respect, dude, or you’re on your own.”
“Yes, ma’am. Deepest apologies.”
Erikka switched to another screen. “I set up templates of forms for one employee. Just fill in the blanks. The calculations are based on what you said you would pay.”
“One set for full-time and one for part-time.” Gabriel leaned over her shoulder.
She relaxed into the warmth from his chest only inches away. Something in the way he moved nearer sent waves of calm through Erikka. Although his presence made her feel secure, she also felt power from his muscular body. Gabriel still had a kind of restless tension beneath the surface. Looks could be deceiving. He might be trouble wrapped up all neat and pretty like a bomb in a gift box. Erikka wanted to believe otherwise, and that was the problem. She couldn’t afford to see only what she wanted to see.
“Here, I’ll move out of the way so you can see.” Erikka pushed her chair sideways to allow him to roll his up to the desk.
“I’m good.” Still, he moved in closer to the computer, which put him closer to her as well. “You’ve been a big help. But I’m not sure your work is done.”
Erikka gazed at the hint of stubble along his jaw line. The effect made him look even more like a rugged yet sensitive artist. As though reading her mind, Gabriel rubbed one cheek. The soft scratchy sound made her shiver. Erikka wanted to feel the prickly sensation, and then breathe in the smell of his skin. To clear her head, she stood up.
“Oh?”
Gabriel looked at her. His eyes reflected puzzlement for a moment, and then cleared. “Like you said, I don’t want to tackle red tape alone. I’d like to keep you on retainer.”
“Sure,” Erikka said without hesitation, forgetting that she should be observing caution signs.
“Great. Say three hours twice a month? Since I’m now so well trained.” Gabriel’s smile opened up and let more sunshine into the room. Dimples appeared in his cheeks. The effect made him look like a cross between a charming boy and a stunning man.
“I agree. You can always call me in between,” she put in impulsively. “Extra fee for consultations, of course.”
“Of course.” Gabriel nodded. He seemed to relax as though he’d cleared some hurdle.
Erikka felt they’d crossed some boundary as well. She smiled at him. “What next?”
“Lunch,” he said suddenly. “You’ve been here longer than we agreed. I can at least treat you.”
“There’s a restaurant near here?” Erikka suddenly felt her stomach rumble just at the mention of food.
“No. I’ll fix us something.” Gabriel stood. He watched her expectantly, waiting for her reaction.
Erikka blinked rapidly as the implications of his suggestion sank in. “At your house you mean. We go over to your place.”
“Yes.”
“Right. Sure.”
Erikka rubbed her now moist palms against the thighs of her cotton slacks. She went through the door when he opened it and motioned for her to go first. As they walked she grabbed her small shoulder purse and portfolio. They crossed the twenty or so yards to the deck behind his home. The view was lovely. A bateau tied to a long wooden dock rocked gently in the shallow water. Farther down a larger bass boat was anchored.
“You like to fish?” Gabriel asked as he unlocked his back door.
“Before I became too mature and sophisticated I loved it. My paw paw would take us down to the river, and we’d fish from the bank. None of that fancy rod and reel stuff.
We used long cane poles with those little red stoppers that bobbed when the fish took the bait.”
Erikka chattered on brightly to cover her nervousness. She followed him down a short hall. They went past a small laundry room to the right. The kitchen opened up with an expanse of windows looking out into the bayou. An oak butcher’s block center isle contained an array of spices. The cabinets wrapped around the airy kitchen. Stainless-steel appliances gl
eamed.
“Wow.” Erikka walked around, touching appliances she had only dreamed of owning.
“I took a few cooking classes. Someone I knew helped outfit this place. Don’t think I picked out this stuff. But I do enjoy it.”
“You bake bread?” Erikka wanted to kiss the bread maker. She’d drooled over it when she’d seen it in an upscale home magazine.
“Not me. Like I said—”
“Your girlfriend, right?” Erikka had to admire the woman’s taste in kitchen equipment.
“Former.” Gabriel turned to the refrigerator. “We can have sandwiches or something more substantial. Roast beef po-boys with melted Swiss cheese, curly fries, and cream sodas or shrimp stew over rice.”
Erikka joined him. “You got a restaurant in there?”
Gabriel laughed easily. “My mother stocks up this place like I’m living in the desert. I try to stop her, but she shows up with groceries every few weeks.”
‘Takes a big man to admit he can’t control his mother. I feel ya on that one.” Erikka patted his shoulder.
He faced her while her hand still rested on the olive green cotton shirt. “Women are still something of a mystery to me.”
Erikka looked at his shoulder for a few seconds, and then moved away. She wanted to kiss him. Not seduce him, just barely brush her lips against his wide, full mouth. Erikka wanted physical contact to feel pretty again, to feel desirable. Rejection, or worse pity, would be more painful than the glass they’d scraped from her skin. Instead, she made a joke.
“What do we want? Pretty simple. It changes from day to day. Just be prepared to give in,” Erikka said with a grin.
“I had suspected as much,” Gabriel replied. “Sandwiches would be lighter and fast.”
Erikka pretended interest in the scenery outside his kitchen window. “Yeah. I do have another appointment today.”
She let out a long breath, walked to the table, and sat down. Gabriel worked on the sandwiches and talked about his balance sheets. He was apparently too busy to look at her. Erikka offered token responses as she watched him. No one could be that intense about applying mayo and mustard, she mused. She had either embarrassed him, scared him, or both. He appeared to have recovered by the time he joined her at the table.
