Her Christmas Wish ; Designed by Love

by Sherelle Green

  She smiled and rubbed a hand over her belly. “Growing,” she said with a laugh. “Eight weeks and four days to go, but who’s counting?”

  “I can’t wait to be an uncle.” He could hear the animated chatter in the background. His aunt, uncle and cousins from LA had made the trip to Sacramento, and Jeremy wished he was there. He laughed at the irony that in the past few years, along with his brother and three female cousins, all of his male cousins had married. Each of them had been adamant about keeping his bachelorhood intact, and each had met a special woman who’d made him change his perspective. Jeremy had always been the only one who believed in love and wanted to find Mrs. Right, and he’d told them he would know her on sight. He had endured years of teasing when they were younger, and yet he was the only one still single.

  “Does that mean you’ll be available for babysitting whenever we need you, Dr. Hunter?”

  “Ced, with the way you hardly let Randi out of your sight, I’ll be lucky to see my new niece or nephew before she or he is five.”

  Randi laughed. “You’ve got a point.”

  Cedric divided a glance between his brother and wife. “Isn’t it past your bedtime, baby brother?”

  Jeremy chuckled. “That worked when I was five, but I can do whatever I want now. You’ll have to save that for your kids.” He’d teased his brother about settling down before he got too old to have kids, but at age thirty-six, he had started to wonder the same thing concerning himself.

  “I can’t wait.” He placed another quick kiss on Randi’s lips. “Speaking of kids, you might want to hurry up and find that Mrs. Right you’ve always talked about, otherwise you’ll be the one pushing a stroller in one hand and balancing a cane in the other.”

  “Whatever.”

  “Any prospects?”

  “Not yet.” The last woman Jeremy had dated complained that he didn’t wine and dine her often enough. She had been upset when he’d suggested they have an evening in and acted almost offended by his offer to cook dinner. That had been right around Valentine’s Day and Jeremy decided he needed a break. “It is almost midnight, though, and there are a couple of morning sessions I want to attend, so I need to call it a night.”

  “Okay. Email and let me know how your presentation went. If you can find someone, have them record it.”

  “Will do.”

  “I’m proud of you, Doc.”

  Smiling, he said, “Thanks.” It meant everything to have his big brother’s support. Initially, he had thought about going the same route as Cedric and working for their family’s construction company, but, after being introduced to robotics, had changed direction. “Tell Alisha I’ll bring Kali’s gift over when I get back.” They spoke a few minutes longer, then ended the call.

  Jeremy went to stand on the balcony and stared up at the dark sky. The daytime temperatures had reached eighty, but the nights dropped down into the fifties and reminded him of home. He stood there awhile, thinking about how fortunate he’d been in his career. He’d started his own medical robotics company three years ago after the notoriety he gained when he won an award for his contributions to robotics and automation. Since then, he’d secured a couple of grants and three contracts for building surgery robots. They’d afforded him the ability to hire three other engineers, along with his best friend and business manager, Christian Hill, and a receptionist. He did have some concerns about completing the latest contract, as one of his engineers had given notice last week. Jeremy had left Chris in charge of advertising and hiring for the position, and hoped there’d be some good news by the time Jeremy made it home next week.

  His thoughts shifted to his presentation. He would spend a little time on it tomorrow, but he was as ready as he could be. He’d presented at a few smaller conferences, but not on the international stage. Recording the session would not only give his family an opportunity to see it, but also allow Jeremy to make adjustments. After a few more minutes, he went back inside and closed the door. He had already showered, so he set the alarm on his phone, turned off the lamp and slid beneath the covers.

  * * *

  Jeremy woke up Monday morning feeling refreshed. His body had finally adjusted to the time change. He ordered room service and, while eating, went over the conference schedule. This morning, he planned to attend workshops on soft robotics and autonomous robot design. The session that most excited him wouldn’t be until Tuesday afternoon with a Dr. S. Edwards, who would discuss tactile sensors. It was of particular interest to him because he’d started a personal project to develop an artificial hand that closely mimicked human function.

  On the way to his first session, he nodded greetings to a few people he’d met at other conferences. The long hall leading to the various meeting rooms had tables lined against either side of the walls with all manner of promotional brochures. Jeremy’s steps slowed. A beautiful brown-skinned beauty sat in a chair next to an information table scribbling furiously on a notepad. She wore a pair of stylish rose-gold-rimmed glasses with some kind of bling bordering them and had a mass of curls sitting on top of her head. She lifted her head and their eyes connected briefly. He felt a jolt of awareness and his lips tilted in a smile. Her eyes widened and she looked away hastily before continuing to write. He noticed she wore the same badge identifying all the attendees but couldn’t read her name from where he stood. Jeremy toyed with stopping to ask, but his session would be starting in five minutes and he still had to find the room. With any luck, their paths would cross later in the week. There were few women in the field of robotics and even fewer women of color, which aroused his curiosity further.

  Jeremy found the room just as the speaker started and slid into a chair near the back. Fifteen minutes in, he could barely keep his eyes open. While the information presented was interesting, he couldn’t say the same about the man talking. The monotone sound of the man’s voice had several other people’s eyes closing, as well. Jeremy sincerely hoped the rest of the day didn’t go the same way. His mind drifted to the woman in the hall—beauty and brains, a lethal combination in his book, and he wouldn’t mind getting to know her. As soon as he found her again.

  * * *

  “Excuse me, Miss. I seem to have gotten myself turned around. Can you tell me how to get to this room?”

  Serita Edwards stared up at the man pointing to a room on the conference brochure and mentally counted to ten. He was the fourth person to ask her for directions in the past half hour. “I have no idea. I’m—”

  He let out an impatient sigh. “What is it with you hotel staff?”

  She lifted a brow. “I beg your pardon. I am not part of this hotel’s staff. I paid my money just like you did to attend this conference, which is why I’m wearing the exact same badge as you.”

  The man had the decency to look embarrassed. “Oh, I just assumed since you were sitting here...”

  Granted, she was sitting next to the information table, but not behind it. “There are two other people sitting on the other side of this table, yet you didn’t ask one of them. Now, if you’ll excuse me.” Serita snatched up her belongings and with a parting glare stalked off down the hallway. She went to one of the cafés and ordered a cup of café con leche. She had never been a coffee drinker, but Caroline, a woman she’d met at a previous conference, urged her to try it yesterday when they’d had breakfast together. Serita had been immediately hooked. She would definitely be finding a good recipe for this once she returned home.

  As she sipped the warm drink, she thought about all she needed to do when she returned to the States. As an adjunct professor, her appointment had been a temporary one and, after not having her contract renewed for the semester at the college where she taught in Nevada, she’d decided to move back home to Sacramento, California, at the end of October. That gave her a month to get her condo sold and all her belongings boxed up. Serita had already started sorting through everything and put the condo on the m
arket, but finding a job topped her priority list. She’d been an adjunct professor for three years, but found she missed the excitement of working in the field. Glancing down at her watch, she realized she only had an hour before her session, and the butterflies began dancing in her belly. Her best friend, Gabriella Lewis, couldn’t understand why Serita would be nervous, since she made a living talking in front of a class. In Serita’s mind, talking to students was far less intimidating than speaking in a room full of peers, some who had much more experience and knowledge than she did. She was tempted to go over her notes again but resisted the urge. She knew the presentation by heart.

  Serita closed her eyes and drew in a deep, calming breath. You can do this, she repeated to herself over and over. She relaxed, opened her eyes and met the amused stare of the gorgeous giant of a man she’d seen yesterday. Even though he stood behind a small group of people, his towering height gave her a clear view of his face. She wondered if there was some sports thing happening in the area because he certainly had the look and body of an athlete. She gave him an imperceptible nod and went back to her coffee. When she finished, she went up to her room for a moment to freshen up, then headed downstairs for her session.

  Thankfully, her assigned room didn’t have a session that hour, which gave her ample time to set up her materials and have the staff ensure the microphone worked. People started trickling in as she finished and Serita went back to the podium, clipped the microphone to her top and the battery on her pants waistband. She believed in starting on time and, at precisely two, began her presentation.

  “What if we could create a tactile sensor that had the ability to measure touch and vibration, both in the air and under water?” She waited a moment and saw several people in the audience lean forward. She smiled inwardly, then continued her discussion of the uses and benefits of the device. She scanned the room and went still, promptly losing her train of thought for a brief moment. Sitting in the far corner of the room was Mr. Athletic. This time, unlike the previous times she’d seen him, she had a clear view of his badge. Shaking herself mentally, Serita refocused on her talk, grateful that she knew the information like the back of her hand. Two hours later, she ended with, “These sensors offer an alternative route to imitating the functions of human skin and are suitable for use with artificial skin applications, smart gloves for robotics, as well as surgery tools. They’re cost-effective, and have a wide range of sensitivities and are able to operate wirelessly.”

  Afterward, Serita took as many questions as time allowed. Because there were no other sessions after hers, many people stayed around to ask more questions. She collected business cards from those who wanted more information on the research and handed out the brochure she’d created. When the last person left, she gathered up the remaining materials and placed them in her tote bag.

  “I don’t know what impresses me more, beauty or your brains.”

  She whirled around at the sound of the deep, seductive voice. Mr. Athletic had a hip propped on the table a few feet away, his arms folded and a twinkle in his eye. He straightened and sauntered toward her with one of the sexiest walks she’d seen in a while.

  “It’s the brains, I’m thinking.” He stuck out his hand. “I’m Jeremy Hunter.”

  “Serita Edwards, but then you already knew that.” His large hand engulfed her small one.

  Jeremy smiled and a dimple appeared in his right cheek. “That introduction was for the workshop, this one is personal. I really enjoyed your presentation.”

  “Thank you.” Serita realized belatedly he hadn’t let go of her hand and she gently pulled back. He towered over her five-foot-three-inch frame by a good foot or more and looked even better close up. He stared at her with such intensity that Serita felt her cheeks warm. To distract herself, she glanced around to make sure she had everything. “How long have you been in the field?”

  “Sixteen years. And you?”

  She tried to do a mental calculation. If he’d been in robotics that long, it would put him closer to forty and he didn’t look anywhere near that age. “Just over eight years.”

  “Are you in a rush?”

  “I... No.” She really should have said she had evening plans, especially since she sensed his interest. She didn’t do long-distance relationships—okay, she didn’t do them at all right now—but couldn’t resist the opportunity to talk shop for a few extra minutes.

  “Great. Would you like to have dinner?”

  “Dinner?”

  He chuckled. “Yes, dinner. I thought we could continue our conversation over a good meal.”

  “Oh.” Of course, he only wanted to discuss robotics. That seemed to be the story of her life. Either men only wanted to talk about work or thought she was too nerdy and wanted to change her.

  “So what do you say? We can eat here, but I’d rather explore the city. Maybe we can check out Plaza de España. I’m sure we can find something in that area.”

  The Plaza de España had been one of the places Serita planned to visit and figured she’d be on her own, but it might be nice for them to go together. At least she’d have someone to take her picture, instead of trying to manage selfies that never turned out. “Actually, that’s one of the spots on my bucket list. I’ll accept your invitation.”

  Jeremy grinned, then checked his watch. “It’s almost five now. What time would you like to leave?”

  “The earlier we leave, the longer we can hang out. I can meet you near the registration desk in thirty minutes.”

  “Thirty minutes it is, Ms. Edwards.”

  “Please call me Serita.”

  “Only if you call me Jeremy.” He angled his head thoughtfully. “Serita. I like that name.” He paused. “It fits you.”

  She waited for him to say something else, but he continued smiling and gestured her forward. They made small talk on the way to the elevator and every time she answered him, she had to crane her neck. “How tall are you?”

  “Six-four, why?”

  “Because I feel like I need a ladder to see your face.”

  Jeremy laughed.

  “I think our conversations are going to have to be conducted while we’re sitting. Otherwise, I’m going to need some serious therapy on my neck.”

  An elevator arrived as they approached and he stepped back to let her enter. He selected his floor and stared down at her. “I’d be happy to help you out.” He lifted his hands and wiggled his fingers. “These babies right here can give you a massage you’ll never forget.” He tossed her a bold wink.

  No way am I touching that comment. Serita didn’t have to touch it. Her mind visualized his big hands massaging and stroking her body just fine. Warmth crept up her spine. She hit the button and clamped her jaws shut.

  They got to her floor first and he held the door open. “I’ll see you in a few minutes.”

  He was staring at her again in that penetrating way, as if he’d seen inside her mind and knew her thoughts. “Okay.” She forced her feet to move and hurried down the hallway without looking back.

  In her room, Serita changed into black jeans and a gray short-sleeved top. The temperatures had reached eighty that day, but she knew it would cool off in the evening, so she took down her black jacket and laid it over the back of the chair. She applied lip gloss, then stood in the bathroom trying to decide whether to leave her hair up or let it down. After a minute, she went with the latter. It had taken her a while to get her natural curls to behave, but she loved the style.

  Since she still had some extra time, she powered up her laptop and checked her email to see if she’d gotten any responses from her job applications. Serita sighed. Not one had replied, as yet. Just as she closed the browser, her FaceTime popped up. She opened the application and smiled when she saw Gabriella calling.

  “Hey, Serita. How did the session go?”

  “It went well and I had a lot of questions
at the end.”

  “I knew you’d be fine. I can’t believe how worried you were.” Gabriella rolled her eyes.

  Serita had expressed her fears to her friend more than once. “This was presenting on an entirely different scale. I’ve seen people with far more experience tank in front of an audience, and I worked extra hard to make sure my name didn’t get added to the list. Initially, I wasn’t too happy about having my presentation on the second day, but now I’m kind of glad. I can relax and enjoy the rest of the week.”

  She smiled. “Be sure to take lots of pictures.”

  “I plan to.”

  “Any news on the job front?”

  Serita blew out a long breath. “Not yet.” She had hoped to find a job before her scheduled move back to Sacramento at the end of October. Although she missed her parents, she didn’t want to have to move in with them.

  “Well, I’m confident you’ll find one soon. You know I’ve got you covered, girl. You can stay with me until something comes up.”

  She frowned. “What happened to Jodi?”

  “Not paying her half of the rent on time for the past three months is what happened,” Gabriella said. She had allowed Jodi, another one of their college friends, to move into her two-bedroom condo six months ago, and lately the woman had one excuse after another as to why she never had her share of the cost.

  “I thought she had a good job.”

  “She does, but her priorities tend to be on finding the latest and cutest outfit rather than her bills. So, I told her she had thirty days to find another place. That was two weeks ago. She keeps asking me about extending the deadline and, in the same breath, saying she needs more time to come up with the money. I’m done.”

  Serita didn’t know what to say. Jodi had seemed so focused and together in college. Serita guessed she hadn’t known her friend well at all. “Wow. I’m sorry.” Gabby had always been a good friend, and people tended to take her kindness for granted until they found out Gabby didn’t allow anyone to walk all over her.