Promises to Keep

“Good morning to all of you. It’s nice to see your sunshiny smiles. The uplifting weekend zipped by us with the speed of lightning. Now we’re here to share in our Monday morning blues session. Hopefully, we won’t have any.” As Courtney pulled a comical face, everyone laughed. Her sense of humor made the staff meetings fun.

“We’ll discuss old business first and then go over the items we’ve yet to complete. I hope all of you have evaluated the events you’ve worked. Writing reports can be tedious, but it helps us pinpoint our strengths and identify weaknesses. Cheryl, let’s start with you. How did the Bevins’ twenty-fifth anniversary party go?”

Cheryl Dawson, an attractive, fair-skinned female, tall with a slender body, stood up and approached the podium. She was a genius with numbers. Everyone called on her after receiving a final head count for the events they worked on. She almost always suggested just the right amount of food items and beverages to order.

Cheryl smiled warmly. “The Bevins’ event was a big success,” she said into the microphone. “We know how hard it is to pull off surprise parties, but the family members in charge managed to keep the couple totally in the dark. No one could’ve faked their reactions. Everyone who responded to the RSVP showed up. We succeeded in all areas. The handling of the event received an A+, according to the feedback surveys.”

The staff clapped in response to Cheryl’s positive report as she sat back down.

Courtney moved back to the podium. “Congratulations on the hard work to Cheryl and her great team! We wish every event earned such high marks. An A+ is rare.”

For the next hour, Courtney sat and listened to the other staff members’ assessments of the events they had handled. Not a single one was a disaster, but neither were any as perfect as Cheryl’s. There were several B grades and a couple of Cs. The staff discussed in depth things that had and hadn’t run smoothly.

Taking thorough notes helped Courtney identify problem areas with an event, which gave her an opportunity to make improvements. Working out all the kinks was a job she relished and also paid very close attention to.

Courtney smoothed a hand down her white dress slacks before slipping back into the matching suit jacket. The lavender silk shirt was a great color to complement her complexion and it beautifully offset the white Evan Picone crepe pantsuit.

Standing in front of the mirrored dressing table, she refreshed her makeup and tended to her full lips, brushing on a clear gloss. Combing her hair back in place came next. Satisfied that she looked her very best, she left the bathroom and headed back to the front of the restaurant to wait for Darius. Monica had already made other plans for lunch and her grandparents had had to leave immediately after the meeting adjourned.

The moment Darius spotted Courtney he couldn’t help smiling. She hadn’t seen him yet, so that gave him a few seconds to indulge himself in a bit of girl-watching. He loved the outfit she had on and he also thought the lavender color complemented both the stark white material of her suit and her warm skin tone. He noticed that the lavender shoes she wore had low heels, as opposed to the stiletto styles a lot of women preferred. She walked with confidence; he noticed how high she held her head.

What was going on inside her mind was only one of many things he’d love to explore about her. What made her tick? Who was the woman beneath the business persona? What would make her smile the brightest and bring her the most pleasure? What kind of man turned her on? What did Courtney Campbell want out of life and love?

So many intriguing questions without answers. Darius vowed to find out everything about the mysterious Courtney. She seemed to have a lot going for her. It was important for him to know her every desire and what fueled them.

Settled in at a window booth the hostess had led them to, Courtney and Darius looked over menus while waiting for the waiter to appear. Both had eaten at Roscoe’s Chicken and Waffles countless times, but they still perused the offerings closely.

“I think I’ll just have a side order of wings. I’m not that hungry,” Courtney said.

Darius glanced up and made eye contact with her. “I noticed at brunch you don’t seem to eat much. Are you dieting?”

Courtney chuckled. “J.R. and you must’ve put your heads together on this subject. He also questioned what little I had on my plate, but I don’t feel I undereat. I’ve certainly overdone it a number of times.”

Darius laughed. “Who hasn’t overdone it?”

“For the most part, I’m simply not a big eater,” Courtney explained. “I also get full pretty quickly. The portions on my plate have nothing to do with dieting, though I do try to eat healthy. But when it comes to breakfast foods, I can eat like a horse.”

“There’s nothing wrong there. What about having a salad with your wings?”

Courtney shot him a cool glance. “I had planned to order a salad. Do you suggest what foods Candice should eat?” Courtney wanted to remind him that he had a fiancée to be concerned with. What Courtney ate or didn’t eat shouldn’t concern him one bit.

“Sorry if I hit a nerve. That wasn’t my intent. To answer your question, I do concern myself with what Candice eats. She’s a diabetic, who tends to ignore her health issues as if they don’t exist. Her diabetes is a big concern for me. Unfortunately, I have the tendency to become overanxious, especially with folks I care about.”

Slightly embarrassed by her odd behavior, Courtney bit down on her lower lip. “I’m sorry. I didn’t know about Candice’s health. I can see why you’d voice concern.”

His eyes softened as he looked across the table at her. “I try not to call attention to what others eat, but sometimes I end up doing it anyway. It’s only because I care.”

“Point well taken,” she said, hoping they’d move on and leave this topic in the dust. “Does anything on the menu have your palate worked up?”

“The chicken and waffles is my favorite dish. I always say I’m going to try something else, but I never do. I don’t come here as often as I’d like, but that’s by choice. Too much of anything isn’t good for anyone. I’m hyper enough without all the syrup.”

A male waiter arrived at the table just as Darius finished his remark. He quickly suggested that Courtney’s order be taken care of first. Once the waiter had written down both of his patrons’ meal choices, he left.

Darius pulled from his briefcase the information on the band he’d downloaded from his computer. He handed Courtney the paperwork. “I’d like you to look these over. I’m considering using this band for the reception if they’re free on our May date.”

Courtney took hold of the paperwork and laid it aside. “When you spoke about the band, I didn’t know you intended to hire them for the reception. I thought when you went with the full-service catering package you were content to have us take care of the entertainment. Why the sudden change of heart?” she asked rather pointedly.

Darius wasn’t sure, but he thought he’d heard a sharp edge in Courtney’s tone. Had he offended her? If so, he’d insulted her unwittingly. “I’m still committed to the full-service contract. A friend just happened to tell me about this band…and I thought I’d check them out. It seems I’ve stepped on your toes, unintentionally so. Because of our contract, I actually wanted to see what you thought of this particular band.”

Deep down inside, Courtney regretted her quick, testy reaction. It wasn’t like her to speak before gathering all the facts. She hadn’t meant to come off as churlish, either. It wasn’t as if he hadn’t already mentioned the band to her. She had misinterpreted his intent by thinking he’d planned to use them for another event that she wasn’t handling for him. “Looks like I got it all wrong,” she admitted. “Thank you for valuing my opinion. That means a lot to me.”

“Does that mean you’ll meet me on Thursday to check out these guys?”

Courtney grinned, impressed by how clear he made things. “You never miss an opportunity to go after what you want, do you? Piranha comes to mind on occasion.”

Stunned by the remark, he raised an eyebrow. “Is that really how you see me?”

“Yes.”

Darius was somewhat puzzled by her coolly spoken assessment. “I admit to going after what I want, but it’s never at the expense of anyone else’s feelings. I seize an opportunity when it presents itself, but there’s nothing underhanded about my motives. And I’m definitely no killer fish.”

This man had a way of keeping Courtney way off balance. He had just shattered the image of him she’d conjured in her mind. Still, there was the question of a fiancée he seemed to conveniently forget he had.

“Forgive me, Darius. I don’t know why I keep trying to sum you up in a word or two and then lump you into one category or another. It’s obvious that you’re not an easy man to define. It’s also apparent that you’re every man and it’s all within you.”

Darius couldn’t keep from laughing. “So now you’re comparing me to the song ‘I’m Every Woman.’ Only you could’ve come up with that one! The fact you’re even trying to define me is flattering. But I think you’re delving way too deep. I’m very easy to explain. I’m not a mystery.”

Like hell you aren’t. Darius was a man of deep mystery. Courtney had a feeling he knew how to get exactly what he wanted. She also thought he knew how to keep whatever he was after once he got it. If he wasn’t engaged, she’d love to be the woman he desired, the one he’d commit to forever.

Courtney hated being this delusional over a man. And any thoughts of him and her together were definite delusions. She was very clear on that. Willingly admitting that she was badly smitten wasn’t easy for her.

The waiter arrived back at the table and served their meals. He then made sure the couple had everything they needed before taking off again.

Courtney and Darius ate in silence, each lost in thoughts of what lay ahead of them for the rest of the day and beyond. For some time, Courtney had been thinking about taking a week off work and disappearing to an island paradise. She knew she couldn’t leave town until after the Fairfax reception was a wrap. She was very interested in the success of all her events, but she wanted to make Candice and Darius’s reception the event of the year.

Courtney had a hard time deciding what to wear to Club 21 for her meeting with Darius. Before she met him, she hadn’t given much thought to clothing choices. She had simply concentrated on a professional look for the office and dressy attire for special events; casual worked best when she was enjoying some rare leisure time.

Looking too sexy had suddenly become a worry for Courtney, so she traded the outfit she had finally decided on for something a lot less provocative.

What was the point in trying to entice a man who was taken?

A crisply creased pair of white denims, a cool red-and-white-striped top and a casual blazer in white brushed cotton replaced her sexier attire. She wasn’t big on using a lot of makeup, but she’d used even less than normal for this evening outing. She didn’t want to look like a plain Jane, yet she didn’t want to make herself too attractive.

Despite Darius’s marital status, he flirted openly with Courtney and it didn’t seem to bother him in the least. Someone had to keep a level head in this deal. It would be too easy for her to give in to the strong desire she had to be in his arms, but thoughts of the beautiful Candice always reined in her emotions. She wasn’t a man stealer or a home wrecker.

Sliding out from behind the wheel of her dark blue Lexus, Courtney handed the valet key to the attendant who’d opened her door. In turn, he gave her a numbered ticket to retrieve her car later.

As she stepped inside Club 21, Darius was the first person she saw. She liked that he was waiting for her to arrive. He came over to her and greeted her warmly, then directed her to a table he’d reserved for the evening.