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After just three hours behind Chantal's desk, Amaryllis was fit to be tied. Michelle said that Chantal had her hands full, but she didn't tell Amaryllis that she was a superwoman. Back in Chicago, all Amaryllis had to do was pay Bridgette to take the load off of her, but here in Reno, she was on her own. No wonder Michelle paid Chantal so generously. Looking at all of the work, Amaryllis thought Chantal was probably underpaid.
At noontime, Amaryllis took a break and looked away from the computer screen. She had to blink about three or four times to correct her vision. Her fingers were cramped and her legs were numb from sitting in one position for way too long.
Michelle came out of her office and approached Amaryllis. “How's it going, honey?”
Amaryllis was in a funky mood and decided to tell her sister a thing or two about abusing employees. “Let me tell you something, Michelle. All this work you have Chantal doing is ridiculous. No wonder she took an early leave. And I bet she was paying someone on the sly to help her out.” Amaryllis held up her fingers for Michelle to see them. “Look at my fingers; they're crooked.”
Michelle caressed Amaryllis' fingers. “Come on, it's not that bad, is it?”
“It's worse than bad. How could Chantal handle all of this?”
“I don't know, but she did. And thanks for typing that brief for me last night.”
“You're welcome. What time do you have to be in court?”
“Three o'clock this afternoon. Has James called?”
“No, he hasn't called at all today.”
Just then the elevator doors opened and James stepped off displaying a picture perfect smile and a dozen roses in his hand. He walked straight to Michelle and kissed her lips.
“Hello, gorgeous.”
Michelle smiled at his smile. “You're the gorgeous one.”
“Not me, you are.”
“No, you are.” Michelle turned to her sister. “Amaryllis, this is James, the love of my life. James, this is my baby sister, Amaryllis.” She was so happy to finally introduce the two.
James took a single rose from the dozen and presented it to Amaryllis. “Here's to the second most beautiful woman in the world. It's my pleasure to meet you, Amaryllis.”
Amaryllis took the rose from him. “What a gentleman. Thank you, James.”
“You're not letting Mickey work you too hard, are you?”
Amaryllis wiggled her fingers. “That's an understatement. I've been typing since eight o'clock this morning and now I can't feel my fingers or legs.”
James gave Michelle the remaining eleven roses. “These are for you, and you should be ashamed of yourself.”
Michelle inhaled the scent from the roses. “Amaryllis is a professional, she can handle it.”
James looked at Amaryllis sympathetically. “Sorry, I tried.” He grabbed Michelle's free hand and kissed the back of it. “Have you eaten yet, beautiful?”
“Not yet. I was just about to ask Amaryllis if she wanted to go to lunch.”
“Looks like I'm just in time, then. I'll treat you both to a nice juicy steak. How about it, Amaryllis. Are you up to it?”
“I appreciate the offer, but I've got too much work to do,” Amaryllis replied.
Michelle was grateful to Amaryllis for helping her out, but she certainly didn't want her to think that she was being taken for granted. “Sis, I don't care how much work needs to be done, I never expect you to work through your lunch or your breaks. I think it would be great if you come to lunch with us.”
“Thanks again, guys, but to be honest with you, I just don't feel like going to a restaurant.”
“Are you sure?” James asked.
“Yeah, I think I'll go next door to the deli and get a salad,” Amaryllis said.
Michelle ran a soft hand across Amaryllis' sore shoulder. “Okay, but I expect for you to spend your entire lunch hour relaxing. Why not go to the employees' lounge on the second floor and put your feet up?”
“That's sounds like a good idea. Maybe I will.”
James withdrew a twenty dollar bill from his wallet and gave it to Amaryllis. “Since you're not dining with Mickey and me, enjoy your salad on me.”
Amaryllis was in awe at the kindness of this man. “You don't have to buy my lunch, James.”
“Even though you're not eating with us, I'd still like to treat you today.” James smiled.
Amaryllis placed the money in her wallet. “Thanks, I appreciate it.”
Michelle gave Amaryllis the bunch of roses she was holding. “Can you put these in water and place them on my desk for me?”
“Of course I can. Have a good lunch.” Amaryllis stood up.
When James and Michelle got to the elevator, he turned around. “Can we bring you anything back?”
He was smiling and Amaryllis could see his dimples. James was handsome and a complete gentleman. He treated her sister with the utmost respect and Amaryllis understood why Michelle was crazy about him. She focused on his dimples and smiled back at him. “No, thanks.”
When the elevator doors closed, Amaryllis sniffed her single rose and thought to herself,
He's in love with Michelle and she barely lets him touch her. I wonder if he's content with that. A man like James shouldn't be deprived.
She placed Michelle's roses in a vase and filled it with water, then set the vase on Michelle's desk next to James' picture. She picked up the photograph and looked at his smile. “No, you shouldn't have to be deprived, James.”
The telephone rang and she sat down at Michelle's desk to answer it. “Price & Associates, Amaryllis speaking.”
“What's up, ghetto fabulous?”
“Bridgette, I left you a message on your voice mail for you to call me here three hours ago. What took you so long to call me back?”
“Amaryllis, when it's ten o'clock your time, it's twelve noon my time. I was at lunch.”
“Oh yeah, I forgot about the time difference.”
“What was so urgent?”
“I was trying to do a spreadsheet and I needed you to talk me through it, but I figured it out. What's new with you?”
“Ain't nothing new with me. My life is always the same; boring. Wait a minute, why are you doing spreadsheets? It just dawned on me that the number you left for me to call you at is to your sister's firm. You took your tail to Vegas and got a job, Amaryllis?”
“I'm just helping out Michelle. Her secretary is on a maternity leave.”
“Well, isn't that special? The partners still haven't hired a temp to come in and take your place, so I got double the workload. I'm telling you, I'm two seconds away from walking out of this place without looking back. I haven't been to the riverboat casino to get my gamble on since you've been gone. But that's enough about me, are there any cute guys in sin city?”
Amaryllis looked at James' picture again. “There is this one guy who has potential.”
“Ooh la la. Who is he?”
“Someone who would be perfect for me, but he's not available.”
“Let me guess. He's married, right?”
“Nope, engaged.”
“Engaged doesn't mean untouchable,” Bridgette replied.
“It kinda does, Bridgette.”
“Excuse me. Who am I talking to? The Amaryllis I know
always
gets her man. Have you gotten soft on me, girl?”
Amaryllis laughed. “I must have, because back in the day I would've pursued any man whether he was married, engaged or whatever.”
“Yeah, you've certainly broken up your share of marriages and relationships, girlfriend.”
“I know, and I wanna leave that lifestyle behind, but there's something about this guy that jumps out at me. Today, he brought me a rose and invited me to lunch, but I turned him down,” Amaryllis said sadly.
“Because he's engaged?”
“Yeah.”
“Well, how in love can he be with his woman if he's buying you flowers and asking you to lunch?”
“That's what I need to find out. Just how much in love is he?” Amaryllis wanted to know more for herself than for Bridgette.
“What's his name and how did you meet him?”
“His name is James and my sister introduced us. He's a homicide detective, and according to Michelle, he's deeply rooted in his church.”
“Another church boy, huh?”
“He's a minister, Bridgette.”
“A minister? Come on now, Amaryllis. You should know by now that you and church boys don't mix.”
“I know, I know. I don't do well with church boys, but for James, I might consider going to church.”
“Okay, I don't wanna bring up the past or anything, but I gotta know; Randall was a church boy and darn near perfect. So, what's so different about this James guy that you'd be willing to go to church?”
“I can't answer that. Like I said, it's just something about him.”
“Well, in that case, do what you gotta do to get your man, Amaryllis.”
“It might just come to that, Bridgette. Me doing
whatever
I gotta do.”
Chapter 6
“Court is in recess.” The judge banged his gavel and left the courtroom. Michelle felt a tap on her shoulder and turned to see her father. “Hi, Daddy.”
“Baby Girl, you were phenomenal, as usual.”
“Thank you, but I'm frustrated right now.” Michelle looked at her wristwatch.
“James and I were supposed to meet at my house this evening to select the wording for our wedding invitations. I really hadn't planned on being in court this long.”
“Well, you heard the judge's ruling, so there's nothing you can do about it. Just call James and tell him that you're stuck in court.”
“Okay. Are you leaving now?”
“Yeah, I've gotta pick up Margaret. We're going to the opera tonight.”
Michelle was happy that her father had met a woman he enjoyed spending time with. Margaret Ayers, a widow and a retired librarian, was perfect for Nicholas. Golf was her passion as well. She and Nicholas had met on the greens three months ago and have been inseparable ever since.
Michelle took to Margaret the moment Nicholas introduced the two. Michelle thought she was kind and warmhearted. “If I wasn't able to witness this, Daddy, I wouldn't believe it. I can't picture you sitting in a theatre enjoying opera.”
“I hate it, but Margaret loves it and I love her, so I do what I gotta do. It's called sacrifice. You know where I'm coming from, Baby Girl?”
“Absolutely. You taught me well. Say âhello' to Margaret for me.”
Nicholas kissed his daughter's cheek and left the courtroom. Michelle took her cellular phone from her purse and called the precinct.
“Homicide; Detective Moore speaking.”
“Hi, Alex; it's Michelle.”
“Hi, yourself. What's up?”
“Please tell me that James is still there.”
“Sorry, you just missed him. As a matter of fact, he's on his way to your house. So, tonight's the big night, huh?” Alexander knew that James and Michelle were getting together at her house to select wedding invitations. James had been talking excitedly about it all day.
“Well, it was supposed to be, but I'll be stuck in court longer than I thought. I'll try reaching him on his cell.”
“That won't do you any good. He left it at home this morning.”
Michelle exhaled a sigh of frustration. “I hate it when he does that. Thanks, Alex.”
“So, Michelle, uh, what's up with your sister? When can I meet her and why are you hiding her from me?”
“Alex, I told you my sister has some issues, and now is not the time for her to get involved in a relationship with anyone.”
“I just want to meet her.”
“And then what, Alex?”
“Nothing.”
Michelle knew better than that. “Yeah, right. Amaryllis is my secretary these days. You can come by the office and introduce yourself.”
“Okay, cool.” Alexander didn't hide the fact that he was excited.
“Alex, I'm going to say this to you and you can take it anyway you want. Amaryllis Price ain't nobody's punk. My advice to you is to keep your distance, but if you want to stick your hand in the cookie jar, you just might pull out a bullet.”
“What the heck does that mean? Are you saying that if I get involved with your sister, it would be like committing suicide?”
“All I'm saying is that you've been warned, and whatever happens between you two, I don't wanna know about it.”
“Is she a psycho or something?”
“You ain't heard it from me.” Michelle chuckled, ended her call with Alexander and called home.
“Price residence,” Amaryllis answered after the second ring.
“Ooh, I like that. How are you doing, sis?”
“I'm okay, where are you?”
“I'm stuck in court for God knows how long. James and I were supposed to get together this evening, but I can't get a hold of him to tell him that I won't be home until much later than expected. So, when he gets there, please apologize for me. And tell him I love him and maybe we can get together tomorrow night.”
“Okay, no problem.”
As soon as Amaryllis placed the telephone on its receiver, it rang again.
“Price residence.”
“Hello, gorgeous.”
At the sound of James' voice, Amaryllis' heart skipped a beat. “Hi.”
“That's not the way we do it, Mickey. You're supposed to tell me that I'm the gorgeous one.”
Gorgeous you are, baby.
“This is Amaryllis.”
“Oops, my bad. You and Mickey sound exactly alike. I can never tell you two apart when you're on the telephone.”
“Everybody says that.” Amaryllis chuckled.
“Is my beautiful fiancé there?”
It was nothing for Amaryllis to tell a lie. “She called and said that she's running late. She's stuck in court, but she wants you to come over anyway and wait for her. She shouldn't be too much longer.”
“Okay, that's cool. Hey, have you eaten yet?”
“No, I haven't.”
“I can stop and pick up dinner. What have you got a taste for?”
I got a taste for you.
“I'm not sure. What have
you
got a taste for?”
“To be honest with you, I can go for soul food. Maybe meatloaf and mashed potatoes with gravy. I wouldn't mind corn on the cob and grape Kool-Aid.”
As he was speaking, the wheels in Amaryllis' head were turning. She remembered the conversation she had with Michelle about cooking for men. Michelle wouldn't cook meals like that for James often because she felt that he'd get spoiled and would eventually stop appreciating her good gesture. But Amaryllis knew all too well that a home cooked meal was a straight path to a man's heart. She remembered cooking meals for Randall on a daily basis, and he treated her like a queen. “You know, James, I can cook that for you here.”
“Girl, you can burn like that?”
“Oh yeah, I can do a little something in the kitchen.”
“I don't wanna put you through any trouble, Amaryllis. I know you're still recovering.”
“Don't be silly, it's no trouble at all. Come on over. By the time Michelle gets home, dinner will be ready.”
“Thanks, Amaryllis. I had to stop at home and get my cell phone, so I'll be there in about an hour.”
Amaryllis called a seafood restaurant and ordered a dozen raw oysters on a half shell for delivery. Her mother once told her that oysters were aphrodisiacs, and if she fed them to a man, he'd instantly be under her spell.
She managed to honor James' request. The meatloaf was tender and juicy, the mashed potatoes were buttery and lump free, the corn on the cob was hot and ready and the grape Kool-Aid was chilling in the refrigerator. The raw oysters sat in a tray on the table next to the meatloaf.
After a steamy shower, Amaryllis styled her hair into a French roll then took a stroll into Michelle's closet and selected a pink chiffon teddy that was meant for God's eyes only. She sprayed Michelle's Ralph Lauren perfume behind her ears and went downstairs to the kitchen where she lit two candles and dimmed the kitchen light. The bait was set. Just as Amaryllis was finishing setting the table, the doorbell rang.
“It's show time,” Amaryllis whispered under her breath. She opened the door to see James standing there with pink carnations and a small white bag in his hand. He looked at Amaryllis from head to toe and had to blink his eyes a few times to make sure he was seeing what he thought he was seeing.
The pink chiffon teddy hugged her every curve and it left nothing for his imagination. He was stunned and couldn't move. Amaryllis reached for his hand and pulled him inside. “You're just in time, James. Dinner is ready. I hope you're hungry.”
James started to sweat. He'd never been in this situation before and he didn't know what to do. “Uh, what's going on, Amaryllis?”
“Just dinner.”
“Why are you dressed like that?”
“What? This? This is something I just threw on.” Amaryllis turned around to give James a rear view. “Do you like it?”
“Where's Mickey?,” he asked nervously.
“I told you that she's gonna be late.”
James looked at his wristwatch. It was almost 5:30
P.M
. Surely, court couldn't be in session this late in the evening. “I thought she would've been here by now.”
Amaryllis could see the flowers shaking in his hand. “Do I make you nervous?”
“Nah, I'm cool,” he lied. James was as nervous as a hooker sitting on the front pew in church. Not only were his hands shaking, but his knees were getting weaker by the second.
“Are those flowers for me?” Amaryllis asked.
“No, I bought them for Mickey.”
“What's in the bag?”
“Chocolate squares for Mickey.”
Mickey, Mickey, Mickey. All this talk of Michelle was getting on Amaryllis' last nerve. She took the flowers and candy from James. “I'll make sure she gets them. Come on into the kitchen. I lit candles and I ordered oysters for an appetizer.”
James didn't move from where he stood. He may have been a minister, but he'd heard about oysters and the effect they supposedly had on men. “Uh, Amaryllis, I don't think this is a good idea.”
“What do you mean?”
“The way you're dressed; I don't think Mickey would appreciate it.”
“This ain't about Michelle, it's about you and me.”
James frowned. “What are you talking about? There is no you and me.”
“But what about the rose you gave me today, and calling me beautiful?”
“You
are
beautiful, Amaryllis. I gave you a rose because you're my fiancé's sister, but I'm in love with Michelle.”
Amaryllis stepped to James and put her arms around his neck. “But she can't give you what I can give you, James. I know you two aren't sleeping together.”
James was shocked that Michelle would share such personal information. He removed Amaryllis' arms from around his neck and took a step backward. “She discussed that with you?”
“Oh, yeah. Michelle told me everything. And a fine man like you should be fulfilled.”
“Look, Amaryllis; whatever you had planned to happen tonight, ain't going down. And I'm sorry if I gave you the impression that I was interested in you. Michelle is the one I love.” James opened the front door to leave.
Amaryllis was stunned that her beauty and perfectly planned evening didn't impress James. “So what am I supposed to do now?”
He turned and looked at Amaryllis. “That's on you, but I'm not down with this.” James shut the door behind him, got in his car and drove straight to his pastor's house.
Bishop Joel Graham opened his door and saw a distraught James. James had been his armour bearer and right hand man for the past six years. Bishop Graham and his wife, Cookie, didn't have any children of their own, so when James became his armour bearer, they treated James as if he was their own son. “What's wrong, Son?”
“Bishop, you won't believe what just happened.” James walked past him and sat down on the living room sofa.
Bishop Graham sat in his La-Z-Boy recliner across from James. “You act as though you've just seen the devil.”
“You have no clue how right you are.” James stood and began pacing the floor.
Cookie came into the living room from the kitchen. “Everything okay in here?”
James approached his first lady and kissed her cheek. “I'm sorry to disturb you, Cookie.”
“You're not disturbing us, James. You know you're always welcome here. You want some dinner?”
“Nah, I just stopped by to talk to the Bishop about something.”
“Okay, then I'll leave you two alone.”
James had his mouth all set to enjoy soul food, and whatever Cookie had cooked tonight was penetrating his nostrils. When she turned to walk away, James called out to her, “Um, what did you cook?”
“I baked beef spareribs and I got garlic mashed potatoes and pinto beans.”
The hunger in James' stomach was singing a song. “Could you make me a plate to go?”
“Sure, but I want my Tupperware back because it ain't the cheap stuff.”
“I hear you, and I promise to return it.”
“I'll leave it on top of the stove for you.” Cookie winked at her husband. “Call me if you need anything.”