Christmas Diamonds (13 page)

“It seems to me that you already found a good way to make use of it yesterday,” Paula said.

Chase grinned thoughtfully. “I’d say we both did.”

“Any complaints?” Paula dared to ask.

He chuckled. “None whatsoever.”

“Just checking.”

“You’re turning me on,” Chase admitted.

She laughed softly. “You’re insatiable.”

“And you aren’t?”

“You’ll have to figure that one out for yourself.”

“I’d rather figure it out with you in private,” he replied in a lascivious tone of voice.

“I accept your challenge,” Paula said with a giggle.

“That’s sweet music to my ears.”

“From the sound of it, I’d say you and your new beau are definitely in sync,” Virginia said enviously, holding a basket of clean clothes.

Paula was sitting at Virginia’s kitchen table. She’d just finished her conversation with Chase. “I didn’t know you were listening.”

“The dryer isn’t that loud. Besides, with the cutesy lilt to your voice, it was obvious.”

“Okay, you’ve got me,” Paula admitted. “We were having a little fun.”

Virginia put the basket down and wiped her brow. “There’s nothing wrong with that. I wish I were so lucky.”

She was between relationships, and Paula imagined it wouldn’t be long before another man had hooked her.

“Your time will come,” Paula told Virginia.

“Not soon enough,” she complained.

“I thought the same thing not so long ago. Then things changed. I’m feeling pretty good these days.”

Virginia grabbed her mug from the counter. “That’s great.”

“Chase definitely seems like he’s ready to romance a woman,” Paula said, sipping hot chocolate.

Virginia smiled. “And that would be you?”

“Yes, I’m happy to say.” Then Paula’s smile fell.

“Okay, so what aren’t you telling me?”

“Nothing,” Paula hedged.

Virginia peered at her. “Come on, I know you too well not to realize when something’s up.”

Paula sighed, deciding she needed to confide in her friend. “Sheldon stopped by my house earlier today.”

“He what?”

“Said he wanted to ‘clear the air,’ so I let him in.” Paula paused. “Big mistake.”

Virginia sat down. “What happened?”

“He wanted to get back together.”

“And I assume you told him where to go?”

“Yes, in so many words,” Paula said. “Only he didn’t want to listen. He’d been drinking, too.”

“I never knew him to be much of a drinker,” Virginia said. “Not that you have to be an alcoholic to overdo it.”

Paula wrinkled her nose. “I don’t think Sheldon was drunk, but that’s not the point. He still made me uncomfortable.”

“Did he try anything?” Virginia lowered her eyebrows with concern.

“Nothing happened, other than the fact he doesn’t seem
to get that what we had is over. I’m just afraid of what he might do next.”

“I’m sorry you ended up getting involved with someone who turned out to be such a jerk,” Virginia said sourly.

“You and me both,” said Paula, shifting in her chair. “I just want him to leave me alone so it doesn’t spill over into my relationship with Chase.”

“Have you told him about Sheldon?”

“I told Chase I had an ex who proved to be a mistake, without getting into specifics.”

“Probably best to leave it at that,” Virginia said and sipped her coffee. “No reason to dole out lurid details if Chase doesn’t ask about them. The only thing that really matters is that Sheldon is strictly a thing of the past and Chase is hopefully a big part of your future.”

“That’s my way of thinking,” Paula concurred. “For maybe the first time in my life, I think I might have found my true match with Chase. I just want us to have a fair chance to grow without anyone trying to mess things up.”

“Do you want me to talk to Sheldon?” Virginia volunteered.

Paula knew that Virginia had known Sheldon before they met, albeit only casually. But should she have to intercede on her behalf?

“You don’t have to—” Paula began, not wanting to get her friend involved.

“It’s okay,” Virginia insisted. “He has to get it in his head that you’ve moved on, and he should, too, for everyone’s sake.”

Paula touched Virginia’s hand. “Thanks. I really appreciate this.”

“I’m happy to do it for my best friend. If Sheldon wants to create problems, he’ll have to take us both on.”

Paula leaned over and hugged Virginia. She hoped to put Sheldon behind her once and for all so she could focus all her energy on the one and only man she really wanted to be with these days.

“This is Monica,” Chase said to Paula. “She works with me, in addition to being a very good friend. And this is Zachary.”

“Hi,” Paula greeted them. She did a quick scan of the woman, finding her very attractive and nicely dressed in a black pantsuit and matching pumps. The man, in a dark suit, was well-built and bald.

Monica extended her hand. “It’s nice to meet you, Paula. Chase has told me all about your decorating skills.”

Paula shook her hand. “I suspect he went a little overboard,” she said modestly.

“You can see for yourself,” Chase said. “Check out the great room.”

“Very nice,” marveled Monica as she entered the room.

“Yeah, it is.” Zachary nodded with appreciation.

“Thank you.” Paula was tempted to hand out business cards but didn’t want to make a bad first impression as someone who was only interested in seeking new clients.

“Can I get everyone something to drink?” Chase asked and went through the choices. The consensus was red wine. “Coming right up. In the meantime, everyone sit down and get comfortable.”

Paula sat across from Monica and Zachary. She wondered how Monica and Chase had come to be such good friends.

“I understand you worked on Chase’s father’s house,” Monica said.

Paula nodded. “Yes, I redecorated his recreation room.”

“Maybe Chase and Sylvester will want you to do something with their corporate offices, too,” Monica suggested.

“Have you worked there long?” Paula asked curiously.

“Yes, I’m the vice president,” she replied. “And Zachary is a gemologist for one of our stores.”

“I see.” Paula glanced at him, and he smiled in return.

“It keeps me pretty busy,” he said, “except for when this lady steals me away.”

Monica laughed uncomfortably. “I wouldn’t exactly call it stealing. More like borrowing.”

“I stand corrected,” Zachary said.

“He gets like this sometimes,” Monica said with amusement. “Get used to it.”

Paula chuckled. So they were an item and apparently spent their fair share of time around Chase for work and play. Paula noticed that Monica seemed to be sizing her up.

“Chase and I go back a long way,” she said. “We lived in the same dorm in college and were once almost inseparable.”

Paula contemplated that. Had their relationship always been platonic? And just how close were they today?

“So you were friends with his late wife, too?” Paula asked with interest.

“Yes. Rochelle was a wonderful lady and the love of Chase’s life. He was devastated when she died.”

“I’m sure he was.” Paula wondered if this was Monica’s attempt to try to undermine her relationship with Chase. Or was she trying to get under her skin?

“It’s good to know that Chase is dating someone again who is not only gorgeous, but obviously very talented,” Monica expressed. “I really hope things work out between you guys.”

“Thank you,” Paula said, coloring. “So do I.” Monica obviously had Chase’s best interests at heart.

Chase returned with the drinks and a tray with snacks. He was a little nervous about Monica meeting Paula, though not sure why. Probably because he wanted them to like each other, since they were both important people in his life. He’d also found Monica to be a good judge of character and sought reassurance from an old friend that his choice in Paula as a girlfriend was a wise one.

Chase sat next to Paula, feeling warmth emanating from her. “I hope Monica didn’t inundate you with twenty questions.”

“Not at all,” she said.

“We’re just getting to know each other,” Monica chirped.

He grinned. “That’s great.”

“One nice, big, happy family,” Zachary said with a laugh.

Chase studied him. He seemed like a nice guy, even though he didn’t really know him. Was Zachary just a casual fling for Monica, or had she also found someone she could develop a serious relationship with?

Monica grabbed a pretzel. “I was just telling Paula that you and Sylvester might want to give our offices a makeover.”

Chase wasn’t opposed to the idea and was sure his father wouldn’t object, given that he was the one who had bragged about Paula’s work so much that Chase felt compelled to check her out for himself. It was perhaps one of the best moves he had ever made.

“That’s certainly possible,” he said with enthusiasm. “We’ll have to look into it.”

“I’d be glad to take a look around and offer some suggestions,” Paula told him.

Chase sat back. “I’ll let you know.” He imagined that with her wonderfully creative mind, she could pretty much transform any space into a work of art. His greater focus at the moment was on building their personal relationship. He suspected Paula felt the same way.

“Do you like diamonds?” Monica asked Paula.

“What woman doesn’t?” she replied wide-eyed over her wine goblet.

“If you’re interested, I’ll send you our latest catalog loaded with goodies, assuming Chase hasn’t already given it to you.”

“No, he hasn’t.” Paula angled her eyes at Chase admonishingly. “And, yes, I’d love to see your catalog.”

Chase grinned sheepishly, wondering why he hadn’t thought of this. He would be interested to know what types of diamonds or other gemstones Paula liked. It could be useful knowledge for him in the future.

“We try to stay on top of all the hot items,” Chase said proudly, “as well as those that are enduring.”

Zachary leaned forward. “If you or any of your family
members have some precious jewelry that needs to be recut, cleaned or inspected, I’ll be happy to do it.”

“Thanks,” Paula said. “I just might take you up on that. My grandmother’s wedding ring has certainly seen better days.”

“We can definitely take care of that,” Chase offered. He nodded at Zachary in appreciation for stepping up to the plate on behalf of Paula. Chase looked forward to meeting the woman who played such an important role in Paula’s life.

“Can I get anyone a refill?” Chase asked, looking around.

By the time the get-together had come to an end, Chase was holding hands with Paula. It felt good to be able to share their affection in front of others, as Chase enjoyed socializing with friends and family. Having Paula in his life made the experience more meaningful again.

They walked Monica and Zachary outside. The night was chilly and clear.

While Paula was chatting with Zachary, Chase took a moment to whisper in Monica’s ear. “So, what do you think of her?”

Monica smiled brightly with a thumbs-up. “I think you made a good choice. Don’t let her get away.”

“I’ll try to hold on to her,” Chase promised, happy for the support.

“Something tells me she feels just as strongly about you.”

Chase took that to heart. As long as he and Paula were compatible and shared the same feelings about each other, Chase felt there was no limit to how far they could go.

Chapter 12

“Y
ou didn’t tell me your best friend was such an attractive female,” Paula said lightheartedly after Monica and Zachary had left.

Chase grinned as they stood in the den. “Truthfully, we’ve known each other so long that I hardly even think of her in terms of being female or attractive. She’s just Monica.”

Paula rolled her eyes. “Yeah, right.”

He chuckled, holding her waist. “Are you jealous?”

“Should I be?”

“Not as far as I’m concerned. We’re friends and colleagues. End of story.”

“I believe you,” Paula said, kissing him. She didn’t consider herself to be the jealous type, but she was a woman, and most women were at least a little insecure when it came to their men being friends with other women, platonic or not. In this case, she liked Monica and would never try to come between her and Chase. She respected their long history. Besides, Monica seemed really into Zachary.

Paula removed her mouth from Chase’s. “Satisfied?”

He touched his lips desirously. “It’s a good start.”

“We’ll have to finish it a little later,” she told him, disregarding the tingling sensation between her legs. “Right now I’d like to give you my ideas for this room.”

“If you insist.” Chase put his arm around her shoulders. “I’m all ears.”

Paula gave the den a sweeping glance. “Well, for starters, I would replace the leather chairs with fabric furniture. Adding a reclining chaise might be nice for those days when you just want to lay back and watch TV or listen to music.” She paused long enough to gauge his reaction, which seemed supportive. “A solid birch entertainment system with multiple cabinets and adjustable glass shelves would enable you to have all the electronics, CDs and DVDs in one convenient place. How does it sound so far?”

“Sounds great,” Chase said sincerely. “You never fail to amaze me with your vision for redecorating a room.”

Paula smiled, feeling spoiled by him and his generosity. “There’s more. I’d love to add a curved casual table and some accent lamps. A hand-knotted contemporary rug would be the finishing touch to your new den.”

He kissed her. “As usual, your plan is well-thought-out and incredible.”

She licked her lips with buoyancy. “So, is it a go, then?”

“Yes, go, go, go and remake my den.”

Paula beamed. “You’re quickly becoming my most cherished client.”

“Is that so?” Chase kissed her again. “I’d rather be your most cherished boyfriend.”

“That, too.” She gave him a lingering kiss. “Most definitely.” Paula liked thinking of Chase as her boyfriend. It meant they had made the giant leap into the next chapter of their relationship, which was cause for celebration.