Finding Love for a Cynic (6 page)

“When does all this nonsense start?” she asked.

“I’ll have more information by Monday.  In the meantime, I suggest you work from here as much as possible.  It will ensure your safety and deter anyone from trying to contact you at home.  We might have gotten the attention of a few whack jobs.  And don’t worry… I’ll take good care of you.”  He gave her a reassuring wink that made her smile again and his heart skipped a beat in his chest.

Koen meant what he had said to Myron earlier in the meeting.  Delona had handled herself very well during that interview with no trace of “the face” showing up.  Andrew, however, had come off as jilted and angry during the course of the interview.  Koen didn’t think it would do anyone any good to share with the group just how angry the egotistical bastard had been at being shown up by what he had called “a snotty little bitch.” Nor did Koen think it wise to inform his bosses that he had threatened to kick Andrew’s ass if he ever referred to her in any derogatory term again. 

But there was no denying she had done some good today.  Even though she had divided the city in half, the company was now a hot topic of conversation in the L.A. area thanks to her.  Most of all, she had saved him from failing in his first attempt at working in public relations again after a five-year hiatus.  As far as he was concerned, he owed her his life.   

Chapter 7

Sonny: 
“T.G.I.F… This is your favorite DJ, Sonny Wales, coming to you larger than life on this beautiful Friday morning.  For those of you just joining us we are about to get some feedback on the topic that currently has just about every household in L.A. divided.   For those who haven’t heard, Ms. Delona Raes of Soul of the Matter Publishing Company has accepted our challenge and will be going on her first blind date tonight.  We’ll keep you posted, but for now, let’s hear from our first caller.  Hello… you’re on the air.”

Woman’s Voice:
  “Heyyy, Sonny.  This is Amber.  I for one want to thank Ms. Raes for giving me courage to leave a bad situation.”   

Second Woman’s Voice:
  “Me too.”

Sonny:
“And who might you be?”

Second Woman:
  “I’m Honey.”

Amber:
  “As we were saying, we both appreciate Ms. Raes and her courage to speak her mind, although we don’t completely agree with her.  I do think those men that she writes about exist.  They’re just not easy to locate.”

Honey: 
“Got that right!”

Sonny:
  “And why do you feel this way?”

Amber:
  “Honey was my husband’s mistress.  I’ve known about her for years but dared not say anything about it.  I accepted my husband’s unfaithfulness as law, him being so rich and powerful.  But after hearing Delona last week, I went and purchased a copy of her first novel… Read it all in one sitting. 

Honey
:  “Me too.”

Amber:
  “The hero in that book was a real man.  He made sure his woman felt like she was the most important person in the world.  It made me realize how I
should
be treated versus how I
was
.  I felt so empowered that I got together with Honey and we launched an overdue Edward-dumping campaign.”

Sonny
:  “No way!”

Amber and Honey:
  “Way!”

Amber: 
“This past week has been the best time I’ve had in a long while.”

Honey: 
“Me too!”

Amber:
  “In celebration of our recent liberation, Honey and I are planning a trip to Europe, complements of my soon-to-be ex-husband.  We may not find our Mr. Rights this time around, but we’re sure going to try.”

Sonny
:  “Whoa, ho, ho!  I hope you succeed, ladies.  Good luck to you both and I wish for your continued happiness.  And to Ms. Raes, good luck tonight…you’re going to need it.  That’s all we have time for today but do be sure to join us next week.  Peace out!”

***

Friday evening came way too quickly for Delona.  It was to be the first night of the series of dates she was expected to go on, and Cara’s enthusiasm more than made up for Delona’s lack of it.  Cara had helped Delona style her dark-brown locks into soft curls that outlined her face.  Cara had also picked out the sexy little chiffon dress that adorned her.  It stopped just above the knees and the scoop neck showed just enough of her ample cleavage to tease those that would undoubtedly be checking her out.  Cara said she picked it because it showcased her shapely legs, which she deemed to be one of Delona’s finest assets.  The sea-green brought out the gold undertones of her chocolate skin and the flared-sleeves showcased her toned arms.  Delona was somewhat surprised she was actually able to walk quite comfortably in the matching high-heeled sandals.  It helped that Cara had made her practice wearing them all week.

Delona’s stomach was in knots as Cara taxied down the freeway toward the five-star restaurant where she was to meet Mr. Potential Right.  “Thank you for coming with me,” she said to her friend.  “I just didn’t feel comfortable relying on this joker to be my transportation.”

“You’re welcome, but you’ve got to stop sounding so negative,” Cara responded, keeping her eyes on the road.  “His name is James.  Say it with me. James.”

“I won’t forget it,” she assured her.  “Besides, I’ve noticed I can keep my expression somewhat neutral when I prepare myself beforehand and avoid consuming alcohol.”

“Good.  How did you figure that out?”

“Koen.  We practiced it over dinner the night before the interview, and he’s been having me do it all week during lunch.  I can’t believe I’ve met someone in this city who loves ribs just as much as I do.”  She paused to muse over some of his antics.  A broad smile crept across her face.  “You would have been proud of me.  I kept a straight face when he asked me if I planned on leaving my wife for him.  I can’t say the same for the waitress who overheard him.”  They both giggled.

“You two have been spending a lot of time together,” Cara stated while keeping her eyes on the road.

“Yeah, but not by choice.” Delona sighed.  “Myron and Danny are paying him very well to be my pimp-licist.”

Cara sniggered while shaking her head at Delona’s comment.  “You are something else, Dee.  I’m sure he doesn’t like you calling him that.   He seems to know what he’s doing though.  He got you to stop wearing that god-awful suit you brought from back East.  As far as I’m concerned, he’s a magician.”  A smile crossed her pretty face.

 “Ha, ha, very funny,” she responded sarcastically.  “He is wicked cool though.”  What Delona didn’t want to admit to Cara was that Koen was fast becoming another best friend.  Although he was a pillar of professionalism in front of everyone else, she had witnessed the relaxed, playful side of him.  That side of him was easy to talk to, didn’t think twice about licking barbeque sauce from his fingers, and was totally stress-free to hang around with.  He actually listened to her; something few others seemed able or willing to do.  Most of all, he took the time to provide an acceptable explanation for what he asked of her.  It seemed her whole life had been spent with people talking at her…until now.

“You know, I think he’s available and lonely.  Maybe you and he—”

“Don’t even try it, missy!  My love life is fine just the way it is,” Cara interrupted, cutting her off in mid-sentence.

Arriving at their destination, Cara pulled up to the valet area.  The two women gingerly stepped out of the car once the doors were opened for them and surrendered the keys.  “I’ll be a phone call away, okay?” Cara whispered in her ear as they headed inside the restaurant. 

“Where are you going to be?” Delona asked.

“Probably at the bar.  Don’t worry about me. Go have fun,” she encouraged, shooing her away with her manicured hands.

Delona returned Cara’s smile with a nod.  She reached the hostess stand to find that her date hadn’t arrived yet, but upon mentioning who she was and who she was there to meet, she was promptly escorted to the best table in the restaurant.  She didn’t fault her date for being late, knowing she was a little early and that L.A. traffic could be murder. 

It wasn’t long before she saw a tall, dark, and handsome hunk heading her way.  James was the poster child of good looks with sun-kissed blond hair, long eyelashes, and dancing brown eyes.  Delona’s breath caught at the sight of him.  He waved her down when she stood to greet him, grabbing her hand and placing a soft kiss on it. 
Could this be the one?
 She fought hard not to drool at that moment. 

Then it happened.  He opened his mouth, and the magic instantly dissipated.  His voice was high pitched and irritating.  She couldn’t get over how much this man knew about his favorite topic… himself.  He seemed to have no problem sharing that fact.  She could have left the table and seriously doubted he would have realized she was gone. 

Delona awoke to hear him saying, “…and they cried when I graduated because they knew they were losing their best player.” Embarrassment warmed her cheeks as the realization that she had dozed off during his latest praise session of himself hit her.  Sadly, he hadn’t seemed to notice.  He blabbed on, still deep in dialog as though nothing had happened.  He didn’t even stop talking long enough for the waiter to get her order.  Instead, he ordered for her.  Tilapia of all things.  She hated tilapia. 

Her thoughts drifted to Koen.  Sometime during the week, he had started ordering for her, but not until he was absolutely sure he knew her taste.  It hadn’t taken long for them to figure out they enjoyed the same kinds of food.  They also had the same appetite.  She smiled remembering the look of astonishment on his face when she’d ordered the full rack of ribs and ate every last bit of them.

“I’m glad you’re enjoying my company,” James said, breaking into her thoughts.  He obviously had mistaken her smile as a positive gesture toward something he had said.  “Believe it or not, some women find me boring.”

You don’t say
.  “Oh,” she responded instead, keeping her true feelings to herself.  She hoped like heck her face hadn’t given her away and could only assume it hadn’t when he continued talking, seemingly unfazed.    

Just when she thought she couldn’t take anymore, he called it a night with the excuse of his need for beauty sleep.  At least he was polite enough to help her out of her seat and kiss her hand in goodbye.  As far as she was concerned, he was kissing any potential of a second date goodbye as well.

She made her way toward the bar, stopping to pull out her cellphone and give Cara a ring.  A familiar form came to stand beside her, immediately drawing her attention.

*

“I take it he wasn’t the one,” Koen offered.  A fine sheen of sweat could be felt on his forehead as he took in her form up close.  She was wearing the hell out of that dress.  He had never considered himself a leg man, but he couldn’t stop gawking at hers as she usually hid them under pants.

“Yeah.  That guy was wicked boring.”  Delona looked around.  A bemused look came to her face.  “Wait a minute… What are you doing here?”

“Why do you sound so surprised?  PR reps need to eat too.” He chuckled.

“Are you keeping tabs on me, Mr. Smith?” she asked, casting him a sly glance.

“More like looking out for you.  I knew you were nervous, so I figured I’d stay close by in case you needed me.”  He would never tell her that his heart had almost leaped out of his chest when he first spotted her tonight or how glad he really was when it appeared that things weren’t going so well.  He still wasn’t quite ready to admit these things to himself.

“That’s nice of you, but Cara had my back,” she assured him.

“Actually, I sent her on her way.  She said something about a karaoke party that she wanted to go to.”

“Ah, man!  That’s tonight, isn’t it?  I can’t believe I forgot about it, and no one bothered to remind me.”  She looked around anxiously.  “What time is it?”

“Eight-thirty.”

“Do you think you could give me a lift?” she pleaded.  “It’s not that far.”

Koen shoved his hands in his suit pants pockets and cocked his head to the side, pretending to be in deep thought.  Delona watched him eagerly.  “Well, seeing how I’m supposed to be giving you a lift home anyway, I guess I can do that,” he finally answered. 

People turned to look at them when she suddenly squealed loudly, stomped her feet a few times, and then threw her arms around him.  She had no idea what the small gesture did to him.  Lucky for him, she released him, stepping away before she could feel the full impact of what her closeness had done to him.  He used his hands, which were still in his pockets, to discreetly adjust his clothing against his growing erection.  Maybe dropping her off as soon as possible would be a good idea.  He needed to get his feelings under control, something he was finding harder to do the more time he spent with her.

“We are going to have so much fun!” she babbled before grabbing his hand and dragging him out the door. 

Koen couldn’t resist getting caught up in her enthusiasm.  Her joy was contagious, and it viciously tugged at the restraints he had wrapped around such feelings long ago. 

Chapter 8

Koen was surprised when, instead of turning into the parking lot of some nightclub, Delona directed him up a long driveway where he eventually pulled up in front of an enormous Colonial home.  The house was well lit from the outside, showcasing its three stories and fountain, which sat in the middle of the circular driveway.  A large number of cars were already parked there.  Delona literally bounced out of his BMW before he could round it and open the door for her.

“Come on!” she shouted excitedly.  She grabbed his hand again and led him up the few steps that lined the front of the home.  The warmth of her soft brown hand wrapped around his larger pale one gave him little opportunity to escape.