Chapter 2

Danielle left her office and took the short walk to her supervisor Keith’s office. He waved her in as he finished a call. She slipped quietly into the chair in front of his desk and waited for him to finish. She had to tell him, about Barron. There was one thing she learned about being in advertising: withholding information could mean trouble. While she wasn’t proud of the fact she had slept with Barron and she didn’t want it drudged up when she least expected it and thrown in her face, especially after the way he treated her afterward. Since she had known Keith for a long time, she knew she could trust him. And since they were friends, she wanted to prepare him in case the situation came up later.

“Knock-knock.”

Keith hung smiled as he hung up the phone. “What’s up, D?” He was always a shoulder when she needed one. “Whatchu’ know good?”

She sighed softly. “I have a problem.”

“I see. Shut the door and have a seat.”

Danielle eased into the chair in front of his desk.

“What’s going on?” He asked.

Danielle sighed heavily. “Barron Weston just called me.”

Keith settled back in his chair. “And that’s a problem?” he asked rubbing his head.

“Could be?”

“So what did he want?”

Danielle tapped her foot nervously. “Me.”

Keith looked confused. "I'm not following."

“Barron and I—” Danielle took a deep breath. “We sort of know each other…He was my first.”

“First what?”

“First, you know…”

Surprise filled Keith’s eyes. “Oh...Oh…Daaaayum! Now that’s news you can use,” he chuckled.

“Not funny,” Danielle said, seriously.

"I'm sorry," Keith said laughing. "I couldn't resist."

“Anyway, this is so bad.”

“Not really. So, you made love to the man. It’s not the worst thing that could happen. He’s a good guy.”

“That’s not the point. He’s here now, talking all this stuff, wanting to hook up again. I can’t do that. I have a reputation in this town. I’m respected here.”

“Danielle I’m sure the last thing that man wants to do is ruin your reputation. What’s the big deal? You’ll have to deal with him sooner or later. He’s on the advisory committee of the BAE.” The Black Advertising Executives group was a big deal for African-American advertising professionals. Danielle, Keith, and the rest of the staff were all members. “Look D,” Keith continued. “We’re going to have to have many run-ins with him. I’m sure your relationship will never come up, and if it does, you deal with it.”

“He wants to have dinner.”

Keith grinned, “Ah, not surprising.”

He’s trying to get in my pants again,she said to herself. “Barron is up to something Keith. I can feel it. He’s always up to something.”

“I doubt it,” Keith countered. “He’s in awe of you is all. You’re a very attractive woman—you gave the man your virginity—which by the way can make a man feel as though he owns you.”

“I don’t know why. I can’t stand him,” Danielle said, rolling her eyes.

“Too late for that, so you’ll have to make the most of it. But even if you don’t like him, you gotta admit he’s a damn good at what he does. Hell, we should have hired him. “He’s brilliant.”

“So am I,” Danielle said proudly.

Keith chuckled. “I know. That’s why you’re here. So what’s the real problem? Are you still in love with him?”

“No, we were never in love!” Her eyes darted nervously back and forth. “It wasn't like that,” she said as if trying to convince herself.

“Danielle, this is me. I’ve known you for years, we’ve been through a lot. I’ve never seen you this frustrated over a guy before.”

She closed her eyes for a moment then opened them. “It was such a long time ago. I don’t even know why I care. But why did he half to come back?!” Danielle whined.

“To find his lady love.”

“I am not his lady—and definitely not his love. Every time I hear his name, I cringe.”

“If he put it on you like that, I see why.” He said laughing. “Now you have to face this man again and you don’t know what to do.”

“I know I can’t avoid him.”

Keith grinned. “No, you can’t. So you better figure out what you’re going to say when you see him.”

“Thanks for taking my virginity, now rot in hell’ is what I would like to say.”

“Danielle, Danielle. How did you manage to let a man like Barron Weston get you? No wonder he’s in Dallas, he’s coming to stake his claim on his virgin bride.”

“Virgin bride, please! We weren’t engaged.”

“Should have been. If you waited until college to lose your virginity, you should have married him.”

“I could never marry him. He’s not my type.”

“He’s exactly your type. Rich, powerful, and arrogant. And never say never.”
Danielle knew Keith was right. “I don’t know how I let him have me like that. He could have told me he bought me the moon and I would’ve believed it.” That made Keith laugh. “And would you believe the next day at one of the workshops he had the nerve to act like he didn’t know me?”

“Damn. Were you bad in bed?” Keith burst into laughter.

Danielle didn’t think it was funny. “No. He’s just a jerk.” she pleaded.

Keith clasped his hands together. “Like I told you, he’s here for another horizontal tango with you...or to finish whatever it is he thinks he started. Either way, woman up and deal with it.”

Her brow creased with worry. “Well he’s not here for me,” she said as if she were trying to believe her own words. “So whatever.”

Keith shrugged. “Well, just feel him out tonight. Barron is a professional and I know you are. Just handle yourself accordingly.”

“I’ll make every effort. But if you see me clutching a sharp instrument, you better come and get me.”

“I will,” Keith said, laughing. “Be prepared for anything. He’s used to getting what he wants.”

On her way home, Danielle turned the radio onto the smooth jazz station. After the afternoon traffic report, one of the reporters gave a shout out that almost made her hit the car in front of her.

“I’d like to give a special shout-out to my Los Angeles homeboy, Barron Weston. He just made a big move to D-town to head up the advertising department at S&J. And tonight we’ll be welcoming him at the Martini Bar.”

Danielle shut the radio off. Mr. Weston sure had a buzz circling around him because everybody seemed to know he was in town. Great, Danielle thought. He’ll land some new clients just because. Danielle pulled into the driveway of her Uptown townhouse just off Lemmon Avenue. She pressed the garage door opener and pulled her Audi Coupe inside.

There were shopping bags by the stairs near the front door, and clothes she had to put in the washing machine. Normally things were in order but the past week she neglected her domestic duties because of work. The living room had an African-Latin feel to it. There were paintings, sculptures and exotic plants throughout the place. One wall was a bright shade of red. A small red chair sat next to the tan colored couch with a Spanish inspired throw across it. A sculpture of an African man with a drum sat next to her fireplace. The huge skylight windows let in the sun. Danielle loved being at home almost as much as she loved being at work. She did a lot of her creative work here too.

Upstairs she hung her dress on the door and went into her closet to match it with accessories. She fixed a small cup of tea, and drank it to calm her nerves. The pressure of running into Barron after all these years had taken its toll. She knew she had no reason to be stressing over her meeting with him but she couldn’t help it. The emotions she felt for him had surely vanished but she was sure the undeniable attraction she had to him had not. His sensuous stroking gave Danielle sensations she had never felt before. She hadn’t looked in the man’s eyes in so long, she didn’t know if she could. She plopped down on her bed and fell back. Closing her eyes for a moment she sighed, and wondered if she was really ready for Barron Weston.

***

“Mr. Weston, can I get you anything?” his assistant Jody asked as she stood in the doorway.

Barron turned in his chair from the view of downtown Dallas and smiled. “No, thank you. I’m fine.”

Her green eyes widened. “I had your invitation for Danielle Mitchell delivered by messenger earlier today,” she said flipping back her dark brown hair.

“She got it.”

“Good. Thank you, Jody. I appreciate it. You can go home a little early and get ready for the reception if you’d like.”

“Thanks. I just need to go to the gym and change.”

“I’ll be doing the same shortly.”

Jody smiled. “Well, I’ll see you later.”

“Alright.”

Jody turned and exited, and Barron turned back to the window.

He looked at the beautiful, cobalt sky and exhaled. He couldn’t believe he was in Dallas. He had only been in town a week and already he was starting to feel the weight of his position. In his department, he was responsible for sixteen people because S&J was a large communications firm, one of the biggest in the country. The dress code was business casual, but Barron preferred to wear suits to work every day. He believed in the term dress for success. He didn’t feel like he had a job if he wasn’t dressed up. Most of the employees opted for khaki’s and polo shirts. Barron hated both. He wouldn’t be caught dead in a pair of khaki’s, let alone a polo. His style was Puff Daddy meets Shaft. He always opted for classic attire or jeans and tee shirt.

He rose from his chair and went into the small closet near his desk. He pulled out his suit, shirt and tie. He wanted to look extra handsome tonight just in case he ran into Danielle. He hadn’t seen her in a while and wanted to make a good impression. Danielle was definitely a woman who exuded class. He’s figured that out the first time they met. She was usually very prim and proper, and always beautiful. He wanted a second chance to make a first impression since their parting was less then sweet.

Barron grabbed his bag and headed upstairs to the company’s gym. The second level of S&J housed the gym, a library, a computer lab and a media room. All employees including assistant were free to use to gym at lunch or after work. Since most of the staff had gone home for the evening to prepare for the reception, Barron had the shower to himself. He undressed quickly and stepped beneath the showerhead, turning the water on full blast. He closed his eyes and let the water fall over his face. Using a small bottle of Motions shampoo he kept in his bag, he washed his hair. He made sure the rest of his body was squeaky clean and stepped out onto the drying mat.

He patted his mocha brown skin dry and covered it with cocoa butter lotion. As he slipped on his gray boxers, he wondered how much Danielle had changed since he’d last seen her. Did she still have the same bright, sexy eyes? Did her nose still flare when she was angry? Did she still hate him for what he’d done in Miami? He shook off all the negative thoughts and tried to think positive. Whatever was wrong, he would right it. He had to prove to Danielle that he’d made a mistake taking advantage of her. But he hoped if she cared for him even a little, she would forgive him. If she didn’t, he would have to deal with it. But it wouldn’t be easy. She was the one woman his soul burned for.

Once Barron was finished dressing he went back to his office to watch television. He listened to the six o’clock news and read over some of his files. His boss Mr. Simmons wanted to keep some of their old clients and prepare to take on some new ones. Barron new he had a pretty competent staff, so once the presentation for the Dallas Tornadoes basketball team was complete, he would take on some smaller projects. The company had unsuccessfully tried to woo Bell Computers as a client. Bell didn’t target minorities in their advertising campaigns. And their racist CEO, Allen Bell was probably reason why. He was a young, ivy-league graduate who was spoiled rich kid who inherited his views. Barron couldn’t see how people could still be prejudiced in this day and age. Most companies wanted minority spending dollars. The buying power of African-Americans and Hispanics had nearly tripled over the last five years. But Barron knew the more things changed, the more they stayed the same. He would have to be very persuasive to win this account.

By 7:30 Barron was on his way to the Palomino for his welcome reception. He was greeted by a host of admirers as soon as he pulled up to the valet. He felt like a movie star on the red carpet by the way the cameras were flashing. He hadn’t seen this much press since the OJ Simpson trial. As he stepped inside the bar, a pretty, young woman named Shari greeted him. She was a news reporter, and a very good one from what he knew about her. He talked with her briefly, cameras were rolling and was ready to find Danielle. He was surprised that Shari offered him her home number, so he took it out of courtesy. As soon as she was out of sight, he trashed it. He didn’t need it. She wasn’t Danielle Mitchell.

Danielle was running late. When she stepped out of the shower, it was almost eight o’clock. She dried off and rubbed on some Body Shop Nut body butter. She slid into a black bra and thong set and applied her mascara. She lined her lips with a deep wine color and applied some MAC lip glass. When she was done she slid into her fitted, little black dress. The butterflies in her stomach had her mind thinking of a thousand things. She couldn’t explain it, because she certainly didn’t think the guest of honor for this reception was worth it. What did he need a welcome party for? Did people really think he was all that? Apparently they did, because she’d gotten a messenger delivered invitation while everyone else’s was sent by mail. What was up with that? Did Barron really think of her in that special way?

Danielle covered her eyes with her hands and sighed. “I do not want this to go bad. Lord knows I can’t have everyone in Dallas know my business. Why did it have to be him?”

Time had a way of healing old wounds, she told herself. So why didn’t she feel ready to face him? She promised she would not look into Barron’s deep, dark eyes when he said hello. She wouldn’t like his cologne no matter how good it smelled. She wouldn’t let him touch her no matter how good it felt. Yeah, that was it. She had to block her senses from him. If he saw a little bit of weakness, he would eat her alive. And maybe that wouldn’t be a bad thing.