Forever Love (Arabesque) (11 page)

It was brilliant.

By seven o’clock Keith was confident that he had a handle on the flow of information again. He’d gotten approving and congratulatory messages from his father, his brothers and other associates. He sat back with Megan’s repost and prepared for the next crisis. He knew this man, and this issue wasn’t going away. Ultimately he’d have to finish it. And there was only one way to do that—make OCC completely irrelevant or go away permanently. Thus far he hadn’t decided which.

He reached over and grabbed his desk phone. “Kate, I need you to set up an appointment with OCC.”

“Sure, when do you want it?” she asked.

“Make it as soon as possible.”

“Okay, before or after your trip to D.C. next week?”

“Make it after and make it here in this office.”

“Okay, I’ll set it up.”

“Thanks,” he said, then hung up the receiver.

Five minutes later there was a knock on the door. He looked up just as it opened. Kate walked in with two express mail packages. “These just came, both from D.C.” She placed them on his desk and then picked up a package that had already been sealed and was ready to be picked up. She looked at the address and nodded. “Anything else to go out tonight?” she asked.

“No, that’s it, thanks.”

Kate nodded. “Okay, I’m headed out. I assume you’re working late. Do you want me to order takeout dinner in for you—Japanese, Chinese or the usual, something from the diner?”

“Not tonight, I’m having dinner with the family,” he said, then glanced at his watch. “As a matter of fact, I’ve got to get out of here in a few.”

“Okay, see you tomorrow. Oh, yeah, I juggled a few things on your schedule. Next week your Tuesday afternoon meeting in New York is now a teleconference call. You need to be in D.C. Wednesday all day and you have a meeting here in your office with OCC Friday afternoon at three.”

“Perfect. Thanks, Kate. Have a good evening.”

“You, too, good night,” she said, waving as she turned and walked out the door, closing it behind her.

Keith took a deep breath and leaned back in his chair, stretching. Then he opened his computer schedule to see OCC already added. He smiled. Seeing Gia would definitely be a welcomed sight. He reached up and touched his lips while shaking his head. Kissing her in public probably wasn’t one of his better ideas, but it sure as hell felt good. Her lips were soft and tender and tasted like sweet honey. He certainly wouldn’t mind tasting her again, but he seriously knew he didn’t have a chance. Seeing her expression said it all. She was stunned after their lips parted. But he had a feeling it was more because of her own very willing reaction than the kiss itself.

A few minutes later there was another knock and the door opened. Jeremy walked in. “Hey, don’t forget we have dinner at the house. You headed out soon?”

Keith looked at his watch. “Yeah, I’m right behind you.”

“Okay, see you there.” Jeremy left.

He stood, preparing to leave for the day. Just as he packed and closed his briefcase, his cell phone rang. He recognized the number. He read the text message and responded.

Gia:
We need to talk.

Keith:
I agree. The appointment is scheduled for next Friday.

Gia:
No, sooner, it’s personal, not professional.

Keith:
Your place of mine?

Gia:
Neither.

Keith:
Your office?

Gia: No.
Yours?

Keith:
Fine. When?

Gia:
Is twenty minutes okay?

Keith:
I’ll be waiting.

Gia:
Thanks.

Keith ended the call, then sat back down and opened his briefcase again. He smiled to himself as he dialed his brother and left a text message.
I’m gonna be late. Start without me.

He didn’t wait for a response. He closed his cell and took out the two sealed express packages and opened one. He pulled out the contents and began reading through, expecting the after-hours buzzer to ring momentarily. It didn’t. After the first half hour he made a few phone calls and prepped a few documents for review, then glanced at his watch. It had been over an hour since Gia texted him. Busying himself, he waited another half hour, then decided to leave. Apparently he was mistaken. He wasn’t going to be late to the family dinner after all.

He grabbed his jacket and cell phone off the desk, then headed for the outer office. He was the last one out, so he set the alarm and locked the front door. As soon as he got to the elevators, he remembered what Mamma Lou had said. She was here to match Gia with who she thought was perfect for her. A cold chill shot down his back.

He’d never been blown off before. He was not in a good mood.

Chapter 11

A
fter the craziness at the train station, Gia wasn’t ready to go back to the office just yet. She needed to think, and she knew the perfect place. She drove down Market Street and made a left toward Ben Franklin Parkway. It was four-thirty Friday afternoon and traffic was already horrendous. She made her way down the Parkway to circle onto Kelly Drive. She drove up behind the Philadelphia Museum of Art and parked. As she turned off the ignition, her cell phone rang. She checked the caller ID and saw it was her friend Val Emery. Relieved, she answered while getting out of the car. “Hey, Val, perfect timing.”

“Hey, girl, what’s up? I just called your office. Bonnie told me you were running an errand for your grandmother in the city. Where are you? Do you want to do a late lunch or early dinner?”

Gia walked over to look out at the Schuylkill River. The college crew boats were already on the water. “I’m not hungry, how about a raincheck on dinner. I’m at the Art Museum.”

“Sure, no problem. Wait, you’re at the museum. Uh-oh, that means trouble. The only time you go there is when something happened. What’s wrong and do you need me to file papers?”

Gia smiled. She’d known Val for years. They’d attended law school together and bonded instantly since both were originally from Philadelphia. “Nah, no papers this time. You’d probably lose.”

“Me, lose a court case, hardly. Who’s the problem?”

“Keith Washington.”

Val laughed. “Keith, are you kidding? He’s a sweetheart. Wait, does this have something to do with what happened the other day at the community center?”

“That’s where it started, but it’s getting complicated.”

“What do you mean complicated?”

Gia paused, considering how much she was going to tell her friend. It was obvious that she knew Keith. She just had no idea how or for how long. “We’re not exactly seeing eye to eye on a few issues, and when that happens it gets very complicated.”

“Of course you’re not seeing eye to eye. His father is running for mayor and you work as a community organizer. The two of you butting heads is mandatory.”

“It’s not just the butting heads part,” Gia confessed.

“What else?”

Gia took a deep breath. “He kissed me.”

“Oh.”

“Actually, that’s not quite all of it. I kissed him first—Monday at my grandmother’s nursing home. He kissed me at the train station this afternoon.” There was a very definite pause. “Val, are you there? Is that all you have to say?”

“Yeah, I’m here, so did you kiss him back?”

“Yes,” Gia said, breathing out the word slowly.

Val chuckled. “And the problem is what?” she prompted.

“Val, the problem is, Keith Washington is...” She paused, looking for the right word. “...is Keith Washington.”

“Gia, you’re both single, consenting adults. You kissed a couple of times. The question is, where do you want this to go from here?”

“He makes me crazy and still I can’t stop thinking about him. I know this can’t go anywhere but—”

“Wait, why not?”

“You said it yourself, his father is running for mayor and I work as a community organizer. If the media found out this is going on, my credibility would be ruined. You obviously know him. Am I missing something?”

“Keith is exactly as he appears. He’s a brilliant attorney who specializes in crisis management cases. He’s charming, gorgeous and rich. On the flip side, he’s a workaholic, extremely loyal to his family, single-focused and grumpy.”

“Grumpy?” Gia queried.

“That’s what his sister Prudence calls him. You know my friend Prudence. She married Michael Hunter from the Knights football team last year.”

“That’s right. I forgot she was also the mayor’s daughter.”

“Anyway, trust me, Keith is a good guy. He’s honest and he’s definitely not a player. So, are you gonna go for it?”

“He’s drama.”

“A lot of very successful relationships begin with a little drama.”

“No,” Gia said way too quickly to sound believable.

“He’s also very determined.”

“That part I believe. Okay, I guess I’d better get back to work now.”

“Don’t forget the Knights Ball tomorrow night.”

Gia moaned. “I’m really not in the mood to hang out at a loud, crazy, headbanging party, Val.”

“It’s not going to be like that, trust me. This ball is to raise money for kids and it’s gonna be totally wonderful. So you’re going. I’ll pick you up at seven.”

“I gotta go. I’ll call you tomorrow.”

Gia drove on mental automatic back to the office. She parked her car in the usual spot beside the building then waited a few minutes. Her nerves were shattered. She still couldn’t believe they’d kissed in public like that. What was she thinking? She’d kissed Keith Washington in broad daylight in the middle of Thirtieth Street Station. It was crazy. She opened the car door and hurried to the office.

Thankfully both Bonnie and Linda were too busy on the phone to actually see her so frazzled. They looked up quickly and waved as she passed by. She hurried to her office and pushed the door open. As soon as she sat down, her cell phone buzzed and vibrated. She pulled it out of her purse and looked at the caller ID. She knew the number instantly. It buzzed a second time. She waited for the voice mail to click on after the third ring. It didn’t buzz again. The caller had hung up. She took a deep breath and exhaled slowly. There was a knock on the door. She looked up. “Yes, come on in.”

Bonnie opened the door and peeked in. “Hi, you’re back. Whoa, are you okay?”

“Yeah, fine,” Gia said, playing off her distress. She shook her head. “It’s just been a long, crazy day. So, is everything okay here?”

“Yeah, Danny’s back. He’s in Bill’s office and we’re just answering calls and stuffing information packets to get mailed out tomorrow. Anyway, I just came in to tell you that you had a strange phone call earlier. At first I just figured it was some nutcase because of what happened yesterday, but then,” she said, handing Gia a piece of paper, “he said it was important that you call back.”

Gia took the paper and read the number. “Thanks.”

Bonnie nodded, then turned and walked out. Gia sat there shaking her head. Could this day get any crazier? She realized that she was losing control and she needed to get it back. She grabbed her cell and dialed Keith’s phone number. She knew he was busy, but she also knew that if she called, he’d pick up. She wasn’t ready to hear his voice. Texting would be better.

She sent him a simple message and as expected he texted her right back. She kept her request brief and to the point. She needed to meet him now. He agreed. There was no way she could bring him into this office again, so she suggested his office. He agreed. Good, she had a plan. Whatever this was going on between them it needed to stop before it got out of hand. She couldn’t jeopardize the organization for him, no matter how tempting he was.

She stuffed the cell in her purse, getting ready to leave. Just as she stood, Bonnie came to the door again. “Hey, I need to run out for a few minutes. I shouldn’t be long. If you need to reach me I’ll be—”

“Um, wait. Before you go you have a visitor.”

“A visitor?” she questioned, thinking it was Keith. “Who is it?”

“I’ve never seen him before. He said he was Sam Duncan.”

Gia sat down slowly. Her heart thundered.
Sam Duncan
—the words bounced and rebounded in her head like a deranged pinball. It was impossible. It was a joke. The last time she saw her father was over six years ago when she turned her grandfather down. He and her grandfather had disowned her and neither had made any attempt to see or contact her since that day.

“Gia...” Bonnie said slowly.

“Um, yeah, umm, okay...” she muttered, then took a deep breath to try and calm her fraying nerves. She was coming apart standing right there. “Um, yeah, you can send him in. Thanks.”

“Are you sure? I mean, you don’t look, I don’t know, convinced. I can send him away or have Bill come in, too.”

“No, that’s okay. I’m fine. Send him in.”

“Yeah, you keep saying that, but seriously, girl, I don’t think so. You look unnerved.” Gia nodded. “Okay, I’ll get him.”

Gia looked at her desk and quickly around the office. It had been her grandmother’s up until a few years ago, but now it was hers. Still, she hadn’t changed much, if anything, at all. The books on the bookshelves were still her grandmother’s, and the paintings and posters on the wall all belonged to her, too. Even the plant sitting in the corner was hers.

The only thing she added was the picture of her mother sitting on the desk in front of her. She was a child and they were on the beach building a sand castle. Her hair blew in the wind and she smiled, holding her mother tight around her neck, never wanting to let go again. It was a perfect moment frozen in time. A few years later her mother was dead and her world had fallen apart. Bonnie was right, hell yeah, she felt unnerved.

“Gianna.”

Gia looked up to see her father standing in the open doorway. She exhaled slowly and half smiled. He hadn’t changed a bit. He was tall, dark and handsome with just a hint of gray playing at his temples. He was still very fit and he still looked as fierce and unbending as he ever did. She swallowed hard. “Hello, Dad,” she said softly.

“May I?” he asked before crossing the threshold and coming in.

She smiled. “I’m not so sure yet.”

He walked in. “I see your sense of humor has improved.”

“Actually, it hasn’t,” she said confidently.

He looked at her warmly and smiled that smile she loved seeing and seldom got to. “Gianna Duncan.”

“Gia Duncan,” she corrected quickly.

“Ah yes, it’s Gia Duncan now,” he confirmed. She nodded. He paused a long moment and looked her over, seeming to be memorizing her face; then he smiled pleasantly. “You are stunning, just as beautiful as your mother.” He shook his head and walked farther into the office, looking around. “Julia’s office,” he said rather than asked. Gia nodded again. “Yes, I can tell. It looks just like her.” He smiled, picking up the Chinese puzzle box on the bookcase and staring at it tenderly. He chuckled. “I could never figure out how to open this box even though your mother showed me a hundred times. I guess I never thought it was important enough to learn. I got this for her the day we met.”

“I didn’t know that.”

“It’s true. I’m glad you still have it.” He looked at her and smiled, shaking his head. “You look just like your mother.”

“Why are you here, Dad?” Gia asked, not sure she wanted to hear the answer.

He placed the small box back down on the shelf, then turned to look at her carefully. “How are you, Gianna?” he asked.

“I’m okay.”

“Just okay?” he asked.

“I’m doing very well. I have my work. I have my friends and I have my—”

“Family,” he said, interrupting.

“Yes, family, my grandmother,” she said, knowing the painful subject was going to come up sooner or later.

“How is your grandmother?”

“Getting stronger every day, but I’m sure you already know that, don’t you?”

He nodded so slightly that had she blinked she would have missed it. “I saw you today at the museum. No, I take that back. Your grandmother saw you, then pointed you out to me.”

“I see.”

“She misses you very much.”

“I miss her, too. But nothing’s changed.”

“I guessed as much. I understand you’re looking for additional funding for the organization. I’d be happy to give—”

“That’s not necessary.”

“You need the funding.”

“I’ll get the funding,” she snapped back instantly.

He smiled and chuckled, shaking his head. “You are stubborn, and headstrong, just like your—”

“Father and grandfather, yes, I know.”

Taken off guard, he laughed out loud. She smiled, too. “See, I was right, your sense of humor has definitely improved. So, tell me, you and Keith Washington.”

She looked up quickly, then shook her head. “What about him.”

“Is he the one?”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” she said.

He nodded. “The day you were born I looked into your eyes and knew love for the first time in my life. You looked up at me and I knew I’d only have you for a short while and then one day a man would come into your life and take that place in your heart—my place. Is Keith Washington the one man who’s gonna take my place in your heart?”

“It’s business, just business. How did you know about Keith? Nobody knows.”

“You’re my daughter, Gianna. Trust me, I know.”

She opened her mouth to speak but didn’t know the words to say. “Dad, I—”

He held his hand up to stop her. “Change the office. Make it yours. She’d want you to.” He nodded, turned and walked out.

Gia watched him go and the words still didn’t come. What do you say to a man who gave you everything you ever wanted and then turned his back and disowned you? She walked to the door and out into the outer office. She watched him leave. Bonnie turned and looked at her questioningly. Okay, the day had officially gotten crazier. She turned and went back into her office.

She picked up the puzzle box, remembering how her mother had taught her to open it years ago. They had left messages to each other in the box. Pushing in, pulling out, turning and twisting, it unlatched and she opened it with ease. Inside was a folded piece of paper—the last note from her mother. She opened it and read the note, then quickly placed it back securely and returned the box to the shelf. She closed the door as the tears fell.

By six o’clock Bill and Danny had already left and Bonnie and Linda were headed out. Gia said her goodbyes, locked up, then went back into her office. She sat down and opened her laptop. She needed to get some work done and she needed not to think about her father right now. She opened one of the grant applications and read through what she had already written. It was good. It was adequate. But she knew she needed better. Her father was right about one thing—they needed the money. But pride wouldn’t let her take his.

She went to work. An hour and a half into her writing, she was astonished at how exceptional the grant application was. It was flawless. All she needed now was to have the organization’s attorney look it over and then... She stopped. Her heart jumped. “Keith,” she whispered. She looked at her watch. It had already been three and a half hours. She’d stood him up. She grabbed her cell phone and began
texting.