done to your great room,” Evelyn said anxiously.
“You’ll be surprised,” he told her as they rounded the corner.
Evelyn’s eyes widened. “Wow. It looks wonderful.”
“You really like it?” Chase asked, knowing that not everyone saw eye to eye on room decor.
“Yes, the interior decorator did a marvelous job,” she declared.
Chase smiled and looked at his father. “What do you think, Dad?”
Sylvester ran a hand the length of his chin. “It’s like a totally different room. She did a hell of a nice job.”
“I think so, too,” Chase concurred.
“I told you Paula was very good at what she did,” Sylvester said. “Everyone who sees my recreation room falls in love with it and wants to know who redecorated it.”
“You’re preaching to the choir,” Chase said. “In fact, I’ve hired Paula to redo my bedroom next.”
Evelyn cocked a brow. “Your bedroom? Really?”
Chase suddenly felt uncomfortable. “Well, it seemed like a good idea to try something new,” he explained.
“I think it’s an excellent idea,” Sylvester said encouragingly. “Your room could use some sprucing up.”
“Your father’s right,” Evelyn chimed in. “Paula clearly knows her stuff. You might as well tap into her great talent and see where it takes you.”
Chase liked the sound of that. He imagined Paula’s talents went much further than redecorating. Maybe he would find out firsthand how much further.
“He sounds like a real catch,” said Paula’s best friend, Virginia Kensit.
They were jogging in the park near Paula’s house. She hadn’t meant to go overboard in her description of Chase as totally masculine and the kind of man she could easily fallhead over heels for. Still, she felt she had understated just how wonderful the man was.
“He is,” Paula admitted dreamily. “But we’re not dating.”
“You already said that.” Virginia, a couple of inches taller and maybe too thin in Paula’s mind, ran her hand through damp yarn braids. “I know you’re only working on Mr. Hottie’s house. It’s a mere formality.”
“What’s with you and Isa?” Paula chuckled nervously. “You’re both always looking for something that isn’t there. Not yet, anyway.”
“That’s not what I’m reading between the lines.” Virginia caught her breath. “Go ahead—tell me how you really feel about him.”
She isn’t going to let up , Paula thought. She decided there was no sense ducking the issue. Since she had started it, she might as well finish it.
“Yes, Chase is very good-looking and more,” she said candidly. “But he’s also a widower who still keeps a photo of his late wife on a bedroom table.”
Virginia rolled her eyes. “So what?”
“So maybe he’s still hung up on her,” Paula suggested, going against her own beliefs deep down inside. “What if he always will be?”
Virginia frowned. “That’s perfectly normal when you’ve lost a loved one. It doesn’t mean he hasn’t already moved on—especially if he has a good enough reason to,” she hinted.
Paula sighed, wondering if she could be that good reason. She got the impression Chase was interested in her, but to what extent over and beyond physical attraction and loneliness? She was more than most men could handle as an intelligent, successful, ambitious and beautiful woman of color who wanted—demanded—a man who had similar qualities and would treat her with the utmost respect and be willing to meet her at least halfway on any issue of contention. In her past adult relationships, the men had fallen short of thesestandards in one way or another at the end of the day. She wasn’t always faultless, but owned up to being less than perfect while trying to better herself as a woman and a romantic mate. Paula believed that Chase held the qualities that were most attractive to her, now that she’d gotten to spend some time with him. But it was still too soon to know if the strong vibes passing between them could
“You’ll be surprised,” he told her as they rounded the corner.
Evelyn’s eyes widened. “Wow. It looks wonderful.”
“You really like it?” Chase asked, knowing that not everyone saw eye to eye on room decor.
“Yes, the interior decorator did a marvelous job,” she declared.
Chase smiled and looked at his father. “What do you think, Dad?”
Sylvester ran a hand the length of his chin. “It’s like a totally different room. She did a hell of a nice job.”
“I think so, too,” Chase concurred.
“I told you Paula was very good at what she did,” Sylvester said. “Everyone who sees my recreation room falls in love with it and wants to know who redecorated it.”
“You’re preaching to the choir,” Chase said. “In fact, I’ve hired Paula to redo my bedroom next.”
Evelyn cocked a brow. “Your bedroom? Really?”
Chase suddenly felt uncomfortable. “Well, it seemed like a good idea to try something new,” he explained.
“I think it’s an excellent idea,” Sylvester said encouragingly. “Your room could use some sprucing up.”
“Your father’s right,” Evelyn chimed in. “Paula clearly knows her stuff. You might as well tap into her great talent and see where it takes you.”
Chase liked the sound of that. He imagined Paula’s talents went much further than redecorating. Maybe he would find out firsthand how much further.
“He sounds like a real catch,” said Paula’s best friend, Virginia Kensit.
They were jogging in the park near Paula’s house. She hadn’t meant to go overboard in her description of Chase as totally masculine and the kind of man she could easily fallhead over heels for. Still, she felt she had understated just how wonderful the man was.
“He is,” Paula admitted dreamily. “But we’re not dating.”
“You already said that.” Virginia, a couple of inches taller and maybe too thin in Paula’s mind, ran her hand through damp yarn braids. “I know you’re only working on Mr. Hottie’s house. It’s a mere formality.”
“What’s with you and Isa?” Paula chuckled nervously. “You’re both always looking for something that isn’t there. Not yet, anyway.”
“That’s not what I’m reading between the lines.” Virginia caught her breath. “Go ahead—tell me how you really feel about him.”
She isn’t going to let up , Paula thought. She decided there was no sense ducking the issue. Since she had started it, she might as well finish it.
“Yes, Chase is very good-looking and more,” she said candidly. “But he’s also a widower who still keeps a photo of his late wife on a bedroom table.”
Virginia rolled her eyes. “So what?”
“So maybe he’s still hung up on her,” Paula suggested, going against her own beliefs deep down inside. “What if he always will be?”
Virginia frowned. “That’s perfectly normal when you’ve lost a loved one. It doesn’t mean he hasn’t already moved on—especially if he has a good enough reason to,” she hinted.
Paula sighed, wondering if she could be that good reason. She got the impression Chase was interested in her, but to what extent over and beyond physical attraction and loneliness? She was more than most men could handle as an intelligent, successful, ambitious and beautiful woman of color who wanted—demanded—a man who had similar qualities and would treat her with the utmost respect and be willing to meet her at least halfway on any issue of contention. In her past adult relationships, the men had fallen short of thesestandards in one way or another at the end of the day. She wasn’t always faultless, but owned up to being less than perfect while trying to better herself as a woman and a romantic mate. Paula believed that Chase held the qualities that were most attractive to her, now that she’d gotten to spend some time with him. But it was still too soon to know if the strong vibes passing between them could
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