her bed
bereft of her wondrous lover. Rising quickly, she called his name,
but Tepe was the only one to answer her summons. Of course, his cat
yips spoke of his hunger, and so she padded to the kitchen to open
a can of kitty yum-yums. With that done, Erica went back to the
bedroom and rolled into bed. She spotted the note on her
nightstand. With shaky fingers, she opened it and read Nico’s words
he’d written with a pencil from her desk.
Sorry, darling, but I promised my dad an early
breakfast and then I have an appointment. I absolutely hated to
move away from your warm, inviting body, but filial duty calls.
We’re still on for this weekend, right? I’ll call you as soon as I
can. Love, NS
“Yes, oh yes!” she screamed and rolled to hug
the side of the bed that still held his warm impression.
Chapter Six
She adored the sizzle of Miami—the heat, the
smells of cooking spices, the mangroves, the cypress and the
palmettos, and the citrus trees dripping with fruit, the kitschy
plastic flamingos and the real things, the jazz and the Latin beat,
white skies and blue beaches, shell fish and big fish, as well as
the pink, aqua and neon of life.
Indeed, the world around her took on a new,
sharper image as Erica waltzed through the doors of Prestige by
Design. When Tai looked up from her desk and spotted her, she
produced a perceptive smile.
“Oh, oh, someone is in a good mood. Wait! Let
me guess! You’re glowing, Rica, which can only mean that you
actually did it. You got laid last night!”
Erica laughed and pranced on her heels like a
silly schoolgirl. She couldn’t help herself. Nico Sloan had to take
sole responsibility for her happy, off-the-wall behavior. She
withdrew a long-stemmed, yellow flower from the rainbow gladioli
bouquet she had just bought from a street vendor and placed it on
Tai’s desk.
“Here, you are. Compliments of a woman who
has finally discovered what all the fuss is about!”
“Amen to that!” Tai agreed.
“Why don’t you order us all coffees? My
treat.”
“Well, well.” The assistant sat back and
crossed her arms. “If this keeps up, you’re going to spoil us, but
I’m not complaining. Let’s hope lover boy does you every night and
makes your heart sing.”
“More than sing,” Erica added before she
started back to the workroom. “He makes it want to burst forth with
a rousing symphony of stereophonic proportions.”
“Oohwee!”
By now, Sacha had made his way to the lobby,
his gossip radar on full alert. “What? What? What’s going on?” The
minute he spied Erica he broke out in the same knowing smile as Tai
had. “Oh, oh! Someone had a good time last night, and I do mean a
good time!”
Taking her arm, he practically dragged Erica
back down the hall. “Spill it, girlfriend! I want details, honey,
all the horny details! First, who’s the hunk? Do we know him?”
She tried to ground her sandals in the carpet
to slow him down. “Whoa! Hold on there, lover boy! Let me at least
get settled in. I’m not saying anything until I’ve had my first cup
of coffee.”
“One cup coming up!”
“Hold on. Tai should be back any minute with
the good stuff.”
“Then let’s confab while we wait.”
With a resigned sigh, Erica allowed her friend to
escort her to their work area. As they walked down the hall, she
flashed a quick hello to Craig and Victor in their respective
office nooks. Both men were on the phone, but returned the
wave.
“By the way, you look fabulous,” Sacha
commented as he finally let her go.
Erica made it to her desk and quickly
arranged her flowers in a vase. “Thanks.”
She looked fabulous and felt terrific and
knew that great sex did it to her every time. Because of her new,
cloud-sailing mood, she wore a sleeveless strawberry dress and her
black, slip-on sandals with the pink and black polka-dotted bows.
The round, plastic jet beads of her necklace added a retro nuance,
and Erica felt designer perfect and tres chic . Her
bereft of her wondrous lover. Rising quickly, she called his name,
but Tepe was the only one to answer her summons. Of course, his cat
yips spoke of his hunger, and so she padded to the kitchen to open
a can of kitty yum-yums. With that done, Erica went back to the
bedroom and rolled into bed. She spotted the note on her
nightstand. With shaky fingers, she opened it and read Nico’s words
he’d written with a pencil from her desk.
Sorry, darling, but I promised my dad an early
breakfast and then I have an appointment. I absolutely hated to
move away from your warm, inviting body, but filial duty calls.
We’re still on for this weekend, right? I’ll call you as soon as I
can. Love, NS
“Yes, oh yes!” she screamed and rolled to hug
the side of the bed that still held his warm impression.
Chapter Six
She adored the sizzle of Miami—the heat, the
smells of cooking spices, the mangroves, the cypress and the
palmettos, and the citrus trees dripping with fruit, the kitschy
plastic flamingos and the real things, the jazz and the Latin beat,
white skies and blue beaches, shell fish and big fish, as well as
the pink, aqua and neon of life.
Indeed, the world around her took on a new,
sharper image as Erica waltzed through the doors of Prestige by
Design. When Tai looked up from her desk and spotted her, she
produced a perceptive smile.
“Oh, oh, someone is in a good mood. Wait! Let
me guess! You’re glowing, Rica, which can only mean that you
actually did it. You got laid last night!”
Erica laughed and pranced on her heels like a
silly schoolgirl. She couldn’t help herself. Nico Sloan had to take
sole responsibility for her happy, off-the-wall behavior. She
withdrew a long-stemmed, yellow flower from the rainbow gladioli
bouquet she had just bought from a street vendor and placed it on
Tai’s desk.
“Here, you are. Compliments of a woman who
has finally discovered what all the fuss is about!”
“Amen to that!” Tai agreed.
“Why don’t you order us all coffees? My
treat.”
“Well, well.” The assistant sat back and
crossed her arms. “If this keeps up, you’re going to spoil us, but
I’m not complaining. Let’s hope lover boy does you every night and
makes your heart sing.”
“More than sing,” Erica added before she
started back to the workroom. “He makes it want to burst forth with
a rousing symphony of stereophonic proportions.”
“Oohwee!”
By now, Sacha had made his way to the lobby,
his gossip radar on full alert. “What? What? What’s going on?” The
minute he spied Erica he broke out in the same knowing smile as Tai
had. “Oh, oh! Someone had a good time last night, and I do mean a
good time!”
Taking her arm, he practically dragged Erica
back down the hall. “Spill it, girlfriend! I want details, honey,
all the horny details! First, who’s the hunk? Do we know him?”
She tried to ground her sandals in the carpet
to slow him down. “Whoa! Hold on there, lover boy! Let me at least
get settled in. I’m not saying anything until I’ve had my first cup
of coffee.”
“One cup coming up!”
“Hold on. Tai should be back any minute with
the good stuff.”
“Then let’s confab while we wait.”
With a resigned sigh, Erica allowed her friend to
escort her to their work area. As they walked down the hall, she
flashed a quick hello to Craig and Victor in their respective
office nooks. Both men were on the phone, but returned the
wave.
“By the way, you look fabulous,” Sacha
commented as he finally let her go.
Erica made it to her desk and quickly
arranged her flowers in a vase. “Thanks.”
She looked fabulous and felt terrific and
knew that great sex did it to her every time. Because of her new,
cloud-sailing mood, she wore a sleeveless strawberry dress and her
black, slip-on sandals with the pink and black polka-dotted bows.
The round, plastic jet beads of her necklace added a retro nuance,
and Erica felt designer perfect and tres chic . Her
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