choked on her drink. âWhat!â she sputtered. âGirl, have you lost your mind?â
Tina laughed, rich and full, a sound that delighted her clients almost as much as her soothing, capable hands. âIâm just saying, Raina. A man like that doesnât come around every day. Tall, dark and handsome. Rich enough to buy up all this land and build an office complex. Nikki said his suit must have cost at least five grand and he was driving a Bentley, for Godâs sake. She looked for a wedding ring and didnât see one. You think a man like that would still be available if we were back in Saint Croix?â She laughed again, as if the mere idea were preposterous. âSo who was he, Raina?â
Raina frowned. âI already told youââ
âNo, I mean whatâs his name? Hell, if youâre not interested, let me give him a call!â
Raina reached for a folder on her desk, mumbling, âHis name is Warrick. Warrick Mayne.â
Dead silence filled the room. Then Tina sucked in a sharp breath, her eyes widening in shock. âWarrick Mayne was here? â
âIn the flesh,â Raina muttered.
âWhy didnât you say so!â
âI just did.â
âNo, why didnât you say so at first?â
Raina frowned. âWhat difference does it make?â
âWhat difference does it make?â Tina stared at her, shaking her head in incredulous exasperation. âWhat am I going to do with you, Raina St. James? Do you know who that man is?â
âYes,â Raina said through gritted teeth. âAnd if one more person reminds me, Iâm going toââ
âWarrick Mayne is the president and CEO of one of the largest engineering firms in the country! Heâs worth, like, eighty milliondollars. Two years ago, they named a street in Houston after him. And donât you remember when he was featured on the cover of Essence last year? The girls and I were sitting around drooling over his pictures and arguing over who should get to take home the magazine since it was sold out in every newsstand around the city. You finally stepped in and said it was the property of the spa since you specifically bought it for the waiting area, even though when the magazine disappeared a couple weeks later we all figured you probably took it home for yourself.â
âI did not!â Raina protested.
Tina grinned slyly. âNo one would blame you if you did.â
âI didnât.â Raina didnât need any physical reminders of Warrick Mayne lying around her house. God knows she wasnât likely to ever forget what he looked like. She had enough memories of the man to last her three lifetimes.
âAnyway,â Tina continued, âI just canât believe you didnât mention his name up front. Warrick Mayne coming to the spa is a very big deal.â
âEven if he is trying to snatch it out from under me,â Raina grumbled darkly.
Tina paused. âThere is that.â She pursed her lips thoughtfully. âWell, he is a businessman. You canât blame him for trying to do what he feels is best for his company.â
Raina shot her an accusing look. âWhose side are you on?â
Tina laughed. âYours, of course! Believe me, Iâm not biting the hand that feeds me. Iâm just trying to see things from his perspective as well. And if you were thinking about selling to himââ
âIâm not.â
âI know. But if you were, he could definitely make you a nice offer. A very nice offer.â
âI donât give a damn,â Raina snarled. âI donât want his money. And youâre starting to sound like Tyler Ralston, so just stop it.â
âAll right, all right.â Laughing, Tina held up her hands in surrender. âThis is your spa, Raina, and you have to do whatâs best for you. Trust me, Iâm in no hurry to start looking for another job. I really like
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