“My mother is a lipstick fanatic and so was my grandmother. I guess you can say they passed their fascination with lipstick down to me.”
“Well it looks great on you,” he responded as his eyes dropped to her ruby lips. She had perfectly shaped lips...lips that craved to be devoured. She began fidgeting with the sheer pink scarf around her neck.
“So, what did you want to discuss today?” she asked.
“Well,” Micah said, clasping his hands together, “I know you received the contract so I wanted to make sure you were okay with everything.”
She tilted her head to the side before leaning slightly forward. “To be honest, I wasn’t too happy that your contract was already approved and signed off on.”
She stopped talking, but it seemed she still had more to say. “Is that all?” Micah asked.
“No,” Lex said letting out a deep breath. “Since I’m the lead planner for your parents’ anniversary party, I would like you to go through me for everything you need in the future. No more going behind my back to my partners. Deal?”
“That’s reasonable,” Micah said. “But in my defense, I only went to them because you always avoid me.”
“I’ll work on that,” she said with a smile. “I did have a question about the December winter festival in your hometown. What day did you want me to arrive for the festival?”
She is not gonna like my answer. “Um, here’s the thing. My family plays an important part in the festival and my parents are on the town council, so I will be down there for eight days.”
“Okay,” she said before taking a sip of her water. “So do you want me to arrive on the first of the eight days or toward the end of the eight days?”
“I need you to be there for the entire stay.”
“What!” Lex yelled as she braced both hands on the table. Micah looked around at the curious glances from people sitting nearby before he leaned in closer toward her.
“I was originally thinking I could plan their anniversary here in Chicago, but that wasn’t really logical. It makes more sense for the party to take place in Arkansas.”
“So exactly why would I need to be down there the entire time you’re there? We plan long-distance parties all the time at Elite Events Incorporated. We have vendor contacts everywhere, including Arkansas. Venues, florists, DJs...you name it!”
“Cranberry Heights, Arkansas, is not your typical Arkansas town. In order to plan the type of anniversary party my parents will love, you have to get to know the town and the people who live there.”
Lex scrunched her face in irritation. So much for us getting along.
“Where would I stay?” she asked.
“My parents’ house is large so you can either stay there with them like I will, or at the town’s B and B.”
“What reason will you give your parents as to why I’m visiting.”
I was hoping she’d ask that question. “I’ll tell them we’re dating and I wanted to show you the town.”
“Absolutely not,” Lex said raising her voice again. “You have got to be kidding me.”
“Do you have a better idea?” Micah asked.
“Yes,” she said, crossing her arms over her chest. “You could go to the winter festival by yourself and avoid having to lie to your parents altogether.”
Micah glanced at her chest before meeting her eyes again. “No can do. And quite frankly, it’s in the contract and you asked me not to go to your partners about this so I was assuming that meant you’d be accommodating.”
“Is Arkansas country living or city living?” she asked.
“Both,” he said with a laugh. “You have something against farm animals?”
Instead of responding, she stood up and began putting on her coat. I guess we’re leaving, Micah thought, taking his cue from her and putting on his coat, as well.
“You don’t have to walk me back to the office,” Lex said when they reached the outside.
“Okay.” They stood there in silence for a few moments before Micah spoke again. “So, will you come with me to Cranberry Heights for the entire stay?”
She dodged a couple of groups of people walking by. “I’ll have to think about it.” She continued looking at him straight on.
“I understand,” Micah replied. “Let me know your decision at Imani and Daman’s party this weekend,” he continued before turning to walk in the direction opposite of her.
“Wait,” Lex said, gently grabbing his arm. “You were invited to Imani and Daman’s Friends-giving?”
“Is that what they are calling the party?”
“Yes. Since we all spend Thanksgiving with our families, Imani and Daman plan a Thanksgiving with their close friends.”
“Well, yeah, that’s the party. Daman invited me last week.”
“Great,” Lex huffed.
“Tell me how you really feel.”
“Sorry,” Lex responded quickly. “I’ll let you know my answer then. See you later.” With that, she put on her hat and began walking back to her office building.
“Have a good day,” Micah yelled after her. She turned slightly and gave him a half smile.
She’s gonna say yes. She really had no choice. Micah knew exactly what he was doing when he put that clause in his contract. He was sure visiting his hometown was the perfect way to take her out of her element and, hopefully, get her to see another side of him. She was used to these pretty boys, and Micah definitely wasn’t that. He was rough around the edges and damn proud of it. He intrigued Lex. He could tell. But she wasn’t all the way convinced yet.
“Watch out, Lex,” he said aloud to himself. She was a challenge and if there was anything Micah loved as much as he loved women, it was a challenge.
Micah stepped out of his car and jumped in place three times before making his way to the parking meter. Although he had on two layers of pants, a turtleneck, a hoodie and a scull cap, he was still cold. He loved running by the lake and refused to let the chilly Chicago weather stop the workout regimen he’d developed over the summer.
Apparently, he wasn’t the only one refusing to let the thirty-five degree weather halt their workout routine. The parking lot was half full and even the threat of snow didn’t stop a few people from bringing out their bikes.
Micah put in his headphones and scrolled to his workout playlist and then stuffed his phone in his armband. Stretching at a nearby bench, he glanced at the white frozen lake and started his five-mile run.
When Micah and his five brothers were growing up in Arkansas they used to watch reruns of Good Times and imagine how it would be to live in Chicago. Early last year when he quit his job of seven years and announced he was starting a business with Shawn, his brothers and mom had been supportive, but his dad not so much.
Micah didn’t know what he had to do to get his father’s approval. At family events, he pretended as if it didn’t matter that all of his brothers had a good relationship with their dad. But, deep down, it hurt to know that his dad viewed him as the black sheep of the family. Micah visited his parents more than any of his brothers, but no matter what, his relationship with his dad remained nonexistent. He hoped that