“Oh, no problem. Don’t worry. I made reservations at the Extended Stay America near downtown. Something like a mini apartment. Executive Suites has a long-term contract with them. I might have to be around for a while.”
“Sounds good. Tell me all,” Felicia said, listening while Riana filled her in on her assignment.
“Andre Preaux? Your Andre?” Felicia exclaimed, jaw dropping in surprise. Scratching her forehead, she thought back to the time when Riana had been totally smitten with Andre, but too stubborn to admit it. “You’ve got to be kidding! Who woulda thought?”
“Exactly. But I have to get him to accept the position. Big bonus for my firm if I do.”
“Girl, he might not even talk to you, let alone let you recruit him! You dumped the guy, broke his heart and never looked back. Things could get ugly.”
“Oh, I don’t think so,” Riana replied. “This is a huge opportunity for him. The Allen Group carries weight.”
“Maybe so, but Andre Preaux is probably carrying one hell of a grudge.”
Chapter 5
Lester Tremaine answered the phone at the beginning of the second ring as he always did, convinced that answering too quickly made him seem too anxious, and if he waited until after the third ring he risked missing the call. His method worked, and many of Andre’s clients complimented him on his prompt response to their telephone calls, as well as his polite greeting. A graduate student in engineering at Rice University, Lester assisted Andre in his research by sorting through the requirements of potential projects, organizing files, handling the mail and generally staying on top of the city and county regulations that affected licensing and building permits.
“A. Preaux and Associates,” Lester stated with the crisp assurance of a man in charge. “How may I help you?”
“Hello. This is Miss Cole, calling from Executive Suites, Incorporated, in San Antonio. Is Mr. Preaux available?”
Remaining silent, Lester ran the name of the caller and the company through his mind, certain he had never heard of either, and he didn’t recognize the voice. He had a gift for being able to recall every voice he had heard, whether in person, over the phone, on the radio or TV. This was someone new. “And this is in reference to…?” Lester prompted, doing his job. Andre trusted him to screen all calls and weed out sales people, telemarketers and those seeking information that was readily available on the A. Preaux and Associates Web site. No way was he going to bother Andre with things that he could take care of himself.
“I’d like to discuss a possible project in the San Antonio area with him.”
“Well, yes, of course. However, I’m sorry, he’s not in right now, but I’ll be happy to give him your message. Where can he reach you?” Lester inquired as he wrote down the information he knew Andre would need.
After clicking off, Lester studied the message with interest. Executive Suites? he mused, twirling his pen. A big hotel project, perhaps? An office building? He hoped so. Andre needed something right away because the contract with the city health-center complex had been awarded just yesterday to a large, well-known firm, leaving Andre very disappointed. All they had going now was a remodel of a small boutique that had suffered a minor fire and the strip shopping center for Richard Vail, an independent builder in town. After those projects, Andre’s calendar was open.
Lester was a talented twenty-six-year-old who was openly gay, meticulously thorough and dedicated to his work at A. Preaux and Associates. His slight build, creamy buff-colored skin and tightly curled copper-brown hair made him appear much younger than he was, and he still got carded whenever he ordered a drink.
During the two years that Lester had worked for Andre, he had come to think of his boss more as a colleague and good friend than simply his employer. They took on each project together, working as a team to bring it in on time and in a way that ensured a positive reception. Lester had been up front with Andre when he was first interviewed, telling him that he was gay and in a stable relationship with a partner. Andre had not flinched or looked at him as if he were an oddity or made any comment other than, “I’d be happy to have you work for me, if the hours fit your class schedule.” And after that, he and Andre never again mentioned the difference in their sexual orientations.
In fact, there were times when Lester felt as if Andre envied him for having found someone to love, and he often wished that Andre would go out on more dates. However, Lester stayed out of Andre’s personal life and went about his business, which revolved around his work, his classes and his live-in partner, Todd.
When Lester’s cell phone rang, it jolted him out of his hopeful musing and brought him back to the reality of the moment. He pulled his tiny phone from his shirt pocket, squinted at the caller ID, grinned, and then flipped open the cover immediately, eager to talk to Todd.
“You’re downstairs already? Are you calling from your car?” he asked in a rush of words, wondering how Todd, who managed a cellular phone kiosk in the Galleria, had maneuvered through noon-hour traffic so quickly. “Okay, I’m on my way out now,” Lester chirped, juggling the phone with one hand as he shut down his computer and grabbed his keys to the building with the other. Before leaving for his standing Wednesday lunch date with Todd, Lester made sure he placed the phone message from Executive Suites on Andre’s desk.
Andre placed the white bag containing his Southwest chicken wrap sandwich and diet soda in the center of his desk, preparing for a quick lunch before heading off to a meeting with a county commissioner who was unveiling plans for a new recreational facility in his district. He was anxious for the opportunity to bid on another well-funded government contract that would keep his name out front.
Just as he was about to take a sip of his drink, he noticed the message slip that Lester had propped against his telephone and picked it up. The note was neatly printed in Lester’s block-style script. Miss Kohl of Executive Suites, Inc? Who was that? Andre wondered, studying the area code. West Texas. New Braunfels? Kerrville? San Antonio, perhaps? He’d never heard of the company and didn’t recall ever having done business with a Miss Kohl. Hopefully, the call was worth returning.
“‘Interested in talking to you about a project,’” Andre read aloud as he set the piece of paper on top of a stack of folders and dove into his sandwich, thankful for the peace and quiet.
As much as Andre liked having Lester around and depended on his reliable assistance, today it felt good to have the office to himself. Lester was a valuable asset to the company, and Andre hoped to bring him on board full-time after he received his degree.
During the time Lester had been employed, Andre had gotten to know and like the young man. Surprising them both, they had become good friends, even though their lifestyles were worlds apart. They enjoyed discussing current books and movies and, of course, the latest trends in building.
Lester was a good listener, an extremely creative person who was bubbling with ideas, and he was easy to have around. In a two-man office, that was important, and Andre knew he could trust Lester to say or do what was in the best interest of the firm without worrying about him making huge mistakes.
However, at times like this, when Andre wasn’t swamped with work and things were slow, he had to focus on maintaining a positive attitude. His bank account was holding well for now, but his phones were much too silent, and, except for the space he’d carved out for himself on the top floor of his building, Prairie Towers remained in the same state it had been in when he bought it.
Andre shifted in his chair and surveyed the stripped walls of his office, the rough cement floor, and the open ceilings where pipes and wires showed through. His living suite was in good shape, but his office was begging for a redo. Andre knew he could turn Prairie Towers back into a showplace of an office building that would entice forward-thinking companies and small businesses to clamor for space. It was going to cost a chunk of cash and take a healthy line of credit to pull everything together, but he would do it, he had