Dark Perception: The Corde Noire Series (15 page)

Melinda glared at her friend. “Are you
kidding me? And lose my job?”

Ellie reached for her coffee cup.
“He’s leaving the first move up to you, Melinda, can’t you see
that? Hey, some guys get off when the woman pounces first. It
sounds like Nathan is doing the same thing with you.” Ellie took a
sip from her coffee.

Melinda drummed her fingers on the
table, thinking. “He really does seem to be enjoying my frustration
more than showing his own.”

“
Any idea when you might
strike?”

Melinda shrugged. “We’re together
every day, but we’re with people most of the time. Either at
meetings or in his office with his secretary Edna looking on. The
only time we are alone is when he walks me back to my apartment at
the end of the day, and even then he never comes
inside.”

Ellie returned her cup to its saucer.
“Didn’t you say something about a party tomorrow night?”

“
Yeah, so he can talk to
some socialite about his deal.”

“
Perfect.” Ellie flaunted a
mischievous grin. “Tomorrow night after the party, when he escorts
you home, make him come inside.”

“
Make him? How?”

Ellie sat back in her chair, enjoying
her dilemma. “Just invite him in and let nature take its
course.”

“
I never thought seducing a
man would be so … trying.”

“
Just think of it as a
game, but you both win in the end, because you both get what you
want.”

A game?
She had never considered dating men to be a game. For
Melinda, the ins and outs of being with a man had always reminded
her of something akin to the invasion of Normandy—terrifying, rife
with booby traps, and sure to leave you shell shocked when it was
over.

Raising her head to the sky, Melinda
cleared her head with a deep, calming breath. “Thanks for talking
to me this morning, Ellie. I’m glad we could meet before you hit
the Square.” She briefly contemplated the other patrons in the
coffee house. “How is everyone there? Does anyone ask about
me?”

“
Jack’s fine, Melinda,”
Ellie uttered, reading her thoughts.

“
He could have at least
called and asked about my new job.”

“
You know how he is. Give
him time.”

A shadow crossed in front of their
table. “Is she complaining about me again?”

Melinda jumped from her chair.
“Jack!”

Jack eyed the dark blue skirt and
creamy silk shirt Melinda had on. “This isn’t you, Maddie. You can
cut your hair, put on fancy clothes, and even put makeup on the
right way, but you’re still not fooling anyone.”

Melinda’s excitement evaporated into
thin air. “I’m glad to see you haven’t changed.” She flopped back
down in her chair.

“
Is Nathan Cole responsible
for this magical transformation?”

Melinda sneered up at him. “If you
must know, Nathan’s credit card paid for the transformation, but it
was Ellie who made the magic happen.” Melinda waved to Ellie across
from her.

“
You have unknown talents,”
Jack commented to her.

“
I used to be a woman in my
youth,” Ellie remarked. “So I know a thing or two about how to
dress them.”

Jack pulled a chair away from an empty
table next to them and dragged it to Melinda’s side.

“
So, do you like working
for Nathan Cole?” He pointed to her clothes. “Any other fringe
benefits you want to tell me about?”

Melinda rolled her eyes. “Jack, don’t
start.”

“
No, Maddie. I want to
know. Are you sleeping with the boss to earn your keep?”

“
Dammit, Jack!” Ellie
admonished. “I invited you here to see her, not to act
like—”

“
You invited him?” Melinda
snapped.

“
I had to do something to
break the silence between you two,” Ellie conceded. “All he’s done
for the past two weeks is ask about you. All you ever do is ask
about him. It was driving me to drink.”

Jack faced her, hope brimming in his
eyes. “You asked about me? You couldn’t pick up the phone and call
me?”

“
Why didn’t you call me?”
Melinda debated. “I left Ellie the address and phone number, but
you—”

“
Guys, please.” Ellie
banged her coffee cup on its saucer. “If you can’t be civil, then
go out in the middle of the street and play in traffic, so you can
spare me the headache of having to listen to your constant
bickering.”

Melinda and Jack sat quietly, avoiding
looking at each other.

Ellie leaned into the table,
entreating Melinda with her eyes. “I invited Jack to come and see
you because he has something to—”

Melinda’s cell phone interrupted her.
Snatching her iPhone from her purse, Melinda checked the caller
ID.

“
Since when can you afford
a new iPhone?” Jack grilled.

“
Nathan got it for me.” She
took the call. “Hello, Nathan.” Melinda turned away from Jack’s
furious, hazel eyes. “Yes, I’m just leaving the coffee shop. I’ll
be there in fifteen minutes.” She paused as she listened to the
voice on the other end. “I can take a cab from Canal Street, no
need to send Bob.” She smiled and added, “No, I won’t be
late.”

Jack watched as she replaced the phone
in her dark blue leather handbag. “Was he checking up on
you?”

“
No, he was calling to
remind me not to be late for our lunch meeting.”

“
Does he call a lot?” he
pestered.

“
He calls when he wants to
know where I am.”

“
Why does he need to know
where you are?”

Melinda rose from her chair. “I really
don’t have time for your questions, Jack. I have to get to City
Hall.”

Jack stood up beside her. “It sounds
like he’s keeping you on a pretty short leash.”

“
Jack, enough,” Ellie
scolded. “He’s Melinda’s boss, and he’s got a right to know if
she’s going to be on time for meetings. It’s perfectly
normal.”

He glowered at Ellie. “It’s
weird.”

Melinda slipped the strap of her purse
over her shoulder. “I have to go.” She nodded to Ellie. “Thanks for
the advice. I’ll let you know how it goes.” She slowly faced Jack.
“It’s good to see you, Jack.”

He wrinkled his forehead while staring
at her. “Are you happy, Maddie?”

She patted his rumpled T-shirt. “I’m
where I want to be, Jack.”

Melinda made her way down Chartres
Street, and as she reached the corner, she fought the urge to
glance back to see if Jack was still standing by their table.
Instead, she moved forward. Her new life was ahead of her, and the
man she wanted was waiting for her to come to him.

* * *

The following evening, Melinda was
pacing in front of her living room windows that overlooked the
lights along the darkened Mississippi River. The snug, forest green
strapless gown Ellie had selected made a swishing noise as she
walked back and forth across the room. She played with a curled
tendril of red hair while considering a drink to calm her
nerves.

A light tap at her front door sent a
quiver through her. Crossing the living room, she placed her hand
on the doorknob, and then took a moment to settle down. She wasn’t
sure what scared her more, the idea of a party full of wealthy
social climbers or her after party plans for Nathan.

“
That is what I call a
dress,” Nathan exclaimed after she opened the door.

His tuxedo accentuated his long legs
and wide chest, making Melinda’s already overcharged libido rev
into high gear. Opting not to wear the customary black tie, Nathan
had left the top button on his pressed white shirt open. He had
slicked back his thick brown hair and applied a different, but
equally intoxicating, citrus cologne. The effect was
devastating.

“
You look quite …
handsome,” she voiced, maintaining her composure.

Nathan lightly chuckled, and the
pleasing sound resonated deep within her bones. “Handsome is what
you tell a boy on the way to his first prom.”

“
Why? Did your mother say
that to you at your first prom?”

“
Yes, and I’ve never quite
forgiven her for that.” He stepped inside her apartment.

“
Where is your
mother?”

“
In DC with my father. He’s
serving out his last term in Congress.”

“
He’s a congressman?” Her
eyebrows rose on her forehead. “You’ve never mentioned that to me
before.”

Nathan came up to her. “He’s been in
the House of Representatives for twenty years. I never mentioned it
before because I don’t like to tell very many people about my
father.”

She smiled, heartened that he trusted
her with such information. “I’m glad you told me.”

His eyes dropped to her gown. “I’m not
sure if I like the idea of taking you to a party in that
dress.”

Melinda anxiously patted her gown.
“You don’t like it. I knew I shouldn’t have let—”

“
I love it,” he quickly
reassured her. “But I’m not going to like it when the other men at
the party are constantly staring at you. I might get jealous,” he
added with a wink.

“
I think I would like
that.”

“
Be careful what you wish
for, Melinda. I’m a very possessive man.” He held out his arm to
her. “Are you ready to rub elbows with the rich and
notorious?”

Melinda retrieved her black-beaded
purse from the sofa and then took his arm. “I’m as ready as I’ll
ever be.”

“
Just remember tonight is
our opportunity to reel in a very big fish. Our hostess, Denise
Becnel, is a respected businesswoman in this town, and if she signs
on with me, many other investors are sure to follow. Find out what
she is feeling about the Market Street project. I need something to
lock her in.”

“
I’ll do my best, Nathan,”
Melinda vowed as they walked toward her door.

“
After the party, I was
thinking you could play for me.” He ushered her through the
doorway. “I still haven’t heard you play.” He closed her front door
behind him.

A gush of guilt swirled in her
stomach. “I haven’t put my hands on my keyboard since I moved in.”
She feigned a smile. “I guess I’ve been busy.”

“
I don’t want to keep you
from your music, Melinda. Have I been working you too
hard?”

“
No, I’ve just been busy …
getting settled in.” She gazed into his eyes as she remembered what
Ellie had told her. “But I would love to play for you tonight after
the party. Perhaps we could open a bottle of wine and make an
evening of it.”

A knowing smile eased its way across
his lips, highlighting the curve of his square jaw. “We could do
that.”

“
Then it’s a
date.”

He placed his arm around her waist.
“But first we have some work to do.”

“
Yes, boss,” she
joked.

Nathan laughed as he guided her toward
the elevator. “Boss. I like the sound of that.”

Chapter 11

Denise Becnel lived along the shores
of Lake Pontchartrain in a very wealthy section of the city. Bold
mansions on ornately landscaped lots, rebuilt after the tidal surge
of Katrina, rose along the reinforced shoreline. As their black
Mercedes headed down Lakeshore Drive with the dark waters of the
lake shining beneath a waxing moon, Melinda gently rubbed her hand
across her jittery belly.

Nathan must have noted the gesture and
casually rested his hand on her forearm. “Don’t worry, you’ll be
fine.”

“
I don’t think I’ve ever
felt more like a farm girl from Mississippi than at this
moment.”

“
These people are not any
different than you, Melinda. Having money or political clout
doesn’t make them better.”

“
Easy for you to say …
you’re a congressman’s son.”

“
I’m a congressman’s
stepson. My real father took off when I was one. My mother met Mark
Cole when I was two, and by the time I made three, they married and
he adopted me.”

“
What about your real
father?”

Nathan shrugged. “Never met him, and
never care to. My adopted father has made my mother very
happy.”

Melinda wistfully sighed. “I can
imagine. Being able to attend concerts, tour museums, meet
dignitaries, drink champagne every night … must be wonderful.”
Melinda’s green eyes grew wide. “Almost sounds like the life of a
princess.”

Nathan sat back, studying her. “You
would want that kind of life?”

Melinda lowered her head as she reined
in her enthusiasm. “I’m from rural Mississippi. That’s the kind of
life a girl like me dreams of, but never gets.”

“
What if I could give you
that kind of life? Would you like that, Melinda?”

She admired the way the light from the
passing streetlamps shone in his eyes. “Very much.”

“
If we seal the deal with
old lady Becnel tonight, I will get you all of it, and
more.”