Evidence of Desire: Hero Series 3 (7 page)

“I want Sonya back,” he declared.

~ML~

“This was at the admissions desk for you.” Simeon entered her office carrying a long box.

Sonya took a moment to save the work on her travel plans in the company system before taking the box from him. “Where did they come from?”

“I’m going to assume a florist.” her assistant tossed out.

“Ha, ha. You know I didn’t hire you for your jokes.” She arched an eyebrow at him, but smiled. Simeon was a sweet young man and had a way of making the work environment better. “I meant…did they say who left them.”

“Stacey received them and the only thing she knew was a delivery man brought them. Like a messenger, not an actual florist personnel. You know nosey Stacey was a little annoyed by it.”

“I’m sure.”

The clerk wanted any hot guy she saw and to be in everyone’s business.

Frowning, Sonya set the package down on her desk then stood over it to open it. It wasn’t uncommon for her to get things delivered to the museum from people all over the world that thought they had some authentic African American art. Usually, she had spoken to them by phone or email before they just sent it. Being a curator was like being one of those reality show art dealers “This is a fake,” “This is worthless,” “This is actually an authentic piece long lost”. By the shape of the box she was expecting it to be some kind of spear or staff.

Pulling at the twine fashioned into a bow, she released the tie before drawing it away. She removed the top next and set it to the side.

She gasped.

“Wow. Someone likes you.”

“All green roses.” She couldn’t believe how lovely they were. The flowers were a vibrant, dark green, almost emerald in color and the stems were thick and long with full almost palm sized leaves adorning them.

“Why green? It isn’t March.”

“It’s my favorite color.” She couldn’t resist smelling them. “I love roses.”

“I’m not sure if there’s a vase big enough to hold them. Does the card say who sent them, because I need to talk to the person and get some sent to LaTasha. They would get me boyfriend points.” He wiggled his eyebrows.

Shaking her head, she kept her laugh in. No need to encourage him. She picked up the small white envelope at the base of the stems. “You’re supposed to get a woman flowers because you want to make her happy, not to get some action.”

He shrugged. “Women and men just will disagree on that point.”

When she slipped the card out, she still had no clue who sent them. “I hope these brighten your day and bring a smile to your face.”

The flowers had done that.

Flipping the card over she saw it was blank on the back, no signature anywhere.

“Who do you think sent them?”

“Councilman Marcs most likely. I’m going with him to a function tomorrow night.” She shifted the box to the side of her desk and keeping the top off so she could look at them until she got off and took them home. She would have to stop at a store to get a big vase.

“Are you two dating finally? I know he’s had a thing for you for a while.”

“No. Not dating. He needed a plus one to the symphony and I didn’t have anything else planned.” Before Simeon could ask anything else, she said, “I think we both have work calling our name.”

“Sure do.” He gave her a two-finger salute from his temple and headed out.

When she was alone, she lifted one of the roses from the box and brought it toward her. Burying her nose amongst the petals she smelled the sweet, cloying scent. She loved roses. As simple and traditional as they were, they always did something to her to get them. Her mind brought up an image of someone standing before her with a rose. 

Parker. He was dressed in the same gray slacks and white shirt he’d worn when he came to her dorm to pick her up for their first date at a local pizza restaurant. One red rose in his hand. He’d waited in the lobby for her, disregarding all the jeers he got from other guys that came by.

“But these were from Daryl,” she declared, pulling it away from her face. She set the rose back with the other twelve.

There was no reason for Parker to send her flowers. After they had done brunch, she’d gone out of her way not to encourage his interest. Even modifying her schedule or having Simeon tell him she was in a meeting or gone. After the first month he stopped coming by. She was satisfied Parker got the picture. They were not going to be rekindling things.

Daryl was safe. Getting flowers from him or being on his arm for an occasional charity event didn’t make her want more with him.

Parker was dangerous. Even having kissed him once and sitting with him over a meal had her fantasizing about him every night when she went to sleep. Really, she was avoiding her own heart as much as she was keeping her distance from him.

The spark of desire she had for him, kept her peeping out of curtains or windows randomly, expecting he’d just show up at her house again. Six weeks had passed since his exhibit opened and he hadn’t come around.

Good. That’s what I want.

Her heart wasn’t convinced.

A last glance at the flowers before she went back to filing her preliminary travel voucher. Sunday she would be flying out to Kansas to visit the Nelson-Atkins Museum of Natural Art because they had the Hale Woodruff’s 1838 mural collection. The same collection she was trying to get on exhibit here. She had a meeting on Tuesday morning with the curator and the owner of the collection.

Focus on work, that’s what she needed to keep doing.

~ML~

“I really had a good time tonight.”

“The Youth Orchestra was amazing.” Sonya agreed with Daryl’s words as they walked toward her porch. “Such a talented group of children. To see so many parents with their kids in attendance and well behaved was wonderful.”

“I wasn’t referring to the performance.” He took hold of her forearm and stopped her at the bottom of her stairs.

She faced him. Staring up into his face she saw emotions of hope and desire shadowing his features.

“Being around you is always great. I think we have a lot in common and we communicate on the same level.” She wanted to pull away from his hold. It felt restrictive instead of warm and welcoming. There were no dynamite chargers going off in her body.

“These nights can be more frequent. We can be more than what we have been.”

His words weren’t new. In the beginning, almost a year ago, when he’d asked her out he’d said he was looking for a serious possibly permanent relationship. She’d told him she wasn’t ready.

She stepped back.

He lowered his hand.

“I don’t want to lead you on. My feelings for you haven’t changed. I see you as a friend. A friend I really like,” she rushed on trying to soften the blow.

“But solely a friend?” The shadows on his face became cloud of discouragement.

“Daryl, it’s not that I don’t want to—n”

Lifting both his hand up, he stepped back along the path. “I get it. I’m glad you’re honest with me. Even if I don’t like the outcome.”

“I remember you telling me when we first went out that you had a plan. Get married, run for Mayor and have a child within the next five years.”

“That’s still it.” He let out a dry chuckle. “I was hoping that wife would be you.”

Sighing, she shook her head. “It won’t. I think its best you start looking elsewhere.”

“I see that now.” He offered her a small smile. “It has been memorable. I wish you happiness, Sonya. Something in your life more than work.” He brushed a finger along her cheek.

Nodding, she stood silent.

Turning, he headed back to his car in her driveway. His lights flashed as he unlocked his door.

As he walked away, she felt a twinge of sadness about losing his friendship, but knew it was for the best. Realizing she forgot to thank him for his gift, she called out after him. “Thank you for the flowers yesterday, they were beautiful.”

At his car, he pulled open the door then turned to face her. “I didn’t send you flowers. I guess you have someone else whose heart you’ve captured.”

With that said he gave her a short wave then got into his car and reversed out of her life.

Her hands tightened around her keys and her heart thumped in her chest.

Parker. Parker. Parker. His name whispered to the rhythm of the beat.

Going to her door, she tried to figure out how she should handle the situation. She was thankful that she had a trip coming up and wouldn’t have to do anything about it at least until Wednesday.

They were just flowers. Nothing more, nothing special. Don’t read too much into it. She tried to tell herself.

However, it was apparent to her that even though he had been silent over the last month or so, he hadn’t given up on reconnecting with her.

Getting her ex out of her life seemed like it was going to be a much harder task then sending Daryl off to find happiness.

Do you really want him to find happiness somewhere else?

That was the million-dollar question. Before his return in her life, the answer would have been an easy yes. Now that he was so close to her, she could say how she felt for sure.

~ML~

“Oh, hello, Dr. Hayden.”

Stopped by the sound of his name, Parker turned on his way through his wing to Sonya’s office to drop off a package. A woman in the museum’s staff uniform was standing three feet behind him. Evidently, he passed her and hadn’t seen her standing there.

“Forgive my rudeness. Hi. Can I help you with something?”

“No. Yes. Um. I’m Stacey, I work admissions. I was just fascinated about,” she waved her hands around. “All this. Bugs and stuff, you know.”

“Really?” He made an effort to keep his brows relaxed. The woman didn’t appear fascinated.

“Yes.” She let out an odd giggle. “I’ve always thought bugs were kinda creepy.” She swallowed and her eyes darted around her, not really resting on any one place. “Now…now, it’s all interesting.”

It wasn’t uncommon for most people to be uncomfortable in his exhibit. People generally feared what they didn’t understand.

“I’m glad you are coming to appreciate invertebrates.” He turned, prepared to continue toward his destination.

“Well, I am…” she rushed into his path.

He had to halt abruptly to keep himself from smacking into her.

“I am interested.” She paused, holding his gaze.

He arched a brow and stared back.

Preening before him, she fluffed her short, jet-black bob and appeared to arch her back in a way that made her breasts beneath her dark blazer push high and snug.

“I was hoping for more education on them. You know…someone to spend some time explaining it all.” She licked her bright red, painted lips.

“Great. As you know, there are tours and courses offered through our department. Any of my staff can sign—”

There was the odd twitter-style giggle again. “Those won’t work for me. I work while they are going on. Even now, I’m just here on my break. I’d need a private meeting after hours.” Her fingers played along the hem her short, short uniform skirt at the inside curve of her thighs.

He may the most clued in man at times. In his college days he would have never been able to pick up on flirtatious signals. Mostly because they rarely happened, unless some girl was looking to get her tutor to do all her work for her. Then he’d been offered all kinds of favors. Over his adult years, he’d become aware of when a woman was given him special attention.

“I understand. As a museum employee you have privileges. Part of those is education on the exhibits in the facility when the time suits your convenience.”

“Yes, I recall reading that somewhere or hearing it in a meeting.” Her smile was so wide it made her nose scrunch up and crease along the bridge.

She was an attractive woman, if she toned down the make-up and the sex available sign flashing around her. However, he wasn’t interested.

“I’ll make sure one of my staff members gets with you and gets you on the schedule when you get off work one day this week. I don’t want to delay you any longer, Stacey, I’m sure you need to return to work.”

“Of course. I’ll look forward to all the education I can get.” With that she winked at him then turned on her high navy blue heels and walked away toward the atrium.

Shaking his head, he continued down a side corridor that offered a short cut to the wings on the other side. He’d get Randy to give her a tour. Randy wasn’t one of his best entomology assistance. Randy was even the reason that their Six-spotted Fishing Spider had escaped while they were loading the eco-tanks.

But, Randy would feed the woman’s flirtation. Hopefully, someone appreciating what she was offering and willing to take her up on it would keep Stacey from bombarding him.

Finally at Sonya’s office, he saw that her lights were out. Normally, even when she was avoiding him, it would be bright inside, showing she had been at work. Now, it was two in the afternoon and it appeared as if she’d never been at work that day. Deciding to leave the package he tried the handle and found it locked. If he went down the hall from her office he could would come to the elevator that led to her storage rooms, but it was standard museum policy that no one, not even curators from other departments, were allowed to go into a storage room or authentication labs without escort.