Five-star Seduction (7 page)

7

Langa checked her reflection in the lift's mirrored wall and straightened her suit. Moments later Gordon Cohen's assistant led her into his office, then brought them both coffee.

The office was enormous and while admiring the expensive furnishings, Langa wondered if they were picked for their beauty or impressive appeal. The little she knew of Mr Cohen told her he enjoyed showing off his success and using it to intimidate others.

She watched the man behind the desk closely. His slicked hair and expensive suit matched his surroundings well. He waited until his assistant had left them before turning to Langa with a minimal smile.

“I trust you've been well, Miss Cima?”

“Yes, thank you.”

“Good. I'll be short, I'm sure you're wondering why I called you.”

“I was surprised, yes.”

His smile widened, but the hard gleam in it did nothing to settle Langa. “I have news on the job offer I made you. Our Hong Kong offices will be ready soon. That means I can officially offer you a starting date – the first week of January.”

“Oh.” Langa winced inwardly at her inept response. “That's two months away.”

“Have you given my offer any more thought?”

“Yes.” She hoped she sounded more enthusiastic than she felt. “Though I hadn't imagined I'd be expected to pack up my entire life in such a short time.”

“If you're not interested in the offer, Miss Cima, then say so. While you are my first choice for the job, you are not the only one. I have seven weeks in which to assemble the remainder of my marketing team.”

“I will get back to you as soon as I can.”

“One week. I will have your answer in one week.”

Langa sat in her car a few minutes later, drumming the steering wheel and feeling more than a little trepidation. Her interview with Robert years ago had gone much differently. He'd woven personal chitchat into the conversation and she'd immediately been set at ease by his genuine smile and laughter.

She sighed. Not every career choice could be based on comfortable camaraderie. She joined the traffic, promising herself a hot bath and a quiet evening at home. Hopefully tomorrow would hold more sense.

* * *

“You need to tell him how you feel.”

A manic laugh slipped out before Langa could stop it. She gaped at Angela, who was looking back at her with a serious expression.

“You're pulling my leg, right? Why would I willingly go tell an engaged man that I'm in love with him?”

“He's not engaged,” Vuvu snorted at her.

“Not yet.” Langa sipped her cocktail. “But it's only a matter of time. And that's a train wreck I'd rather not witness, let alone
cause.
”

They were at a trendy cocktail bar. The plan for ladies' night was dinner, drinks and then live music at a jazz club in the same area. For the first time in ages Langa had left her office at five o'clock.

“Sharing your love and clearing the air is not a train wreck in the making,” Angela admonished. “It's cleansing, and that's good.”

“Lazola isn't interested in hearing about my feelings, Ang. All he wants is someone willing to warm his bed while his real woman isn't around.”

“And he's told you this himself?” Vuvu's tone was becoming angry.

“No, he hasn't. But he doesn't need to. Haven't his actions been clear enough? I'd rather skip the humiliation of actually hearing his rejection word for word, thank you very much.”

Vuvu eyed her sceptically. “You're sure?”

“Of course I'm sure! Why would you even ask me that?”

“Well, you have to admit, sisi, you do end up in his bed an awful lot for someone who wants nothing to do with him.”

Angela coughed. “Vuvu!”

“What?”

* * *

Langa's other accounts had her travelling a lot over the ensuing week. One in particular, a textile and clothing partnership, had her flying abroad for two days before rounding back for progress meetings in Durban.

Her days were full – and yet her thoughts regularly wandered back to him. Lazola. Not being able to talk to him whenever she wished was turning out to be the hardest part. She'd grown used to sharing goals and ideas with him.

And now she had none of that. Not for lack of trying on his part. He had called her numerous times since their last conversation, but each time Langa had refused to take his calls and replied “no” to every email in which he demanded to see her. And now she was starting to panic. She knew Lazola would retaliate soon, but had no way of guessing how.

Robert had advised her to speak to him and try to stem his impatience. Langa knew that Robert had every right to order her to resume running the ROCH account; but he chose not to do so out of compassion.

It was with that thought in mind that she finally picked up the phone and dialled Lazola's cellphone. As it rang, her body softly started buzzing in anticipation.

“Hello?” Smooth and dark.

“Hi. It's me.”

Silence.

“Lazola?”

“Where are you?”

“I'm in Durban. A client of mine –”

“When do you return?”

“Tomorrow. Listen, I only called because –”

“What time tomorrow? I'll send a driver for you.”

“No, wait, you must listen to me. I don't want to see you.”

“Stop playing these games of yours, Langalethu! Why are you doing this? Every time we are together it's unbelievably good, only to have you disappear on me straight afterwards. Why?”

“I'm not the one playing games here. If anything, you have been the unpredictable one. I'm not interested in the casual sex you clearly prefer, so please stop hounding me.”

“Casual sex?”

“I've allowed you to disrespect me by using me when you wish and moving on when I'm an inconvenience. I deserve better than that. I just want things to be normal again.”

“You think casual sex is all I am after?”

“I know it is, Lazola. I'm just calling to ask you to leave me alone. Ben is doing a really good job with your campaign, so there's no reason for you to be dissatisfied with him.”

“He's not you.”

“What is that supposed to mean?”

“I made my feelings clear from the night we met.”

Her response was a sharp laugh, somewhere between derision and pain. “You don't need me in your bed any more than I need to continue wasting more of my time.”

“What are you so afraid of, Langa?”

My treacherous heart.

“I've been offered another job. In Hong Kong.”

He didn't say a word, but he didn't need to for Langa to feel like she was losing the unspoken battle. She pushed on as her agitation grew. “It's what I've always wanted. I'm giving it earnest consideration and I figured it would make sense to ensure that all my current clients are taken care of. It's all for the best, you see.”

“Sounds like you've accepted the idea already. If so, that would make this goodbye.”

Langa's stomach clenched coldly. “Goodbye?”

“This would be one of those good things coming to an end, Langalethu. All the best for your future endeavours.”

He hung up immediately, which was a good thing. Or else he would have heard her break down. Langa hadn't known the tears would arrive so fast, so she was still holding the phone when they started falling.

Why did I dare hope he would ask me to stay?

* * *

Langa went to meet with Robert as soon as she returned to Johannesburg. He was taken aback by her unexpected announcement, but she had dug herself too deep into the situation to make it look like anything other than her choice.

As the day progressed, she tallied up the reasons why her move to Hong Kong could be beneficial. The list was reassuring and she started thinking it might grow on her. By the time she left the office, her spirits were quite high.

Noluvuyo and Angela were pleasantly surprised when she agreed to a movie with them that evening. Langa munched popcorn and laughed in all the right places, and almost felt normal. Supper was takeaways and Langa watched her two friends argue over whether Angela was “cheating” by ordering a salmon-and-veggie wrap.

“Of course this counts as takeaway, Vuvu!” Angela said. “I took it out of the restaurant, didn't I? It's even in a carton and everything. It's practically a burger, you know.”

“And how exactly do you figure that?”

They were in Vuvu's lounge with the makings of a nutritionist's nightmare spread out on the coffee table. Langa laughed as she watched Angela's face blanch when Vuvu handed her a can of fizzy drink.

She was aware of them avoiding the topic of her job offer and was grateful in a way, since she hated the thought of leaving them. Vuvu pulled out albums filled with old photographs and they laughed at the memories they'd shared. No one mentioned how much the gathering felt like a goodbye of sorts.

“I saw Lazola today.”

Langa thought she'd misheard until she looked at Angela, who was studiously picking out bits of onion and tossing them back in her carton. Her friend was carefully avoiding making eye contact. Even Vuvu froze with her burger halfway to her mouth.

“You saw Lazola?”

Angela nodded. “A client came in for some treatments, a young woman. When she was done, he arrived to pick her up.”

A young woman.

Langa put down her barely eaten food and knew she would not be touching it again. So he'd really moved on. She'd known that he would. Why did the realisation still stab her so deeply?

“He looked rather glum. Maybe he misses you.”

“It's more likely a bungled business deal. You just said he was with someone else, Ang.”

Angela made no response.

“Not that it matters any more what he does. Whatever we had is over. I'm just glad I put a stop to it all before things got completely out of hand.”

8

Langa sat gaping at Robert, little resembling the composed lady to whom he'd grown accustomed. He'd invited her to join him for lunch – something they'd indulged in on rare occasions. He'd picked a very expensive restaurant.

A waiter in a crisp white shirt had taken their orders before disappearing discreetly. The first few minutes were spent chatting aimlessly until Langa had realised that the meeting had nothing to do with any of her accounts at work. Robert seemed to be in a particularly jovial mood, one that Langa put down to McMann's recent successes.

Over dessert he squinted at her mischievously. “How's the chocolate mousse?” he asked.

“Very good. I probably shouldn't have ordered something quite so decadent, but I simply couldn't resist.”

“Oh, live a little, Langa. It can't hurt to enjoy the finer things in life once in a while. Besides, this isn't aimless indulgence. It's more like research.”

Langa's smile turned a little sceptical. “Oh really?”

“Indeed. How else are you supposed to know which treats are your favourite? As my permanent Head of Marketing, you'll be able to afford all sorts of luxuries. It only makes sense that you figure out your top list of favourites so you don't go on crazy spending sprees in the near future.”

Langa gulped. “I beg your pardon?”

“Studies show that people tend to splurge when their income is increased. Unless they plan well, that is.”

“Permanent Head of Marketing?”

“Well, there's still the formality of you first accepting my offer. I would like to present that to you now, if that's alright with you? And make my apologies for not doing so sooner. I'd planned it as a sort of Christmas surprise, and then you went and swept the wind out of my sails when you told me about your other offer.”

“I wasn't expecting this, Robert.”

“Fantastic. I love a good surprise. I have a contract here for you to go over at your leisure. I've arranged a raise and a few other perks. Take it home and get back to me if there's anything else you need.”

“But my salary was already increased when I accepted the position on a temporary basis.”

“I know. But you've earned this with the way you've pushed yourself since day one. And you deserve something that'll blow your other offer out of the water.”

“You do know that you sound like a boy trying to beat another boy at a game of marbles, right?”

Robert McMann winked at her before calling for the bill.

* * *

Walking back into McMann Marketing felt amazing. It all looked new again, better and brighter. What was familiar was the spring in Langa's step. She felt the way she had when she'd first been hired. Back then she'd been nervous, excited and so proud of her tiny desk and squeaky chair.

Today she was walking into an office that had just officially been made hers. Permanently. She went to stand before the large windows, smiling down at the view. She knew she was where she was meant to be. She allowed herself a soft giggle in celebration.

“Hope you have enough joy to go around. I wouldn't mind a share,” Ben said.

He was standing in the doorway, holding out a packet that Langa recognised.

“Chocolate croissants from the bakery down the road,” he announced, stepping in to deposit the packet on her desk.

Langa's grin blazed again. “Thanks, Ben. Now why are you attempting to bribe me with sweet treats in the middle of the day?”

His eyes widened in feigned shock. “Bribe? I admit to no such charge. Can't your favourite accounts exec surprise you once in a while without raising suspicion?”

Langa eyed him for a moment before nodding. “Alright. I apologise for thinking the worst. Please sit with me for a bit. I'd like to hear about the progress on your accounts.”

Ben quickly sat down opposite her. “That's the main reason I'm here, actually. It's the ROCH account.”

“What about it?”

“You have to take it back.”

In the pause that followed, Langa wasn't sure if she was finding it harder to breathe or to organise her thoughts.

“What do you mean?”

“Relax, it's only temporarily. I've contacted the lifestyle TV programmes you sent me after and they're interested in featuring the ROCH. Strides Ahead are on board! They want to feature the ROCH in an insert on
Bonus SA
, and use the hotel as a shoot location for
Lap of Luxury
. Plus run a four-page spread in their February issue.”

“That's fantastic, Ben. But you're more than capable of overseeing that.”

“I am. But you haven't heard the whole of it. The producer insisted on interviewing you and Lazola Rhadebe for some inserts. You were at the helm throughout the ROCH chain's explosive marketing and yours is the face people will want to see. Especially when considering the theme.”

“What theme?”

Ben put a folder on her desk next to the croissants. “It's all there. Basically they're running a wedding special that'll be brought to the public from February – the whole month-of-love thing, you know. Each week part of the show will focus on famous couples and the preparations for their big day.”

“And the ROCH will be featured in one of those weekly inserts?” she asked.

“Yes.”

Langa rubbed her neck thoughtfully. “We should find out if Lazola would be interested in partly sponsoring a wedding.”

Ben grabbed a notepad and started scribbling notes.

Langa continued. “If we can get Strides to consider a viewer competition via
Lap of Luxury
, where the winner gets a dream wedding and reception, the ROCH would make the perfect romantic venue for the occasion. And the hotel would be featured once again when the winner's wedding goes public.”

“Perfect!” Ben enthused.

“So I was right.”

Ben regarded her in slight confusion. Langa leaned forward and picked up the bakery packet before reaching for her phone. After asking her assistant to bring in two coffees, she leaned back in her chair.

“These
are
a bribe.”

* * *

Karen, the producer of
Lap of Luxury
, phoned Langa later that day.

“The insert for
Bonus SA
will be shot in autumn, so for now our focus will be on the love theme for
Lap of Luxury
. We want to cover the hotel and the genesis of your fantastic marketing profile. But it's not all selfless; that amazing hotel fits in perfectly as our lavish paradise. We'll be bringing romantic fantasies to life each week.”

Langa summoned all the nonchalance she could muster. “But Ben is in charge of that project now and he is as knowledgeable as I am. Why not interview him? We've partnered on most of the work that needed to be done.”

Karen chuckled. “Ben won't send the ratings off the chart the way you would. The shows are about love and lust and all the fun things in between, my dear. It'll be much more of a scoop to air you with Lazola instead of Ben. Who could resist such a striking pair? I promise that we won't fabricate anything. We won't need to, not with the way you two sizzle.”

“What are you talking about?”

“I've watched your other interviews. I don't know if you're aware of the chemistry you and Lazola exude. It's perfect for the theme we're pushing. You two have more than good looks. You're intelligent and sexy; and there's an electric energy between you. Our viewers will fall in love with you.”

“Alright, if you think it'll work.” Langa no longer regretted accepting the raise Robert had offered her. She'd be earning every penny. “Can you give me a basic idea of what to expect so I can prepare myself?”

Karen chuckled again. “Don't make it sound like you're about to enter a war zone, dear. Most of the questions will deal with the hotel and amenities on offer and, of course, the phenomenal success of your marketing tactics. Then there'll be a few minutes on your and Lazola's views on love.”

Langa gulped.

Karen noted her uncomfortable silence and hurried on. “No need to fret. We'll keep it light, just to tie in with the overall programme. Okay?”

Every fibre in Langa's being fought against her single-word reply.

“Okay.”

* * *

Gordon Cohen's response to Langa's refusal surprised her more than she showed at the time. She'd expected him to try and strong-arm her into committing to the job, especially since she'd seemed fairly keen in the beginning. Instead, he upped his offer. The money and benefits he added on shocked her.

It was the deep breath she took that cleared her mind. Looking into Gordon Cohen's cold eyes, she turned him down – again. Something felt right about sticking with the promotion she'd just received at McMann, and she trusted her instincts enough to go with them.

The television shoot happened ten days before Christmas.

Langa barely slept the night before. She was nervous about the interview but more than that, she dreaded facing Lazola again. They hadn't spoken since the last disastrous phone call, and Langa never asked about him for fear that someone might mention his impending wedding. He had let her go and she needed to do the same.

The Sandton ROCH gleamed in the summer sunshine as Langa approached it. The TV crew had already set up and she was ushered straight to Wardrobe as soon as she announced herself. The short spitfire of a man she encountered there scrutinised her for twenty seconds before turning to flick through a rail of dresses.

In no time he handed her a soft-green wraparound dress that drew more attention to her cleavage than she would've liked. The hair and make-up lady walked in to find her tugging at the beautiful dress and muttering to herself.

“Leave it, doll. Trust me, every woman I know would kill to be able to pull off that look half as well as you do.”

Langa's cheeks heated and she willed her hands to remain still. “Thank you.”

“Alrighty, come on through to my lair so I can pretend to improve on perfection.”

The woman set about poking her little brushes into little pots and working on Langa's face. Langa shut her eyes and tried to relax and enjoy the pampering. Within minutes a semi-natural look had Langa's lips curving into an appreciative smile.

“That looks great.”

“
You
look great, dollface. The modesty's cute, but you need to take a little credit here! Is it fine with you if we untie your hair for the shoot? I love how full it is.”

Langa frowned in uncertainty. “Are you sure? I thought you might want to straighten it, tame it somehow.” She shut her eyes again as powder was applied to set everything and remove any shine.

“Oh no, are you kidding? It's so
you
– anything else would be scandalous, especially blowing it out. You look beautiful as you are.”

“I agree.”

Langa's eyes snapped wide to find Lazola standing so close that she could make out the rise and fall of his chest as he breathed. It was good that she was already sitting in the make-up chair because it took mere seconds for her to lose all feeling in her legs.

He was gorgeous. His eyes were dark and sharp as he watched her take in the sight of him. He wore dress pants and a light-green shirt that made his skin look sinful. He needed to shave but instead of unkempt, the stubble he sported made him look sexier, more dangerous.

“It's good to see you too, honey.”

Langa followed his eyeline and was horrified to discover that he was appraising her form, more specifically her nipples, which had picked that moment to perk up. He smiled at her discomfort.

“Lazola, how have you been?” she asked coolly.

“Busy. You?”

“I've been well, thanks. I'm back on the ROCH account.”

“I see that. Nobody could possibly be more thrilled than I am, honey.”

Langa was sharp enough to note a predator on the hunt when she encountered one, and her heart skipped faster. In that moment she knew that one of the things she'd missed most about Lazola was the guttural tone in which he'd called her that in bed. The endearment would never be the same again. It made her think of heat and silk and Lazola's scent.

Once Langa was ready, the director's assistant led them to the lounge that had been prepared for the interview. Guests had been notified that it was out of bounds, so it was empty. They passed the reading space and headed for an area with chairs and tables. The crew had set up lights and aligned the chairs for the best camera angles.

The assistant asked them to wait a moment while she fetched the director and presenter who would be interviewing them.

Lazola led her to some leather couches, away from the general busyness. As she stepped after him, Langa vowed that she would be as composed as he was; there was no way she would let him know the power he had over her heart and senses. So she took her seat and schooled her expression when Lazola joined her, sitting a little closer than she would have liked.

Lazola rested an arm along the back of the couch. It was almost an embrace, and the awareness warmed her. Flustered, she fluffed out her unruly hair, again questioning the make-up lady's choice.

“She's right, you know,” he whispered. “You look really beautiful today.”

“Thank you.” Her throat felt dry.

“So, how much is it going to cost me to get you to dump Hong Kong and accept my offer to run the ROCH?”

“Marketing is my field of expertise. Managing hotels is not. Rather look for someone who has more knowledge and experience concerning that sort of thing.”

“Why? You know this hotel inside out. All that's left is for you to pick up aspects of its management from Thomas. This is a win-win situation.”

Langa smoothed her palms over her dress as she carefully weighed her words. “I don't think it would be a wise choice.”

“Leave the wisdom of my business decisions to me. I've gotten this far by spotting talent early and capitalising on worthwhile risks. This is what I do for a living and I'm telling you that you're a sensible investment.”