The Beautiful Ones (Arabesque) (5 page)

His entire body was doing funny things, and his head…well, it was getting hard to think clearly. He hated to admit it, even to himself, but he liked kissing Ophelia Missler. He liked it a lot.

Neither heard when the door opened, but both sprung apart when a chorus of laughter erupted from the party. Within seconds, they were pulled in different directions. Solomon received his fair share of pats on the back and idol worshipping. However, his gaze kept darting across the room to the person who’d just changed his life—the girl he would love forever: Ophelia Missler.

* * *

Solomon stopped running when he reached his front door and tilted forward as if that would help get air into his lungs. His chest hurt to the point that he thought he was having a heart attack.

“Are you finished trying to kill yourself?” Selma asked, stepping out of the house.

He ignored the question and tried to massage away the stabbing pain.

“Whoa. I was just joking,” she said. “Are you all right?”

He shook his head, but then changed his mind. “I’m fine. My age is just creeping up on me, that’s all.” He glanced at her and could tell she wasn’t buying it. “I’m hopping in the shower and going to work.”

Selma’s brows lifted in surprise. “Are you up to it?”

“I need to do something before I lose my mind.” He stepped past her and entered the house. Still panting, he crossed the foyer and was starting up the stairs when he suddenly turned to face her. “If I haven’t said it in the last week, thanks for coming to my rescue. Who knows how far I would have sunk if you hadn’t come over and taken charge.”

A genuine smile spread across Selma’s face. “Hey, that’s what friends are for. But if you want to reward me, you can take me to dinner. I head back to New York tomorrow. I have a group performing on David Letterman.”

“You got yourself a date.” He winked, turned, and jogged up the rest of the stairs.

* * *

An hour later, Solomon arrived at T & B Entertainment. He rushed in and shared smiles with several of the company’s female employees. Women made up 92 percent of the staff. This was attributable to Marcel’s desire to surround himself with all things beautiful. As long as everyone was competent in their jobs, Solomon didn’t mind the eye candy.

Before heading down to his own office, he made a detour to visit Marcel’s new secretary, Zandra Holloway. Zandra was sixty-two, and frankly, Solomon didn’t know whether things were going to work out with the new employee. She was much too jumpy for his liking, and she never seemed to remember where she placed anything.

“Good afternoon, Zandra.”

As usual, the fragile-looking woman nearly jumped out of her skin and sloshed coffee around. “Oh, Solomon.”

He frowned.

“I mean, Mr. Bassett. I didn’t see you come in.”

“It’s okay. No need to get up. I just came to see how everything was going.”

“Couldn’t be better,” she rushed to answer.

Another glance at her cluttered desk and doubt began to surface. “All right. Just remember Chelsea can help you with whatever you need.”

A wide smile stretched across her thick lips. Again Solomon was struck by the thought that Zandra belonged in a kitchen, baking cookies for a neighborhood of children.

Minutes later, Solomon headed toward his own office. When his secretary, Chelsea, saw him, she pulled a phone from her ear and covered the mouthpiece with her hand. “Ms. Missler is waiting in your office.”

Solomon froze.

“Is there something wrong?” Chelsea asked.

“No.” He fluttered a smile in her direction and then pushed open his door.

Nestled in the center of his burgundy leather couch, Ophelia glanced up from her magazine and hit him with her high-wattage smile. “There you are.” She stood and crossed the room. “If I didn’t know any better, I’d swear you were avoiding me.” She delivered a quick peck on the side of his cheek.

Solomon’s heart hammered against his chest. “Don’t be silly. I’ve been busy.”

Her beautiful golden eyes widened. “Too busy to help your best friend plan her wedding?”

“What can I say?” He stepped back, needing the space to clear his thoughts. “I’ve been doing double duty while Marcel is on his honeymoon,” he lied smoothly. “Besides, what do I know about weddings? Just tell me the time and place, and I’ll be there.” He hoped she didn’t notice how much his chuckle sounded like a misfired weapon.

No such luck.

She studied him. “You still don’t like Jonas, do you?”

He settled behind his desk, and avoided meeting her gaze. “Don’t be silly. I don’t know the man. If you like him, then I love him.”

“Good.” Ophelia followed him and rested her hip against his desk. “Join us for dinner tonight.”

Solomon opened his mouth.

“No excuses,” she added, pointing a finger. “You have to help me squash this nonsense with Jonas that there’s something going on between me and you.”

He blinked. “What do you mean?”

She shrugged and rolled her eyes. “Jonas is of the opinion that women and men can’t be friends without the man having a hidden agenda.”

More stilted laughter rumbled from his chest while his gaze struggled to find a resting place.

“So, you’ll come?”

He finally made a fatal mistake and looked at her. Her golden gaze immediately imprisoned him. How could he ever refuse her anything?

“It would help if you had a date, though. And believe it or not, I can help you there. You remember my friend Kailua?”

“That’s no necessary. I already have a date,” he said casually, thinking of his plans with Selma.

“You do?” She blinked. “What’s with you and Marcel holding out on me?”

He rocked back into his chair. What harm would it do for her to think he was involved with someone? Between her and Marcel, he was beginning to look like a sad case indeed. “Look’s who’s calling the kettle black.”

“Touché.” She rolled her eyes and bedazzled him with another smile. “So who is she?”

He hesitated, but then thought that his good friend would be more than glad to help him out of a jam. “Her name is Selma Parker. I’ve mentioned her before.”

Ophelia blinked. “Oh.”

“Is something wrong?”

“No,” she recovered quickly. “No, no. Not at all.” She glanced down and then frowned at him. “It’s just that whenever you’ve talked about Selma in the past, I always thought she was…married.”

Damn, he’d forgotten about that. “Uh, yeah. She…is…married.” He folded his arms and waited for his brain to kick into gear and give him something else to say; however, nothing ever came.

“Oh?” Ophelia’s eyes widened as she slowly moved away from his desk. “I see.”

“Uh, you know,” he tried to explain, but still nothing came. “Maybe it’s not a good idea if we join—”

“No, no. I mean if this is something…uh, well, I mean, I still want you two to come.”

Damn.
“I don’t know, Ophelia.”

“Please, Sol.”

He tensed at the pet name only she was allowed to use.

“I’m not leaving until you say you’re coming.”

He hesitated and then finally huffed out, “All right. We’ll come. But about Selma—”

“No, it’s okay,” she continued with an awkward smile. “I’m not judging. If you like her, then I love her.”

Chapter 7

“H
e hasn’t bought you a ring yet?” Kailua asked, lifting her gaze from the rack of wedding gowns. “You have to be kidding me.”

Ophelia shrugged, not sure why she even mentioned it. “He’ll get around to it. I mean…the proposal was sort of an impromptu kind of thing anyway.” She scanned through the rack across from her friend.

Kailua’s brows rose. “What the hell does that mean? He didn’t think this thing through?”

“No… I mean, yes.” Ophelia rolled her eyes. “I just mean…we’re getting married.” She flashed a smile and turned toward yet another rack of dresses.

“Well, I’m glad you cleared that up.” Kailua glided next to her. “But why don’t you tell me about this mysterious impromptu proposal?”

Ophelia didn’t understand her own flash of annoyance. She was, after all, the one who had brought it up. The thing most heavily on her mind was Solomon—him and his
married
girlfriend.

Kailua tapped her shoulder. “Hello?”

Suddenly snapped back to reality, Ophelia drew a deep breath. “What? Oh, yeah. It was beautiful. We went to dinner at San Pedro’s. Girl, the place was off the chain. I even managed to get in some salsa moves—”

“I thought Jonas didn’t dance?”

“He doesn’t. But there were a few men on hand.”

Kailua chuckled.

“What?”

“Nothing.” Kailua shook her head. “I didn’t mean to interrupt. Go ahead on with your story.”

Ophelia didn’t want to, especially if it was going to be subjected to Kailua’s biting ridicule and sarcastic commentary.

“Continue,” Kailua prompted.

“Well, after dinner I told him about Marcel and Diana…and I think I was telling him how incredibly romantic their whole love story sounded. It was truly a page out of a fairy tale.” Ophelia sighed. “Nothing even remotely like that ever happens to me. Then again, Marcel could charm the habit off a nun.”

“Yeah. I remember him. His wife is one lucky woman. But cut me a break. Men drool after you all the time. Trust me. More than half the men I dated in college were using me to get to you.”

“Stop it.” Ophelia playfully elbowed Kailua in the side and glanced up to make sure that her mother was still out of earshot.

“I ain’t lying. Hell, if it wasn’t for them, I would’ve been stuck in the sorority house every Friday and Saturday night dying my hair different colors.”

“What are you talking about? You’re beautiful. You didn’t need me to get dates.”

“Thanks.” Kailua flashed a half smile. “But you’ve apparently forgotten how many chins I had back in the day.”

“You were still beautiful. And believe me, I went through my own ugly-duckling phase.”

“You keep telling me that. But until I see pictures, I don’t believe any of it.”

Ophelia laughed. “Then don’t believe it, because I’m pretty sure I’ve burned all of those damn things.”

“Figures.” Kailua rolled her eyes and for the next few minutes the women did what they did best in silence: shop.

“Oh, look at this one.” Kailua pulled out a beautiful white gown with delicate beading around the bodice and waistline.

“Ooh. That is nice. But you know an A-line on these hips makes me look fat, and my cousins are going to need a little more support than that. Let’s not forget that I’m going to be dancing and everything. We don’t want them bouncing around in everyone’s face.”

“Good point. What size are those babies anyway?”

“34D.”

Kailua glanced down at her padded B cup and shook her head. “That’s all right. I’m saving up for a new pair.” She slid the gown back onto the rack. “After that, everywhere I go I’m going to be buck naked. Watch and see.”

Ophelia laughed. “You’re crazy enough to do it, too.” She shook her head. “You know, even if men were falling all over me as you say, none of them approached me. Hell, before Jonas, I went a whole year without a date. You know that.”

“That’s because you’re too picky. He’s too short, he’s too tall—you always find something wrong with a guy instead of giving him a chance.”

“Not true. Unlike you, I just refuse to jump on anything that moves.” Ophelia gave Kailua a tight smile and beamed with satisfaction for getting in her own jibe.
Married.
“Anyway, after I told Jonas the story, he got very quiet and then reached for my hand.” A lazy smile drifted across Ophelia’s lips.

“He was so cute…and
nervous
. I think that was what clued me in that something was up. Suddenly, I had this big ball of anxiety sitting in the pit of my stomach, and I couldn’t quite get enough air in my lungs. For a split second there, I didn’t want him to say it. I wanted to snatch my hand back and run like hell, but then I got to thinking—Jonas is a handsome, successful man who adores me. What else could a woman want?”

“Let’s not forget
rich,
” Kailua added smugly. “Chile, you can kick off your working shoes and fill up your days with spas, massages, and shopping. I know that’s what I would do.”

For the millionth time, Ophelia wondered just how she and Kailua had managed to be good friends.

“Maids, chefs, shopping sprees…and you better not forget your homegirl.” Kailua jabbed her thumb at the center of her chest. “A sistah is a little tired of being broke, ya know?”

“Maybe if you’d lay off of Mr. Visa and Mr. MasterCard every once in a while.”

Horror blazed Kailua’s eyes.

“It was just a suggestion.” Ophelia shrugged with a light smile. “Well, I’m sorry to burst your bubble, but I intend to keep working,” Ophelia said, moving to yet another rack of dresses, even though she was convinced that she wasn’t going to find what she was looking for anyway. “Just as soon as I find a new job. I’ll probably wait until after the wedding now.”

“Why in the hell would you keep working?”

“I don’t know. Maybe because I
enjoy
it?” She pulled her purse strap higher over her shoulder. “I got a great sense of accomplishment working at the center. I loved it.”

“And what’s not to love about being pampered all day?”

Ophelia shook her head. “Don’t blow a coronary. It’s just not my style. I feel like I’m making a difference with my work. I dedicated the past eleven years to making that rehabilitation center a success—until my fiancée put me out of business. But I’ll always work. And I don’t think Solomon expects me to just stay home. He loves me and knows how much my work means to me.”

Married.

Kailua stopped and looked at her.

“What?”

“Nothing.” Kailua’s eyes twinkled above her wide smile. “Nothing at all.”

* * *

Jonas spent the past six hours planted in a plush chair in the back of the upscale Opulence jewelry store. He was on a mission to find the perfect diamond, and now he was no closer than when he had started. He needed something exquisite—something that complemented his fiancée’s unique beauty and would stand out.

“Champagne, Mr. Hinton?” a pretty saleswoman offered from a silver tray.

“No, thank you.” He flashed a smile and then stood when a distinguished-looking gentleman entered the room. In the next second, Jonas recognized the man only because he was the spitting image of the previous owner, who was no doubt his father. But Jonas still held his tongue because he knew the man also had a twin.

“Mr. Hinton,” the man said. “I’m Malcolm Williams, president of Opulence. I just happened to be in the store today when I learned of your visit.”

“Ah, Mr. Williams.” Jonas’s smile widened as he accepted the man’s handshake. “I knew your father, Noah, when he was running the company. My condolences on his passing.”

“Thank you. It’s been a few years, but he’s still terribly missed.” Williams’s amicable smile held as he drew a deep breath and slapped his hands together. “So I hear you’re shopping for an engagement ring. I take it congratulations are in order?”

“Yes, yes. Thank you. I sort of put the cart before the horse in asking before getting the ring. But hey, I guess it’s a sign of a good woman that she said ‘yes’ anyway.”

“Hear, hear! Then again, you’re talking to a man whose wife proposed to him.”

The room swelled with laughter as another saleswoman appeared with another tray of diamonds. A few stones instantly grabbed Jonas’s attention.

“I figured you might like to take a look at these precious gems. I don’t think you’ll be disappointed.” Williams gestured to Jonas’s stunning new choices. “We keep these reserved for a few of our special clients.”

Being a man who took pride in knowing a good thing when he saw it, Jonas’s mood brightened considerably. “Now this is more like it.” He sat back into the plush chair and reached for a magnificent, vivid, blue pear-shaped diamond.

“Ah, I see you have exquisite taste, Mr. Hinton. As you can see, that diamond is a Cartier-style pear cut with a total weight of two carats.”

“It’s perfect.” Jonas accepted the magnifying loupe and place it over his right eye to study the diamond’s detail. “She’s going to love this.”

The room fell silent during his long inspection. He loved everything about the unique gem; and in his mind’s eye, he envisioned Ophelia’s exuberant reaction. This ring would erase all those silly notions of abstinence until their wedding night.

“I’ll take it. I’ll need it in a size six platinum setting.”

Williams nodded. “Very well. Sally here will take care of the size for you, and if you’ll follow me, we can initiate the wire transfer.”

Jonas stood. “By the way, and yes, I know this is a rather strange question, but you wouldn’t happen to know where there’s a good dance school for adults? Better yet, someone who may be interested in giving private lessons?”

One of Williams’s neatly groomed brows arched.

“My fiancée loves to dance,” Jonas felt compelled to explain. “And I have two left feet. So I thought it would be nice to, sort of, surprise her and actually know what I’m doing when I dance with her on our wedding day.”

Williams smiled. “She really must be some woman.”

“You have no idea.”

“In that case, I think I can help you out in that area as well. Follow me.”

Jonas’s excitement about the ring literally had him walking with an extra bounce in his step. He couldn’t wait until tonight when he finally presented Ophelia with her engagement ring.