Red Velvet Kisses

Chapter 3

“Ya’ll couldn’t possibly expect me to agree to this,” Lex shouted as she slammed a piece of paper on Imani’s desk. It had only been three days since she’d seen Micah and he was already working her last nerve.

“Let’s be reasonable, Lex,” Imani said as she stood from her chair and walked around her desk. “If a client needs us to travel we almost always accommodate their needs.”

“She’s right,” Mya said, entering Imani’s office with Cyd by her side. “Our main goal at Elite Events Incorporated is to make every event we plan a memorable experience. We achieve this by putting our all into every event we plan.”

“Please save the speech for someone who didn’t help cofound this company or create part of the mission statement,” Lex said as she turned slightly to Mya and raised a hand to cut her off.

“Someone’s bitchy this morning,” Cyd said as she plopped down in a nearby chair. Lex cut her eyes at Cyd before taking a step back so she could face all the women. She took a couple deep breaths before she continued her rant.

“Look,” she stated firmly. “Micah’s request that I accompany him to his Arkansas hometown to get to know his parents better should not be a requirement.”

“How is this any different than when you and I attended several family outings to get to know the families of Kaydence Walters and Justin Phillips before we planned their wedding and prewedding festivities earlier this year?” Mya asked.

“Or when Cyd and I spent three days with the families of Brooklyn Hathaway and Wyatt Lexington for the exact same reason before we began planning their wedding?” Imani interjected.

“All of that didn’t require us to leave Chicago. Did any of you actually read this piece of paper before agreeing to his contract?” Lex asked as she picked up the paper from Imani’s desk and waved it in the air. “Well let me inform you of Mr. Madden’s ridiculous requests.”

She flipped some fallen hair out of her face before she gripped the paper with both hands. “Number one—the event planner must meet with me in person once a week to ensure we are on schedule with the plans. Number two—the event planner must agree to at least three dinner meetings as my daily schedule is too busy for morning or afternoon consultations. Number three—the event planner must attend the winter festival in my Arkansas hometown during the month of December.”

She placed the piece of paper back on the desk before looking at her partners. The smirks on their faces were really starting to get under her skin. “I don’t think anything is funny about this situation!”

“Well, if you were looking at the situation through our eyes, maybe you would,” Mya said with a laugh and shrug of her shoulders.

“Oh, lord,” Cyd said getting up from the chair. “Lex, we know you’re pissed off, but honestly, we’ve done more for clients before. You’re usually so accommodating and you rarely complain so we can only assume that you like Micah more than you have let on.”

“Oh, please,” Lex said, waving off the comment. “I just value my time and with Christmas right around the corner, it irritates me that Micah is trying to occupy so much of it.”

“Or,” Imani responded as she placed her pointer finger in the air. “Spending that much time with Micah irritates you because you can’t avoid him like you have been lately.”

She sighed deeply. Lex was tired of arguing about the same subject and was even more tired of convincing herself they were wrong when she knew, deep down, that they were right. She dropped her head down to the floor before lifting it back up.

“I give up,” Lex said taking a seat in the chair Cyd had just vacated. “You guys are right, but I just don’t get it. Why is he even into me when he can have his pick of women? I’ve constantly ignored his advances.”

“Do you hear yourself?” Mya asked raising an eyebrow. “Why not you? He’d be lucky to have you.”

Lex wasn’t so sure. The ladies didn’t know how embarrassing it was the first time she’d met him. And once she realized she would have to see him again, she’d decided that she could either be that pathetic woman he met in the lingerie boutique, or she could act indifferent to him, which somehow came off as dislike. That wasn’t her intention, but anything was better than being submissive to his charm.

She covered her face with both hands. “I’m done talking about Micah. Like I said before, I have too much baggage to even consider dating a man like him. Besides,” she said getting up from the chair and smoothing out her dress slacks. “I’ve avoided his advances for this long so I’m sure another month or so will be a piece of cake.”

“Are you sure about that?”

Lex jumped at the sound of Micah’s voice in the doorway. Oh, no...how much did he hear? From the sly smile on his smooth brown face she could only assume he’d heard way too much.

“I hate when you do that,” she said placing her hands on her hips and glaring at him. The man made her tense, and Lex hated feeling on edge. And why was he just standing there not saying anything? Fine! If he wants to stand there and stare at me, I can do the same thing. The only problem with that plan was that Micah had mastered the act of seduction and the thoughts reflected in his eyes made her heart beat ten times faster than normal.

“Your office assistant, Ellie, told me I could go directly into your office. I went there first,” Micah finally said.

“Hmm. Funny that she didn’t make you wait in the lobby.” Lex looked around at her partners knowing that one of them had probably given Ellie the okay to add Micah to the list of people who could stop by without appointments. Otherwise, there was no way he would have been allowed to see her without first calling and scheduling an appointment.

“Can we talk?” he asked, his stare still unwavering. Today he looked more casual in jeans, a black polo and black peacoat. He removed his winter hat and instantly, Lex wished she could run her fingers through his soft natural black curls.

I really wasn’t prepared to see him today. “Sure,” Lex answered as she walked around the chair and accidentally bumped into it. She slightly stumbled before Micah’s strong arms caught her.

“This feels familiar,” he voiced as he helped her to her feet without releasing his hold.

“Uh-huh...sure does,” she replied breathlessly. Don’t look at his lips! Don’t look at his lips!

“Ready to go to your office?”

Crap! Man he has sexy lips! Soft and inviting... Why did he have to look at her like that? Like his main purpose was to always be her hero. Say something!

“Oh, um, yeah, okay, that works, um, let’s.” What the heck did I just say! Great! Now I’m back to sounding like a blubbering idiot. At the sound of a few giggles, Lex turned her head, having forgot that Imani, Cyd and Mya were still in the office and were witnessing the entire scene.

Way to go, Lex! How about you have a couple more embarrassing moments so that your friends will really have something to talk about.

* * *

As he followed Lex to her office, Micah couldn’t hide the smile that crossed his face. Lex was frazzled, and he loved when she got nervous around him. She had the same affect on him, but he could hide it better than she could.

He’d heard enough of her conversation with her partners to know that Lex was having a hard time avoiding his advances. And he was sure that she disapproved of the extra paragraph in his contract that ensured they would be spending a lot of quality time together over the holiday season.

“How about we go to the café on the corner for brunch?” Micah asked when they arrived at her office. When she turned around to face him, she twisted her mouth and squinted her eyes.

“I thought your contract said you are really busy in the mornings and afternoons.”

So she did read that part. “That’s true, except today I had to run some errands so I’ll be going into the office later this afternoon.”

“How convenient,” Lex said as she began tidying up her desk. Micah could only assume she was trying to look occupied while she contemplated her response. He didn’t mind because it gave him the opportunity to observe her more than he had in Imani’s office. She had no idea how attractive she was. On occasion, he’d overheard her say that she assumed he liked the model-type. Little did she know, he much preferred her five-four petite frame and nice round ass that he was sure would fit perfectly in the palm of his hands.

“Okay, let’s do brunch,” she replied, breaking his thoughts. She sat down to remove her ballerina shoes and put on her winter boots. She’d barely made eye contact with him since they arrived at her office. He smiled as he thought about the last time he was in her office.

When she stood, she went to grab her coffee mug, but accidentally spilled the remaining contents on a stack of papers.

“Oh, shoot,” she shrieked, grabbing some tissue and dabbing the papers. It took all of Micah’s focus not to laugh. He didn’t want to make her even more uncomfortable. Her clumsiness is so cute. Only then did she chance a glance in his direction. He couldn’t read her expression at first, but he was glad when he heard her laugh. He laughed along with her.

“Being around you makes me more clumsy.”

“Well, being around you makes me do a lot of things I don’t normally do,” he said. Like be celibate for over three months. If his brothers knew, there was no doubt in his mind that he would be the object of their jokes for days. He was Micah Madden after all... Bad boy turned good and lover of all things female. Unofficially voted in high school as the number one panty snatcher and the sexiest. Celibate for over three months? Definitely a new record for him.

“Let’s go,” she said as she grabbed her coat. They walked half a block to the café in a comfortable silence. Lex wore a slight smile, and he wondered what she was thinking.

“You have a nice smile,” he said after they ordered a couple of sandwiches and drinks. He had her order first so he could pay for both meals. When she looked hesitant, he reminded her that he was the one who’d invited her to brunch. Luckily, she didn’t argue with him and they retreated to an empty corner table in the café.

“Thanks,” she said, meeting his eyes. “I like your smile, too.”

A compliment? “Finally warming up to me, huh?”

“Don’t push your luck,” she said with a laugh. “I have to be nice now that I’m planning your parents’ anniversary party.”

Micah bit into his sandwich and observed her in between eating. “From what I hear, you’re always nice. Cyd consistently calls you the nice one.”

Lex nodded her head in agreement. “That’s usually true...except...”

Micah searched her eyes. “Except when it comes to me, right?” he finished when she didn’t continue. Lex gave him a soft smile and tilted her head to the side.

“How about we start over?” she asked.

“Meaning, you want me to forget about the incident at Bare Sophistication?”

Her cheeks flushed. “Yeah, that wasn’t my most shining moment.”

“I beg to differ,” he said, trying to ignore the way she licked her lips after the last bite of her sandwich. “You were so adorable that day. At the lingerie shop and then the dinner party.”

“Not really,” she said as she went into her purse and put on an extra coat of lipstick.

“Maybelline and Covergirl must love you,” he said, nodding to the tube in her hand. Her eyes grew big as she shoved the tube back in her purse.

“My mother is a lipstick fanatic and so was my grandmother. I guess you can say they passed their fascination with lipstick down to me.”

“Well it looks great on you,” he responded as his eyes dropped to her ruby lips. She had perfectly shaped lips...lips that craved to be devoured. She began fidgeting with the sheer pink scarf around her neck.

“So, what did you want to discuss today?” she asked.

“Well,” Micah said, clasping his hands together, “I know you received the contract so I wanted to make sure you were okay with everything.”

She tilted her head to the side before leaning slightly forward. “To be honest, I wasn’t too happy that your contract was already approved and signed off on.”

She stopped talking, but it seemed she still had more to say. “Is that all?” Micah asked.

“No,” Lex said letting out a deep breath. “Since I’m the lead planner for your parents’ anniversary party, I would like you to go through me for everything you need in the future. No more going behind my back to my partners. Deal?”

“That’s reasonable,” Micah said. “But in my defense, I only went to them because you always avoid me.”

“I’ll work on that,” she said with a smile. “I did have a question about the December winter festival in your hometown. What day did you want me to arrive for the festival?”

She is not gonna like my answer. “Um, here’s the thing. My family plays an important part in the festival and my parents are on the town council, so I will be down there for eight days.”

“Okay,” she said before taking a sip of her water. “So do you want me to arrive on the first of the eight days or toward the end of the eight days?”

“I need you to be there for the entire stay.”

“What!” Lex yelled as she braced both hands on the table. Micah looked around at the curious glances from people sitting nearby before he leaned in closer toward her.

“I was originally thinking I could plan their anniversary here in Chicago, but that wasn’t really logical. It makes more sense for the party to take place in Arkansas.”

“So exactly why would I need to be down there the entire time you’re there? We plan long-distance parties all the time at Elite Events Incorporated. We have vendor contacts everywhere, including Arkansas. Venues, florists, DJs...you name it!”

“Cranberry Heights, Arkansas, is not your typical Arkansas town. In order to plan the type of anniversary party my parents will love, you have to get to know the town and the people who live there.”

Lex scrunched her face in irritation. So much for us getting along.

“Where would I stay?” she asked.

“My parents’ house is large so you can either stay there with them like I will, or at the town’s B and B.”

“What reason will you give your parents as to why I’m visiting.”

I was hoping she’d ask that question. “I’ll tell them we’re dating and I wanted to show you the town.”

“Absolutely not,” Lex said raising her voice again. “You have got to be kidding me.”

“Do you have a better idea?” Micah asked.

“Yes,” she said, crossing her arms over her chest. “You could go to the winter festival by yourself and avoid having to lie to your parents altogether.”

Micah glanced at her chest before meeting her eyes again. “No can do. And quite frankly, it’s in the contract and you asked me not to go to your partners about this so I was assuming that meant you’d be accommodating.”

“Is Arkansas country living or city living?” she asked.

“Both,” he said with a laugh. “You have something against farm animals?”

Instead of responding, she stood up and began putting on her coat. I guess we’re leaving, Micah thought, taking his cue from her and putting on his coat, as well.

“You don’t have to walk me back to the office,” Lex said when they reached the outside.

“Okay.” They stood there in silence for a few moments before Micah spoke again. “So, will you come with me to Cranberry Heights for the entire stay?”

She dodged a couple of groups of people walking by. “I’ll have to think about it.” She continued looking at him straight on.

“I understand,” Micah replied. “Let me know your decision at Imani and Daman’s party this weekend,” he continued before turning to walk in the direction opposite of her.

“Wait,” Lex said, gently grabbing his arm. “You were invited to Imani and Daman’s Friends-giving?”

“Is that what they are calling the party?”

“Yes. Since we all spend Thanksgiving with our families, Imani and Daman plan a Thanksgiving with their close friends.”

“Well, yeah, that’s the party. Daman invited me last week.”

“Great,” Lex huffed.

“Tell me how you really feel.”

“Sorry,” Lex responded quickly. “I’ll let you know my answer then. See you later.” With that, she put on her hat and began walking back to her office building.

“Have a good day,” Micah yelled after her. She turned slightly and gave him a half smile.

She’s gonna say yes. She really had no choice. Micah knew exactly what he was doing when he put that clause in his contract. He was sure visiting his hometown was the perfect way to take her out of her element and, hopefully, get her to see another side of him. She was used to these pretty boys, and Micah definitely wasn’t that. He was rough around the edges and damn proud of it. He intrigued Lex. He could tell. But she wasn’t all the way convinced yet.

“Watch out, Lex,” he said aloud to himself. She was a challenge and if there was anything Micah loved as much as he loved women, it was a challenge.

Chapter 4

Micah stepped out of his car and jumped in place three times before making his way to the parking meter. Although he had on two layers of pants, a turtleneck, a hoodie and a scull cap, he was still cold. He loved running by the lake and refused to let the chilly Chicago weather stop the workout regimen he’d developed over the summer.

Apparently, he wasn’t the only one refusing to let the thirty-five degree weather halt their workout routine. The parking lot was half full and even the threat of snow didn’t stop a few people from bringing out their bikes.

Micah put in his headphones and scrolled to his workout playlist and then stuffed his phone in his armband. Stretching at a nearby bench, he glanced at the white frozen lake and started his five-mile run.

When Micah and his five brothers were growing up in Arkansas they used to watch reruns of Good Times and imagine how it would be to live in Chicago. Early last year when he quit his job of seven years and announced he was starting a business with Shawn, his brothers and mom had been supportive, but his dad not so much.

Micah didn’t know what he had to do to get his father’s approval. At family events, he pretended as if it didn’t matter that all of his brothers had a good relationship with their dad. But, deep down, it hurt to know that his dad viewed him as the black sheep of the family. Micah visited his parents more than any of his brothers, but no matter what, his relationship with his dad remained nonexistent. He hoped that planning the anniversary party would finally change the way his dad viewed him.

Micah nodded to a few runners passing by and moved out of the way of a couple bikers. His adrenaline was finally pumping and warming up his body. He cupped his hands together and blew into them before taking out his gloves that he’d forgotten were stuffed in the pocket of his hoodie. The view of the skyline was beautiful even in frigid temperatures.

Even though he left the Arkansas P.D. with no intention of ever returning to the force, he was still grateful that he’d had an opportunity to be a police officer. The P.D. forced him to change his ways and focus more on helping people make better choices. He’d run into a number of lost young men with no male role models around to help show them the difference between right and wrong.

His phone rang, breaking his thoughts. “Hey, Shawn,” he said as he stopped by a nearby tree and continued to jog in place.

“Hey, man, I was hoping I caught up to you. Cyd just got off the phone with Lex. She told her that she wouldn’t be going to Imani and Daman’s Friends-giving tonight.”

Micah scrunched his face. “Did she say why?”

“She said she needed some time to herself, but Cyd told me she thought it had something to do with you being there tonight, as well.”

Micah knew that was the case, especially since Lex had yet to let him know if she would be attending the winter festival. “Cyd’s right,” Micah replied. “I know what it is. I’ll call Lex and tell her it’s safe for her to come to the party.”

“Okay, good luck, man.”

“Thanks.” Micah hung up the phone and promptly dialed Lex’s number. It went straight to voice mail. He tried twice more just in case it was a bad connection, but both times the call went to her voice mail again.

Micah called Shawn back. “She’s not answering,” he said when Shawn picked up. “It’s going straight to voice mail, so I assume she turned off her phone.”

Shawn laughed before telling Cyd that Lex had turned off her phone, and then informed Micah that he was putting him on speaker.

“Micah, what number are you calling?” Cyd asked. He rattled off the number to her.

“That’s her work cell number. I’ll give you her personal number so you can save it in your phone.” Micah entered Lex’s personal cell number in the notes section of his phone before thanking Cyd. He dialed the new number, and she answered on the third ring.

“Hello,” she asked.

“Hey, Lex, it’s Micah.” The other line was silent for a few seconds.

“Oh, what’s up?”

He laughed into the phone. “I was just trying to figure out why you cancelled on Imani and Daman tonight. If it was because you promised me an answer about the winter festival, then I’d like to take the pressure off you.”

“What do you mean?” she asked softly.

“You don’t have to give me an answer tonight.”

“Then when would I need to give you an answer?”

“How about next week?” She was quiet for a moment, and Micah wondered if she was finished with their conversation.

“You must think very highly of yourself to assume that you’re the reason I cancelled my plans tonight,” she finally said.

“Well, isn’t it?” Micah questioned.

“No,” she answered. “I realized I had double-booked tonight and I’ve been super busy lately. So instead of choosing which party to go to, I decided to take a free night to myself. And for your information, I already know my answer to your request.”

Micah smiled, hoping her answer was the only answer he wanted to hear. “And that is?”

She sighed into the phone. “Wipe that smile off your face, I can feel it through the phone.” She let out a slight laugh. “I’ll stay in Cranberry Heights for the duration of the festival.”

Micah did a celebratory fist pump before responding. “I knew you’d make the right decision.”

“Yeah, well you didn’t give me much of a choice.”

“Then I’ll see you tonight? Everyone wants you there.”

There was another pause before she responded. “See you tonight, Micah.”

After he hung up the phone, he sent Shawn a quick text telling him that Lex would be attending the party tonight after all. A gust of wind made him shiver and he decided to cut his run short and head back to his car. Lex said that he wasn’t the reason she had cancelled on the party, but he didn’t believe her. It didn’t matter either way because not only was she going to the party now, but she was also accompanying him to his hometown. And he planned on taking advantage of every moment he spent with her.