It Must Be Love

Chapter 3

“The big guy just called an emergency meeting. He wants all of the management team in the conference room in five.”

Jewel’s head snapped up from her computer screen at the sound of her brother, Chris’s, voice. “Did Dad say what it’s about?”

Chris shrugged. “No. We just got our numbers back on track. I’m hoping it’s not another chain of supermarkets closing on us.”

“Please don’t let that be the issue.” Jewel clasped her hands together like she was praying. “That would surely impact my lofty operations goals. I’ve been working hard to try to impress the big guy.” Jewel continued their common tease when referencing their father at work.

“I know. Being his kid offers no slack. That man can be a tyrant.” They laughed at Chris’s exaggeration.

Bobby Dale was no tyrant. He required excellence from his children and employees and could never be accused of giving any type of special treatment. Jewel and her siblings worked just as hard as anyone else. Adored by much of his staff, Bobby Dale created a culture where people wanted to give their best. He’d never forgotten an anniversary or birthday and had been known to jump in the trenches alongside his staff to help get a job done.

“Let’s see what this is all about.” Jewel grabbed a pad and pen, rose from her chair and met Chris in the doorway.

Together the two walked the corridors, ascended to the second floor and entered the executive boardroom. Midlevel and executive managers from all departments spilled into the room, taking seats around the large cherrywood table in the center of the room. Scattered small talk ensued by groups creating a low rumble until Bobby Dale’s burly frame glided into the room. A hush rolled across the space, honoring his presence. His perfect posture held a well-fitting tailored suit causing him to resemble a mature model. Salt-and-pepper hair framed a strong chin as his confident stride carried him to the head of the table.

Staff made their way to the burgundy tufted leather chairs positioned against the walls and awaited Bobby Dale’s announcements.

“Good morning, everyone.” Bobby Dale took the seat at the head of the massive table. “Thanks for coming on such short notice.”

“As if we had a choice,” Jewel whispered to Chris and chuckled.

Chris snickered and cleared his throat.

“In recent months we’ve survived a flurry of changes in our industry, yet managed to get through them without much fallout. In light of all these disruptions, we’ve had to put a few things on hold, such as the revamp of our technology infrastructure and the expansion of our kitchen. Now the market seems to have stabilized and we’ve secured new business.” Bobby Dale looked over at Chris and nodded with an approving grin. “I’m happy to report that we will be able to get back to our growth plans. But before we do that, I have a few other changes to announce.”

The hush over the room deepened. Each staff member’s expression matched the other.

“What’s this about?” Jewel leaned close to Chris’s ear.

Chris raised his shoulders and shook his head. “I was going to ask you the same thing.”

“Dorothy. Will you come over here, please?” Bobby Dale called the company’s chief operations officer over. Hushed voices scampered around the room as Dorothy Levy gracefully waltzed to his side. She stood next to his chair. Tall, lean and erect. Her polished appearance and chiseled features belied her warm, approachable manner. “Our dear Dorothy is leaving us.”

A few gasps escaped from some of the staff.

“What? No!” Jewel tilted her head and sighed. Dorothy had been her mentor and had taught her everything she knew about being an effective operations professional.

A matronly grin spread across Dorothy’s lips. Much of the staff felt the same as Jewel.

Bobby Dale lifted his hand in Dorothy’s direction. She cleared her throat. “I know this comes as a shock for several of you. Believe me, it was a hard decision to make. Chandler Food Corp has been a part of my life for nearly twenty years, but the time has come for me to settle down a little. My recent health challenges have forced me into somewhat of an early retirement. However—” Her eyes washed over the room. She wore a sly grin. “You won’t get rid of me so easily. I’ll be around for the next month to help with the transition. Unfortunately, with the extent of my back injury, it’s what I need right now. It’s been an absolute pleasure working with all of you.”

“You too, Dorothy,” someone shouted.

A proud smile eased across her face.

“We’ll miss you,” someone else said.

Several employees approached Dorothy for hugs. Tears had begun to glisten in her eyes. Jewel wiped her own tears away. Dorothy had been like an aunt to her.

Bobby Dale let them all have their moment before clearing his throat and continuing with a few more announcements. When all was done, Jewel headed back to her office, shutting the door behind her. Dorothy’s sudden but necessary departure and her own ambitions left her in a flux. She’d witnessed Dorothy struggle since her horrible fall the previous winter and had visited with her parents on the days Dorothy was bedridden. Apparently, the back and forth to the office along with the demands of the job had become too much for Dorothy to manage under the oppression of chronic pain. As much as she didn’t want to see her go, Jewel knew that her leaving would create an opportunity for her own advancement. Surely, her father wouldn’t just give her the chief operations officer title, but perhaps he’d move her into the vice president slot, which had been unfilled for months.

Jewel knew she’d invite a new level of scrutiny from Bobby Dale when she expressed her desire for the promotion. She had to convince him she was worthy of the position. And she was ready.

Jewel hit the mouse on her laptop, waking up the computer. She tapped the Word icon, opened a blank page and began chronicling her most recent accomplishments. She was going to have to make her case. Starting with the recent work overseeing the operations aspects of the new accounts they’d secured, Jewel noted all the projects she managed. Since their father had each of them spend time in various departments to assess their strengths, Jewel also made note of other areas she excelled in and how those positions helped her develop transferable skills. She sat back proudly, took a deep breath and smiled at the fact that she’d truly accomplished a lot. Dorothy had also been instrumental in her becoming such an effective manager of operations.

Jewel looked up after hearing a light tap on her door. Chris stuck his head in. “Are you going out for lunch?”

Jewel looked at the glass clock on her desk and realized how much time had passed. “Yeah. What about you?”

“Just running to get a sandwich and coming back. Wanna ride?”

“Sure.” Jewel retrieved her purse from her bottom desk drawer and followed Chris through the office.

During the short ride to the deli, she contemplated telling Chris her plans for pursuing the promotion. Jewel looked out the window, but didn’t seem to notice the scenery as they headed back.

“What’s on your mind?” Chris maneuvered the car perfectly between the parking lines and put it in park before tuning to Jewel.

“What makes you ask?”

“I asked if you wanted to come so I could have company. You hardly spoke a word since we left the office. You’re never this quiet.”

Chris still hadn’t made a move to exit the car. Jewel put her hand on the door handle and thought about keeping the idea scattering across her mind to herself. She took a deep breath, blew the air out and frowned.

“Upset about Dorothy leaving?”

“More than that.”

“You want that VP position?”

Jewel turned to Chris. “Yes. I really want that VP position. I wanted it when Dorothy was first promoted to chief operations officer leaving it open, but dad didn’t believe I was ready for it.”

“Have you spoken to Dad yet?”

“I kind of feel like it’s too soon. They just made the announcement this morning.”

“So what? Let him know now. This way, Dorothy can teach you everything she knows before she leaves.”

“You’ve got a point. I’ll speak with him today.”

“Good luck!”

“Thanks, lil brother.” She pursed her lips. “He can’t turn me down this time. I have the right qualifications, more experience and I work my behind off. I deserve that job.”

Chapter 4

“You’re heading to the reunion tonight, right?” Stephan stood in the door to Sterling’s office with his arms folded.

“I have my ticket but I’m still working on a few RFPs I wanted to finish this week.”

“You’re thinking about skipping it?” Stephan entered, sat down and rested his elbow on Sterling’s glass desk.

Sterling shrugged. “Maybe.”

Stephan looked at his watch. “We can get those in on Monday. You haven’t seen some of those people in ten years.”

“I’m sure it’s going to be nice, but...”

“Think of them as a room full of potential customers.”

Sterling raised his brow. That made the effort worth it. Otherwise, he wasn’t pressed to mingle with his former classmates from Oxford Preparatory School. Many of them were way too pretentious. He chose to drive a luxury vehicle because he liked the car, not because he needed to flaunt his wealth.

“Maybe.” He finally responded to his brother, still not sounding convinced.

“Dude! Think Business. Those are wealthy people and great potential clients. If you don’t go, I will.”

“Your reunion isn’t until next year.”

“And we could have several more clients by then, if you go to yours this year. Besides, why waste the ticket? Is Noah going?”

“Of course.” Sterling chuckled when Stephan mentioned his best friend since high school. “You know he’s not going to miss a party.”

“Then you have to go. Remember how the girls were all over you two in high school. Captain and co-captain of the basketball team.” Stephan sat back, folded his arms and smiled. “Those were the days.”

“Yeah, until some of them found out I was a scholarship student. I wasn’t so attractive when they realized Dad wasn’t paying forty thousand dollars in tuition a year. That was so ridiculous to me.”

“It was, but that didn’t stop you from being popular. The ladies loved Sterling Bishop! You need to go. Take plenty of business cards and treat it like a networking event.”

“I guess it would be nice to see a few old friends.” Sterling looked down at the proposal he’d been working on.”

Stephan slipped the document from under him and flipped it back to the first page. “We’ll get on these first thing Monday morning. Both of us could use the break after the hectic week we’ve had.”

Sterling rubbed his eyes. “You’re right. The words were starting to blur anyway. My eyes must be tired of reading.”

Stephan stood. “Have fun. I’ve got a date to get ready for. Let me know how it goes.”

Sterling looked at his brother sideways. Without asking, he knew Stephan’s date wasn’t with anyone he’d already met. Not even the one he was with last weekend. He would have called her by name.

“What? A single man can’t enjoy himself?” Stephan held his hands out and snickered before leaving Sterling’s office. Stephan’s question confirmed Sterling’s assumption.

Sterling replied with a chuckle. “Have fun, brother,” he said to his back. Stephan waved without turning around.

Sterling had enjoyed several years of frivolous dating before Raven got pregnant with Kylee during their last year of college. That fun stopped when he asked for her hand in marriage. Despite the fact that the union didn’t last, he was cautious about dating and didn’t want to send the wrong message to Kylee by having her witness a plethora of women flowing in and out of his life. Sterling kept his dating low-key. He would only bring someone to meet Kylee if things were really serious. Kylee was the main lady in his life for now.

Sterling shut down his laptop, reached in his desk drawer and retrieved a handful of cards. Tonight would be about business. SB Tech Solutions had risen to the highest ranks of technology firms because of Stephan and Sterling’s combined intelligence, fervor and savvy. The brothers wielded their smarts and charm around like magic wands. Their work and products spoke volumes and they weren’t slowing down anytime soon.

Sterling met Stephan in the hallway on his way out and the two turned off the lights throughout the office before heading to the parking lot. Even now with more than thirty employees, they were still the last to leave the office on any given night.

“Let me know how it goes,” Stephan said as he climbed into his SUV.”

“Will do!” Sterling eased into his convertible and started the car.

Unlike Stephan, he didn’t pull off right away. He started the engine, let it purr and turned on the radio while his top rolled back.

The ride home soothed him. The spring air offered just enough of a cool breeze. Sterling flipped radio stations like most men flipped television channels, taking in a variety of sounds before pulling into his driveway.

Sterling grabbed the mail from the box just before entering the four-bedroom home he’d purchased for his growing family a few years back. The day he closed was the day he and Raven had broken up. Kylee had been three years old then. Raven hadn’t slept there a single night until after their divorce was finalized and the anger they harbored for one another melted away. Somehow they made their way back to being friends.

Sterling checked each room on the first floor. A habit he’d developed living alone. He smiled when he opened the door to Kylee’s room. It was a snapshot of the way she’d left it when she visited for spring break. A doll lay facedown on the royal blue carpet. Stuffed animals seemed to want an escape from the hot pink toy trunk. Colorful pillows in varied sizes lined the head of the bed. Her favorite pink comforter hung slightly over the edge and a pair of fluffy slippers rested by the footboard beside a book about a princess. Sterling hadn’t adjusted a thing. In a few more weeks school would end and she’d be back, filling his home with energy that only a child could stir.

It didn’t take him long to shower and step into a navy blue suit and white shirt. Sterling skipped the tie, opting for a comfortable vibe. He checked his reflection and brushed at the tuft of hair resting on his chin.

Before heading out for the evening, he called Raven so he could speak with Kylee.

“Hi Dad-eeeee!”

“What’s up, sunshine?”

“I have a school trip tomorrow. We’re going to the museum with the dinosaurs. That’s my favorite. Francesca said they scare her. I told her to just hold my hand. Mommy said she could spend the night this weekend. We’re going to have so much fun.”

“I’m sure you will.”

“Can we go to the dinosaur museum there when I come for the summer?”

“Of course. Now tell me about your day.”

Kylee went on excitedly chronicling her day from the moment Raven dropped her off at school until the second before he called her for their evening chat. By the time Kylee was done, Sterling knew what she’d eaten for breakfast, lunch, snack and dinner. He found out about the stupid boy who pushed Francesca down in the schoolyard and got in trouble and the other silly boy who had a crush on both Kylee and her best friend. Her sweet voice melted his heart.

No one knew, but he’d saved her voicemails so he could listen to that voice whenever he desired. He hated that she now lived so far from him. He never wanted his family split between homes and cherished his summers and school breaks with Kylee. Sterling wished there was a way she could stay with him even though there were zero chances of him and Raven ever getting back together. A little girl needed her mother. He could never deny the fact that Raven was a great mom.

Kylee finished speaking and huffed. Had she been talking so fast that she’d forgotten to breathe? Sterling laughed and shook his head.

“Sounds like you had a great day, princess!”

“It was okay.”

Sterling chuckled. After all of that, her day was just “okay.”

They ended the call in their customary way, sharing how much they loved each other and closing with a long, loud tossed kiss. “Mmmmmmmmmm-mah!”

Sterling looked at his watch and grabbed the keys to the convertible. The cocktail hour ended at nine, which gave him enough time to catch at least half of it. Sterling entered the garage from the kitchen, jumped in the car and revved the engine. He watched the garage door rise, taking note of how the moon had changed places with the sun. Sterling made his way to the country club under the flow of a silver evening light.

After pulling into the circular drive, Sterling stopped and handed his keys to the valet. Inside, hostesses directed him to the appropriate area for his event. Signs for The Oxford Preparatory High School’s Tenth Reunion guided him the rest of the way. Sterling scanned the names at the check-in table to see if Noah had arrived. He hadn’t. His badge was still there. Other badges bore names that Sterling could remember the faces to. He recognized one name for certain—his high school crush. That name stood out as if the letters were illuminated. Funny, he hadn’t thought about her until that very moment. Sterling wondered what she looked like these days. Surely she was still pretty—probably even more beautiful now.

“Good evening and welcome to The Oxford Preparatory High School Reunion.” The woman greeted him in a high-pitched voice that Sterling recognized right away.

A visual of her in frilly dresses came right to him.

“Sterling? Sterling Bishop is that you?” She shrieked.

“Emily, right?”

“Yes!” Excited, she shot up, rounded the table separating the two of them and hugged his neck.

Sterling was taken aback by her reaction. He didn’t remember them interacting much back in school.

Emily released her embrace and held him at arm’s length. “You are some kind of handsome, Mr. Bishop. Are you married? Have children? Do you still live on Long Island?”

The questions came too fast for him to answer. He smiled. “Not anymore. Yes. And Yes.”

Emily tittered, rubbing her hands up and down his arm. “Aren’t you an eyeful? Shame on your ex-wife. I would have never let you get away from me.” Her smile eased into a seductive snicker. “Here.” She finally released him and went back to her side of the table. “Let me get you situated.” She handed Sterling his name badge and a program booklet. “This is your directory. It’s complete with names, professions and business contact information from everyone in our graduating class.” She tilted her shoulder forward. “My email and telephone number is on page forty-four. Feel free to use it.” She winked.

“Thank you. I appreciate that,” Sterling said, pinning his badge to his suit jacket. “See you around?”

“You sure will.” Emily tucked her bottom lip into her mouth and shimmied. “Enjoy the party,” she purred.

Sterling gave her a quick, polite nod and entered the double doors leading to the cocktail reception on the terrace.

“Sterling? Is that you?”

Sterling turned and was face-to-face with his high school sweetheart. Her green eyes sparkled and her skin glowed.

“Kirsten!” A genuine smile crossed his lips. The two hugged.

Immediately after the hug, she stepped back. Sterling noticed her swollen belly and raised a brow with a smile.

Kirsten gently placed her hand on her belly. “Yes. My husband and I are expecting...again!” Playfully she rolled her eyes. “Honey. Come.” She waved a broad-shouldered gentleman over. “This is Sterling Bishop.”

He pointed at Sterling before shaking his hand. “I remember you. Captain of the basketball team, right? John Wales.” He pointed to himself. “From Waldorf Academy. You guys gave us a real run for our money in the playoffs our senior year.”

Recognition came to Sterling right away. “John! Yes. We worked our asses off for that win. You guys weren’t letting up.”

“Ha! Still playing?”

“Every now and then. Good to see you and congratulations on your newest addition.” Sterling gestured toward Kirsten.

The men chatted for a few moments, touching on their professions and current ventures.

Sterling got a drink from the bar and continued to mingle until he heard a familiar voice shout over the crowd. He laughed, rolled his eyes upward and looked in the direction of the obnoxious voice of his best friend, Noah.

“What’s up, dude?” Noah had his arm around a woman whose neckline plunged down to her navel. He didn’t bother to introduce the woman.

Sterling smiled and shook her hand anyway. “What’s up, man?”

“Let’s get this party started.” Noah raised his drink in the air. “Oxford!” he yelled.

“Oh yeah!” Sterling and a few guys cupped their hands around their mouths and responded the way they had back in high school during games.

Noah’s shout raised the level of excitement on the terrace and the chatter grew louder. Familiar faces shifted throughout the space, offering greetings and conjuring up memories of their school days. Midlaugh, Sterling’s eyes landed on a stunning woman with straight, jet-black hair framing the sides of her beautiful face. The navy cocktail dress hugged her curves as if it were made right on her body.

Sterling narrowed his eyes—examining her from a distance. She held the same grace and flair from her teens. Only now it was enhanced with a womanly essence. He found himself wondering if she had married. Sterling brought his snifter to his lips and sipped. He still hadn’t taken his eyes off her. In fact, he enjoyed watching her gracefully maneuver through the crowd. She moved like she had music in her flesh—flowing instead of walking, swaying with the cool breeze of the night air. Other men followed her with their eyes, too. He wasn’t concerned about them.

Chimes rang, followed by a soothing voice ushering them into the main dining area so that the festivities could begin. The voice seemed like it was made just for these announcements.

Sterling watched as she swayed into the main room. The smile planted on his face was held on its own volition. She did it. She made him smile. Sterling looked at his card, checked his table number and looked for it. He put his drink down when he found his seat and then scanned the space again to find her. She was preparing to sit a few tables over. Drawn, he went to her.

“Good evening, ladies. Remember me? How are you doing? You all look lovely tonight.”

“Hey, Sterling!” Dominique said.

“Good evening,” Jewel said with a confident smile.

“It has been so long. How are you?” Harper chimed in.

“I’m very well.” He answered the ladies but made direct eye contact with Jewel. He glanced at her left hand. No ring. Suddenly he was glad he decided to show up.

Chapter 5

Jewel wanted to look away but couldn’t seem to tear her gaze from Sterling’s striking hazel eyes. Good Lord that man was all kinds of handsome! Great bone structure, beautiful teeth, tall, athletic build, and now even more good-looking than he was back in school. Of course she remembered him. Sterling had matured into his manliness extremely well.

Jewel picked up the glass of ice water at her table setting and sipped. It was the only way to break the intense gaze and keep her cool. She could still feel his eyes on her. When she looked up, he wore a gentle smile, revealing those pearly whites framed by luscious lips. His erect posture exuded confidence. Jewel found that and his stylish, well-made suit sexy.