Love On The Brazos (3 page)

“What project? Her grandmother asked?”

“Jordy wants to put in a sub-division on that Brazos property.”

“Oh.”

“Don’t forget, Jim, you’re coming to dinner Sunday.”

“I won’t, Mother.  We’ve got to go now.  Jordy has a meeting this afternoon.”

Jordy and
her dad walked into the conference room and found several sub-contractors had already arrived.  Her dad went over to talk with some of the attendees.  Jordy began circulating making sure she acknowledged all of the attendees.  One of the subs was talking with a man Jordy had never met.  He was dressed in a business suit and appeared quite at home in the room.  Her first impression was of a handsome man, self-confident that spent time in the field.

She walked up to the sub, who introduced her to Michael Simms.  “Mr. Simms, forget the Ms Carlyle bit.  I’m Jordy or Jordan.  What brings you to our meeting today?”

“I was hoping to have a chance to talk with your father today.  Is he here today?”

“That’s him bending the ear of John Isaac over there. Dad pretty much retired from our company after his stroke.  Is there anything I can help you with?”

“No, I doubt it.  Who is taking over for your Dad?”

“That would be me, Mr. Simms.”

“I guess I asked for that one didn’t I?”

“I would say so.  Now, is there anything I can do for you?”

“One of your sub-contractors has given your company as a reference, and I would like to speak with you about it if I could.”

“If he signs a release I would be happy to talk with you.  Who are you with, Mr. Simms?”

“I like the way you do business, Jordan.  I’m with First City.  Please call me Michael.  Here’s my card.”

“What a coincidence.  We have an appointment with First City tomorrow.  Perhaps we could talk then, Michael was it?  Will you have the release by then?”

“I have it already.  What time is your appointment?”

“It’s at ten.”  Looking at his card, she said, “It’s with your investment department.”

“Stop by and see me then, if it’s convenient.”

“I will.  See you then.  It’s been a pleasure, Michael.”

* * *

Jodie and her father spent an hour the next day with the First City’s Investment representatives.  While they expressed interest in her idea of a sub-division, they asked for detail in the demographics of the area.  “Thank goodness for the internet,” Jordy said to her father as they left the office.  It would take a lot of time to gather all of the material they want.  I can get most of it from there.  The Fort Bend Planning Commission will have all we need on growth in the county.  The Texas Highway Commission will have traffic projections.  I can probably have all they need in two weeks.

Do you know Michael Simms, Dad?”

“Can’t say as I do, why do you ask?”

“I met him yesterday at the meeting.  One of our subs gave us as a reference for something and wants to talk to us about it.  You’ve known them longer than I have, do you feel like talking to him today?  I can always reschedule if you don’t.”

“I’m fine.  Where is it?”

“Here in this building.”

“Let’s do it then.”

They found the office of Michael Simms without any problem.  His secretary let him know they were in the office.  He was out in five minutes.  “Jordan, good to see you again.  This is your father?”

“Dad, this is Michael Simms.”  They shook hands, and Simms got right down to business.  Jim was able to answer all of the questions and that was it.

As they left, Michael shook Jordy’s hand, holding on to it a little longer than necessary.  “Jordy, could I call you sometime?”

“Yes, I’d like that, Michael.  She gave him her card and said my cell phone is on there too.  Call any time.  Nice to see you again.”

“That was a handsome young man, Jordy.  I think he has his eye on you.”

“I don’t have time for a man in my life right now Dad.”

“That’s not an answer your mother would like.”

“Yes, I know.  I’ve been waiting for her to start up on the matchmaking.  I dread that.”

* * *

Two days later. . .

The Theme from Rocky caught Jordy’s attention.  It was the ring tone from her iPhone.  “Hello, this is Jordan Carlyle.”

“Jordy, this is Michael Simms.  How are you today?”

“Hi Michael.  I’m fine.  You?”

“I’m fine too.  I was wondering if you would like to have dinner tomorrow evening.”

“I don’t know, Michael, I’m pretty busy trying to get the proposal off the ground for this new sub-division.”

“You have to eat.”

“You sound just like my mother.  She is always saying the same thing.  Can I meet you somewhere?”

“What about Perry’s on the Town Square at seven?”

“Sounds good.  I’ll see you then and thanks for calling.”

***

She managed to get home around five for a change.  “Jordy, would you like to go out for dinner with Dad and me tonight?”

“No thanks, Mom.  I’m meeting someone for dinner.”

“Someone I know?”

“I don’t think so.  It’s someone I met at work.”

“Are you going out with Michael Simms?”

“Yes, I am, Dad.  He called yesterday, and we’re meeting at Perry’s on the Square.”

“I told you he had his eye on you.”

“You’re as bad as Mom.  It’s just for dinner, nothing special.”

“What’s he like, Jim?”

“He’s about 6’ 3”.  Dark hair and quite handsome.  He couldn’t keep his eyes off Jordy in the meeting.”

“Where does he work?”

“First City.”

“Would you guys let me know where and when you’re having the wedding?” Jordy said, shaking her head as she left the room.

“Is this serious, Jim?”

“I don’t think so, they just met Wednesday.  She told me yesterday she doesn’t have time for a man in her life right now.”

“I hate to hear that,” Marian said.

“I told her you wouldn’t like what she said.  She says she dreads you getting into the matchmaker mode.”

“Well, someone has to.  It doesn’t look as if she’s going to make any moves.”

“Give her time.  Her goal right now is to get this project going.  She’s trying to prove something to Hank.”

“Do you think they’ll get back together?”

“I doubt it.  His lack of compassion when I had the stroke made her mad.  He refused to consider Houston, and you know she’s wanted to work with me since she was a little girl.  Now she’s out to show him what he missed out on.  She’ll do it too.”

* * *

Jordy met Michael in the lobby of the Perry’s Steakhouse.  Heads turned as she walked in, wearing a blue sun dress with white dots, carrying a small white clutch.  She was wearing white sandals.  Her blonde hair in the pageboy cut she liked.  She walked with the grace of one who is beautiful and completely unaware of it.

Michael stood and walked over to her and said, “You are stunning!  I’m going to be the envy of every man in the restaurant.”

“Why thank you, sir,” Jordy said with a slight curtsy.  “How has your day been?”

“You know, just passing out and collecting the filthy lucre, like any ordinary run of the mill banker.  And yours?”

“I spent a good part of mine rustling up data for that bank of yours.”

“Let’s not spend the evening talking shop.”

“I’m up for that.”

They were shown to a table in one of the quieter sections of the restaurant.  “Would you like a drink?  Wine?”

“Thank you; I’ll have a glass of chardonnay.”

He told the waiter to bring the bottle.

“So, where did you go to school Jordy?”

“You can’t tell?  I’m from a long line of Aggies.  Undergrad and grad in construction engineering.”

“Lord, deliver me from Aggies!”

“Don’t tell me you’re a Tea sip?”

“Only undergrad, I have an MBA from Harvard.”

“I’m impressed.”

“As long as we’re telling all, why hasn’t someone as beautiful as you been snatched up by now?”

“I was engaged, but I broke it off or we broke it off when Daddy had the stroke.  I told him I had to move back to Houston, and he said no way for him, and if that’s what I wanted, then that was it.  It was over a year ago.  I’ve been too busy to go out much since.”

“Well, my girlfriend decided she couldn’t live in such an uncivilized part of the world, and she broke it off suddenly about two months ago.  She thought with my MBA from Hahvad I should be conquering the financial world from New York.  It was a rough time for me.  This is the first time I’ve been out since we broke up.”

“Well, thank you for choosing me to break your fast.”

“I guess we’d better look at the menu.  Our server is probably getting a bit antsy.”

“Oh, let him.  I haven't been out in a long time.  I want to savor the feeling.  I don’t know when I’ll get the chance again.”

“Your dad an Aggie?”

“Yes, Mom too.  We’ll probably be snarling at each other before the evening is over.”

“I hope not.  I’m enjoying the company.”
 

“As am I.”

She told Michael what she would like
, and he gave the order to the waiter.  “There, that should take care of him for a while.”

They talked about a myriad of subjects before their dinners were brought out.  Jordy’s perception of Michael was he was just a good old boy showing no ill effects from his unfortunate choice of educational facilities.  She told him so, and he laughed out loud.

“You have a nice laugh.  You should use it more often.”

“I’ve isolated myself so much into the business there hasn’t been much of an opportunity to exercise it.  When Michelle broke up with me, I thought it was the end of the world.”

“Where is she now?”

“Where else, New York City.”

“Do you think we should introduce them to each other?”

“No, not unless old what’s his name would leave Dallas, because she sure won’t leave New York.”

“We had planned to go to Belize on our honeymoon.  I already had the tickets,” Michael said.

“Could I make a special request?  How about we don’t talk about old what's-his name and old what’s her name.  They made their beds, let them lie in them.”

“Together?” Michael said.

“Why not?” And she giggled and blushed.  Her laugh sounded like little bells ringing.  Michael joined in with his deep throated chuckle.

Jordy had a thoughtful expression on her face and was looking off into space.

“Penny?”

“What?  Oh I’m sorry.  I was just thinking you are very easy to talk with Michael.”