The View from Suite 2100 (5 page)

“Martin Charleston?” I greeted him and held out a hand. “I’m Rowena Wilkes.”

“Really? Forgive me, but I was expecting someone much older,” He smiled broadly, echoing the exact thoughts I had about him. “This is a pleasant surprise.”

Dawg
, I thought!
Please
!

His smile was easy, admiring, but not unprofessional, and I found it interesting he was wearing Black by Kenneth Cole, the same scent Drew had been hanging with lately. I smiled when I got a whiff of it. I think he thought I was smiling at him and the truth was I was not sure I wasn’t.

I cleared my throat, “Please, Mr. Charleston, have a seat.”

We went through all the niceties new business acquaintances go through once he settled at the conference table. He crossed his legs, leaned back and requested that I tell him a little more about myself and 2-of-A Kind, Inc.

“I can do one better than that.” I told him and rose to leave the room. I felt his eyes following me when I excused myself to go grab one of our new brochures. I saw another look of subtle appreciation as his eyes continued to follow me back to my seat when I returned. My goose bumps surprised me. I thought about Drew again and felt ashamed I was even aware this man was apparently finding me attractive. I canned my smile, and tried to make sure all I was giving off from there were strictly business signals.

Martin Charleston was clear and concise on the services his laboratory offered, explaining the laws associated with private DNA testing, and confirming my reasons for deciding to make it a part of the application process for clients of 2-of-A Kind, Inc.

“I know there are going to be those who will opt out of my service rather than sign on if I include this requirement,” I said, knowing it was the truth. “But 2-of-a Kind is not like the online dating services – we are not an online service – we have people scrutinizing people before they ever reach our data bank! We’re not like any service that’s out there right now and I want to make sure I keep the bar real, real high.”

Martin turned the brochure over on the desk before him again and nodded. “It looks as though you’ve thought about just about everything.”

I was pleased he seemed impressed. “We discriminate, but not in the negative connotation of the word – we discriminate for safety, integrity, and quality. Our clients are serious about finding a good solid relationship or they shouldn’t be our clients. That’s my line of thinking.”

“You can never be too careful,” Martin concluded as he picked up his attaché and extended his hand about twenty minutes later. “If you like, we can do a few test samples this afternoon, say, one of you, and perhaps a staff member or two who wants to volunteer?”

I thought about it a moment more, making sure DNA was really the step I wanted to take after all. Although the majority of our match ups had gone smoothly, there had been one incident in which a male candidate acted suspiciously on a date. When we tried to contact him in regards to the situation, we discovered he was not who he pretended to be. It was frightening to think what might have happened and I decided then to take our security to a higher level. The DNA tests we were discussing would go a long, long way to lock in that new security. People with something to hide would surely be reluctant to sign on to our agency with that requirement! I made the decision.

“Let’s do that. I have a few early appointments, but I’m free after three today.”

“Free?” Martin asked.

I ignored the question and its implication, although I did feel my heart skip a beat. Am I crazy? I thought. I gave him an “enough of this” look. He reverted back to business, somewhat.

Chapter Eight

Alexia was in the reception area when I walked Martin out. We were surprised to see each other. I had no idea she was scheduled for anything at 2-of-A Kind, Inc., and I hadn’t mentioned to her that I was going to be working at this location when we had spoken on the phone the night before. You would have thought we were long lost friends who hadn’t seen the other for years the way we greeted one another.

“Well isn’t this a pleasant surprise!” I said, throwing my arms around her.

She hugged me back and started to chatter without a pause. “I just came to drop off a couple of leads for you. You know I’m looking out for you on the side lines! I was going to leave them with June. What are you doing here? And who was that fine, fine, fine brother that just walked out of here?” She acted like she was trying to catch one last peek at Martin as he disappeared through the door.

I laughed. “I work here! At least sometimes I do, and you wouldn’t believe what that brother does if I told you. Plus, now that you’ve got Sean you don’t need to be looking anywhere else!” I took her by the shoulder and gave her a little push towards my office. “But, have I got something to tell you!”

I’m sure my staff was trying to figure out what was going on in my office a few minutes later, and I was glad the cubicles where the clients processed their applications were soundproof, because when Alexia saw the ring flashing on the finger I dangled in her face she absolutely lost it!

“Oh my goodness, oh my goodness!” She kept squealing at the top of her voice. I thought I was going to have to run get her some water to revive her. She fanned as though she was about to faint. “He did it! He really did it! And will you look at the size of that rock?”

“Alexia, shhhhh!” I said, putting a finger to my lips. “I am so glad you are excited, but –“

Suddenly I couldn’t contain my own excitement any longer either. We looked at each other, she grabbed my hands and we danced around the room in circles, laughing like grade school girls around the maypole. I finally fell in a heap in my chair.

“Drew Ardmore for you on line one,” Lila’s voice rang loudly through the telephone. Alexia could hear what she said all the way across the room. She raised an eyebrow at me and winked.

I love the Four Seasons and I was really anxious to see Drew. The night before, with all its excitement, had begun to seem a little unreal, and now I wanted to see this man I planned to marry in the cold reality of daylight, but Alexia had just asked me about lunch.

“I would love to, but –“

“Today there can be no buts, okay. This lunch is important. I’ve asked mother to meet me there and I want us to tell her together that we are getting married.”

My mouth flew open. Drew wanted me to meet him and his mother, Gabrilla Ardmore, at the Four Seasons to break our good news to her. Hecky yes I would be there!

“Twelve-thirty? I’ll be there.”

He laughed mischievously, “I thought you would be.”

Alexia had no problem with my decision to meet Drew and his mother.

“Do you want a stake, a cross and some garlic?” She asked, winking at me.

“No. I really don’t want to have negative feelings about his mother, especially not now that she’s definitely going to be my mother-in-law. We just got off on the wrong foot in the beginning.”

“How so, Ro? Because you don’t come with pedigree papers from the Washington social scene she puts so much stock in? Or was it because you weren’t willing to kiss their Ardmore ass to get your foot in a few business doors? You kicked the doors down yourself?” Alexia’s eyes were snapping like a turtle. “Ha, you think she’s going to forgive you for that?”

“He’s their only son, the heir to the Ardmore name and money, and his mother has just gone overboard all these years in trying to control his life. Granted, she might not like me now, but I think when she realizes she can no longer control either of us she’ll come around.”

“My, my, my, girlfriend, you are from Kansas, aren’t you. A real Dorothy in Technicolor. Honey, your troubles have only just begun with that cow!”

“Alexia!”

Alexia blew me a kiss as she strolled towards the door. “Watch your back.”

Chapter Nine

I was tempted to cancel my 11 AM meeting with Sandra, the accountant with my CPA firm, but what we needed to discuss wouldn’t take more than a half hour. Her office was on 23
^rd
Street, just a little before Washington Circle, and that was the direction I needed to take to get to the Four Seasons Hotel anyway.

As much as I dreaded our appointment I knew I really needed to be able to scratch Sandra and the problem she was so disturbed about off my list today. I’d added up the cash I earmarked as personal entertainment, the line item she was questioning, and I concluded how I wanted to resolve the issue.

I guess in reality I have been a bit naïve. I’ve been in business nearly twelve years, and the firm Sandra works for, Atwater, Drexel, and Fairfax, has served as my CPA the entire time. This was the very first time any type of question has been raised by them about my financial operations, though. It will also be the last, I promised myself.

Grant it, I was a little evasive about the issue, which didn’t help anything. When Sandra asked just exactly what kind of entertainment had taken the line item from an average of about $350 a month to over $900 I side stepped her question. I don’t have a board of directors to answer to because I own all the stock in all my businesses, so I didn’t feel I had to answer to her either. Heck, I was thinking at the time, I pay Atwater, Drexel, and Fairfax! So, I just told her I had decided to allow myself more money for entertainment. She had frowned, but she didn’t press further. At least, not then.

Last week though, when I sent her this quarter’s cash recap and that figure had jumped to nearly $1,500 a month Sandra took the kid gloves off.

“I’m not about to put Atwater, Drexel, and Fairfax’s certification on this statement if I don’t know how to code this, Rowena. You haven’t provided me with receipts for over three-quarters of what you’ve drawn down here.” She had stormed into my office at Suite 2100 unannounced, hadn’t even bothered to stop at Carolyn’s desk and make sure I wasn’t busy. Her steel gray eyes had been unflinching when she stared at me, and I had gotten the distinct impression she really didn’t like me. It wasn’t the first time I felt that displeasure emanating from her. We were both about the same age, and other than her gray eyes, we actually resembled one another somewhat. She looked vaguely familiar the first time we met, although I couldn’t place where I might have known her from, but she had never been particularly friendly.

So, rather than press my luck, I wrote a check for $17,200 from my trust fund account and deposited it into my business account that morning. I planned to have her code it as an officer’s reimbursement and attribute it back to that line item. That would take care of it, hopefully, and from this point on my secret Sevens Plus Casino would be the last place on earth I’d ever go online again.

“I guess we can consider doing that.” Sandra said, when I explained how I wanted to handle the situation. “In an audit though, it is sure to raise eyebrows.”

I sat on the edge of the seat in front of her desk, anxious to leave. “Let’s hope I don’t get audited anytime soon. But, if I need to produce receipts for the expenditures I can.”

“I
bet
you can.”

Was it my imagination or had she emphasized the word ‘bet’? There was a sneer in her voice which made me uncomfortable. I felt vulnerable and defensive. I opened my mouth to try to justify myself, but closed it quickly. I stood up instead and held out my hand to her.

I hesitated, wondering if I should say anything yet, but then I thought how stupid it would be for me to be engaged to someone I didn’t feel comfortable mentioning.

“Drew Ardmore. We haven’t announced it officially yet, so you are one of the first to know.”

Sandra’s face bleached and I noticed she took a step backwards. It was so obvious my words had an impact on her I felt compelled to ask, “Do you know Drew?”

“No, not well – not well at all, but I know the family.” She regained her composure as quickly as she had lost it. “I wish you the best of luck with them – I mean with him.”

Chapter Ten

My cell phone started ringing as I turned onto Pennsylvania Avenue. I was only a few minutes from the hotel and thought maybe it was Drew making sure I was going to be on time.