Page 7 of The Aries Alliance (BLP Signs of Love #14)
Proposition
After my call with Scarlett, I was confident that I was making the right move with her.
Although it seemed that I went from zero to one hundred with a request to meet me in Ramston, I knew the minute that she left my office, she was the perfect Bonnie to my Clyde.
Her feistiness ignited a fire in me no one else had in quite a while, maybe never.
Sure, I violated almost every EFU HR protocol, but my gut told me that Scarlett was worth crossing boundaries.
She was a risk-taker, and despite her calling me a sellout, I was a risk-taker too.
I could have invited her to my place or could have driven to her house in ten minutes, but we needed uninterrupted time alone, on neutral ground, to silence workplace noise and move beyond our biases about each other. Ramston was the perfect place to share our stories on our terms.
Scarlett passed her first test with flying colors when she agreed to meet with me.
I threw in a request to wear something sexy to see if she could move past her need to be in control.
That dominance was appropriate for taking down the system, but it would cause problems if we decided to work together and she couldn’t follow my lead.
I didn’t need anything to break down what I had in store for her.
After hitting the gym, I rushed to the Trader Joe’s near my home.
My grown tail practically skipped and hummed down every aisle as I thought about my pending rendezvous with Scarlett.
By the time I loaded the six bags of groceries into the trunk of my Audi coupe, I’d already given myself an honorary award for Host of the Year.
Scarlett and I would lack for nothing. We wouldn’t have to leave the house if we didn’t want to.
On the way to the cottage, I called my sister, Tiffany, who answered on the first ring.
“To what do I owe the pleasure of a call on a Friday night, baby brother? Is Mommy okay?” Within seconds, Tiffany’s voice lowered.
Tiffany and my mother weren’t as close as my mother and I were. Call it my healed sister clashing with my still-healing mother. Like my work role, I was their facilitator.
In her subtle way, Tiffany called out my workaholic tendencies. I wanted to defend my choices to prioritize my HR role above almost anything else, but I kept my mouth closed. Now wasn’t the time for me to argue with my best friend.
“Calm down, big sis. Last I heard, Mom was fine. I need your advice, though.”
Tiffany remained silent. I continued before I talked myself out of sharing my plan.
“Remember that militant woman from work I told you about a while ago?”
“Yeah. The Black lady whose mouth you said was worse than a bull in a China shop?”
Shame overtook me as I rubbed my goatee. That ugly description of Scarlett was unwarranted and immature.
“That lady’s name is Dr. Scarlett Kane. In her defense, EFU is a rough place to work. She was harmed by her work experiences like Mommy.”
“So, you’re defending her now?”
“Our relationship has shifted.” I paused and took a big breath. “That’s why I’m going to comfort her in a weekend escape.”
“What do you mean, comfort her?” Tiffany’s raised voice caused me to lower the volume on my phone.
For the first time since my decision to meet with Scarlett, I forced myself to process the complexity of the situation I was getting myself into.
“No matter how many degrees you have, you’re not her therapist. What you’re doing sounds dangerous. If she’s broken, you could damage her more. You’re colleagues, Warrick.”
Tiffany was correct. I rarely extended myself emotionally for anyone, especially a stranger. Despite her list of cons, I was determined to enter uncharted territory and become an accomplice for Scarlett in her quest for justice.
“I’m going to help her get vindicated at work. It’s time for me to execute that plan I shared with you a while ago. I’m making myself available to a woman who’s worthy to receive what I have to offer.”
“You’re speaking about professional availability, right? ’Cause I know you’re not talking about marriage.” Tiffany’s awareness that I didn’t cling to women unless it was to their warm bodies on cold nights stung a little.
“Hell no. It’s not that deep. Available as in a mutual exchange. Scarlett meets my professional needs, and I meet hers. She has potential, though. She’s funny and matches me physically and emotionally. We could make a great team.”
“Are you willing to explore that without going to war with her, War?”
Tiffany refused to use my nickname unless she thought I was being toxic. I pushed her unspoken judgment aside and thought about how I wanted to answer her question. I’d never been good at lying to her.
“I think so. She’s the type of woman I would be willing to put myself out there for. She needs a friend, a protector.”
“Aww.” Tiffany’s gushing embarrassed me, reminding me of how she used to tease me and pinch my cheeks when I was a little boy.
For some reason, I felt shy sharing this vulnerability with my sister. Instead of overthinking my choice, I refocused on Tiffany’s question.
“How did you vet her?”
I pondered Tiffany’s words and gripped my steering wheel tighter.
“No matter how hard people came at her, she didn’t give up on getting to the heart of problems. It was superhuman.
Although she’s in the organization, she’s not consumed by its rewards.
Because of that, she moves differently, like a queen with no fear.
She puts herself in harm’s way so others can thrive.
She is justice in action. Solid with unmatched integrity. ”
“Does she know you’re crushing on her?”
“Crushing, . . . no.” I answered quicker than was necessary as I tried to process Tiffany’s claim.
It may not have been a crush, but I couldn’t deny feeling somewhat jittery about my meeting with Scarlett. I was already intrigued by her mind. If she was willing, I wouldn’t mind getting a peek at her body too.
“Scarlett reminds me of my why. There are a lot of innocent people at EFU. I want to ease her pain and theirs if I can. Does this make sense?”
“Matters of the heart rarely make sense. Scarlett’s pulling emotions from you that I’ve never seen. Lean into whatever this is. Give yourself space to open up and learn something new. Maybe you’ll heal too.”
I pulled my gray Audi into the cottage’s driveway and let the engine idle, thinking about what healing meant to me. I had a habit of throwing my feelings under a rug and working nonstop to avoid thinking deeply about situations that would challenge my values. Maybe I should heed Tiffany’s advice.
“I’m at the house. Add this session to my tab. I’ll keep you posted about everything. I appreciate you more than you know.”
“Anytime, Warrick. Be good to yourself. Love you.”
I pictured Tiffany cheesing hard, mirroring our mother’s sweet smile.
“Love you too.” I hung up feeling content and even more excited about the time I would spend with Scarlett.
I exited the car and took in the property around the cottage. It was neat and idyllic, a perfect starter home for newlyweds, but in my case, the ideal place to bury the hatchet with Scarlett. I opened the trunk and unloaded the groceries.
When I entered the front door of the cottage, the fresh smell of household cleaner met me.
Natural light from the double-hung windows shone on the spotless wooden surfaces, further confirming how clean the space was.
I exited and returned with all my bags and materials, reality hitting me that I would be alone in this pristine oasis with a woman who intrigued and stimulated me beyond my comprehension.
I walked to the back of the house and checked the remaining spaces, reserving the master bedroom with its earth tone décor and romantic canopy bed for Scarlett.
To relieve nervous energy, I returned to the kitchen and seasoned a family pack of New York strip steaks and thinly cut chicken breasts for the outside gas grill.
As the meat marinated in the refrigerator, I cleaned and cut up celery, carrots, and broccoli for snacking.
Finally, I made a fruit salad of green grapes, strawberries, and ripe blueberries before prepping our evening meal.
An hour later, after showering and getting settled, I sat thumbing through fitness magazines at the round table in the surprisingly intimate, unpretentious dining room, with its low lights and soundproof walls. It offered the perfect ambiance for what I had in mind for Scarlett.
After setting the table for dinner, I closed my eyes and rested my back against the comfortable, high back of the bench chair in the dining room, which offered the right amount of support after today’s kickboxing session.
There was nothing like working out my frustrations by punching big bags instead of the faces of those who deserved to have their teeth knocked out with my fists.
The ding of the grandfather clock in the front room alerted me that it was after seven, the time Scarlett and I agreed to meet. Five minutes later, I wondered if Scarlett had changed her mind. I was seconds away from calling her when the doorbell rang.
I rose and took a deep breath, suddenly nervous for what would meet me when I opened it. Was I moving too fast or assuming too much? I shook my arms and reached high to stretch, before walking to the door. I grabbed the doorknob before taking a final big breath, plastering a grin on my face.
When I opened the door, my grin transformed from professional to authentic. Scarlett was cute and pretty at once, displaying a softness that contrasted with her persona from earlier in the day.
“My, my, my. You’re absolutely breathtaking, Dr. Kane.” I stepped back and checked Scarlett out.
I wanted to reach out and hug her but resisted the urge. Instead, I clasped my hands behind my back, taking in every inch of Scarlett’s curvy body with my eyes. I bit my lip until she lowered her eyes and blushed.