Irresistible You (5 page)

“Thanks, it’s good to be back, but I’m sure I’m gonna miss being out on the road.” He absently picked up the latest edition of Barron’s sitting on Trey’s desk and flipped through the pages.

“I hear you’re staying at the Ritz.”

J.T. nodded. “For the time being until I find a place, although Tony offered me his place in Alexandra now that he’s living in Philadelphia. But hotels have always seemed more like home to me.”

“Have you settled in yet?”

“Pretty much.”

“How’s Madi and the baby.”

“I haven’t seen her in a while, not since Raymond and Hope’s wedding reception. But I hear she’s getting big and that she and Tony are still in the soon-to-be-parents stage.” He tossed the magazine down and sipped from his cup.

Trey shook his head. “Raymond got married. I still can’t believe it.”

“Tell me about it. Marriage and settling down is the last thing on my mind at this point in my life. I agree with Keni. I need my freedom.”

Trey nodded his concurrence. “And how is Kennedy these days?”

“She’s still hiding out in Africa. I spoke with her the other day. She said that she intends to be there indefinitely or at least until Mamma Lou finds a new target.”

“It’s a good thing Mamma Lou isn’t our grandmother, we’d all be in serious trouble.”

A moment of silence elapsed as both men thought about their lives, assured that they were happy as bachelors for life.

“Dennis’s engagement blew me away,” Trey finally added. “How did that happen, I though Mamma Lou was just concentrating on Raymond?”

“No one saw it coming, least of all Dennis.”

“Sounds like Mamma Lou is really good,” Trey said. “I gotta give her her props. She’s made some good matches so far,” Trey confessed.

J.T. arched his eyebrow. “Are you interested in being next?”

“Me? No way man! I’m way too young for that. I’ve got my whole life ahead of me and I intend to keep it that way. I have no intention of being shackled down ‘til I’m eighty or ninety years old,” Trey said decidedly. “You on the other hand…” he chuckled leaving the statement open.

“…Have no intention of finding myself walking down the aisle anytime soon. I just don’t have time for a wife and family yet,” J.T. said.

Trey continued to chuckle. “Famous last words, I believe Dennis said the same thing. Now look at him. He’s meeting with wedding planners, picking out china patterns and choosing invitations.” Trey shook his head sadly at his friend. “I tell you man, this is totally unacceptable.”

J.T. smiled his understanding. “That’s right, you two used to run the clubs together. Now you’re on your own.”

Trey shrugged. “No biggie, just means that there are more lovely women out there for me.”

“Until Mamma Lou turns her attention in
your
direction,” J.T. said as he pointed across the desk to Trey.

“It’ll never happen. I’m way too smart for that. You forget who you’re talkin’ to. I am the
man
when it comes to side steppin’ that commitment thing. My record is clear, never even been challenged,” Trey said boastfully.

“I suppose that’s due to another one of your famous theories no doubt.”

“No doubt,” Trey added. He stood and cleared his throat. “You see you gotta know how to move on before the commitment thing even becomes an issue. Therefore your opponent loses the element of surprise. That’s what gets you caught, the “oops I slipped and fell in love” surprise thing. Once the surprise thing happens, you’re lost.”

Deciding not answer, J.T. gave his cousin a you’re-out-of-your-mind look. And the look said it all. Both men laughed with the anxious uncertain knowledge that Mamma Lou wouldn’t be interfering in their love lives.

“So what’s on your mind,” Trey asked as he slouched down behind his desk.

“Actually believe it or not, it’s Mamma Lou. I’m not so sure she’s isn’t up to something. She’s coming to visit this weekend and staying the week with Mom while Dad and Colonel Wheeler go fishing and that can only mean one thing.”

Trey looked at him sympathetically and nodded. “Matchmaking,” they replied in unison.

“Exactly, I think she’s using Mom’s love of the arts to throw me off guard.”

“So you
are
next.” Trey burst into laughter as he hit a few keys on the keyboard bringing up a betting grid. “I need to check the stats to see who had you going down in six months time.”

“Not so fast. I’m not down that aisle just yet.”

“So what do you intend to do?” Trey found it difficult to wipe the grin of his face.

“Beat her to the punch. I think Mamma Lou might try to set me up with a woman named Lena.”

“And you want me to run interference while you slip out of town?”

“Good plan but not feasible. I have too many things on my plate right now to leave town. Plus I need to get her off my back once and for all.”

“How?”

“I don’t know yet. It’s a shame I can’t make a preemptive strike like Sun Tzu’s
The Art of War
.”

“Now you’re talking,” Trey agreed. “
The Art of War
should be the playbook for all relationships. It’s a war out there man. And our side’s loosing.”

“Not another theory.” J.T. shook his head.

“I’ll tell you about that one later,” Trey promised. “What do you mean preemptive strike?”

“I mean go on the defense before she makes her first move.”

“Why don’t you?” Trey said.

J.T. smiled broadly and nodded. The idea had merit. The tactic would put her totally off guard and just might put her off her matchmaking game for good, or at least for the time being. “It can’t be that difficult.” He paused.

“Do unto others…” Trey added.

“…Before they do unto you.” J.T. nodded his head as an idea began to formulate. His mind whirled with possibilities. Then it came to him. It was absolutely perfect. All he needed to do was throw her off guard by already having a woman in his life.

 “A good charade ought to do it, but just long enough to get her off my back. A few days should work. Surely Mamma Lou wouldn’t interfere with true love. She’s too much of a romantic at heart to do that.”

“A charade,” Trey questioned.

“A rope-a-dope,”
J.T. replied.

“You intend to do a Muhammad Ali and punch her out.”

J.T. looked at Trey, who was chuckling. “Of course not, the rope-a-dope involves letting your opponent think that they have the upper hand. Then, when your opponent is worn down, you turn the whole thing around so basically I’ll be showing one hand while the other hand does all the work.”

“You completely lost me,” Trey said as he leaned into his desk.

“What you see isn’t always what you get.”

“Alright,” Trey threw his hands up, “enough of the cryptic rope–a-dope stuff. What do you have in mind?”

“Advertisers and magicians do it all the time, think of this as the old bait and switch. All I need is a pitchman to help set it up and a pawn to play the part of someone willing to be in love with me for a few days.”

“That’s perfect. I can do the pitchman no problem. But who you gonna get to be the pawn?”

“Good question?”

“It has to be a pretty convincing act. Everything is going to have to hinge on the person playing the role.”

“Exactly, I’d need someone already in town to make it look more convincing. She doesn’t necessarily have to be my type. But nothing too drastic or it’ll raise suspicions. She needs to be beautiful, independent, sophisticated, intelligent and sexy.”

“Yes,” Trey agreed readily. “She also has to be an excellent actress able to pull this off.”

“Agreed, but not a working actress and certainly not someone I’ve already dated for a while. The last thing I need with this is more complications.”

“True,” Trey agreed.

J.T. pondered a few moments then smiled and chuckled. “I’ll have to give this some more thought. The right person is crucial if this is gonna work.”

The room went still for a moment as J.T. calculated the possibility of his pawn. In his mind, he went over all the women he knew, but came up negative. Trey mentioned a few women he knew that might fit the bill, but they finally decided that they needed someone new, someone without previous ties to either of them.

“If this is going work, Trey warned, “you’re going to have to put some time in with this person. You can’t just set it up and move on, like its business as usual.”

“You’re right, I have to make this look good or Mamma Lou will see right through it and she’ll have me in her sights for wedded bliss in no time.”

“What’s the first step?”

“In any good plan, the first step is simple, know the enemy. I need some information on someone.”

“On who?”

“Lena Palmer.”

“Lena Palmer, Mitchell,” Trey muttered recalling the name.

“She’s a dancer.”

“No, actually I believe she’s a choreographer now.”

“Whatever,” J.T. tossed out nonchalantly. “Do you know her?”

“Yes, indirectly, I know of her. She and Aunt Taylor are on the Arts Commission together and they’re interested in purchasing a property here in town.”

“Yeah, I just heard. That’s what got me curious in the first place. Mamma Lou is the third partner and when she’s involved with anything, matchmaking can’t be far behind.”

“Wait, you think Lena Palmer is the lucky lady she’s going try and match you up with?”

J.T. nodded affirmatively.

“No way, I don’t think so.”

“Why not?”

Trey grinned. “Well, first of all I think Lena Palmer spends half her time in New York City. Then there’s the fact that that you have nothing in common with her. And of course there’s the obvious. She’s about fifty or sixty years old.” Trey’s laughter instantly erupted. “You’re starting to get a little paranoid my man,” he said as the laughter continued.

“So this thing Mom’s doing is real. She’s serious about the property and the money?”

“She’s serious,” Trey confirmed.

J.T. shook his head. Still, his gut feeling told him there was more to his mother’s sudden interest in setting up a place for the arts than met the eye. His thoughts raced to the one intersecting point of all three women, ballet.

“Tell me about this property.”

Trey reached over to his computer and brought up the details, architectural floor plans, construction records and schematics. He listed the pros and cons of the area, including the fact that the neighborhood was just beginning to see a new wave of commercial interest. Then, to be fair he outlined the risks involved. “I can email you a copy of all this, but the project has been in the works for months.”

J.T. nodded his appreciation. “Tell me about the Arts Commission.”

Trey shook his head. “You have been out of touch a while. About two and half years ago Aunt Taylor and several artist friends of hers in different fields developed the Arts Commission as a way to generate a more interest in D.C.’s arts and culture. They hold workshops and classes and also endow scholarships.”