Renaissance: A Contemporary Erotic Romance (Iris Series Book 5) (3 page)

Present Day

“It’s gorgeous, Yan,” Tiffany squealed.  “I can’t believe you’re engaged!”

Ayanna beamed and looked over to where her new fiancé was standing.  “I know.  I can’t believe it myself.”

All of the friends were gathered at
Chez Catherine’s
, a Manhattan restaurant owned by a friend of Ayanna’s.  It had recently opened after being closed for renovations and now the circle of friends stood in their section of the room celebrating the engagement of Ayanna Sarin and Jonathan White.  Jonathan had finally popped the question to his ballsy Sri Lankan beauty on Valentine’s Day.  The friends were now together to celebrate some days later.

“You deserve it,” Janie Callahan said, another girlfriend, and Tiffany’s soon to be sister-in-law.

Ryann Thornton, yet another friend in the bunch, wrapped her arm around Ayanna’s waist and pulled her bestie of many years to her side.

All of the women smiled at each other, one by one thinking about the last few crazy months.  Since December alone, three of the girlfriends had gotten engaged to their significant others.  The only two left were Tiffany, and Emily White, Jonathan’s cousin.  Emily was in a serious relationship with Janie’s brother, Mike.  She would certainly be beating Tiffany to the altar.

Hell, everyone would be beating Tiffany to the altar.  Did she even want to get married again?  Yes, she knew she did.  But she had married so young the first time and she had needed this time to find herself again.  That thought caused Tiffany to look over toward Drew Huntington.  He was smiling and talking with some of the guys at the other side of the table and although he’d made eye contact with her and acknowledged her with a smile, they hadn’t spoken yet.

It had been exactly 50 days since New Year’s Eve and the debacle that had become Tiffany’s embarrassing introduction into the New Year.  She knew she needed to talk to Drew, but she was so mortified at her behavior, that she hadn’t had the balls to go up to him yet.  He’d texted her a couple of days after the New Year’s party to check in on her and they had a short back and forth, but that had been the extent of their communication.  He was obviously respecting her space because he had yet to approach her.

He’s probably tired of your insecurities. Can you blame the guy? You even annoy the shit out of yourself, Tiffany.

“Well, Em.  It looks like you’re next,” Tiffany quipped, sending a humorous look to her friend and attorney.

Attorney Emily White had actually been the woman who’d inspired Tiffany to start the charitable foundation called
Renaissance Girls
, almost five months earlier.  The idea was born from Tiffany’s bad marriage and Emily’s own charitable program called
BoysToMENtoring
.  Emily’s program had begun that previous fall in a private high school in the City where Jonathan taught Business and Finance.  Jonathan, along with all of Tiffany’s girlfriends’ significant others, was a participant in the mentoring curriculum which was designed for boys in middle and high school. It called on men from the community to mentor the boys in conflict/resolution, as well as teach them healthy ways of relating toward women, touching upon topics such as domestic abuse and rape.  The program was implemented into PE and Health classes and was being piloted in a Boston middle school as well.

After years of being on the receiving end of a manipulative, as well as mentally and emotionally abusive husband, Tiffany was intrigued by Emily’s program.  It was that very program that made Tiffany form her plan for her own foundation.  Wouldn’t it be great to have a similar program where girls could also benefit from the same type of opportunity?  A safe place for them to go to, in the heart of the City, to proactively learn how to be strong women who stand up for themselves?  With Tiffany’s political connections and her business degree, she already had the ‘know how’ to get the foundation started.  Because she had some money of her own, but had also made a nice chunk of change from divorcing her rich ex that previous summer, it gave her a perverse pleasure to use it for building little girls up to prepare them for the Richard Hewitts of the world.

The men currently at the party were mentors in Emily’s program, including Drew, and Tiffany’s twin brother, Luke. Jonathan, whose engagement they were celebrating, was obviously there, as well as two men who were close family friends, Jeremy McCallister and Mike Callahan.  Jeremy, or Jem as family and friends called him, was recently engaged to Ryann Thornton.  Mike, Janie’s brother, was dating Emily.

Now, as Tiffany was starting her own foundation for girls, she called upon those same men, as well as her girlfriends, to give of their time and talent to help with offering classes after school.  She had an appointment with her architect in another week to finalize the details so they could be ready for the opening at the end of March to officially welcome them to the community in Harlem where the foundation was based.

“Yeah, well,” Emily finally replied, “if it were up to the Sergeant over there, we would be married already.”

“And if I know my brother at all, he’s got something cooking.  Not as good as me, of course.”  Janie smiled.  Together, she and Ayanna owned a local catering company in the City.  “As you know, he likes to plan things out and do elaborate surprises, so get ready, sweetheart,” she laughed to Emily. 

“I’m ready for whatever he dishes out,” Emily said with a beaming smile.

They all laughed knowing how true that statement was.  In addition to being an attorney for non-profits, Emily was a master in Krav Maga.  She was all of five foot nothing but she’d laid the giant Michael Callahan on his back more than once while tangling with him on the mats.  And the NYPD sergeant loved every second of it.  He was always the first to happily tell people that Emily was more than capable of kicking his ass.

“It’s hard to believe how much has happened,” said Ryann, the attractive auburn haired and hazel eyed woman.  She looked at her own engagement ring which had been put on her finger sometime in mid-December.  She and Jem had begun dating the summer before and their whirlwind romance seemed to inspire all of their friends, with Janie and Luke following suit with their own engagement on Christmas Eve.

It had been through Ryann that Tiffany had actually met Drew.  As a surgeon who specialized in gunshot wounds, his services were unfortunately needed the previous 4
th
of July when Ryann had been shot during a robbery at the Manhattan Institute for Art and Design where she worked.  That was how everyone had met him, and he had been welcomed into the circle of friends ever since.

Ryann reached her hand out to Tiffany and squeezed her arm.  “How are you doing?”

Tiffany knew she was asking about Drew.

“I’m working on it,” Tiffany mumbled.  “I just don’t want to get involved with someone until I feel a little more fixed.”

Janie snorted.  “When are any of us truly fixed, Tiff?”

Ayanna joined in, agreeing.  “Seriously, right?”

“Well,” Emily began, “as someone who’s been on the receiving end of all of your advice at one point or another, I can honestly say that the ‘baggage’ never goes away.  But it can be unpacked and rearranged so that it becomes more compartmentalized and manageable.  Then you start pickin’ through the stuff that’s in there and start chuckin’ it.  When you find the partner who can help you do that,” Emily said, “it’s all the better.”  She looked at Tiffany.  “I can think of someone who does a pretty good job of fixing people.  And there isn’t a doubt in my mind that he’d like to fix you, if you know what I mean.”  She wiggled her eyebrows.

They all chuckled and Tiffany smiled, slightly embarrassed.  “I must be the most annoying person in the world to him.  I mean, it’s been months since the divorce, and even longer since I was with the jerk.  When the hell am I going to get out of my head and just live again?”

“Richard did a number on you.  It’s understandable that it might take a while,” Janie said.

“I guess.  I’m just so tired of feeling this way,” Tiffany responded.

“Then stop,” Ayanna said, giving her a pointed look.

Tiffany let her gaze meet all of her best friends’ eyes.  Ayanna was right.  It was past time.  And as Tiffany let her mind latch onto the possibilities before her, she nodded and made a decision.

……

“Alright, Tony. I need a change.  It’s a new year, a new job, and a new life.  Do whatever you think is best,” Tiffany said to her hairdresser some days later while she looked at him in the mirror, her hair freshly washed.

Tony rubbed his hands with glee.  “Music to my ears.  I’m gonna make you look even sexier than you already are, girlfriend.  Heteros and metros, beware.” 

He grabbed his scissors and went to work.

It had been nearly two months since New Year’s, and she had finally decided she was going to call Dr. Drew Huntington.  Even though they’d seen each other a week and a half earlier at the engagement party, they’d spoken only once at the gathering.  He was polite as always, but after months of allowing her insecurities to stand in the way of making her interest in him known, it was evident he didn’t know how to act around her.  Rather than proactively seeking her out at the party, he allowed her to be the one to make the first move if she wanted to talk.  And of course, since she’d still been working on her ‘issues’ and her ridiculous nerves around him, that didn’t lead to many conversations.

She sighed as Tony cut and styled.  Well, she was done with being afraid.  She was ready.  And this new haircut was going to help her with her next move.  By the end of the forty-five minutes in Tony’s chair, she had a hard time recognizing the woman staring back at her; this confident, fearless woman who could take the world by storm in no way resembled the same woman who’d run away from the good doctor on New Year’s.

No, this woman wasn’t afraid of anything.  Tiffany looked into her light blue eyes and examined the new swing of her dark shorn tresses.  Its new length hit the top of her shoulders with her hair just a touch shorter in the back.  Parted on the side, the hair fell sexily over one eye, and the added layers gave her more volume.  Even though Tony had removed several inches, the cut still made her appear to have long enough hair to tie back in a ponytail or topknot.

She felt…lighter.  More free.  Taking a cleansing breath, she smiled brightly at Tony then gave him a hug.

“I love it.”

“You look gorgeous, which isn’t difficult to begin with,” he said happily, running his fingers through her hair, still primping and fluffing.  “What I wouldn’t give for your skin,” he muttered.  “You’ve got one of the most flawless complexions I’ve ever seen.”

She rolled her eyes, but said graciously, “Thank you.  It’s all thanks to the parental units, I’m afraid.  I can’t take any of the credit.”

Her dad, who worked for NATO, was an American of British descent and was tall and fair with light blue eyes.  He’d met Tiffany’s mom, a Spaniard, when she’d been working as a Communications Director and he’d been an American diplomat in Spain many years earlier. 

It wasn’t difficult to see how Tiffany’s mother swept Mr. Daniels off of his feet.  Her mom had been blessed with dark eyes, dark hair, olive colored skin, and curves that didn’t quit.  Both Tiffany and her twin, Luke, inherited the perfect blend of their DNA.  Their height and light blue eyes came from their dad, and their olive toned skin and black hair came from their mom, giving them their striking appearance.

“Well, either way, you’re a stunner.  And I’m honored you gave me free rein today.  Go out there and conquer the world.  I can’t wait to hear more about the foundation when you come back.”

“By that time, we’ll be up and running.  The first classes are due to start in May.  Maybe you can give some classes on the art of hair styling,” she suggested.

He raised his eyebrows and smiled.  “Now you’re talkin’.  I would love that.  Have your people call my people,” he joked.

“We’ll chat,” Tiffany said and kissed him goodbye.  Once the bill was squared away, she walked out of the salon with an extra swing in her step as she hailed a cab.

She was supposed to meet up with Emily, who was also her attorney, along with her architect, Todd, at the warehouse in Harlem in the next hour.  They were scheduled to discuss the last minute tweaks needed for the upcoming big fundraiser to be held in a few weeks. This fundraiser would be where they would officially introduce themselves to the neighborhood and to donors.  Tiffany wanted to get to the warehouse a little earlier to go through some paperwork before the afternoon appointments.

She arrived in Harlem several minutes later and climbed out of the cab to let herself into the building.  Once settled, she took a turn throughout the space to admire how far it had come.

The large cavernous warehouse was broken into several sections; a reception counter where parents could drop off their girls at the front, as well as a large gym mat area in the back for exercise and where Emily would teach Krav Maga.  In addition to that, there were several classroom spaces available that were walled at the bottom, but had clear glass at the top allowing everyone to see in.  They would be used by most of her friends who would be teaching various classes on disciplines or hobbies of which they were experts.  Along one side of the building was a private enclosed space designed to be a lounge for the staff, as well as Tiffany’s office and an area where girls could lay down if they were ever sick or needed to rest.  Finally, on the other side of the warehouse were locker rooms for the girls to store all of their belongings.