Tender Touch (5 page)

“Bill, I—”

Lang began sorting notes Jade had left for
him. “Now I’m very busy. I’ll see you tonight.”

Kathy leaned forward with a contrite look.
“Baby, I’m sorry. It’s just... you know how much I love you. I just
want us to be together.” The cold, sophisticated veneer was gone,
replaced by a vulnerable woman desperate for the attention of the
man she adored.

“To the exclusion of everything else.”
Lang’s voice had a hard edge that sliced through the space between
them. “Even spending time with my son. I had to fight like crazy to
get my ex-wife to let him spend three weeks a year with me.”

“You know how much I enjoy having little
Derrick visit.” Kathy failed to sound sincere.

Lang gave a snort of skepticism. “Yeah, sure
you do. That’s why you throw temper tantrums whenever he asks to
spend time with me.”

“His mother uses it as an excuse to call my
house and throw herself at you!” Kathy snarled. “That witch still
wants you.”

“Now you’re back on this kick about Ilene.
What is it with you anyway?” Lang gazed at her with a sour
look.

“Bill, please. I didn’t come here to fight.”
Kathy tried to appease him.

“Then why are you here, Kathy?” Lang went
back to scanning the papers in front of him.

“I thought we could... Honey, let’s take a
long lunch together.” Kathy got up and crossed to stand beside him.
She stroked his hair. “Like we used to.”

“I’ve got too much to do today.” Lang
ignored her.

“You’re the boss. Take the rest of day off.
I set us up an appointment at Crown Travel. There is a wonderful
trip to Jamaica that would be just heaven.”

“No.” Lang still did not stop reading.

“I have pictures of the suite we’d have. It
has a view of the beach and this fabulous king-sized bed.” Kathy
leaned down to nibble his ear. “I always could make you forget work
with a certain touch in just the right place.” She reached down
toward his lap.

Lang pushed her hand away. “I can’t get away
right now. Excuse me.” He reached to open the desk drawer next to
her hip. “I need to get something.”

Kathy jumped back. “Why can’t we go? It’s
not like you don’t have able assistants.” She perched on the desk
edge again when he closed the drawer.

“Because there is a lot going on right now
that I personally have to attend to. Why don’t you run along so I
can get back to work?” Lang gave her a brief glance before picking
up another report.

Kathy’s face became rigid with anger. “Just
like that. Run along, Kathy.” Neither paid attention to the knock
on the door.

“Bill, Warren is going to bring you that...
Oh, I’m sorry.” Jade stopped just inside the door when she saw
Kathy. The look on the woman’s face made her back up. “It can
wait.”

“Come in, Jade. Kathy is on her way out.”
Lang stood up and took his wife’s arm. He walked her out. “Goodbye,
dear.” He gave her a perfunctory kiss on the cheek.

“We’ll continue this discussion later.”
Kathy scowled at him then directed her ire toward Jade. “Goodnight,
Ms. Pellerin.” There was no mistaking the belligerence in her
voice. She stalked off.

Jade cleared her throat. “I’m really sorry
for interrupting. I didn’t stop to think Mrs. Lang might still be
with you.”

“Don’t worry about it.” Lang seemed to have
already dismissed his wife from his mind. “Come in.”

Jade followed his lead and got back to
business. “As I was saying, Warren is going to come down this
afternoon.”

“Good. We can get started preparing for the
next legislative session. Now what about this note you left on
Senator Boudreaux?”

They spent well over an hour sorting through
notes from legislators who wanted to discuss health care issues in
preparation for committee meetings. The phone rang every ten
minutes it seemed. By four-thirty Jade was still busy even as she
waved goodbye to the other office support staff on their way
out.

“Jade, it’s been a long day,” Lang said. He
leaned against the door frame of her office.

“A long week, Mr.—”

“Ah-ah.” Lang held up a forefinger.

“I mean Bill. The weekend didn’t come too
soon for me.” Jade arranged items on her desk in a neat
configuration so as to make her day start off right on Monday. “Oh,
here are some more reports for you, but they can wait until next
week.”

“Thanks. Got big plans, I suppose.” Lang
spoke in a casual voice. He followed Jade toward the elevators.

“Yeah, dressing real comfortably and doing
nothing.” Jade laughed.

“Some of us are going out for dinner and
drinks. Why not come along?” They stopped in front of Lang’s
office.

“Thanks, but I’m meeting a friend.”

“Oh? Well, I see. Have a good weekend,
then.” Lang smiled at her and walked away waving.

“You, too,” Jade called out. She turned in
time to see the elevator door open with Shaena standing inside.

‘Taxi, ma’am?” Shaena beckoned to her with
energy. “Come on, let’s get out of this place and pretend we don’t
have to come back.”

Thirty minutes later they settled in at
their favorite seafood restaurant, Uncle Joe’s, savoring the
aromas. Jade nursed a diet soda while Shaena sipped iced tea. These
were their drinks since both were driving.

“Ah-hhh, that hit the spot.” Shaena smacked
her lips. She waved to several people who passed.

“What would we do without Uncle Joe?” Jade
let out a sigh of contentment.

Both women gazed around at the dining room
that had been a fixture since the early sixties in the black
community. An old jukebox blared blues tunes by Buddy Guy and Tabby
Thomas. Friends, some who had known each other since childhood,
laughed and talked with great animation. Waitresses called
customers by name.

“There would be a riot if Joe Junior ever
closed this place. And I’d be the ringleader.” Shaena switched her
attention to Jade. “Now about your social life.”

“Say what? How did we get onto this
subject?” Jade folded her arms in a defensive pose.

“I brought it up, that’s how. I just hate
seeing you acting like the Lone Ranger, girl.” Shaena put her
elbows on the table. “Listen, being lonely is not the cure for
being hurt by one man.”

“Thank you, Miss Ebony Advisor,” Jade
quipped.

“I’m being serious, work and more work is no
life. This guy I’m dating has a real fine friend. His name is
Norman.” Shaena sat forward.

“No, thank you.”

“Look, if Damon ain’t your speed, give
Norman a go. He’s very serious, a churchgoer and never been
married.”

Jade groaned. “What part of ‘no’ don’t you
understand?”

“Well, if not Norman, then... Hey, over
here!” Shaena stood up and gestured to someone.

“Is that Latonya with our order? About
time,” Jade said. She put a napkin in her lap.

Jade twisted around, expecting to see a tray
of food balanced by their waitress. Instead Damon walked up with
the fluid movement of an athlete sure of every step. He was wearing
dark green corduroy pants with a matching plaid shirt open at the
collar. His tan jacket was slung across his shoulder. His dark hair
was a frame of tight curls like lamb’s wool framing his face. She
let out a tiny gasp at the sight of him, so fine and smiling down
at her.

“Good evening. You ladies addicted to this
place like three- fourths of the black folks in Baton Rouge,
eh?”

“You bet. Join us.” Shaena maneuvered him
onto the seat next to Jade in the booth.

“I was just going to get take-out...but I
guess I could stay.” Damon hesitated only a few beats before
sitting next to Jade. “How are you, Ms. Pellerin?”

“Okay,” Jade replied. Her mouth felt like
cotton. Having him so close sent tiny jolts of delight through her.
A wild urge to inch closer until their thighs touched seized her.
In response, she moved toward the wall away from him.

Damon noticed her discomfort. “They’ll have
my order ready soon. I should be going anyway.” He turned away to
stare across the restaurant. “I have someplace to go.”

“Don’t be silly. Stay and eat with us.
Right, Jade?” Shaena shot her a look of disapproval at her
behavior.

Jade felt a tinge of guilt at his reaction
and Shaena’s admonishment. “Yeah, sure. No need to rush off.”

Right, stay here and help me make a pure
idiot of myself. Jade wondered if she could resist the strong
magnetic field this man radiated. No surprise women flocked to him.
A long moment of awkward silence stretched.

“Latonya, he’s going to eat in after all, so
bring his food with ours.” Shaena took control of the situation.
“Now that’s that. So y’all are going to be working on some project
I hear.” She looked from one to the other.

Jade cleared her throat. “Not exactly,
he—”

“Actually Ms. Pellerin will be working with
the director of the Gracie Street Center. I, uh, I’m on the board
of directors is all.” Damon darted a glance at Jade from the comer
of his eye.

Shaena suppressed a smile at the two of them
studiously avoiding eye contact. “I hear you helped get the place
started. It’s given kids a safe, clean place to hang out. Not a
small thing in that area of town.”

Damon’s dark eyes brightened. “Eddie has
worked real hard to give that neighborhood a center where people
could come together and be a real community again. I haven’t done
much really.”

“Don’t be modest. Why, you’ve given more
time and money than a lot of people have in this town. You even
sent a couple of those children to junior college.” Shaena studied
Jade. She smiled when Jade turned to Damon.

“That’s what kids living in such poor
neighborhoods need, a place to have some hope—which is why I’m so
glad about these grants we’ll be getting,” Jade joined in.

Damon nodded. “Yes, the most dangerous
person in the world is someone who feels he has nothing to lose.
Those kids are talented. But so are their parents. They deserve a
chance, too.”

“Exactly, when parents have a dream they can
be better parents. Your adult literacy program is tops in the
state. I mean, the program at Gracie Street,” Jade said.

“We’ve had a couple of the adult students go
on to more training and better jobs.” Damon took obvious pride in
the work being done at the center he helped create.

“And with the grant, you could direct more
center funds to helping Meals on Wheels to the elderly and the
Early Intervention Program. Why, the center could really grow,”
Jade continued enthusiastically.

“We hadn’t considered that—I guess because
grant money can dry up.” Damon shrugged.

“But you could start with grant money but
switch to a combination of United Way and Community Care funding.
Neither of those will see new programs. But they do fund programs
with a track record that could end without their help.” Jade felt
excited, thinking about all of the great things the center could
do.

“Now there’s an idea. Well, Ms. Pellerin, I
think you and Eddie will make a heck of a team.” Damon wore an
expression that said he was impressed.

Shaena stared at them for a few seconds.
“Whew, too much iced tea. Excuse me.” She slid from the seat and
winked at Jade as she walked off. Instead of rushing to the ladies’
room, she lingered to chat with a laughing group at a table several
feet away.

Jade watched her with a jaundiced eye. She
would get that little sneak later. Damon’s voice brought her back
to her predicament. She was determined to hide how attractive she
found him—an even harder task now that they were alone.

“You’ve got a real solid grasp on program
implementation and funding. You a social worker?” Damon looked at
her.

“No, my degree is in management. But I’ve
had extensive training in public health policy in the last eight
years.”

“So how did you get into human services? I
thought all you management grads went into business to make big
bucks.” He smiled at her. Smooth brown lips parted to reveal teeth
like pearls.

Jade fought to slow her breathing. Damon
Knight could melt icebergs with that smile. She braced herself
before speaking.

“I worked in the private sector for a while.
But one of my father’s friends recruited me to work with him when
he was appointed as regional manager for the Department of Social
Services. I got hooked on helping to shape public policy and
stayed.”

“Lucky for the state of Louisiana and me.
What I mean is, your expertise on this project will be a real
asset,” Damon added quickly. He tugged at his collar.

Jade did not look at him. She tried to press
down the rise of pleasure his words evoked. How many times had this
bashful act worked? “Thank you, but it is my job after all,” she
replied in a business tone. Darn, that sounded too prissy even to
me.

Damon sat erect. “Of course.”

Another of those awkward silences stretched
between them. Jade decided she could at least be more cordial to
the man. Especially since Shaena was determined to take her sweet
time getting back to the booth. The waitress refilled their drinks,
giving Damon a big smile and lingering as long as possible.

“I mean, I’m glad to have the opportunity to
work with you on this project. It will mean a lot to those folks.”
Jade twisted the drinking straw between her fingers.

Damon relaxed next to her. “It will. Look,
I’ll be at Gracie Street on Wednesday. Maybe you could schedule to
visit the.” He stared into his glass of root beer “If you’re not
tied up that is.”

Jade’s heart went thump at the simple
invitation. Her mind shouted “yes!” but she forced out a composed,
“I’ll check my calendar Monday and let you know.”

“What’s happening Wednesday?” Shaena seemed
to pop out of nowhere, a gleam of mischief in her light brown
eyes.

“Setting up a meeting is all,” Jade blurted
out.