This Tangled Thing Called Love: A Contemporary Romance Novel (5 page)

“Oh. Well, maybe you could show me some of your drawings some time.”

“Sure.” Claire smiled. Amber and she were going to be friends.

Drawing plucked Claire from obscurity. Once she discovered her talent, she became the go-to person for any of the school’s art projects. She did all the art for the class newspaper, drew banners for cookie sales, and designed posters for school plays. She was no longer the fat kid, but talented and cool Claire. Everyone knew her name, and even if that was because of what she could do and not because of who she was, she did not care.

Then, in her senior year of high school everything changed. Over the course of the summer, the weight had come off. Claire did not change anything about her diet, which had been strict for years, or her exercise routine, which had always been robust. Just like her mother had promised, it was as though she had emerged from a cocoon of baby fat. Suddenly, her stomach grew taut, her legs became shapely, and her hips grew slim. The only reminders of her once ample body were her boobs, which remained a solid C cup.

When she returned to school, it was as if the world had turned on its head. Suddenly, guys started noticing her and she did not know what to do with herself. Inside, she was still the same chubby Claire.

She turned to drawing with doubled intensity, hoping to find anchor in the familiar. The fact that the time for college applications was right around the corner did not make matters any easier. She knew she wanted to pursue her passion for art, but she
also knew that she did not really have what it took to be an artist. Her paintings were well-executed and precise, but they lacked spontaneity or passion.

Claire’s question got answered when she visited an exhibition of architectural drawings during a school field trip. Yes, she could draw, but what she really wanted was for her drawings to have a real life application. There was nothing more beautiful and reassuring than the solidity of a straight line. External appearances could change on a whim, but the serene beauty of an architectural drawing would be hers to control.

Chapter 5

“Claire?”

Startled, Claire looked up. “Jake! Don’t sneak up on me like that.”

“Firstly, I wasn’t sneaking up on you. You were sitting at your desk, day dreaming. And secondly, better me than the boss. Here, I thought you might need this.” Jake placed a cup of Starbucks on Claire’s desk.

“You’ve got a point there,” Claire agreed. She had been so lost in her thoughts that she did not even hear Jake come in. “Thanks for the coffee.” She took a sip, grateful for the jolt of caffeine.

“So, how was your weekend?” Jake settled behind his desk, which was adjacent to Claire’s. Only the senior partners had offices. The rest of the architects had their desks out in the open space.

“Fine. How was yours?”

“Just fine? What, no swinging from the chandeliers, no romantic getaways?”

“Nope. Oh, we did go to an opening at the Metro club.”

“That’s it? I would think that dating David Lawson would be more exciting than that.”

“Well, David Lawson happens to be very serious about his work.” Claire smiled dreamily, remembering David’s call from last night. No matter how busy he got, he never forgot to wish her goodnight.

“Don’t tell me that the heir to the Lawson empire works on weekends.”

“Almost every Saturday and sometimes on Sundays as well.”

“What is this world coming to? Next thing you’ll be telling me is that you’re going to keep your job after he marries you.”

“Whoa! Who said anything about marriage?” Claire was genuinely startled by Jake’s question. “We’ve only been dating for a few months.”

“A few months?
Hello! It will be a year two weeks from now.”

“Looks like someone has been keeping track.”

“Well, someone has to if you’re too oblivious to do it yourself.”

“That reminds me. I have to get David an anniversary gift, but I have no idea what to buy him. The man literally has everything.”

“That should be a no-brainer. All you have to do is wrap a ribbon around yourself, and I’m sure that David will be pleased as Punch.”

“Big help you are.” Claire shook her head. Jake was a notorious tease, and she would not give him the satisfaction of being embarrassed by his silly innuendos.

“Well, I’m a man and that does give me some credibility when it comes to picking gifts for other men, but do as you wish.” Jake grinned. “Has David mentioned anything about what he wants to do for your anniversary?”

“No, not yet.”

“Well, I’m sure it’s going to be something really special. He might just pop the question. That’s what I would do if I were dating you.” Just then, Jake’s brown eyes locked with hers, and Claire looked away.

“What are you talking about, Jake?” Claire pretended not to hear Jake’s last comment. “It’s way too soon. I love David, but neither of us is ready to settle down.”

“It’s never too soon to claim a good woman.” Jake sighed. “If I could ever meet one, I’d settle down in a jiffy.”

“Yeah, like you’ve ever had any difficulties in the dating department,” Claire quipped. Jake Walker had been Claire’s office mate for almost a year, and she had heard plenty of dating stories from him. At five nine, Jake Walker was all charm and suaveness. What he lacked in height, he made up with warm, brown eyes, a devilish smile, a rock-hard body, and last, but not least, an incredibly sharp wit and intelligence.
Maybe too much intelligence
, Claire thought. Having been privy to Jake’s dating escapades for almost a year, she had come to the conclusion that Jake’s choice of physical characteristics in women contradicted the demands of his mind.

“Quantity doesn’t always translate into quality.”

“Save me your womanizing woes,” Claire grinned. “I’ve got to get back to work.” With that, she turned her attention to the drawings on her desk. If she were not careful, she could easily whittle away the day chatting with Jake.

Claire frowned over her current project – a renovation of an office interior. It was her task to design a more efficient layout, so that the greatest amount of cubicles could be fitted within the twenty floors of office space. To say that this was not the most exciting assignment of her life would be an understatement, but it still had to get done before the deadline. Her favorite projects were when she got to work on exterior design. A few weeks ago, she had finished drafting drawings for a twenty-story addition to be built atop a Manhattan brownstone. Air rights had become the hottest commodity in Manhattan. When structurally possible, it was a much cheaper option to build a sub-structure on top of an existing building rather than demolish the old building and re-lay the foundation, and it made it a lot easier to get the building permit. But lately, with the recession lingering on, new construction projects were few and far between, and Claire was getting more and more interior design work on her desk. Not that she minded. She was lucky to be doing what she loved. Well, most of the time, and she was employed by the most prestigious architectural firm in New York.

“Any big plans for tonight?”

Startled by Jake’s voice, Claire looked up at the clock. It was almost six o’clock. She had been so intent on rearranging cubicles in AutoC
AD that she lost track of time.

“Just dinner with Amber.”

“Amber…” Jake lowered his voice to a husky baritone, wiggling his eyebrows. “I’ve heard so much about this hot PR friend of yours. When am I going to meet her?”

“I think you’ve got enough conquests as it is.” Claire reached for her bag. The truth was that she was protecting Jake for his own good. She had no doubt that Amber and Jake would hit it off. The only problem was that Amber’s interest in men changed faster than a streetlight.

“All right then, I’ll see you tomorrow.” Jake logged of his computer and rose from his seat.

“See you tomorrow.”

Claire stayed behind, reasoning that it did not make sense to go home, since she was supposed to meet Amber at seven and the restaurant was only a few blocks away from her office. She figured she might as well go on with slating cubicles and rearranging doorways. For the next hour, Claire lost herself in the methodical rhythm of her task.

It was so quiet in the office that the ringing sound of the telephone made her twitch. Once she recovered her composure, Claire smiled at the sight of David’s number on the caller id.

“Hey.”

“Hey, honey. You’re still in the office? They are working you too hard. Maybe I ought to have a word with your boss.” David’s voice chimed in the receiver.

“Look who is talking. You’re working all kinds of hours at your job.”

“Yes, but I’m a man. Men are supposed to work hard; we aren’t much use for anything outside the office.”

“Well, I would certainly disagree with that.” Claire smiled, thinking that there were quite a few uses she could think of for David outside the office, a number of which involved her bedroom. “And have you forgotten that this is the twenty-first century, or have the last eighty years of women’s lib been lost on you?”

“All right then. Have it your way. W
hat do you have planned for to
night?”

Claire’s heart lurched at the thought that David might come over. Immediately, she started thinking about washing her hair and the pretty slip she had bought in a
SoHo
lingerie shop on Sunday.

“Having dinner with Amber. Would you like to join us? It was supposed to be a girl’s night, but I’m sure Amber could make an exception.”

“I’d love to, babe, but I’m stuck at the office. Tell you what. Once this deal closes, I’m all yours.”

“I’ll remember that, and I’ll hold you to your promise.” Claire forced her voice to sound light despite the letdown.

“Have I ever not kept my word?”

That was the thing about David Lawson Claire loved most – he never made promises he could not keep.

“Nope and I don’t expect you to start now.”

“I won’t. I’ve got to go. Bye, Claire. I love you.”

“Love you too,” Claire replied after a moment’s beat. Telling David that she loved him was still new to her. Of course, she had been smitten with him ever since they started dating, but it was not until recently that the two of them had openly voiced their feelings for each other. Each time David told her that he loved her, she still felt giddy with disbelief.

An hour later, Claire was walking down Fifth Avenue toward DB Bistro, a French restaurant, where she was supposed to meet Amber for dinner.

“Hi, there.” Amber rose from the barstool.

“Hey.” Claire reciprocated Amber’s air kiss.

The hostess promptly ushered them to a secluded table by the far wall that could easily sit four.

“Prime real estate,” Claire observed, noticing the packed restaurant.

“It’d better be – I’ve agreed to do their PR campaign.” Amber’s public relations firm had really taken off over the past few years. Of course, the fact that her father was one of New York’s most prominent attorneys helped contribute to her success, but so did her work ethic and her gorgeous looks. At five nine and one hundred and ten pounds, Amber could have easily been a model or a movie star, but she turned to business instead, reasoning that while good looks did not last, money and influence did.

The waiter came by and took their drink orders – a lychee martini for Amber and a passion fruit Cosmo for Claire.

“By the way, I meant to thank you for bailing so early from the Metro opening.”

Claire did not fail to notice the sharp sarcasm in Amber’s voice.

“Amber, I’m sorry. David was really tired and he wanted to get going…”

“Forget it. I was only pulling your leg. It would have been nice to get a few pictures of the celebrity couple, but I still managed to get that Yankees pitcher who just got signed on and several Calvin Klein models, so I guess that should do it. Speaking of Calving Klein models….” Amber’s eyes brightened.

“You didn’t!” Claire shook her head, remembering the hunk Amber was dancing with at the party.

“Yes, I did. And if you were not dating one of New York’s most eligible bachelors, you would too.”

“So, is this another fling, or do you think there m
ight be romance in the cards?”

Knowing Amber’s track record, the question was rhetorical in nature, but Claire decided to ask anyway.

“Only time will tell.” Amber smiled mysteriously as she opened the menu.

“Oh?”

“He’s taking me out to dinner tonight.”

“He must be special then.” Claire picked up the menu. Usually, Amber only went out with powerful suit types in public.

“He is, actually,” replied Amber after the waiter had brought their drinks.

Taken aback by the seriousness of Amber’s tone, Claire looked up.

“Gee, Amber. That’s great. Tell me more about this mysterious stranger.”

“Well…” Amber shifted in her seat, sipping her drink. “At first I thought he was just another model. You know, hot body, no brains. But then we started talking, and Adam seemed like a genuinely nice guy. Smart too. He majored in acting, but he couldn’t make a living with that, so he turned to modeling and got signed on by Calvin in less than a year. Oh, and he also minored in philosophy.”