Jonathon met her at the airport and they drove to
his hotel where he’d already booked her a suite of rooms. As
she deposited her belongings in the drawer, he bounced on her bed,
updating her on the benefit.
“ It
was cool. I mean they really do some good work. I was inspired. And she’s the project manager.”
“ She
as in the mystery woman you think will make the perfect bride?”
Jaime asked.
“ The
mystery woman I know will make a perfect bride,”
Jonathon said.
“ So
you asked her already?” Jaime asked straightening up from her
bags.
“ Yes
and no,” Jonathon hedged.
“ What
does that mean?” Jaime asked hands on hips.
“ It
means I made an initial foray into the fray. It's an ongoing
process.”
“ I’m
not James, don’t prevaricate with me boy,” Jaime warned.
Jonathon sighed, “Okay
fine, I propositioned her yesterday. She said no. I pushed. She asked
for time to think about it. I think she’ll see reason.”
“ She
refused huh? That is interesting,” Jaime said.
“ Yeah,”
Jonathon agreed.
“ When
do I meet this paragon of virtue?”
“ I
said I’d give her till tomorrow to decide. I thought I’d
send in the big guns then,” he said grinning at her.
“ Oooh,
am I your big gun Jonny? I’m sure there is some Freudian
analogy there we probably don’t want to explore too closely.”
“ Eww.
So you’ll go in for the final push then?” he asked.
“ Have
I ever said no to you?” Jaime asked.
“ Not
when it counted,” Jonathon said.
*****
Leila was on her third
cup of coffee when Martha walked into her office to tell her she had
a guest from the James Maitland foundation.
“ Who
is it?” she asked straightening her suit and pouring the rest
of the coffee in her money plant.
“ She
didn’t give me a name,” Martha said looking distressed.
“ Never
mind, send her in,” Leila replied.
A tall slim woman
walked in, she had long blonde hair and hazel eyes. She was a woman
past her prime judging by the crow’s feet around her eyes but
that could just be white skin cracking. She looked vaguely familiar.
“ Leila
Masters?” she asked seemingly surprised as she stopped short at
her doorway.
“ Yes?”
Leila said.
“ Huh,”
the woman said. “He didn’t say you were black.”
Leila frowned, “I’m
sorry, is there a problem?”
The woman started and
came forward hand held out in apology, “I’m sorry. You
must think I’m crazy. My name is Jaime Leary, I’m
Jonathon’s mother.”
Leila couldn’t
help it, her face fell, “I see.”
“ Do
you?” Jaime asked.
“ No,
not really,” Leila conceded.
Jaime laughed. “I
see why he likes you anyway,” she said looking her up and down.
“You’re very pretty in a Nubian princess type way.”
Leila didn’t know
whether to take offense or not so she said nothing.
“ Can
I buy you a cup of coffee perhaps?” Jaime asked her, further
throwing her.
“ Er..now?”
she asked.
“ Yes.
Don’t worry, I told your secretary I’m from the
foundation so it should still be considered a business meeting. And
just in case you need to account for your time, I do have a check in
my purse for you.”
Leila hesitated, her
head was whirling and she wasn’t sure what was happening right
now but she came out from behind her desk and followed Jaime out of
the office.
They went to the coffee
shop across the street. It was the middle of the day so the place was
relatively empty. They both ordered cappuccinos and then Leila sat
back and waited to hear what was what.
“ My
son told me what he offered you,” was her opening gambit. Leila
nodded.
“ It
sounds…” Jaime said.
“ Like
high class prostitution? Tawdry? Like selling my soul to the devil?”
Leila filled in for her. Jaime smiled.
“ Yes.
That’s probably what it sounds like to you if you’re
anything like Jonathon thinks you are,” she said.
“ And
you’re here to white wash it? To make it seem all okay?”
Jaime’s smile
widened, “I
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