The Best of All Page 5

  A block over from the hotel was a NASCAR Hall of Fame Museum, but Surry wasn’t much into cars. The directory also mentioned a Levine Museum of the New South. But this museum featured a lynching photography exhibit that was on display until December 31 and a permanent exhibit on the cotton fields. Surry didn’t have the stomach to view either of those exhibits at this point in her life, so she continued her search for something to do in uptown Charlotte.

  Then she ran across information on the Harvey B. Gantt Center for African-American Arts + Culture. That sounded like the perfect way to spend the afternoon. So she jumped in the shower and then changed into a pair of black slacks and a purple blouse with a loose-fitting silver chain around her waist. She put on sensible black shoes, since she would be walking to the museum. On the way out of her room, she grabbed a light jacket, because even though it was late November, it was about seventy degrees outside. Surry was pleasantly surprised to see that the uptown area of Charlotte was kept rather clean. But that might have to do with the fact that the banking industry was big in Charlotte.

  The museum was displaying an exhibit titled “America I Am: The African-American Imprint.” She was excited to see this exhibit, because it was about the achievements of African-Americans over the past hundred years. She also liked the fact that Tavis Smiley had pretty much developed this display. The exhibit spanned more than ten thousand square feet. Within that space were more than two hundred artifacts and other documents that provided perspective on the ways in which African-Americans helped to shape the economic, sociopolitical, cultural and spiritual atmosphere across America. As far as Surry was concerned, that was something to shout about.

  Of course Martin Luther King Jr. was prominent within the display. But what made this exhibit unique was that music star Prince’s guitar was on display in the “America I AM” exhibit also. So was the very typewriter that Alex Haley used to write his Pulitzer Prize winner, Roots. Rare artifacts were in the exhibit. The exhibit also included a life-size picture of the inauguration of Barack Obama, the first African-American president. Standing in front of that picture, Surry reflected on the feeling of euphoria she’d had when President Obama was elected and reelected.

  Then her thoughts turned to the men and women who helped President Obama get where he was. The nameless faces of those people would probably never end up on a wall like this, celebrating history. But those people mattered. People like Ian Duncan made a difference in this world. And if she had designed this exhibit, she would have included pictures of the kingmakers, as well.

  Surry took her time walking through the rest of the exhibit, making sure to study as many of the displays as possible. She was having the time of her life, feeling as if she were in her element at this exhibit. Before leaving the museum she made sure to tour the John and Vivian Hewett Collection of African-American Art. It was a permanent exhibit, but Surry had no idea when she would return to Charlotte, so she made sure to take in this collection that took the owners fifty years to gather.

  After viewing the exhibits, Surry went back to the hotel and took a thirty-minute nap. She then put on her two-piece leopard print swimming suit, threw on the hotel robe and went swimming. The pool was deserted when she arrived, so she got in and began swimming, enjoying the solitude. She was on her third lap when someone jumped in the pool with her. Surry kept her head down and strokes strong as she swam the length of the pool.

  She lifted up, putting her elbow on the edge of the pool as she wiped the water from her face. She then turned around to see who was coming up behind her like an underwater torpedo. The man was a strong swimmer, and Surry admired that. Since she hadn’t started swimming until the age of twenty-one when she’d finally gotten tired of seeing others having fun in the ocean, she didn’t consider herself a strong swimmer, but she was good enough to hold her own.

  The man was swimming over to her corner of the pool. As she was trying to decide whether to get out of the pool or move over so she wouldn’t be in the way, he stopped swimming and stood up.

  “Ian,” she said, surprised as she watched him wipe the water from his face.

  “You were expecting someone else?” he asked as he made a few steps in the pool and then bent his head down and allowed his lips to lightly touch hers.

  Was this really happening? Was Ian kissing her? His lips felt so good that she couldn’t help but put her arms around him and pull him closer. She opened her mouth and hungrily kissed him until she imagined herself purring with pleasure. “Mmm,” she said with her eyes closed as the kiss ended.

  Leaning into her, Ian kissed her eyelids, her forehead, her cheeks. He placed another soft kiss on her mouth and then said in a husky voice, “I could kiss you all night.”

  Her eyes popped open. Oh, my God, what had she done? She pushed him away and jumped out of the pool. “I’m going to get dressed for dinner.”

  “Don’t go. I was just beginning to enjoy myself,” Ian called after her.

  With hands on her hips, she turned back to face him. “You were enjoying yourself a bit too much. And I’d appreciate it if you don’t let it happen again.” With that she swung around and left the pool area with as much dignity as she could muster.

  Chapter 6

  Ian knew that he shouldn’t have attacked Surry in the pool. He had planned to get in and swim with her—nothing more. But something in him wouldn’t let him back away once he stood up in the pool and saw how beautiful she looked standing there in that leopard-print bikini.

  He’d been worried about her all day, since he’d called the hotel looking for her at least three times. She hadn’t answered the phone once, and he wondered where she’d taken off to. Surry was such an independent woman that she never would have even thought about calling him to provide details about her outing.

  Kissing her was his way of claiming some part of a woman who refused to be claimed by any man. But no matter why he did it, he had been wrong, because Surry hadn’t wanted what he wanted. If she had, she wouldn’t have stormed off like that. So, as he got out of the pool and went to his room to dress for dinner, Ian admonished himself to keep his hands off.

  Once Surry was dressed, Ian took her to the hotel restaurant, because he didn’t want to spend too much time out and about with Surry tonight. Ian needed to focus and not live in a make-believe world, thinking he was out on a date.

  But by the time the salads were brought to the table, the two were communicating easily once again. Ian told her, “I looked up a few things that I thought you might want to do in the area. There’s an African-American museum somewhere downtown. I can get us some tickets and take you over there tomorrow if you’d like.”

  “Thanks for thinking of me, Ian. But I already went to it earlier today.”

  “I should have known,” he said with a look of disappointment showing on his face.

  “I’m sorry, Ian. I hadn’t thought to ask if you wanted to go.”

  “No, you wouldn’t have,” he said as he stuffed his mouth with salad.

  Surry put her fork down. “What’s that supposed to mean?”

  He swallowed his salad. “It’s not an insult. You’re just the type of woman who doesn’t mind being alone. I just need to remember that.”

  The waitress stopped at the table with their plates. Surry took her chicken and veggies, and Ian was handed steak and potatoes.

  Before eating a bite of her food, Surry leaned closer to Ian and said, “I don’t like going places by myself. I’ve just gotten used to it.”

  He wasn’t going to let this woman get to him. If she wanted to see, be and do everything on her own, then fine. “Look, let’s just concentrate on what we’re here for. Now, on the plane yesterday you mentioned that you give ten percent of your earnings to Haiti to help rebuild the schools. I’d like to do a press release concerning your giving. How does that sound?”

  Her nose
scrunched. “I don’t know. Why do we have to tell everyone where my contributions go? Do I also have to tell everyone how much I pay in tithes to my church?”

  “No, I’m not asking you to provide info on all your charitable giving. I just think we can get some positive press for you about this Haiti thing.” He knew he was sounding testy, but he couldn’t stop his voice from betraying his feelings.

  Surry put her hand over Ian’s and said, “I really would like to hang out with you while we’re in Charlotte, Ian. I’m not just saying that.”

  He hated that she was able to read him so well, but he wasn’t about to play games and pretend that he didn’t have a problem with what she’d done. “Are you sure you want to hang out with me, because if you don’t I can give you your space.”

  “I mean it. I’d love it if we could find something to do this week.”

  “Well,” he said while pulling two tickets out of his jacket pocket, “I do have tickets to the Charlotte game tomorrow night. Do you like basketball?”

  “Are you kidding?” She grabbed the tickets out of his hand. “I love it. I used to play ball in high school. But I wasn’t tall enough for college ball.”

  Ian shook his head. How could he have so much in common with a woman who wanted nothing to do with him? “Then it’s settled.” His hands hit the table. “I’ll pick you up in your hotel room tomorrow evening.” He wasn’t needed at Governor Monroe’s until noon, but he wasn’t going to ask Surry to spend her morning with him. At this point he just wasn’t interested in the rejection that might bring.

  They sat together eating their dinner, peppered with a few questions here and there that Ian threw in, as he was still trying to get a handle on the best way to present Surry’s image. He wished that people could see this smiling, vibrant and animated woman seated before him.

  He loved who Surry was when she forgot to hold up her guard and just allowed herself to relax. She became this free-spirited, giving woman whom he hungered to spend more time with.

  “Why are you looking at me like that?” Surry asked.

  “Oh, I was just enjoying the way you describe your exploits in Ghana.”

  “I can’t help it,” she said. “I love Ghana’s story, because they have been through so much. The gold the land possesses made them a prime target for other nations who wanted to claim some of it for themselves. But the nation kept fighting back. Even after they won their independence in 1957, they still experienced several coups and have finally, within the last twenty or so years, become a stable nation.”

  “Just goes to show what people will do to be free. Me personally, I have a great deal of respect for our ancestors who refused to settle for slavery or the forty acres and a mule offered to some after slavery. We are definitely a people who can rise above circumstances.”

  “Hear, hear,” Surry said as she raised her glass and did an air toast.

  * * *

  Surry couldn’t remember a time when she’d enjoyed herself more on a dinner date. Technically, she and Ian weren’t on a date, but she’d never wanted to be on a date more than she did right now. The man was exactly what she’d hoped to one day find. Why he had come into her life now, when she couldn’t afford any distractions while building her company, was something she didn’t understand.

  She wasn’t getting any younger, and yes, she would be thirty in three months. But did that mean she needed to drop everything she had worked so hard for and start rounding up men who might be candidates for marriage and fatherhood?

  They had lingered at the table two hours after dinner. The servers were now looking at them cross-eyed, so Surry said, “I think we should probably clear out.”

  Ian glanced around. As he turned back to Surry, he asked, “Where’d all the people go?”

  “Probably back to their rooms to get some sleep. We’re the only ones crazy enough to sit here all night.”

  “You’re probably right.” Ian placed his MasterCard inside the card holder that had been lying on their table for some time. The waitress quickly picked it up and brought it back to him. Ian signed the bill and left a hefty tip. He stood and stretched.

  Surry stood. “That was delicious, Ian. Thanks for inviting me to dinner.”

  “You flew here with me. The least I can do is feed you.” He grinned as they headed for the elevator.

  “You do know that I can feed myself, right?”

  “Surry, I have no doubt that you can do any number of things.”

  She gave him a sideways glance, trying to figure out where that comment was coming from. The elevator opened, they stepped in and Ian hit the button for the seventeenth floor. Surry put her hands on her hips. “What was that crack about? Do you have a problem dealing with a woman who can handle her own business?”

  He looked exasperated as he said, “I don’t have a problem with it at all. Matter of fact, you can buy breakfast in the morning if it would make you feel better about having to accept a meal from me tonight.”

  The elevator opened and they walked down the hall. Surry felt like a bit of a jerk for being so unthankful about what Ian was doing for her. It was just that for years she had convinced herself that she didn’t need anyone, because all her life, she never had anyone she could depend on. They arrived at her room and Surry stuck out her hand and said, “It’s a deal. Breakfast is on me in the morning.”

  Instead of shaking her hand, Ian backed up and said, “Sleep tight, Surry. Don’t let the bedbugs bite.” Ian then went to his door, which was right next to Surry’s.

  “Very funny,” she said. “There better not be any bedbugs in my bed or I’ll be screaming the bricks off this building.”

  He unlocked his door and looked back over his shoulder at Surry. “Good night, lovely lady. I’ll see you tomorrow.”

  “See you in the morning,” she reminded him and then went into her room, sat down on her bed and began checking her voicemail. There was a call from her mother, two calls from reporters and a frantic call from Brenda Ann, the woman she left in charge of her boutique.

  Worrying that something terrible had occurred at the boutique, Surry quickly called Brenda Ann. The woman answered on the third ring. Surry could hear the groggy sound in her voice as she said, “Hello.”

  Looking at her watch, Surry saw that it was almost midnight. “I’m sorry for waking you, Brenda Ann, but I wanted to check in with you tonight.”

  “Surry, thank God you called me back.”

  “You sounded pretty frantic in your voicemail message. What’s going on over there?”

  Brenda Ann cleared her throat. “We had some problems at the boutique today.”

  “What happened?” Surry questioned, eyes growing wide with concern.

  “We had a shoplifter, but I caught the woman before she ran out of the store with the merchandise. I wanted to beat her like she had stole something, but I knew I would be turning Ms. Sticky Fingers over to the police, so I just hemmed her up until the men in blue came and took her for a ride.”

  Surry breathed a sigh of relief. “Is that all? You did great, Brenda Ann. Thanks for taking care of that.”

  “I wish that was all. I wouldn’t have to bother you while you’re on vacation if that was all. But unfortunately, we had bigger problems than that. Reporters have been calling here all day long trying to talk to you about John Michael and his claims.”

  “Two reporters left messages on my phone, as well.”

  “I think you should talk to them and set them straight,” Brenda said and then sighed as she reported, “Another woman also came into the store. Instead of shoplifting, she just started taking pictures of several of the dresses. I didn’t know if she had something to do with that John Michael so I ran her out of the store, as well. But I thought you should know about it.”

  “Thanks, Brenda. And you were right. I would have w
anted to know about this.” They hung up and Surry paced the floor, trying to figure out what to do. After wracking her brain for a while, she decided to call Ian.

  “Miss me already?” Ian asked when he answered the phone.

  “Some strange things are going on at my boutique and I wanted to get your take on it, if you have a minute.”

  “What’s going on?”

  Surry sat down on the king-size bed in her hotel room and recounted the story that Brenda Ann delivered to her.

  “So you mean to tell me, on the same day that someone tried to shoplift, another person also tried taking pictures of some of your clothes?”

  “And to top that off,” Surry added, “reporters have been ringing the store all day long. Two of them called my phone also.”

  “What were the reporters’ names?”

  “I don’t remember. I saved the calls on my voicemail. Do you think I should call them back?”

  “No!” he screamed into the phone.

  “Brenda Ann thinks I should call them and set them straight.” She heard him grunt and then quickly said, “I’m not going to say anything crazy. I just think that Brenda may have a point. Those reporters are going to keep calling until we give them the information they’re after anyway, right?”

  “They will keep calling, but it’s my job to handle them, not yours.”

  She took the phone away from her ear and looked at it. When she put it back to her ear she asked, “Why are you being so testy about this?”

  “Sorry about that, Surry. I’m not trying to be rude to you. I just don’t want you speaking to reporters and inadvertently saying something they might take the wrong way. Then instead of fixing this problem, we will have a whole other problem on our hands.”

  “All right, Ian. You’re more experienced with this, so I won’t call them back.”

  “Thanks,” Ian said, breathing a sigh of relief. “Email me the names and phone numbers of those reporters and I’ll talk with them first thing in the morning.”