Chapter 4

"Why can't I just send a check through the mail?" He argued with the head of his PR department. "The email was already sent explaining everything. I don't see why it's necessary to be there in person. All you have to do is write up a press release and be done with it."

She explained patiently that in order to get the full effect of the press, you are going to have to have your photograph taken with the minister and his staff while handing him the check. Everything is in place.

You will be meeting with them at ten and the press will be there in full force. It would also help if you managed to work up a smile while you are at it."

He had sent her a glance that could pulverize rocks.

Now, standing in front of his full-length mirror, he stared at his reflection, a frown marring his brow.

Kim had utilized his personal shopper, even though he had enough clothing in his massive closet to wear.

"We want you to look like the cool and collected businessman you are. Not too stuffy, but not too casual either. Navy blue pants, baby blue cotton shirt and a sports jacket will do fine."

"Are you going to pick out the color of my underwear too?"

He saw when she opened her mouth to say something and realizing the wisdom of keeping it to herself, she shook her head.

"Just doing my job, boss."

"I don't like sucking up."

"Just saying like it is."

His ink black hair was brushed severely back from his face, his silver eyes hooded and expressionless.

He would do whatever it took to give his company a good reputation and he supposed that glad handing with some religious guy and his smiling members, would be the way, then so be it. It would take approximately half an hour, and he would be on his way.

The generous check would be noted, pictures will be taken and the same reporters who had printed some very nasty allegations would now turn around and applaud the company's generosity towards the religious sector.

By this time tomorrow, he would have put it from his mind.

Straightening his shoulders, he stepped back from the mirror and went to grab his briefcase.

*****

"Mr. Davenport! How do you feel about the flack your company has been taking? Is this gesture an effort to turn the tide on what is being whispered about Davenport Industries?" The pesky reporter had taken up position at the front of the room, his watery blue eyes holding a glint of malice.

Evan wanted to smash his fist into the man's face and eject him from the room. Before he could respond, the woman who had introduced herself as Cassandra Daley, responded.

"Mr. Davenport is here himself to present the very generous check to Russell Baptist. We are extremely grateful for the time and effort that he as well as the rest of his management team have put into this and feel very blessed to have been chosen to receive the contribution.

What we are focusing on is how the money will be spent." She continued by talking about the soup kitchen, the scholarship program and the effort to feed and clothe the homeless in the downtown area.

Evan was grateful for the timely intervention, but he did not appreciate her speaking on his behalf. She was camera ready. The powder blue suit fitted her slender frame perfectly.

Her thick dark brown hair was ruthlessly brushed back from her small face and secured with pins at the nape of her neck. Her smile was engaging, dark brown eyes friendly. He had felt a jolt in his nervous system when he was introduced to him. Pastor William Weeks had introduced her as the church secretary, whatever that meant.

Several more questions were thrown at them and fielded by Kim who had met him at the sanctuary.

Moving away from the podium, he made his way discreetly over to the head of his PR department. "I think my job here is done."

"They want you to take a tour of the place."

He had to rein in the anger that sprang up instantly. "That was not the deal."

Touching the sleeve of his jacket lightly, she whispered in an undertone. "This has to appear as if is something you wanted to do."

"I am sick and tired of this charade and in case you have forgotten, I have a bloody company to run."

"You asked me to do the job and that is precisely what I am doing." She faced him, determined not to be cowed. Evan Davenport was six foot three inches of virile male and was known to be ruthless. His reputation was far better than those of his ancestors, including his dad.

He was known to be fair and honest in his business dealings, but because of the past, he was being tarred with the same brush and it hurt Kim and the rest of the employees, including the management team, to see his noble efforts being overlooked.

Another half hour is not going to make a difference."

"Fine." He whispered curtly. Turning away, he dragged his phone out and rescheduled his midmorning meeting.

*****

"What does a secretary do around here? Print bake sale flyers and record the death and birth of the members?" He had been shown the fancy projection room, the well-stocked library, and the different meeting rooms. Pastor William had been called away on an emergency and had left everything in her capable hands.

The reporters were scattered around, taking advantage of the delicious fare that had been provided in one of the conference rooms. He had accepted the cup of strong black coffee presented to him and refused the sweet cakes and tiny sandwiches being wolfed down by the men and women of the press.

Her gentle laugh dragged his head around to look at her and he felt the familiar funny feeling in the pit of his stomach. Her voice was melodious and sultry, making him think of bells softly tinkling as well as light shining to dispel the darkness. A frown touched his forehead as he wondered where on earth all of that came from.

"It's a little more than that." Her soft melodious voice had a calming effect on him, and he found himself wondering if it was practiced. They had gone through several rooms and had now stopped in what appeared to be some sort of children's room.

There were childish drawings on the walls and several chests filled to overflowing with toys. A piano was tucked into one corner. Soft plushy seats were scattered in no particular order, giving the room a bright and colorful look. "This is where I teach my Sunday school classes."

To his surprise, he realized that they were quite alone in the large room, having shaken the reporters as well as the other members of the church.

"What else do you do around here?"

Moving over to one of the chests, she picked up a stuffed pink elephant and tossed it into the container.

"Too many things to count. I like to be involved." She turned to look at him and the softened dark brown eyes had him thinking that she could see clear into his soul. It made him feel uncomfortable and highly aware of her as a woman. Why shouldn't he?

He was a man, and she was beautiful, just off limits as far as he was concerned. "I hope this works for your company."

His inscrutable silver gaze touched her face and lingered on her mouth for a few ticking seconds. The air inside the room had stifling, even though the AC was blasting at its highest temperature. He was the first to break the silence, by lifting a hand and rubbing the back of his neck. "There's always hope."

"Do you believe in God?" The words were out of her mouth before she could stop them, and she went still as she stared at him. She had promised herself that the last thing she would do was witness to this man, but it was innate. She was certainly not going to apologize for being who she was.

"I believe there is a God. Or better yet, I believe there is a higher being. I don't attend services and haven't done so in a very long time. Why?"

Now that she had posed the question, she was not certain if she should continue with the conversation. She felt conspicuous and ill equipped to carry on. "I have found that taking everything to the Lord in prayer, makes my burdens lighter."

His amused silver eyes wandered over her face. "Is that right?"

"Yes." She nodded. Suddenly the shyness descended over her, and she realized she was acutely aware of him. He was tall. She was wearing heels today instead of her sensible leather flats. But even wearing heels, she barely came up to his broad shoulders. He had an interesting face; not what one would call handsome.

There was too much character stamped in his features and the cynicism made it even more disturbing and attractive at the same time. He was also very masculine, his physique impressive.

"I…," she had to clear her throat and take a step back. "He is a very loving and compassionate God…"

"One who allows innocent children to be raped and abused and crime rampart in every area of society." His mouth twisted bitterly. "That's him showing compassion?"

She stared at him for a moment and considered her response carefully. "We were given free will."

A harsh laughter erupted from him as he shoved his hands into the pockets of his dress pants and rocked back on his heels. "So, in essence, what you are saying is that we are the ones at fault."

"Don't you think so? He is God and of course he could have changed things around. He could have forced his divine will on us, but instead he gave us choices. Because he loves us and wants us to freely give our hearts to him.

He wants us to come to him of our own volition. We have freedom of choice and instead of turning to a loving God, we have gone our own way."

He continued to study her, his face expressionless. She was a tiny thing and yet had such a big personality. Her voice had not gone up a notch, but she was sincere in her conviction and was not backing down. If he was any other person, he would have been persuaded.

"You make a sound argument." Removing his left hand from his pocket, he glanced at his expensive watch. "I am afraid I have taken up enough of your time and I am running late for a meeting. Thanks for the Bible lesson."

"Mr. Davenport?" Her soft melodious voice gave him pause as he turned to leave.

"Yes?"

"I am inviting you to services on Sunday."

A frown met her invitation. "I think I have already paid my dues. I was supposed to spend half an hour, and the time is bordering on an hour. I really don't think…"

"We are holding a special service to honor the veterans, and I read that your father and grandfather were in the navy. It would be to your company's benefit to be at the service." "And invite a few reporters while we are at it." His mouth twisted slightly.

"It's entirely up to you."

"You are trying to say that Russell Baptist will not stand to benefit from the added publicity?" His thick dark brows lifted skeptically.

Tilting her head to the side, she gave him a measured look, years of wisdom on her exquisite face and a knowing look in her eyes. He had a feeling she was laughing at him.

"Not really. We are an institution that is geared to helping the public, not only spiritually, but financially as well. It is something to think about. In the meantime, I will be praying for your company."

"And me?" His lips quirked slightly.

"Oh, absolutely." He felt the familiar tug again as her smile came, dimples peeping out. "Would you like me to show you out?"

"I think that I know my way. Goodbye Ms. Daley."

As soon as he had disappeared through the doorway, she sank down on one of the ottomans, her knees trembling.

*****

"Is he available?"

The very proper and prim Mrs. Adina Jones looked up from the document she was perusing and made the necessary changes in the right-hand corner.

Kim waited while the woman had finished jotting down her notes, knowing that it was prudent to wait until she was through. Adina Jones was feared and held in the utmost respect and awe among staff as well as upper management because she guarded her boss' office like a bear guarding her young cubs.

"He is currently taking a very important phone call." Light blue eyes peered over wire rimmed spectacles, a hint of disapproval in the look. "That appointment at the chapel pushed him back drastically. He is running to make up for the lost time."

Kim had to stop herself squirming on the padded seat facing the woman's desk and reminded herself that she was a grown woman, with an important position.

"He agreed to the extra time," she muttered.

"Be that as it may…." Holding up one skinny hand, Adina pressed the interoffice intercom and picked up the receiver. "Yes sir." She listened for a minute and responded quietly.

"Ms. Lawes is here to see you and she does not have an appointment." She listened again. "Of course." Hanging up the phone, she nodded to Kim. "Go right in. You have five minutes."

"That's all I need." Popping up from the chair, she hurried towards the double doors and pushed them open.

Evan barely looked up from the contract spread in front of him. He had shed the jacket, and the sleeves of his powder blue shirt were rolled up to his elbows. A lock of hair was hanging over his forehead, the perpetual frown marring his brow.

"I am getting ready for a meeting." He looked over at her. "Whatever it is, you are going to have to be succinct."

"Ms. Daley from the church told me she invited you to services on Sunday." Ignoring the glower, he was sending her, she rushed on. "She also told me that it's to be a special service honoring veterans. Several members of your family were in the service…"

"You are wasting my time."

Ploughing on despite the forbidding expression on his face, she put forth some very good points. "It would look good if you were to follow up on the contribution by attending the service.

A few well-placed reporters in the congregation can be persuaded to attend as well and they will see that you were not just handing over a check and washing your hands of the project," her expression turned pleading, "it would go a long way in helping to fix the image of the company."

"Did she put you up to this?"

"Ms. Daley? No!" Kim shook her head decisively. "I picked up a newsletter at the front table and saw that it was mentioned. And I asked her about it."

Leaning back in his chair, he eyed her for a minute before jerking his head curtly. "Have Ms. Jones put it on my calendar."

"Great!" She clapped her hands in delight. "I am going to write up a press release in preparation. This is going to turn things around, you will see. Thanks." Gathering up her stuff, she rose and hurried out of the room, closing the doors behind her.

Picking up the ballpoint pen he had been using to jot down some suggestions, he stared at the words in front of him, until they ran together, making him realize that his concentration was shot. Flinging the pen down in frustration, he leaned his head back and closed his eyes.

He had been back for three hours now and during that time had tried to get his head in the game. An associate had been waiting for him in one of the conference rooms. After rushing into his office to collect some things for the meeting, he had rushed back in and spent several minutes barely hearing what the man had to say.

Her laughter sounded in his ears. Her dazzling smile had made a distinct impression, and he was unable to put the sound of her voice out of his mind. He had found to his shocking surprise that he had enjoyed sparring with her.

He never discussed religion with anyone, believing it was the individual's business who or what he or she worshipped. As far as he was concerned, he was on the fence when it comes to believing that there was a God. He had seen too many atrocities in the world to make him think otherwise.

But her conviction had been so strong and her arguments so sure, that it had intrigued him. He had come right back to his desk and did a deep dive into the history of the church. Her picture was among the management staff and to his surprise, he read that she was a college graduate with a Degree in Art.

The glossy photo had not done her enough justice. Her flawless caramel complexion had not been properly highlighted. Nor had the camera picked out the light in her dark brown eyes.

And her lips! He had stopped right there because he had no business noticing how alluring they were. As a matter of fact, he had no business thinking about Ms. Cassandra Daley at all.

*****

"I just need to ease my aching feet out of these crocs. I just spent twelve hours on my feet and honey, when I tell you that your girlfriend here almost lost it as well as her salvation, believe me." Kicking off the offending shoes, she wriggled her toes and peeked out the doorway to see if anyone was within earshot.

"Pastor William is on the road."

"Good." Marsha peered at her curiously. "Instead of going home and jumping into bed and jumping my darling husband, I am here to get the gossip. Evan Davenport. Totally rich and hot guy was here yesterday, and I missed all the excitement."

There was a mournful look on her pleasantly attractive face. Her blonde hair was piled on top of her head in an untidy bun, with tendrils straggling down her cheeks. Golden brown eyes danced wickedly.

So, how was he?"

"Courteous and very detached."

Marsha gave her a puzzled look. "I don't know what that means."

Laughing softly, Cassandra put away the files she had been using and touched something on her keyboard.

"It means he was aloof and hard as nails." She shook her head. "I shouldn't have said that."

"Why not? Is it the truth?"

She nodded. "It's just that I don't want to appear judgmental."

"It sounds to me like he is a stuck-up jerk."

"Marsha!"

Lifting her hands, palms up, she grimaced and glanced out the doorway again. "That was not very Christian of me."

"I showed him around and could not help myself. I started witnessing."

"Oh no1" Marsha clapped a hand over her mouth, eyes dancing merrily.

"You are not helping."

"It is your default setting honey. Any time you are nervous or feel threatened, you go right for the Bible verses."

"I do not!"

"Last summer when we were at Bible camp and that totally attractive counselor came over and started checking you out. You asked him about his spiritual journey."

"He wasn't looking for a date," Cassandra protested.

"He was so looking to ask you out and you blew it. The man turned tail and ran."

"Asking him about his spiritual journey should not have sent him running. Besides, he turned out to be a phony."

Marsha nodded in agreement. "Two months ago, Eric asked you out for ice cream and you…"

"I told him that I had Bible studies and would never dream of skipping it to go out for ice cream."

"Now this hottie that is suddenly interested in our little church."

"You are being dramatic."

"Am I?" Rising, Marsha went towards the corner of the office to get a can of coke from the refrigerator. "I am sure he noticed you. I saw the pics and girl; I have to tell you the outfit was a sell out."

"I wanted to look nice for the occasion." She contemplated telling her friend the rest. "I invited him to services on Sunday."

Marsha stopped in the middle of downing her coke to stare at her friend. "You work fast."

"It is a special service to honor our veterans and I told him his company could benefit from the added publicity. We will see if he turns up."