Free Caress by Grayson Cole

great out for us!”
    Michael refused to let his sister see him blush. He would never live it down. Time to shift the discomfort. “You know what, Claude? I’ll make you a deal. I’ll tell you how my visit went as soon as you tell me what Derrick told you and how you ended up having dinner with him.”
    To her credit his sister didn’t let on that he had unsettled her as she made a smooth exit, but Michael knew her well enough to know that he had.

Chapter 4
    Wednesday night Nya rifled through the stacks of papers surrounding her on the floor in her den. She was slowly beginning to suspect that the three months’ worth of Norfolk shipping invoices were either misplaced or just plain lost. They had to be somewhere, but in spite of scouring everything she’d been sent, they were still yet to be found. She grabbed her calendar, searching for a time when she could go to Norfolk and check everything out herself. They would have those files there and she could remedy the problem as soon as she found it.
    The phone rang and she picked it up, still staring down at the dates. “Hi, Nya,” Lysette said.
    “Just the person I wanted to talk to. I think I’m going to Norfolk. I think my schedule is clear. I’d like to go as soon as possible. Would you book me a flight?”
    “You know, for a person who said they would never need anything, you’re very pushy. Remember that I’m not really your assistant and slow down. If I remember correctly, you only have tomorrow morning’s meeting with Harrison. After that, I think you’re right, you could head out. When do you have that consult call?”
    “With the hotel chain?”
    “Yeah.”
    “That’s Friday afternoon. I can take that from anywhere.”
    “Right. I’ll make your reservations tomorrow, that is, when I am at work. Currently, it’s almost seven and I am not at work, rather down at Cold and Hot’s having dinner. I think you should come down and have some with me.”
    “I don’t think so. Unlike you, I’m still up to my ears in files. I plan to work a couple more hours.” Nya paused.
    “You can’t work all the time. Besides, you don’t even get overtime. Come on, you don’t have to stay long. Please. Jamie just got back and we’re here, and so are a lot of other folks from the office. We’re having a good time. Come on.”
    Now this was strange. Cold and Hot’s was a place where many people from Hatsheput went to unwind most nights after work, but Nya rarely went. Lysette asking her to go that night was a sure sign something was amiss.
    “It’s just that I know how hard you’ve been working and I worry about you. I’d really like to see you have some fun.”
    Even though she knew Lysette was up to something, she couldn’t help being pulled in whenever her best friend chose to say something nice out of concern for her well-being.
    “Fine, I’ll come down. But I have to change first.”
    “Nya!”
    “No, I promise. I’m already home, I just need to jump in the shower. I know what I’m going to put on, too. I’ll be there in forty-five minutes.”
    h
     
    Nya smiled at her reflection. She stood before her mirror in a long, batik sundress with a halter that tied behind her neck—it was early fall and still very warm in Birmingham. The bold purples and blues accentuated the warm, provocative tones of her skin. She let her heavy twists tumble down her back, tied back with a blue chiffon scarf. Nya then complemented the ensemble by slipping a pair of large gold hoops into her ears. She sprayed her favorite perfume onto her arms and neck and applied a dark wine lipstick. If she was going to fall into Lysette’s trap she was certainly going to look good when she did it.
    Cold and Hot’s Clubhouse and Restaurant was housed in a sprawling, century-old brick building surrounded by thick perennials and other greenery. Nya could feel the excitement coursing through her veins the closer she got to the club. She crossed the lighted walkway and entered