The X Ingredient by Roslyn Sinclair

Author:Roslyn Sinclair
Language: eng
Format: epub, mobi
Publisher: Ylva-Publishing
Published: 2019-08-07T17:19:44+00:00

At 7:15, I’m standing two paces behind Diana in the chic apartment on Peachtree after a tour of the one on Piedmont. So much for waiting until tomorrow.

I’m not sure why I’m here. I’ve been taking pictures and notes, but not because Diana’s asked me to. She hasn’t asked me to do anything, and this is all I can think of.

Diana might not need notes or pictures, though. She inspects everything with her usual minute attention to detail, from inquiring about amenities to checking for squeaky door hinges.

At the end of the tour, Diana stands before the floor-to-ceiling windows in the living area and folds her hands behind her back while she takes in the sunset. The steel pyramid atop the Bank of America glows yellow, the fading sunlight reflecting off the gold obelisk at its peak. As the skyline falls into silhouette, it becomes easy to see the windows against the buildings’ darkened exteriors. Little squares of light against the encroaching evening.

In here, we’re one square among many, but that’s not the impression Diana gives. She seems like a titan, her stance suggesting that she stands astride the world. Her world, and we’re all just living in it.

I bite my lip. Stop thinking that’s sexy. God, that’s so sexy.

“Thoughts?” Aneka asks. She’s a striking black woman with hair that tumbles down over her shoulders in waves streaked with copper. My blouse and slacks feel especially dowdy in comparison to her red sheath dress. Does Diana know any women who aren’t knockouts?

“Thoughts,” Diana repeats. “What are yours?”

“I think either one would suit your needs.” Aneka sounds pleasant for someone who’d probably rather be home with the four-year-old she’d mentioned during the drive here. “You seem to have a clear idea of what you want, since you eliminated the other three choices right away.”

Diana’s head turns slightly. I hold my breath. Dammit. What if I guessed all wrong and she really would have wanted to see the five apartments for herself?

“I’m thinking,” Diana says. “Would you give me a few minutes to talk to my assistant?”

“Sure. I have a couple of calls I need to make. I’ll just be right out in the hall.”

After the front door shuts behind Aneka, Diana says, “She’s probably calling her nanny or daycare or something. Not that she’d ever say so.”

I had not expected any of that. “Huh?”

Diana shrugs. Slim and spare in black, she cuts a striking figure against the lush, warm colors of sunset. “Successful professional women learn not to make their children sound like an obstacle to their careers. So she ‘makes some calls’ instead of ‘checking on her daughter.’ That’s never been my issue, obviously, but women must learn all kinds of things to adapt.”

For the first time all day, she looks me fully in the eye. It’s a wary look, but heat sweeps through me nevertheless.

“What was your issue, Diana?” I ask.

Her chin jerks up, her cheeks flush, and I’m even hotter. It gets to her, too, if the suddenly feverish glint in her eyes is any clue.

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