Black Lace

  “Oh, no. Friday’s fine.” Lacy was having trouble breathing. Were her ideas really going to be considered? Then the skeptic inside kicked in. “You are basing this on the merits, right?”

  He chuckled. “Yes. This isn’t a move to get you to have dinner with me, although I haven’t given up on that.”

  Lacy met his eyes. No man had the right to be that fine. No man. From his boyish charm to his tailored gray suit to the matching gators on his feet, he was handsomeness personified.

  “I’ve never had a woman turn me down before.”

  “Never?”

  “Ever.”

  “Makes me memorable, then.”

  “Very.” He smiled, then added, “I’m really harmless, you know.”

  “That’s not what I heard.”

  “No?”

  His eyes and smile were working her overtime, and Lacy could feel the temperature in the air rising. “I heard you have as many women as Chrysler has cars.”

  “Not anymore. I’m older now. The booty call days are over.”

  The sincerity in his tone rang true. “That’s good, because I don’t like to share.”

  “Neither do I.”

  “Then maybe we can talk dinner.”

  “Your call.”

  Lacy swore her brain was filled with static. “I’ll let you know.”

  “That’s fair.”

  Lacy took in a deep breath and decided it might be time to change the conversation to something less volatile. “Um, what time Friday?”

  “Nine A.M.?”

  “Okay.”

  Drake sensed her thawing, so he didn’t push. He wanted her to feel comfortable around him, and if that took a bit more time, he could wait. “How’s the ankle?”

  “Better. I’m hoping I’ll be able to drive by the end of the week.”

  “How’re you getting to work?”

  “Ida.”

  “Ah.”

  “Her sister also loaned me that scooter.”

  He turned and looked at the machine. “Nice of her.”

  “It’s better than the crutches.”

  They were making small talk so as not to end the encounter, and they both knew it, but he eventually had to go back to his own office. He held up the folder. “Good work, Ms. Green.”

  “Thank you.”

  “See you Friday.”

  “See you Friday.”

  And he was gone.

  It took Lacy a few moments to collect herself, and then she yelled, “Ida!”

  Ida strolled in. “His Fineness left here smiling. You two going out?”

  “No. You sound like my mother.” Lacy then explained the visit.

  “He wants you to present it?”

  Lacy nodded excitedly.

  “Hot damn.”

  “You ready?”

  “Been ready. Janika and I will start pulling the packets together and get the charts printed out.”

  Lacy was grinning. “This is so cool!” Finally! Their work down here on the bottom of the totem pole was being noticed, and now she had to put on a good show. “Well, as my mama says, let’s rock and roll!”

  “All righty now!”

  The ladies spent the next two days getting ready for Lacy’s presentation. Reports were typed, printed, and collated. Charts were drawn up and statistics compiled. Lacy reread her materials and placed a few calls to her counterpart in Chicago to verify some facts.

  By the time she got to her desk on Friday morning, the butterflies in her stomach were whirling like they were on steroids. She had on her best black power suit and a brand new silk blouse. Unfortunately, she had to wear sneakers because her ankle refused to go into the pumps she’d wanted to wear. The shoes spoiled the overall look, but hey, it was all she had.

  Since it was still early, Lacy took advantage of the quiet surroundings to scribble a few notes and to get her head into the game.

  At eight-thirty Ida stuck her head around Lacy’s door. “Ready?”

  “Yep.”

  Ida grabbed the packets while Lacy maneuvered herself onto the scooter, then the two women headed back out to the elevator for the ride up to the mayor’s office.

  The conference room was crowded. Lacy recognized some of the women and men as heads of various departments, but most of the faces were unfamiliar. She thought he said he was bringing in his cabinet. There seemed to be a lot more people here than that, but the confident Lacy eased the scooter to the front of the room.

  Drake was having a conversation with one of the legal beagles about the upcoming contract talks with the city’s bus drivers union when Lacy and her scooter appeared in the doorway. Keeping the conversation going, he followed her progress through the crowded room with his eyes. She looked good in the black suit, and the open-necked white blouse looked expensive. The long string of gray pearls around her neck gave the outfit even more elegance. Seeing the high-top Nikes on her feet made him chuckle inwardly. Evidently she’d chosen practicality over fashion, but even so, the lady had style.

  Drake wanted to stroll over and talk to her, but forced himself to remain where he was. The graceful way her jaw melted into her neck, and the sparkle in her onyx eyes as she and Ida chatted, entranced him. The way the small twists in her hair framed her face and the curves of her sweet-looking mouth also drew his visual attention, but he’d promised himself he wouldn’t crowd her, and she was here to work. She probably wouldn’t appreciate him distracting her right now. So he gave the lawyer his undivided attention. There’d be time and opportunity to enjoy Lacy’s company later.

  At precisely nine o’clock Lacy said to the gathering. “I’d like to get started. I know many of you have other appointments and meetings today and I don’t want to keep you here any longer than necessary.”

  Someone called out, “I like her already. I vote yes for whatever she’s asking.”

  The quip brought laughter, then the room slowly quieted.

  Lacy saw the mayor standing at the back of the room. “Mayor Randolph, do you have anything you want to say before Ida and I get started?”

  Drake liked the way she’d included Ida’s name in the presentation. For him, it said a lot about Lacy’s lack of ego. “No, Ms. Green. Go ahead.”

  Lacy began by explaining the basics. “Basically, what I’m calling Blight Court is a set of administrative hearings devoted specifically to civil infractions committed in four areas. Property Maintenance, Zoning, Solid Waste Removal, and Illegal Dumping. In the past all of these citations and summons went through the Thirty-sixth District Court, but they’re so backed up on bigger cases they can only hear maybe fifty blight cases a week. Maybe. But with this plan the city could handle as many as seventy thousand cases a year.” Lacy could see the surprise on some of the faces and, at the back of the room, the mayor nodding his encouragement.

  She continued. “The court would have three full-time members presiding over the hearings, and they could be attorneys, independent contractors, or citizens. That will be up the mayor.”

  Someone asked, “What about enforcement? Right now, we can summon, but they don’t have to show up at court because they know their case isn’t high priority.”

  “We’ll garnish their checks. We’ll slap liens on their homes or businesses. The legal precedents used successfully by other cities have been included in the packets I’ll pass out when we’re done.”

  “Wow,” a woman said from the back.

  A skinny balding man up front concurred. “Sounds like you’ve really done your homework, Ms. Green.”

  “Thank you.”

  Lacy talked about the Chicago model the Detroit court would be modeled after and then, on the overhead projector, put up the stats showing the effectiveness of their measures. She talked about how steep the fines might be and the need for more city inspectors for the whole picture to work. In all, the presentation took thirty minutes.

  When she finished, she turned off the projector and applause broke in the packed room. Surprised and somewhat em
barrassed, she beamed. She could see people nodding their heads in agreement and smiling.

  “Are there any questions?” she asked from her seat on the scooter.

  There were plenty. Some came from the court officers present, others from the city’s lawyers. Lacy answered as best she could, though inside she was a giddy fool. Her program looked like it was going to be a go, and she couldn’t ask for more, except for maybe wanting this meeting to be over so she and Ida could go back to the office and celebrate.

  Drake watched Lacy taking questions. She’d given an impressive performance. The material she presented had been clear and concise. Judging by the group’s response he wasn’t the only one excited about the plan. He had to go to the state capital later that day for a meeting with the governor, and he was looking forward to reading her materials in depth on the ride. In the meantime, while she shook a few more hands and accepted more smiles and congratulations on a job well done, Drake watched her with appreciative eyes. Beautiful, sassy, and bright, he noted to himself. It was a wicked combination in a woman. A wicked combination.

  As the room emptied, Drake spent a few moments talking with various people and fielding their enthusiasm for Lacy’s proposal. When the last person exited, he was left alone with Ida and Lacy. They were gathering up their materials to go back to their office. “Great job, ladies,” he said walking to the front of the conference room to join them at the table.

  They replied in unison, “Thanks.”

  “Real good job. Don’t be surprised if this winds up on the fast track.”

  He sat on the edge of the table just close enough for Lacy to feel his warmth slowly mingle with her own. Ida was replacing the slides in a folder and trying to act as if she weren’t checking out Lacy and the mayor, but Lacy knew better.

  “Didn’t Lacy do a good job?” Ida asked.

  “Yes, she did.”

  “She should be director instead of assistant,” Ida declared.

  “You think so?” he asked Ida, but his eyes were locked on Lacy’s.

  “I know so.”

  Lacy wondered if this was how it felt to be mesmerized. She couldn’t seem to do anything but look at him. As a result, her voice came out a lot softer than she’d intended. “I don’t need to be director. I—”

  “Lace. I’m going to take this stuff upstairs.”

  And before Lacy could tell her to wait, Ida snatched up the box they’d brought down and was gone. Traitor! she wanted to yell, but instead found herself trying not to concentrate on the vivid nearness of His Fineness. It was difficult. She wondered what it was about this man that made her feel so aware? His presence seemed to enhance her senses, making her note the faint scents of his cologne, the strong sound of her heart, and the feel of her lungs as she breathed in and out.

  “I like the Nikes,” he told her.

  She raised her foot and checked out her shoe. “Pretty jazzy, huh?”

  “Yep, and they match your suit.”

  Their smiles met.

  He said then, “I heard about your car.”

  “Then you know the bad news.”

  “I do.” Learning from Rhonda that Lacy’s Escort was too cracked up to be repaired only added to the guilt Drake felt over the accident. “The city will compensate you. I’ll have Rhonda send you the forms. It may take a while for them to cut the check, so the sooner you get the paperwork done, the sooner you’ll get your money.”

  “Okay.”

  Silence settled again before Drake said, “I meant what I said about the presentation.”

  “Thanks for liking the proposal. When I first started working here, I wasn’t sure anyone knew our office existed.”

  “We do now.”

  “And I can’t wait to get going.”

  He paused for a moment, then asked, “When are you going to let me take you to dinner?”

  She chuckled softly and looked up into his face. “Oh, I don’t know.”

  “I keep telling you, I’m harmless.”

  “No man with your reputation is harmless.”

  He threw back his head and laughed. After composing himself, he told her, “You got me on that one.”

  “Uh-huh,” she replied. “I need to go back downstairs so we can both get some work done.”

  Once again their eyes locked, and Lacy could feel her blood begin to samba. After a moment she confessed without shame, “You’re very hard to say no to, Mr. Mayor.”

  “Good,” he whispered.

  As he reached out and slowly ran a gentle finger down her cheek, time seemed to slow. Lacy’s eyes fluttered closed in response to the power of his touch. “Very hard…”

  He smiled softly.

  Rhonda leaned into the door. “Mayor Randolph, I—”

  Lacy jumped like a teenager busted kissing in the high school hall.

  Rhonda saw the embarrassment on the young woman’s face and instantly apologized, “I’m sorry. I thought you were alone.”

  He eased himself to his feet. “Rhonda Curry. Lacy Green.”

  Lacy nodded, then said, “Hello.”

  Rhonda smiled. “Hello.” Then she said to Drake, “Malcolm has the car ready. He said give him a ring when you’re ready to leave for Lansing.”

  She turned to Lacy and said genuinely, “Nice meeting you.”

  “Same here.”

  Her departure left them alone again.

  Lacy picked up a few papers Ida had overlooked and placed them in the scooter’s basket. “I should go.” Her senses were still blooming from his whispered caress across her cheek. “Thanks again for the support.”

  “You’re welcome.”

  Drake watched her drive out of the room. It took everything he had not to call her back.

  Back in her office, Lacy joined Janika and Ida in a Hallelujah celebration. They were excited about the proposal going forward and proud that the mayor had rewarded them for all their hard work. Lacy sprang for pizza for lunch, and they ate the hot slices of pie around the big smiles on their faces.

  At about three that afternoon City Councilman Reynard Parker stormed into Lacy’s office and threw a folder down on her desk. “Did you write this?” he demanded.

  She checked out his angry round face for a moment, then picked up the folder and leafed through the pages. It was a copy of her Blight Court presentation. “Yes, my staff and I put this together. Is there a problem?”

  “Yes. Under whose authority did you do this?”

  “The mayor requested projects for the upcoming budget, so I gave him one.”

  “This is a waste of taxpayer money.”

  Lacy remained calm. “How so?”

  “This will do nothing but harass small businesses.”

  “Only if they’re breaking the law, councilman.”

  “Is the mayor so hard-up for funds that he’s now targeting small businesses with petty fines?”

  “That is not the intent.” Lacy wondered what this was really about. She didn’t know much about Parker other than that he opposed all of the mayor’s initiatives and had ties to the waste hauling interests in the area. “People who poison the city, or refuse to keep up their property, or don’t answer summons, are the only people being targeted.”

  His brown face was grim. “Well, I don’t like it, and I’m going to do everything in my power to stop it!”

  “That’s your choice, sir, but I’d hope you’d wait for it to be implemented before condemning it.”

  He snatched up the report. “This is not good for the businesses of my constituents. You’re new here, aren’t you?”

  “Yes, I am.”

  “Then you need to learn the rules before getting into the game. You’ll be hearing from me.”

  And he left.

  Lacy realized she was shaking.

  A wide-eyed Ida rushed in. “What happened?”

  “I don’t know, but I think I just made an enemy.”

  Five

  Drake’s meeting with the governor took up most of the afternoon,
but before he could leave the capital he had to meet with a few of the Detroit legislators. By the time he and Malcolm finally headed back to Detroit for the last meeting of the day, he was running late.

  When he entered the large conference room of Chandler Works, the lights were already dimmed and the members of NIA were seated around the table waiting for the slide show to begin. NIA was Drake’s brain child. When he first became mayor, the city had been so overrun with drug-related violence that every time he picked up a newspaper or turned on the nightly news, there were stories of death. Because the country had spent billions fighting drugs in the major cities with only minimal results, Drake decided to try a different and yes, controversial approach. That approach was NIA, which in Swahili, means purpose, and Drake’s purpose at the time had been to rid his beloved city of the drugs and its ancillary pestilence by any means necessary. It was an ongoing battle. They’d had success on some fronts and were still knocking on closed doors on others, but Drake refused to give up.

  Relieved that the briefing hadn’t started, he quickly found a chair in the back and tossed his overcoat onto the empty chair in front on him. The first slide came up. The color shot was of a middle-age Black man Drake didn’t recognize.

  “This is Lloyd Wheeler. For the past ten years he was the accountant at Parker Environmental, City Councilman Reynard Parker’s company. For the past six months Wheeler has been feeding info on Parker to our friends over in the Federal Building.”

  The voice of the narrator belonged to Drake’s half brother, Mykal Chandler, the no nonsense CEO of the architectural firm Chandler Works and the titular head of NIA. Myk stood then, and Drake could see his tall frame in the light of the projector.

  “According to Wheeler,” he continued, “Parker has been using his trash haulers to distribute drugs. That was verified this afternoon. One of his trucks was stopped by the border patrol at the Ambassador Bridge which connects Detroit to Windsor, Ontario. The agents found thirty-five trash bags of pot, or roughly about a thousand pounds.”

  Somebody whistled.

  “The driver’s in custody, but he’s asked for a lawyer, so we have to wait and see if he implicates his boss.”

  A woman seated in front of Drake interrupted. “How much more information does this Wheeler have? Various agencies have been trying to nail Parker for years.”