slightly defeated, Camryn inhaled swiftly and then crossed over to the other side of the room. She dropped down onto her knees at his side as she watched him pour white wine into a crystal flute and pass it to her.
“Thank you,” Camryn said as Darryl poured a second drink for himself. That easy smile he wore so well crossed his face.
“You’re very welcome,” he responded, “and I hope you’re hungry. I cooked and packed a lot of food.”
She eyed him suspiciously. “You cooked?”
“You’re about to find out that I’m quite talented in the kitchen, Ms. Charles. I’ve made you a down-home Cajun meal.”
A wry grin pulled at Camryn’s mouth as she popped the lid on one of the plastic containers. The decadent scent of shrimp gumbo filled her nostrils. Her grin widened when she opened the other container to find red beans and smoked sausage inside.
“Really? Red beans and no rice?”
Darryl laughed. “I done the rice, girl!” he said with a deep chuckle as he passed a third container toward her.
Suddenly famished, Camryn packed her plate full, eating heartily. Amused, Darryl watched her, slowly eating his own meal. After a few minutes of silence he laughed out loud. “I’m glad you weren’t hungry!” he said teasingly.
Camryn’s head waved from side to side. “It’s good, okay? Give a girl a break!” She wiped her fingers and then her lips against a white paper napkin.
Darryl nodded, satisfaction painting his expression. He reached to refill her wineglass. “So how’s it going? I hear you’ve been burning more than a little bit of midnight oil.”
Excitement shimmered deep in Camryn’s eyes. “It’s been amazing,” she answered. “Once I started drawing, I couldn’t stop. After our helicopter ride, when I began to do some preliminary sketches, it just hit me. I think you and your brother will be very happy.”
“So do you have something I can see?” Darryl asked.
Camryn paused as if the question startled her. “Well...I... It’s...” she stammered.
Darryl shook his head. “No interference. I promise. I’m just excited to see in what direction you decided to take your design.”
He smiled that disarming smile and Camryn could feel herself starting to melt. After pondering his request for a quick second she figured one little peek at her blueprints couldn’t hurt.
“Well, I guess you could,” she said softly, hardly sounding convinced.
Darryl grinned. “Would a bribe help you decide?” he questioned, his eyebrows raised.
“What kind of bribe?”
Darryl reached into the picnic basket and pulled out one more plastic container. He cracked open the lid and peered inside. The way he peeked with one eye closed and then peered up at her, one would have thought it held a great secret.
Camryn reached for the container and Darryl snatched it back from her grasp. With his eyebrows lifted and his smile widening, his mischievous expression made her laugh.
“You want this?” he teased.
“I want to know what’s in it,” she said. “I may not like what’s inside.”
“Oh, you’ll like it!”
Camryn reached for the container a second time. There was a playful tug-of-war before Darryl let go and Camryn fell back from the momentum. When Darryl laughed, Camryn shot him a look that clearly showed she was not amused by his antics.
He reached out to help her sit back up. “Sorry about that.”
“You pushed me!”
“I did not!”
“Yes, you did!”
Darryl laughed. “Okay.”
“That’s my story and I’m sticking to it,” Camryn said as she cut her eyes at him. She settled the container against her lap and lifted the lid. Her own smile widened. “Pecan pralines!”
“Homemade pecan pralines.”
“You did not make these,” Camryn said as she bit into what would be the first of many.
“I beg your pardon!”
“Your mother cooked all this food and you’re taking credit for it, right?”
“Wrong!” His expression was incredulous. “Very wrong!”
Camryn smiled brightly and Darryl smiled with her. The two sat staring at each other for a brief moment before Camryn lifted herself onto her feet and gestured for him to follow. She was still holding tight to the candy container, savoring the sweetness of the sugared delights.
Leading the way back to her office, Camryn motioned for Darryl to flip through the sketches and blueprints laid out across the table. As he stepped forward, his expression turning serious, she was suddenly excited for him to see what she’d accomplished.
“I wanted it to be reflective of the city’s history. And I didn’t want it to be just another modernist skyscraper like those in the Central Business District. But with the proposed height, I had to figure out how to marry a contemporary style and a traditional style and make them work together. It was a challenge but I’m really pleased with the results.”
Darryl tossed her a quick glance before leaning over the table to take a closer look at one of the blueprints. His silence was unnerving and Camryn bit down against her bottom lip as she anticipated his critique.
“It reminds me of the grand mansions on St. Charles Avenue. It’s very Queen Anne–like but then because of its size, it’s not.”
“I’m impressed. You got it.”
“Not as much as I am. Are you drawing the structural blueprints, as well? Did you really detail the steel framing by hand, not CAD software?”
“I’m very good at what I do, Mr. Boudreaux,” she said, passing him one of the pralines. “Of course, I expect you to make sure they’re correct. The load bearings need to be detailed precisely and I hear that’s your specialty.”
Darryl took a bite of the sweet confection as he nodded his head. He lifted the blueprint, staring at the details more closely. “This is good work, Camryn. Really good,” he said, turning to meet her gaze.
Camryn felt herself break out into a sudden sweat. Darryl’s close proximity was definitely more than she could bear. She thought about her hair being all over her head and her face lacking even a hint of foundation or lipstick. She had to be one hot mess standing there in torn jeans and a ragged T-shirt.
Before she could catch it, the container in her hand fell to the floor, the last piece of candy rolling under the office desk. Her eyes widened as she dropped down onto her hands and knees, grappling to retrieve the treat.
“Damn,” Camryn cursed, muttering cuss words under her breath.
Dropping down beside her, Darryl laughed. “Need some help?”
“No...I can...” she stammered, words catching in her throat. She shook her head and dropped down onto her backside, her legs extended out in front of her. She crossed her ankles. “That piece of candy was yours,” she said finally, lifting her gaze to his.
Darryl laughed. “No, my candy is safely in a plastic container in the basket,” he said, sitting down beside her. He dropped a casual arm over her shoulder as he continued to laugh heartily.
Before Camryn knew it, she was laughing with him, the booming chuckle rising from deep in her midsection. Tears pressed at the backs of her eyelids, the contagious moment spreading from one to the other. Like a refreshing thunderstorm, the laughter washed away the last bit of anxiety she’d been feeling.
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