Page 25 of Targeted at Christmas

After Lexi ordered the house salad and petite filet mignon, she watched Reese order the teriyaki salmon and chopped salad. They both planned to try the carrot cake for dessert.

As Lexi listened to Reese talking about the project, she couldn’t help but think about Cooper’s investigation into public corruption and whether or not anyone at the Kenniston Group could have been bribing Horace. Everything Lexi knew about the real estate developer’s founder and president of developments made her believe that Reese was totally honest when it came to how she ran her company. Cooper seemed to believe the same. But in the highly competitive world of commercial and residential building, anything was possible when under pressure to succeed. Right?

“Are you with me?” Reese asked, sounding somewhat annoyed, snapping Lexi from her reverie.

“Yes, for sure.” Lexi flashed an embarrassed smile. “I got what you were saying about the changes you’d like to incorporate into the concept of the development,” she emphasized, surprised that she could focus on two things at once.

“Okay. Just checking.” Reese smiled and tasted her espresso martini as the food arrived. They began eating, then after a moment or two, she said, furrowing her brow, “The other day, a couple of FBI special agents came to our office to ask some questions about the building inspector—Horace Eckhart—who’d been accused of public corruption in the line of his work. They wondered if someone from the Kenniston Group could have offered him bribes to get Horace to speed up the process, look the other way, or whatever, with respect to our recent development projects.”

Lexi regarded her and asked, “What did you say?”

“With Terry on hand—and on the same page—I said that no one in my company would stoop so low as to pay money under the table—and illegally—to try and influence a building inspector for the proper approvals,” Reese said in a no-uncertain-terms tone. “If I got even a whiff of such from any of my employees, I would fire them on the spot. And report it to the authorities,” she stated firmly.

“I believe you,” Lexi was quick to point out, as well as show her support for her friend and the Kenniston Group. “I’m sure the FBI was not singling you out—but only going through the motions for all the real estate development companies and their associates who Horace may have come into contact with as a building inspector.” She forked a piece of lettuce and said thoughtfully, “That includes me…”

Reese gazed at her. “Really?”

“Yes. It seems that architects aren’t immune to accepting bribes, too, if the temptation is there and high enough,” Lexi told her. “I was visited by an agent the same day I made my presentation to you at my studio.”

“How did it go?” Reese asked curiously, while slicing a fork into her teriyaki salmon.

“It went as well as I could expect.” Lexi met her eyes. “Just routine stuff. No harm, no foul, as they say.”

At the time, she had no real expectations—having never before been questioned by a member of the FBI—other than being assured that she wasn’t under investigation moving forward as possibly being guilty of offering Horace a bribe.

Of course, now having gotten to know Cooper better, Lexi was actually happy for the experience—even if somewhat unnerving at the time. For without it, she might never have met the handsome special agent as a prelude to the support group meeting. And that added context was helpful in getting a more well-rounded picture of him to work with.

“That’s good,” Reese said. “If Horace was crooked—and it got him killed—I feel sorry for him and anyone he may have reached out to, or vice versa. And what that might mean as the case is being investigated.”

“I’m of the same mind,” Lexi voiced. She bit into the petite filet mignon and wondered just where Cooper would go from here with his case. And whether or not it could still somehow find its way back to the Kenniston Group, in spite of her believing that Reese would not knowingly become involved in public corruption.

Chapter Nine

On Wednesday, Cooper invited Lexi over for dinner and she agreed to come. He didn’t even pretend to be on her level when it came to making a mouthwatering meal to sink one’s teeth into. But he had been forced to learn how to cook a few things, with Melanie no longer in the picture to do the heavy lifting in the kitchen. More than that, the invitation to Lexi did provide him an opening to get her over to his condo in a no-pressure, easygoing way. If something were to happen beyond the meal that both wanted, he would be all for it. But if Lexi preferred to take things slowly, not quite ready to jump into bed, he’d understand. Especially since he, too, was operating on a concentrated effort of pushing beyond the past and delving into a possible future relationship with someone.

When Lexi appeared at his doorway at just before 6:00 p.m., Cooper felt butterflies as he regarded her, wearing a silver-blue V-neck sweater, high-waist boot-cut jeans, and dark peep-toe booties. Her long hair was sideswept to the right and her fragrance turned him on.

“Hey,” he said, grinning, while maintaining his composure in a twill checkered berry-colored shirt, navy chino pants, and beige slip-on dress sneakers.

“Hey.” She offered him an alluring smile. “Hope I’m not too early?”

Cooper quickly dismissed the notion. “You’re right on time. Come in.”

Lexi walked into his place and took a sweeping look around. “Very nice.”

“Thanks,” he responded, wondering if she would notice that he had no holiday decorations, given Lexi’s own impressive inside and outside display. “Been here for a year now. Suits me at this stage of my life.”

“I can see that.” She gazed at him and, being clearly observant, asked curiously, “You don’t believe in Christmas? Or is it too much hassle, with your work schedule, putting up a tree or other decorations…?”

Guess I couldn’t slip that by her after all, Cooper told himself, half jokingly. He met her eyes. “Yes, I celebrate Christmas, more or less. But as to all the trimmings of the holiday season, since Melanie died, I haven’t been as gung ho in putting up the traditional Christmas decorations while living alone—”

Lexi flashed him a sympathetic look. “I understand.” She paused. “For me, Jonathan loved the Christmas season. So do I. Basically, I figured the best way I could honor his memory and maintain the true meaning of the holiday and what it meant to both of us was to keep it alive.”

Cooper nodded musingly. “That’s totally relatable,” he told her, even if his own perspective still had merit, too—if only in his mind. He gave a crooked self-conscious grin. “Well, dinner’s ready, and I can only hope that it meets with your approval.”

Lexi flashed her teeth. “I’m sure that won’t be a problem,” she uttered confidently. She met his gaze. “Can I help with anything?”

“Feel free to assist with anything you like,” he told her, happy to do this together. “There’s creamy herbed pork chops, garlic roasted potatoes, broccoli, buttermilk biscuits and lemonade to wash it down.”