The Essence of Perfection Page 2

Heat prickled Nicola’s neck and cheeks. Quinn would bring up her list. “My list is for me. One day soon I’ll get to everything on it, but for now I’m working on one of the biggest projects we’ve ever had. You can’t fault me for that.”

  Quinn waved her hand dismissively. “Fine, but remember one big project is often followed by another. If you don’t make time for what you want to do now, you’ll be old with bad knees and unable to have fun.”

  Nicola laughed. “I’ve got bad knees now. Don’t worry. Desiree’s project is the last one, and then I’ll be ready to cross off items on my list.”

  Quinn gave her a yeah right eye roll before looking at her phone. While Quinn was engrossed with her phone, Nicola scrolled back to Damien’s page. She sighed before locking the screen and sliding it in the pocket of the lab coat she wore when working. Make love to an artist. She’d add that to her list, too.

  Chapter 2

  The club for the Johnson & Johnson party was nearly packed to capacity. Singers, actors, and athletes who had any sort of sponsorship with the company, along with their entourages and the behind the scenes people like Nicola, filled the place. After six years making fragrances for soaps, candles, and cleaners along with perfume and colognes, Nicola wasn’t typically star struck when she attended these events.

  They were more of a chore than anything. Something she had to do to keep Queen Couture in everyone’s mind. Her mom typically attended these parties, too. She was better at socializing and small talk than Nicola, but Adele King was out of town. Their parents’ anniversary was that week and her dad surprised her mom with a romantic vacation in Paris. Leaving the Johnson & Johnson schmoozing to Nicola and Quinn. Her sister’s internet fame included wearing some of the products connected to Queen Couture and helped their brand on more than one occasion.

  An arm slipped through hers and she was pulled in close to her best friend’s side. “I am going home with one of these guys tonight.”

  Shonda fluffed the side of the halo of curls framing her face, straightened her shoulders and puffed out her chest. She smelled of coconut and spice. A bright smile showcased a row of bright white teeth. Her skin-tight red dress fit in perfectly with the various sexy outfits worn by women in the club. Nicola had opted for a white, one-shoulder top and rose gold, high-waisted skirt that gave off a more cocktail party vibe. Shonda looked ready to party. Only her clammy hand on Nicola’s wrist and the tightness around her eyes gave away her nervousness.

  Nicola patted her friend’s hand. “You don’t have to go home with anyone, you know. You can just get a few numbers. Smile and talk. Have a guy buy you a drink.”

  Shonda shook her head. “No. It’s been eighteen months since I kicked Bryan’s ass to the curb. I’ve devoted myself to making the split as easy for the kids as possible. Now it’s time for Mommy to get back out there.”

  Nicola kept her mouth shut. Shonda’s divorce had not been pretty. That tended to be the case when cheating was involved. Bryan was the last person Nicola would have suspected to be out there sleeping around. If someone had asked her for an example of a happily married man who completely adored his wife, Nicola would have immediately pointed to her best friend’s husband. She’d helped him pick out the engagement ring. Saw the tears in his eyes when Shonda came down the aisle. Witnessed the roses he would surprise her with every Valentine’s Day, birthday, and anniversary. Unfortunately, the man Nicola frequently compared her own boyfriends to had not only been sleeping around, but he’d gotten Shonda’s administrative assistant pregnant. Talk about some bull.

  “Get back out there slowly,” Nicola warned. “Don’t do something stupid just because you want to make Bryan jealous.”

  “This has nothing to do with Bryan and everything to do with me. Oh, look, isn’t that Quinn?”

  Nicola looked in the direction her friend pointed and spotted her sister at the end of the large bar. Quinn hadn’t noticed them. She was deep in conversation with a tall, handsome man who wasn’t her husband. Nothing surprising there. Quinn was beautiful, men were attracted, but her sister never strayed.

  Why mess up the good thing I got for a few minutes of mediocre sex? Quinn’s favorite reason for why she wouldn’t ever step out on her husband. Never because she loved him. Nicola never brought that up.

  “Let’s go see who she’s talking to,” Nicola said.

  Shonda leaned her head to the side and raised a brow. An appreciative gleam brightened her eye. “Yes, let’s do that, because from here his ass is fantastic. And since your sister can’t do anything with him, I’m more than happy to start my quest to reintroduce my body to sex sooner rather than later.”

  Nicola shook her head and laughed as they headed over to her sister. “Quinn, hey,” Nicola said when they reached her sister.

  Quinn faced them. Irritation flashed in her sister’s eyes before the sentiment was hidden behind a bright smile. “Nicola, you finally made it.” She leaned in and hugged her.

  “I got caught up at work,” Nicola said. “I would have been here sooner, but I started working on—”

  “I know. It’s always work.” Quinn waved her hand. “Shonda, girl, what’s up? I didn’t know you were coming,” she said after hugging Shonda.

  “I’m getting back out there,” Shonda said. Her eyes focused on the guy hovering behind Quinn. A calculating gleam entered their brown depths. “Speaking of getting back out there, please introduce us to this handsome fellow.”

  Quinn grinned and slid an arm around the man in question, pulling him into their conversation. “Ladies, let me introduce you to Joseph Martin. His company produces most of the commercials for Johnson and Johnson.”

  Joseph held out his hand and shook theirs. “Ladies, it’s a pleasure to meet you.”

  Shonda’s perusal intensified after Joseph spoke in a smooth baritone voice. Nicola wasn’t completely immune. Tall, dark, and handsome, with a voice made for late-night pillow talk. But then her analytical mind kicked in. His handshake was too hard, and he smelled like baby powder. She hated that scent on a man.

  He also didn’t separate himself from Quinn during the introductions. Her sister’s hands lingered on Joseph’s arm as he gave them a thirty-thousand-foot overview of what goes into making a commercial. Joseph’s eyes frequently lingered on her sister’s cleavage. Quinn’s all white pantsuit seemed stitched together to show off breasts and butt.

  Nicola fought not to check her watch to see what time it was. She’d much rather be at home, drinking wine, and brainstorming smell combinations than getting a headache listening to Joseph talk while breathing in the thick mixture of perfume, sweat, and pheromones in the club.

  Joseph’s cell phone rang. He pulled it from his back pocket and frowned at the screen. “Excuse me ladies. Quinn, I’ll give you a call.”

  Quinn’s grin was flirtatious. “I look forward to hearing from you.”

  As soon as he walked away Nicola leaned into her sister. “What was that about?”

  “What was what?” Quinn moved back to the bar. Nicola and Shonda settled in on either side of her.

  Nicola ordered a club soda from the bartender. She didn’t like drinking at these events. Shonda got a vodka and cranberry.

  Shonda raised an arched brow. “You were doing a lot more than flirting with that man.”

  Quinn chuckled and slid long fingers through her honey-colored hair. “Whatever. He said I’d be great for a campaign they’re working on. I told him I was a model.”

  “Instagram model count?” Nicola shot back.

  Quinn cut her eyes at Nicola before shaking her head and laughing in her you’re just jealous way. She turned to Shonda. “A model is a model. That’s the great thing about the world today. You no longer have to depend on some agency to land big jobs. I have thousands of followers, and I’m an influencer. That’s all that counts.”

  Nicola opened her mouth to argue, but Shonda caught her eye and shook her head. Nicola sucked the straw in her club soda instead. Tonight was about networking
and mingling. Not arguing with Quinn, again, about her life choices.

  “That’s really cool, Quinn,” Shonda said. “Let me know how it turns out. Then, maybe you can introduce me to a male model who is only interested in no strings attached orgasms.”

  Nicola laughed, sending soda down her windpipe. She cleared her throat and grinned at Shonda. “I’m going to have to put a caution sign on you.”

  “Nope, Shonda, don’t listen to my sister,” Quinn said. “She just got the deal of the century. She’s at the top of her game and should be out here living her best life. Instead, she is working late and not paying attention to that very sexy man at the end of the bar trying to get her eye.”

  Shonda stood up on tiptoe. “What guy?”

  “The one in the tan suit,” Nicola said, having noticed the guy a few minutes earlier.

  He reminded her of her last boyfriend. Not in looks, but in the vibe he gave off. Rich, confident, CEO type. She wasn’t about to go down to Hawkins Studios and sign up for a pottery class just to meet the guy she drooled over, but she also wasn’t in the mood to go down the same road as she had before. Hence the reason for her current dating drought.

  “I don’t have time for foolishness.” Nicola finished her drink.

  Quinn shook her head and gave Nicola an annoyed glance. “Who says that man is foolishness?”

  “You know what I mean,” Nicola said.

  Shonda waved at the guy and grinned. “No, I don’t.”

  “See what I mean,” Quinn said pointed at Nicola. “Refusing to live.”

  “I’m not refusing to live. I am living my best life,” Nicola argued. “I am very excited about the Desiree deal. I’m working in a field I love. I’m very happy.”

  Shonda and Quinn exchanged a look. Shonda gave Quinn the same don’t-go-there head shake she’d given Nicola a few minutes before. Shonda was good like that. She always knew when one sister was about to step over a line and could pull them back before they did something dumb.

  “You know what, you’re right.” Quinn turned and waved down the bartender. “Can we get three shots of Patrón over here.”

  “What are the shots for?” Nicola asked. “You know I don’t drink at these things.”

  “Again, celebratory drinks.” She handed a shot to Shonda and the other to Nicola. “To living our lives like they’re golden. And don’t you dare slide that to the side, Nicola. You will take this one shot and loosen up.”

  Shonda bounced on her toes. “Come on, Nicola. One shot to celebrate the Desiree deal.”

  Nicola rolled her eyes and sighed. “Fine.”

  Shonda and Quinn both clapped like they’d won something. The three held up their hands, clinked the glasses before tapping them on the bar and bringing them to their lips. Her sister and friend downed the shot in one try. Nicola sipped. It burned going down and her eyes watered. Yep, not doing that again tonight.

  “Ugh!” Quinn said, glaring over Nicola’s shoulder. “Omar is here. I specifically asked him not to come tonight. The one night I don’t want to be his arm candy.” She slid her empty shot glass across the bar. “Let me see if I can get rid of him.” Quinn shot off to intercept Omar before he made it to the bar.

  “What’s that about?” Shonda asked.

  Nicola shrugged and frowned after her sister. The annoyance on her face was gone by the time she slid up to her husband. “I have no clue.”

  Quinn didn’t typically get upset if Omar showed up at a party she was at. Despite the image of marital bliss Quinn curated as part of her online persona, she and her husband led separate social lives, showing up together only for family events or occasions when they needed to be a power couple. Nicola watched as Quinn slid her arm through Omar’s and tried to lead him back the way he came.

  Shonda tapped Nicola’s shoulder. “Look, are you really not interested in that guy at the end of the bar?”

  Nicola glanced at the guy. He still watched them, but maybe he’d felt her disdain, because his attention veered toward Shonda.

  “Be my guest,” she said. “I’m going to find the executives and the party planner. Thank them for the invite. Tell them it was great and make my way home.”

  Shonda gave Nicola a disappointed look. “You know I don’t always agree with Quinn, but she’s right.”

  “About what?”

  “About your refusal to take your life into your own hands. Live in the now instead of putting things on that list of yours in the hopes of getting back to it one day.”

  Nicola drummed her nails on the bar and sighed. “Not you too? Quinn just got onto me about that.”

  “I know. We talked about it last night.”

  Nicola held up a hand. “You and Quinn are talking about me behind my back now?” Nicola didn’t like the thought of that. Were they sitting around discussing all the ways she didn’t live up to the role of being one of the star employees for a popular cosmetics company? Did they laugh about her boring social life?

  Shonda must have seen the hurt in Nicola’s expression because she rubbed her forearm. “Don’t get like that. Quinn called me about something else and we got to talking. You know anything we said on the phone we’d say to your face, which is why I’m telling you this now. You’re at the top of your career, your family’s company is finally stable, you don’t have to keep putting things on a list. Start doing what you want now.”

  Nicola relaxed. Shonda and Quinn would be more than happy to tell her straight up what they thought. She still didn’t like the idea of her sister calling up her best friend. Quinn had a way of snatching up Nicola’s friends and making them her own.

  Shonda’s attention shifted. Nicola followed her gaze. The man at the end of the bar motioned for Shonda to join him.

  Shonda gave Nicola a pleading look. “Unless doing what you want means changing your mind about him.”

  Nicola motioned with her hand for Shonda to head toward the guy. “Go for it.”

  Shonda squeezed Nicola’s hand. “Thanks. Now go find another guy to talk to. Or at least dance. You never dance.”

  Shonda patted Nicola’s knee before she strolled to the end of the bar and sat next to the guy Nicola had chosen to ignore. Nicola watched as the two immediately leaned into each other and started flirtatiously laughing. She wasn’t interested, but that didn’t stop envy from twining around her heart. One day she’d be bold enough to approach a guy at a bar. With a sigh, she got up and searched the crowd for people she needed to speak with before leaving. Today was not the day for bold.

  Chapter 3

  Nicola wafted her hand over a vial of blended essential oils. Lemon, rosewood, and black pepper drifted through her senses. She cocked her head to the side, closed her eyes, and considered the blend. Tried to picture a scene in her mind based off the blend.

  Summer. A cottage in the country. Roses outside. Spice in the air from something amazing in the kitchen.

  She opened her eyes and met the expectant gaze of the lab coat-clad perfumer who was part of her team at Queen Couture. Tia bit the corner of her lip. Her kinky red hair was pulled back in a tight ponytail. A red flush beneath her tan skin highlighted the freckles across the bridge of her nose. The young perfumer had worked with Nicola for two years. She looked to her for guidance and thought she was a genius. Nicola still had to stop herself from looking over her shoulder when Tia pointed her way and said “ask the expert.” If only she knew.

  Yes. The scent Tia brought her would work as a summer blend for the specialty soap manufacturer they worked with.

  Pleased with her protégé, Nicola put the vial down and grinned. “Great job.”

  Tia pumped her fists. “I tried distilling the rose after you mentioned it was too heavy before.”

  Nicola nodded as she wrote notes in her notebook. She wondered if nutmeg would work to enhance the scent or clash with the pepper. She shook her head and scratched out the word nutmeg. Nope, no second guessing. Once she liked a blend, she went with it. Otherwise she’d fret for days abo
ut ways to further perfect it.

  “It really lightened things up. I like it and I think our client will, too.”

  Tia let out a relieved sigh. “Awesome. Now that we’ve got that settled, do you want me to work on the briefs we got from Pearl Cosmetics?”

  Nicola closed her notebook and stood. “Please. I’m going to be tied up with blends for Desiree’s perfume, so if you’ll go through the briefs and put together some suggestions, that would be great. Get Scarlett and Bo to look at some of them, too. I’ll go over your initial suggestions.”

  Scarlett and Bo were two interns they’d brought in before the spring rush. Delegating tasks to others hadn’t been Nicola’s strong suit, but after two years of having Tia remind her that she had help, Nicola relented.

  Tia nodded and grabbed her own notebook. “I’m on it.”

  Nicola left the lab where Tia and the interns worked and went down the hall to her office. She passed the offices of the other chemists who created the boutique makeup and beauty products for Queen Couture. As the lead perfumer, Nicola and her team of chemists were responsible for creating the scents for every product, from face cream to lipstick. But the company’s big money came from the scents Nicola created for other larger companies and celebrities.

  Desiree’s perfume was going to require every ounce of her creative abilities. A basic blending of various scents hadn’t been what had gotten her this far in the process. The southern singer was far from basic. Desiree was from South Carolina’s Lowcountry and had taken her sultry southern persona from young pop star to worldwide phenomenon. Desiree oozed sex appeal and confidence with a healthy dose of mess with me at your own risk bravado. The brief Desiree sent out included words like sexy, excitement, thrill, comfortable, home. She’d also included pictures saying her perfume needed to be sexy as a red thong and comfortable as flannel pajamas.

  Nicola had seen briefs with similar contradictions. Each time she’d feared she wouldn’t be able to make magic happen. Each time she’d managed to come out on top. She would do the same this time. She needed something bold, sensual, and unforgettable. But not too exotic as to turn people away, or too complicated that it didn’t work on the millions of diverse fans the singer brought in.