Be My Valentine: The McClendon Holiday Series, Book 3 Read online

  Without the right heart note, the essence of love could vanish into thin air.

  The McClendon Holiday Series, Book 3

  Now that Patrice McClendon is at the helm of her mother’s aromatherapy company, she has ideas to propel Good Scents to the next level. Starting with developing a signature scent for Valentine’s Day.

  She’s sure she’s found a perfumer with the training and artistry to assure the smell of success will be sweet. There’s just one problem. The best in the business is a temperamental perfectionist.

  Jacques Germain is intrigued with the opportunity to work with a small-market company like Good Scents, but from his first tumultuous meeting with Patrice, her aggressive business sense overpowers the subtler notes of their underlying attraction.

  Worse, once they’re in the lab, their chemistry proves volatile. To find the missing ingredient in Patrice’s make-it-or-break-it blend—and in their relationship—they’ll have to figure out how to work side by side instead of head to head. And trust that their deepest vulnerabilities could be their greatest strength.

  Warning: Contains a driven businesswoman so close to success she can smell it, and a high-end “nose” who knows all too well how quickly the sweetest love can turn bitter.

  Be My Valentine

  Sean D. Young

  Dedication

  In Loving Memory of My Aunt

  Anna Rose Anderson

  “1946-2012”

  “A man’s gift maketh room for him, and bringeth him before great men.”

  —Proverbs 18:16 (KJV)

  Acknowledgements

  Oh give thanks unto the Lord for He is good…

  I love my family. I’m not calling names because there are too many and I’ll forget. But every single person that makes up my wacky, sometimes crazy family means so much to me. Thank you all for your support, encouragement, and for telling everyone you meet about my books. I appreciate it from the bottom of my heart.

  Priscilla Johnson, you are really a special lady and I want to thank you for all that you’ve done to get the word out about my books and heading up my street team. Your efforts can’t be measured. All I can say is may your cup overflow with God’s blessings.

  The ladies of B.R.A.B. Online Book Club, thank you for your support. You ladies rock!

  Mary L. Taylor, you and I hit it off, right from the start, when I met you on the train. You are a kind-hearted loving woman who loves the Lord and I appreciate you being my friend.

  Donna Terry, Irma Brown and Josie Martin, thank you for helping me bring my vision for my events to fruition. I will never forget what you’ve done for me.

  Jordane Frazier, you are a beautiful and gifted young woman. Thank you for all your help and advice.

  Dear Reader,

  Thank you for picking up my first two books in the McClendon Holiday Series - A McClendon Thanksgiving and The Christmas Promise.

  I’m so grateful that you’ve embraced this family and so far have enjoyed their individual journeys to happily ever after. They have touched your heart and you’ve touched mine with the emails, instant messages, reviews, and text messages, letting me know how much you’ve enjoyed the stories. I’m grateful for your support.

  Patrice and Jacques had a bumpy road to their happily ever after. A couple of times I wondered if they’d ever get there. But the bible says that love is patient and is kind. Neither of them had ever had a love like that before, so it took them some time to figure out that they couldn’t allow anything to come between them.

  Domestic violence is a real problem and there are countless women and children whose lives have been shattered because of it. Not every story has a happy ending the way that Nikki’s did. If you or someone you know are victims of domestic violence, please seek help. Contact the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-SAFE (7233). Your life could depend on it.

  Next Up…

  Do you have a friend that’s more of a frenemy than a friend? Do you both have a love/hate relationship but you’ve never understood why?

  Have you ever judged someone you first met based on what you saw in front of you? Well, Renee McClendon does just that and makes a bet with her friend that she will find A Husband by New Year’s. I hope you’ll take the journey with her as she learns that you can’t judge a book by its cover.

  All good things in love and life,

  Sean

  Chapter One

  “What are you trying to say to me, Mr. Fields?” Jacques Germain asked.

  “Well, Mr. Germain, I just can’t believe that someone broke into your laboratory right before the launch of a major fragrance,” Roger Fields said, sitting with his hands threaded, resting on the polished surface on the conference room table.

  Jacques gave a slight nod. “Yes, That’s exactly what I’m telling you, sir.”

  “There was no sign of a break-in, no footprints, no broken glass, but everything pertaining to the formula for this particular scent has just vanished into thin air,” he spat. “Someone gained access to the lab and we need to find out who and how.”

  Jacques sat up straight in his chair, all the while keeping his eyes on Roger Fields. He’d worked with the senior management executive since starting his career. In the six years he’d been at Fairchild, they’d always had a pleasant enough relationship. But, today was different; he could hear it in Roger’s voice and see it in his mannerism.

  Planting his feet firmly on the ground in an effort to keep his cool, Jacques adjusted his body in the black leather chair. He could feel his anger rising and he could see himself punching the bald-headed man with the wildly bushy eyebrows in his wrinkly face but that wouldn’t be good. It would only escalate the issue and potentially get him arrested. Going to jail wasn’t on his agenda for the day, but to be accused of stealing something that he’d created was just utterly ridiculous.

  Leaning forward, Jacques clasped his hands together and said, “I don’t have any reason to lie to you. Do you know how many man hours it took my team to come up with that formula?”

  “That cologne could have potentially taken us to the number one spot in the men’s category,” Roger said.

  Jacques’s eyes swept the room, seeking to read the stoic expressions on the other three men’s faces who were sitting at the table. He guessed that they were all of the same mind and Roger was acting as their mouthpiece. He didn’t need anyone to remind him of the possibilities the musky scent could have afforded for the company as well as created for him as a perfumer.

  “Because you have no samples and all the notes you took are gone, we can’t even recreate it. We were planning to launch a new campaign in time for Valentine’s Day,” Roger said. “It was going to cost us a pretty penny.”

  And that’s my problem because? Jacques knew full well they couldn’t recreate the smell even if they had the ingredients. If the proportions aren’t on point, the exact scent could never be replicated.

  “Mr. Fields, the notes as well as the formula were in the safe under lock and key.”

  “That’s precisely my point. And you have the key.”

  Silence swept across the room for several minutes. Jacques sat quietly, stared Roger in his eye, while thinking about his next move. “There are two other people who have a key to that lab as well. Let’s not forget that,” Jacques said.

  Straightening in his chair, Roger cleared his throat. “Jacques, as the head perfumer, you are the one responsible.”

  “I’m not dodging my responsibility, bu
t everyone who has a key has a part to play in this as well.”

  Roger leaned farther in his chair, his head touching the high back. “I can’t believe you were this careless,” he said, moving forward. “We’re going to have to investigate thoroughly.”

  Jacques continued to stare at Roger without saying a word, anger rolling inside of him. He opened his mouth, but immediately closed it because he didn’t want his words to come back to haunt him if he said the wrong thing. Roger was trying to provoke him and Jacques was determined not to let him win.

  Nodding with understanding, he said, “Roger, do whatever you need to do to get to the bottom of this,” Jacques said, calmly.

  Roger cleared his throat again, and Jacques knew straightway what his next words would be. “Well, Jacques, until the investigation is over, we’re going to have to ask you to take a leave of absence without pay.”

  This is the last time I work for anyone else. Jacques didn’t need a mirror to know that his eyes were dancing in his head. He could feel his heartbeat accelerating, so he took a deep breath. He didn’t care about not being paid, it was the mere fact that they were asking him to take off that was the problem. There was no way he was going to continue to subject himself to their under-handed finger pointing.

  Leaning back in his chair, Jacques placed his forefinger to his mouth, pondering what he should say. Clearing his throat, he leaned forward slightly and looked at each of the men in the eye before speaking. “You know what, as of right now, I’m giving you my notice.”

  One of the other men who had been silent up until this point held up his hand. “Now, Jacques, let’s not make this personal.”

  Jacques turned his attention in the man’s direction, glaring at him as if the man had lost his mind. Jacques then turned back to Roger and noticed beads of sweat popping up on the crown of his head. “If you are trying to accuse me of Corporate espionage along with being a thief, then how could I not take it personal?”

  “Come on, Jacques, let’s all be reasonable about this. If you want us to pay you while you’re out, then we can discuss it. But again, we’ve got a company to run here,” Roger said.

  “I understand that, Roger, and I have my dignity and a reputation to uphold,” Jacques said, waiting for the man to respond.

  Jacques had been a mentor to every chemist who stepped foot into his lab at Fairchild Ltd. The thirty-six-year-old chemist loved working with young people, sharing his knowledge with them. He reminded them that on-the-job experience could offer them a wealth of knowledge that would stay with them forever. He tried to impress upon them to do their jobs with integrity, respect and never ever look for a short cut because they didn’t exist.

  After a few minutes, Roger still hadn’t responded and Jacques had had enough. There really wasn’t anything left to discuss. It was time to cut the ties that bound them together.

  Jacques pushed his chair back. “You know what, Roger,” he said. “I’ve created many excellent scents for this company over the years, so I know how good I am. You have the number one, bestselling women’s perfume in the country because of me,” Jacques said, pointing to himself. “When you needed to come up with a scent for the hottest Hollywood actress in the world, I’m the one that created that delicate perfume which bears her name. All of which added up to a lot of profit for Fairchild.”

  Roger made a motion with his hands so that Jacques would remain seated. “Jacques, nobody is negating your talent, but we’ve got to get to the bottom of this.”

  Jacques stood anyway. “So you’ve said. And I’m your number one suspect? You’re going to have to prove beyond a shadow of a doubt that I did it,” he said, adjusting his suit jacket.

  “We’re only asking you to give us about a month to complete the investigation and then you can come back to work,” Roger said.

  “No,” Jacques said adamantly. “You honestly think that I’m going through all of this, be laid off, without pay, no less, and then continue to work for you knowing that you don’t trust me. I don’t think so.”

  Jacques pushed the chair under the table. “You gentlemen have a good day.”

  Turning on his heel, he headed for the door, ignoring the whispers from the men. He needed to get back to his office to complete some necessary paperwork so that he could leave with things in order.

  Jacques quickened his steps, moving down the hall, past his assistant’s working station to get to his office. Rounding the desk, he flopped down in his leather chair, stretching his legs out in front of him.

  Replaying the conversation in his mind, Jacques was confident that he’d made the right decision to tenure his resignation. In his opinion, he’d done everything right from the beginning by alerting them when he discovered the theft. He’d been with Fairchild for over six years, had never had a cross word with Roger or a bad employee appraisal in all that time.

  Jacques had never dreamed that Roger and his cronies would accuse him of being responsible, but that’s exactly what happened today. As the lead chemist, the lab was his responsibility, Jacques understood that, but he thought they would work together to find out what happened. In retrospect, being absent while the investigation commenced would help him clear his name of any wrong doing faster. Jacques hoped it would reveal the real culprit.

  He’d come up with other scents in the past, but this one was going to change everything. The success of Fever could have recognized him as one of the best perfumers in the industry. That honor could have moved him to another level, but after the meeting this morning, it was clear that he’d have to do it for himself.

  Jacques opened his desk drawer and started removing his personal items from it. Suddenly, it hit him that he needed to have Violet, his assistant, type his formal resignation letter.

  Jacques rounded his desk, headed for the door. He hoped she had returned, so that he could talk to her. “Violet, I wanted to let you know that I resigned this morning.”

  “Okay,” she whispered, her eyes widened.

  He could see by the shocked expression on her face and the unshed tears sparkling in her eyes, that she was surprised by his announcement.

  “Can you please type a letter for me that simply says, ‘I, Jacques Germain hereby tender my resignation as lead perfumer for Fairchild Ltd. effective immediately’? And I will sign it.”

  Violet nodded.

  “Thank you,” Jacques said as he turned to go back to his office.

  A few seconds later, Violet stuck her head in the door. “Jacques, do you need any boxes to put your things in?”

  Jacques smiled at her. “Yes, that would be great. I would like to get this done within the hour so that I can get out of here.” He was surprised that security hadn’t come to escort him out already.

  “I have a shipping box you can use,” she said. “Let me type your letter and then I’ll bring the box in for you.”

  Jacques looked down on the desk at the things he’d already removed from the drawer. “I don’t think I’ll have a lot, so one box should do it.” He didn’t want to put anything that was Fairchild property in the box just in case they were trying to gather evidence against him.

  “I’ll be right back then,” Violet said, before closing the door.

  After emptying the desk of his personal things, he went to the bookcase on the other side of the room. As he scanned the vast number of titles he had on the shelf, he changed his mind about the number of boxes that he would need. There was no way he would be able to carry all of those books home. He heard a slight knock on the door.

  “Come on in, Violet,” he said, expecting to see his assistant walk into the room.

  Violet held a manila folder in one hand and the empty box in the other. “Here you go, Jacques,” she said, placing the box on the floor. “Would you like me to help you?”

  Jacques gave her a slight smile. “If you wouldn’t mind, Violet. I would love your he
lp.” He turned to his left. “You can start by putting all of the things I have stacked on the desk in the box you brought in.”

  Violet looked at him and then the bookshelf. “We’re going to need more boxes if you plan to take this stuff home.”

  “Yes, I was wondering if you would be able to ship my books to me. I know that I can’t carry them.”

  “But of course. I’ll call down to the mailroom since they have all kinds of boxes, we should be able to pick up something from them.”

  Jacques walked over to Violet and gave her a brief hug. “Thank you so much for being my eyes and ears around here the past six years. You have been invaluable to me and I’m going to miss seeing your smiling face.”

  “I’m going to miss you too, but let’s get this together so you can get out of here,” Violet said as she picked up the box and walked over to the desk. Picking up the phone she made the call for more containers to be brought up to Jacques’s office.

  Jacques lifted the folder from the desk and opened it. He took a black ink pen from the holder and scanned the letter before signing it. “Violet, I’m going to Roger’s office so that I can give him this letter.”

  “Make sure you make a copy first, Jacques,” Violet reminded him.

  Walking to the door, he held up the paper. “I’ll stop by the copy room on my way to his office. Thanks for the reminder.”

  As he approached Roger’s office, Jacques was more confident than ever that what he was doing was best for him. He knocked on the closed office door and waited.

  “Come in,” he heard from the other side.

  With determined steps, Jacques made sure that his face was void of any expression. He didn’t want to give Roger some inkling of what he was feeling. He walked into the office and handed the letter to executive. “It has been wonderful, thanks for the experience,” he said, extending his hand to the older man.

  Roger stood and shook his hand. “Jacques, you don’t have to do this,” he said before releasing Jacques’s hand.