“AM or PM?”
“PM, Cameron. Why?”
“Is it formal or semi-formal?”
“Semi-formal, but that’s optional.” Jasmine knew he’d asked because he wanted to know what to wear. “The reception will be held in St. John’s garden.”
“Is Eustace doing the catering?”
“I’m certain he will be. Why?”
“The man’s the best cook in the whole damn state.”
“I agree, but my friend Tonya is also an incredible chef. Once she opens her restaurant at the inn, she’ll have to turn away folks.”
“We’ll see.”
“Oh, you think I’m just blowing smoke when talking about Tonya’s cooking.”
“No, babe. I just said we’ll see.”
Jasmine wanted to tell Cameron that Tonya had been working with Eustace as his apprentice to perfect many of the dishes the Toussaints were known for. And her future husband was also a professional chef. Together they were certain to become more than a footnote among New Orleans’s celebrity chefs.
“Do you want me to pick you up from the airport when you come in?”
“No. Hannah’s going to meet me. I want to spend a few days with her before we hang out together.”
“That’s not a problem.”
“I don’t know if I told you, but I haven’t booked a return flight yet.”
“That’s great, because that will give me time to take you around.”
“What about work, Cameron?”
“What about it?”
“Are you taking a vacation?”
“No. I’ll rearrange my schedule and just take off.”
“It must be nice being your own boss.”
“It does have its perks. Wasn’t it that way when you ran your decorating firm?”
“Yes,” Jasmine admitted. She’d made her own hours, and could pick and choose her clients.
“Make certain you pack lightweight clothes because it’s hotter than Hades down here right now.”
“Thanks for letting me know. I’m going to ring off because I have to go through my closet and pack.”
“Okay, babe. I’ll see you when you get here.”
Jasmine set the phone on the side table and closed her eyes. She didn’t want to imagine that Cameron was sending her mixed messages, but this was sounding more and more like a relationship, and for her the word was the same as a commitment. At this time in her life if she wanted to commit to anything it would be her career and not a man.
She opened her eyes and stared at the sheer fabric draping the bed. A shiver of excitement eddied through her when she thought about assisting Hannah managing the inn. Becoming Gregory’s mentee helped Jasmine develop her skills as a people person. She watched him literally change a client’s mind about a particular decorating scheme when he used a soft coaxing tone rather than one that was condescending. She had adopted a similar demeanor when talking with employees with complaints about their supervisors or if they were written up for some infraction.
Jasmine decided not to tell Cameron about her plan to relocate to New Orleans until after she and Hannah were in agreement with the conditions in her contract. She thought about what she had to do before leaving, and that included notifying management about her cousin coming to stay with her if or when Amelia was able to secure a position downstate.
