Dirtying Diana

1

Diana sat smiling at her date while she ate her dinner appreciatively. Emmanuelle's was one of the hottest restaurants in all of Texas with people traveling from all over to get a chance to experience the remarkable cuisine. Unlike practically everyone, Diana was a regular.

She had designed and sewn Emmanuelle's wedding dress when the two were just classmates in college. They both swore to grow up and become successful Black women in a trying world and made history. Diana was the youngest CEO of any fashion house in the world and Emmanuelle was the youngest restauranter to have not one or two, but three Michelin stars.

Diana always suggested her dates be at Emmanuelle's to ensure the men knew the type of woman they'd potentially be dealing with. As she sat across from her date she took in his features and sighed quietly. Nathan Caldwell was a successful real estate magnate that made a name for himself throughout the big cities of Texas and Louisiana.

He was tall, standing at 6'1", which Diana loved with dark skin and warm brown eyes. He was kind, intelligent, cared for her and had a smile that just made people want to smile. Nathan was everything her parents wanted for her, but he just didn't seem like enough. There was always something missing when he held her. There seemed to be something lacking in each kiss. Diana knew she should let him go and she'd tried.

Many times. However, Nathan Caldwell was not someone who let go easily. He told her to give him a month to feel for him the way he felt for her. Thirty days for him to realize she wasn't going to change and that he wasn't the man she wanted. They were on day 22 and as Diana looked at the couples around them, she wondered why she even approved of this stupid agreement in the first place.

Nathan cleared his throat and Diana realized he had been talking to her. "Sorry, what did you say?" He smiled at her showing off his pearly whites and Diana couldn't help but smile back. "I asked how you're dealing with the new CFO." Diana rolled her eyes exaggeratedly causing him to laugh.

"That bad, huh?" Diana sighed loudly before taking a sip of her chardonnay. "He's a child. He doesn't seem to take anything seriously and it's infuriating. Francine was old, yes, but she was the best CFO Blackwood, Inc. has ever had. I hate that she had to retire."

"Babe, you did hire her while she was in her late fifties. You had to have known it was coming." Diana cringed a bit. She hated when he gave her pet names. "I hired her because she was the best financial advisor I had in college. She knew everything and most importantly, she was serious about her job. The fact that she was older should be irrelevant, but no the board felt they should have had a say in the hiring of such a high position. They cornered me and unanimously voted in this Javier Ortiz fool."

Nathan could tell she was getting frustrated and tried to steer the conversation. "Maybe you two should get to know each other. Find common ground." Diana snarled at the idea. "I'll pass."

The waiter came with the bill and like she asked there were two separate checks. "Why don't you let me pay for you like any gentleman would do on a date?" Diana looked at him with a blank expression giving him his answer.

Nathan knew the stories of the great Diana Blackwood. Successful. Smart. Wealthy. Gorgeous. She was everything and then some. Her story was anything but simple and fascinated him every time he happened to hear someone tell it.

Diana had been sewing and designing since she was a child. She would sew outfits to wear to school and even began sewing for friends and family. She was walking to a club one faithful night and caught the eye of the famous actress Kate Sparrow and the rest was history.

Kate had her designing red carpet outfits when she was just a sophomore in college. By the time Diana graduated she had enough money thanks to Kate's investment and her already lofty savings to begin her very own fashion house. Now at 30, Diana had the best designers under her helm and celebrities from all over the world seeking a Blackwood, Inc. original.