Chocolate Mousse Calling My Name

02: Chocolate Mousse Calling My Name

Fiona sat with Paxton & Rose Clark and their 22-year-old son Teague in Seasons, the fine dining restaurant in Four Seasons Hotel. In the lunch meeting, Fiona was hoping to acquire a substantial donation from the well-established Washington D.C. family for Micropath Global Charities, the charitable branch of her father's corporation. The Clark family made their money in the shipping industry and were a well-known family among the Washington D.C. elite

"So Teague, I understand you just graduated from UC Davis?" Fiona smiled at the young man. He had soft brown curly and slightly shaggy hair, he wore wire-rimmed Tom Ford glasses. Despite carrying about 20 lbs of extra beer weight, Teague was boyishly good-looking and clearly drawn in by Fiona.

Teague blushed in response to Fiona's attention. And did not respond immediately, he was caught up staring into Fiona's eyes. "Um ... yes, they have a great vet science program and now I'm applying to veterinary programs. Keeping my fingers crossed!"

Fiona smiled softly, genuinely intrigued. "Wow, that's very different from east coast shipping. Did you love it out west?"

Teague laughed jovially, "I did! It's definitely a different pace of life and Davis is unique. It's a small college town. Lots of bicycles, the farmer's market is the social highlight of the week, and unfortunately, it smells like cow poo on and off. But I kind of liked that." He glanced at his parents and they were grinning. "I'll leave the exciting and logistics-driven world of transatlantic shipping to my parents. I want to specialize in large animal treatment. Horses that have experienced trauma or stress. So, kind of a combination of veterinary science and animal behaviorism."

"Wow, like the 'horse whisperer?" Fiona's eyes widened and she smiled.

"Yes! A little bit like that. When I was at school one of the cases involved a horse that survived a barn fire, there were a lot of others who didn't make it." Teague's eyes washed with sorrow. "The rancher described what it was like to hear the animals screaming and well, Baxter suffered more than just physical trauma."

Fiona tilted her head slightly considering, "I'm so sorry to hear that, but I imagine Baxter was quite fortunate to have you and the UC program to help with his recovery." Teague nodded with gratitude. "And you definitely sound like it's something you have a passion for." Teague looked into Fiona's green eyes and he felt heat rising in his neck.

Rose Clark cleared her throat subtly, "Yes, Teague started rescuing animals at a pretty young age." She laughed as memories flooded through her eyes. "I think we had the local animal rescue and no-kill shelter on speed dial."

"Mom, I wasn't that bad." Teague was becoming a little embarrassed.

Fee interjected her voice filled with admiration, "I think it's wonderful. Compassion for animals, children, the less fortunate. Giving a voice to those who can't speak for themselves or who are in need."

Teague grinned, "Thanks, it's not quite the type of work you're doing, but it is my passion."

"Oh, I don't do anything exceptional, I'm just fortunate to be able to invest my time in connecting passionate people with worthy endeavors."

"So what is it Ms. Donovan that Micropath Global Charities is invested in now?" Mr. Clark recognized the meaning behind Fiona's words.

"Well, we do a lot of partnership work with various non-profit organizations nationally and internationally. Most of our work is environmental and focuses on sustainable charitable efforts, 'pay it forward' groups." Fiona's gaze shifted to Teague who was caught up in another stare. "We do often earmark charitable contributions if the donor would like their money to work in a discrete fashion. Right now we are building a relationship with Animal Equality International. Are you familiar with the organization Teague?"

"Oh, um no, not really."

Fiona smiled magnifying her charm and beauty. Her own passion and excitement now building. "Well, they do incredible work at the global level with limited resources and procedural transparency. They basically conduct investigations into farms to see that they are treating their animals humanely."

Teague's eyes widened and he leaned further in, "Oh! That's great!"

"Yes, we really like what they're doing. We have some personnel in Central America now shadowing some of the investigators to better understand the process. We also have active relationships with Charity Water, Heifer International, World Wildlife Federation, and Nature Conservancy. We continue to work in developing areas with medical clinics, planned parenthood education, and sustainable energy systems."

Ms. Clark responded, "Wow! That sounds wonderful. How do you choose who to fund?"

Fiona nodded, "Yes, it can be challenging. Sometimes our donors give us direction, but there is a board that meets and reviews both needs and the impact the fiscal dollar will have. Additionally, we vet the organizations to ensure that they are credible and rate well with regard to charitable organizations."

"Fiona, your work sounds incredibly fulfilling. I bet you're quite successful in what you do." Teague smiled, drawing Fiona's attention with the compliment.

Fee spoke genuinely, "Thank you, I try. I do love facilitating Micropath Global, but I sometimes wish I could have my 'feet on the ground' a little more. Most people can give some amount of money, and that's really important. But, I think people who give their time and emotional investment are special. Like you Teague."

The young man blushed profusely, "Um, thanks. Thank you." Fiona nodded and shifted her attention back to Mr. and Mrs. Clark. Mr. Clark was shaking his head slightly and smirking, happy at that moment that his son would not be writing the check.

"Mr. and Mrs. Clark, why don't you think about how you might be able to help Mircropath do some good in a world that needs more people like your son?" Fiona pulled a business card out with the office mainline and contact information. She wrote her email address on the back. "You can contact the offices or me directly and we'll help you with the paperwork and understanding the tax implications." Fiona laid the card down in an undefined space on the table.

Teague's eyes followed the path of the card from her hand, to the table, and then into his father's hand. He wondered if he would be able to convince his dad to let him complete the transaction.

"For now, that chocolate mousse is calling my name." Fiona grinned and winked lightly.

----

Fiona sat back in her car and sighed, having enjoyed the lunch but she was ready to return to her offices. Her efforts would result in a substantial donation from the Clark family and a personal thank you email from Teague.

Reggie and Bill sat in the front of the car in a familiar routine. "All set Ms. Donovan?"

"Yes, Bill, thank you."

"Would you like to make any stops?"

"No Reggie, just to the offices. I want to touch base. I'll be there a couple of hours max."

----

"Come out with us Fiona!" Courtney pleaded lightly, "You'll have a good time and you deserve a drink. The Clark family? That's a 'whale' you just landed."

Fiona grinned, "Okay Court, you win."

Within the hour Fiona was seated with a handful of her colleagues at a Webster's. Just a block over from Micropath, it was a favorite after-work spot for the office. Bill sat at a nearby table discreetly watching Fiona. Fee sat with the group but mostly listened to the conversations choosing not to engage. She was happy to watch her hardworking staff blow off some steam and pick up the check. She appreciated Courtney's efforts to include her but all she really wanted was to go home and unwind.

"Fiona," Courtney nodded toward a man moving their way in a blue power suit. "He's been into you since we walked into the bar."

Fiona looked up to see a medium build man with sandy-blonde hair and warm brown eyes. He smiled as he moved, smoothly pulling an empty chair from the adjacent table and sliding it next to Fiona. "May I?"

Fiona smiled graciously. "Sure," she nodded to the full table, "we're just unwinding for a little bit. I'm Fiona, this is Courtney ..." Fiona listed the names as she moved her eyes around the table. "Don't worry, no quiz later."

"Thanks! That's a relief! I'm Noah." Noah moved comfortably into a conversation with Fiona and occasionally some of the other staff. Like many young professionals in Washington D.C. he was tied into the political scene. He was currently working as a 'staffer' for Adam Smith from the 9th District, Seattle.

"So how often do you get to travel to Seattle from D.C.?" Seattle was one of few major cities Fiona had not had the opportunity to visit.

"Oh, a few times a year. It's an incredible city but I like the pace and vibe of Washington D.C." Noah was now openly flirting with Fiona, "It makes for a wonderful weekend getaway though. Do you like oysters?"

Fiona laughed lightly, "I do but there's nothing quite like Maryland Blues."

"Agreed! There's a great place not far from here that has incredible crabcakes. I'd be happy to take you. Dinner?" Noah grinned and winked lightly.

Fiona laughed in good nature. "I think I'll pass tonight. I'm spending some time with my colleagues and then I'll call it a night. But thank you for the invitation. Perhaps some other time." Fiona shifted slightly back toward the table in an attempt to end the conversation.

Noah reached, lightly placing his hand on her forearm. "Fiona, why don't we meet for coffee or lunch next week?"

Fiona's gaze moved beyond Noah and she saw Bill shift and his chair and stand up slowly. She did not want to draw attention to him or the situation. "Noah, why don't you leave me your business card? I'm leaving in a few minutes. After I say goodbye to my friends."

Noah smirked and raised an eyebrow, "Okay," he removed his hand. "I look forward to getting that call." Noah set his card on the table and moved back to the bar. He immediately started a social media search and local news search for Micropath and Fiona Donovan.

"No go, huh?" Courtney glanced over to the bar.

"Not tonight Court. I'm going to head home. You stay and have a good time. Put this on a company card, okay?"

"Thanks, Fee, will do. But that's not why I invited you out."

Fiona grinned and rolled her eyes. "Oh, I know. Maybe I'm a little too picky."

Courtney probed gently, "Michael still in your field of vision?"

Fiona thought back to Michael Bale, a young ambitious corporate lawyer specializing in patent law. She met him at a charitable function and was quite enamored with the man. They dated for a few weeks before she realized that Michael was a little more interested in "being seen" with Fiona in the right circles and binge-watching CNN political news cycles than she was. Still, on occasion, she missed having someone in her home, in her life, and in her bed. "No. It just didn't work out. Why is it so hard to meet someone in this city? Is everyone playing 'the game?'"

Courtney chuckled, "I know what you mean! There are a lot of ladders out there and it seems most people are on them, fighting for position."

Fiona smiled lightly and nodded in both agreement and resignation. It had been a while since she'd been on a 'real' date. But she wasn't really looking for one either. "Well, I guess I'll just keep trying to 'build step stools.' There are a lot of people out there that could use just a little help."

"Don't worry about it, Fee. You have plenty of guys interested in you. Hold out for the one that makes your heart skip a beat or two."

"Thanks, Court. See you tomorrow."

Courtney smiled, "I hope you have a good evening."

Fiona nodded and walked out, closely trailed by Bill.