by La Jill Hunt
Asha suddenly remembered passing what she thought was one of the maintenance men. She’d been so ready to leave that she hadn’t even given him a second glance. “I’m so sorry. I can’t believe this. And I’m flattered, but those ladies were beauty pageant contestants. That definitely isn’t me.”
“Hey, you looked like you fit right in with them to me.” Ben shrugged.
Asha raised an eyebrow, taken aback by his statement. His demeanor wasn’t flirtatious or facetious. He seemed sincere. Suddenly, finishing the proposal for Dr. Reed’s retreat was no longer a pressing matter.
“So, Ben, what perfect event can I help you plan?” Asha grabbed a pen and pad, now more concerned with the client sitting in her office than anything else. By the time the meeting ended an hour later, Asha had a signed contract with Maxwell Transportation, a deposit for the event Ben was hosting, as well as an appointment to meet again.
“Oh my God, is he not the finest man you’ve ever seen?” Libby gushed after Ben was gone.
“Is that why you brought him into my office unannounced?” Asha leaned against the large desk that took up most of the tiny lobby area of Great Expectations.
Libby shrugged. “I did announce him, sorta. And you didn’t tell me not to bring him in, and a man that good looking doesn’t need to be announced. Besides, he said the two of you passed each other yesterday at the Convention Center, so I figured you would be glad to see him again. I know I would be. Lord, he is fine. You didn’t tell me he was that fine.”
“I didn’t even realize the guy I passed by was him. He didn’t look like that,” Asha confessed.
“What? Stop playing. Did he have on a mask? A helmet?” Libby’s head tilted to the side, and she folded her arms, making Asha feel even more ashamed for not realizing who he was the day before.
“No, but he was dressed differently, and I was in a hurry to leave. I didn’t really pay him any attention. But you’re right. He is good looking. He’s also quite interesting. He’s hosting a benefit to raise money for Breast Cancer Awareness,” Asha told her. “Buses for Boobs.”
“What?” Libby frowned.
Asha chuckled. “I know. We’re gonna have to work on the title, but Maxwell’s transportation company mainly consists of charter buses. He also owns a couple of party buses and limos too.”
“Ooooh, I get it.”
“Like I said, it’s a work in progress. It’s gonna be nice, though. I’m excited.” Asha stood up.
“I would be excited too. That man is fine. I didn’t notice a ring, did you?”
“I didn’t pay attention to that,” Asha lied. Checking Ben’s left hand for a ring had definitely been something she’d done, and she was relieved when she didn’t see one. In addition to being tall, handsome, and a successful business owner motivated to raise money for charity, he was single. She had to do a little more research, but from what she’d learned and seen so far, he was exactly what she was hoping to find, maybe even better. Only time would tell.
“A man that fine has to have a woman, a girlfriend, or probably several. What do you think?”
“I think I need to get in here and finish this proposal for Reed Dental and get it over to him,” Asha stated as she walked past Libby’s desk and headed to her own office.
“Well, for the record, Dr. Reed is fine too,” Libby called after her.
Asha retreated into her office and resumed working on the proposal, determined not to be distracted by thoughts of Ben Maxwell, and submit it on time. She’d just hit the send button with five minutes to spare when Mrs. Henderson, her boss, popped her head in while tapping on her door.
“Hey, got a sec?”
“Sure, what’s up?” Asha asked, hoping she wasn’t about to add another event to her already full schedule. Being one of the top event coordinators for the company was both a blessing and a curse. It allowed Asha to pretty much do her job without being micromanaged, but it also meant that when someone else dropped the ball, she was the go-to person to pick it up.
“Uh, I’m headed over to Gordon Hospital to meet with the board of directors in twenty minutes, but I was wondering if you could swing by the Convention Center and pick up the pending contracts for the car show next month. I’d be forever in your debt, and I’ll bring you your favorite latte in the morning,” Mrs. Henderson pleaded.
“No problem. I was just there yesterday. Had I known, I would’ve grabbed them for you.”
“Thank you so much. And I’ll make sure you have your Vanilla Chai, no whip, with almond milk.” She winked before walking away.
Not that she needed one, but being tasked with picking up the contracts gave Asha an excuse to take her lunch break earlier than she expected. She’d planned to meet Sully at one of their favorite barbecue spots for a quick bite to make up for not calling when she got home the night before as promised. She had every intention of doing so, but between the alcohol from the margaritas and the overall fatigue from the day, she fell asleep. When she called him on her way to work, she’d apologized.
“I’m sorry, Sully. I was knocked out as soon as I got home.”
“It’s no big deal. I wasn’t really expecting you to call anyway. I’m sure Devyn kept you out later than anticipated,” he commented.
“Well, not exactly. I mean, I did get in later than planned, but that wasn’t necessarily because of her. We both were talking,” Asha told him, then suggested, “You wanna meet me at Jake’s for lunch today?”
Sully didn’t respond immediately, and for a moment, Asha wondered if he was going to decline the invitation until he finally said, “Sure, we can meet. How’s one o’clock?”
“That’s perfect.”
“I’ll see you there,” Sully said.
Asha thought about stopping at the Convention Center to pick up the contracts before heading to the restaurant but didn’t want to risk being late for her lunch date. She learned early on when they began dating that Sully was a stickler for time, a result of being in the military most of his adult life. The meeting time of one o’clock meant that he would probably be at the restaurant at twelve forty-five, at the latest. Sure enough, when she walked into Jake’s with five minutes to spare, Sully was already seated in the dining area. What she wasn’t expecting, however, was that he wasn’t sitting alone.
“Damn it,” Asha whispered. A mixture of disappointment and anxiety caused a knot in her stomach, and for a brief second, she thought about turning around and walking out the same door she’d just entered—but it was too late.
Sully’s motioning hand in the air confirmed that he’d seen her. Instead of leaving, she took a deep breath and promised herself that she would only have to endure thirty minutes of what she anticipated was going to be orchestrated bullshit.
“Hey, baby.” Sully stood as soon as she arrived at the table.
“Hey, honey.” Asha gave him a quick hug, moving before he could kiss her cheek. She glanced over at the sour-faced woman sitting in the chair beside Sully. “Ingrid, I didn’t know you were joining us.”
Ingrid Sullivan was her father’s only child, and as such, the apple of his eye. He was devoted to making sure she was well cared for and supported from the day she was born and continued to do so in every way possible: physically, emotionally, and financially. The fact that he was such a great dad was one of the things Asha respected about Sully, especially since she’d grown up without her father. But the relationship he had with Ingrid was also a thorn in her side. It had nothing to do with the fact that she was only a year younger than Asha. Nor did it have anything to do with her inability to keep a job or pay her own bills. Asha could even understand Ingrid not being too thrilled at the fact that she and Sully were dating. What irritated her the most about Ingrid Sullivan was that she was a selfish bitch whose life was one chaotic moment after another. Undoubtedly, her presence at the table meant a new crisis was so important that it had to disrupt their lunch plans.
“I didn’t know he was meeting you either until we got here, a
nd he asked for three menus.” Ingrid’s enthusiasm was just as nonexistent as Asha’s. Her purple braids were the same color as the crop top that showed off her belly ring. Not long ago, she was in school to become a nail technician, but Asha hadn’t heard anything about her finishing the program or that she was working in a salon. Undoubtedly, she most likely hadn’t completed the course Sully had paid for, the same way he stroked a check for her to attend bartending, massage therapy, and whatever other schools she attended.
“I figured if I was going to have barbecue for lunch, I might as well enjoy it with both my girls.” Sully smiled as he pulled the chair out for Asha.
She was going to point out to him that she wasn’t a “girl,” and neither was Ingrid but opted to ignore it. Although there was always an awkward tension between the two ladies, Sully never commented on it. It was as if he was oblivious to the fact that they didn’t care for each other. He continued to act as if they got along great and looked forward to hanging out, and even tried to make it happen quite often, despite Asha’s suggestion that he not.
Asha sat in the chair and picked up the menu, studying it as if she’d never been to the restaurant, which was one of her favorites. She’d been looking forward to a great meal. Had it been just she and Sully, she would’ve indulged in brisket, macaroni and cheese, baked beans, and homemade corn bread. Now, she wasn’t even hungry.
“I hope you’re paying for my food since you’re the one who invited me here,” Ingrid commented.
She must be talking to her father, Asha thought. I damn sure ain’t invite her ass nowhere.
“Of course, I am. Lunch is on me,” Sully nodded. “Whatever you want.”
“In that case, I want a new car.” Ingrid looked over at him. Sully laughed, but Asha knew Ingrid wasn’t joking.
“I don’t see that on the menu, so pick something else,” he told her. “What would you like, Asha? Your fave, the brisket?”
“Actually, I think I’m just gonna have an appetizer. I’ve got to get to a meeting in a little while, so I don’t have much time,” she said. The waitress came over, and she quickly gave her order. “I’ll just have some corn nuggets and a sweet tea.”
“That’s it? Are you sure?” Sully asked.
“Yeah, I’m sure,” Asha nodded.
“Well, I don’t know what I want yet, so you need to come back,” Ingrid snapped at the waitress, sounding more like a 5-year-old than a grown woman.
Sully proceeded as if Ingrid’s rudeness were nonexistent and placed his order. When the waitress was gone, he reached across the table and grabbed Asha’s hands. “How’s your day going so far?”
“Going really good. I finished one project and signed a new client today that I’m excited about,” she told him.
“That’s what’s up. Congrats to you.” Sully smiled. “I guess we need to go out to celebrate, huh?”
“We don’t have to, but I won’t say no if you want to,” Asha laughed.
Ingrid’s cell phone rang. She used her extralong, curved fingernails, which also had purple crystals, to take it out of her purse and answer without even excusing herself. “Hello. Yeah, eating with my daddy. I know. He better not try to hit me up. I’ll get a restraining order and mess up those little coins he’s lying to people about making now. I don’t play about that gang-bang stuff, and you know what happened.”
Asha glanced over at Sully. The slight frown on his face let her know that Ingrid’s conversation concerned him. Had it been anyone else, the words “restraining order” and “gang bang” would be alarming for Asha, but she knew better than to even wonder about what Ingrid was discussing. The waitress returned with her basket of nuggets, and after a quick prayer, she pretended to be so engrossed in eating that she didn’t even hear what was being said.
“Who’s that?” Sully asked, interrupting Ingrid’s conversation.
“Monee, calling about Bear,” Ingrid said.
“Bear? What about him?” Sully turned his entire body toward his daughter.
“Monee, hold on. My daddy being rude,” Ingrid said into the phone, then told Sully, “Someone said they saw him. I haven’t seen or talked to him, though. Girl, I’m back. Wait, lemme just go outside so that folks won’t be in my business.”
“I swear, that’s the last thing she needs to be dealing with right now,” Sully said when Ingrid left the table.
I continued to be so focused on putting my straw in my tea that I didn’t know what he was referring to. “Huh?”
“That no-good ex of hers, Bear. A troublemaker who left town awhile back after getting shot. I hope whoever it was that said they saw him is wrong. I don’t want him anywhere near my daughter,” Sully commented.
“I’m sure,” were the only words Asha could think to say.
“Asha, I know you don’t care for her, but she’s a lot like your friend Devyn.”
Asha nearly choked on her drink, wondering how the hell he would ever make the comparison of two people who were so totally opposite from each other, not only in physical appearance, but also in every other aspect as well. Devyn had class, style, elegance—hell, even manners. Ingrid possessed none of those.
Before she could stop them, the simple word escaped her. “How?”
“They’re both young, beautiful, and trying to figure it all out. You say all the time how Devyn has a greater purpose that she just hasn’t tapped into yet. I believe that for Ingrid. One of the reasons I invited her here today was so that maybe you could talk with her. But now, here comes this Bear mess.” Sully shook his head.
Asha looked at her watch, then gasped, “Goodness, I gotta get to this meeting.”
“What? Already?” Sully balked. “I haven’t even got my food, Asha. You’re the one who wanted to have lunch, remember?”
“I know, Sully. I told you my boss asked me to do something at the last minute. I wanted to see you and didn’t want to cancel because I know how you hate that.” Asha wiped her mouth and reached for her purse.
“Well, I meant what I said earlier. I want to take you out to celebrate your new client. And we need some quality time,” Sully said, standing when she did.
“Sounds like you’ve got a date to plan, sir.” Asha smiled and gave him a light kiss. “I’ve gotta go. We’ll talk later.”
As she walked out of the restaurant, she spotted Ingrid leaning against her father’s truck, smoking a cigarette. Asha chuckled, thinking that Sully suggested that his misguided thot of a daughter was anything like her best friend who she loved more than anyone in the world.
Chapter 5
Devyn
“Have a great day, Miss Douglass. See you in a couple of months.”
“Thanks,” Devyn grumbled to the receptionist as she rushed out of the office. It wasn’t her intention to be rude, but she was on the verge of tears and didn’t want anyone to see them in case they started flowing. She made it to her car before the watershed began. Her sobs were silent as her head pressed on the steering wheel. The vibration of her phone interrupted her emotional breakdown, and she briefly looked at the screen to see who it was she was about to ignore. When she saw the name, instead of declining the call, she simply said, “Shit,” before answering.
“How is my favorite niece in the whole wide world?” Uncle Julian greeted her. His voice was warm, full of joy, and sounded as if he didn’t have a care in the world.
Not wanting to spoil the vibe, Devyn tried her best to compose herself before saying the response she always gave, “I’m your only niece in the world, Uncle Julian.”
“But even if I had a thousand nieces, you’d still be my favorite, my Devyn,” he laughed. “How are you, my love?”
“I’m good,” she sighed.
“Liar. Now tell me the truth. What’s wrong?” He said it with such conviction that Devyn looked around to see if he were lurking somewhere in the parking lot. Her father and mother never married, and right before she was born, he moved out of state and on with his life, which didn’t include the dau
ghter he left behind. Devyn found a father figure in her mother’s twin, Uncle Julian, who she would spend every summer with.
“I mean, I’m just leaving the doctor.”
“Is everything all right? Are you sick again? What’s wrong? What did they say?” Uncle Julian’s demeanor quickly changed to concern, and Devyn almost regretted saying anything. “Do I need to fly home?”
“No, no. I’m not sick. Well, you know what I mean. It was a routine checkup, but there are still no changes. I’ve been asking the doctor to take me off this medicine, Uncle Julian. They’re killing me,” Devyn said, her eyes filling with water again.
“No, darling, that’s far from what they’re doing. I know you don’t like the side effects, but you know what will happen if you stop taking the pills,” he responded. “We don’t want that.”
“Don’t worry. I’m not gonna stop taking them. I don’t want you to have to leave paradise because you need to attend my funeral. But I did ask about maybe having some plastic surgery done to help me—”
“Absolutely not, Devyn. That’s not an option. Why would you even consider doing that?” he objected.
“I only wanted a little lipo and a tummy tuck, Uncle Julian. Get rid of some of this weight I’ve been trying to lose. I miss my body.”
“Your body is fine. It’s beautiful, just like you.”
“Okay.” Devyn knew that talking to him about this was just as pointless as talking to the doctor, especially since they were both medical professionals.
“How’s the house? Everything still good?”
“It’s fine. How’s Bali and Ramon?” she asked. “He hasn’t come to his senses and left you?”
A few months after Devyn’s mother passed, Uncle Julian and Ramon, a retired pediatrician, who he declared was the love of his life, decided to move to Bali. He gave Devyn the keys to his three-bedroom loft overlooking a beautiful lake, a Toyota Prius, and his convertible Benz, all of which were paid for, and instructed her to take care of things and herself. The only thing he brought with him was his clothes.