Twisted Vows of Seduction

by N’Tyse

  “I’m going to call the seller first thing in the morning to see how he feels about the offer I submitted.”

  “Dave, I want that house. I don’t have time to waste,” Greg said sternly.

  “I know, I know. And I’m going to see to it that you get it. I just have to make the numbers work out because what he’s asking for is ridiculously above the market value.”

  “What’s the asking price?”

  “It’s listed at $4.5 mil which quite frankly he’s not going to get.”

  Without hesitation, “Tell him I’ll offer him $5 mil,” Greg shot.

  “What! I thought we said…”

  “And I’ll pay for his movers,” he interjected.

  “Greg, that’s ludicrous! You sure you don’t want to see what the appraisal report looks like?”

  “Listen, I want that house. So do whatever you need to do to make it happen,” Greg quipped, leaving no room for negotiation. He had loved it when he first laid eyes on it and Naomi did as well. It was the perfect house to start a family and that was all Greg had ever wanted. All he ever dreamt about. The more he thought of the future with Naomi, the more he couldn’t wait to surprise her with the news that they were moving to Los Angeles.

  “Are you sure about this?” Dave asked. “Because I say we wait a couple of more days and see if he accepts the initial offer. I’m trying to save you a little bit of money here, pal.”

  “You know as well as I do that money is no object. So…the faster you can facilitate a deal, the sooner you’ll be holding your commission check,” Greg reminded.

  As if without a single second to spare, “All right. Anything you say, Mr. Adams,” Dave said, catching Greg’s drift. “I’ll call him with the new proposal right now and get back to you with his answer.”

  “You mean his move-out date.”

  “Indeed, sir. I’ll be calling you back with his move-out date,” Dave agreed.

  Greg checked his Rolex for the time. “Perfect. I’ll be waiting for your call,” he said lastly, terminating the call.

  Greg sat behind his desk a moment longer before finally retiring work. He had other plans in mind. He shut down his computer, locked up his personal files, and switched off the office light. He strolled down the corridor and peeked into his secretary’s office. She was nowhere to be found, but her computer was on. He walked around to the file room where she normally was when she wasn’t behind her desk. He stuck his head in the door.

  “Macy, I’m getting ready to head out for the day,” he said, brushing his short beard and goatee with his hand.

  Macy jumped, causing one of the manila folders to fly out of her hand. She turned to see Greg standing there and flew one hand over her chest. “Dear God, you scared me!” she said, trying to catch her breath. She pushed her glasses further back on her face and retrieved the fallen folder.

  “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to frighten you,” Greg said, trying to hold back a laugh. He figured she would have heard him coming down the hall if she didn’t always have that headset glued to her ears.

  Macy slipped the headset off. “No, it’s okay. I’ve been extremely jumpy today. Shouldn’t have stayed up and watched Insidious last night. I’m really not a fan of horror movies, but my boyfriend dared me.”

  Greg couldn’t help but to release his laughter. “Well, I bet you won’t be doing that again.”

  “No, sir. Not for a long time.” Macy joined him, not seeming to mind that the tittering was at her expense. She pulled her long tresses behind her ears. She was a fabulous brunette and wore a simple bob that framed her oval-shaped face. Her warm and smooth cappuccino complexion was absent of makeup, but her lips were painted mauve with a hint of lip-gloss. Macy looked to be in her twenties and had the most giving heart of all the employees in the building. She never forgot any of the staff’s birthdays, and when the holidays rolled around, she always brought her specialty—lemon meringue pie.

  Greg was rather surprised to hear she had a boyfriend. Although attractive, he had always thought her to be meekly modest and somewhat of an introvert, considering how she never went to any of the company’s happy hour gatherings or holiday functions. Macy didn’t socialize much during work either. She simply came to work, did her job, and went home.

  “Well, I wanted to give you a heads-up that I’m leaving for the day. I’ll see you Monday.”

  “Oh all right. I’ll be here bright and early.”

  Greg smiled.

  “Tell Mrs. Adams I said hello.”

  “I will do that. Have a great weekend!”

  “You too, sir.” Macy waved back as Greg turned around, heading for the bank of elevators.

  The main downstairs lobby was empty except for the security guard who threw up his hand as Greg strolled by, briefcase in hand. Everyone else was more likely gone for the day or caged in their office. He picked up a magazine that had been on the floor and placed it back on the table. The colossal Addison tower housed the corporate headquarters for his hotel group, Adams Companies. It was where he was finally able to establish his own identity and climb from out of Vivian’s shadow.

  Greg headed out of the revolving doors and into the parking lot. It was a breezy day out with a thirty percent chance of rainfall. A few clouds in sight. He hated when it rained now as it always forced him to think back to that tragic day.

  Remembering that he needed an update on the equitable distribution that his attorney and best friend Leonard had been working on for him, he dialed his number. He needed some good news today and he hoped like hell that Leonard was going to give it to him.

  “Hey, man, I was just about to call you!” Leonard exclaimed, sounding like he was in a good mood.

  “I hope with some good news.”

  “Nnnn…not quite, bro.”

  Greg closed his driver door and turned on the air conditioner. He ditched his jacket in the backseat, loosened his tie, and removed his cuff links.

  “Man, please don’t tell me we ran into a problem.”

  “I wish I didn’t have to,” Leonard said. He braced Greg by dragging out the news. “That prenuptial Vivian had you sign…has a condition clause in there that states if you terminate the marriage, you aren’t entitled to any of the future profits from Adams Companies Corp. or its shares.”

  “Wait a damn minute now, that’s our money. Starting Adams Companies was my idea. You know that. You did the business plan.”

  “Yes, I know,” Leonard vouched. “It was your idea, but she included it in the revised prenuptial agreement as a non-marital asset because it was funded with premarital inheritance money. Inheritance money that you also waived the rights to.”

  “Shit! This is bullshit, man. The company wouldn’t be where it’s at today if it weren’t for me.” Greg fell silent and everything else Leonard was saying fell on deaf ears. He was so upset he couldn’t think rationally. He cursed himself for signing that damn piece of paper without having Leonard overlook it like he had him review the first one. Leonard wouldn’t have let that slide past them. Suddenly, every piece of his skin on his body tightened and his head felt like it was going to explode.

  Vivian had told him her parents felt it was necessary. It was only a precaution to protect the family’s wealth and heirlooms, she had reassured him. Greg honestly believed that he would be with her for the rest of his life. He loved her genuinely and he wasn’t going to allow a piece of paper to stand between that. But now, that piece of paper was standing between his money and business.

  “Damn it!” Greg yelled out, hitting his horn with his fist. “I should’ve known better than to sign that without having you look at it.”

  “Calm down, man. You’re going to pop a damn vessel.”

  “Leonard, tell me there’s a way around this, man? I can’t walk away from this empty-handed. I’ve worked too damn hard.” Greg was seemingly gasping for air. He could barely breathe and his chest felt like it was sinking into his stomach. His tie seemed to tighten up again all on its own. A
s much as he wanted to avoid Vivian’s dramatic prima-donna spouts that she tended to exhibit when it came to money, he prepared himself for the worst.

  “You agreed to this when you signed that contract. That’s exactly what her attorney will argue.”

  “That would leave me with nothing,” Greg replied. “And I am not walking away empty-handed.”

  “I’ll warn you now, this won’t be a cakewalk. It’s going to get dirty.”

  “Just tell me what I need to do and I’ll do it.”

  Leonard sighed and after a long streak of silence, he finally spoke. “Listen, swing by the restaurant later so that we can talk this one through some more.” Greg felt his armpits beginning to perspire. Vivian had him handcuffed by the dick, but he wasn’t going to let her simply take his company away from him. “Do you think you can pull me from under this?”

  Leonard exhaled sharply. “I can’t promise you anything, but I might have a couple of ideas that can better prepare us for the court battle.”

  Greg felt his breathing return to normal. Leonard’s ideas normally led to brilliant outcomes so this should be well worth his time. He jetted out of the parking lot and turned on to the service road leading to the toll way. “What time do you want to meet?”

  “Meet me in about an hour.”

  “All right. I need to make a pit stop home and then I’ll head that way,” Greg said.

  “Cool. Bet.”

  Greg hung up with Leonard and saw that the missed call alert he’d received ten minutes ago had been from Vivian. Her ears must have been on fire. He considered calling her back but instead settled for a text message. He knew she’d detect the frustration in his voice. She replied right back that she was going over to a girlfriend’s house and that his dinner was in the fridge. Greg sent her another short text. He switched lanes and seconds later, his phone beeped again. He read her last reply and instantly his heart began to beat for her again. She had told him she loved him. He sighed deeply and waited until he came to another stoplight before sending the next one. How could he do this to her? He felt foolish and ashamed for carrying on as if everything between them was perfectly fine. As if he wasn’t conspiring to divorce her and start a family with someone else. Had he behaved otherwise, she would have become suspicious. And the last thing he wanted to do was draw attention to what he was doing. He needed to be ten steps ahead of her on this.

  When he came to a red light, he texted back “I love you.” No sooner than he hit SEND did trickles of rain plummet. Greg knew exactly why. Denise, the woman who had stolen his heart and changed his life forever, was crying.

  10

  Peaches and strawberries is what Naomi found herself submerged in at the Relache Spa. She was treating herself to a splendid evening that included a few hours of shopping and relaxation, just as Greg had wanted her to do. It was his way of showering her and making her feel like the beautiful deserving woman he believed she was. Greg liked to take care of his woman inside and out, like he did his luxurious vehicles. And there wasn’t one thing he wouldn’t do or a dollar he wouldn’t spend to ensure her happiness.

  It was a unique and humbling experience because with all his money at her disposal, Naomi hardly knew what to do with it. There was one time he’d asked her to name her favorite store. She’d said Target. He laughed, assuming she was joking, but she wasn’t. Dating a wealthy and handsome businessman was like living in a foreign country and not being able to speak their language. But Naomi was optimistic that if she stayed around long enough, she’d eventually learn the lingo of the affluent lifestyle, maybe even speak it as fluent as the others. Until then, she really didn’t fit in. She stuck out like a sore thumb and was sure others noticed it too. On one of her shopping sprees, the cashier had jokingly asked if she’d won the lottery. In a way, she had hit the jackpot.

  After her lunch date with Greg, she’d ended up at some high-end fashion boutique in the Galleria mall. She couldn’t even pronounce the name of the store, let alone what she had purchased to make the grand total come to $2,459. However, she did recall the sexy scarlet-red nightgown she anticipated wearing tonight with a pair of matching heels that she’d bought last week. She couldn’t wait for Greg to see her in it. After that luxurious shopping spree, Naomi’s day wouldn’t have been complete without the warm bubbling spa bath and massage Greg booked concurrently for her every Friday afternoon. This was special treatment she had grown accustomed to since dating him. In comparison, his life had been filled with the finest things life had to offer. She envied that because he didn’t respect the true value of a dollar like she’d been raised to do. Her parents had been poor, but they managed to scrape up every dollar and dime they could to make sure she and her brother didn’t end up that way. They were fortunate enough to make it to college, but it was Naomi who’d cut her years short. She got pregnant, married, pregnant two more times, divorced, struggled, struggled some more, and then fell into a deep depression that she couldn’t climb out of. That was when one drink turned into two, and then three, and then it was unstoppable from there.

  Her ex-husband eventually got full custody of all three of their children after a Child Protective Services (CPS) investigation found her to be unfit. Losing her kids drove her insane. It set off a chain reaction. None of her family wanted anything to do with her. They begged her to get help but she didn’t. It was like once she had that bottle in her hand, all her problems got the cease and desist memo. She eventually found herself homeless and bouncing around from alleys, freeway underpasses, and apartment breezeways. She was out there so bad her family and friends started to ostracize her. That bottle took her down. Made her an addict. “A fucking alcoholic bitch who don’t deserve to be in their children’s life,” she quoted her husband saying the day she’d gone over to try to see them.

  Greg, on the other hand, wouldn’t know a darn thing about struggling to make ends meet. She watched him blow thousands of dollars on frivolous things while she was used to having to hit the streets non-stop, begging and prostituting for money, just to buy a decent spot to lay her head. It was considered to be luck when she finally got accepted into the halfway house after completing a ninety-day stint in rehab. And most times, even that place felt like hell.

  She didn’t miss those days of living torture at all, and it was a far cry from being a house she could ever say was home. The foul stench of danger and death lurked in that place like a rotting skunk. She recalled how unhappy she was in that environment. How more mentally and physically sick she was becoming from being around all those strangers. Many of the women were recovering drug addicts and the others were ex-offenders, all trying to walk the straight and narrow path to freedom. Not freedom of the body, but freedom of the mind. Her mentor, Wanda, had said, freedom doesn’t start with the body. It starts with the mind. So beneath the surface of all that misery and sickness, which was cramped inside that place that she preferred to remember as only a hospital, were actually others like her, hoping to be nourished back to mental stability.

  Naomi inhaled sharply. Her memories had jogged a little further than she needed them to. She realized that she could never hide from her past. No one could. It always had a way of hunting you down like a prison escapee.

  Nevertheless, she thanked God for sending Maribel to rescue her when she had. They had been facing the same demons, but Maribel had been blessed and cursed. All Naomi knew was that she must have seen something special in Naomi that she hadn’t even seen in herself. She had offered her a second shot at life. A second chance at happiness.

  Greg Adams—the assignment—had also been her knight in shining armor. He was everything her heart desired. He was her lover, her friend, her companion. He had introduced her to so many new things and spoiled her in a way that she had never been in her entire life. Greg was responsible for this newfound peace and optimistic outlook she now had. Even so, Naomi knew her pipe dreams would never come to fruition. Not because she didn’t believe, but because they weren’t part of the deal.


  As the masseuse massaged her scalp, neck, and shoulders, Naomi closed her eyes and relished the moment a little longer.

  “That’s perfect, Miyuki,” Naomi said a while later. While she could have, she really didn’t want to spend the remainder of her day there. She had plans and she couldn’t wait to be back in Greg’s arms tonight. If only he truly knew how much she really loved him. He had professed his love for her plenty of times, but Naomi knew it wasn’t her that he really loved; it was the optical illusion he was infatuated with. His eyes had deceived his mind. Making Naomi twice as guilty as Maribel.

  Naomi opened her eyes completely when Miyuki stopped and turned off the jets. “Ms. Brooks, I will meet you in the other room,” Miyuki told her.

  “Okay, I’ll be right in.” Naomi smiled as she looked up at her.

  Miyuki was a slender, short Japanese woman with thick black hair. Her eyebrows looked like they’d been drawn on with a black crayon by a preschooler. Her paper-thin lips were lacquered in a vermillion hue. She wore all white, down to her shoes. She looked like she should be doing almost anything other than being a masseuse. But the secret weapon had been her hands. They were blessed with the secrets of knowing how to singlehandedly work out the most stubborn neck kinks.

  Naomi slowly eased out of the fruit bath. She towel-dried, then slipped on the white bathrobe hanging on the nearby rack next to her clothes.

  Beep Beep.

  She had a text message alert. She walked over to her purse and retrieved her phone. The message was from Greg telling her that he was going to be late coming over tonight. As she hooked her earpiece over her earlobe and walked into the other room, she sent a text back asking him how late. Not too late, he responded. But I have a surprise for you when I get there.

  She found herself smiling at the thought of what the surprise might possibly be. She folded her robe in half and placed it in a nearby chair. Completely nude, she eased herself onto the table and before placing her face-down into the open space, she sent him a nice and flirty reply.