“Nice to see you too, LaKeisha,” he said with a smile, his voice as smooth and velvety as always.
He glanced in Sherise’s direction, and like every other time he’d looked at her, his eyes went straight to her breasts and stayed for a couple of seconds. He did it to make her uncomfortable, because he was an asshole, but Sherise wouldn’t give him the satisfaction.
“You look lovely, Sherise,” he said. “You always do.”
“Yes, I do,” she answered back with a cold stare.
He smirked as if amused by her aloofness with him. Sherise did not like this man. He had a bad personal rep as a ladies’ man and someone who played real dirty. Sherise, being someone who played dirty when she had to, knew that there were lines she wouldn’t cross that Maurice was known for crossing on a daily basis. But he used to get results.
Sherise showed no further interest in him, and he quickly turned and headed into Jerry’s office. After the door was closed behind him, she rushed after LaKeisha, who was already heading to her office.
“LaKeisha.” She reached out and grabbed her by the arm, turning her around. “What is going on?”
“We’ll meet in the conference room in ten minutes,” she said loud enough for the others, who were following behind, to hear. “I have to make a call.”
“Not that,” Sherise objected. “With Maurice Blair. What’s he doing here?”
“I don’t know yet.” LaKeisha looked genuinely annoyed with the situation. “He just showed up on the appointment list very early this morning. I asked Jerry and he said he’ll talk about it later.”
“Jerry didn’t look very happy to see him,” Sherise said.
“I think he’s calling in favors,” LaKeisha mused. “He’s probably gonna claim some responsibility for this win and is already playing a conduit for other politicians. You know, Cabinet positions, all that.”
“Then you should be in there,” Sherise urged. “You’re going to be his chief of staff.”
“He said no.” LaKeisha shrugged. “Honestly, I can’t stand the guy, so I’d rather avoid him if I can. Trust me, I’m gonna find out what’s going on before I leave today.”
Sherise wasn’t going to leave it up to LaKeisha. She was going to find out for herself what the hell was going on.
Thelma’s Kitchen was a neighborhood restaurant on Auburn Avenue in the Old Fourth Ward neighborhood of Atlanta. They served old-fashioned soul food and BBQ ribs. Michael had been eager to bring Billie to the place he’d hung out at since he was a kid, but warned her it wasn’t in the best neighborhood.
The people were good people and the food was great, he promised her. Billie didn’t doubt him. She’d grown up going to the same type of places in D.C., which most people wouldn’t dare go into but had the best food and the best hospitality. She wasn’t at all worried about the neighborhood. What she was worried about was the two women waiting for them at a battered table in the corner when they showed up.
“You good?” Michael asked her as they headed over to his waving mother.
She swallowed hard. “Of course I am.”
Dee Dee, Michael’s mother, was in her late sixties, but looked a bit older, like a woman who had been making it on her own for a long time and it was taking its toll. She was a dark chocolate with a generous figure and a chestnut-colored weave that reached her bra strap. She didn’t smile often, at least not as far as Billie had seen.
Next to Dee Dee was Aisha, a couple of years younger than Michael. She was right out of a stereotype book of activism. She wore her hair in an afro with no makeup at all. She was somewhat petite, like Billie, but her figure was undecipherable in the unisex clothing she wore, which usually included a T-shirt with words of political protests of some kind.
Any hope Billie had of a peaceful new beginning ended the moment they approached the table and said hello. Instead of greeting them back with a hello, Dee Dee huffed.
“You’re late,” she said, rolling her eyes.
“We’re not late.” Michael gestured for Billie to slide into the booth. “We’re supposed to meet at noon. It’s 12:06.”
Billie reluctantly slid into the booth, wishing that Michael had sat down first. She felt trapped. What would she do if she needed to run for it? Jump over Michael? Well, if it came to that.
“Like I said,” Dee Dee continued, her eyes never leaving Billie even though it was Michael who responded to her, “You’re late.”
“Sorry about that,” was all Billie could say.
“I would expect as a lawyer, you’d have to be on time to everything.” Dee Dee seemed to make sure her voice sounded extra judgmental whenever she addressed Billie.
“I’d think the opposite,” Aisha interjected casually with her slightly hoarse voice, her eyes still on her menu. “Lawyers tend to think they’re special and think everyone has to wait for them.”
“That isn’t true,” Billie said, maintaining the most calm she could.
“What evidence would you have of that?” Michael asked Aisha sarcastically. “When have you ever interacted with a lawyer? Oh wait, that’s right. You meet a new one every time you get arrested.”
Aisha’s lips pressed together in anger. “Thanks for bringing that up and, for your information, I recall that all those lawyers were late for our meetings.”
“But they got the charges dropped every time, didn’t they?” Michael asked. “So I would say that wait was worth it.”
Aisha rolled her eyes and turned to Billie. “Before you get all judgmental, I was arrested for protesting against injustice. Last year it was a bank known for preying on minorities with insane interest rates. I’m not a criminal.”
“Because a lawyer got the charges dropped,” Michael added.
“I wasn’t thinking you were a criminal,” Billie said.
“You were probably thinking it.” Aisha shook her head. “Probably.”
Billie realized that she could be completely silent and still offend both these women, so she might as well speak up for herself.
“I wasn’t,” she insisted in a strong enough tone that Aisha seemed to catch on that it was best not to respond.
Billie was grateful for the moment the waitress approached and took their orders. For at least a few minutes, the tension wasn’t sky high. But the second she left, Dee Dee started in again.
“I was reading the paper this morning,” she said, “and what a coincidence, I happened to stumble on an article about your ex this morning,” she said. “What’s his name again? Parker or . . .”
“Porter,” Billie corrected. Dee Dee knew exactly what her ex-husband’s name was and her mentioning the article was no coincidence.
“He’s very successful,” Dee Dee said. “Just made partner at his firm. He was quite a catch.”
“Mom, what the hell?” Michael asked.
She laughed it off. “Oh, of course nothing compared to you, Michael. It’s just so curious as to why . . .”
“Why what?” Billie asked.
She looked suddenly uncomfortable. “Never mind, I just . . . he mentioned his devotion to his daughter, said it was important to give her his all, considering he was the only parent she had.”
Billie hadn’t been prepared for this. She was willing to take stabs at herself and their little jokes about her failed marriage, but if they were going to bring Tara, her former stepdaughter, into this, all bets were off. She loved Tara like she was her own daughter and her motherly instinct revved up at the very mention of her.
“So,” Dee Dee continued, “you don’t have any relationship with her now?”
“We have a very good relationship,” Billie responded sharply. “We’re very close.”
It had been rough, of course. During their bitter divorce, Porter often used his daughter as a tool to keep Billie close to him. When she wouldn’t do as Porter wanted, or tried to move on from him, he would forbid her from seeing Tara.
Billie had played dirty as well. She’d lowered herself to his level and threaten
ed to harm his career if he didn’t let her see Tara. Porter had even gone so far as to send Tara to his family in Michigan to keep her away from Billie. In the end, their fighting turned Tara against both of them, and it had been a long road for them both to get back in the teen’s good graces and try to have something resembling normal.
“I guess she was your only chance,” Dee Dee continued. “At being a mother. It makes sense you would want to hold on to her. You’re getting at that age when it is a bit late to—”
“Hey,” Michael said strongly. “What’s the matter with you, Mom?” He ended his question in a whisper as the waitress came with their drinks.
Billie realized what Dee Dee was trying to say and it boiled her blood. She felt herself getting flushed. Was this woman insinuating that she was getting too old to give Michael children?
Aisha laughed, nervously. “Mom is just playing around, Michael. No big deal.”
“Let’s just play nice, okay?” he asked.
“I thought I was.” Dee Dee flattened out the napkin on her lap in a huff. “You’re not offended, Billie. Are you?”
“What?” Billie asked. “That you suggested I’m getting too old to have children? Who would be offended by that?”
Dee Dee rolled her eyes. “I guess you city women are a bit thin-skinned.”
“My skin is sufficiently thick,” Billie responded.
“It’s the only thing that is thick,” Aisha said. “You need to get a full slab of ribs, not just a half. You’re too skinny. Michael is used to more curves, aren’t you?”
“How would you know?” Michael asked. “You have no idea what I . . .”
“Darina was curvy.”
Everyone sort of froze for a moment and looked at Aisha. She had said the name. Michael had warned Billie of this. Darina Wheeler was supposed to be the love of Michael’s life. They met in college and fell in love. They were both very active in their community and committed to speaking out against inequity in the South and injustices around the world. They planned to get married one day, but always assumed there would be time for that later.
They grew apart as Michael began to be successful in his business, executive search, and Darina became more radical in her protests and actions. She was arrested often, her trips usually financed by Michael’s earnings since her job as a community activist barely paid a living wage.
This dynamic created a lot of tension between them. Michael had given Darina an ultimatum: him or the activism. She made her choice and broke his heart. He decided to leave Atlanta and move to D.C., where the majority of his clients were based. In no time, his business became ten times the success he expected.
Michael had gotten over Darina a long time ago, but told Billie that his mother and sister loved her and wished they had stayed together. They spoke of her often and Billie might want to be prepared for that.
“Aisha,” Dee Dee snapped at her daughter. “Don’t.”
This was curious. Billie would assume that Dee Dee would love to see Aisha bring up Darina in an obvious attempt to make her feel insecure. But she was clearly upset about it. Or at least she didn’t want the topic brought up.
“I’m sorry,” Aisha said coyly. “Did I say something wrong? I mean I’m not insulting you, Billie. It’s just that down South, men like their women a bit thick.”
“Actually,” Michael said, “I like my women beautiful, strong, sexy, determined, ambitious, kind, caring, and funny. Billie is all of those things tenfold. No one I’ve ever dated even compares to her. Are we clear, Aisha?”
His sister stuttered through her response. “I was just . . .”
“You were just being rude,” he argued. “And so are you, Mom. Billie has been nothing but nice to you and I’m pretty taken aback by the way you’re acting. You’ve spent so many years teaching me manners, but seem to have lost yours.”
Billie felt a sense of glee as she watched Dee Dee gasp, almost dropping the glass of water in her hand. She would have given anything to take a picture of her expression and send it to Sherise and Erica at home.
“All joking aside,” Michael resumed, “Billie is not just my girlfriend. She’s my everything. I love her more than I could explain to anyone, and I expect people who love me to love her too. At the least, I expect them to show her more respect than either of you two have.”
Billie reached under the table and grabbed Michael’s hand. Her heart was exploding with joy with every word he said. She loved him so completely for this, but she didn’t want him to get too angry. She could feel the tension in his voice tightening. If he ended up yelling at his mother, Billie would end up getting the blame.
She squeezed his hand very briefly and he stopped. He turned to her and she smiled at him. He took a deep breath and she could see his body relax as he exhaled. He smiled at his mother.
“Billie is perfect the way she is,” he said definitively. “Just perfect.”
Aisha kept her head down, seeming too embarrassed to even acknowledge that Michael had scolded her too. Dee Dee on the other hand cleared her throat, took a sip of her water, and smiled.
“Of course she is,” she said sweetly. “We tease because we love. Of course Billie understands that. Don’t you, dear?”
Billie smiled flatly with a quaint nod. “I understand completely, Dee Dee.”
The woman’s fake smile faded for just a second, as she was suspicious of Billie’s meaning, but quickly returned.
Very little was said for the rest of the lunch. Billie was grateful when it was over and, despite having made love to him all morning in the hotel, couldn’t wait to get her hands on him and show him how much she appreciated him standing up for her.
Erica was dead tired and glad to be leaving the office. The lobbying industry was still new to her. She was a quick learner, and having worked at government agencies her entire career had given her an advantage. On her first day, Justin explained it plainly to her. He actively advocated on behalf of his clients to Capitol Hill and government agencies to affect legislation. After a short while she figured he was paid heavily to go on three-hour lunches followed by cocktail hour get-togethers and a lot of parties.
As she got more involved in his day-to-day business, as opposed to simple administrative tasks, she realized it was actually pretty complicated and worked hard to learn the game, or the hustle, as she referred to it. It was exhausting, and at the end of a busy day like today, she could only think of getting home and curling up in her bed with a large glass of red wine.
She made her way to the lobby and was surprised to see Corey, the handsome young man she’d met earlier that morning, sitting in the same spot he was sitting in when she’d left him. When he looked up at her, he smiled and it made her feel nervous . . . but in a good way.
“You’ve come back?” she asked.
“Come back?” He looked confused. “I’ve been sitting here ever since you left. I’m still waiting to see Justin.”
Erica blinked, confused for a second, even though she knew that wasn’t possible. “But I’ve . . . I’ve walked past here at least . . .”
She saw the coy smile form at his lips and realized he was joking with her. She smirked in response.
“So you’re a lobbyist and a bad comedian,” she said, placing her hands on her curvy hips.
“A bad one?” He laughed, standing up from the chair. “Ouch.”
“But really,” she continued, noting again how big he was. She wouldn’t mind seeing the muscles hiding beneath that fitted suit. “How long have you been out here?”
“Only about fifteen minutes,” he answered. “The receptionist let me in before she left. I’m waiting for Justin. We’re going to dinner.”
“That makes me think this morning’s interview went well,” she said.
He shrugged confidently. “What can I say? I’m pretty impressive.”
She looked amazed.
“I’m just kidding,” he assured her. “Please don’t tell him I said that. It was a joke.”
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br /> “I get it,” she said. “Usually, my sense of humor is better. I’m just exhausted. Long day.”
“Can’t tell from looking at you,” he said. “You look just as pretty and fresh as you did this morning.”
She couldn’t help but smile and wondered if her fair cheeks showed a blush. It had been a while since a guy had that effect on her.
“Thank you,” was all she offered, not willing to give any more away. She was cautious by nature, to a fault.
There was a short moment of awkward silence as their eyes stayed on each other before Erica looked away. Should she go now? Should she stay and talk? She had no idea.
Erica hated how bad she was at dealing with the opposite sex. She’d been with Terrell for over five years, and Alex Gonzales didn’t count. They never dated and she didn’t want to think of that anyway. Ever.
“So where are you going?” she asked, to get her mind going in a different direction from Alex.
“Elephant and Castle,” he answered. “The game is on there and we’re both from Chicago, so we can root for the Bears together.”
“That’s right,” she said. “Where in Chicago again?”
“Waukegan. I’m not too far from where Justin grew up.”
“So you have that in common,” she said. “I’m sure that helped. Too bad your team is gonna lose to my Washington Redskins tonight.”
“Lose.” He made a smacking sound with his lips and waved his hand away. “You must be crazy. My Bears have won six straight and are at the top of their division.”
“A division that is at the bottom of all the stats,” she responded. “Lowest-scoring division in football, and you can’t even make your field goals. Not to mention the injuries you suffered last week against the Lions.”
“None of that matters.” His eyes lit up, signifying that he loved talking football. “My grandmother could beat the Redskins on her own. How many points have you scored in the last two games? Thirteen total. And that game against the Cowboys last week? You guys shouldn’t have even bothered to show up in Chicago.”
Power, Seduction & Scandal Page 3