Power, Seduction & Scandal

by Angela Winters

  “I look good?” He shook his head. “Look at you. You got your hair did. Look at that watch, girl. You gank that?”

  Erica made a smacking sound with her lips. “I have never ganked anything in my life, you thug. You know how I got this.”

  “Oh yeah.” He reached for his menu. “That’s right. You’re Miss Money Banks now. You got that Beyoncé money?”

  “I’m about $150 million short of Beyoncé money, but I ain’t complaining. How about you?”

  “You know me,” Nate said. “I’m working to pay my bills, like always.”

  “Still at that radio station in Rockville?”

  “You mean since you asked me at Thanksgiving dinner?” He laughed. “Of course.”

  “Well, I don’t know with you,” she said. “You can be a little indecisive.”

  “Talking about work,” he said, “I’m off right now. What are you doing hanging out in the middle of the day? You ain’t dressed for work, that’s for sure.”

  “I quit Justin’s firm.”

  “And here you are questioning my job situation.” He rolled his eyes. “Why did you quit? I thought you liked that job.”

  “I liked it until I didn’t.” She shrugged. “Justin was getting on my damn nerves.”

  “That’s what bosses do, Erica. That’s like their main job, to work your last nerve.”

  “Well, I don’t have to put up with it.” She looked at the menu. “Hey, get whatever you want. It’s on me.”

  He smiled. “You don’t have to tell me twice.”

  The waiter came to their table with water and they ordered quickly. As he left, the conversation returned to Nate’s life.

  “Yeah, but I got Aubrey now.” He smiled wide at the mention of his girlfriend’s name. “She’s got me on the straight and narrow. No more job hopping for me.”

  Like any mother would be, Erica was suspicious of this new girl in Nate’s life. “Why is it that I haven’t met this girl? I need to know about her background. I need to make sure she’s good enough for you.”

  “She’s more than good enough for me. She’s the best girl I’ve ever met.” He grabbed the fork from the table and started examining it. “I wish she didn’t have to go home to L.A. for the holidays again. You could meet her at Christmas.”

  “An L.A. girl?” Erica turned her nose up. “That’s your type now?”

  “She keeps it real,” Nate insisted. “As a matter of fact, I’m planning to move in with her.”

  “So soon? You’ve been together a couple of months.”

  “What can I say?” He asked with a shrug. “When you know, you know.”

  Erica rolled her eyes. “Your track record of knowing ain’t so good.”

  “Look at you! Terrell fucked up all the time, and Alex . . . That was fucked.”

  Erica reached out, pointing her finger at him in a threatening manner. “I told you to never talk about that!”

  “Take it easy.” He held his hands up in the air and sat back in his seat. “Don’t kill me. I’m not saying. I’m just saying.”

  Nate was one of the few people who knew about Jonah being Erica’s father, so when the news of Alex being his son came out, he’d known that Erica was close to Alex. Erica didn’t want it ever mentioned again. It nauseated her just thinking that anyone knew. Being her brother, Nate felt it was his duty to tease her about what made her feel awful, but she’d made it clear to him that Alex was off-limits.

  “I have Corey now,” Erica said.

  “So you two are legit together?” Nate asked.

  She nodded, even though that wasn’t entirely the truth. Since their last encounter in Justin’s office, the lovemaking had only temporarily distracted him. As soon as it was over, he was back with the questions and pressuring her to apologize to Justin and get her job back. She didn’t feel like dealing with it. He would have to be taught a lesson. If he wanted her to return his calls, he had to lay off about that shit.

  “Where is he at?” Nate asked, looking around. “If he’s so legit.”

  “He’s at his damn job,” she said.

  “So he’s employed,” Nate said. He was joking around, but could see from Erica’s glare she wasn’t in the mood. “I’m just kidding. I’m happy for you. Can you be happy for me?”

  “I am.” She managed a smile. “Just moving in is a big deal.”

  “I love being with her and . . . well, she lives a lot closer to my job.”

  “So this is more of a convenience to you?” Erica asked.

  “No,” he protested. “The convenience is just the icing on the cake. I’m excited about living with her. I feel like a grownass man.”

  “It’s about time,” she said. “You’ve been a grown-ass man for a while.”

  He smirked. “Whatever. I just have to figure out how to get out of this damn lease.”

  “How many months do you have left?”

  “Five,” he said. “Maybe your friend Billie can give me some advice on how to get out of it.”

  “You don’t need Billie. You have me, and you can’t get out of it. But I can.”

  “You can?”

  “That’s what I wanted to talk to you about.” She leaned forward, lowering her voice. “Let’s get this straight. I’m not taking care of you. Like you said, you’re a grown-ass man. But I can hook you up.”

  “Hook me up?”

  “Let me pay off your lease,” she said. “Five months isn’t that much for that cheap little rat hole you live in anyway.”

  “Hey!” Nate looked as if he wanted to protest, but decided against it. “It’s a shitty place, I admit it. It was cheap.”

  “So it won’t be anything for me to pay it off. You won’t even have to bother with the headache of subletting it.”

  “I didn’t want to have to deal with that at all.” He started nodding. “If you want to do that for me, then, yeah, I’m cool with that. Thanks.”

  “I’ll just need the information.”

  “Wait a second.” He leaned forward across the table. “What are the strings attached?”

  Erica was offended. “When have I ever attached strings to a favor I’ve given you? You’re my baby brother.”

  He leaned back, still a little wary. “Yeah, but money changes people. They start expecting shit from other people. They start thinking they have rights that others don’t.”

  “How you gonna say something like that to me?” Erica asked, truly hurt by his words. “You know me. When have I ever been anything but real? Even when it hurt.”

  He nodded. “I was just thinking . . . I mean, you quit that job. Erica, that ain’t like you to do that to a friend.”

  “Justin stopped being my friend the day he hired me. He turned into my boss and an asshole.”

  “But what about Sherise?” he asked. “She’s your best friend. She has to be pissed at you for it. I wouldn’t think you’d do that to her.”

  “I didn’t do anything to her,” Erica insisted. “That job has nothing to do with her.”

  “She got you that job.”

  “I got me that job! I don’t need her to get a job. Besides, I don’t really care much about what Sherise thinks these days. I’ve had enough of her stank-ass attitude.”

  Erica noticed the look on Nate’s face was the familiar expression when he didn’t believe what he was being told, and it upset her. Was he not on her side? She was offering to help him out of a big situation and all he could do was judge her?

  “What?” she asked.

  Nate rolled his eyes and turned his focus to looking at the dessert menu. The waiter came and placed their appetizers on the table and Erica could tell that he sensed the tension, because he practically dropped the food trying to get away from there so fast.

  Just then, Erica’s phone rang and Corey’s I.D. came on the screen again. She rejected the call.

  “You’re just like him,” she said.

  “Who?”

  “Corey, you, everyone. Now that I have some money, everyone
is second-guessing everything I say or do. It’s like you don’t think I can handle money. Or maybe you don’t think I deserve it.”

  “Don’t put words in my mouth,” Nate said. “It’s just not like you to up and quit like that. Even if you have a little money in your pocket. That’s a fact. I’m just pointing it out.”

  “Do you want my help with this lease?” she asked.

  He nodded. “Of course I do.”

  “Then stop pointing shit like that out, okay?”

  Sherise waited for the voicemail beep and spoke sharply into her phone.

  “Erica, if you don’t fucking call me, I’m coming over there. You can’t avoid us forever. You go and quit on my husband without even an explanation and Billie is going through some serious shit with Michael right now. Do you even care? Call me! I mean it!”

  She hung up and took a deep breath, looking around the empty private family dining room of the governor’s mansion in Maryland. She had a lot on her mind and was resentful that she even had to deal with Erica’s bullshit, but after hearing about Darina’s latest exploits from Billie, she needed Erica to get her head on straight and help them figure out how to help Billie control her situation without jeopardizing her relationship with Michael.

  But for now, she was focused on her own issue, and as she waited patiently, Sherise’s focus turned to the large armoire against the wall. This thing was not made in a factory somewhere. It was beautifully handcrafted in dark cherrywood with large doors and lower cabinets, showcasing intricately designed handles.

  Everything about it said old money and everlasting style. All the details distinctly matched, except for one. The most recent addition.

  “Sherise?”

  She turned around, her back to the armoire, and faced Stephen Northman. She could see the apprehension in his every step as he walked closer to her.

  “Hello, Stephen.” She smiled kindly to him, hoping to make him more comfortable. He couldn’t have any idea why she was here, but he was still nervous.

  “They said you wanted to see me?” he asked. “Not my dad?”

  “No,” she answered. “I came here to talk to you. How are you doing?”

  He stuffed his hands in the pockets of his khakis and shrugged his big shoulders. “I’m fine, I guess. Getting ready for Christmas. You?”

  “The same.” She gestured to the chair at the head of the table. “Sit down, Stephen. I want to talk to you about something.”

  “I think I’ll stand,” he said. “You’re making me nervous. What’s up?”

  “I was thinking about the last time we spoke,” she explained. “I almost walked in on you arguing with your dad about Maurice hitting on Shelly. Do you remember that?”

  “Of course I do. It was only a couple of weeks ago.”

  “We were talking about your dad giving my job to Maurice and how it wasn’t fair. It wasn’t fair that Maurice was able to keep working there even though he was harassing Shelly.”

  “Well, it’s not fair,” Stephen insisted. “But Tom got Shelly a really good job with Senator Goren. She’s feeling a lot better now.”

  “That’s great,” Sherise said. “But I want to focus on Maurice and your dad.”

  Stephen lowered his head a bit. “I don’t have much to say about that asshole.”

  “I don’t believe you,” Sherise said. “I think you have something to say, but you were told not to say it.”

  He looks up at her, realizing what she’s getting at. “I really gotta go, Sherise. I’m sorry, but . . .”

  “Don’t you think I deserve better than that?” Sherise asked.

  Stephen had turned to leave, but turned back to her.

  “After everything that has been done to me,” she said. “Everything I’ve worked my entire career for and this is what I get. I didn’t do anything to make this happen.”

  “I can’t talk to you,” Stephen said. “I was told I can’t talk to anyone.”

  “You’re an adult, Stephen,” she said, sharply. “You’re not a kid anymore. You’re free to do as you please, and that includes telling the truth to someone who deserves it. Or do you think I should keep getting lied to?”

  “Of course not,” he said, “But I’m not the one who—”

  “Understand me, Stephen.” She took several steps closer to him. “I’m not blaming you for anything. I’m not even blaming your father. This is Maurice’s fault.”

  “It’s not just . . .” Stephen sighed. His whole body sighed as if he just couldn’t go on with this anymore.

  Sherise could see that just a little more pushing and she could get what she needed out of him.

  She went back to the room’s centerpiece. “I was noticing this armoire. I remember asking your dad about it the first time I saw it. It’s a family heirloom, right?”

  Stephen shrugged.

  “I love how it opens up and has all these hidden drawers and slots, and the glass in the back just makes it such a classic liquor cabinet, like in the old movies.”

  She reached for the large door handle and tugged at it, but it didn’t open.

  “Then a year ago, I come over here and I see this.” She pointed to the golden padlock connecting the big door handles. “I asked your father why the padlock was on there. His response was that liquor is a poison for some. I didn’t ask any more questions because it’s none of my business. Then I forgot about it.”

  She walked over to the table and took a seat. She gestured to the same seat as she had before. “Sit down, Stephen.”

  This time he listened and slowly took a seat. His gaze switched from her to the armoire to the table. He was clearly getting upset.

  “That yellow car in the driveway is your car,” Sherise said. “It’s a new car, right?”

  “I got it for my birthday,” he said.

  “You were driving a red car during the campaign. Just five months ago. What happened to that car?”

  “I think you know the answer to that,” Stephen responded.

  Sherise was pleased he wasn’t being coy anymore. He knew what this was about.

  “You crashed it,” she said. “But I never heard about it. I was basically running Jerry’s communications during the campaign and I didn’t know about his son crashing his car. That usually makes news.”

  “So does the governor’s son being in the hospital,” Stephen said just above a whisper.

  “How many times have you been in the hospital for drunk-driving-related accidents, Stephen? How many times in the last year?”

  He wouldn’t lift his head at all this time. “Three.”

  “How did Maurice know about that and none of us in the campaign knew?”

  “He only knew about the last one,” Stephen said. “The first two times, Mom and Dad took care of it on their own. They paid people to stay quiet and called in some favors. But the last time it happened . . . I hit someone.”

  Sherise gasped. “Oh my God, Stephen. Was the person okay?”

  “They had a broken leg,” he said. “But the thing was, after I hit them, I . . .”

  “You drove away.” Sherise couldn’t believe this was the same young man she knew.

  He nodded. “I tried to, but I rammed into a light pole. It was like three in the morning over in Southeast, I think.”

  “But I still never found out,” Sherise said.

  “They weren’t going to let me off that time, but I got lucky. Or at least I thought I did. The night they booked me, Maurice was at the jail.”

  “What was he doing there?”

  “He told me he was helping someone out.” Stephen began wringing his hands together. “I was still kind of drunk. I was in handcuffs. They were about to put me in a cell when he came over to me. I don’t even remember it, but I guess I told him everything. I was freaking out because I knew it was all over that time.”

  “Maurice went to your parents with this,” she said. “He threatened to tell the press that you committed a hit-and-run.”

  Stephen nodded.
“He said he wanted this position of PS in exchange for not telling people what I did and what dad did to cover it up. He offered my dad the opportunity to get rid of it all too.”

  “So it wasn’t just blackmail,” Sherise said. “He added some favors to it.”

  “My parents couldn’t risk going to their contacts this time. I’d hit someone. People aren’t willing to cover that up. Maurice said he could do it. He got someone high up at the police station and the hospital to get rid of the records.”

  “Who?”

  “I don’t remember exactly,” Stephen said. “He told my dad. I guess it worked, ’cuz a couple of weeks after it happened, he got the job.”

  “I guess it did,” Sherise added.

  “Maurice said he could make sure they’d get rid of not just the hit-and-run, but the other two accidents and all my hospital stays. It will be like none of it ever happened.”

  “Your dad couldn’t turn that down,” Sherise said.

  Stephen let out a pained sigh as he lowered his head into his hands. “It’s all my fault, Sherise. I’ve just ruined everything!”

  Sherise tried to set aside the anger she felt at having her life so disrupted by things that were completely out of her control. Sitting before her was a broken young man who had a serious problem.

  “You have to get help, Stephen. You’re going to end up killing somebody or yourself.”

  “I know,” he said through tears. “You don’t know how hard it is.”

  “I can imagine it’s harder when you still have access to a car,” she said.

  He looked up at her. “I need a car to get around, Sherise.”

  “No, you don’t,” she said. “Your dad is going to be president. You don’t ever need to drive again. And what about rehab? You should be in rehab.”

  “I go to AA meetings,” he said, wiping his tears away.

  “That’s not enough!” Sherise said. “You almost killed someone!”

  “Then people will know,” Stephen said. “Mom and Dad don’t want that.”

  “There is a way around that,” Sherise said.

  She had to say that she was very disappointed in Jerry. She didn’t think he would try to cover up a crime, but then again, this was his son and she agreed that she would have probably done the same for her own kid. Using your power and influence to protect your child didn’t make you a bad person.