by Cara Adams
That was something very special about this group of women. They’d been brought together by serendipity, each one choosing to come here to make a new life for herself. And although they were all very different, with different backgrounds and different stories, some of them quite sad, they recognized in each other a kindred spirit. A woman who wanted to escape from the past and make a new life for herself.
Each woman was strong and powerful on the inside, even if she didn’t appear to be especially intelligent, beautiful, or strong on the outside. Nala was a perfect example. Nala was the quiet one. All the other women might be talking, laughing, and teasing each other. Nala would be with them, yet so quiet and unobtrusive no one noticed her. However, when she’d told them about her dream to go into the herb-growing business, everyone had caught the vision and wanted to help her.
Another one was Shakina. She was so talented with hair and nails that Keisha was determined to help her start a beauty parlor. She had no idea how that would be possible, but Shakina was too good at her art to have her dream not come true. Keisha curled up in her bed and decided to speak to Mr. Cooper himself. Surely the farm would be able to help her lease a very small shop front? There’d be some kind of a deposit to pay, likely a large one, but if some of them helped her, worked for nothing even, maybe, it shouldn’t take too long for Shakina’s business to start turning a profit. It needed a lot more thinking through and Shakina would have to develop a business plan, but Keisha knew it could work. And someone else’s dream would become a reality.
And what was her dream? She wasn’t sure but she was beginning to think it included Okapi and Tedros. And BDSM, what about that? Keisha knew Okapi had been testing her out in little ways related to BDSM. She’d obviously been correct when she’d decided he was a Dom. He had let her see a little more of his dominance on each of their dates. It wasn’t just that he planned everything they’d do very carefully, and Teddy was following a silent script, but also that she was being instructed what to do in very subtle ways.
She was confident anything Okapi planned would be designed to give her great pleasure. She was also beginning to think she’d enjoy being his submissive in the bedroom very much. Hmm, yes, she was even looking forward to it. Discovering her submissive side would be as exciting as learning about Okapi and Tedros’s likes and dislikes.
This was going to be fun.
* * * *
First thing Monday morning, while they were still all showering and eating breakfast, Keisha pulled Shakina aside onto one of the couches in the living area and said, “I want you to seriously consider making up a business plan for your own beauty parlor. I don’t see why some of us couldn’t help you by working for free. Likely we could take your bookings and answer your telephone. You could teach us how to do simple things like wash and condition hair, while you do the difficult jobs like cutting, styling, and coloring hair. We could clean the windows and the sinks and sweep the floor, and generally help out. Make coffee for your customers maybe.”
“But what’s the use? I’ve written a business plan already. In fact I have three based on different ideas of how to go about it. But I’ll never earn enough money to get a shop of my own. The deposit would be huge and then I’d need to buy all the equipment. Or lease it. It’s not going to happen, Keisha.”
“I don’t see why not. Go through your business plan. Polish it up all shiny and pretty, and I’ll try to get you an appointment with Mr. Cooper to talk about it. The farm could be a guarantor for your loan and if we help you for free, you’ll start making an income faster than if you tried to do everything yourself, or had to pay a junior.”
“I’ll work for you full-time for nothing,” said Tanisha. “I’d love to learn how to do hair and nails and beauty treatments. And I don’t need money because all our food and accommodation here is provided.”
“Well, there you go then. It’s organized. Let me know when you’re ready and I’ll work on getting you into a meeting with Mr. Cooper.”
“Ask him for any time after ten this morning. It won’t take me more than an hour to update my business plan,” said Shakina. She hugged Keisha. “Now go get your breakfast and get yourself to work before you’re late.”
Keisha grinned at Shakina and Tanisha and left them settling down in front of one the computers while she finished getting ready and hurried across the square and into her tiny office. Okapi had already left a pile of folders on her desk, and she worked her way through them steadily, carefully entering the data in the various templates until ten sharp. Then she stood up, took a deep breath, smoothed a hand over her hair, and walked down the hallway to Okapi’s office. Mr. Cooper’s office was accessed through Okapi’s. Okapi looked up and smiled when she appeared in his doorway. “I can’t believe you’ve finished all that already.”
“No, I haven’t. I’d like to make an appointment for Shakina and me to talk to Mr. Cooper about Shakina’s dream to open a beauty parlor. Tanisha might be coming as well. She’s interested, too.”
“Two o’clock is free. Does that suit Shakina?
“Yes, thank you. I’ll tell her.”
* * * *
“Okapi Cooper? Arthur Avery here. You’ve probably heard of Avery’s Awesome Appetizers.”
Okapi guessed he was supposed to say something nice in the gap in the conversation, but not only had he never heard of Avery’s Awesome Appetizers, he had no clue about Avery himself. So he merely did the He-Man grunt thing that often seemed to work.
“Yes, well, we’re planning to add coleslaw to our take-out menus and I was told that your cabbages are the freshest and best around here.”
Ah, right, he knew what to say now. “Yes, Mr. Avery, that’s true. No one has fresher, crisper, better-value-for-their-dollar cabbages than the Cooper’s Farm cabbages.”
“I’m staying at the Sheraton. Can you meet me in the restaurant at one and we’ll talk turkey. Or cabbage.” Avery laughed. Okapi had the distinct impression that was a joke Avery had used many times before. But nonetheless he said, “Of course. One it is. Thank you for your interest in Cooper’s Farm.”
He kept a jacket and necktie in his office closet but the jacket was black and he was wearing navy pants today. Sighing, he set his cell phone alarm for noon so he’d have time to go home and change before the meeting.
At exactly one minute before one he walked into the restaurant, waiting at the podium to be seated as per the sign there. He didn’t see a man sitting alone looking out for a stranger, but then there were many people here he didn’t know. He might have lived in Coopersville all his life, but the town was big enough that meant there were still many thousands of people he’d never met or even heard of.
The maître d’hôtel bustled across to greet him.
“Okapi Cooper. I’m lunching with Arthur Avery.”
“Oh, yes, Mr. Cooper. Mr. Avery changed his mind and is having room service sent up. He said your business conversation needed to be private and our private meeting room was already booked.”
“Did he tell you what room he’s in?”
“He has a suite. 1017.”
“Thank you.”
Okapi hurried back to the bank of elevators and pressed the button impatiently. Now he was going to be late and that was just plain rude. He hated having to wait for unpunctual people so he tried hard always to be on time.
By the time he pressed the doorbell of suite 1017, it was five past one. Okapi was busy planning his apology and when the door opened, he stepped inside without thinking. There was a brush of fabric behind him, but as he turned his head it was swathed in black cloth, and a pinprick in his neck told him what was happening.
Chapter Five
Keisha worked through her lunch break, wanting to keep busy until the appointment time with Shakina and Mr. Cooper. When she walked to Okapi’s office again at five minutes before two, she was surprised he wasn’t there, but Tanisha and Shakina both were, and Mr. Cooper’s door was closed.
I suppose Okapi is in with
him.
Two o’clock came and went with no sign of Okapi, so Keisha walked behind his desk and waggled his computer mouse. His screen was blank with no files open. She tiptoed to Mr. Cooper’s door and pressed her ear to it, hoping like hell he didn’t open it and have her fall inside the room, convicted of eavesdropping, but either it was a very solid door, or else no one was talking in the room.
Finally she knocked on the door.
“Yes.”
“It’s Shakina Brown, Tanisha Wilson, and Keisha Robinson, for your two o’clock appointment, sir.”
“Come in.”
She held the door open for the other two women, then followed them inside, closing the door behind them when she saw Mr. Cooper was alone.
“Sit down and tell me about what you want to do, Shakina,” said Mr. Cooper.
Keisha sat back on her chair and watched as Shakina spoke clearly and logically about all her hopes and plans. She handed over a small folder with her business plan in it and then Tanisha said, “I’ll work for Shakina, free of charge, and she’ll teach me the trade when she’s not with clients.”
“What you’ve said sounds very reasonable and you seem to have thought about it very carefully. Whether or not Cooper’s Farm agrees to act as guarantor for you or not will depend on you finding a suitable venue that our accountants believe will be a good investment for the farm as a whole. What you ladies need to do now is look at suitable venues and shop fronts and bring me a list of any you think appropriate and their costs. I’ll also need an itemized list of the equipment you’ll need to begin. The accountant will look through your figures and advise me.”
“The equipment and costs as of last month is appendix A in the file, sir. Tanisha and I will look at venues straight away.”
“Good. E-mail Okapi the data when you’re ready.”
“Thank you, sir.”
Keisha decided that was the end of the interview and they all stood up and left. Okapi still wasn’t back from wherever he’d gone. He must have a meeting somewhere else. Keisha handed Shakina one of Okapi’s business cards off his desk, and then hugged her two friends. “Good luck.”
“Thank you, Keisha. I’m so excited about this. I never would have mentioned it if it wasn’t for you.”
* * * *
When he was sure the women had left, Cooper stepped out of his office and was surprised that Okapi wasn’t there at his desk. He’d had a lunchtime meeting in Coopersville and it wasn’t a big surprise when he wasn’t back at two, but it was almost three and Okapi wasn’t the kind of person who took long, boozy lunches. Apparently the man who’d made the appointment with him was, though.
Cooper went back into his office. He’d have liked to talk about the women’s plans for a beauty parlor, but it could wait. There were many other matters waiting for his attention.
He clicked on his e-mails, noticing there were at least a dozen fresh ones since he’d last checked. Several of them were easy yes-no-type queries, which he dealt with immediately. A couple would require a lot of thought and he left those aside. There was one from Arthur Avery of Avery’s Awesome Appetizers. That was not a company he knew, but the name seemed familiar. Then he read the message.
We are not Mr. Arthur Avery nor are we part of Avery’s Awesome Appetizers. However, Mr. Okapi Cooper is in our power. He will be returned to you unharmed if you deliver half a million dollars in used, nonsequential notes to suite 1017 of the Coopersville Sheraton before ten tonight. Come alone.
As soon as the money has been delivered, you will be told where to go to collect Mr. Okapi Cooper.
If you call the police or ignore this email, we regret to inform you that not only will Mr. Okapi Cooper’s life be forfeited, another high-ranking member of your business will be abducted and the price for the second person’s return will be one million dollars.
Roderick Cooper ran his hands through his hair. So now the farm was the target for some fucking ransom attempt. First there were people watching them, now this. Giving away half a million dollars was going to make running the farm mighty tricky for the next six months. It was possible, but only just. What would be much better would be to get Okapi back without paying anything.
There was very little corruption in Coopersville, but Roderick wasn’t certain enough of that to risk a man’s life. All it would take would be a single informant to say the police had been involved and he’d be in trouble.
I’ll handle this myself.
First the money. He shuffled through a pile of papers on his desk until he found one from his bank with the senior manager’s direct phone number on it. “It’s Roderick Cooper. I want to speak to the senior manager, please.”
“How can I help you, Mr. Cooper?”
“I need half a million dollars in cash, in nonsequential used notes by seven tonight please.”
“Mr. Cooper, I don’t like the sound of that request at all. If you have the kind of problem that needs so much cash money instantly, I think you need to talk to the police, not to me.”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about. One of my people is about to buy a beauty parlor and commence a new business.”
“A beauty parlor?”
“Absolutely. Now, will my money be ready on time?”
There was a moment’s silence and Roderick held his breath. “Of course, sir. Where would you like us to deliver it?”
Relieved, he breathed out again. “I’ll come and collect it myself. Thank you for your assistance.”
Roderick hung up and wiped his sweaty hands on the thighs of his trousers. The manager knew what was going on. He wasn’t stupid. But by not continuing to complain, he’d silently agreed. Roderick just hoped they wouldn’t put a dye bomb or something in with the money.
Now the next step. How to follow them and get both Okapi and the money back, as well as to catch these motherfuckers.
He pulled out his cell phone and typed a text message.
Xola, Gowan, Tedros, please come to my office immediately.
* * * *
When Keisha stepped out of the office building just after five that evening, Shakina and Tanisha were waiting for her. “We want you to come with us and look at a couple of possible stores. We’ve done the virtual tours and narrowed down the possibilities to three,” said Shakina.
“Already? That was fast work. Of course I’ll come with you.”
Shakina signed out one of the farm cars and they drove into Coopersville with Tanisha calling out directions as to where to turn.
“You do know that GPS has been invented,” she teased them.
“Honey, where I come from, no one in their right mind would ever use a GPS. It’d likely direct the car into some neighborhood where the driver would be mugged and the car would vanish into a chop shop in ten seconds flat,” said Tanisha.
“I didn’t think of that. Good point. So where are we going?”
Keisha loved watching the excitement on the faces and in the voices of the other women. They were both taking the project of finding the most suitable venue for their beauty parlor really seriously, but also having fun along the way.
“I want to peek in the windows and check out the neighborhood before I make an appointment with a realtor. Like Tanisha said, the neighborhood is important. It needs to be somewhere people will come to get their hair and nails done. Somewhere with young women, not too expensive, but not in the heart of gang territory either,” said Shakina.
“I don’t think there are gangs in Coopersville, but there’s sure to be some crime, so what you say is sensible. Besides, it’ll be fun to look around together.”
It took them a good five minutes to find a parking space near the first store. “That’s going to be a problem, for a start. If I have to rely on customers who live within walking distance only, it’s not going to be good.”
“Unless there’s a parking lot for store customers only nearby. We need to check that out,” said Keisha hopefully.
They walked slowly past the storefron
t, and then circled around behind the store but there were no signs directing would-be customers to a parking lot, and very little street parking. The store itself looked rundown, but they’d be able to repaint it and do some maintenance so that wasn’t going to cause concern, but the lack of parking was bad news.
“I’d say this one is a no. Let’s go back to the car and find the next one,” said Shakina.
“Sorry, honey.” Tanisha gave her a hug.
The second store was at the back of the mall. Parking would not be an issue, but there was a line of smelly dumpsters, and Keisha wondered if potential clients would be able to find the store.
“Maybe it’s easier to find from inside the mall,” said Shakina hopefully.
But from inside, it was accessed down a hallway that only provided entry to the back doors of stores, just for staff or deliveries, not their main customer entries. “If we could get a lot of signage up, that would help. A sign from the parking lot, and other signs at the start of the hallway,” said Shakina.
“Maybe,” said Tanisha tentatively.
Yeah, that’s what Keisha thought, too. It really wasn’t easy to find. Once they’d built up a clientele the customers would know where to come, but starting up would be hard. “Let’s hope the third one is better,” she said.
“There’s ample parking,” said Tanisha hopefully as they left the car outside the third venue.
“And being in the same location as a dress shop and a café is good,” added Shakina, happiness bubbling in her voice.
But the actual store was an empty shell. It had nothing at all, not even a sink or pipes, to indicate plumbing was available. Shakina pulled a notepad and pen out of her purse and drew a sketch, then tried to work out where external plumbing might be, but it was too difficult, and the stores either side of the empty shop were already closed for the evening.