Ciara closed the door and dialed Candice’s number.
“Hey, Ciara. I was waiting by the phone for your call. What’s this I hear, you’re considering partnering with Darius?”
Okay. Ciara exhaled. The only person that would’ve told Candice is Mr. Brentwood. “Candice, I have the knowledge we need to make this deal successful and Darius has the contacts.”
“Says who? Darius hasn’t been in this business four months yet. How can he possibly have the contacts? The only person backing him is Tony.”
“That’s right. And everyone knows Tony Briscotti is the go-to man for Parapictures and the hottest newest producer in Hollywood. Every film he’s produced has grossed at least thirty million the opening weekend.”
“Yeah, but every film Tony has produced cost at least twenty million to make and that doesn’t include paying top actors like Morris Chestnut and Gabrielle Union.”
Okay. Now Mr. Brentwood’s loyalty was obviously to Candice. Ciara had thrown out big-screen names and numbers to get the attorneys thinking about all the possibilities. Based on Ciara’s prior conversations with Candice, Candice’s knowledge about the industry was limited to watching, not producing, movies.
“I have not signed a partnership agreement with Darius. I’m considering contracting versus partnering with Somebody’s Gotta Be on Top. But either way, we need Darius on board to keep Jada in check. She hasn’t withdrawn her lawsuit yet.”
“She can’t sue me.”
“Candice, reality check. Your best friend has sued you. I’m collaborating with the attorneys to prepare and present our best defense. But depending on what judge we get, Jada might win this case.” Ciara looked at her flashing intercom light and said, “Look, I’m having lunch with Darius. I’ll call you back this evening.”
“Just don’t end up sleeping with the enemy. Darius is not to be trusted. Bye.”
“Bye.” Ciara hung up and buzzed Megan. “Yes, Megan.”
“Your mom called. Monica called. And Mr. Brentwood called.”
“Thanks.” Ciara dialed her mother’s number. The line was busy. Her parents refused to get call waiting. Knowing her mother, she was probably on the phone with Monica. Ciara would get the update on her parents from Monica later. Returning Mr. Brentwood’s call could wait until after lunch. If it were important he’d call her back.
Ciara unlocked her file cabinet and retrieved Kimberly’s and K’Nine’s files. Kimberly was beautiful and could easily earn lots of money modeling if she were taller. Kimberly was five-seven with shoulder-length hair she kept neatly wrapped under wigs, unless she was auditioning. The checks Ciara received for Kimberly clearly weren’t enough for Kimberly to drive a new BMW, own a three-bedroom house in Beverly Hills, and not work a nine-to-five job like most aspiring actors. Having K’Nine as a client was like money in the bank because K’Nine never had to audition. Companies pleaded and offered top dollars for K’Nine’s endorsement.
Megan buzzed, interrupting Ciara’s thoughts. “It’s twelve o’clock.”
“Thanks. I’m on my way out.”
Grabbing her purse and files, Ciara closed her door and hurried to the garage. First Call’s office was a short distance but lunchtime traffic left Ciara minutes to spare after parking at a meter halfway down the block. Her short legs moved swiftly, gathering her pants legs into her crotch. Racing inside the elevator, Ciara took a deep breath and straightened her clothes.
The receptionist greeted Ciara as she entered the office, “Hi, Ms. Monroe. Let me escort you to the conference room.”
“Thanks, I know where it is. I’ll be fine.” Ciara entered the meeting exactly at twelve-thirty. “Hello, all.” Ciara sat at the round table with three of First Call’s staff members. After small talk, they got down to business. “What’s your position on our counter-offer for Kimberly?”
“Two thousand additional dollars. That’s the maximum we can do for this project.”
“K’Nine?”
“The counter offer of five hundred thousand is accepted.”
“Okay, increase Kimberly’s offer another three thousand and this project is a deal.”
“Two thousand five hundred. Final offer.”
“Deal.” Ciara wasn’t going to argue over five hundred dollars when six thousand dollars was the maximum she’d ever negotiated for Kimberly. Ciara glanced at her watch. One-thirty. “Send me the paperwork via messenger today and Kimberly and K’Nine can review their respective contracts tomorrow. Thanks.”
Ciara left as quickly as she’d arrived. Rushing through traffic, switching lanes, Ciara saw Darius standing next to his Bentley speaking with . . . was that Kimberly? Parking in the garage, Ciara hurried to the lobby and exited the building. Darius was deeply engaged in conversation with Kimberly.
Ciara politely interrupted their conversation. “Hi, Kimberly. I have some good news for you. Call me tomorrow.” Ciara smiled from Kimberly to Darius. “Hi, baby. You ready?”
Kimberly’s eyes shifted to Darius.
Darius said, “I’ll tell my mom you said hello.” Before Darius started the ignition he asked, “So Kimberly is one of your clients?”
“Yes, but she doesn’t get many parts. Why? You know her?”
“Not really. Her mom is one of my mom’s clients.”
“That’s strange. I thought Kimberly’s mother passed away last year.”
“Well, she used to be a client. Anyway I didn’t pick you up to discuss Kimberly. You hungry?”
“Yes. And tired.”
“Then we’ll have a light lunch and I’ll order out for dinner tonight. How’s that?”
What was Darius’s affiliation with Kimberly? “Sounds good,” Ciara answered absently. Thoughts of how well Kimberly and Darius knew one another troubled Ciara’s mind.
“You really look tired. Maybe you should get some rest tonight and we can get together this weekend. You got the partnership docs?”
“Actually, I do. Now you know we’re already getting resistance from Candice but I believe I can convince Candice that the partnership is best. And I’ll take you up on that raincheck.”
“That’s my girl,” Darius said reaching for the package. “I’m going to Oakland this weekend. You wanna go?” His lips stretched into a wider smile. “We can have a private celebration.”
“No, thanks. I’d love to go but I need to stay local. I have some unfinished business.”
Darius nodded. “With Solomon?”
“Yeah, him too.”
CHAPTER 12
Everything went according to plan, so Darius was in a great mood. Ciara was officially his partner. His mother dropped the lawsuit. Wellington reserved Darius’s new corner office with a partially obscured view of the Oakland/San Francisco Bay Bridge. And after Ciara declined to travel with him to Oakland, Ashlee flew into Oakland on a last-minute request to accompany Darius to Byron’s fundraiser in San Francisco. Suddenly the world wasn’t so fucked up to live in after all.
Darius was officially forty-nine-percent owner with Ciara. Ciara’s attorney was savvy enough to form a new joint partnership, keeping Ciara Monroe Casting and all of her holdings separate from the new partnership, Monroe, Jones, and Company. That was all right. In time, things would change to his advantage and he’d drop the Monroe—renaming his business, Jones and Company, a subsidiary of Somebody’s Gotta Be on Top.
“Ashlee, you look absolutely beautiful.” Darius admired the knee-length strapless dress with streams of material flowing around Ashlee’s calves. Seeing Ashlee in the foyer of his Oakland Hills home made Darius realize he’d missed her terribly. More than he’d admit.
“Thank you. You look good yourself in your white linen suit.” Ashlee fastened one of Darius’s buttons, completely covering his chest. “Now, that’s better.”
“So, when you gon’ accept my job offer and take over my finance department? Now that I’ve expanded, I really need you.” Needed. Wanted. Lusted for. All of the above. Darius held Ashlee’s fur-collared sweater a
s she eased her arms into the sleeves. San Francisco, no matter what time of the year, was cold at night so Darius slipped on his cashmere cardigan then tied the belt around his waist.
“Yeah, I’ve been thinking about that. And I decided if you asked me again, I wouldn’t say no.”
Ashlee must’ve missed him the same. “So, is that a yes?” Darius lowered his face to Ashlee’s and stared into her eyes.
Ashlee nodded. “Against my dad’s advice, that’s a yes. But I have to give my job two weeks’ notice. I’m ready for a change. To live someplace else. I like Dallas but since my dad moved back, he’s always interrogating my dates. Space to grow up and become a real adult would be nice.”
Darius picked Ashlee up from her waist, swung her around, and kissed her lips. “I love you! You can live with me. Wow. This is incredible news. Everything is going according to plan.”
Ashlee placed her hands on Darius’s chest. Gently pushing she said, “Only until I find a place of my own, which will be soon. I love you, too.”
Darius escorted Ashlee to the limo, waited for Ashlee to slide over, then sat beside her. Darius held Ashlee’s hand. The drive from Oakland to San Francisco was beautiful. The stars brighter. The moon fuller. Darius was super hyped. And closer to making Ashlee Mrs. Jones. No hyphenated last names for his wife.
“Ashlee, I have something to tell you.”
“Why the sudden change in your voice? You sound so serious.”
Darius nodded. His mouth curved to the right. “I’ve partnered with Ciara Monroe.”
“Darius, that’s wonderful news. Why didn’t you tell me sooner?”
“We hadn’t really talked since you met dude. You took long enough to fire that Loser. It’s June. A lot has happened. It’s like I’m getting ready to blow up. Inside I’m jumping up and down on a trampoline doing flips and shit. It’s scary. I didn’t know if I could pull off being an agent. It’s not like I know the business. I’m still learning as I go. But finally, my hard work is paying off and I won’t have to live in my parents’ shadow. I’ll have my own reputation. And I did it by myself.”
Ashlee’s forehead wrinkled. “By yourself? No, Darius. You’re where you are because of your mother and father who loaned you a lot of money which you know they don’t expect you to repay. Don’t forget they paid for your LA commercial building and they’re paying for your San Francisco office.”
“That’s what parents are supposed to do. But I created my business and insisted they let me run it. Of course you’re always by my side and that’s why I want you to . . .” Darius became silent.
Ashlee looked at Darius. “Want me to what?”
Darius hesitated. “Share in my success. I’m just glad you’re going to be my money person. I know I can trust you with my bank accounts.”
“Yeah, we do make a good team.” Ashlee’s eyes sparkled when she smiled.
The driver parked in the hotel driveway and opened the door. Proudly Darius extended his arm and waited for Ashlee to loop her arm inside his. Looking at the limo driver, Darius said, “I’ll call you when I’m ready. And when I’m ready, I’m ready.” Darius proudly escorted Ashlee inside the hotel.
Entering the banquet room, Ashlee nudged Darius’s side. “Who’s that?” she nodded toward the gentleman standing under the huge crystal chandelier, immaculately dressed in a black pin striped suit, tan shoes, and a tan collarless shirt. His shadow hair-cut complemented a sexy well-trimmed beard.
“Oh, him. That’s just Byron.”
Ashlee smiled. “He looks good. Is he single? Introduce us.”
“My future wife can’t date my associate. In fact, I don’t want you dating anyone. You want to go out, I take you out.”
“Darius, get real. You know how I feel about you. Have you heard anything I said? We’ve had this conversation. And you know I’m not comfortable with us being a couple. It’s simply not right. Besides, I’m not the Miss Goody Two-shoes you think I am. When I’m with you I act more like a sister, not a girlfriend, and sisters don’t tell their brothers about their sex life. It’s like when it comes to talking with one another, we discuss everything except our intimate relationships. It’s like I’m afraid if I tell you about my other lovers, you won’t feel the same about me.”
Darius partially heard what Ashlee had said. Damn, that woman across the room, whomever she was, was fine. She had a strut, a nice ass, sexy calves, silky thighs, a classic short black dress, shapely breasts. No doubt whoever she was, she definitely spent as much time as Darius working out. Not wanting to make Ashlee jealous, Darius walked by the woman as if he hadn’t noticed. Her perfume clung to his senses.
“Hey, Byron man what’s up?” Darius gripped hands and bumped shoulders with Byron.
Byron gestured toward the woman Darius had noticed. “No way man. That’s you?”
Byron smiled. “Indubitably.”
“I heard that.” Byron had better watch out. If he messed up, Darius was seriously sampling that.
Darius strolled by Byron’s woman to get a closer look. Byron was lying. Byron’s women never looked that fine. Byron’s females dressed more like Ashlee. Conservative and plain. Fine as hell. Hell, no way in hell was she Byron’s lady.
“Hi, I’m Fancy Taylor.” She extended her hand. “And you are?”
Darius flashed his sexiest smile. She’s not ready to get caught up, Darius thought. Could she handle the challenge? Darius arrogantly replied, “If you don’t know who I am, you’d better ask somebody.” She definitely wouldn’t forget him. If she did, she’d be the first.
Ashlee stepped between them and shook Fancy’s hand, “Don’t pay him any attention. He’s always this way.” Ashlee handed Fancy the check Darius had written earlier, for seventy-five thousand dollars.
While Ashlee became acquainted with Fancy, Darius took the opportunity to scan the room until he felt a tap on his shoulder.
Ashlee said, “This is Darius Jones and my name is Ashlee Anderson.”
Fancy looked at Darius. “Excuse me. Do you have a card?”
Looking down at Fancy, Darius pictured eating her pussy up. She definitely had freak written all over her. The way she moved her lips when she spoke. Slow. Deliberate. The way she arched her back and parted her legs when she stood. Shapely thighs. Calves. Perfectly toned biceps. Firm but very ladylike. Damn, one day he was going to sample that pussy. Ashlee frowned at Darius so he replied, “I’m highly visible but hardly accessible. I don’t even carry I.D.” Darius walked away. Ashlee trailed him.
How’d Byron luck up on a dime like that? Darius had known Byron for years and none of his females came close to Fancy Taylor. He probably bought her something expensive like a car or some shit. The only woman Darius would ever buy big-ticket items for was Ashlee.
“Well, man,” Darius patted Byron on the shoulder, “See ya at your crib in a few.”
Byron might as well kiss Fancy’s pussy good-bye because once she met Slugger, like all the rest, she’d become a jockey, and leave Byron alone. Fancy was obviously a paper chaser. Who cared? Darius wasn’t going to marry her. He just wanted to fuck her.
Ashlee interrupted his thoughts. “Let’s go.”
“Huh? What?” Darius shook his head in protest.
“I’m not feeling up to a party at Byron’s. You go. The driver can take me home.”
Did Ashlee believe he needed her permission? Relieved Ashlee decided to go back to his place, Darius lied, “I won’t stay too late,” knowing his words would make Ashlee feel better. At least at that moment.
CHAPTER 13
Darius’s tall stature barely cleared the doorway to Ashlee’s office. “So, how’s it going? Are you settling in yet?” he asked. The start of Ashlee’s second week made Darius proud. Ashlee’s corner office was on the opposite end of the third floor down the hall from Darius and Angel, between the elevator and the exit door.
“Yeah, it’s going well. I don’t know how you managed without me. Your finance person spoke as though he knew the
software program for your business but he really didn’t. At best, all he was doing was inadequately babysitting accounts payable and receivable. No budget projections or spreadsheets. He hadn’t even reviewed the employees’ charges to the company’s credit cards. The employee you fired last year had set up an online monthly recurring payment of twelve hundred dollars to her landlord. Because she returned the American Express card, he said he never canceled her card.”
Angel tapped on Ashlee’s door and peeped her head inside. “Excuse me, Mr. Jones. There’s a Kevin Williams in the lobby to see you and Ciara is on the phone.”
Darius scanned Angel’s short red dress that stopped midway at her thighs. “Did you say Kevin was in the lobby?”
“Yes, Sir. The receptionist phoned and said Mr. Williams is downstairs.”
“Well, well. Have him come up to my office. Ashlee,” Darius winked at her, “Lunch at two. Make us a reservation.” Darius briefly considered telling Angel to give Ashlee access to his schedule but women were unpredictable. What if Ashlee invited herself to lunch? Or dinner? Bad idea. Besides, he’d heard Ashlee’s confession at Byron’s fundraiser about not being a Miss Goody Two-shoes and that was good but Darius would test her conservative limits later.
Darius sat at his desk and picked up the receiver. “Hey, lady. I was going to call you. We’re still on for dinner tonight?”
“That’s why I’m calling. Can we reschedule? I’m tired.”
“Tired? From working in the office? Or from keeping late hours with Solomon? Because you sure haven’t spent time with me lately.”
“Darius, don’t. You know I’m working late hours dealing with K’Nine’s contract. And the producer is so pleased with Kimberly’s performance that he’s offered her a major role in two upcoming music videos.”
Darius’s lips tightened and curved to the right. “Is that so? Good for her.” Why was Kimberly so secretive with him? Darius didn’t know her mother had died, or that Kimberly had acting abilities. Maybe that’s why she was great at role playing.
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