by Bailey West
“I am.”
“Tell me what I just said,” she pursed her lips.
“Ummm…you uh… damn, I wasn’t listening. Sorry,” I snickered.
“What’s on your mind? Is something wrong?”
“No,” I took in a deep breath and released it trying to clear my mind. “I’m good. I didn’t sleep a whole lot this weekend.”
“Probably concerned about all this work you were coming back to?”
I didn’t respond. She continued to run down my calendar, and this time I paid attention.
“Wait what did you say?”
“About Caroline’s meeting?”
“Yes.”
“I didn’t get a notice from her secretary. I saw it on her calendar when I was talking to her secretary at her desk. I didn’t ask her about it because I didn’t want to point out her lack of organizational skills, so I just added it to your calendar myself.”
“It’s with whom?”
“Trevor Bell from the law firm Bell, Towers and McIntyre.”
“Do you know why she is meeting with them? They were on a roll with takeover offers when I first started the firm. They finally backed off when I stopped taking their calls.”
“Yeah, I remember. That’s why I thought it was weird when I saw the name on Caroline’s schedule. The meeting was originally scheduled for two weeks ago, but it changed to this week.”
“I want to believe she just forgot to tell me, but I don’t know. Yeah, I will definitely be popping in for that one.”
Caroline knew how I felt about that law firm. There is no reason for us to be doing any business with them. Maybe we are representing someone they have a case against? I don’t remember seeing anything like that in the weekly updates I received, and she absolutely didn’t mention it to me when I saw her.
“Also,” Liddy started. “There seems to be a losing streak going on. Before you left, everyone was solid, but then they all started losing and losing badly. We’ve had a couple clients walk away.”
“Yeah, I saw that. Caroline said she was handling things, but apparently, she wasn’t and tried to keep it from me. I will meet with each associate separately. Don’t tell them I need to speak with them until five minutes before the meeting but please set up a schedule for me. Also, make me an appointment with the clients who left. I need to speak with them face to face. If their secretaries say no, work your magic. I have to get to the bottom of this.”
“I am so glad you are back. These hoes ain’t gone know what hit ‘em.”
“Liddy, you know how I feel about women calling each other out of their names,” I scolded.
“Fine, but you know they dropped the ball, and need to answer for it.”
“They will.”
Liddy and I finished our business, and I got to work answering my emails and returning calls.
“Ms. Patterson.”
Liddy called me over my phone’s intercom.
“Yes?”
She only calls me Ms. Patterson when someone is at her desk about business.
“Mr. Valentine is here to see you.”
My stomach did at least two somersaults as I looked at my watch.
“You can send him in.”
I stood from my desk to greet him. He walked into my office wearing his long Burberry trench coat. He closed the door behind him and walked to meet me in the middle of my office.
“Can I kiss you?”
“Of course, you can,” I said with my brows knitted together.
“No, don’t look like that. I asked because I didn’t want to mess up your makeup.”
“This is lip stain, so it’s not going anywhere, but even if it did, I can reapply. You don’t ever have to ask.”
He pulled me closer and kissed me. A slow, sweet, sensual kiss.
“I thought you had to be in court,” I said after we concluded the kiss neither one of us wanted to stop.
“I do. The time was pushed back thirty minutes, so I decided to stop by and see you. I love this red suit on you. You look beautiful.”
I thought red would be a good color choice for my first full day back at my firm. It conveys power and authority.
“Thank you. I was checking out your Burberry trench. You look handsome.”
He checked his watch.
“Thank you. I have to go, but hopefully, we will see each other later?”
“I hope so too. Have a good day in court.”
“You have a great day, too.”
Samuel
“She told us that she was going to shred his ass on the stand and she did! I almost felt sorry for him up there!” Roc laughed.
Roc and I were visiting with my father to fill him in on the details of the trial and the outcome.
“How did Coco and Averie get along?” Reggie asked.
“Initially like oil and water. Coco didn’t want to listen to Averie’s suggestions, but then Averie professionally read her, and Coco straightened up.”
“Coco went for that?”
“She didn’t have a choice. Averie knows her stuff and Coco couldn’t deny that.”
“How are Princess and Princeton?”
“Princeton is growing into such a respectful little man…”
“While on the other hand, Princess is a grown woman,” I finished.
We all laughed.
“Pop, she took a permanent marker and colored the soles of her shoes red. I asked her why she did it. She told me that red bottoms are the only shoes that count. All others are trash.”
“She is a miniature Coco.”
“I’m proud of both of you men,” my father said while sitting across the table from Roc and me.
“Thanks, Dad.”
“So, you listened to your old man and made Averie the lead on the case?”
“Yes, Sir. She was amazing,” I smiled.
I didn’t try to contain the affection I felt toward Averie. After spending the weekend with her, I knew I needed her in my life every day. The way our schedules are set up, we can’t see each other like we want, but I make sure to FaceTime her at least once a day.
“Dad, she made everyone call Coco and me by our government names, and they all did it. No one slipped up around her, not even me and Coco,” Roc laughed. “She is a female version of El.”
“She ran the show, huh?”
“Like a Dom but she didn’t make a major decision without my blessing even though I told her she could. I enjoyed watching her work.”
“She respected your role even though you stepped back.”
“She did.”
“Did you follow my other advice I gave you?”
“You can’t tell by how he’s all leaned back in the chair and relaxed?” Roc laughed.
I can’t deny that being with Averie has given me an outlet to release some of the tension I had built up.
“I did. I’m glad I did because she is…” I stopped to look for the appropriate word to use to describe her.
“No, don’t try. When you’ve finally met that one that gets you, it’s hard to describe.”
“It is. Things are going well between us though. She works as hard and as long as I do so she doesn’t complain about the amount of time we spend together, but I do find myself carving out time to at least call her or stop by her office.”
“I’ve never understood people who say they don’t have time for this or time for that. When you care about something or someone, you make time for them. Your time is the most precious gift you can share with someone.”
He was right. In previous relationships, I’ve always made it very clear to women that they didn’t have a top spot in my life because of my grind but Averie is at the top of my list of priorities. I want to spend time with her, so I find the time to dedicate to her.
“Pop, so this parole board is coming up soon. What do you want to do when you get out?” Roc asked.
“I’m not going to get my hopes up until I get the answer, then I will plan. One thing I would like to do is v
isit Tappy.”
“Who is Tappy?”
“He’s my original cellmate. He has to be over eighty now, right?”
“Yeah, he turns eighty-two this year and still going strong. He’s in a retirement home.”
“I wouldn’t mind seeing him as well.”
Averie
“It feels like I haven’t seen you in a month of Sundays,” Keeva said while sitting on my bed looking at the clothes she’d taken from my closet.
Key met me at my house after I finished my workout at my gym. I was standing in my closet trying to find something to throw on after taking my shower.
“I know the case with Valentine Law took a lot of time. Now I am back at my firm trying to clean up a few messes that were made while I was away,” I replied while still looking through my clothes.
I heard Keeva whispering behind me.
“What are you…” I turned around and saw her holding up her cell phone. “Key! I covered up my sports bra. “Who are you talking to?”
“It’s me, Vee!” I heard from the phone.
“Ken? Why are y’all whispering?”
“Get closer, Key,” Kenzie said through the phone.
Keeva stood up and walked over to me.
“Oh my God!” Kenzie yelled. “Grinch who been sucking on your back?”
Kenzie loves to call other women, bitch as a term of endearment. I hate to be called bitch, so she calls me Grinch instead.
“What?” I said trying to look in the mirror to see what she was talking about.
“I told you!” Keeva spoke to Kenzie. They both started laughing.
“There are hickeys on your back, Grinch! Spill the beans! Who had you on your stomach?” Kenzie laughed.
I turned again to the mirror to look at my back. I couldn’t see what they were talking about, but I vividly remember El sucking on my neck while he was pleasuring me from behind.
“I don’t kiss and tell,” I smiled.
“Girl, if you don’t,” Keeva moved towards me.
“Get her, Key!” Kenzie yelled.
“Okay! I backed away from her. “Can I put some clothes on first?”
“Grinch, you ain’t have no clothes on when somebody was marking their territory so spill it now!” Kenzie said.
“Fine!” I smiled. “It was El.”
“El...” Keeva thought out loud.
“Valentine! Short bus rider!” Kenzie laughed.
“VALENTINE!” Keeva yelled. “When?”
“All weekend long,” I smiled.
“You said you were working last weekend,” Keeva said.
“She was working…dick!” Kenzie yelled.
We laughed.
“I’d planned on working but after the verdict came in and we celebrated…I didn’t get around to working.”
“Was our theory correct?” Kenzie asked.
“It…” I stopped speaking when I heard my phone ringing. I picked it up and saw El’s name on the screen. I held up my finger indicating I needed a minute. I connected the call. “Hey! How is your trip going?”
“Is it him?” Keeva whispered.
I confirmed by nodding my head.
“Hey,” he responded. “I haven’t left yet. I had an idea and wanted to run it by you.”
“Okay.”
“Would you like to come with me to Charlotte? I know it’s last minute. There is a home game on Sunday afternoon, and I have a meeting tomorrow morning, but we could spend some time together and explore Charlotte.”
I had some work I planned on doing this weekend, but I can either bring it with me or I can work while he is at his meeting.
“I would like that a lot.”
“Great. How long do you need to get ready? I will send a car for you.”
“Um, about thirty minutes?”
“I will have the car there in forty minutes.”
“Okay. I will see you soon.”
“I’m looking forward to it.”
I disconnected the call.
“So?” Kenzie asked.
“Yes. Your theory was correct. He is an amazing lover. I could easily say the best I’ve ever had.”
“That’s quite a claim!” Keeva said.
“Better than Grandpa Joe?” Kenzie asked.
“Shut up!”
“What did Valentine want?”
“He wants me to spend the weekend with him in Charlotte.”
“Charlotte? Why Charlotte?”
“He is part owner of the baseball team there.”
“The guy that posed naked on the body issue of ESPN magazine plays on that team,” Kenzie said.
“Oh yeah, the one where he’s using his baseball cap to cover up, was hot!” Keeva added.
“I’d never purchased an ESPN magazine in my life, but I made sure I purchased that one!”
“You like Valentine, Vee?” Keeva asked. “I mean outside of the sex.”
“I do. I liked him even before the sex. He understands my drive and my work ethic. He lets me be me.”
“Plus, he’s fine as fuck,” Kenzie added.
“Then there’s that!” We all laughed. “Don’t mention this to Mommy! She will have a wedding planned before the end of next week!”
“We won’t say anything,” they both promised.
Downstairs – Ray
OMW
I collected my things making sure I’d packed my new underwear sets I’d purchased. I found a fantastic lingerie designer online. Her pieces were sexy and unique. I looked forward to modeling them for Samuel.
I found Ray waiting at the elevator in my lobby. He was dressed down in a pair of jeans with a Saint Louis Cardinals t-shirt and ball cap. I’d never seen him in anything other than a suit. With his arms exposed I could see his full sleeve tattoos on both arms. I couldn’t make out all of the tattoos, but I did see a cross, a gun, and some names, among other things. He took my bag and led me to the car.
“Hey, Ray. Are we going to the airport?”
“No. We are going to the house then to the airstrip out there.”
“Cool. Are you traveling with us?”
“No, not this time. My wife’s family has an event she wouldn’t let me miss. I will stay behind.”
I didn’t know he had a wife. I looked down at his hand and saw the black wedding band on his finger I hadn’t noticed.
He opened the back door of the car for me to get in.
“I can sit up front if you don’t mind.”
He closed the back door and opened the front door.
“Make sure you tell El that sitting up front was your idea,” he said as he closed my door.
“I will text him now and tell him I asked to sit up here.”
“Cool.”
He pulled out into traffic headed to Samuel’s house.
I sent the text like I said I would. Samuel replied with a thumbs up.
“How long have you worked for Samuel?” I asked trying to break the ice and spark a conversation.
“Almost five years.”
“What did you do before then?”
“I hustled,” he glanced at me then back to the road.
I guess he was looking for a reaction, but I didn’t have one to give. I wasn’t surprised or taken aback. It is what it is. I try hard not to pass judgment on people. Which is one of the reasons why I hate for people to prejudge me.
“What made you start working for Samuel?”
“My lady made me leave the streets. Not in the sense, that she forced me because she didn’t. She loved me exactly how I was. Her love is what forced me to change.”
“Wow.”
“I met her when she was coming into the hood to take care of one of the older ladies on the block. She’s a good girl and not from the hood, but she didn’t walk clutching her purse or anything like that. She spoke to everyone out on the block and would go in to take care of Ms. Hattie. I spoke to her, and she spoke back but not in a dismissive way but a genuine, I care about your well-being sort of way. I asked h
er out, and she invited me to church.”
“You stopped hustling after you started going to church?”
“No, I didn’t. I didn’t see a life outside of the hustle, but I knew I had to do something. I couldn’t mess around and get locked up or killed and leave Savi. I spoke with my Pastor about my dilemma. He connected me with El. El gave me a job in the mailroom at the firm. I was faithful to being on time, doing my job to the best of my ability and never missing a day. Savi was proud of me, but I was prouder of myself. I grew up with hustlers and gangbangers, so that’s the only life I knew but El and Pastor D showed me men who worked hard and made a positive impact on the world. One day El offered me the position to be his assistant and the rest is history. He’s taught me how to build credit, invest and save money. I’ve been able to start the plans on a house for my wife, and I’m taking college courses. We live in a house on El’s property out here because it’s close to my wife’s job at the hospital.”
I saw his house when El and I were touring his property.
“Ray, that’s so beautiful. How long have you been married?”
“We just got married a couple months ago. I wanted to provide her with some stability before I made her my wife. She saved me. For real. I don’t know what my end was going to be out there, but it wasn’t going to be nice. Now, working with El, I am exposed to an entirely different side of life I never knew existed.”
We continued our conversation until he pulled to the front of Samuel’s house. He was standing in the doorway with a pair of black Nike sweatpants and a sleeveless white Nike shirt. He pushed off the side of the doorframe and walked down to the car. He opened my door and helped me out of the car.
“Hey,” he smiled.
“Hey,” I smiled back.
He kissed me quickly.
“You don’t like being chauffeured?”
“No,” I chuckled. “I wanted to ride up front and keep Ray company.”
“Well come back here and keep me company for the ride to the airstrip.”
He opened the back door and helped me in before he walked to the other side and got into the car.
He grabbed my hand and placed a kiss on it after he settled himself in the back seat. We held hands for the short trip to the airstrip. Ray pulled to a stop next to a black jet with the Valentine Law logo on the tail. El got out of the car, came around and opened my door while Ray retrieved our bags from the trunk. He passed the bags to a man standing near the plane and came back over to El and me.