Beginnings

by Yolanda Stokes

  “Ladies, the table is all set.” Ethan called out to them. Regina led the way to the kitchen stopping by the guest bedroom to wash before joining Ethan in the kitchen. Jacqueline had to admit that she was very impressed by the meal Regina had prepared and she loved the interaction she witnessed between the young woman and her grandson. All in all she had to admit that what she saw made her want to kick her husband’s ass for the under handed way he tried to screw her grandbaby.

  The three of them worked together cleaning the kitchen and Jacqueline didn’t miss the way her grandson made it a point to touch and kiss Regina every chance he got. She had never seen him so happy and relaxed and she knew he’d been carrying a lot of weight with running the family business, but she had a feeling that most of what she was seeing in Ethan had a lot to do with Regina.

  They walked her out to her car each of them given a warm hug and a kiss. “Ethan I want you to make sure that you don’t let her get away.” Jacqueline whispered to her grandson before he’d closed the car door for her.

  Ethan promised that he wouldn’t before stepping back and watching as his grandmother backed out of the driveway and drove away.

  Ethan slipped his arms around Regina’s waist and planted a quick kiss at her temple, “Thank you so much for being so sweet to my grandmother.”

  “You don’t have to thank me, besides she is very easy to be nice too and I can tell that she is crazy about you.” Regina responded smiling up at him. Her smile faded when she felt him stiffen and when she looked towards his house she spotted a car sitting in the driveway. At that moment the person sitting in the car looked over and spotted them and quickly exited the car and headed their way.

  David spotted Ethan standing next door with the fine ass sister he’d been with at the restaurant and wondered who the hell she was. He knew she was only with Ethan because of his money, what other reason could there be for a sister crossing the color line. He supposed someone needed to show her that black men had money too. Maybe he’d take the time to enlighten her.

  “Hey Ethan I tried calling, but when I didn’t get an answer I decided to swing by and see if you could help me out with an idea that I’m contemplating.” He said upon reaching them.

  Ethan forced himself to be cordial, “I’ve been staying with Regina to avoid all the calls regarding the press conference.”

  “Yeah, man your answering machine is full that’s why I decided to swing by.”

  Ethan noticed that his eyes kept going to Regina, “I’m sorry, baby this is David. David this is my girlfriend Regina.” He said making introductions, immediately noticing the way Regina’s beautiful eyes chilled and the smile she gave him didn’t reach them.

  “Honey why don’t you show David inside, I’m going to gather my things and put them away.” She cupped his face giving him a deep kiss ignoring the surprised look on the prick David’s face.

  David followed Ethan inside while glancing back over his shoulder to get another look at the beautiful sister. Once inside Ethan led him to what appeared to be the family room where his eyes were immediately drawn to the pictures surrounding the room. He picked up what appeared to be a family portrait and was shocked to see Ethan’s old roommate Reginald Thompson standing beside Regina. “Ethan why is Reg, standing in a picture with your girlfriend?”

  Ethan chuckled at the question, hell even he could see the resemblance between the two of them. “Reg is Regina’s brother.” He informed him.

  David couldn’t believe it, hell Reg’s family had as much if not more money than Ethan’s did so that just totally dismissed his reason as to why Regina was with him.

  “So what is this idea you need help with?” Ethan inquired wanting to get this conversation over with and David gone, knowing his feelings on his and Regina’s relationship.

  “I was hoping you’d get me an appointment with Eric Latham, I have a business proposition that I’d like to present to him. With the two of you being such good friends I figured if you asked he’d grant me the appointment.”

  Ethan looked at him as if he’d lost his damn mind, but refrained from saying what had popped into his head instead he turned him down. “I’m sorry David, but I can’t use my friendship with Eric to get you an appointment with him. You will have to go through the same channels as everyone else.”

  David wouldn’t give up, he had to get an appointment with the owner of Latham Holdings as he’d bragged to his coworkers that he’d be able to get a meeting with the owner and he’d tried going through the normal channels, but was blocked from every angle. “Ethan, buddy I really need your help, here I have a chance to prove my worth at work and getting a meeting with Eric Latham would go a long way in making me look good.”

  Ethan heard and saw the frustration on the man’s face and knew that David just like always had been running off at the mouth and the wrong person heard it so now he has to put up or shut up. Well he wasn’t going to be the one to save him. “Again David, I can’t use my friendship with Eric to help you save face at work. Now if you’ll excuse me the game is coming on in about ten minutes and Gina doesn’t tolerate anyone talking during the game.”

  David looked incredulously at him thinking that he was lying and was about to call him out on it when Regina called out to him.

  “Baby how much time do I have before kick off?” She asked.

  “You have about ten minutes.” He answered and smiled when she cursed and raced for the stairs to change. David frowned over at him and looked as if he wanted to argue. “David the answer is no, I can’t do it. I’d never use Eric like that and he knows it. Now I’m going to have to ask you to leave, because I want to watch the game in peace with my woman.”

  David sat in his car trying to come up with a way to convince Ethan to help him, but kept coming up blank. Maybe if he had a chance to speak with Regina alone, he could convince her to talk Ethan in to helping him. Hell he had nothing to lose and maybe he’d convince her that she needs to give a brother a chance.

  *****

  “I see the little prick is gone.” Regina commented once she joined him on the sofa snuggling up close to him.

  Ethan smiled and kissed her, “Yes he’s gone and I think he is just a little pissed at me.” Ethan explained to her what David had wanted and wasn’t surprised that she was pissed.

  “How dare he try and use your friendship with Eric for his own selfish gain. What a worthless bastard you don’t use anyone that you consider a friend like that. Oh if I see him again, he’s going to get a piece of my mind and I know he isn’t going to like it.”

  Ethan loved watching the game with her just like everything else she was very enthusiastic and expressive. He especially loved the way that she yelled at the plays that were called when they fell apart. She was so refreshingly beautiful and he fell more and more in love with her every second of the day.

  *****

  Pierson was surprised to see his wife’s car in the garage when he returned from his round of golf. Well he guessed he shouldn’t have been too surprised because he’d known that after his grandson had stormed out, his nosy maid would have called Jacqueline and informed her of what had happened. As he expected he found her in his office waiting. “When did you get back into town?”

  Jacqueline turned at the sound of her husband’s voice, “I returned to town yesterday, but I stayed the night at the town home since it was closer to Ethan. Care to tell me what you are trying to do to my grandson now?” Jacqueline demanded.

  “I’m not doing anything to our grandson, but giving him an opportunity to prove what a great head for business he has.” Pierson snapped.

  “Ethan doesn’t need to prove anything to anyone he’s already proven that by turning Thompson Investments into the company that it is today, which surpassed any and everyone’s expectations.”

  “Well this is a chance for him to keep honing those skills and to do that he needs to accept this opportunity. Besides what is he going to do now that he isn’t running Thompson Investm
ents? He ran the business too long to sit idly by and do nothing.”

  Jacqueline shook her head, “Whether he does or not, doesn’t give you the right to try and dictate his life to him. For years he’s worked tirelessly for this family running the business and making sure that this family never had to work or want for anything and now he’s done, It is time for him to do what makes him happy and I can promise you that whatever opportunity you are referring to isn’t something that he wants.”

  Pierson watched his wife as she headed out of his office, he knew she was right, Ethan no longer had the desire to run a business, but he needed to get his hands on Harper’s Development and once he had it then Ethan would be free to do whatever the hell he wanted. Picking up the phone he called his grandson once again his machine picked up he demanded that he give him a call as soon as possible.

  Chapter 16

  Ethan had just deleted all of the messages, when his phone rang again. Seeing that it was his grandfather he decided to let the machine pick it up. He listened as his grandfather demanded that he call him as soon as possible.

  “Are you going to call him?” Regina asked walking up behind him.

  “Not anytime soon, I know he is up to something, but I haven’t figured it out just yet. I know it has something to do with Karen I’m just not sure where she fits in with his plans. I’ll set up a meeting with him in a few days, right now I just want to enjoy being with you and not have to worry about Thompson Investments.”

  “Well good, then you can work for me.”

  Ethan gave her a deep sensual smile, “Baby I love working for you, under you and over you.”

  “Behave,” she admonished swatting him on his fine ass. “I have some things to get done before tomorrow’s recital and since you don’t have to go to the restaurants, you can be my do boy.”

  “Oh baby, I’ll be your do boy, but it’s going to cost you.” Ethan warned as he brushed his lips against hers.

  “I can assure you that no price is too high.” She responded with a nip at the corner of his mouth. Ethan growled deep in his throat before capturing her mouth with his in a deep and demanding kiss. Their passion ignited between them both of them powerless to stop it. Without breaking the kiss, they made their way towards the stairs, leaving a trail of clothing as they went. They made it half way up the stairs, but no further.

  “The bedroom is to far away and I can’t wait to have you inside me.” Regina informed him nipping along side his neck, her legs wrapping around his waist.

  “Then I suppose that I’ll have to take you right here,” Ethan stated using the wall as leverage, he thrust his rigid cock deep within her waiting pussy and as always she took every thick inch of him fitting him like a tailor made glove. Working in perfect rhythm together, they drove each other to an explosive climax. The pictures on the wall shuddered in response to his powerful thrusts, but he couldn’t stop it just felt so damn good. He sucked on her neck in rhythm with his thrust driving her higher and higher until she screamed his name and her body clenched around him triggering an explosive climax within him. His roar of completion echoed off of the vaulted ceilings as he shot his seed deep within her.

  Regina hung limply in his arms too spent to do anything else. She frowned when she heard the faint sound of chimes in her head and wondered where the sound was coming from. “Honey I think you did something to my ears I keep hearing this chiming noise.”

  Ethan chuckled arrogantly at the drowsy sound of her voice.

  “Um baby, that is the doorbell.” Ethan informed her.

  “Oh, well you’ll have to get that because I’m too damn drained to do it, but first you’ll have to carry me up to bed.” She instructed.

  Ethan gave her another deep kiss before doing as she’d instructed. Once he had her in bed, he returned downstairs collected their clothing and slipped on his discarded pants. He groaned, when he saw his cousins standing on the front porch. Knowing that he would probably regret it, he opened the door.

  “Damn man, what took you so long? We’ve been ringing the doorbell for a good thirty to forty-five minutes.” Frank Jr. demanded.

  “Not that it’s any of your concern, but I was busy and since I’d like to get back to what I was doing before your arrival, I’d appreciate it if you’d make this quick.”

  Jerry noticed the fresh marks on his cousin’s neck and knew that it wasn’t what he was doing, but whom. He was about to comment on it, but he remembered the threatening look his cousin had given him before when he’d made a comment about his little black beauty and decided to keep his comments to himself.

  “We came by to ask you speak with that friend of yours who bought the company. We’d like to buy it back from him.”

  Ethan stared at his cousin as if he’d lost his mind, which he was beginning to think that he had. “Now why in the hell would I do something like that? If I thought the two of you would do right by the company, the employees and the clients I would have sold it to you in the beginning.”

  “How can you say that when you didn’t give us a chance,” Jerry demanded.

  “I guess the fact that neither of you showed any interest in the business, or the fact that neither of you have any experience running an investment business or any kind of business at all. Most importantly, anyone who wants a business for their own selfish reasons isn’t concerned with anyone or anything, but themselves.”

  Regina entered the foyer drawing their eyes to her after clearing her throat. “Now that I have your attention, why don’t we take this discussion into the kitchen? I don’t know about any of you, but I’m starving. So while I eat the three of you will sit down like civilized people and discuss this rationally.”

  All three of them watched as she turned and walked toward the kitchen. Ethan’s eyes drawn to her nice rounded ass loving the way she looked wearing his clothes. His smile faded when he noticed his cousins staring also. “Stop staring so hard or your eyes will pop out,” he snapped.

  “Now for the ground rules, the three of you will speak one at a time without being interrupted. You will speak in a normal inside voice without yelling. Each of you will need to keep an open mind and be willing to consider any ideas given during this discussion. Any one not complying with the aforementioned rules will have their ass thrown out. Now are there any questions?” After they shook their heads, Regina handed each of them a legal note pad and a pen.

  “One last thing before you get started. Thompson Investments has been sold and the deal is completed so there is no going back. It is a dead horse that does not need be resurrected during this discussion or any future discussions.”

  Ethan hid his smile, his woman was in full teacher mode and he could see that she would be a formidable woman in any boardroom.

  “Why can’t we discuss buying back Thompson Investments?” Frank Jr. demanded.

  “The first and most important reason is as an investor I wouldn’t want either of you running a business that I have my money in. For several very important reasons, the first being is you lack experience as you haven’t proven to me that I will be able to continue making a profit with you at the helm. Second, just by the way that you’ve been acting, this is all about you and what you want, but not about what is best for the clients. Have you once looked over a prospectus for any one of the companies that Thompson Investments handles?” She asked as she took three bottles of beer out of the frig and giving one to each of them.

  Ethan watched as his cousins looked every where but at Regina their actions effectively answering her question with a resounding no.

  “Let me ask you one last question and then I’ll be out of your hair. If you were an investor would you want someone that has no clear idea of running a business nor do they have experience in running any type of business, investing your hard earned money?”

  Frank Jr., looked over at his younger brother and saw that he agreed with everything Ethan’s girlfriend was saying. Although he hated to admit it, he agreed with it also. “Damn,” h
e muttered leaning back in his chair.

  “Oh by the way this is Regina. Regina these are my cousins Frank Jr. and Jerry.” Ethan said making quick introductions. “I would like to know where the idea of the two of you buying the company came from,” Ethan asked for some reason he wasn’t at all surprised by their answer.

  “Granddad suggested that we consider it and I guess the more he suggested it along with your complete refusal…” Jerry shrugging leaving the rest unsaid.

  Regina took a seat next to Ethan before addressing his cousins. “I think the two of you were used as a means to push Ethan into doing something that he doesn’t want to do. I really don’t think either of you want to be tied down with running a business nor do I think it is right for you two to be used in the way that your grandfather has. I honestly believe that you two are very good guys, just mislead and misused and I can see that there was once a closeness between the three of you that has been tainted and strained because of some under handed dealings.”

  “So the old man decided to use us against you in order to get you to do whatever it is he wants, which we don’t have any idea of what it is at present,” Jerry stated shaking his head.

  “Whatever it is I know that it has something to do with Karen. When I met with him before the press conference he was adamant about me getting back with Karen and I don’t think that it has anything to do with Regina being black, although that is what he alluded to,” Ethan added.

  Regina leaned down and gave Ethan a quick kiss, “I’ll leave the three of you to it then I’m going to bed. Honey the spare bedrooms are ready so make sure they don’t leave.” Both men were startled by the order and frowned over at Ethan.

  “The beer, she doesn’t want you guys driving after drinking,” he held up his hand when he saw that they were going to disagree. “It doesn’t matter that you’ve only had one, she’d feel responsible if something were to happen so you may as well forget about leaving.”