by H. H. Fowler
“Fast forward eight years, to when I was twenty-seven, the skills I acquired were the stock and trade of my future businesses. I gained a reputation of being a trusted purveyor of precious jewelry, including designer collections – as I see you’ve successfully done these past five years. My clients are my biggest supporters. Without their encouragement, I may have taken forever to raise funds to start my own company. However, in 2006, through much blood, sweat and tears, Sierra Gems was born and has now become the leading trader and manufacturer of luxury jewelry in Dubai.”
Raffie mentally patted himself on the back for getting through his rehearsed speech without fumbling. However, Hunter was much less impressed. She was really waiting for the punchline. “Congratulations,” she offered. “But I haven’t heard of your company before.”
“I took that into account,” Raffie replied, a smile straining his cheeks. “You can authenticate my claims by simply going to Google. However, I will make it more interesting for you. How about you join me for a trip to Dubai in my private jet and I will take you on a tour of my company.”
Hunter raised her brows. “You have a private jet?”
“Would that be a problem?”
“Of course it wouldn’t, but I am not too keen on taking spontaneous trips with strangers, especially to that part of the world.”
“Well, would you give ear to my proposition before you fully make up your mind?”
“Okay, but I can’t guarantee you that I’ll bite,” Hunter said honestly. “I have a lot on my plate. And frankly, I’m not really interested in any acquisitions at the moment – and I don’t know if I will ever be.”
“This is not an acquisition,” Raffie said.
“Then what is this?”
Raffie reached into his satchel and retrieved a six by six manila envelope. He slid it toward Hunter and smiled. “Feast on its contents and get back to me in five days with your decision.”
The suspicion in Hunter’s eyes was quite apparent. And for good reason. Why would a stranger fly all the way from Dubai just to present her with an envelope? Hunter’s business was in fact spreading across regions, but she didn’t think her name had reached as far as Dubai as yet. Devin’s Cay was but a little dot on the map and so was her share in regards to the jewelry market. So really, what was so special about her when there were at least a thousand other jewelry designers he could have selected? Hunter studied the stranger in front of her a little more closely. This man, looking dapper in his dark grey suit and light grey collarless shirt appeared to be a ladies man, rather than a reputable businessman.
“Why five days?” she asked.
Because that’s how much time I was able to squeeze out of Waldo after pressing my lips against the shoes of that bumbling idiot. I will do anything to save my family. Either you come on board, Ms. Hunter Rose or I will have to eliminate you. Either way, I need to get paid so I can get Waldo off my back.
Raffie quieted his thoughts and said, “I could give you five weeks or five months, if need be. But I will be returning to Dubai Tuesday of next week and I would prefer to have your decision before I leave.”
How convenient for you, Hunter thought. Next week Tuesday is my engagement party and I’m simply not in the presence of mind to deal with this surprise visit of yours. “And what if I can’t come to a decision in five days? Because you must agree that it is very little time to go through the fine print. I may even need to bring in my lawyer to look over things.”
Raffie stood to his feet and smiled confidently. However, he did not like how Hunter was boring into his soul with that calculated look of distrust. “Do what you have to do, Ms. Rose. But I’m certain you will have a decision by then,” he said. “It’s pretty hard to resist what’s in that package.”
Hunter stood too and walked Raffie to the door. “We’ll see…er, Mr. Ahmed?”
“Correct...”
“But please don’t hold your breath. I am quite content with the way things are going with my company at the moment.”
“I challenge you to view the contents. Until then, please withhold your final judgment.”
****
Lewis rested a fresh cup of coffee in front of Rena. Yesterday, she’d showed up at his home in the back seat of a taxi. She did not look like the relaxed, confident girl who’d left his home days before. Granted, Rena hardly ever appeared relaxed and usually demonstrated a lack of confidence in her life’s purpose, but that heart-to-heart talk they’d had the other night – the very same night she’d threatened to kill him with a .357 Magnum – seemed to have set Rena on the right track. She was prepared to go back home to Paris to enjoy her portion of the money her father had left her in his estate. She even had big plans to use some of it to open up her own film company.
But Lewis got a phone call from a terrified Rena, explaining that her handbag had been stolen out of her hotel room. From that point on, everything went downhill from there. Her passport, her credit cards, and other personal artifacts of hers had suddenly vanished into thin air. And because of this, she’d missed her flight home to Paris. She then went on to tell him that she saw signs of an intruder snooping around her hotel room, whom she was convinced was the one responsible for stealing her handbag.
According to Rena’s latest report, her suspicion had been confirmed in a very brutal manner. If being attacked in an elevator didn’t convince anyone of what she’d been saying all along, then it was they who needed to get their heads checked not her. And for the second time since Rena had arrived in Devin’s Cay, she’d poured out her heart to Lewis, surprisingly divulging secrets of the only man she’d ever cared anything about.
“Please don’t take this wrong way, dear,” he said to her, “because I’ve extended my home to you without restrictions. However, you must take some definite action. It’s unfathomable to stay here and hide forever.”
Rena took a sip of the freshly brewed hazelnut coffee, her gaze affixed to the floor. “I don’t plan to,” she said. “But one thing is for certain: I’m not going back to that hotel.”
“Based on what you’ve told me,” Lewis said. “I’m not advising you do. But the lawyer in me sees trouble. You’ve got a maniac on the loose, who is alleged to be in possession of a gun registered in your name. I would encourage you to go to the police and make a report.”
“No...”
“No?”
“That is exactly what I said.”
Lewis shook his head in a disapproving manner. “Your stubbornness will be your downfall,” he said. “I say that because I am extremely concerned about your safety and you are not taking this situation as seriously as you should.”
Rena swung her angry gaze toward Lewis. “Don’t you think I’ve thought about going to the police? I thought about it all night and my answer is still no.”
“What’s preventing you from doing so, because it must be a pretty significant reason that seems to have your senses tied to a tree?”
Rena didn’t like Lewis words, but she took a minute to process them. As badly as she wanted to go to the police, so that crazy heifer could be detained and put into a looney bin, Rena realized that that crazy heifer was still Armando’s wife. The shock and the hurt that Rena saw registering on Armando’s face when he discovered that Annalise had attacked Rena in the elevator was enough for Rena to let go some of her vendetta against Annalise.
It really came down to one thing and had this situation not happened, Rena would have never admitted it, even to herself: Annalise would be spared because of Rena’s deep love for Armando. However, avoiding Armando became Rena’s new goal, which created yet another reason why she didn’t want to return to the hotel. One more of those passionate kisses from Armando would weaken her resolve for good and leave her susceptible to an unavoidable heartbreak. Love triangles just did not end well.
Finally, she spoke up and said, “The hotel may have reported the matter to the police already. I wish to stay out it.”
“I don’t see how you can.
My dear, if you don’t handle this situation correctly, somehow it will come back to bite you in the butt. I won’t leave my fate in the hands of a maniac.”
Rena drank the vestiges of her coffee and rested the mug on the table in front of her. “That’s because you’re not me,” she said. “Annalise is going to destroy her marriage and ultimately her own life without help from anyone. I will need you to drop me to the airport tomorrow afternoon, as I have made reservations to go back to Paris. And I do intend to leave this time.”
Lewis sighed out his frustration. He really didn’t like how Rena was handling this situation. But for as long as he’d known Rena, he’d known her to be strong-willed and reliant on her own way. He had to respect her though, for showing such courage in the face of the unknown. Maybe this man’s wife would self-destruct, but what did this really mean for Rena? What did she hope to get out of the ‘deal’?
“I have a question for you,” Lewis said.
Rena parked her gaze on the aging lawyer, sensing his question had to do with Armando.
“You’ve admitted that you care very deeply for this man,” he continued, “which is surprising in and of itself. Because I’ve never known you to express yourself so openly about your feelings for anyone, much less for a man you’ve loved from your teens. If there was ever a chance that you could be with this man, despite all the drama that is going on at the moment with his wife, would you take it?”
Rena smirked, but it hadn’t any humor in it. “As long as Armando remains married, there isn’t any future between us.”
“But what if there was? He and his wife could get a divorce.”
“It’s all conjecture.”
“You’re avoiding the question.”
“I’m not. I prefer not to build my hopes on ‘what if’ scenarios. Really, it’s not that big of a deal…I’ll get over Armando. We’ll be worlds apart anyway when I get back to Paris.”
You are deluding yourself big time, my dear, Lewis thought before he suddenly rose to his feet. He had a mission to accomplish and he must do it quickly before Rena left Devin’s Cay for good. “Do you have the key to your hotel room?” he asked her.
“Yes…it’s in my handbag. Why’d you ask?”
Lewis shrugged. “You did say you’re not going back to the hotel, right? Well, who’s going to collect your things and bring them here?”
Rena kept her eyes on Lewis, wondering what he was up to. “I haven’t thought about that.”
“It’s clear you haven’t thought about a lot of things, my dear.” Lewis opened his right palm to Rena. “Hand over your hotel room key and I’ll handle everything from here.”
Rena narrowed her eyes at Lewis. “I don’t trust you.”
“Who else can you trust, Rena? For one thing, if you allow me to collect your things, you won’t chance running into that maniac.”
I won’t chance running into Armando either, Rena thought. Lewis had made a valid point. Without further protest, she left the room they were in and returned a minute later with the hotel room key wedged between two fingers.
“Room 9112,” she announced.
“I thought you were on the fifth floor.”
“I was, but after I complained to the manager about my safety being compromised, he put me on the ninth floor, as if that would make me feel any safer.” She handed Lewis the key. “I basically have everything already packed, but if there’s a problem, just give me a call.”
“Yes, ma’am.”
“Oh, Lewis!”
Lewis was already halfway across the room. He paused in his strides and asked, “What is it?”
“My rental car is in the parking lot. What am I going to do about that?”
Lewis waved her off. “Don’t worry. I’ll handle it. You just sit tight until I return.”
It was good advice, but Rena doubted she would listen to any of it.
Chapter Eleven
Mrs. O’Grady sat back in her swivel chair and grinned at the email message she was about to send to Sasha. She had intended to send it that day when Sasha had disrespected her in her office, but Mrs. O’Grady wanted Sasha to relax and feel as if all was well between them. And then, BAM! She would attack Sasha the moment when she least expected it. The same with the email she was about to send, which was to make Sasha aware of her wonderful plans to ruin her marriage, the way Sasha had ruined Mrs. O’Grady’s chances with Levi – though Levi hadn’t any idea that Mrs. O’Grady had a huge crush on him. But still, Mrs. O’Grady had been planning for the right time to make her move on Levi.
Indeed, Sasha had done Ms. O’Grady a huge favor by resigning. In fact, Mrs. O’Grady had been betting on it, because now her biggest obstacle had been moved out of the way. Granted she may have driven Sasha to her limit, but she never imagined Sasha becoming so violent to the point of striking her in the face. Certainly, the fear of being blackmailed could change a lamb into a lion overnight. But Mrs. O’Grady was not in the least intimidated by Sasha’s show of bravado, because she was sure this email would cut that whore down to size. Pouting her lips in satisfaction, she read it over one last time as her thumb floated over the ‘Send’ button.
Don’t get too comfortable, Miss Prissy, the email read. Because I’m not done with you. How dare you attack me in MY office and expect me to SIT back and let you LIVE in peace. No ma’am! Enjoy the sex with your husband while it last, because the days of your happy little marriage are numbered.
Mrs. O’Grady closed her eyes and allowed the sweetness of revenge to flow through her veins. The next set of emails she sent would go directly to Drake, which would certainly include that raunchy video of Sasha and Levi in its entirety. Just thinking about the destruction that video would create sent chills down Mrs. O’Grady’s spine. She picked up the phone to call Levi.
“Mr. Johnson? So nice to hear your voice,” she purred. “I simply want to thank you once again for helping those boys to win the national basketball championship. They couldn’t have done it without you.”
“Thanks, but I’m sure they would have done just as fine – or even better without me. Those young men are very gifted in their passion for the sport.”
Mrs. O’Grady chuckled, finding herself incredibly turned on by Levi’s sexy voice. She imagined his dark chocolate skin pressing firmly against her caramel-colored curves. “Don’t be so modest,” she told him. “I render honor where honor is due.”
“Well, I am proud of them, especially Myles. He puts in a lot of hours. On and off the court.”
And I’m proud of you…now time to move in for the kill. “Hey, listen. There’s an impromptu meeting in my office for the faculty. Some things need to be discussed concerning the school’s updated agenda for the Physical Ed program. I was hoping you would come and offer your input.”
“What time?”
“Say in about another hour…is that okay for you?”
“Sure, I’ll be there in an hour’s time.”
Mrs. O’Grady rolled her eyes in excitement. “Great, see you then. So happy to have you on our team, even if it’s on a temporary basis.”
“Don’t get your hopes up,” Levi reminded Mrs. O’Grady. “Because I’ve already made up my mind to leave at some point.”
“I understand…we’ll discuss that too as soon as you arrive.”
Mrs. O’Grady sighed deeply as she disconnected from Levi. There was no faculty meeting and she certainly wasn’t about to let Levi walk away from Xavier High – not before she gave him a taste of her exotic fruit.
****
Twenty Minutes Later
“Here…this call is for you.”
Yasmine’s churlish voice put Levi on the alert right away. He took the iron off his pants and rested it upright on the ironing board. “You’re answering my calls now?”
“I didn’t know it was a problem,” Yasmine retorted. “It’d been ringing nonstop and I thought it was important.”
“You should not have answered it,” Levi insisted.
“Really? You’re gonna fight over a stupid phone?”
Yasmine slammed the phone on the ironing board and walked away. “Remind me never to do anything ‘nice’ for you ever again,” she yelled. “You will rot in hell first!”
A door slammed, which stopped Levi’s response from making it past his throat. He gritted his teeth and placed his cell against his ear.
“Hello?”
“I see Yasmine is still giving you a hard time,” Drake said.
“Her mouth just won’t quit,” Levi complained. “You can bet she won’t be coming along with me to your brother’s engagement party. I can do without the added noise.”
Drake chuckled. “It’ll blow over, man. I think most of Yasmine’s mood can be traced to the fact that she’s pregnant.”
“I don’t think so, man. We argue night and day and frankly, I’m becoming intolerant of it. The woman is a professional when it comes to aggravating the hell out of a situation.”
Drake chuckled again, surprised that he could actually laugh along with two people whom he’d taken a long time to forgive. “Maintaining a relationship is a lot of work.”
“You could say that again, bruh. ‘Cause I feel as if I’ve aged at least five years within the last four months, trying to prove to this woman how much I care about her.”
“You’ve always had the ability to find humor in a serious situation,” Drake said. “I remember that so clearly about you.” An awkward pause ensued before Drake continued into the reason why he called. “Hey, listen, man. I could use your help with something. How much spare time do you have?”
“I was heading to the school campus for a faculty meeting, but I will call Mrs. O’ Grady and let her know something urgent came up. She won’t be happy, but who cares?”