Second Time Around

by Darrin Lowery

  “Hold on, Vaughn, can’t I just take all this in for a minute?” She stepped back to look at the hotel again from the outside. It was magnificent.

  Vaughn laughed and smiled at her before kissing her on the cheek.

  “Sweetheart, we can take it all in. As soon as I’m done with my meeting, I plan to show you everything. I promise.”

  The front lawn of the hotel on the outside looked like aged, flat bedrock with cracks in the cement. From those cracks rose fountains of water. Lighting accented the water that spewed from the ground the same way the light reflected the water at the Bellagio in Las Vegas.

  Two Japanese lions guarded the front of the hotel along with two doormen. The doormen were dressed in all white and had warm, welcoming smiles. They both welcomed their guests and they both bowed as Korie and Vaughn entered.

  “Welcome back, Mr. Harris,” one doorman said. His English was impeccable.

  “Thank you.”

  “Will you need anything while you are here?”

  “Uh, no . . . I won’t be in need of anything this trip.”

  “Are you here on business or pleasure?”

  Vaughn looked at Korie and smiled.

  “Both.”

  “Very well, if you need me, please do not hesitate to call.”

  “Thank you, but I’ll be fine.”

  They walked into the foyer and the hotel was adorned with hues of brown and tan as well as Japanese artistry. The chandelier was adorned with what looked like real diamonds, and the lighting from the chandelier was brilliant and breathtaking.

  Again Korie was amazed and again Vaughn looked unfazed by the place. He adjusted his tie and nodded to the concierge as they were escorted to their room. Vaughn and Korie were escorted to their elevator where they seemed to ride forever to the top.

  The room that they had was absolutely magnificent: glass all the way around, and the king-sized bed in the bedroom area overlooked Tokyo. At first glance, Korie’s equilibrium was off, because of the breathtaking view. The bedroom was bigger than Korie’s apartment.

  While Korie looked in wonderment around the hotel room, Vaughn ordered a tie from room service. When the attendant arrived, Vaughn told the attendant to treat Korie as he would treat him. A few more words were exchanged in whispers and then Vaughn bowed to the man before heading to the door.

  “Sweetheart, I have to go. I know this is short notice, but I have a surprise for you in a few minutes. By the time you’re done, I should be back.”

  “Done? Done with what?”

  Vaughn stopped short of the door and turned back to Korie and smiled.

  “Done with your spa treatments.”

  “Really?”

  “Really.” He winked at her. “See you later.”

  With that, Vaughn was out the door and on his way to meet with the Japanese delegation. He had his game face on and although he was here for both business and pleasure, Korie could tell by the look on his face that business was about to be his primary focus. As he walked out of the door, it seemed that Vaughn was psyching himself up as athletes must do before big games.

  Korie walked around the vast room and smiled. This was all so surreal. She thought briefly about what Darren would think if he could see her now. She pulled her camera out of her bag and began to take pictures of everything. She took pictures of the room, the view, and even the Jacuzzi in the bathroom. She had come a long way since being an AA. She had even come a long way in creating her own business. She was just starting to come into her own as a businesswoman and now, not even a year later she was halfway across the globe.

  She thought to herself that chances were she would never leave the country again and she wanted pictures of everything. So she continued to snap photos with her camera. A few minutes later, there was a knock at the door.

  “Uh, who is it?”

  “Room service.”

  “I didn’t order anything.”

  “Mr. Vaughn did,” an Asian voice said.

  Korie thought, Wouldn’t the spa treatments be downstairs?

  She opened the door and there was a team of Asian women and men there to take care of her. Some had towels, others had lotions and oils, and some had manicure and pedicure kits.

  “Wow!” Korie said. “So I guess you guys want to come in?”

  “No, ma’am. We are here to escort you to your treatment suite.”

  “My treatment suite?”

  “Yes, ma’am.”

  “What does a treatment suite look like?”

  “It has all the same amenities as your room and a few more,” one Asian woman said, smiling.

  “Well, uh, let’s not waste any time. Let’s go.”

  Korie’s only regret was that Jayna couldn’t see her right now.

  This shit is like a fairytale come true. Vaughn keeps this up, I might have to marry him.

  She was joking, of course.

  Wasn’t she?

  Chapter Seventeen

  Brandon awoke in the middle of the night. He was clearly upset. It was storming outside. Lightning stretched across the Chicago sky. Thunder rolled across the heavens and the winds blew hard outside. Chicago thunderstorms were serious. The television and radio warned that the storm was dangerous and that Chicagoans shouldn’t travel unless they absolutely had to.

  It was 3:00 A.M. and as the war of the heavens and elements raged outside, Brandon stayed by the window looking out into the storm from his penthouse condo. He was clearly upset about something. The storm seemed to reflect his mood.

  In his bed Jayna slept. She looked like a work of art. The cover was off of her and her back was to him. Any other man would be watching her as she slept. Any other man would be running his hands along her curves and kissing her sides. She was a vision of African American beauty. She had amazing curves. In bed her silhouette looked as if he had Beyoncé in his bed.

  Her legs were shapely, her hips curvaceous, and her ass ample. Any other man would be in bed with her right now. Any other man would be kissing her hips, her thighs, and her now ripped stomach. Any other man would practically worship this African American beauty.

  Any other man. Not Brandon Lloyd.

  Brandon had other things on his mind.

  Jayna slept peacefully. She slept especially peacefully after the passionate lovemaking session that she and Brandon had. With having stepped up the intensity of her workouts, she had been warring with Brandon in the bedroom. Sometimes he would win, sometimes she would win. Being more fit now than she had ever been in her life certainly had its advantages.

  Since Korie was no longer available, Jayna worked out with Brandon. He pushed her, he challenged her, and she met that challenge every step of the way. She ran with him, competed against him, and even talked finances with him. In every way she was his equal. In every way she was his competitor.

  Jayna was impressed with Brandon every step of the way. She was impressed that such a nice-looking and well-sculpted man like him had the business mind that he had. It was like he was a man capable of doing anything he set his mind to. Jayna thought that she was lucky to have him.

  She still couldn’t believe that all these months later, she almost passed up on him because she thought he was average. He turned out to be so much more than that. From time to time she wondered what other men that she thought to be average, had a world of potential. It didn’t take long for Jayna to fall in love with Brandon. He practically captured her heart from the very beginning.

  Brandon enjoyed Jayna’s company. He enjoyed her every conversation and he especially enjoyed her sex. To him, she had the body of Beyoncé, but in bed she was a magnificent lover. In bed she reminded him of the Colombian-born singer Shakira. She was a sensual lover, a patient lover, and a woman willing to give her all to a man in bed.

  Because she slept with him the very first night, Brandon always wondered whom else she gave her secrets to. How many other men had she pleased along the way of finding him? He didn’t look for these answers that were bur
ning in his mind, but it seemed that even when you didn’t want it to, the truth would find you. He didn’t ask the questions, but the answers . . . the answers found him. Because of this, he was upset. It was just one of many things on his mind.

  Fidelity and promiscuity, these were the other things that were bothering him as she slept. As one storm waged outside, another war waged in Brandon’s heart. In truth, Brandon loved Jayna. She was everything that he was looking for in a woman. She was smart, business savvy, she made her own money, so she wasn’t after his, and she challenged him. She challenged him in the bedroom, in the gym, and in business. He had never met a woman capable of being his equal and here she was lying in her bed looking . . . simply . . . perfect.

  He turned to face her. He looked at her amazing body, her chocolate-covered skin, and her ample behind. He looked at her long, flowing locks and her shapely legs. He thought, she is so incredibly beautiful. But then there were the things that he found out. They were the things that kept him from giving her his heart. They were things that kept him up this early in the morning and made him mad at the world. He turned his back to her and continued to look out into the storm.

  His primary reason for being up was his boss. His thoughts were of his boss and what he might be doing right now. Brandon was concerned about his situation with Jayna, but business was first. Business was always first. Money before the honey, as Vaughn would say.

  Each time in the past, if Vaughn took a trip out of the country, that meant Brandon had to leave the country as well. Instead, Vaughn took her. Korie went from being this wonderful woman who captured his mentor’s heart, to simply her.

  She had become a sore point of conversation. She had become the thing no one in the boardroom wanted to hear about. She had become a distraction that Brandon and the others thought was costing them millions of dollars.

  Costing their futures millions of dollars.

  Interfering with the college tuitions of grandchildren not even born yet.

  She—was a problem.

  She had to go.

  The board of directors even went as far as to have a meeting without Vaughn about a hostile competitor: Korie Ann Dillon. As far as the board, the shareholders, and high-level executives were concerned, she was a liability.

  The company’s stock hadn’t dropped in ten years, even with the economy. Since the death of his wife, no one ever had to question where Vaughn was. After his wife’s death, he threw himself into his work. Over time, he was either in the company of a paid escort or he was at work. Most times, he was at work. He was killing himself at work, pushing himself harder than he ever had when his wife was alive. It was like he was trying to kill himself or trying to join her.

  His hard work, his diligence, his obsession with making the company grow, made men rich. It made generations to come wealthy. His drive took the company head and shoulders beyond their competitors. His edge, took the company places that analysts never dreamed the company could go. In ten years, no matter what was going on in the global market, the company’s business grew.

  Then it happened.

  The stock dropped a few points.

  Four lousy points.

  That four points translated into millions of dollars.

  Dollars that could have lined the board’s pockets.

  Or gone to their wives.

  Or their mistresses’ rent.

  Or their mistresses’ implants.

  Or their cocaine habits.

  Again . . . she was a problem.

  Brandon looked on as the storm continued to rage. He watched the winds blow the waves on Lake Michigan, and watched the storm topple some small boats that were anchored below.

  Brandon wondered how the meeting was going with the Japanese. He wondered how things were going without him. Not out of insecurity, but concern for his financial portfolio as well. He wondered how much of a distraction she would prove to be on this trip.

  He thought about flying out to Tokyo, just showing up. This was not something that you did with DeVaughn Harris. Mr. Harris would see it as an insult. He would see it as a lack of confidence. A lack of confidence was not something he should see from his second in command, his right-hand man. Brandon hated it, but he could do nothing. He waited patiently by the window. He had to let his boss do his thing—alone. Brandon hated that.

  He went to a drawer near the window and pulled out a large envelope, looking at the contents. He shook his head in disbelief and replaced the envelope in the drawer. He continued to look outside with his hands in his silk pajama bottoms. Suddenly there was a loud, rolling boom outside.

  Thunder had announced its presence to the entire city of Chicago. It was a noise that shook the windows and made car alarms go off with its vibration. It was if God cleared his throat. The noise stirred Jayna from her sleep. She looked to the window where she saw her man standing there with his back to her. She wondered why he wasn’t next to her in bed, resting peacefully. She looked on and wondered why Brandon was standing at the window looking out into the tempest.

  She looked at his muscular frame. Even with his back to her, he looked magnificent, sculpted. His muscles were prominent in his back and neck. His arms were taut and powerful. He also had a nice ass, which made Jayna smile to herself. She loved this man. She loved the way that he made her feel. Not just in the bedroom, but wherever they were. She enjoyed waking up to him. Sometimes she would wake up and watch him sleep. He was ruggedly handsome and she loved the way he looked when he slept; especially the way he looked when he slept after making love to her.

  It had been a long time since she met a man who treated her the way that Brandon did. They walked everywhere hand in hand. He kissed her often and without reason. He held her, hugged her and told her how beautiful she was every day that he was with her. He was her man and she was his woman.

  Jayna bedded many men, but few left the impression on her that Brandon had. Few were as patient and as loving as he. No man was his equal in bed. No man, at least, who she had ever experienced. He could make love all night and was endowed well enough to reach places no other man before him had. He touched her as they made love. He held her hands as they made love, and he looked into her eyes when they made love not just with passion and lust, but with admiration. He made her a better woman. She would like to think that she made him a better man.

  No man captured her thoughts as he had. No man invaded her dreams or her fantasies as he had. When she was not with him, she thought of him. Nights that he couldn’t be with her in her bed when she slept, she often thought of him.

  Nights that she spent alone, she thought of him and him alone as she touched herself. She loved his smile, his frame, and his very scent. She sat up and watched him as he looked outside and thought to herself, I want to have this man’s babies. Jayna was definitely sprung. She was definitely in love.

  “Are you okay?” she asked.

  He said nothing. For a full minute he said nothing. She assumed he didn’t hear her. She assumed it was the noise of the storm that drowned out her voice, or the storm itself which had his focus. She spoke again.

  “Are you okay?”

  “I’m fine.”

  His response was flat, without feeling. He hadn’t even turned around to acknowledge her.

  “Is something on your mind?”

  “I have a lot on my mind, but nothing you need to worry about. Go to sleep, Jayna.”

  Jayna? He never simply calls me by my name. Usually it’s babe or sweetheart. Something’s wrong. Something is definitely wrong, she thought.

  “Are you sure everything is okay?”

  “If it’s not okay, it will be.”

  “Is it something at work?”

  Jayna kept probing. She wanted to know what upset the man who brought her such pleasure. Little did she know he was about to bring her equally as much pain.

  “Work is only part of the problem.”

  Again, his response was flat.

  “Anything else?”
/>   Silence. At least on their side of the window, things were silent.

  “Brandon?”

  “Yeah, there’s something else, your girlfriend. I think she’s too much of a distraction. I think her relationship with DeVaughn is compromising our business.”

  That made Jayna sit up completely. She didn’t like the fact that her man was upset, but she didn’t want him blaming her best friend, either.

  “A distraction? You mean by being in love?”

  “He doesn’t love her.”

  “Oh, I think he does.”

  Jayna got up and went to the bathroom to pee.

  “Then things are worse than I thought.”

  Jayna didn’t like this line of discussion. She didn’t like where this conversation was headed.

  “Brandon, I don’t understand. What’s the problem?”

  “Jayna, go back to bed.”

  His voice was flat but stern. It was as if he were trying to warn her to back off without being too harsh with her. On most other women this might have worked. For the average woman who would be glad to have a man such as Brandon, his tone would have definitely silenced them.

  Not Jayna.

  No man, not even her father, told Jayna what to do. No man would challenge her in any capacity, and she not meet that challenge. His tone put her on the defensive. His tone had her instinctively put her hand on her hip and look at him in a different light.

  “Go to bed? What, am I, five years old now?”

  Her tone was equal to his. Her tone reminded him that they were equal. Separate, but equal.

  “I don’t think tonight is the night to discuss your friend.”

  His voice was just a bit higher than a whisper.

  “Okay, then let’s not discuss her.”

  Now Jayna placed both hands on her hips. Her silhouette looked more like Serena Williams before a match than it did Beyoncé.

  “Fine.”

  “But let’s do discuss the way you just addressed me,” she said with her finger pointing at him.